#7 - Trois Mec

This is the meal that started me on this journey of trying to make it through Jonathan Gold's 101 List, thus it will be the first post in this series.

If you don't know who Chef Ludo Lefevbre is, read his wikipedia. Or better yet, go back and watch him on Top Chef. He's a riot. He's also become somewhat of an LA institution. With multiple restaurants under his tutelage and more on the way, he's spearheaded the Los Angeles Modern Fine Dining Movement.
I hadn't been to any of his locations until I came across his 2 Chef's in Conversation Series. I was smitten over the reviews of Chef Enrique Olverez so I knew I had to get tickets to that. When the time came, I wasn't fast enough, but luckily they had just released notice that Chef Martha Ortiz was going to be doing a night, and I was able to score tickets to that.

Enough of the words. Take a look at the photos in order of this menu. Two dishes were made with vegetables to accommodate my pescetarian diet.

My taco was made with potatoes in place of pork.

That small piece of cabbage in the center? The single best bite of this whole meal!

My mole was made of celery root in lieu of duck. 

I'm Back - Jonathan Gold's 101 Challenge

If you've been with me since I started this blog in 2011 and are still here, thanks so much!
If you are new, you haven't really missed anything, and thanks so much for joining me now!

This seems new to me again. Upon deciding to bring the blog back to life for a new personal challenge, I began looking back on my (mostly) random posts from the past. The posts made me laugh, cringe, and wonder "am I really such a terrible writer?!"

Yes. Yes I think I am. But no worries, this new project will be meant to be more of a checklist and less verbose (I hope!)

Jonathan Gold's 101 list:

What is it?
Jonathan Gold is the Pulitzer Prize winning food critic for the LA Times. He gained publicity in the 80's when he ate at every restaurant along Pico Boulevard. You can read his story about it here. A documentary about him called "City of Gold" came out in 2016 - I highly recommend that you watch it. He is known for effecting some small, hole in the wall restaurants with his blessed, glowing reviews and each year, he releases his new 101 top restaurants in LA list.

Why am I doing it?
The past few years I've been bad about not getting out to more restaurants. I began to get into a routine and tend to frequent neighborhood spots instead of doing more exploring throughout the city. On December 9, 2017, I had the pleasure of eating at Chef Ludo's restaurant, Trois Mec, for the first time during a 2 Chef's Series with Chef Martha Ortiz. This came a few months after a life changing lunch at Chef Diego Guerrero's DSTAgE in Madrid. A 2 Michelin Star experience that completely knocked my socks off and literally brought me to tears a few times during the 12 course meal. After my Trois Mec experience this past December, I posted many photos to Instagram and one was "liked" by @trailofgold who I immediately looked into only to discover that he was working his way "to eat all of Jonathan Gold's 101 list." Genius. Also, he is not alone. Turns out there are many who do this, including Kaitlin Orr, otherwise known as @carnivorr who attempted (and probably has since completed) the 101 list in 101 days. My. How Ambitious!
Me? I just want to eat as much as I can make it to for the experience of eating amazing food, meeting phenomenal chefs, and spending good, quality time with my husband, Danny and occasionally, our friends who wish to join us on the journey.

Isn't it expensive?
Yes. Why? Would you like to give me some money to help me eat through this list? Go for it. I won't argue. I accept paypal and venmo.

What's the timeline? Rules? Plan?
There isn't one. I'm doing this completely for myself, for fun. This blog is just a way for me to keep track and for anyone who cares to follow along. I'll also be posting photos and stories on my Instagram @tarynbone so feel free to follow along there as well.

Finally, I should mention that when Jonathan's 2017 list came out, I counted it up and had already been to 14 of the restaurants on the list. And since planning this, I've eaten at a few more. So I will post about those in retrospect as I doubt I'll have time to get back to them in the coming year. So as of this post, 18 down, 83 to go.

Bon Appetite!

