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Whirlwind Day in LA

Favorite LA Spots

While we were out in California for the Dole Summit, Maria and Josh, the cooking couple from Two Peas and their Pod, and I decided to rent a car and spend a day running around LA. Being so close to the city, we just couldn’t resist the opportunity to take a few days off and sight see! :) We ended up with this little green rental car which we immediately and appropriately dubbed.. The Pod Mobile! :) Here’s what we did with our one day in LA.

Favorite LA Spots

My favorite, favorite, favorite breakfast place on earth.

Favorite LA Spots

Their pancakes are as big as plates!! You can get these stacked up to three pancakes high. This is the cinnamon streusel topped pancake. It haunts me. If I lived anywhere near this pancake I would have one every day, I would be 500 lbs, and I would be totally okay with that. Amen.

Favorite LA Spots
Photo via Maria

But then there’s the french toast. I don’t even like french toast. I would marry this french toast if I could. It is unbelievably incredible. Seriously the best french toast ever. Totally wishing I had a big plate of this right now! :)

If you are ever in LA, please stop by The Griddle Cafe for me. Thank you.

Favorite LA Spots

After breakfast we headed straight for the original LA farmers market to walk off all those treats! :)

Favorite LA Spots

Josh snapped this picture of Maria and me in front of the farmers market clock, all decorated for Christmas.

Favorite LA SpotsPhoto via Maria

Holding our purses and everything! What a sport! :) Loved having Josh as our personal photographer, security, and chauffeur for the trip! :)

Favorite LA Spots

I’m seriously wishing I’d picked up this fun pasta from the farmers market! All the colored strips are different flavors, like basil, tomato, and a few others I can’t remember. Doesn’t it look yummy? :)

P.S. I blog hungry. Can you tell?

Favorite LA Spots

While at the farmers market, I finally got to try a doughnut from Bob’s Coffee & Doughnuts, proudly proclaimed as the Best Doughnuts in LA. I’d been wanting to try one since the last time I was in LA, but I was just too completely stuffed last time!

Favorite LA Spots

They were making these fresh, so it was nice and warm. Definitely my kinda doughnut! :)

Favorite LA Spots

After the farmers market, we headed just up the street to Joan’s on Third.

Favorite LA Spots

Couldn’t resist trying a few goodies! :) I’m a big fan of peanut butter & jelly shortbread. This is how most places serve water in LA – love the rustic glass bottles! I kept wanting to take one home with me. :)

Favorite LA Spots
Top two photos via Maria

Right across the street from Joan’s, we spotted Magnolia Bakery!

Favorite LA Spots

This place is so cute! :)

Favorite LA Spots

We had time for one more quick stop before lunch, and what did we want?

Favorite LA Spots

Cupcakes of course!

Favorite LA Spots

This is the mint chocolate chip ice cream cupcake from Frosted Cupcakery. Delish!

Favorite LA Spots

For lunch, we met up with a super sweet group of southern California food bloggers. I am so heartbroken that my group photo of us all did not turn out! I did manage to snap a photo of the guacamole though, of course!

Favorite LA Spots

And this rich, Mexican hot chocolate that Brooke ordered. She generously let me have a taste! :)

Favorite LA Spots

Next up, this lovely, crunchy appetizer. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Favorite LA Spots

CRICKETS!!! Gah! I can assure you, yours truly did not try one of these.

What's Gaby Eating?Press the ESC key to pause animation.

But I did get a front row seat to the show! I think it took a little convincing, but Gaby managed to get one down! Love this girl, she is so fun! :) I’m kinda wishing I’d tried one now! HAH!

Favorite LA Spots

We were in serious need of some ice cream after that slightly traumatizing experience, so after lunch, Rachael, Maria and I headed to Scoops for some delicious gelato in the most outrageous and original flavor combinations.

Favorite LA Spots

Here’s mine: Mascarpone Brownies. Very yummy!! Love this gelato! :)

Favorite LA Spots

Of course we couldn’t leave LA without hitting up a local sushi bar in Little Tokyo. The southern CA girls pointed us in the right direction!

Favorite LA Spots

This place was very authentic, and the menu was unlike any other sushi menu I’d ever seen. I’m not exactly sure what we ended up with here! :) I think that one in the back is a salmon skin roll.

Favorite LA Spots

Ah! Tempura vegetables. This one I recognize!

Loved our whirlwind day, completely eating our way through the city. Can’t wait to get back! :)

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54 Responses
  1. Suzette

    I’ve lived 40 miles North of LA my whole life and have never been to or even heard of The Gridle Cafe (I know, I need to get out more). I WANT to go there after seeing your blog! Actually, I’d like to spend a whole day eating my way through LA like you did. What fun!

  2. marla {family fresh cooking}

    Amanda I ADORE you and all of our very special friends! Love what you did with Gaby & the crickets. You are so talented. When am I gonna see you again?? Fun trip to LA, thanks for the tour. XO

  3. Cookin' Canuck

    It looks as though you had a fantastic time. You’re making me hungry!

    What kind of camera and lens do you use? Great photos.

  4. Paula - bell'alimento

    Too much FUN! And the food…ah the food…and I’ve got the “you can get with this or you can get with that” KIA Song in my head now ; )

  5. Fuji Mama

    I so wish that you lived closer! I loved getting to spend time with you and get to know you in person! You are a doll! And I’m still coveting your camera and lens…. :)

  6. lori

    your photography is terrific! I feel like I was there : ). Thanks for sharing all of the goodies u found on your trip! p.s. u are SUPER skinny!!

