Best Meals in LA: The 2017-2019 Edition

I thought I had the LA food scene pretty well-documented on this blog, but then I saw that my last LA Eats post was from 2016 – and I’ve been back five times since then!

Instead of sharing every single meal I had, which would be an enormous list, I have decided to curate it by sharing the best meals. Here they are in order:

Guerilla Tacos

My first Michele-star dining experience and boy did it exceed my expectations! I especially loved the Mexican-Japanese fusion. Where else can you eat a tostada with peach and uni?

Bottega Louie

I dine here on every trip to LA. At first, I was just ordering cakes and macarons, but after seeing all the delicious pizza sitting at other diners’ tables which walking through the restaurant to use the bathroom, I decided to order a pizza for myself one time and I became hooked. I love the TARTUFO pizza which includes mozzarella, fontina, truffle pecorino, crème fraîche, black truffle mushroom pâté and a soft cooked egg. Absolutely amazing!

Perch

My first experience at Perch was in the evening with a group of friends, and I was the only one who ordered food. Thank goodness I did because I was able to try their incredible Steak Frites and thus inspired to return on my next trip to LA. We made reservations and were lucky to get outdoor seating next to the edge so we had a fabulous view. The whole experience of being at Perch is awesome from the food, to the service, to the ambiance and view.

The Row at DTLA

The first time we went to The Row it was a Tuesday evening and everything was closed. So we decided to return on a Sunday afternoon to see the place when it was open. That Sunday was packed and people were lined up to get food at some lobster carts outside. I was tempted to join the crowds and line up at the most popular carts, but by chance ended up ordering a Patita, which is slow cooked then deep fried pork shank coated with special spoon & pork sauce served on jasmine rice & cucumber flower, from Spoon and Pork. This was one of the best meals we had on our trip and I am so happy I discovered them.

Daily Dose

Now, I am not a sandwich person. When someone suggests sandwiches I tend to decline. But a friend took me to Daily Dose in a group and I could not dissent. I am so glad I didn’t, because since that first time I tried their delicious sandwiches I retuned on every single trip since. Unfortunately the Daily Dose closed, but the owner opened a new café in the same location that I am eager to try.

Grand Central Market

I love this hawker-style food court and like to try a new restaurant there every time I visit. I have had bagels at a deli, Mexican tacos, and an egg sandwich from the popular Eggslut.

The most anticipated date

We've been dying to check out Korean restaurant Han Oak for years. Every time we make a reservation we end up needing to postpone or cancel. Finally, after two years we made it in, and were not disappointed. This one of the best prix meals we every had.

Jacket: vintage via my aunt

Dress: H&M from Portugal

Bag: vintage Coach

Belt: Primark in London

The restaurant:

The meal:

Another dinner night

Another dinner reservations, another excuse to wear some old clothes and get out of the house. 

Blouse: Marc Jacobs

Dress: Target

Bag: Louis Vuitton

Shoes: via Goodwill

Opera night

Made it to see Phillip Glass's Penal Colony tonight and enjoyed a nice dinner beforehand. 

Shirt: Target

Purse: Chanel

Skirt: H&M

Obsession Diaries: Every Tote Tells a Story

I began collecting totes on my trip to Scandinavia in 2011. I bought a tote in every city I visited and thought that would be it. Little did I know how much my collection would grow in the coming years. In recent years I bought a tote on almost every vacation and every city I visit. 
However, after assuming such an extensive inventory, I am considering scaling back and only buying totes when I encounter something truly unique or am in a very memorable place. 


Here are the stories of my tote obsession:

Nakameguro Blue Bottle store tote, purchased online, 2019

Korres tote, purchased online, 2019

Cycladic Museum tote, purchased in Athens, Greece, 2016

Delfonics tote, purchased in Tokyo, Japan, 2017

Livraria Lello bookstore tote, purchased in Porto, Portugal, 2018

Korean tote, gifted to me from a woman on the street in Seoul, Korea 2014

Astrup Fearnley Museum tote, purchased in Olso, Norway, 2011

Shimanekko tote, given to me in Shimane, Japan in 2014

Praha tote, purchased in Prague, Czech Republic, 2008

Rijksmuseum Tote, purchased in Amsterdam, Netherlands 2016

Brookyln Bar tote, purchased in Tokyo, Japan, 2017

Taipei MOCA tote, purcahsed in Taipei, Taiwan 2018

Marimekko tote, purchased in Helsinki, Finland 2011

Ornig and Reda tote, purchased in Stockholm,  Sweden 2011

Onsaya Coffee tote, purchased in Okayama, Japan 2013

The most well made tote I've received is from Monocle. It is made from sturdy canvas and has inner pockets for pens and phones. This was a gift for a subscription. 

Date night

We don't get out for dinner very often now with the baby - she goes to bed between 7:00 and 8:00pm so it's hard to go out before that. However, this particular night my mother watched her. As an ode to my mom, I wore this old tacky vintage dress of hers to the restaurant, and tried to dress it up a bit. 

Dress: vintage via my mama

Belt: Dior

Bag: Delfonics

Shoes: thrift store

Obsession Diaries: Handbags

When I step back to think of the things I "collect" handbags would definitely be another category. When I looked through my collection, three main brands emerged. I document those collections here.

Ippolito

I can’t remember how and where I first heard of ippolito. This Greek leather handbag brand is one of my favorite handbag brands, and I I’ve bene buying from them for the past three years. I will buy a new piece when the collection interests me and if it will hold a unique place in my overall handbag collection.

Vintage Louis Vuitton

I started buying vintage Louis Vuitton as a college student because I could not afford new models, however, I grew to like the look of the vintage models better. I like the faded, worn look and some of the older pieces are a lot classer and more timeless than the new collections.  

Vintage Coach

I inherited my first coach bag from my mother, who bought it at a time when it was not vintage. I kept it and carried it from time to time, and ended up purchasing my own bags over the years. I really love the look of them an the feeling of old leather. 

Hanami with my baby

I try to celebrate the Japanese tradition of Hanami every year. When the cherry blossoms begin to bloom, I head to the park to photograph them like I've never seen them before. My photo album is full of identical photos of cherry blossoms, and it is impossible to distinguish one year from the next. However, this past year we had a defining photo shoot with out 2-month-old baby. 

It was a glorious day at the University of Washington, where practically all of Seattle was there trying to get a good picture. 

Dress: NM Neiman Marcus

Scarf: Vintage

Leggings: Urban Outfitters