A Vegetarian Who Loves BLT

A goal of mine while living in NYC is to dine at every restaurant in the BLT family, as you know I’ve made it to BLT Prime and BLT Market, both of which left a lasting impression. Since those outings I’ve ventured to BLT Fish Shack, BLT Steak and BLT Burger. (BLT Fish is the only one that’s missing!) As a vegetarian I’m probably harder to please then their typical customer so hopefully the fact that I love these restaurants despite my non-carnivorous ways should only further prove how wonderful these restaurants are- amazing service, knowledgeable staff, impressive décor and great food and desserts.

BLT Fish Shack is located directly underneath BLT Fish on 17 St. between 5th and 6th Avenues. The décor at BLT Fish Shack is not shack-like at all; in fact, you feel like you’ve just walked into a local Cape Cod restaurant. Diners sit in white wooden booths upholstered with nautical blue and white striped cushions, there’s a raw bar where fish specialists are preparing mussels, clams and lobsters in the middle of the room and the menu and daily specials are written out on chalkboards throughout the space. My friends ordered mussels and calamari for appetizers and lobster and fries for their entrees. I joined the clean plate club by choosing from the "Pick A Fish" section of the menu where patrons choose a fish- Organic Salmon, Yellowfin Tuna, Cod, Skate, Striped Bass, Flounder or Steamed Lobster- and a sauce- Lemon Hollandaise, Spicy Salsa or Tartar Sauce, all of which are served with arugula sald and a choice of rice pilaf or roasted potato. I had the Organic Salmon grilled and topped with the Spicy Salsa.

A few weeks later I made reservations via OpenTable for BLT Steak while my dad and brother were in town visiting. Just like at BLT Prime, our meal started with the amazing popovers, severed with butter and rustic sea salt. We ordered appetizers to share followed by our individual entrees. I definitely recommend these vegetarian options: the Roasted Beets and Apple salad, a side of Grilled Asparagus and the Chopped Vegetable Salad. For dessert we enjoyed the rum laced carrot cake with cream cheese icing, Carmaelized New York cheese cake and the Sliced Fruit and Berries.

Later that week I took my brother to BLT Burger, who surprisingly offers a to-go menu, located on 6th Ave. btw 11th & 12th Streets. We began with an order of sweet potato fries that were cooked to perfection. My brother ordered the Classic Burger which is made with 5 oz. of Certified Black Angus beef, however we have heard from friends that the Lamb Burger is the best. Having looked at the menu beforehand I knew I had to try the veggie burger. I have never tried the frozen veggie burgers like Boca Burger, nor do I want to, so I saw this as my chance to order a “gourmet,” handmade veggie burger. It was served on a whole wheat bun and made with a medly of organic grains, vegetables and spices. It was good, especially when I loaded it with ketchup, but I’m definitely not hooked. We topped off our dinner with milk shakes! A friend of mine recommended that we try their spiked milkshakes which included a list of tasty sounding concoctions like The Shocker (Stoli Vanilla, Oreos, vanilla ice cream) and Grandma's Treat (Maker's Mark, caramel syrup, vanilla ice cream). My brother ordered The Shocker, while my theory was, why mess up a good thing that I only treat myself to about once a year with alcohol because chances are I wouldn’t like it. So I ordered a vanilla milkshake but asked to have Oreos in it. And of course, the other older sister was right! He didn’t love his, he was hoping that it would taste more like a milkshake and less like alcohol, while I finished mine so fast I wished for another. ;)

Many other cities are lucky to have at elast one of the BLT restaurants besides NYC including, San Juan, Washington D.C., White Plains, Miami, Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Las Vegas.

All of the BLT restaurants are owned by Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel. And interestingly enough the BLT stands for "Bistro Laurent Tourondel." After the four year program at Saint Vincent Ecole de Cuisine, where he earned a "d'Aptitude Professionnelle de Cuisinier," the French chef cooked his way through some of the world's most esteemed kitchens. He first opened BLT Steak in 2004 which garnered so much praise he then opened BLT Fish, BLT Prime, BLT Burger, BLT Market and BLT Fish Shack in NYC.

El Centro

Last week during my cousin's NYC visit we scored tickets to the Late Show with David Letterman. We had to be in line to pick up our tickets by 5:30pm for the 7pm taping so we wanted to grab dinner quickly before hand so we went to El Centro on 9th near 54th St. And thank goodness we did, I loved everything I ordered- the Classic Mojito, guacamole, homemade tortilla chips, and the Ensalade Centro.