Summer Minimal Wardrobe 2016

Welcome to what has quickly (slowly?) become me just posting once a year!
To be frank, I've had a hell of a lot go on this past year.  I ran a marathon last year right before turning 30, which happened to be right before a major family emergency took me away from normal life for a good 6 months, which turned into me re-evaluating my life and deciding to start two businesses - Cookie Expert and Bone Carroll Studio and to quit my job at Johnston Marklee in order to pursue both of these without going crazy, though I am still consulting with them many hours a week.  So yeah...maybe I'll blog more some day...but for now I'm a bit busy.

I've kept up with these minimal wardrobes since my last post about beginning them...I just didn't post it (see previous paragraph)  Plus...maybe my winter wardrobe was not even close to the supposed perfect number of 37.  But it's hard in LA, our weather in the winter can require both shorts and pea coats, sandals and boots!

This summer I have a few new items I'm excited about and looking at it all together, I still have a lot of grey but I'm loving that I have these similar blue green and green colors going on.  My shoes are all very tan and I have a few graphical pieces to keep things light-hearted.  I have 47 items in total, I think this is pretty good considering I have 8 pairs of shoes!

Tops:

bottoms:

dresses:

outerwear:

shoes:

Transition Wardrobe - Fall 2015

A few months back I started noticing an friend's instagram becoming full of #capsulewardrobe on pictures of her wearing what seemed to be normal clothes.  I was intrigued, but busy.  It took me until just now to look into this capsule wardrobe business and realizing that it was just what I've been looking for.  If you don't know what a capsule wardrobe is, I recommend starting with Unfancy's blog, which is where I learned about what a joy it can be to only have 37 (give or take) items in your closet at any given season.  I dug a little further into it and found that I also love Into Mind blog which focuses more on a term that I can relate to: minimalist.  I love having less things.  I don't buy anything in bulk - ever! And I pride myself on not having a ton of junk that clutters my life.  So this whole capsule/minimal wardrobe idea fascinated me and made me wonder: why haven't I been doing this all along?!

The idea is to have only the clothes that you absolutely love and are excited about in your closet.  For some, that means a particular number of items -  37 is what I am seeing a lot of.  For others, there is not a hard and fast rule, but merely a concept of having only what makes you happiest.

I know fall is not until end of September and that September is the hottest month in SoCal, but I had a DSW $20 reward, and I knew that I needed new shoes, so I wanted said shoes to go with my first minimal closet for the fall.  Therefore, I cleaned out my closet.  I mean really cleaned it out.  I laid all of my clothes on the bed and began sorting. It was relaxing and simple and exciting.  I would look at an item and decide: throw out, put away for possibly another season, or become part of my first minimal closet for Fall 2015.  In the end I had around 57 items for what I'm calling my "transition wardrobe."  I call it this because I already know a few pieces that will be going away at the beginning of October once summer is officially over, but I need them right now because it's hot.

Then I did the thing that is really important: I took every single piece off the hanger and took a picture of it.  In doing so, I whittled my closet down to 52.  Then I photoshopped every item and now I am writing this.  I've been wearing my transitional wardrobe for a week and two days now and I feel so inspired.  I have made new outfits that make me feel very happy and I don't ever stress over what to wear.  I don't think I'll get down to 37 items this season, but I'm thinking 45 might be my number.

Here are the tops. Clearly I love grey.

Here are the bottoms.  Clearly I love grey.  Also, I already know that my 7 for all of Mankind jeans  (top middle) are getting cut for the fall, not because I don't love them, but because I love them so much.  I want them to last me for the spring and they are getting so worn I'm afraid they won't if I don't give them a little break.

The outerwear.  Love my jackets!

The dresses.

And finally, but probably most importantly: the shoes!  The bottom two have not yet arrived from DSW.  Hurry up DSW, I want my new Keds!

04_tasting notes: Chocovivo

I first discovered Chocovivo in the same way that I discover most everything in life: Yelp.
I couldn't believe that such a place should exist in my old stomping grounds of Culver City.  It really makes me wish I had never left.  I also couldn't believe I hadn't been yet!

