Time to Move... But I'll Be Back!!

Pardon My Crumbs is staying put, but Bryan and I are moving! We've bought our first house and between balancing escrow, packing and long work hours, sadly food blogging has taken a bit of a back seat this month. Not to worry, though; our big move is this weekend and we can't wait to get settled. I've got lots of posts itching to be finished -- exciting new restaurant and product reviews, delicious recipes, and pictures of our new kitchen -- but they'll have to wait a few more days. I promise to be back up and running in the next week or two, but wanted to explain the (exciting) reason why I've been MIA. Have a great Labor Day weekend!!!

Beverly Hills Happy Hour Alert: Taberna Mexicana

Can it be? Mexican food without lard? Nary a pinata in sight? Plantains, yucca and blue corn strips served with homemade salsa in place of stale chips and bland pico de gallo? It's true, and it's at Taberna Mexicana in Beverly Hills. Now before you jump to a "Beverly Hills' Mexican food must be overpriced and inauthentic" conclusion, know that Taberna Mexicana is different. Not to mention, it has a brand spanking new happy hour (my personal favorite) from Monday to Friday 4 - 7 p.m. with $7 dishes like fajita sliders with Poblano chile strips, avocado, grilled onion and cabrales cheese; a chorizo burger wrapped in crispy chicharron (mmm, pork rinds) with chipotle aioli and mushrooms; and a light halibut and shrimp ceviche. Sound worthy of a mere $7 per dish? I'd say so.

Taberna Mexicana's New $7 Cantina Happy Hour!

What's more, every dish on the menu is made from scratch in Taberna's kitchen, from hand-pressed corn and flour tortillas to the 48-hour marinade flavoring the habanero-laced Cochinita Pibil. And, in a fantastic twist, lard has been banned in favor of olive oil, resulting in healthier versions of traditional dishes that won't leave you feeling like a tub of lard yourself.

Wash down the flavorful fare with a glass of wine ($5), specialty Mexican beer ($4) or a specially-priced hand-crafted margarita ($6), described by Taberna as perfect with "no more and no less than 'small batch' distillery tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice and sea salt... poured over large, slow-melt cubes of clear ice." Or, if you're feeling fruity, ask for a seasonal flavor like Bing cherry or avocado, muddled with a fistful of fresh fruit.

Taberna Mexicana Happy Hour - Cantina Bar Menu (All dishes $7)

Sopes | Carnitas with black beans, tomatillo salsa, cojita cheese

Empanadas de Camarones y Jaiba | Shrimp and crab with pickled slaw

Chorizo Burger | wrapped in crispy Chicharron with Chipotle aioli and mushrooms

Fajita Sliders | Poblano strips, avocado, grilled onion and Cabrales cheese

Tostada de Ceviche | Halibut and shrimp

Ostiones | Oysters with tequila Mignonette and salmon roe

Guacamole

Tacos de Carnita | Tomatillo salsa with onions and cilantro

Fajita Taco | Guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded cheese

Taberna Mexicana

369 N. Bedford (at Wilshire)

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 858-7070

www.tavernamexicana.com

The Stove Restaurant: Mammoth Lakes' Best Breakfast Spot

I've been driving to work the last few mornings wondering, "Where did everyone go?" It seems like the vast majority of Angelenos have taken August off, ironically leaving the roads clear for the rest of us not fortunate enough to go on a last-hurrah summer vacay. I'm jealous... errr... happy for them! While there might be a vast difference between soaking up Maui's UV's vs. my office's florescent rays, it doesn't stop me from dreaming about where I would take a quickie vacation. I wouldn't go anywhere extravagent or long-term; instead I'd like to replicate a trip my parents used to take us on every summer to Mammoth Lakes. We'd jump into the car at 3 a.m., (to be fair, I was carried in a sleep-induced haze) and head North, timing the six-hour drive so we could arrive just in time for breakfast at The Stove: an age-old breakfast dive in the tiny mountain town, famous for heaping plates of blueberry pancakes, waffles, ham steaks, eggs and mason jars of iced coffee. The meal would kick-off our trip perfectly, and we'd spend the rest of the week hiking, catching trout and enjoying al fresco meals on the deck of a Lake Mary cabin.