  7. Cindy Johnston

    I love to see where all you’ve been and the FOOD….ohhhhh myyyyyyy!! It all looks sooooo yummy! Quick question…what brand is your purse? I love it and have a great insert for it if only I can find that purse to buy and then I can carry it as yet another….lol…camera bag! haha
    Thanks Amanda!

  8. Patricia

    Hola.
    A mi hija Catalina y a mi nos encanta vuestro blog, sois muy simpáticos. Ah, y nos hemos descargado todas vuestras “peas”.
    Un abrazo desde España.
    Patricia.

  9. Diane

    *Drool* So much good looking food. (Oh and the handbags are darling too!!) How dooooooo you dooooooooo it? You look skinnier every time you appear in blogland. How do you visit all those yummy eateries and not gain an oz???
    P.S…. so happy for your success…you rock gal!

  10. Leanne

    Okay, I’m with the other commenters – how do you eat this stuff and stay so thin!? I’m so inspired by your weightloss story, but couldn’t eat like out or bake like you do and have cookies and brownies in and stay thin! What is your secret?!?

  11. Meredith

    DELICIOUS post… I want to take a flight to LA just to eat, forget the most famous Mouse who is usually responsible for my trips! :)

  12. Lori F

    I’m new to your blog and just love reading it! But seriously, how are you guys not 300 lbs each? I’ve read your diet story but it seems like food is a main part of your day and I’m soooo jealous!! Keep up the good work!

  13. cynthia

    Divine. I’m heading there in a few weeks. I’m definitely going to hit the griddle spot. What’s the name of the Sushi and lunch spot.

    As always, thanks for sharing. :)

  14. Kendra

    Um yum.. seriously how do you stay in such great shape! If I went to as many yummy looking places as you do I would weigh a billion pounds…That being said I think you should figure out the recipe for that cupcake and post it. please. :)

  15. Katherine @ Grass Stains

    OK, that mint chocolate chip ice cream cupcake has got to be the best looking, most interesting cupcake you’ve ever featured here! I am DYING to try it. I’m fully aware that it may not taste as good as it looks, but that has no bearing on my desire to try it at the moment. GAH.

    And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again … I don’t know how you can eat all that stuff and still look as great as you do! I think you told me at the Lisa Leonard meet-and-greet in Birmingham that you only try a bite or two of each item … but I would be completely unable to do that. You have such willpower!

    Can’t wait to hear about the next adventure. :)

  16. Debi

    Wow! This looks like a really fun trip for you. Thank you so much for sharing your pictures with us! (You know we live vicariously through you!) ha!

  17. Therese

    No way would I have eatten the cricket. Funny, how eatting a pig, a cow, frog legs are nothing to me, but a cricket, nope! I want to try that cupcake, omgosh, ice cream inside. That’s a new twist. The pasta looked fun, I ‘d have bought a few bags of them. TKS for sharing all your photos.

  18. Anele

    I’m with everyone else, how the heck do you stay so tiny eating all of that delicious yumminess!? I’m still trying to shake off the sticker shock of $5 for a cupcake! I thought paying $3-3.50 in Chicago next week was as high as it went. I should know better, spent my summers as a teen in LA!

  19. chinamommy

    Ok, i am NOT a foodie, BUT…everything looks DELISH! My mouth literally dropped open when I saw that cupcake!! Yes, you should have grabbed that pasta, it’s beautiful!!!!
    xoxo
    ~cm

  20. Kendra aka "Domestic Princess in Training"

    Looks like a lovely trip! I like how you did the pics of the gal eating the cricket. That’s neat!

    I have no idea how you eat all those delicious goodies and stay so thin. Just looking at that cupcake I gained 5 pounds. ;o) I’m still trying to figure out how they got the ice cream inside. I’m guessing they cut into it then put it back together? If so they did it well because you can’t even tell!

    Kendra aka “Domestic Princess in Training”

  21. Maria

    I MISS YOU!!! SO glad we were able to run around LA together. It was so much fun!!! I am ready to go back anytime. Those Recess pancakes are calling my name!

  22. Terri Lynn

    Loved the pics of local LA attractions – what a fun day! Definitely will have to check some of these places out next time in LA. You are very talented and I love you site|

  23. Marywithgarden

    You are a girl after my own heart gormandizing your way across LA! You effectively covered all the bases. Not saying that I would have tried the crickets, but I love that spirit of adventure in eating!

  24. Alisha

    This looks like so much fun. And I KNEW I loved you — I don’t like French Toast either. My family threatens to disown me every time I proclaim this. :) Thanks, Amanda!

  25. JoAnne

    These pictures are fantastic!! What kind of work do you do? Are you a food photographer???!! And what kind of exercise regime are you on! It must take up most of your day the way you eat LOL

  26. Jenny Flake

    Cutest pictures ever! That “in motion photo” of Gaby is the coolest thing I have ever seen! You never cease to amaze me with your talents :) Great post!!

    xoxoxo

    Jenny

  27. daneilia

    oh goodness Amanda, I swear you make me hungry every time you post something (because you usually post something that has food in it & its not a bad thing..haha). i’m a California girl born and bred and i’m glad that you get to enjoy it when i cant (cause my husband is in the Army so we are elsewhere) haha.

  28. amanda @ fake ginger

    It looks like you had an awesome day. That cupcake cut in half had me saying a bad word when I saw how much filling is in it! I WANT!

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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