Danny took me here for the first time for my birthday weekend.  The set up is great, it's meant for you taste the chocolates in sets of 3, 6, or all 13.  (do the full thing, for only $10, this is a steal, and is easily shared between 2 people)  While I enjoyed the tasting and am happy to share my tasting notes with you, at first I didn't know how to talk about the chocolate in comparison to the other bean to bars I have already talked about on the blog (Askinosie and Garden Island Chocolate)  Chocovivo's chocolate is gritty, more Mexican style and their varying percentages are no comparison in taste to Askinosie's single origin bars.  I have to be honest and say that my palate prefers the flavors of Askinosie and Garden Island.  What sets Chocovivo apart from the other two for me are their flavors, particularly that they have a new seasonal flavor every month.  For my birthday month (June) it was blood orange+EVOO+sea salt, and it was great!  This month it is Meyer Lemon and Rosemary, which is such a lovely, subtle, but delicious combination.

The other thing which makes me love Chocovivo are their drinking chocolates and the variety which they allow.  Today I tried their new vegan frozen hot chocolate.  They use coconut ice cream and the milk is their house-made hazelnut milk.  Of course, like all the other drinks on their menu, you get to choose your chocolate that you want in it: 100%, 85%, 65%, Mayan Traditional (spicy), or Coffee+vanilla.  I went with the 65%.  This is phenomenal.  Typically $7, the vegan one is $10 because of the substitutions of milk and ice cream, but I don't care.  I would gladly get this drink every time, no question about it.  The four others who I brought with me today agreed.  They talked about coming to Chocovivo for the frozen hot chocolate over going to bars and drinking alcohol.  Yes, please!  This should totally be a thing.

Finally, I love Chocovivo for it's monthly events that it brings to the community.  Today I went because for the 4th of July weekend they are doing s'mores.  It is a platter of 3 s'mores, each with house-made graham crackers and marshmallows.  The chocolate was 65%, Mayan Traditional, and Coffee+Vanilla and they gave us a little table side burner over which to toast the marshmallows.  Such a cute idea and a really fun thing to do with friends.  Later this month I am excited to attend their 1 year anniversary party! (July 18th).

Basically, I am obsessed with Chocovivo.

Now for my tasting notes:
1. 100% cacao: Just too bitter and chalky to be able to eat alone, at least for my palate.
2. 85% cacao: bready, gritty, yeasty (these are good things in my book!)
3. 75% cacao: sweet, berries, sugary grit
4. 65% cacao: tangy, definite citrus flavor
5. Nibby Bar--chocolate+raw nibs: grainy, sweet, graham, nutty (one of my favorites, I hope they make this a standard bar!)
6. Almonds+Sea salt: dry roasted, I liked that the almonds were actually ground up into the chocolate instead of being whole chunks inside, that was an interesting twist on a typical almond bar
7. Hazelnuts+Sea salt: more of a heavy roasted flavor than in a typical hazelnut bar, the smoothest texture of all the bars
8. Macadamia Nut+Coconut: sweet, sour, salty, smooth
9. Blood Orange+EVOO+Sea salt: intense orange flavor, turns gritty in your mouth and the flavor gets deeper as it melts
10. Shangri-La--black sesame and goji berries: subtle sesame flavor followed by herbiness, then sweetness
11. Cherries+Almonds+Black Peppercorn: chunks of sweet and sour cherries heavily accented by the peppercorn, one of my favorites
12. Mayan Traditional: spicy, intense, tasted exactly like the sipping chocolate
13. Coffee+Vanilla Bean: intense espresso flavor, the vanilla is just a background noise to accentuate the coffee taste

03_Tasting Notes: Askinosie single origin bars

To begin my birthday month, Daniel Bone--husband extraordinaire--bought me so much chocolate.

Like, so much.

