Category Archives: Sweets

March 12, 2010

Blog Bite: Border Grill Truck’s Churro Tots

Written by Caroline on Crack in Blog Bites, Los Angeles, Sweets
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Border Grill's churro tots

First Nutella poundcake and then salted caramel bars and now churro tots! All nommy brilliance, I tell you! I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica where the Border Grill Truck parks ever Friday at lunchtime.

I was just gonna get a couple of tacos to bring back to my desk but then the churro tot sign complete with food pornographic photo caught my eye. “Dulce de leche infused churros, cinnamon sugar, whipped cream.” Oh dear lord. Must. Have.

Funny enough, @HotPinkManolos — blogger, foodie and on-site manager for the truck — was on hand and comped my tots order. So nice! I would have blogged about this anyway because my peeps need to know about this cinnamony, fried bite of heaven.

I swear, I almost cried. And you know what that means: I was sooo happy.

Now these tots doesn’t really have the breadiness of a churro; more of a creamy center. But they do have that familiar fried crisp exterior and all that cinnamon.

I offered some to my boyfriend, thinking he wouldn’t want it, especially the tots covered in melted whipped cream. But after the first bite he was eager to take another and even dipped it in the whipped cream. Now, if he likes it — he’s a picky eater and not the sweet tooth that I am — then you now it’s some good stuff.

Such a nice treat for a Friday. And $3.50 for the six tots. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can carry these around in my pocket, though.

For an even better, food pornographic photo of the tots, check out LAist’s post.

Click here for the Border Grill Truck schedule.

Twitter: @bordergrill

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March 3, 2010

Huckleberry Cafe’s Salted Caramel Bar

Written by Caroline on Crack in Dining, Los Angeles, Sweets
9 Comments
Huckleberry Cafe's Salted Caramel Bar

Huckleberry Cafe's Salted Caramel Bar

Dropped by Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica after being inspired to do so from my Tweeps @dianatakesabite and @laocfoodie who had been discussing the cafe’s pizza of the day — purple sprouting broccoli, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions & goat cheese. So I was in line about to close out my bill when I spotted a tray of salted caramel bars in the refrigerated case conveniently located right by the cash register.

They’re the biggest slabs of caramel I’ve ever seen; brownie square size. They look like lemon bars in that the sweet part sits atop a shortbread layer. “Are those too sweet?” I asked the lady behind the counter. “They are pretty rich but you can cut them in squares…they’re my absolute favorite thing ever,” she said. Sold!

The thing is I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat the bar in one sitting. I mean, it’s a huge piece of caramel. But the lady gave me a little plastic container to store it in the fridge between bites.

When I got the bar back to my desk, I cut off a sliver. At this point the caramel was already soft and sticky. I licked my fingers clean of the remnants of the caramel left behind when I picked it up. It was so sweet, brown sugary with that hint of saltiness that hooks you and tricks you into eating more. Reminded me of the fleur de sel caramels I used to make. The hard cookie crust was buttery and crumbled when I cut the bar in pieces. After the first bite I felt a little dizzy from that shot of sugar hitting my bloodstream. OK, one more tiny square and this goes in the fridge.

Thing is, it never made it to the fridge. I kept it on my desk and watched the edges of the caramel square start to round out as it warmed up in the room temperature. The bar got smaller and smaller and then disappeared into my happy belly.

Definitely the best $2.50 I ever spent. Yup! It was only $2.50 for that bar. An awesome deal considering brownie bars at Starbucks usually cost $3+.

Huckleberry Cafe
1014 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401 (map)
(310) 451-2311

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February 15, 2010

Getting a Buzz From BonBonBar’s Bourbon Bar

Written by Caroline on Crack in Los Angeles, Sweets
7 Comments

Bonbonbar Bourbon Bar

Bonbonbar's Bourbon Bar

When I first heard about BonBonBar’s bourbon bar, I just knew it was made especially for the likes of me, a sweet tooth with a penchant for booze. George T. Stagg 141-proof bourbon ganache with caramel and dark chocolate? Are you kidding me? So naturally I had to order it asap. Sure, it was $15 for a box of three small bars but I knew it would be worth it.

Strata of scrumptiousness.

Strata of scrumptiousness.

The box was shipped priority mail from San Francisco and I was able to get my fix on in three days. Each bar was cellophane-wrapped and tucked into a small box within a box.

I tore into the first bar but took a tentative bite. Would I even be able to taste the bourbon? Would it meld well with the sweet of the dark chocolate? Sure enough, I was and they did. The taste of the bourbon was so potent that I almost felt like I could get a buzz on, the drunk kind, if I ate all three bars in one sitting.

The sweet whiskey taste complimented the bittersweet dark chocolate and the ubersweet gooey caramel and was offset by the large crystals of Maldon salt and the black pepper.

From BBQ and Bourbon:

Stagg is 141.8 proof bourbon and renowned and loved for perfectly balancing intensity and finesse.  It is made in small batches that are released to the public only twice a year.

It’s a pretty rich dessert, though, and I’d only recommend it to the hard-core sweet tooth..teeth?…out there. But definitely a fun, tasty gift idea for the booze hound who has everything, including a taste for the sweet. Get ‘em while you can since this is a limited-production treat.

