Your Best Weekend Ever - LA Version

Dude, we aced it this weekend. The locations, the food, the people - all were a welcome break from the craziness of my work schedule. In between trafficking cases, the police brutality one and CEDAW petition, I was grateful for a busy, but relaxing weekend.

Locations Featured:

Blue Plate
1415 Montana, Santa Monica
Order the Breakfast Quesadilla and the Mac and Cheese Pancake (?)

Highland Cafe
5010 York Blvd., Highland Park
Order the hemp latte and chilaquiles.

The Greek
Griffith Park, Los Feliz
See the Lumineers - like omg.

Golden Road Brewing
5410 W. San Fernando, Glendale
Play cornhole and get the IPA.

El Caserio 
401 Silverlake Blvd.
Silver Lake
Order the Maduros con Queso and the Salchipapas (grilled plantains with burrata/sausage and potatos).

Caffe Vita
4432 W. Sunset Blvd
Silver Lake
Order the Iced Americano (duh) and get a cookie.

Silverlake Ramen
2927 W. Sunset Blvd., Silverlake
Order the Spicy Pork Belly Ramen and the Crispy Rice and Spicy Tuna Roll

Friday started off with wine, cookies from Sweet Lady Jane, and frozen yogurt from Yogurtland plus a lovely home-cooked meal by Christina. Sophie, Christina and I watched about 15 minutes of a horror movie before crashing and woke up for a walk on Montana and brunch at Blue Plate. 

We ordered the breakfast quesadilla and the mac and cheese pancake. Holy mother of god. First of all, I'm always disappointed by breakfast quesadillas - too much egg, too much cheese, too soggy, etc. But this actually might be the best one I've had. The mac and cheese pancake was interesting. It's actually a plain pancakes with spoonfuls of mac and cheese cooked into it, served with powdered sugar and syrup. The taste was good, the concept a bit disconcerting... it was a bit too much for me.

After that, Sophs and I headed home for a walk and then met Jacy at Highland Cafe for hemp lattes (my fave) and some work time. Evan and Ladi met us and tasted the delicacies that Highland Cafe has to offer. I went home and worked a bit more, took Soph on another walk and then had some delish Mexican food on York with Annie and her two friends, Hollis and James.


I picked Aline up for the Lumineers and we headed to the Greek. I heard amazing things about the show from Evan, who had gone the night before. I had purchased the tickets fan pre-sale, whatever that means, the seats were legit. Except we didn't have seats... we were in the pit. The show felt so intimate and of course, the venue is one of my favorites, so I was on a high. Until my gas light went on when we were stuck in the parking lot and I almost had a heart attack. But you know, so it goes.






Aline and I headed to Golden Road to meet up with Annie, Hollis and James again where I witnessed the epic stick throwing game. Literally throwing sticks. Like I can't. I have to go back - they have cornhole and giant jenga.
   
I was planning on like working on Sunday. That was a fail. I was quickly swept into a mimosa brunch at El Caserio in Silverlake, a place I had been meaning to try for their gorgeous patio. Minus the fact they were NOT dog-friendly (get with the times people) and a little bougie, the food was an interesting Latin American fusion and they were heavy on the champagne pours. We had a great group: Aline, Nora, Hollis, James, their friend Marsen, Jenaba, and Christina.






We hit up Caffe Vita for iced Americanos to get our heads on straight and then headed home to recharge. I napped for a bit and then met Evan for some life-giving Ramen at one of our favorite spots and we didn't have to wait that long - just about a half hour.



Exhausted, I came home and... worked. But for an epic weekend, pounding out some research wasn't so bad.

Now I want someone to come visit me so I can do it all over again.

Sophie was sleepy after our long weekend :)

Malibu Cafe

Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch
themalibucafe.com

After debating for a bit last Sunday, Tara, Christina and I decided to make the harrowing driving up the 1 into the canyons to The Malibu Cafe. After a brief parking frenzy, we made. The staff was great - event though we were 30 mins late to our reservation on a busy day, they seated us right away. The environment was beautiful - lots of kids and dogs and people singing songs from the 70s.

Okay, so after going to the Parish, my standards were lowered. But, ugh, I still had things to complaint about

Despite the gorgeousness, unfortunately, service was rough. For instance, when I puled to the valet station, we sat in the car for a few minutes before I just parked the car myself. I asked for a dog water bowl and got one two hours later. (Don't worry, soph just drank out of the extra water glass.). Our mimosas were frequently bottomed out. The iced coffee was blasphemy (DRIP COFFEE OVER ICE IS NOT ICED COFFEE). The ahi in the ahi salad was overcooked. The burger was meh.

