Hole In The Wall...

Burgers? Now I can't say they're better than Shake Shack, but they were certainly yummy and a good find. Pretzel Bun, OK, got a little soggy, but the top was yummy to pull off... and their sweet potato fries left something to be desired...

But their pickles? Perhaps some of the best I've ever had! A sort of mix between the classic crunch with a bit of the infamous Subway Yellow Pepper flavor.

Definitely worth a try.

11058 Santa Monica Blvd at South Bentley Avenue (behind Winchell's Donuts)
(310) 312-7013

Vodka Infusions!

After reading about the awesomeness that is Bacon Vodka I knew I had to try it... and since it's me, why start small? I found these nifty jars at Ikea and thought I'd do a variety of test batches before settling into my new signature Infused Vodkas...

BACON VODKA
3 strips of crispy fried bacon greatness stuffed in a bottle with Sky, will let this sit for 3 weeks before freezing and straining.

SKITTLES VODKA
I feel like these are always a staple when doing easy college-esq infusions. Within a hour they'd already lost all their pigment into the infusion and formed a nice creamy color. They should be ready within a day.

SALSA VODKA
This is a test trial... We were trying to think up a *new* infusion, one that's never been done before. There are tomato vodkas. Onion vodkas. Lime vodkas. Why not throw in a little garlic and take it for a spin? Test #2 will probably use tequila as that seems better suited to the flavors.

SALTED LIME VODKA
I have no clue how the salt will affect the vodka, but I used a delicate pink sea salt combined with the citrus-y lime to hopefully yield a vodka with a slightly different taste. Again another one that should probably be re-done with tequila on the next go-around.

CINNAMON VODKA
A classic, I just think this will taste super yummy and sort of want to try it out to see how it could be combined with other flavors. 1-2 weeks depending on color/taste.

STRAWBERRY VODKA
An oldie but goodie, just had to try this one to see the strawberries turn white as their pigment is sucked out.

CARAMELIZED ONION RUM
Saw this mentioned in passing on a blog somewhere... thought it sounded interesting and since I love me some good caramelized onions!

Anyone want to volunteer to taste test these *interesting* creations?

More Matchbook-y Goodness (however this time, not of my creation)

I saw these on one of my favorite blogs, Trendy Girl a super cool french blog about the new and fabulous, and I knew they belonged somewhere on my mantle.

Whoever thought of these is genius, what an adorably perfect way to always ensure that you are always prepared for everything. Birthday, covered. Blackout, covered. The "I"m Sorry" Candlelit dinner, covered. In need of hot firemen to come to the rescue, covered!

Now all they need is a little decoration...

Morning Coffee with a side of Arugula?

You know when you have those super vivid dreams, the ones where you're running from terrorists and fashion yourself into a super sexy bond girl... I find my imagination sometimes is so overwhelming it leaves me mentally and physically exhausted even after 7 hours of sleep.

Last night I suffered through one of these incredibly complex plots, with surprisingly unexpected twists and turns. (which really even when I'm dreaming, I still think about how shocked I am when the bad guy pulls the gun even though it's my own story) If only I could remember the entire story the next morning to recreate into an awesome pitch...

Sadly I normally just wake up worn out & with a splitting headache.

This morning, after hitting the snooze button several times so I could hopefully make it to the exciting conclusion (which I never do), I regretfully woke up and rushed through my morning routine. I've been on an arugula kick lately, eating it with toasted onions and Trader Joe's amazing Goddess dressing...

To my dismay, the onions were gone and in my hazy state, I grabbed the coffee tin off the counter and before you knew it, I had a tupperware full of Arugula and Coffee.

A great way to start the day.