El Centro is owned by restaurateur John Dempsey, who also created Vynl, and is overseen by its chef, Jorge Pareja. Given it's 9th Ave. location, it's perfect for a pre-theater dinner.

Salt

Salt is an intimate restaurant in Soho specializing in seasonal American food. The menu at Salt is unique in that it allows diners to customize their dinners by picking one protein and two sides. The available proteins include Alaskin King Salmon, Whole Grilled Dorade Royale, Marinated Hanger Steak and a Long Island Duck Breast. My meal consisted mostly of sides which were amazing, especially the Braised Brussel Sprouts and Parsnip Puree.
If patrons aren't crazy about the "Protein + 2" set up, there are several "Chef's Entrees" to choose from like Roasted Cod, Braised Romain Lettuce, Mushroom Fricassee, Pancetta, and Truffle Broth and more.
Salt is located at 58 MacDougal St., near King St. And reservations can be made via OpenTable.

Centro Vinoteca

Centro Vinoteca is a triangular shaped restaurant located in West Village on 7th Ave. near Barrow St. I stood near the hostess stand waiting for my friend for just a few minutes and was already impressed with the menu, or at least the seasonal specials that were written on the chalkboard. We ended up ordering a bunch of the Italian small plates- or "piccolini"- to share. We ordered the parsnip and chestnut soup, silver dollar-sized sweet potato cakes and zuccini fritters.

The Sous-chef at Centro Vinoteca is native New Yorker Leah Cohen who is a contestant Top Chef Season 5. Once former head chef, Anne Burrell left Centro, Cohen has stepped up to the plate, and according to George Elkins- the managing director Mangia hospitality group, which owns Centro- "She’s done a remarkable job. She’s bringing new things to the table, and everything we’ve tasted has been, well, she’s just been hitting it out of the park.” (Source) And I'd have to agree with him on that one, I absolutely loved everything at Centro Vinoteca and the fact that they serve seasonal dishes means I might be able to make an exception and repeat the restaurant!

Saucy

Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 75th and York, Saucy is an unique establishment that features over 50 different sauces, each paired with an entree on the menu. The menu includes steak, seafood, organic chicken, pasta and tasteful appetizers like spicy hummus and a Mediterranean Salad.

Resting above the restaurant's 75 seats are tons of cloth sacks filled with spices and dried herbs from around the world. The mirrored ceiling throughout the restaurant allows guests to see the contents of the open sacks which include dried chili peppers, bay leaves, curry and more.
What I loved most was that Chef and owner Simon Mann was at the restaurant to welcome his guests, take their orders and make sure everything was prepared to their requests.

Monsieur Marcel

Monsieur Marcel is a bustling cafe located within Santa Monica's famous 3rd St. Promenade. Opened in Dec. 2007, this French spot is the perfect place to have lunch after shopping along the Promenade. With tables outside and a small counter inside the tiny kitchen is able to serve up some amazingly tasty dishes. I had a warm goat cheese salad with candied walnuts.
[Location: 1260 Third Street Promenade, 310.587.1166]

The Cat & Fiddle

Sitting outside in the courtyard at The Cat & Fiddle is the perfect spot for a casual drink in LA. Walking under a stone arch way into the courtyard makes the setting even more enchanting and creates the perfect hide-away for celebs who want to go unnoticed.
There is live jazz on the patio every Sunday from 7pm to 11pm and a Fish and Chips special all day long every Monday.
Located at 6530 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles, CA

Urth Caffe

My final stop during my two weeks in LA was at Urth Caffe on Melrose Ave. Recommended to me by a friend who knows me well, which was even more obvious when I arrived at Urth, saw the great outdoor seating and read over the menu. It was exactly the kind of place I'd want to go to on a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles with its patio seating and vegetarian-friendly menu that features mouth-watering dishes that are good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With so many great salad options I decided to go with The Tostada sald (minus the fried tortilla shell)- a chopped salad served in a friend toritilla shell with grilled veggies, on a bed of black beans and organic romain lettuce with house salsa, guacamole and monterey jack cheese. My friends at the Urth Quesadilla and the Panini Roasted Turkey (Urth butter roasted turkey breast with Jarlsberg swiss cheese, grilled on a poppyseed crusted honey wheat bread and served on a whole grain mustard sauce).
Of course we finished with an aray of Urth's famous desserts including the New York Cheesecake, Banana Bread Pudding, the Deep Dish Apple Pie and the Chocolate Crown Cake.

