my fave restaurants...

la, dc & nyc

Now, as much as I love to cook, I loveeee to f*cking eat out…like, live for it! I’m sorry but there is nothing like a dim lit restaurant, sitting in a corner booth, serving you course by course with an amazing cocktail in hand…another round please and we will take a look at the dessert menu, thank youuuuuu!

I’ve been asked a lot for my favorite places to eat in NYC & LA so here’s my list! I’m adding Washington, D.C. (my hometown) to the list because I’m very proud to say that my hometown is coming for these larger cities like LA & NYC! I’ve been in LA about a year and a half and I truly think LA has a REALLY great food scene mainly because of the produce…like, have you been to our farmer’s markets!? There’s really nothing like the produce here because of the acres of land for farms...it’s just **chef’s kiss! People say LA has bad food and I’m like actually you just gotta do your research/ask around beyond the trendy spots!

Sidenote: Now, I haven’t lived in NYC in almost 4 years since 2021 so lots of things have changed! There’s sooo many new restaurants and unfortunately, some of my faves closed down too so this list is v short. Happy eating!

in no particular order…

Los Angeles, CA

• Little Dom’s: American Italian (Los Feliz)

  • Brunch: get the blueberry ricotta pancakes, side of potatoes & breakfast sausage, turkey sando & they make THEE BEST aperol spritz!

• Courage Bagels (Silverlake)

  • Breakfast: dare I say the best bagels (to me lol). Get the “run it through the garden’ on everything bagel & lox! It’s truly a beautifully dressed bagel!

• L&E Oyster Bar: Seafood (Silverlake)

  • Dinner: the seafood! Crab pasta, mussels and fantastic wine! It’s a quaint little spot that's cute for date night!

• Cento Pasta Bar: Italian but labeled under Mediterranean (West Adams)

  • Dinner: steak tartare, the caesar salad and honestly the pastas are just * so good & unique….truly a flavor bomb in your mouth *pause

• Night + Market: Thai (West Hollywood)

  • Dinner: short rib curry and chicken laob is amazeeeee. Also, great natural wine

• Anajak Thai: Thai

  • Dinner: the whole steamed fish is orgasmic & fried chicken! Amazing wine and the playlist is SO good!

• Petit Trois: French (Studio City or Hollywood)

  • Lunch/Dinner: The burger, the chicken liver, the roast chicken & the fish…MY LORD!

• Honor Bar: American (Beverly Hills)

  • Boozy lunch: The burger & fried chicken sandwich and also the margs are deadly lol

• Community Goods: Coffee (Hollywood)

  • Iced vanilla matcha with oat milk…whew! Also, the breakfast sliders are deadly good. I had them twice in one week lol

• Maru: Coffee (multiple locations)

  • Amazing coffee..all of it!

• Laveta Coffee (kinda like Koreatown-ish)

  • Coffee: the horchata latte! I love this latte with oat milk & iced!

• Little Sisters: Vietnamese (DTLA)

  • lunch/dinner: my homegirl Leslie took me here and I’ve been obsessed! get the cheeky cheek beef and honestly the garlic noodles!

• Jon & Vinny’s: Italian (multple locations)

  • B/L/D: This is a classic OG that I loveeeeee! I don’t care what anyone says lol

• For the Win: Burgers & Fries (multiple locations)

  • THE BEST SMASH BURGER…HANDS DOWN

• HiHo: Burger & Fries (Mid-City)

  • Lunch/dinner: the classic cheeseburger (with 100% grass-fed wagyu beef) with spicy onion jam & a side of fries…BEYOND!

• Etra: Italian (Koreatown-ish)

  • Dinner: such a cute date night spot: The steak tartare & the classic pomodoro pasta with a side of meatballs!

• Badmaash: Indian (multiple locations)

  • Dinner: I love Indian food and this spot is BOMB! The cheese jalapeño naan & the vindaloo and butter chicken! Honestly, everything! Great natural wine as well!

• Din Thai Fung: Taiwanese (Century City)

  • Lunch/Dinner: I went here on a date and became OBSESSED! They are known for their soup dumplings but I absolutely loveeee the cucumber salad, garlic green beans & the spicy chicken dumplings (please bathe me in the sauce)

• My 2 Cents: Conscious Soul Food (Mid City)

  • Lunch/Brunch/Dinner: an LA Staple! Chef Alisa is dynamic & the food has a lot of heart in it!

