Le Relais L'Entrecote

We arrived in Paris a hungry and a little groggy. After getting our bearings, we set out to do a little exploring and find some dinner.


We wanted to kick off our trip with some traditional steak frites, and the institution that is Le Relais L'Entrecote didn't disappoint. Not only did we love the food, but the charming way in which it's served.


They don't take reservations, so don't be surprised if there's a long line outside.

The waitresses look adorable in their black-and-white uniforms. Once you're seated, they'll simply ask you, "Rare, medium, or well?" and then jot it down on your tablecloth.  

A few moments later, bread and a lightly dressed salad appears...a meal in and of itself.

Then comes the piece de resistance...a heaping platter of steak covered in a buttery mustard sauce, accompanied by a mountain of the best fries ever.

Once you've finished your plate, you'll be stuffed...but it's not over yet. Because the other half of your steak, swimming in that savory sauce, has been keeping warm over some tealights at a nearby station.

Your waitress will promptly return with hot seconds of meat and another batch of fries fresh from the kitchen. You'll wonder how you could possibly finish it all...and yet it somehow disappears.

Tuesday Enchilada Night

It was really easy to throw together this hot, fresh and healthy dinner in just an hour. There are plenty of great enchilada recipes out there, so, rather than reinvent the wheel, we'll just share our shortcuts:

- Make the salad first — It was simply canned black beans, tomatoes, celery, white onion and lime juice. Since those ingredients don't wilt, we made the salad first then stick it in the fridge so the flavors could mingle.

- Use healthy leftovers for the filling — We shredded white meat chicken and frozen spinach.

- Layer, don't roll — Rolling the filling with the tortillas takes more time than layering lasagna-style.

- Healthy substitutions are easy — Use low-sodium canned beans for the salad. Keep the filling light by using lean meat and/or lots of veggies — like spinach, corn, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, etc. Use less cheese and get your flavor from a really good sauce. Garnish with a dollop of lowfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for probiotic, protein-packed creaminess.

On Cloud 29

There was no better way to mark Joe's last year as a 20-something than with lots of food and even a little surprise.

We started at All About the Bread, where we picked up lunch and played with their special Coca-Cola Freestyle soda machine. That machine is so much fun...there are lots of creative, not-sold-anywhere flavors that you can mix and match. 

With our picnic and bubbly high fructose corn syrup in hand, we ventured over to Airport Park in Santa Monica. It's a cute and clean little gem in the middle of the Westside sprawl. Our sandwiches (especially the crusty bread) were awesome, and the face-sized cookie we had for dessert was deliciously chewy, sweet and buttery. 

Airport Park was the perfect setup for our next stop -- J's birthday surprise.

We  One of us learned a lot about flying and did a great job piloting for much of the flight. 

The other just took a lot of pictures.

It was a beautiful, warm and clear day. We see the city from a plane all the time, but this flying experience was totally unique and afforded a far better view than LAX's usual flight patterns. It was truly a thrill. 

Malibu and the valley

The Getty, the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory

Where LoveFat lives (WeHo), works (Century City), shops (Beverly Center) and gets married (downtown LA)

It was such a high (literally) that we didn't want to come down...but a few scoops of our fave gelato made things better.

We continued with our Westside theme at Santa Monica beach. We scored a metered parking spot and decided to linger. 

Dinner at Musha was another unique experience. We loved the modern izakaya fare and can't wait to go back. 

Dinner started off innocently enough with a green bean salad and tofu fries

But things got fiery with our very own mini hibachi, brown rice risotto finished tableside inside a huge wedge of parmesan, and saba torched tableside

We ended our night with a nice walk around the Third Street Promenade and the new Santa Monica Place. It was there that we saw a glimpse of what J's birthday could be like in 50 years:

Getting senior citizen "bottle service" at the dining terrace

Go Burger

We are fans of BLT Steak, so we were really excited when a Go Burger opened in Los Angeles.


The fried pickles and milkshake looked delicious but weren't too memorable. The sliders and fried chicken sandwich were a waste of calories. And, the signature Ultimelt burger -- sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches -- tasted surprisingly one-dimensional. 

In the end, it was a no-go. But we'll still give BLT Steak another try day!

Sushi Stop

When a coworker told J about a cheap and cheerful sushi joint that had just opened in Sawtelle, we just had to find out what it's all about.

Sushi Stop turned out to be one of those sushi mills that churns out inexpensive sushi and brusque service for a fraction of what you'd normally pay -- none of the dishes are more than $2.75.


But what sets it apart from the rest is the variety...there's much more to choose from than your standard spicy tuna roll -- including flame-seared sushi, curry udon bowls and a spring roll "ceviche." And, the quality is great for the price -- the ingredients are fresh and the rolls are made to order.


With such a diverse menu at a great price, it became our newest addiction.

Las Vegas roll, yellowtail and scallion hand roll, salmon skin salad, curry udon bowl, baked blue crab roll, tofu salad, black cod with citrus, crispy rice with spicy tuna, aburi yellowtail and salmon belly, aburi white tuna, spicy tuna roll, yellowtail and salmon sashimi, crispy rice with spicy tuna and shishito, spring roll "ceviche" with roe, baked black cod hand roll, spicy tuna with crispy wontons

No Taste Like Home

Sometimes, we just can't stop thinking about a certain dish from our childhood...on this particular day, it was a plate of steaming hot sticky rice and topped with sliced lap xuong sausage that had been rendered and sauteed with scallions. 

Thank you, Moms, for this food inception!

Not another rainy day!

The last day of our New Year's extravaganza ended up cold and wet. But if this happens to you, don't give up. There are things that can help...

Beverly Soon Tofu
Just looking at a huge boiling bowl of tofu soup will make you think you're wading through a balmy lava river instead of a pot hole in the parking lot. And that huge sizzling platter of meat will make you think you're dancing atop a smoking BBQ grill. Heaven!

Shaky Alibi
Nothing brings warmth and cheer like an impromptu gathering with friends to help you share a crispy liege waffle, topped with salted caramel ice cream, caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream. This waffle was almost as good as the company!

Pho
...And if you still need some help after all that, convince a family member to make you some pho. Like Windex or duct tape, pho can fix anything!