The Stove: A Mammoth Lakes Institution

Just about a year ago my husband and I were driving home from a wedding in Lake Tahoe and we made a special stop at The Stove. He had never been to Mammoth Lakes and it had been years since I had been back to The Stove, so it was only natural that we stop. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. Maybe it was the nostalgia or the clean mountain air, but everything was just as I remembered it. The wood decor, the line out the door, and the unfazed waitresses flip-flopping between taking orders, slinging food and bussing tables. We ordered a mountain of food to share: ham and scrambed eggs, blueberry pancakes and banana pancakes dotted with crunchy macadamia nuts.

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

World's Best Bite

Banana & Macadamia Nut Pancakes

Bryan couldn't believe the portion sizes when they arrived, remarking that they seemed designed for carbo-loading before an all-day hike. From my previous experiences with my family, that's absolutely true. The ham and eggs nearly cascaded off their plate and the "short" stack of pancakes was anything but, yet we cleaned those plates as though our upcoming 300-mile trip back to L.A. was a foot race, not a drive.

(Ham) Steak & Eggs

Mason Jar Iced Coffee, complete with old-school Honey Bear!

It's been nearly a year since that meal and I'm vicariously reliving it through the photos! Maybe a quick drive north is in order...

Fresheast: Not Your Typical Chinese Takeout

It's official: my budget has been put on a diet. Except this diet is an exciting one, because we're in the process of buying our first house. Turns out a mortgage payment, insurance, taxes, closing costs, title fees -- and on and on -- costs a lot. Hence my budget diet. Now, when I envision someone on a tight budget and/or buying a house, one thing immediately comes to mind: take-out Chinese food. It's cheap, it's fast, and it's something movies often portray new homeowners eating out of cartons while sitting on an unfurnished living room floor. Well, when I'm that new homeowner eating take-out on my living room floor, it better be delicious and it better be somewhat healthy.

Enter WeHo's Fresheast. I'm not about to sacrifice flavor or high-quality ingredients just because I'm on a budget, so I feel like it's kismet that I discovered Fresheast recently. No MSG, saturated fats or grease-laden chow (mein) here. Instead, you'll discover Fresheast has transformed Asian take-out into a cuisine that's light (on your waistline and wallet), healthy (nutritional content and portions), yet full of vibrant flavors (think Thai, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese influences). The menu is chalk full of authentic Asian dishes like Green Coconut Water Curry, Palak Paneer, Bulgogi and a Larb Gai Bowl. The addition of an innocuous bulgogi-themed burger rounds it our nicely for those less adventurous eaters. The fact that you can order online makes it even better.

Larb Gai Bowl

Bulgogi

Spicy Garlic Noodles

Here's where Fresheast's takeout is different from your typical takeaway joint. Chef Jonathan Schwichtenberg and his team make all of Fresheast's sauces, marinades and spice blends in-house. All the meats, vegetable and grain ingredients are organic and sustainable. The beverage menu might as well double as an antioxidant juice bar, offering squeezes of orange, lemon, apple, cucumber, spinach, kale and red beets. All glasses, utensils and tableware are biodegradable. Heck, the plates are made from pressed palm fronds, proving that Fresheast both walks and talks earth-friendly speak. You'll feel even better about yourself when you're able to recycle your dinner plate back into the ground that it came from.

Miso Glazed Chicken

Goa Shrimp

Fresheast Juice

Of course, Fresheast is a fully functioning restaurant as well. It's perfect for a casual lunch or dinner with friends who want great food but don't want to compromise their budgets. Dishes arrive hot, fresh and in sizable portions that are easily shared (and enjoyed as leftovers). But if you ask me, go for the takeout, cuddle up with some TiVo and enjoy dinner knowing you didn't break the bank or your diet.

Palak Paneer:

Green Coconut Water Curry

Fresheast
8951 Sunset Blvd., Suite G-51
West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.fresheast.com
Order Online Here