Washington, D.C. (my hometownnnnn)

• Balos: Greek (Dupont Circle)

  • Dinner: my two friends took me here when I was in town and absolutely loved it! The grilled octopus, I ordered twice and the lemon potatoes with branzino & lamb chops! Get’s VERY poppin on the weekend and do the whole napkin throw around 11pm…so fun!

• St Anselm (Union Market)

  • Lunch & dinner: I lived in Union Market when I lived in DC and I was here all the time. Love the drinks and my faves are the biscuits (so damn good) the classic wedge with the thickest cut bacon and the whole fish! Also the deviled eggs are really good.

• Serenata: Bar (Union Market)

  • BLACK OWNED BAR! BEST MARGARITA EVER! Tell AJ I sent you!

• Pastis : Classic French (Union Market)

  • Dunch & dinner: This is new to DC and a NYC Icon! Steak tartare is amaze & sit at the bar

• L’ardente: Italian (NoMa..lol to that name)

  • Dinner: I have been here SO MANY TIMES! Birthdays, dates and saw the Obamas there! Gotta get the 40 layer lasagna (insane), prawns, duck ravioli, love the pastas and drinks are delish!

• Dlena: Mexican (Noma)

  • Happy Hour & dinner (I did not like brunch): Fave, fave, absolute fave! Drinks to me are a little too sweet as a lady of a certain age but whatever. I love the pork belly, tuna tartare quac, the chicken, grilled fish & the tacos…love, love, love!

• El Presidente (Union Market)

  • HH: It’s on here because it is iconic from Mexico City. The vibe is super cute and drinks are really tasty! The food to me was OK, sorry!

• Le Diplomate (14th St)

  • Boozy lunch: I truly don’t care what anyone says, Le Dip is a DC classic! The steak tartare, french onion soup, mussels, the warm shrimp salad and a good ole dirty martini!

• Pluma Bakery

  • This was my local coffee shop & bakery when I lived in Union Market. I loved it soooo much. The breakfast sando with a braised pork belly is amazing & their coffee is just so good.

• Silver Lyan: Speakeasy Vibes (Downtown)

  • After dinner drinks: It’s dark, it’s lounge-y, it’s sexy…the drinks are amazing!

• Out of Office: Speakeasy (Adams Morgan)

  • After dinner drinks: Black owned & sooo very vibey! You have to walkthrough a barbershop through a mirror to get to the bar, very sexy…sit in the corner and makeout with someone! tehehehe

• Shoto: Contemporary Japanese (Dupont-ish)

  • Dinner: vibes on vibes on vibes! the food is also pretty good too & drinks! We always get a TON of shit when we go there

• Cafe Unido: Coffee (Union Market)

  • Panamanian coffee shop! They have this amazing latte with orange zest. soooo good!

• Compliments Only: Sandwiches

  • I mean need I say more…iconic sandwiches!

New York (mostly Brooklyn, tbh)

• Tatiana: Afro-Caribbean (UWS)

  • Dinner: ranked #1 restaurant two years in a row by NY Times…enough said!

• Oh Boy BK: American (Bushwick)

  • Breakfast/brunch: the mcgriddy sandwich is mind blowing!

• Macosa Trattoria: Italian (Bedstuy)

  • Dinner: comfort italian food that is a neighborhood staple!

• For All Things Good: Mexican (Bed-Stuy)

  • Breakfast: my favorite iced latte every is the iced horchata latte with espresso!

• Fish Cheeks: Thai (SoHo-ish)

  • Dinner: everytime I go back to NYC, I have to come here! The chicken wings, crab coconut curry and whole steamed fish are mind blowing..like slurp the bowl good!

  …in other news!

For all paid subscribers, we’re having a virtual workout class with my trainer @itshevybaby on Saturday, May 18th at 9:30am PT/12:30pm ET (30 min) to get our summer bodies right bc when you look good, you feel good & we eat good too! You will receive a special zoom link on Friday am with the new recipe!

If you are a paid subscriber you will need:

• free weights (whatever you have)

• resistance band