Nine 3 oz bars and a canister of Mexican style sipping chocolate, to be exact.  They all came from Askinosie Chocolates, a charmingly magnificent company based out of Springfield, Missouri. (another tasting nod to my home state?  odd.)

Today, I present to you: tasting notes of Askinosie's four single origin bars.

We work our way up from 70% San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador bar, the most "commercial" tasting of the four.  This is much purer, but it still maintains a more familiar taste on the tongue.  It has an herby quality to it initially, then it become a bit more moderate in flavor, with a smooth finish.

Here's what the bar says you should taste: red fruit, bergamot orange, honey, jasmine, and hints of tobacco


Next up is the 70% Cortes, Honduras bar.  Very citrusy initially, a little bit liquory later, but finishes with a deep intense chocolate flavor.  That's the only way I can describe it.

Here's what the bar says you should taste: citrus, molasses, and sharp stone fruit


Moving up a little to 72% Tenende, Tanzania bar.  This bar is from their Chocolate University program.  I love a company that really gives back in such a great way.  The chocolate has a natural sweetness, like honey.  Not too much of a bite, but leaves a little bit of a sour after flavor.  It has the most velvety mouth feel of the four bars.

Here's what the bar says you should taste: strawberry, blueberry, graham, and velvet


Finally, the darkest of the single origin bars that Askinosie offers, the 77% Davao, Philippines bar.  This one has the grittiest mouth feel of the four bars--to be clear, this is not a bad thing.  I like a good gritty chocolate (their El Rustico collaBARation flavor is my absolute favorite, and it's super gritty)

Here's what the bar says you should taste: brown sugar, earthy tannins, and lavender

Below is Askinosie's tasting notes about each chocolate.  Give me another year and perhaps I will have this chocolate tasting thing figured out.  For now, you can laugh at my initial reactions to the flavors (what I wrote above was after a second tasting,) written beside the more adept offerings from long-time connoisseurs and chocolatiers.

02_Tasting Notes: A latte to remember

Well, I finally did it.  After a year of hype, I finally tried the best coffee place in LA? The country?  The world?  No, it's too hard to make that claim.  What with a new coffee shop opening every day, and that's just in my neighborhood (the arts district/little tokyo)

That's right, I'm talking about you G&B Coffee.

I, like thousands of others, read the New York Times review claiming G&B to have the best iced latte in the country.  But where the article reeled me in was with the house made macadamia-almond milk.

"Yes. I will go to there. ASAP."

And I did.  I went within 24 hours of reading the article.

Was it worth the hype?  Yes.  I shall return, G&B.  Next time I will try the Business and Pleasure drink(s), and next time I expect the chilled mason jar!

01_Tasting Notes: Coffee is the new cupcake

Have you noticed the influx of coffee in your world?  It's definitely there.  Every other day Eater LA tells me about a new coffee shop opening in my neighborhood.  Of the past four yelp elite events that I have attended, two revolved around coffee.  "Cupping" has become a household term.  Just the smell of Folgers is sickening.  Similar to the first taste of sprinkles bringing a new meaning to cupcakes, the taste of coffee has evolved into something to be tasted, like fine wines.

As an architecture student, it may sound strange, but I'm no coffee addict.  I am somehow responsible for turning my two best friends into addicts of the black gold, but I mostly only drink it only for the taste (and on rare occasion, for the pick me up.)  In other words: I like good coffee.

Yesterday I tasted a coffee roasted in Kansas City Missouri, Oddly Correct Coffee Roasters.  My home state.  Woo.
The coffee was very full bodied, deep flavored, with a nice chocolatey finish.  No bitterness or bite here.  This coffee finishes clean, with just a hint of smokey aftertaste.  There is a slight fruity sweetness to it when it hits the tongue. Like apricots maybe.  I enjoyed another cup today and so should you.

Clean Eating Challenge: Day 14

Finally.  Like all good things, this too must end.  (In case you are just now joining me, I have been doing Buzzfeed's Clean Eating Challenge, and this is the final day.)

