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Ok, so let's be honest, I've definitely had my fair share of misses when choosing new restaurants to try in LA. Unfortunately, I like to drag some of my closest buddies with me to "try" these new potential hidden gems. The result? Complete and utter distrust in my taste of food. I just call it bad luck?
So to redeem myself I'm doing an all out food crawl for the weekend of Labor Day in my hood : NorCal. Yes, ladies and gents I will be back home during that weekend and on a quest to prove that my credibility should most definitely be upped! Fellow foodie Kungfoodpanda who has probably endured most of these mishap trips will be along for the ride.
These places are spots that are a must go whenever I'm back in town, so not necessarily the most well known. Just favorite places I sometimes use to gage against LA restaurants. For example, a place that puts Savoy's chicken to shame, Brazilian food served in a hut, and the best egg tarts I've had (not the cold small crappy ones down here).
If you're in the Bay Area during Labor Day, let me know and feel free to join!
I was recently introduced to LA Mill in Silverlake and I literally felt like I've been living under a rock for the past two years in Los Angeles.
I hate Starbucks, well....maybe "hate" is too strong of a word, but I most definitely dislike them. Any given time you go to Starbucks you're met with crowds, a long wait and finally leaving with an over sweetened drink that is bound to result in a root canal in the near future (hence why I rarely even bother with their coffee). Forget even trying to get any work done here because with kids screaming, eyesight buzzing due to lack of lighting, and of course the need to nearly come off as a creepy stalker to get a table that is less than the the size of a large pizza. Yeah, no thank you!
Upon entering LA Mill, I knew I would love this place. With its modern chic decor from the light turquoise chairs paired with white counter tops and the gold chandelier at the center of the room, all I could think of was "Wow" and "Hm....maybe I could incorporate some design aspects in my future house?"
Blanco y Negro: iced coffee with vanilla bean ice cream
It was by far my favorite drink of the day. Ideal for a hot summer afternoon where the strength of the coffee is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the vanilla bean ice cream. I only wished they served this in a larger glass.
Iced Mocha- Mocha had a nice strong flavor and definitely a good option for those who don't like their coffee too sweet, but iced. 
French Pressed Coffee- This method of preparing the coffee definitely brings out the excellent rich flavor of the coffee even more so. Accompanied by cubes of white and brown sugar and cream for those who don't like their coffee black.
At a table next to us someone had ordered the siphon to brew their coffee which basically looked like a chemistry experiment and left me glossy eyed, mouth open for the few minutes that it was processing. I'll definitely want to order this the next time I stop by. 
With the dessert menu designed by none other than Chef Michael Cimarusti and Pastry Chef Adrian Vasquez of Michelin-two-starred Providence, I had to give them a try.
Passionfruit Gelee- Lychee sorbet, coconut soy milk soup, and basil seeds. Such a perfect balance of all flavors with no one flavor overpowering the other.
I absolutely loved this.
Liquid Center Lollipops- White chocolate. I decided to go with white chocolate even though you have a choice between white and dark chocolate. Having being warned to just pop the whole thing in my mouth or the liquid inside might drip onto my clothes, I did just that. These little puppies are unlike anything I've ever had and what the liquid inside is a mystery. All I can say is it's definitely not what I expected and I wanted to order more. 
So even being a non coffee drinker myself, after visiting LA Mill I just might need to reconsider my stance. Perhaps it was Starbucks that was giving coffee a bad rep all along.
LA MILL
1636 Silver Lake Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 663-4441
What would an event be without food? There was plenty to go around at the several stations and I amazingly left completely and utterly stuffed.
Mini egg rolls
Assortment of bread
Insalata capreses
My favorite dishes of the night by far were the shrimp ceviche and smoked salmon maki with mango sauce which was found at another food station by the pool.
Gorgeous city night view with me in my crazy get up for the cheesy prom theme! =P It was game over for my side ponytail by the end of the night =(
Let's not forget about the gift bags where most of the items were provided through sponsors of this event. Main items in the bag included certificates, Pepsi/chocolate/granola bar samples, bag of sun chips, alcohol samples, and so much more. Let's just say I'm glad I didn't need to walk far hauling this heavy bag of goodies.
A beautiful venue, good food/drinks, entertaining company, getting a bag full of goodies, and winning a raffle prize, what more could a girl ask for?
A special thank you to Kung Food Panda for being my partner in crime for the night! ^_~
Finally, my hat comes off to all the blogger committee members who put this whole event together. The dedication and time you put into your blogs was clearly reflected on how well this event went.