The Georgian

Fancy schmacy is the word for this lovely tea/dining room that serves it all. Located in Seattle, WA at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel (historic landmark and first campus of the University of WA) not only has oodles of class but also fantastic portions of food. Although I already have my fav tea room in LA (Chado) trying others is always a treat and although I wasn't impressed with the portions for the tea at $35, I was blown away by the portions for lunch. Now don't judge the lack of size with the size of bite this tier had, I enjoyed my finger food but have been spoiled immensely and now tea is held by higher standards and portions. Breadsticks and goat cheese hit the table first and after I dipped it in the gooey goodness and bit, I just yelled pizza!  Good ole cheese pizza in a breadstick...I love it when they do that trick!  I ordered the Lani Pineapple tea and the blueberry scones were fresh and hot out of the oven, coupled with apricot spread and creamy fresh whip...omg, do it to me baby! The sandwiches were okay, nothing to brag about and the small bite desserts were interesting, I'm not a mint person but the mint oreo was samooooooottthhhhh. Got a bite of the burger my mom ordered which had no cheese and yet tasted as if...WOW, so delicious and to have that burger double teamed by fries and onions done to a crisp perfection..."best burger I've had" rolled out of my uma's mouth. Then the salmon burger which Anela (who just turned 21) had was a fresh burst of the sea along with the shrimp louie salad and fries, yummy, followed up with the mahi, mahi plate for Herna who said he never tasted fish like that. Now the lunch plates were right around $13 so why wouldn't anyone in the area try this spot? Maybe because they think it's too upity with the door men and such, well if you keep passing up this spot, it'll be one of the best kept secrets in Seattle and I'll keep dining there when I'm in town with only 3 other tables in the joint on a Sunday late afternoon, which last seating is at 2:30p.  Because I mentioned it was a birthday tea/lunch, the wonderful hostess that took my order made sure that it was noted and we had chocolate covered strawberries for the b-day girl, now that's amore!  So being the girl that I am and having the dessert pouch I have, I had to try the snickerdoodle cheesecake and banana foster creme brulee, (shoulder wiggle dance) which I only shoved bitefuls since sharing is caring.  The dress code is casual then so no need to feel like you've got be someone else but yourself...however when the night rolls in, you better be smart casual because that's just the way it is. Loved the ambiance, loved the service and loved the portions!!!!

Hello Cupcakes

I love me some cupcakes and the only thing I love more is delicious, yummy cupcakes. So being the connoisseur of such edible delights, it has been my mission, no, my goal to see if there are any cupcakes out there that can bring down my numero uno pick...(drum roll please) drrrrrrrrrr CRUMBS. If you haven't had a chance yet to try this bit of heaven in your mouth, when in L.A. go get hooked up. So while on vacay with the fam bam, I had to look up this charming cupcakery in downtown Tacoma and ummmmm, ummmm, ummmmm so glad I did. Cute pale pink beach cruiser parked outside just in case you miss the tiny shop sign. Walking in I hear kiddies laughing (check) and I love this place already plus lollipops galore!(check and check) Getting a sugar high just thinking about it! Arriving at 5p doesn't leave much of a selection and they only seem to bake certain flavors on particular days so check in before going to check them out. Ordered up cocunut, mocha,

and the ever so hard to find good red velvet. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the rich buttercream frosting and the moistness of the cake. The coconut had a bit too much frosting to cake ratio but the taste was devine. The balance of the mocha was so coffee like and intersting I was buzzed from the caffeine dream. The red velvet was pretty perfect and the cream cheese frosting...finger lickin' good! Although it doesn't knock-out Crumbs, I'd have to say it gave it a pretty good fight so if in Tacoma, WA and in need of a sugar fix, get there or be square! Doing the sugar high happy dance in my pants as I type.

Olympus Day Spa

Located in Lakewood, WA in Tacoma, this little gem is right off of South Tacoma Way. You tell me you can't afford spa time and I'll ask if you're willing to go Korean. If you are, then read on, save money and experience the spa the asian way. For $30 at Olympus, you have access to a dry and steam sauna, hot tubs, waterfall cool down tub, mugwort (herbal) rinse, heated marble floor room, mud/charcoal hot room, salt hot room, jade hot room and a couch area to sit and cool off. For $4 more you can add unlimited green tea and snacks during your stay so what's the catch??? You've gotta chuck your inhibitions at the door. Naked is the word so get use to it and get over it then get to it. My wonderful mom treated me to the a package that consisted of the day pass, traditional korean body scrub that gets you feeling super clean, body moisturizing treatment of olive oil and warm milk with hot towels, finishing off with an icy cool real cucumber mask. MARVELOUS! So shake off those overpriced spa prices and hone into the korean spas you may be able to find local and save some of your hard earned dough.

Go www.olympusspa.net whenever you're south of Seattle and looking for some down time.

