review: Auntie Em’s

 

by Amy Swanton Mills

A friend told me about Auntie Em’s over dinner on Sunday. It sounded too good to be true. Fresh, organic, local produce delivered to your door? Recipes provided with each delivery so you know how to turn that produce into something delicious? All for around $40 a week? I was amazed. How had I not heard about this before?

I checked out the website, and everything my friend told me was true. (Not that I thought she was lying, I just wanted to verify things for myself.) They will also deliver prepared meals, such as Organic Chicken Gumbo, Free Range Lamb Tagine and many others, including plenty of vegetarian choices. How great is that?

So many people, when I tell them we get most of our food from the Farmer’s market, say things like, “Oh, I’d love to get things from the Farmer’s Market, I just don’t have the time to go.” Or, “I buy fruits and vegetables and then I don’t know what to do with them.” I have to admit, my husband does all the schlepping of produce from his biweekly trips to the Farmer’s Market. My inner curmudgeon can’t stand navigating through dozens of shrieking children and aimlessly wandering adults, all set to the tune of bad folk music, just to fetch a few items for dinner. (This description only refers to my experience with the Sunday Farmer’s Market in Santa Monica.  I don’t want to scare anyone away from the more “professional” Farmer’s Markets that occur during the week.)

So, if you don’t have the time, or the inclination, to deal with going to a Farmer’s Market, you can still support local, organic, sustainable farmers through the great service that is Auntie Em’s!

Click here for all the info:  http://www.auntieemsdelivery.com

review: Nook Bistro

 

by Amy Swanton Mills

Nook Bistro is aptly named.  It is situated in a deep, dark corner of a mini-mall, which also holds a Western Bagel, a nail salon and a dry cleaner.  This is the kind of place that you don’t just stumble upon, but once you’ve found it, you return frequently. 

The décor is simple and modern, making good use of concrete floors, exposed beams and ductwork, and large mirrors.  You feel like you’re eating in a loft, which is unexpected considering the location. For a small space they did a great job making it feel open and airy. The noise level is on the boisterous side, but it isn’t intolerable.  There is a large, communal table down the center of the restaurant, which is a little less intimate and noisy, but the tables around the perimeter afford a quieter experience.  

Nook has something on the menu for everyone, except maybe that friend that’s always on a diet.  The dishes are straightforward and hearty, and are aptly described as being “American Bistro.” I’ve eaten here many times, and always have to order the Shitake and Gruyere Bread Pudding or the Macaroni and Cheese sides.  They are really rich, but so delicious I can’t resist them!  For a main course, I usually go for the Maple Mustard Glazed Ribeye, which uses Meyer Ranch certified humane ribeye, and comes garnished with baked apples and crispy onion rings.  I always save a little room for dessert, which includes several decadent choices. 

They do serve wine and beer as well as soft drinks.  The wine and beer list is eclectic and complements the food nicely.  They have great coffee and tea selections for after dinner, but I’m usually too full to partake!  Nook is a great little restaurant that really strives to please and do the right thing where food is concerned.  I can only hope that more people will make the right choice and support places like Nook, rather than the big chains that serve sub-par processed food at the same price point.  

For more information visit their site at http://www.nookbistro.com

review: M Cafe de Chaya

 

by Amy Swanton Mills

Let me just say that I am not a macrobiotic, but am all in favor of any place that promotes fresh, healthy, organic ingredients.  M Café De Chaya definitely fits that description and they should be commended for it.  That said, I must disclose that I bring a certain prejudice to this review, as I find certain things delicious that macrobiotics wouldn’t even think of letting cross their lips.  This list includes, but is definitely not limited to, prosciutto, vanilla lattes with milk from a cow, and hamburgers.  So, for those of you who are on the same page as me, this review will probably be helpful to you.  For those of you who are macrobiotics, probably not so much, as I would imagine this restaurant is pretty much the crème de la crème of macrobiotic options.

I have nothing against the macrobiotic thing, am game to try just about anything, and I like the idea of a light and healthy lunch. Thus, how I ended up at M Café de Chaya.  I ordered the tuna tataki salad, a side of fries, and a mint green tea.  My lunch companions ordered sushi and a black cod teriyaki bowl.  The salad was good, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor on the fries.  They use seaweed as a seasoning, which gives the fries a delicious, yet unexpected, flavor.  The salad was good, though a little light on dressing and tuna.  I think that is part of the macrobiotic approach, though, where you eat more grains and vegetables than anything else. The teriyaki bowl looked to be the most substantial item on the table, with a generous helping of brown rice.  

I felt full after my meal and slightly proud of myself for eating so healthy.  If I was forced to go macrobiotic or lose weight, this place would be a wonderful treat, but I have to confess that I felt a little cheated.  I know that sounds bad, but I really can’t get behind spending $20 on a lunch that tasted a little unsatisfying.  Don’t get me wrong, if I had a friend who was a vegetarian, or macrobiotic, I would highly recommend this place for the variety and creativity of their menu and I wouldn’t be upset about returning. However, I have a lot of other places with a more diverse and delicious menu that I’ll return to first.