WE LIKE FOOD: Son of A Gun

Son of A Gun, LA 

finally! a new cool restaurant in LA that's name is just as awesome as their mellow hip vibe, amazing customer service, and killer (i mean, killer) food!! Son of A Gun in LA has to be the fireman & i's new favorite foodie spot... aside from their sister spot, Animal (near the Grove in LA). we were greeted at our seat with 'on the house' sparkling & flat water by a server that was energetic, optimistic, and super informative. (i mean, come on... nothing says amazing like free sparkling water! i'm serious.) once we sat down we felt like we were at a friend's house for dinner... like a friend that can really cook and has some serious interior design skills. the restaurant is small and quaint with awesome vintage treasures that are used as decor, jars that are used as cups, and a vibe that was authentically cool. these guys know exactly what they're doing... and they are really good at it. AND the food was kind of amazing too!! it was actually the best part. the menu is created daily with the freshest and most creative combinations of seafood (raw & cooked), farmers market fresh salads (the kale ceaser was awesome), and desserts that are full of fresh flavor. every single thing we ate had a unique zing! i don't even know how to describe it... a party in your mouth? let's just say these two chef's Vinny Dotolo & Jon Shook (who were recently guest judges on Top Chef) are a head of the curve and have some serious serious thinking out of the box, kinda skills. we will definitely be back. 

*ps: Animal is like the meat version of Son of A Gun... and is just as yummy.

**Vinny Dotolo & Jon Shoot also just wrote a cook book together called Two Dudes One Pan, i got it for the fireman for Valentine's Day... it's one we'll for sure share.

check out more WE LIKE FOOD's here.

Best Of... WE LIKE FOOD.

/  Villa Blanca, Beverly Hills...  photo's by the fashion gal  /

for the second day of our Best Of series, i thought what better to chat about then food! YUM. so here are a few of my favorite hot spots that the fireman and i dinned at over the past year. now, if i HAD to choose one place i'd want to go to right now ((like, this minute)) for a lunch-date... it would have to be........................ Tin Roof in Manhattan Beach! yum yum, yummmmm! it is just my fave. can you tell?

*check out the Best Of... WHAT I WORE.

**see more foodie posts here.

{ GJelina Take Away, Venice Beach }

{ Le Pain Quotidien, Manhattan Beach }

{Trio, Palm Springs }

{ MY #1 PICK... Tin Roof, Manhattan Beach }

hungry???
i am!

we like food: lunch

/ / photo's by the fashion gal / /

do you remember your very first friend? well, i do... and that's because we are still super close! Katy and i we're born 18 hours apart ((me on december 10th & her on the 11th))... our mom's {being good friends} were even pregnant together. SO, who better to go wedding dress shopping with then my very first friend. the four of us went shopping in Beverly Hills & then had lunch at the gorgeous Villa Blanca... ya know the one Lisa Vanderpump from the Beverly Hills Housewife's owns! even though there was no Giggy sightings... we still had a lovely lunch & a very memorable day!

*we shared a ton of apps, champagne, & even desserts... and let me tell you, the food was good!!

**check out more "we like food's" here!

for the record: we didn't find "the dress" yet

...but we came pretty close and had a fabulous time looking!

do have a long-time friend like this???

we like food: lunch

/ / photo's by the fashion gal / / 

as promised ((earlier this week)) here is my WE LIKE FOOD recap of the most amazing {semi} fast-food aka "take away" restaurant in the world!!!!! oh yes people, it's that good. and it's called GTA!! GJelina Take Away!!! yup, it's the GJelina you're thinking of ((on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach, CA)) but right next door... and best thing yet... it doesn't require reservations!! nope. just walk right up, order your super deliciousness, & eat right there ((standing eating area only)). and man, is it good. 

*a little side-note: on our way up to Venice from Redondo Beach {about a 25 min drive... with no traffic}, i told the fireman how stuffed i already was and how he may be a lone-solider for lunch. that is UNTIL we got his order at GTA! i ate half of big boys pizza AND half of his triple-salad too!!! 

guess mama was hungry after all. YUM!

want more food porn?

here ya go!

**if you're not familiar with GJelina... check out my {other} post here.

ps: happy friday party peeps! i hope you make it a good one!

we like food: lunch

/ / / / / / / photo's by the fashion gal / / / / / / /

if ya haven't heard, the fireman and i ((welp)) WE LIKE FOOD! and i mean, i lot. so here is a restaurant we went to in Palm Springs last week! it was a killer lunch spot called Trio {off of Palm Canyon Drive} in Downtown Palm Springs. so if you're heading to Coachella this weekend, pop into this little hot-spot if you need a plate of fresh n' delsih food! some of you may be surprised, but i ordered the big-ass BBQ Sandwich that came with crunchy homemade potato chips and the fireman, well he got the salad. just kidding! well actually, i'm not. but his salad was pretty delsih & over-the-top too! {sorry honey!!!}

*hey some people like to golf on vacation, we like to eat! 

**if you have any yummy hot-spots in Palm Springs let me know with a comment below or here on my facebook! we had such a great time we definitely plan on going back soon! 

 THE BABY BEET SALAD vs. THE BIG ASS BBQ SANDWICH

{BBQ Tofu Sandwich: Organic Tofu baked in Special Sauce & baked again in Hickory Orange BBQ Sauce, Sauteed Onions, with Slaw, Carrot Salad & Potato Chips }

{ Roasted Baby Beet Salad: Baby Beets, Mixed Greens, Pecans, Blue Cheese, Citrus Selections, Balsamic Vinaigrette, +add Ahi... i will definitely try and make this at home! yum. }

if you want more FOODIE FIXES check our facebook page for more fabulous foodie goodness!

what are your big weekend plans this weekend???

i'll be hosting a bridal shower... pics & more to come next week!