Ingredients: Dark and milk chocolates, organic cream, sugar, butter, glucose, organic egg white, unbleached all-purpose flour, organic corn flour, bourbon, salt, organic black pepper.

Box of 3: $15

Box of 6: $30

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February 12, 2010

The Nommiest Dessert: Joan’s on Third’s Nutella Poundcake

Written by Caroline on Crack in Dining, Los Angeles, Recipes, Sweets
8 Comments
Nutella Poundcake by Joan's on Third

Nutella Poundcake by Joan's on Third

For World Nutella Day last week, Joan’s on Third made the yummiest poundcake I ever heard of: Nutella poundcake. Why didn’t anyone tell me that such a thing of beauty existed? Luckily I found out from Nastassia of Let Me Eat Cake, who happens to work at Joan’s and who was good enough to save me a loaf! Huzzah! I braved a torrential rainstorm and cross-town traffic during rush hour to pick it up. And twas sooo worth it.

Once I got it home I dug into it, nearly eating the whole thing in one sitting. Fortunately (or
unfortunately) I was able to remember to save some for my bf since I had been going on and on about it and he was good enough to drive me through a torrential rainstorm in rush-hour traffic to get it. Would have been rude if I didn’t at least save him…a sliver.

Hitting the Nutella motherload.

Hitting the Nutella motherload.

Anyway, the cake was so moist and OMG the ribbons of Nutella that ran through the cake were like crack, making it difficult to stop eating. Just when I was about to store the cake away, I’d bite into a motherload of that chocolate-hazelnut goodness and continued to nom away. I call this the Ben & Jerry’s effect. And the top of the loaf was a little denser than the rest of the cake, so I could break if off to enjoy like you would the edge of pie crusts.

I have no doubt that I could polish off a whole loaf all by myself.

In any case, you’ll be happy to know that this isn’t a once-a-year thing. Joan’s on Third will be making more Nutella poundcake for this Saturday but they’ll be sold as slices at $1.95 a slice.

However, if you’d like to make one for yourself, unfortunately and understandably, Joan is keeping that recipe to herself but Nastassia has some behind-the-scene coverage of the making of the cake. And I found this Food & Wine recipe for a Nutella Swirl Poundcake that you can take a stab at.

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February 4, 2010

This Weekend: $4 Maker’s Happy Hour, More Bloggers Helping Haiti

Written by Caroline on Crack in Cocktails, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Shopping & Sales, Sweets
3 Comments

Lots going on this weekend. And no I’m not talking football. I’m talking good-hearted bloggers, speed dating with derby girls and oh, football.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Maker’s Mark $4 Happy Hour at Checkers Downtown
I’m so bummed I have to miss this. Of course this would be on the same day as my boozy tweetup. In any case, enjoy this awesome-sounding happy hour with $4 Maker’s Mark drinks like the Maker’s Peach Cobbler with Dubonnet Red, peach puree and cinnamon and the Ginger Rogers (not the gin one) with mango nectar, lime juice and ginger beer. OMG and my fave: a Maker’s Manhattan. All for only $4 each from 4 to 8pm! There will also be $4 plates, i.e. grilled Monte Cristo sandwich and yellowtail and mango sashimi.

  • 4-8pm. Checkers Downtown, Checkers Downtown, 535 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown (map). (213) 624-0000.

Friday, February 5

Bid and Eat for Haiti: Online Foodie Auction
Food blogger Fiona aka Gourmet Pigs is launching a fab online auction where peeps can bid on foodie faves like an autographed copy of Chef Ludo’s Crave, a home brewing kit from Intelligentsia and a slew of gift cards from popular restaurants around town. The best part is that all proceeds will go to benefit CHF International and Operation USA for their Haiti relief efforts. Happy bidding!


Date a Derby Dame
Are you the bravest man alive? Well, then you should have no trouble trying your best pickup lines during this speed dating event with…wait for it…OC Roller Girls. Yup, you only have 5 minutes so better make it good. At the end of the night, they’ll put together all the mutual matches. Good luck. You’ll need it.

  • 8pm. $5 (event is free to spectators). Suds Sports Grill, 5932 Warner Avenue, Huntington Beach (map). RSVP/info DateDerbyDame@gmail.com.

Saturday, February 6

Belmont Shore’s 6th Annual Chocolate Festival
Enjoy chocolate in all its glorious forms at this festival. Belmont Shore participants include Frosted Cupcakery, La Creperie and BJ’s Pizza (?) to name but a few. If you’re still cuckoo for cocoa, participate in the chocolate cream pie eating contest 3-4pm.

  • 1-4pm. 2nd Street (between Claremont and Park Avenue), Long Beach (map).

Haitians Libations at Vertical Wine Bistro
Aww, more bloggers doing good for Haitian relief. It’s Fiona again but this time with bloggers RumDood and Mattatouille. They’ve created an exclusive cocktail menu and will be serving up the libations at Vertical Wine Bistro from 10pm to close. They’ve got impeccable taste so the drinks are sure to be awesome. 50% of all profits will benefit Artists for Peace and Justice, a non-profit that delivers supplies to Haiti.