Some things about this plan overall:
1. It's not so "clean..."  Eggs?  I love them, but many people have food sensitivities to them.
2. Yogurt and Cheese?  Ever heard of lactose intolerance? Tons of people have it.  Not "clean!"
3. So much meat and fish.  Way too much if you ask me.

I get it, this was supposed to be for people who maybe have never tried to eat healthy in any way before.  This is not really for people, like myself, who have read pretty extensively about nutrition and eating right, are obsessed with their health, and have watched every single food documentary that exists.  But, this is a much healthier way to eat if you are someone who looks at the recipes and thinks "I would never think of that" or "what's bok choy/fennel/overnight oats?" or something along those lines.  It's also really handy that the plan gives you everything to eat/buy/cook daily.  That was the main reason that I did it to begin with.

Breakfast: Scallion Omelet
Same as one day last week sans goat cheese…because SOMEBODY ate all my goat cheese (Danny!)
Still good without the cheese.

Lunch: Portobello Mushrooms with Tomato and Mint
Surprisingly tasty and filling.

Snack 1: ??
I think that I had a pear with almond butter…but I can't be certain because I didn't take a picture, I am writing this two days later, and everything went downhill after this….

Dinner: Not was I was supposed to have at all
I got to the end and I just could not bring myself to finish it.  Danny asked what was for dinner.  I grumpily told him it was the last day of the eating plan.  I proceeded to pull out the snap peas, mushrooms, and tofu from the fridge.  I looked at it and it made me feel depressed.  So we went to Fickle for Happy Hour instead.  It was amazing.  I was so over this plan.

farmer's crostini

heirloom tomato salad (with burrata)

black cod with summer squash agnoloti

Snack 2: Pinkberry
Whoops.  Total fail on my final day.  Oh well.  Ce la vie.

Clean Eating Challenge: Day 13

Wow.  This Slate article is a bit intense.  I think making an analogy between people who like to eat "clean" and religious zealots who declare that promiscuous women are like a "stick of dirty gum" really misses the point entirely and just tries to incite more anger from average eating people toward people who treat food as an important aspect of life.

I do agree that the term "clean food" has no true meaning.  I was introduced to Clean Food via the Terry Walters cookbook of the same title.  Nowhere on it does it say vegan, but when you start looking through the recipes, you see that they all are.  Therefore, I always took clean eating to be plant-based and home-cooking from fresh, local, seasonal produce.  I still stick by this claim for what I consider to be "clean eating," especially the all homemade part.

That said, I am more than ready to be done with this challenge.  I'm drifting away from it slowly every day.  See below for my transgressions.

(In Case you are just now joining me.  I am doing Buzzfeed's Clean Eating Challenge, and this is Day 13.

Breakfast: Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats
YUM!  This was so good, I ate it while walking to school and it was all gone before I got there (I live two blocks from school)  I did not use yogurt and prove that it is not needed. Just put 1 cup of almond milk instead.  I will be eating this again.

Lunch: Snap Pea, Mint, Arugula Salad
I didn't have any leftover quinoa since I didn't make the dinner that required it a few days ago (that was my wine tasting night on Day 9)  So in place of quinoa I used chickpeas.  Yum.

Snack 1: Half of a lavender strawberry Pocket Pie and a coffee from Pie Hole
Transgression #1.
I was sitting at my computer, hard at work, dreaming of a pocket pie and a coffee.  Moments later, with perfect timing, as usual, Danny gchats me "wanna get a snack somewhere?"  My response?  Not so responsible.  "YESSSSSSSS.  Pie Hole.  Now!!!"
I tried to eat the carrots later, but they were pretty stale anyway, so there it is.

Dinner: Tofu Lettuce "wraps"
I don't eat shrimp, so I replaced that with tofu.  These were really good, or I was really hungry.  Either way.
Transgression #2: I had a little beer with dinner

Snack 2….and 3: Apple with Honey… 
and some freaking amazing nuts from Hawaii.  Just like, 1 or 2 or 3…..