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.
My favorite, favorite, favorite breakfast place on earth.
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.
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.
After breakfast we headed straight for the original LA farmers market to walk off all those treats! :)
Josh snapped this picture of Maria and me in front of the farmers market clock, all decorated for Christmas.
Photo via Maria
Holding our purses and everything! What a sport! :) Loved having Josh as our personal photographer, security, and chauffeur for the trip! :)
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?
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!
They were making these fresh, so it was nice and warm. Definitely my kinda doughnut! :)
After the farmers market, we headed just up the street to Joan’s on Third.
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. :)
Top two photos via Maria
Right across the street from Joan’s, we spotted Magnolia Bakery!
This place is so cute! :)
We had time for one more quick stop before lunch, and what did we want?
Cupcakes of course!
This is the mint chocolate chip ice cream cupcake from Frosted Cupcakery. Delish!
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!
And this rich, Mexican hot chocolate that Brooke ordered. She generously let me have a taste! :)
Next up, this lovely, crunchy appetizer. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
CRICKETS!!! Gah! I can assure you, yours truly did not try one of these.
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!
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.
Here’s mine: Mascarpone Brownies. Very yummy!! Love this gelato! :)
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!
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.
Ah! Tempura vegetables. This one I recognize!
Loved our whirlwind day, completely eating our way through the city. Can’t wait to get back! :)
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!
Would you happen to have a recipe for ice cream cupcakes? Looks great!!
I would have eaten one with Gaby!!!! Maybe with some ranch dressing too.
Thank you for more fabulous travel tips. – And by travel tips I mean eating tips! :)
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
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.
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 ; )
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…. :)
Looks like an amazing day full of fabulous food! Your pictures are great!
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!!
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!
Amanda~
How did you do the motion photos/ sequencing? I want a tutorial on that!!! :)
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.
OMG–that cupcake is what dreams are made of!
*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!
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?!?
love the animated photos!!!!!!! you’re going to have to teach us how to do that!
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! :)
I now feel the need to visit LA :) Fun read, thank you!
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!
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. :)
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. :)
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. :)
What a fun filled day :) I just went to the grove this past weekend. It’s beautifully decorated :)
MAGNOLIA!!!!!
The absolute cutest place I have EVER EVER seen!
Sweet Girl…you know how to PARTY!
And I LOVE IT!
xo
Dude, *HOW* do you stay so skinny after eating all that?! LOL!!
Looks like so much fun!
How fun! Makes me want to take a trip to LA!
Can I just say YUMMMMMMM! :)
oh my!!!!! the pancakes, cupcakes, striped pasta…. soooooo yummy!!!!!
This post has made my mouth water! That food all looks sooo delicious!
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!
Looks like so much fun! Question…where do you buy that darling purse (leaves)? So cute!
Thanks, Cheril
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.
The Griddle Cafe is AHHHH-Mazing! We ate there with some friends a while back!
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!
That pasta is so adorable, it’s too pretty to eat! :D
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
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”
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!
I like that they put a little lemon on the side to flavor the crickets. Yikes! You guys looked like you had fun.
That ice cream cupcake looks too good!
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|
Can’t wait until you figure out the recipe for that cupcake and post it!
Loved the photos. Enjoyed seeing the different foods and places you guys visited.
This sure looks like it was a blast!
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!
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!
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
Amanda,
I enjoy looking at your scrumptious pics. You should already weigh a ton!
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
Great photos! Looks like a fun trip :)
Looks like such a fun day full of yummy treats! That cupcake with ice cream in the middle has me drooling.
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.
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!