Love Potion no.4: FOOD

///// LA RESTAURANTS... perfect for Valentine's Day (or any other day!)//////////////////////////////////

// LA EATS: some of the best places to eat in LA! list made by the fashion gal & the fireman //

one thing the fireman and i LOVE to do together is EAT. GOOD. FOOD. so Valentine's Day is always a good excuse for us to try a new {& fabulous} restaurant! here's a few of our favorite hot-spots in LA... and it's surrounding beach cities! what are your big Valentine's Day plans?? trying out a new restaurant? or are you cooking together at home!? sometimes staying in and avoiding the big crowds is the best way to go... but this year we are doing it up & heading OUT!

place: GJELINA

location: Venice Beach, CA

type of food: Farm-to-Table

why so special: so glad you asked! well GJelina has been around for a few years now, but is still a cool hipster hot-spot in Venice. so hot, you may want to make a reservation a couple weeks in advanced (but if you're not into making reservations, no worries, they have a take-away window). we love this special little spot for a few different reasons... 1. the rustic cool ambiance {see photo above} 2. the farmers market fresh food 3. the wood-fire-oven pizza's 4. the casual community table 5. the location (on Abbot Kinney) 

what we order: we haven't tried everything but do love the crunchy Pizza's, Roasted Organic Chicken, the Oysters, & the Salted Carmel Ice Cream (<-- this stuff is to. die. for.) 

place: Animal

location: Fairfax (LA), CA

type of food: MEAT... dude-food!

why so special: this place has a lot of meat... and prepares it in the most creative & delicious ways! needless to say, this is one of the fireman's favorite places on earth. like, in the world! we actually went there for his birthday the past two years in a row!! Animal has such a simple (woodie/ industrial) interior and seems to really focus on the food & wine menu. did i mention the wine list is delish too!? this place is a meat-lovers-paradise.

what we order: HE orders: the Pig Ear, the BBQ Pork Belly Sandwich, and the Marro Bone w. Caramelize Onions (yikes, & he loves it!). And I order: the Hamachi Tostada & the Baby Kale Salad. 

place: Ortaga 120

location: Redondo Beach, CA

type of food: Mexican!

why so special: because it's close to home & has killer margaritas!! the "120" actually stands for the 120 tequila's they have in stock! we love Ortega's food, fresh margarita's, and their bright Day of the Dead decor.

what we order: Chili Relleno (cheese), Corn de Calle, Tour de Tacos (a tasting of the 5 most popular street tacos),  Chips n' Guac (so good), Tacos de Atun Crudo (Ahi Poke style yellowfin tuna tacos), Short Rib Chili Relleno, and their Classic Margarita! 

place: Nelson's

location: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
type of food: Burger's & Beer

why so special: Nelson's sits on the coast and has not only great burgers, but a great view too! the fireman and i like to stop by Nelson's after we hike around Palos Verdes and earned ourselves a cold beer & a big burger. this mellow oceanfront spot even has a large outdoor seating area where you could bring your pup for lunch or just kick back and soak in the Southern California sun!

what we order: Burgers, Fish n Chips, and ice cold Beers... YUM!

place: Manhattan Beach Creamery

location: Manhattan Beach, CA

type of food: Ice Cream & Sweets!

why so special: because they make the BEST (i mean, best.) ice cream sandwich in the world!!! and it's one block up from one of the prettiest piers i've ever seen. it's the perfect spot to grab dessert and then walk out onto the pier to enjoy a Manhattan Beach sunset.

what we order: Ice Cream Sandwiches or a scoop of Cookies n' Cream Ice Cream!

have you been to any of these local hot-spots??? if so, where?! 

and did you love it too??? AND what are your big Valentine's Day plans!?

we like food: dinner

// photo's by the fashion gal //

let's face it... i was not blessed with a small appetite, and thank god the fireman wasn't either! we just like our food. too pea's in a pod! the only problem is... it gets pretty expensive to feed the two of us hungry hippos! trust me, we have quite the reputation in our circle of friends... they know the fireman needs to be feed every couple of hours and that i don't mind a hardy meal either. so over the weekend, when we went out for a proper-date-night, we went to one of our FAVORITE local spots Tin Roof Bistro {in Manhattan Beach}. this delish little hot spot doesn't only have healthy portions but more importantly is all prepared with Farmer's Market fresh food and is absolutely tasty! and not only is the food worth checking out... the beer & wine menu isn't too shabby either! AND i kind of love the eclectic interior. of course! so check out what we ate {& loved} at the YUMMY TIN ROOF!

*like this place??? check out what we ate for breakfast {here}.

T I N   R O O F   B I S T R O... cause it's soooo good!

{the menu changes on what is in season & what products are the best quality per day... so you'll find either the Firecracker Shrimp OR the Calamari on their menu. BOTH equally DELISH.}

{little tip: i always order the Margarita Pizza with rosemary added... And PS: the crust is so crunchy & perfect!}

{i tried my FIRST oyster just last year! {well, the fireman made me} And now i love them! maybe because you have the perfect assortment of spicy condiments to help build each yummy bite! YUMYUMMM!}

{i love vintage seltzer water bottles... and any place that collects them! bravo Tin Roof~}

{good beers & they are ever changing... this photo makes me thirsty.}

{man is he cute or what?!?! sorry, just thought out loud. kinda funny smile there though. i'll keep em anyway!}

if you live in the LA area... cruise down to the beach and try this place out! it's good, real good.