All posts filed under: American

PORTLAND, OREGON

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Portland is such a cute city! I spent a weekend in Portland recently and had so much fun exploring. Of course I ate my way through the city because that’s what I do, but not only does the city have great food, downtown Portland has so much character and I really loved the vibe. I will highlight a few of the yummy places I visited. The food truck scene in Portland is crazy! There are food carts everywhere throughout the city and the food is really good. I was surprised how many Middle Eastern food carts there were serving Shawarma, Gyros, etc. I ended up eating a great Philly Cheeseteak out of one of them. The owner of the truck was from Philly so he knew what he was doing. See below! MOTHER’S BISTRO & BAR My crew and I had brunch at Mother’s Bistro. It is a popular brunch spot in the city and there is usually a wait on the weekends. We put our name down and walked around the area for …

SOUL CYCLE + MALIBU FARM CAFE

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I finally had the chance to take a Soul Cycle class! It was so much fun! I went to the one in Malibu and took a 10:30am class. It’s very high energy, and you sweat A LOT. I suggest wearing exercise shorts like Nike Pros, and a sports bra or a loose fitting tank. You should wear as minimum as possible because you are dripping sweat by the end of class. I hate working out, but they play dance music and the class goes by quick so it’s a great workout that makes you sweat but doesn’t feel too long. After my Soul Cycle class I had brunch at Malibu Farm Cafe on the end of the Malibu Pier. They had this quinoa oatmeal sweetened with maple syrup that was to die for! www.soul-cycle.com www.malibu-farm.com

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I recently explored the city of Austin , Texas… and by explore I mean eat my way through the city lol. Austin is an outdoor city. People who live there are pretty active- many people jog around Lady Bird Lake, Kayak, hike, etc. When I went the weather wasn’t great so didn’t really do any of that, and instead I just ate. Typical. But Austin is a great food city so I can’t complain 🙂 I wanted to share some of my favorite things I ate and did on my trip. See below! EXPLORING AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE… TORCHY’S TACOS! I was recommended to go to Torchy’s Tacos. Austin has so many great food trucks around the city. I think I ate out of a truck most of the weekend. Torchy’s Tacos was really good. I stayed at the W Hotel located in Downtown Austin, but I couldn’t walk to Torchy’s Tacos I had to cab it. It’s on a little dirt lot with a couple other food trucks off of a main road. There …

FOUR SEASONS SUNDAY BRUNCH

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I’ve been to a lot of brunches in my life, and the Four Seasons Beverly Hills Sunday Brunch takes the cake. It is by far my favorite brunch. We celebrated Mothers Day there this past weekend, and it was the perfect choice. First of all, the Four Seasons is an exquisite hotel. We sat on the indoor/outdoor patio, and every table had pretty fresh flower center pieces. The room was draped beautifully with curtains and chandeliers. It was alongside a beautiful lush garden and the weather was perfect. As far as the food goes… the buffet is huge. The lay out is in four different areas and is quite impressive. There is nothing they don’t have at this buffet- there is something for everyone’s taste. They even have a kids table with PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese, mac n cheese, jello cups, chicken fingers, french fries, burgers, etc., which is actually my favorite part (don’t judge me). ALL the food is excellent. Even on a regular Sunday, their brunch buffet is just as good. I tend …

BOJANGLES + BAHAMAS

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I have heard so much hype about Bojangles. On my way to the Bahamas, I had a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina and there was a Bojangles at the airport! Bojangles is basically a Southern fast-food chain, specializing in fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits. I had to finally try their famous Boberry biscuits that everyone talks about. It lived up to the hype! They were served warm and fresh out the oven and were the perfect amount of sweet. On another level. The fried chicken was good too 🙂 If you are ever in the South, make sure to hit up this chain! Perfect food to eat before hitting the beach in a bikini. Of course I eat this on the way to the Bahamas….LOL I made it to the Bahamas! Amazing trip at The Cove at the Atlantis…. Dance party on the beach!

GLAZED DONUT BISTRO, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Gourmet donuts have become a new hot faze! Glazed Donut Bistro just opened in Los Angeles and I was invited to a private tasting before it opened to the public. The donuts were delicious. Glazed Donut Bistro make donuts fun. They have unique flavors such as Maple Bacon, PB&J, Smores, Cremesicle, and so much more. Check out my private tasting experience below! VANILLA BEAN & BOURBON PECAN ON DISPLAY CHOCOLATE PRETZEL & TUTTI FRUTTI ON DISPLAY RED VELVET ON DISPLAY Tres Leches Donut, Apple Crumb Donut, & The Cannoli Donut . All were delicious. I loved the Tres Leches one (the one with the fruit on top). It was light and fluffy and felt semi-healthy because of the fruit 🙂 The Apple Crumb was topped with a cookie butter, caramel glaze & apple compote. It reminded me of the Holidays. Very festive! Smores Donut: Filled with house-made marshmellow fluff, chocolate ganache then topped with Graham Cracker streusel & bruleed marshmellow. MISSED PIGGY: Sliders piled high with tender pulled pork on delicately sweetened donut holes, served …

2013 VENDY AWARDS- BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Lobster grilled cheese, Philly cheese steak, pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, empanadas, tacos, dumplings, curry, fried anchovies………..it didn’t stop! My sister and I attended the Vendy Awards in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago-also known as “the Oscars of street food”. The Vendy Awards is a food truck competition that identifies and celebrates NYC’s best street food vendors, fundraising to support the nonprofit organization, Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center. I had a press pass and got to try all the best voted food trucks in New York City. Let’s just say I couldn’t move afterwards. I wish I had a bigger stomach to try everything but I only could fit so much in there lol. A little overwhelming for someone like me who wanted to try everything, but there was just too much. Not going to go into detail in this post about all the amazing food, I just more want to let everyone know about this awesome event. I was in food blogger heaven! Please note: I labeled each food truck with the …

THE GORBALS, DOWNTOWN LA

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I have been curious about The Gorbals for quite some time. Located in Downtown LA in The Alexandria Hotel, this foodie hotspot has been on my radar for awhile. It’s continually brought up in conversations by other foodies and when I went to the Downtown LA ArtWalk recently, I finally decided to give it a shot. The menu is unconventional, daring & unique.Chef Ilan Hall, half Israeli and Scottish, definitely took a risk in challenging the limits of his patrons’ palates, which is why I think foodies appreciate and really like this place. I don’t think the menu is for everyone though. The food is different, and if you are a simple eater, there may be a little too much going on for you. See my reviews below… COCKTAILS It’s Bourbon Honey: 4 roses Bourbon, saffron-honey, lemon-grapefruit fizz Jalapeno Margarita: Jalapeno, Thyme, Contreau, Tequila, Lime, Agave Could have done with out. I never seem to like fancy cocktails like this. SWEET POTATO WITH SAGE BUTTER I liked this dish. I love sweet potato-they …

SUMMER 2013 DINELA WEEK!

Published by Nicole Isaacs

DineLA STARTED THIS WEEK! DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT WHAT RESTAURANTS ARE BEING FEATURED. http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week DineLA’s description: dineLA’s Restaurant Week is a 12-day dining event (July 15-26) showcasing Los Angeles as a premier dining destination, highlighting the diversity of culinary experiences LA has to offer. Locals and visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a selection of specially priced prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus from some of LA’s best restaurants.