El Cid

I really wanted to like this place...soup, salad, entree and a flamenco show what could be wrong? Taste. Cramped seating arrangements. Regardless of reservations, you may not get a seat. All this for $25 per person? I'll pass on this one the next time. The show consisted of an older gentleman singing who was great, another man playing the guitar so eloquently and 3 older women that can dance the hell out of traditional mexican flamenco. Would've been awesome if the seating wasn't so distorted you really couldn't watch the feet of the women dancing because 10 other heads down the row are blocking your view, so there goes that one solid thing that could work for this place. The bean soup tasted good on first sip because of hunger but by the 3rd scoop of the broth, saltiness drowned out every other flavor that may have been savored. The salad was actually good. Basic with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top that went well with the balsamic dressing, however, my salad had the perfect amount of the balsamic goodness while my partner in crime's had virtually none. I had ordered the sangria blanca only because I had 2 glasses at the Jazz Cat for the first time weeks before that were amazing only to be disappointed by the lack of taste except for the biting alcohol. The paella was a good amount with little to no zest but I guess I shouldn't complain too much because the troupers next to us got the same with less color and less zest. Ahhhhh, the magic of mass produced food. I enjoy food too much and am willing to pay little to a lot for a memorable dining experience because it doesn't matter if the place is a hole in the wall or some 4 star restaurant, good food should always be of the upmost importance. If I'm spending money, I'd at least like for it to taste better than what I can cook at home.

So pass on this number, go see a local show with 1 amazing flamenco dancer and hit up a taco truck outside instead!

Little Things....

People tend to overlook the simple in life...the sun on your face, the flower amongst weeds or the giggles from children coming from pure delight.  We get so caught up in daily routine, what we need, what we want and how are we getting it, we forget us as a whole.  I say we, because we as humans are connected to each other regardless of who you are or where you're from.  You can hate for simple reasons as much as you'd like, in essence you're only hating a piece of yourself.  So as a whole, how can we take care of ourselves as well as each other in the process?  Well, it's the little things...look around and pay attention to what you can do as an individual to make small changes.  I work at a bar that doesn't really recycle, we toss bottles, cups etc. in the trash because it's the quickest way of getting work done.  I recycle at home and tend to leave the bags outside for anyone that wants them but never parlayed that into a little extra work at work.  So this month, I decided to start my own bags of recycled bottles etc. at work and was delighted that some of the girls joined in on the process.  I now take a few bags out of the bar and proceed to give them away to someone in need.  It's not much granted, but it's something small I can do in the now and I urge everyone to try it...you may very well fall in love with doing it

Social Network

With so much hoopla over this film I was expecting greatness.  I wanted this film to blow my mind visually and creatively, stimulate my senses and show me something different.  I love to be entertained regardless of the genre of film so I was excited needless to say to finally be able to watch this award nominated/award getting film of the year!  I love some of the films David Fincher directed (Seven, The Fight Club, and the much anticipated "Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" US version) so no disappointment there but nothing that knocked me off my seat was handed to my tush either.  I do have to say the acting all around was fantastic and that drove the story for me...great casting with Jesse Eisenberg leading the way.  He was great in ZombieLand (one of my favorite movies) and he was riveting in Social Network.  I wanted to like him with all of his faults...I did and he made me pay attention to every nuance of the character he was portraying.  I felt compelled to watch because the story is interesting and was well done for the most part, however saying that I do have to admit I wanted more.  If I turned the sound off would I be captivated to pay attention?  Not really and there are still some black and whites that grab me with the sound off.  All and all this film is still worth watching but you can definitely wait if you must and not know what everyone is talking about now if that's not a problem for you.  If we're lucky, we may get this in a documentary later along with more of Zuckerberg's insight told by the man himself!

Solid B for engaging acting and interesting subject matter

Jazz Cat

Rebirth of cool...


Shabu, Shabu...jazzy style!  This cute cove of a place is located in San Gabriel Valley and I would've never heard of it, if it hadn't been for my dear friend Skyey who gets me.  People who know me and love me, understand that it's my stomach that does the talking and with food like this, I come a runnin'.  I ordered the kimchi pot because I judge by what I know...and I know kimchi.  The base was similar to kimchee chigae so no complaints here especially when I can add a T-Rex portion of pork.  Yay, music to my ears, I can double my meat...rahhl, rahhl...that's my hungry dinosaur impression.  Of course, having the ginormous pouch for a stomach, I also took in the seafood plate because yes, I'm greedy like that!  Had interesting fish balls that tasted like squid balls with buttered something surprising inside and some of the juiciest chicken nuggets I've ever tasted.  So freakin' delicious, I was full up to my chest plate.  Without skipping a beat, because I also have a dessert pouch, I also ordered the oreo gelato ball which was nice but it wasn't the bomb and had scoopfuls of Skyey's pineapple sorbet that came oh, so creamy and in 1/2 cute baby pineapple shell.  I have to give a shout out to the caramel thai ice tea that I took sips of while getting some glaring "how can you eat so much" looks from the Beast in my life because it was his drink.  Go with friends, go with fam bam, go on your own...just go!

