The Best is Last

Okay, I saved this one because it is my absolute favorite place for ice-cream in Los Angeles (drumroll, please) PAZZO GELATO! 3827 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026-1594 (323) 662-1410
Bus: Sunset / Hyperion. This is a slice of heaven for me. Went for my birthday and I got chocolate hazelnut orange stracciatella (sounds strange, but it was awesome) and Mexican chocolate (an ice-cream flavor, not the drink). They have tons of fresh fruit sorbettos. Some of their fruit comes from the farmers' market in Hollywood--and yes, thank both the farmers and farmworkers, whatever their country of origin, for their incredibly hard work. But the hazelnut is always my favorite. And their coffee drinks are great too!

Once again, thank the immigrants

A new ice-cream place has opened in my neighborhood (on Vermont, a half block north of Hollywood), so of course I had to go check it out. It's called "Paradis" Hmm, another misspelled sign in LALA land? No, it turns out that it's Danish, and "is" (like "eees") means ice cream. It's a play on words. Paradis is a chain in Denmark. Three Danish siblings (two in advertising and one in fashion) were visiting LA a few years back and thought that we were lacking in ice cream shops (which I thought as well when I first moved here 13 years ago). However, they LOVED Los Angeles (the weather, the surfing and skiing with a few hours of each other, etc) and decided to bring a Danish tradition to us! All to our benefit. It's great ice cream--kind of in-between gelato and ice cream. Great flavors too--my favorite were strawberry buttermilk and hazelnut. Go check it out! Here are the reviews for their other shop, in Montrose: http://www.yelp.com/biz/paradis-montrose

BR: A Trip Down Memory Lane

BR--That's Baskin Robbins for the non-addicts among you. Do you have a place that reminds you so much of your childhood you can feel your 8-year-old self surface just from passing by? (C'mon, share with us!) Well, BR is one of those places for me. Memories of post-soccer game celebrations, birthday cakes, those clown cones, "dates" in junior high, turtles pies (that's the one made from pralines n cream, and yes, they still make them!) The girl behind the counter (yes, I can say girl, she looked about twelve) looked at me indulgently as I started rambling on about Pink Bubble Gum and Quarterback Crunch (she'd never heard of these flavors) and how cones used to cost $0.50 cents and I would rush in clutching my two quarters . . .

Do I sound old?

GOOD, 'cuz I FEEL old.

And you will too the day after you finish comp. exams--a 4 day experience that will age you 4 years (or perhaps 40 . . . ) I definitely deserve this mint chocolate chip! (Is this what they call "emotional eating"?)

The land of choices: how many is too many?

My daughter is not pleased when I announce that she must accompany me on an errand for my homework assignment . . . and then more than a bit skeptical when I add "to the frozen yogurt place." Ever the good sport, she joins the venture with her typical enthusiasm and attention to detail ("Mom, mom, make sure you put in your blog that the toilet-paper holder in the bathroom is weird.")

We head out to our local "Froyo Life,"  which, when googled, brings up the tagline "Welcome to Froyo Life! Love, Peace, and Froyo Life." That's quite a big bill to fill. Appropriately, a cement statue of Buddha greets us outside the store's door (see photo below). Typical of our hodgepodge neighborhood, and LA in general, it's situated between the Korean-owned dry-cleaners, the "Being in LA" day spa, and the Church of Scientology Los Feliz Mission (see photo below). How convenient: just drop off the laundry, get some electrolysis for those pesky facial hairs, grab a bite of frozen yogurt, then off to the cult--er, church. 

We've arrived. Fifty flavors! Luckily for indecisive ol' me, they rotate only 14 in the store at a time, so my choices are "limited." I mean, whose job is it to sit around all day and think up flavors like "Angel Food Cake," "Taro," "Blueberry Pom Tart" and "Honey-Lavender"? Definitely some cross-brand product placement going on here too, with flavors like "Reese's Peanut Butter Cup" and "Mounds Dark Chocolate."  My daughter and I go for the traditional tart (like real yogurt) and chocolate (see photo). Next there's the subtitles to interpret: non-fat, low-fat, no sugar added. Hey, where's the full-fat, high sugar option? Hellooo, isn't this supposed to be DESSERT?? On to the plethora of toppings: there's dry toppings (nuts, chips, sprinkles, candies . . . cornflakes?!?), wet toppings (pineapple, strawberries, bananas, whipped cream . . . .lychee-coconut jelly?!?), and sauces (chocolate, marshmellow, nutella, caramel,  . . . condensed milk?!?  . . . . cajeta?!?) When queried, the cashier says, "It's like a Mexican version of dulce de leche," (which I thought WAS Mexican, pardon me) Then there's my personal favorite, a perfect example of "choice" on steroids:
vanilla fig balsamic vinegar.
WHATEVER.

Hot today

Summer has arrived in LA (again!!!) It's not as hot as it was in January (remember that week?) but it was at least 90, there was sweat rolling down my neck, my fingers were swelling, and I really wanted nothing more than an ice-cold glass of water . . . . and smooth, creamy chocolate ice cream cone.