DB Bistro Moderne

We only had one meal planned for our overnight weekend trip to New York so because I am a wimp and did not want to walk very far in the freezing morning wind, we ran across the street to Daniel Boulud’s DH Bistro Moderne in the City Club Hotel. What a refreshing experience. At 9:00 am on a Sunday, we were two of five people there to eat breakfast. When we walked in I felt underdressed in my jeans and Uggs but the staff and decor are so warm and inviting, that feeling melted away quickly.

I wanted to try everything on the menu (breakfast is my favorite meal of the day) but when I saw the assorted breads and pastries option ($12) I jumped on it. When the fresh strawberry and plum jam came, along with REAL butter, I knew I would be in a carb coma very soon.

Freshly made, fluffy, fantastic. The croissants and brioche were out of this world delicious. I have often been frustrated with croissants because I feel like a hot mess whenever I eat them, but I embraced the flaky exterior and dove right in. I usually consider bread just a vehicle for trying as much jam as I can, but the jam didn’t outshine the baked goods on this occasion. All was equal in this relationship. I finished everything except for the toasted baguette.

Matt’s french toast was also made with the fresh brioche and was accompanied by some creme fraiche and chutney. He said it was yummy but I was really too into my basket of baked goodness to really pay attention.

I love finding places to eat and feeling full and happy. It’s what life is all about.

Breakfast…with turkey franks

Matt went shopping recently, which means that he bought me some turkey franks because they were on sale. So this past weekend I made a hearty breakfast using the franks, some CSA asparagus and potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and eggs.  It turned out mighty tasty:

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I’ve got to say that grilled up and slightly blackened, the turkey franks really made this dish. It was really easy, and could be simplified to just eggs and franks if you didn’t want to bother with any veggies.

I cut three small potatoes into small pieces and started to sautee them with the diced onion (one whole). After about 10-15 minutes, I lowered the heat so they could get nice and soft.

Cut the franks into bite-sized pieces and brown them in olive oil on medium heat in a second pan. Add the asparagus and cook until tender. At the same time you add the eggs to the pan, turn up the heat a little on the potatoes/onion and add some chopped mushrooms. Everything should be finished cooking at the same time. Should be! Serve all together and chow down.

Marmalade Cafe

On the 8th and 3rd mornings that Matt and I, respectively, were in Los Angeles, we decided it was about time for a hearty breakfast that wasn’t from Yamazaki Bakery. Matt found the adorable Marmalade Cafe in Santa Monica, where we stopped to eat before we went to the beach. 

Marmalade is situated in a row of some cute shops and right across the street from a Starbucks. When we sat down we realized that there are multiple locations of the Marmalade Cafe but since none of them were on or near the east coast, we were ok with its uniqueness.

The ambience was relaxed and homey, kid-friendly, and had plenty of seats at 10:30am on a Monday morning. You can also get food to go.

Our lattes were creamy and tasty. No bitterness here.

Our breakfasts were super amazing. Super tasty, super sized, and super generous with the omelet fillings. Matt chose a steak and eggs version of an omelet made with filet mignon chili and served with Marmalade potatoes and rye bread toast.

My selection had me at avocado. Cheddar cheesy, bacon-y, creamy avocado-y goodness. Topped off with some hot sauce and I was in good fat/bad fat heaven.  The Marmalade potatoes were cooked and seasoned to perfection and those of you who know me can see that the toast made me very happy.

I was very surprised at the fact that there were no public restrooms in Marmalade. We had driven from Downtown L.A. straight to the restaurant and when we got there I panicked. My noble husband asked and they said that “since it wasn’t busy yet” I could sneak into the staff bathroom quickly. But really? No public bathroom at an establishment with a kitchen and table service? Hmmm. Maybe I ask too much.

We were stuffed and happy when we left, ready to face the pier, beach, and ocean air. We were also wondering how we would fit “boardwalk food,” Mexican for lunch, and dinner at Bazaar in our bellies that day. It’s a tough life, being on vacation.