This place gets an austin powers spin around and a 2 finger shakey shake daddy o'

Seoul Korean BBQ

Angyahassayo! (Spelling wrong, but pronunciation is key to say hello in Korean)

This is one of my "best kept secrets" because unless you're special, you don't deserve goodness like this but since this is a new year this place deserves kudos so I'll spread the wealth! =)  This little gem of a joint is Korean BBQ on crack, it's fast korean food as if korean food isn't fast enough already.  Located in Burbank, CA you may very well walk past this "hole in the wall" because your nose isn't working or you just haven't been told, so I'm here to tell you "STOP" and get in there.  They only have about 10 or so plates on the menu and they don't really do special orders but they can put the meat on the side or scratch out an item but no substitutions.  I ordered the spicy pork plate which comes with 2 scoops of rice, kimchee, sauteed spinach and bean sprouts....um, um good.  All this for under $10????  Yep, so no excuses not to give it a try, even if you're vegan you can order the jap chae minus bulgogi or bi bim bap sans meat.

Remember to tip and say "comsamnida" (thank-you) because this family owned hot spot is so appreciative hence the reason for my loyalty!


2 finger snaps and the roger rabbit goes out for the deliciousness of the food.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Netflix pick of the week!

Who says you can't combine martial arts, video games and comic book style to a movie and make it super fantastic!!!  With all the right elements, fantastic script and delightful acting, this movie was pure fun to watch.  All the characters were not only likeable in some way but crucial...it all made sense.  I loved the cheesiness they went for and stuck to, gotta love commitment.  Now if you're not a person who enjoys over the top craziness, then so sorry for you because you're missing out on lovely wackiness and you're depriving yourself on the little joys of life.  The only thing I was upset with, is not being able to see it on the big screen...had to netflix it and was so glad I did because this is one of the reasons to watch movies.

So karate chop (KEE-YAH) your list and put this gem up top for some ooey gooey cheesy goodness!

A+ for silly, committed characters, great graphics and fun action sequences with destroying your opponent and getting coins!

Henry's Hat

It's my cheat meal night and I was looking forward to some deep fried sushi at Sushi Mac in the valley only to drive over and find out it's closed because of some random fire!  WHAT????  I'm so hungry and now it's not going to be what I was looking forward to....urgh.  Drive down Ventura and decide on Henry's Hat since it's heading south and halfway home.  I've been to the restaurant but because I was volunteering for a charity event, was unable to try some of the sweet smelling foods.  I love the big wooden door you must swing open first off and was greeted kindly by the host.  Sat in the back near the bar area and had my order taken promptly by Minnie, our server and the bartender.  The explanations of the food caused some mind wondering moments but Minnie was sweet, informative and gosh darn cute.  Feeling ravenous, I ordered the steak frites, medium rare which came with a side arugula salad and french fries.  I expected the food to be okay, but it turned out great.  The 8oz flat iron steak was done perfectly and who would complain that it tasted like pot roast gravy was poured on it. The tartness from the salad complimented with a bite back to the richness of the gravy steak while the perfectly cooked fries added just the right amount of salt to every bite.  Can we say YUMMY?  Oh yeah I can...and I did!  Enjoyed the meal with a bowl of orange sliced sangria and ended the feast with the peanut butter chocolate mousse pie.  I'm on cloud 9 because this meal was worth every damn calorie I spend all week trying to fight off and that's what a cheat meal is suppose to be about.  So if you're ever in the Studio City/Univeral City area and just looking for a cool spot to grab a quick bite, get your caveman/cavewoman on or not at Henry's Hat!  A head wop and booty wiggle goes to this cool joint for the great ambiance and terrific food.

Black Swan

Finally got to check out the hype at Archlight, Hollywood this Monday afternoon.  Not to be swayed, I went with a more quiet path of being patient and waiting to scrutinize this much talked about film.  I just adore Natalie Portman and the role didn't disappoint but it didn't move me either.  I wanted to care and understand, feel the anguish and pain but again, it was her pain, her anguish and I was just an onlooker watching the destruction happening.  Eventful, tortured, beautiful...very much so, but no connection for me to grasp to help me feel like I should really care.  I felt like if the film wanted to add elements of her turning into a swan and having her legs contort then they should have committed to that aspect instead of throwing some things here and there then forgetting about it, because as a viewer, I didn't.  I loved the feathers growing slowly during the black swan solo and fully forming into wings but then why the leg contortion?  These are some of the film choices that left me puzzled.  Overall, I still enjoyed the beauty of the film, the acting and the smartness of no montages of explaining anything and for that I give this film a thumbs up!

A solid B, so dance, plie, or pirouette your way down to the theaters and see for yourself why everyone is talking about this film.