Asia de Cuba

I had no idea what to expect when Rolland Berry and I drove up to the Mondrian Hotel on Sunset Blvd. but was pleasantly surprised as we sipped wine among the white and orange interior of the bar in the lobby, ADCB, before being escorted to our table at Asia de Cuba. Seating at the table amongst giant terracotta pots it's hard not to feel a little bit like Alice inside her world of Wonderland. The outdoor, courtyard-like seating is the quintessential night out in LA.
I loved the innovative Asian and Cuban fusion cusine paired with the unmatched Philippe Starck design. I was totally impressed with the menu, and how could you not be with dishes like bamboo steamed asian and caribbean vegetables, plantain fried rice with avocado salad, Lemongrass Skewered Chicken (coconut thai chili marinade, grilled pinapple and lychee) and the Calamari Salad 'Asia De Cuba' (crispy calamari with chayote, hearts of palm, banana, cashews, chicory and radicchio-sesame orange dressing).
Reservations can be made at Open Table.

Babalu

Babalu is a fantastic restaurant located on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, California serving up American, Asian and Caribbean dishes that are sure to please anyone's palate. My friends and I all ordered salads but so many other dishes on the menu looked amazing. If nothing else, this restaurant is a great place for a casual dinner out with friends.
1002 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Aroma Cafe

During lunch at Aroma Cafe I was overwhelmed by the extremely large menu while, at the same time, underwhelmed by the service we received. As much as I love having plenty of options, I had a really hard time understanding what this restaurant's specialty was- there were salads, pizzas, sandwiches, pastas, vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, Mediterranean and BBQ- really there was just too much variety. But the good thing is that Aroma Cafe has something for everyone.
I loved sitting outside at this newly renovated, street-side cafe and at night it would be nice to sit in front of the small fireplaces for a drink or during dinner.

Mexicali Cocina Cantina

Great Mexican restaurants are not hard to find in LA but Mexicali Cocina Cantina was a great find, located in Studio City on Ventura Blvd & Laurel Canyon Blvd. We had a very strange waiter but the food was great. My friend and I shared their homemade Guacamole, she ordered the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla and I had the Mexicali Fajita Salad. But their menu also includes a long list of Tacos, Tamales, Burritos, and Enchiladas as well as fabulous margaritas and sangria.

101 Coffee Shop

I have to admit, I'm not much of a diner girl but the menu at 101 Coffee Shop in Hollywood, CA is pretty unbelievable! Serving up retro diner fare with a Southern California twist, Acclaimed Chef Brandon Boudet combines the best of the Hollywood Farmer’s Market with hearty yet simple classics. They even had a great selection for a picky vegetarian like me, especially since it was 3am and I just wanted something warm and not french fries!

I ordered had a bowl of their Veggie Chili while my friends ordered everything from omelets to cheese burgers and milkshakes.

I didn't have any dessert but apparently their Waffle Brownie Sundae is amazing. And how could it not be?!? It's basically chocolate and ice cream served in a jar!

The look of the 101 Coffee Shop was carefully designed by Warner Ebbink after extensive research of coffee shops of the 1960’s and ‘70’s. From the stone wall behind the retro brown leather booths to the counter that extends through most of the space, the hipster patrons are transported to a funky diner straight out of the late 1960’s.

Celebrities through the decades have visited the space and countless movies and television shows have featured the 101 for its unique décor and cool Hollywood vibe.

