Burgers
Blue Dog Tavern in Sherman Oaks, California
I am notorious for wanting to stay in my bubble. Whether it is for food, shopping, bars, or whatever, if it is more than five miles away I will probably pass on it. I guess I’m just a creature of habit. However, last night I decided to check out a new restaurant: Blue Dog Tavern in Sherman Oaks, which supposedly serves one of the greatest burgers of all time.
Blue Dog Tavern
When pulling into the parking lot and seeing this place, I second-guessed my decision. To put it nicely, it kind of looked like a shack. There was a small outside patio that was empty because it is 60 degrees in LA – which for us Angelinos is winter.
Inside (source: Blue Dog website)
Mos Def and burgers at Zaitzeff
Last night, my friends and I trekked downtown to catch Mos Def (or Yasiin Bey as he now goes by) perform with the Brooklyn Philharmonic at the World Financial Center’s Winter Garden last night. It was the first time I was there and was such a beautiful space to watch a show.
The artist formerly known as Mos Def
Yasiin Bey aka Mos Def
But of course, afterwards I was STARVING. I don’t hang out in the Financial District much and I don’t know many places in the area. My friend Priya used to live there though and one thing I do remember is always passing this burger place, Zaitzeff, on the way to her apartment and never having time to stop in. It was one of New York magazine’s top 100 places to eat years ago. I was SO down for burgers right then though, and it was only a short ways away from the concert so we headed over.
Inside is cozy, brightly lit with a few tables, and this gigantic painting I couldn’t stop staring at.
Inside Zeitzaff
Inside Zeitzaff
Poring over Zaitzeff's chalkboard menu. Totally not posing.
Joy Burger in Greenwich Village
Veggie burger from Joy Burger
For years, I’ve been on the search for a quality, veggie burger. The city has quite a few burger joints to choose from and even more have been popping up recently. I’ve ventured out to them to try their offerings for those of us that observe certain dietary restrictions, or just want to give our palates some veggie-lovin’.
No matter how much I’ve appreciated the restaurants’ retro themed décor, I’ve found that veggie burgers at many of these places don’t quite match up to the savory goodness of the other items on the menu. More often than not, I resort to drowning my pre-made patty in ketchup, as to disguise its rubbery and at times, tasteless, quality.
I’ve explored my local supermarket’s stock of frozen veggie burgers also, but even those Boca Burgers weren’t hitting the spot for me. And so, it was with somewhat low expectations that I wandered into Joy Burger, near the NYU area.
Dinner with Covergirl’s Jake Bailey & the new LashPerfection mascara
Pretty centerpieces
Last night, I joined a handful of writers for an intimate dinner with CoverGirl’s celebrity makeup artist, Jake Bailey at 5Ninth in the Meatpacking District. Bailey is one of those people who is so laidback and funny, you could just as easily forget that his day-to-day includes working with some of the biggest people in Hollywood: Katy Perry, Angelina Jolie, Eva Mendes, and Mariah Carey have all sat in his chair before. But tonight he was alll ours, and we bombarded him for his best makeup tips and tricks…over burgers and chocolate cake.
Dinner at 5Ninth in Meatpacking
Here are some of tidbits I learned:
Food Network visits Wine Country
How I was greeted: a wine glass with my name on it
Everybody knows that few things pair better with food than wine, and that is the premise behind Food Network’s new venture, entwine. The idea: the network has already done an amazing job of making gourmet food accessible to the everyday home cook, but wine, and particularly how it mixes and matches with food, is still a mystery to so many viewers. Thus, entwine.
Chefs hard at work
The unveiling event of entwine was a perfect way to get a taste (literally) of the new brand. In the actual kitchen of NYC’s The Kitchen, cater waiters served Anne Burrell’s small bites creations, delivered in tandem with its wine pair. Embarassingly enough, while enjoying a glass of pinot and chatting with Anne Burrell herself, I took a bite of her lamb and tzatziki h’ordeurves, and with my mouth half-full, said, “Sorry, Anne…I actually just stopped listening to you because this food is so amazing.” She smiled politely at the crazy person before her and said, “Glad you liked it,” and then her attention was drawn elsewhere, undoubtedly to a saner member of the gathering.
Winemaker. Karl Wente and Secrets of a Restaurant Chef host, Anne Burrell
Some people like to eat hamburgers. Some like to wear them.
My friend Ah Reem's hamburger earring
x
Shy
