The Hungry Nomad - Food, Travel, Lifestyle

Gourmand, Los Angeles, Sweets, Travel, USA

A Little of Bit of Pain Quotidien in Los Angeles (Los Angeles)

November 11, 2010 1 Comment

I was so pleasantly surprised to have literally stumbled into my favorite organic pastry/ brunch spot all the way here in Los Angeles. Turns out Pain Quotidien has locations all over the States and the world. Therefore- there goes my assumptions that Pain Quotidien was exclusively a European luxury. This was my weekly hangout in Paris and Geneva and well nothing could make me happier to learn that I don’t have to travel to Europe to enjoy some of PQ’s yummy delights. Beautiful and impeccably arranged pastries, breads and tarts wait behind glass cases, and it takes a considerable amount of self control not to order one of each.

This communal table, according to the restaurant’s website, has been a consistent and important feature of all Le Pain Quotidien sites since the first store opened in Brussels in 1990. Since then, it has “encouraged sharing of time and space” and has helped bring people together over food. An excuse to be brought together over food. I’m okay with that!!!

PQ- to me means one thing: delicious organic breads and a wide selection of spreads. Of course they offer so much more than that including wonderful tartines, salads, soups, etc. My personal favorite on a lazy Sunday morning is the basket of bread (including the croissant) and their to-die-for Belgian Praline spread. I wish I could put in words the amazingness of this praline spread but I don’t know how to describe it. I guess it can be compared to Nutella- except better. I know , I know, you’re thinking what can be better than Nutella? Well- come try this spread for yourself. In fact I am on my way to buy some to take home with me.

8607 Melrose Avenue, Melrose, West Hollywood/1st St and Beverly Blvd, 113 North Larchmont Boulevard/320 South Robertson Boulevard, Los Angeles

Gourmand, New Orleans, Sweets

Sucré – A Sweet Tooth’s Paradise (New Orleans, USA)

November 8, 2010 1 Comment

Sucré~ Most people from New Orleans are familiar with Sucre. It’s every sweet tooth’s paradise. For those visiting New Orleans and wanting to experience more than the French Quarter- I hope you make your way over to Magazine street- a long stretch of road filled with restaurants, boutiques, galleries, art shops, and gelaterias. If you are in the mood for sweets then I highly recommend you take the time to experience Sucré. Last night, as I wrote about La Duree Macaroons in Paris, I suddenly got a craving for Macaroons and within 30 minutes found myself indulging in sweets from Sucré. There is so many different deserts to choose from that it’s hard to choose one. Luckily there were 4 of us so we ended up with a variety of different sweets and macaroons to share amongst us. Sucré also has a large variety of gelatos which are amazingly delicious in the heat of the New Orleans summer.

France, Gourmand, Paris, Sweets

If only I could live in La Duree (Paris, France)

November 6, 2010 No Comments

La Duree, 75 Champs-Élysées/ 21 Rue Bonaparte/ 16 Rue Royale/ 62 Boulevard Haussmann, Paris, France

Every girl and secretly every boy falls in love with La Duree . What’s not to love about a shop decorated in pastel colors offering every possible flavor of Macarons your little heart can desire? If you need a break from shopping the streets of Paris or if you really have no excuse but want to try macarons in every flavor then please take the time and visit your nearest La Duree. My personal favorite is the chocolate (anything chocolate makes me happy), lavender, caramel and the raspberry. You may have to try all flavors to find out what your favorite flavor.

Mexico, Travel

Tulum, Mexico

November 4, 2010 No Comments

When you are ready to go another gear lower than Cancun and Playa del Carmen, get closer to nature and really chill out, then take a 50 minute bus ride farther south from Playa, to Tulum. Known for its Mayan ruins overlooking the ocean, Tulum has attracted backpackers for more than 15 years. Tourism has steadily grown with all budgets now catered for, while still retaining the low-key feeling of a relaxed town by the beach.

Essentially Tulum comes in two parts, the town with restaurants, grocery stores, the bus station and several hotels and the long stretch of beach 3km away. Lining the beach is a long, low key stretch of hotels and cabanas. North of those are the famous Tulum ruins with an incredible ocean backdrop. Working north to south the hotels go from backpacker to simple beach side cabanas, and then up to honeymoon retreats with full hotel service on offer.

Beyond that is the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve (www.cesiak.org), a Unesco World Heritage Site and home to a rich collection of mangroves, reefs and rare sea turtles who come to lay their eggs on the beach. Both day trips and overnights are possible from Tulum, with hikes and kayaks available to observe the wildlife. But costs are higher than local prices and the official cabins are the only form of accommodation if you prefer to overnight it in the Reserve. With Tulum’s beach hotels sequestered to a single country road, Tulum is much more immersed in nature. There is one main grocery store but otherwise you are in the middle of nature, with the ocean on your left and jungle and the occasional house and restaurant on your right as you travel southward. The turquoise ocean and fine, white sand are out of the pages of a glossy brochure. In low season, from Mexican Independence Day (16 September) to early December, you could well score your very own piece of waterfront paradise. Low season also means low prices but some of the restaurants may have limited hours or be closed completely.

New Orleans, Travel, USA

Halloween in New Orleans

November 3, 2010 1 Comment

Halloween!!! My favorite holiday. An excuse to dress up, eat lots of candy and chocolate. A If you are into Halloween as much as I am… then you will definitely look into making New Orleans your next Halloween destination. I have never in my life seen such a big party. The entire town turns into a big party. First there is Voodoofest, the annual music festival that takes place in City Park. Then there is the french quarter. Almost EVERYONE is dressed up in the most amazing and creative costumes I have ever seen. For a real street/block party there is Frenchman’s street. It was truly the best street/dance party I have ever been to. And the best part is that everyone is having a good time. There is no pretentiousness about it. No entrance fee, no one is there to judge you. Everyone is there to have a good time.

Gourmand, New Orleans

Attention lovers of red meat and red wine… La Boca is calling. (Warehouse District, New Orleans)

November 2, 2010 4 Comments

My partner in crime took me to La Boca last night for my birthday. We have been trying to go to this wonderful, tiny and romantic restaurant for some time, however, every time we made an attempt it was too busy or fully booked. I recommend calling in advance to make reservations since this is a popular spot in New Orleans. The ambiance, meal and service were all fantastic.

You’ll be greeted at the door by the friendly Orestes Rodriguez who will take you to one of the dimly lit tables in this small and cozy restaurant. The menu is simple and authentic: they offer steaks and other Argentine specialities. We ordered the Provoleta (Grilled Argentine Cheese) for starters…. it was fantastic (not recommended for the calorie counters amongst us) the grilled cheese is drenched in olive oil and requires one to dip bread into the warm and soft cheese. It was paired with a glass of the Malbec. For our main dishes we ordered: Steaks. My partner ordered the hanger steak (centro de Entrana) and for myself the wonderfully delicious fillet marinated in garlic and lime juice. Don’t forget to order the yummy garlic-drenched mouth watering fries. The steak is accompanied by house made chimichurri sauce (an Argentine specialty) and two other creations by the La Boca chefs. Our experience was really great and I really recommend those visiting New Orleans to step out of the french quarter and into the warehouse district to taste some of the specialities of this amazing Argentine delight. [$$$/Zagat Rated]