Go Greek!

Hello lovelies.
   I hope everyone is having a beautiful summer day. Two words: Frozen. Yogurt. You've heard them enough, right? Between Pinkberry, Yogurtland, Froyo Life, and the Bigg Chill, I think L.A. has seen it's fair share of "froyo" franchises come and go. However, Beverly Hills is bringing something new to the table. And this summer, you'll be going Greek.
   First, as a disclaimer, I absolutely detest Greek yogurt. I think it's gross, and not to "spoil" anyone's afternoon, but I think it tastes, well, spoilt. Punny, right? Anyway. Coming from someone who has tried countless Greek yogurts and has hated just about every single one, you need to keep reading if you're on the same page as me, or even if you aren't. Tests have come out with scientific proof that frozen yogurt has harmful chemicals in it, and unbelievable amounts of sugar! But have no fear, I have a solution.

   Go Greek! is a yogurt shop located in Beverly Hills that is solely based off of Greek yogurt flown in fresh from Greece every morning. But it's frozen. Everyone's favorite word! Imagine all of the health benefits of natural Greek yogurt squeezed into your favorite dessert. And here's the catch: the yogurt tastes like ice-cream. I kid you not. Though there is a bit of a tangy, berry-undertone to each of the flavors (my favorite: Chocolate) it tastes almost exactly like ice-cream, but better. Though they only carry 4 flavors at a time, the toppings are all natural (from carrots and olives to gummy bears and goji berries!) and you can spruce up your self-serve cup however you'd like.

   While making your own yogurt can be fun, the shop also offers pre-picked combinations as well. And it gets better. Each combo on the menu is aimed to help with the following: weight loss, energy, digestion, calcium-iron supplements, antioxidant, skin, healing, and so many more! Go Greek! also makes for the perfect pre or post workout snack, and even if you're planning on a sit-down dine-in experience, Go Greek! provides a truly Greek setting (complete with a market-shelf selling jarred preserves!)

   So, whenever you wanna crank out that sweet-tooth without absorbing all of the generous helpings of chemicals and sugar in your average yogurt, or even just need a unique meal, pop on over to Go Greek!- with their Greek hospitality, I don't need to tell you they'll be excited you're there... They'll do it for me. With absolutely nothing to critique about this very fine, fine cuisine, I strongly encourage you to give it a try. Greek yogurt lovers, greek yogurt haters, and anyone else... I guarantee you'll love it! 

  After a full cup of frozen-greek-yogurt, I'm gonna sign off here. Let me know in the comments below what you thought of Go Greek!, if you're interested in going, or when you're planning on it!

xx Kate

Summer Dress Trend: Denim

Here in LA that Spring pollen is blending into sweet summer heat fast. And you know what that means- summer dresses! We've taken a close look and have noticed the biggest trend in summer dresses this year, denim and chambray dresses. I am so excited for this trend! Not only are denim dresses cool and comfortable for summer, but they are versatile too! Paired with your favorite booties for a boho look or paired with those summer sandals for a casual-girly look. Wear your denim dress with a Céline for a night out or wear it with a leather tote for a day at the beach! We've compiled our favorite denim dresses we've seen so far, check them out!

1. This light-wash chambray shirtdress from Anthro

2. This cut-out dress from Urban Outfitters (and now on sale!)

3. This boho sleeveless maxi from Free People

4. This simple medium-wash denim dress from Topshop

5. This casual checked chambray shirtdress from Anthro

Happy summer shopping!


xox,
Alena

'Lette

Today, we (Alexa and Emma) decided to take a walk down Rodeo Drive for a nice Italian lunch and some sweets. After a great meal at Il Tramezino, we walked down to 'Lette. We walked into the cute and simple store and were cold instantly. We were hit by the cold air used to keep the macarons fresh and bombarded with the sweet smell of the croons.

We bought six macarons in our favorite flavors and we would love to share some insight with you, as we know it can be confusing when it comes to choosing the yummiest macaroons!! 

Pictured below is the box that we got. Starting from the left side: we got Madagascar vanilla, raspberry rose, Colombian coffee, Caribbean chocolate, coconut, and finally, sweet wedding almond. Our all time favorite and the store's most popular is the sweet wedding almond. 

We have both been on the hunt for the best macarons and we have to say, these may have beat Ladureé! 

We hope that you find these macaroons as authentic and delicious as we do! 

xx Alexa and Emma

Lady M

Good afternoon, all.
It's summer, and the natural dessert to default to is ice-cream. And cake-lovers may try to lure you to the heaven on earth that is Sweet Lady Jane, and no offense to that wonderful restaurant, but I think the L.A. cake community has a new queen (er, Lady) in town: LadyM.

Famous for their seasonal "crepe cake" (which is just as it sounds, up to 20 crepes stacked on top of each other with pastry frosting in between), LadyM also features a fruit tart, strawberry shortcake, red velvet cake, chocolate cake and many more.
I have been to LadyM twice now, and have tried the Checkers Cake (a vanilla-chocolate combo with an intricate design), the Vanilla Crepe Cake, and the Strawberry Shortcake. The simple decor and variety of flavors really make the experience, but I really do have to say that the famed crepe-oriented dessert was a let down. It may be because of it's acquired-taste, but it had a funky flavor to it that just didn't quite do it for me.
However, it was a totally different experience with the Strawberry Shortcake and Checkers Cake. The strawberry shortcake totally blew Sweet Lady Jane's out of the park. The cake is lighter, the frosting was airy, and the berries were sweeter. The Checkers Cake was unlike anything I had ever tasted. I got a different flavor with every bite, and the thin layer of thick chocolate frosting left the most delicious, rich aftertaste which couldn't have been more satisfying.