Location: 6145 Franklin Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028, (323) 467-1175. Breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days 7 a.m.&-3 a.m.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Not only can you smell the goodness of Sprinkles Cupcakes a mile away but you can see a line of people waiting in a line a mile long just to experience the famous treats. And yes, I too stood in that line outside of the Beverly Hills store excited for my first Sprinkles cupcake! The flavors change daily but we were able to pick up a great sampling of the Black & White (Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy vanilla frosting), Cinnamon Sugar (lightly spiced buttermilk cake dusted with cinnamon sugar), Peanut Butter Chip (chocolate chip-studded peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting), Red Velvet, Strawberry (strawberry cake with sweet strawberry frosting), and Vanilla (Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with creamy vanilla frosting). Overall I'd have to say my favorite was the Strawberry cupcake but I also really liked the Cinnamon Sugar- it tasted more like a sweet breakfast coffee cake. Today, via Twitter, I asked my followers what their favorite cupcake flavors were and/or bakery. The response, keeping in mind I only heard back from New Yorkers, was Red Velvet from Buttercup Bake Shop. Obviously, my favorite cupcakes are from Emily Knapp (my little sister)- I mean just look at these cupcakes- she's amazing!

Tart

After an afternoon of shopping at The Grove in LA I met up with a group of friends for dinner at Tart- located at 115 S. Fairfax Ave, attached to The Farmer's Daughter Hotel. We sat in the courtyard section of the restaurant which was decorated with strung Christmas lights.
The restaurant serves freshly baked American Fusion dishes including Tart Fries- french fries made from French, Sweet, and Purple potatoes, served with a three different dipping sauces; Fried Green Tomatoes served with a toasted corn salsa; and amazing organic salads like the Roasted Beets Salad- red and gold beets, mixed greens, goat cheese, and a lemon vinaigrette; big entrees of fish, meat, sandwiches and more. (Tart is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.)
A couple weeks ago on The Hills Heidi Montag had lunch at Tart with her mom, which was included in YumSugar's Episode Eight The Hills Food Quiz- part of question number 5.

Cafe Med

The last restaurant I went to on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood during my two week stay in LA was Cafe Med at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Sunset Plaza Dr. My three friends and I sat at a table on the patio where we sipped wine and enjoyed the Italian fare. I was pleasantly surprised by the Insalate Lenticchie, Barbabietolee Carprino Gratinato (warm lentil salad, red beets, and goat cheese).

Caffe Primo

Another trendy spot lining Sunset Boulevard is Caffe Primo. Inspired by the coffeehouses and espresso bars in Italy, Caffe Primo attempts to bring European style America, where guests are encouraged to linger from early morning until late the night.Caffe Primo offers house-roasted coffees, salads, pizzettas, paninis and most importantly, gelato from Riviera’s renowned Primo Gelato, which was named among the “Best of LA” by Los Angeles Magazine and one of the “top five ice creams in the city” by Angeleno.
Primo Gelato contains only 6 percent butterfat (as compared with ice cream’s 26 percent butterfat) and their sorbet is made with fresh fruit and is entirely fat free and dairy free. Gelato flavors rotate seasonally but typically includes Roasted Almond with Fig, White Chocolate Hazelnut, Sicilian Pistachio, Fresh Melon, Wild Italian Strawberry and Pure Indian Mango.

Chin Chin

Chin Chin is another Asian restaurant located on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood with great outdoor space that is also perfectly situated for people watching and cocktail sipping. Everyone at my table ordered their famous Chinese Chicken Salad which is made up of shredded lettuce, scallions, carrots, toasted almonds, and crispy noodles tart red ginger dressing.

Shushiya

Located 0n Sunset Blvd nestled along side several other restaurants, Sushiya is perfect for people watching while snacking on edamame and their specialty rolls like the Rick & Famous Roll or the Sunset Roll.

Toast Bakery Cafe

On the corner of 3rd & Harper Streets is Toast Bakery Cafe that serves delicious food from 7:30am until 10pm every day of the week, except for Thursdays. During all open hours patrons can order breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. Three other friends and I went to dinner here, from what we ordered I recommend the grown-up version of a grilled cheese called "Not Your Mom's Grilled Cheese" which consists of a blend of mozzarella and feta cheese with sun-dried tomatoes and basil; the Carrot-Ginger vegan soup, and the Tucson Salad (I asked for no grilled chicken and no buttermilk dressing) beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, basil, sharp cheddar, and crispy corn tortilla strips. Although I did not order dessert, I heard that the Red Velvet cupcakes are comparable to Sprinkles Cupcakes.
Additional notes: within the bakery cafe there is a clothing store, it was closed when I visited but I've heard it a good spot. Also, right across the street from Toast is Electric Karma, which is rumored to be the best Indian restaurant in LA.
Just saw this on UsWeekly.com... Shenae Grimes from 90210 frequents here!