  • 10pm-2am. Vertical Wine Bistro, 70 N Raymond Avenue, Pasadena (map). (626) 795-3999.

Sunday, February 7

For Super Bowl Happenings, I defer to estarLA for her extensive roundup.

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February 2, 2010

Delphine at W Hollywood: You’re Beautiful but M’Eh

Written by Caroline on Crack in Cocktails, Los Angeles, Sweets
27 Comments
Delphine's pistachio brownie with hot chocolate and marshmallows

Delphine's pistachio brownie with hot chocolate and marshmallows

Oh, Delphine. I was swayed by your W swank ways, charmed by your French name and drawn in by all that online hype via LA Times‘ Daily Dish, UrbanDaddy and LA Weekly’s Squid Ink announcing your debut. But despite your gorgeous space and intriguing cocktail menu, I discovered after an impromptu rendezvous last night…that you actually aren’t all that.

Yup, blogger H.C. of LA-OC Foodventures and I swung by the new barestaurant located in the brand-new W Hollywood. After a very educational sake tasting at Kabuki Hollywood (more on that later), we were in the mood for some dessert and cocktails.

On a Monday night the bar area was empty-ish with a couple of patrons taking up some bar stools. The restaurant located further toward the back, however, was a-buzzing. But we cozied up to the gorgeous marble bar and admired the French cafe style setup of the seated area behind us. A quick study of the cocktail menu revealed unusual concoctions for prices ranging from $9 to $14.

  • The Eva ($11): Cazadores Blanco Tequila, agave nectar, lime and grapefruit juice
  • Eden ($10): Belvedere Cytrus Vodka, Marie Brizard Cassis de Bordeaux, lemon sour, prosecco, Grand Marnier-soaked berries
  • Monaco Breeze ($11): Bombay Saphire, St. Germain, rhubarb bitters, green grapes, lemon juice
  • Van Gogh ($10): Abyss absinthe, ginger syrup, H2O
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January 28, 2010

This Weekend: Cookies Without Borders, Mozza2Go Wine Tasting, DecadesTwo Shoe Sale

Written by Caroline on Crack in Beauty & Fashion, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Shopping & Sales, Sweets
Say what?

So, looks like I’ll be working on my Web site this weekend with Tiny Nancer’s help. Yay! If everything goes right, it may have a new look come Monday! Anyway, while that’s going on, check out all these fun to-dos.

Friday, January 29

Free People Grand Opening Party at Space15Twenty
Cute clothing store Free People is opening up a store at Hollywood hipster haven, Space15Twenty, and is doing it with panache. Nosh on food provided by neighbor Umami Burger and shop and boogie to music by DJ DEZ who will be spinning actual vinyl records. Quaint! For some reason this party is during most everyone’s work hours but if you can sneak away, it may be worth your while. And while you’re there stop by the Valentine pop-up store which debuts the same day.

  • 1-4pm. Free People at Space15Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Saturday, January 30

Save Haiti at DecadesTwo Designer Shoe Sale
Imagine: Louboutin, Prada, Gucci shoes all for under $150. Now wipe that drool off your mouth and get over to the DecadesTwo designer shoe sale. Not only will you be scoring some “gently used” designer footwear for unbelievable prices (2 pairs/customer) you’ll helping out Artists for Peace and Justice, a nonprofit on the front-lines of the support efforts in Haiti. 100% of the sale’s proceeds will go to benefit the charity.

  • 9am-6pm. DecadesTwo, 8214 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Ghettogloss Gallery’s Silver Lake Art, Craft and Vintage Flea Market
There’s nothing like perusing the best of vintage collectibles, vintage clothing and retro furniture all in a classic flea market. Mmm, shopping. Ghettogloss kicks off its monthly end-of-the-month Silver Lake art, craft, vintage market this weekend. Enjoy some Korean short ribs from the Kogi BBQ Truck while bopping to live reggae music, and ooh! a Wonder Woman curio cabinet!

  • 10am-4pm. Micheltorena Elementary School, 1511 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles (map).

Sunday, January 31

Cookies Without Borders: Bake Sale to Raise Funds for Haiti
Cookies and jams and whoopie pies, oh my! Shop a large selection of confectionary delights at this bake sale which will feature sweet treats from both pro kitchens like Valerie Confections and dessert truck Whisk LA to good samaritans’ warm kitchens. All proceeds from the sales will go to Doctors Without Borders, a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian organization which is working to help post-earthquake Haiti.

  • 2-5pm. Scoops Gelato, 712 N Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles (map).

Silverlake Wine Sunday Tasting: Italian Wines With Mozza2Go
Enjoy tasty Italian fare from Pizzeria Mozza’s takeout menu via Mozza2Go while sipping on some exquisite Italian wines hand-chosen by Silverlake Wine. For this Sunday tasting, featured wines include the likes of Luigi Scarani Pinot Nero Bianco Oltrepo Pavese 2007 and Torre Quarto Nero di Troia Puglia 2006. Reservations are required.

  • 3pm. $20. Silverlake Wine, 2395 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (323) 662-9024.
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