Overall, my "meal" was delicious. While I only recommend trying the Crepe Cake to sophisticated palette holders, it still may not be the safest choice. However, these two are beyond yummy. And can we take a second to acknowledge the level of intricacy in that Checker Cake? How do they do it? It may be a mystery, but the delectable attraction isn't. Next time you're craving something sweet, there's nothing I'd rather recommend.
Let me know in the comments if you visited, what your experiences were, or when you're planning to drop in!

xx Kate

Bottega Louie

Downtown has to be my favorite place in the whole entire world. I can escape the (at times) pretentious, high maintenance Beverly Hills environment and the hustle of West Hollywood, and go somewhere that's a bit more laid back. I love the cool shops that line the streets and the moldings of the buildings. Both work and my moms love for fine architecture keep drawing us back to downtown Los Angeles. But this specific occasion, it was hunger that brought us back!


When I found out Bottega Louie was in Downtown, I was immediately drawn to going here. But I don't think Alena could have said it any better. Because on the West Coast, we really are crazy for 'croons!

I've never been to New York, but I've watched enough episodes of Gossip Girl to know what it looks like! And the Fashion and Jewelry Districts (where my mom works) reminds me so much of New York City.

Back to Bottega Louie. The restaurant is filled with light. And while I can admit, I was pretty ticked off that we couldn't make reservations, the wait was short, and just enough time to take a ton of pics for you guys.

As the appetizers we selected, I got bruschetta, because I mean, I love bruschetta, and my mom eating the light and dainty deliciousness she likes to get, ordered a grilled octopus salad with a lemony vinaigrette. The bruschetta disappointed, because the bread was way to hard and made it hard to eat and that leaf on top of the tomatoes… like what the heck was that? Because it definitely was not basil.

For a main course we ordered spaghetti bolognese which was definitely the most delicious pasta dish I've ever ordered (sorry Fred's Pasta!), mussels with peppers, chives, and toasted rustic bread, and a hangar steak cooked medium with sautéed carrots, bell peppers, and asparagus (and 'shrooms!)

And of course, you can't go to Bottega Louie and just ignore the huge Christmas tree of macaroons, sooooo we got macaroons. And kind of a lot.

Because originally, if you're going to ask me for my justification, I just got the box that fits the 13 macaroons. You know, to share. And then my mom asked what I wanted for dessert, and I just took one glance at the four macaroon choice (of any flavors) on the dessert menu and swooned. So I got that.

But I definitely want to go back. The sun filled, clean white, high-ceilinged restaurant (remember, my mom adores beautiful structures) just made me happy. I don't know what it is. Where there is natural lighting there is happiness. But jokes aside, it was such a yummy lunch and now I'm thinking about the pasta and it's eating me alive. Just like I want to do to the pasta.

See? This is what blogging does to me.


xx Carolyn

July Fourth Faves

July fourth is just a few short days away, but don't worry! We've got you covered on our favorite things to help prepare you for the Fourth.

1. This american flag donut recipe by thefirstyearblog
2. This super cute, red white and blue western top from topshop (and now on sale!)
3. This casual and simple tote from madewell
4. Patriotic sneakers from urban(you know, to get you in the spirit from head to toe ;)
5. These red and blue braided hair bands from madewell
6. Yum! Cupcakes for the fourth by bakedbymellisa

So these are our Fourth of July Favorites... How about you guys? Let us know in the comments below!

Xoxo

Mauro's Cafe

We (Alexa and Carolyn) practically grew up with Fred Segal. With our best friend's house thirty seconds away, we have sold lemonade there, shopped there, but most importantly, lunched there.


It's such a lovely location, right inside Fred Segal's leafy exterior. But the restaurant's presentation isn't nearly as good as their food! The food's culture is predominantly Italian, but the menu is a combination of foods from many places around Europe.

You feel almost magical if you head in for a dinnertime dining experience. They strung white Christmas lights into the ceiling boards, giving the room a glow. But we always stop by around lunchtime, because eating here is a tradition we have.

The menu is super cute too. Designed to look like a clipboard, it really does carry the look of Mauro's Cafe all the way through. We actually hit Melrose Avenue up for a bit of a walking tour. We started on Crescent Heights and Melrose, to eat at Mauro's, and slowly worked our way down to Alfred's Coffee and Kitchen, by Melrose Place and La Cienaga.

It was so good! I (Carolyn) always gets the same thing. I try to be as adventurous as I can with food, I'm trying to break my "eat the same thing every time you go to a restaurant' habit" but with Mauro's it's absolutely impossible to stray from  Fred's Pasta. It's penne paste in a pink sauce with chicken breast and peas.

Okay so fine, maybe I try to eat around the peas, which can be a pretty laborious job for somebody who just wants to devour the whole plate, dish included.

Alexa got Spaghetti Pomodoro. The sauce was smooth and creamy, just the way is always is and should be. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and to top it off, there was just a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

After we finished eating, we walked down to Sweet Lady Jane & Alfreds Coffee and Kitchen, but that's another story!

Until next time,

xx Alexa and Carolyn