Home Grown Dinner

A couple of weekends ago I decided to plant a garden in the backyard --
2 weeks later my arugula has flourished, bordering out of control (I also learned over lunch today from my veteran-gardener/green thumb co-worker that I'm supposed to cut the leaves while they're young or else they get bitter...I'm new at this) so tonight I clipped a bunch of leaves and made my simple dinner salad.  Instead of the usual parmesan I decided to go with my beloved Saint Agur Blue.  


I would have patted myself on the back for a successful healthy dinner, however unfortunately I ended up eating the remaining St. Agur on a quarter loaf of french bread.  
Better luck tomorrow.  


Below are a couple pictures of my planted arugula, and St. Agur infused dinner salad:

Thank You, Portland.

Despite its dreary winter weather and chilly temperatures, Portland was an amazingly fun time.
Its not an exaggeration when I tell you we literally ate our way through the city.
I am very disappointed that I didn't take more photos, though I guess I could say I was too busy enjoying myself.  The food in every restaurant we ate in had such a focus on individual ingredients and the exploration of new flavor combinations, it was inspiring.
The one restaurant that was in my top 5 dining experiences sadly didn't get a single snapshot.
Le Pigeon, a tiny french restaurant on lower Burnside, is just a small room with high ceilings, one long dining table for sharing, a few smaller tables by the windows in the front, and a chef's bar over the tiny kitchen where we were lucky enough to perch.  
Our meal was amazing, but since I don't have pictures to accompany their description, I shall just leave the mention of it with a smile on my face, and the excitement of returning again.
Upon arrival and our check in at the Ace Hotel, we wandered down to Clyde Common, the restaurant and bar attached to the hotel.  We made it down just in time for happy hour, and a very happy hour it was. 
Matt ate their burger with pickled onions, bacon, and blue cheese. 

I ordered the mushroom and cheddar grilled cheese, and a side of baked macaroni and cheese.  
It was the perfect meal to tide us over for our late night dinner.
Some shots from our meal and the restaurant below:

I only photographed one more destination, which may be the highlight of the trip... coming up next...

Died and Went to Heaven...

...in downtown Los Angeles.

I've lived in LA for 6 years now, and just this afternoon made my very first excursion to Pete's Cafe and Bar downtown.

How it took this long to visit is beyond me, but I'm just grateful it happened. I would never have guessed such an unassuming cafe would be so cheese-centric!

It took 10 minutes and a waiter recommendation before I was able to decide between the

Mac and Cheese (made with Vermont extra sharp white cheddar, asiago, goat cheese and tarragon), and the Supreme Grilled Cheese.

I chose the latter.

Words can't describe the level of bliss experienced when the plate was presented in front of me.

Pete's makes their special sandwich by stuffing it with blue, goat, cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses. I'd never heard of such a combination between two slices of bread, but the flavors blended beautifully. (I think I even giggled after taking my first bite.)

Along with the grilled cheese came a cup of delicious tomato basil soup - the perfect amount for dipping - and a side of french fries swimming in a rich and creamy blue cheese sauce that I never wanted to end.

I practically rolled out the door at the end of the meal... and can't wait to do it again.