That being said, I would go back on a cooler, less busy day and give them a second change. It was that cute.

Two Birthdays, An Engagement, and A Going Away - Typical Tuesdays in Brussels

Tuesday night went from me lazing in bed and skyping my mom (aka Sophie) to a full-fledged party in a matter of minutes. We had a Matheus' brother, Almaz, Matthias (going-away :( ), Pelayo (birthday), Pablo (birthday), Silvia and Andrea (engagement!) over for wine and pasta and dancing and singing and general merry-making. Needless to say, yesterday was a bit slow for me. Some photos:

In other news, my coworker and I are attending a training on transitional advocacy next week at the Hague. Then we are headed to Amsterdam for a protest and poffertjes. Hopefully, Elisa can come hang out with us too!

Leiley posted photos of her trip to LA from a few weeks ago. I'm missing her and V and mimosas now! Some highlights:

International Trips and Visitors

I'm headed off to Brussels tonight for seven weeks (!!!!). I have a layover in London and arrive in Brussels at 8pm tomorrow night. Let's not talk about how much I'm freaking out.

Funny enough, as my craving for Europe started growing, London came to me last month. :-)

Last month, I got the insane pleasure of seeing both of my London besties within a few days of each other.

When Maya arrived, we did a champagne brunch at my house (thank you bevmo's 5 cent wine sale). There were six of us girls total. I made a chorizo frittata, pancakes, bacon, and bruschetta and mojitos after we finished off the mimosas. Scott gave an impromptu concert and it was just an insanely lovely and fun day. and I love Maya.

Then the next weekend, I picked up Leiley and Elena from their Weho hotel and we hit up intelligenstia and then artisan house for bottomless mimosas (do we see a theme here?) The girls had never had bottomless mimosas (refills are slightly uncouth in the UK). However, we had an amazing brunch with V and then did some tanning on the roof. It felt like I had seen Leiley recently, not two years(!) ago. She's on a whirlwind American trip, but I hope we can catch up again when I visit London in August.

Weekend in SF

I've been feeling a little up and down for the last couple of weeks. After Halloween, I had a crazy amount of work and then my housemate left for Sierra Leone for the month. I was just feeling a bit overwhelmed and a little uninspired. Enter my cure-all: my besties up in SF. V and I left Friday afternoon with the pup and arrived in SF at 11, after quick pitstops to Target and In n Out.

Max, Grant and Rob were there to meet us at Rob's fancy, beautiful new apartment a couple of blocks from Golden Gate Park (Hellloooo outside lands). We hit Blackthorn Tavern and then a party celebrating a wedding. I'm not sure whose wedding it was, so um yeah.

The next morning, Carrie came over and we did a quick walk in the park and then pick up the posse (plus Will and his lovely gf) and headed to Pasion. Bottomless mimosas. Creed renditions. You know, the normal.

My two fave girls and mimosas

We all went back and napped for a few hours and then Carrie, V and I had wine and siracha hot wings at Social Gastropub. Classsyyyy. It took us a bit to get back in our groove, we were pretty dead but soon picked up some steam. After warming up a bit, we walked back to Rob, Eric and Will's place where a party was well underway. Alicia and Conner came up from Felton and I was so happy to see them. The most wonderful and hilarious couple. Conner was really our knight in shining armor. There was really only a bed in the front area so Sophie, Lolly and I held court in the bed the whole night while the party carried on. 

Carrie, Me and Soph recovering during the party

The always stunning Alicia

My lovely friend Tawsh

Paige, Kevin, Tawsh and Soph

After it wound down at 4, about 12 of us piled up in the room for a massive sleepover. Then the pup woke us up at 9 and Grant, Veronica, Max and I headed out with the pup for coffee from The Beanery, baked goods from Arizmendi, and a jaunt through the farmers market.

Then Grant played a few songs for us, before we (plus Rob and Eric) got dim sum for lunch, and Ritual Coffee for the traditional latte and iced americano time.

private concert NBD

Cuddle Time with Uncle Rob

Max and the baby post party

Then V, Soph and I headed back playing Celine Dion and Hanson for the better part of the ride home.

This was exactly what I needed. To be with the people I love, enjoying good food and drink in a gorgeous city. I can't express how grateful I am for these people to be in my life and supporting me, no matter how much of a drama queen I can be. Love forever.

Oh and then I got published.

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