Thai Vegan

So before I get started on this post, a little background is necessary....

Tomorrow I am leaving for the rest of the week to go back home to Grass Valley! (A small little town up in Northern California) Yay! It has been long awaited and it is definitely something I need right now. There is no place like home! But, since I knew this was coming up I haven't done much grocery shopping in hopes of eating what food I had so it wouldn't go bad while I was away! Therefore last night when I got off work I decided that I needed to go and get something to eat... It was about 9 o'clock and the only thing that sounded good to me was Thai Vegan. 

This place is suuuuch a gem! I love it! It is located on Main St. across the street from Urth Cafe and also a few blocks down from Dogtown Coffee (my favorite cafe). One super awesome thing about this little joint is that it's open until midnight! Which is great for anyone like me who has Thai cravings at weird times of the night. When you walk into this place you may think it is a little strange and disheveled with seashells for sale and a juice bar inside as well called Three Gems, but that strageness only makes the food seem that much better when you taste it! Usually when I go I get the pad thai, but last night I decided to try something new and ordered the Spicy Mint Noodles with soy chicken. This may seem extremely odd, but one of the things I love so much about Vegan Thai is it's soy chicken, I am addicted... Also may seem weird, but it almost tastes like Pillsbury biscuits. So if you like those, you will definitely like this soy chicken! In my Spicy Mint Noodles was wide pan-friend noodles, zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, onions, celery, cabbage, broccoli, tofu, soy chicken, basil and mint. You know it's good food when it has so many vegetables in it, especially such a colorful combination! I never feel guilty after Thai Vegan mostly because I am pretty sure I get my full serving of vegetables in one meal. As for pricing, without soy chicken it's cheap, only $7.50, a serious steal for the quality and amount of food you get! Usually I don't get the chicken but I was craving it last night, and it is an added two bones which brings it to a whopping $9.50, which is still not bad. As always my eyes-bigger-than-stomach syndrome got the best of me and I had to get a to-go box for the rest, which secretly is my plan because the only thing better than Thai Vegan i is LEFT OVER Thai Vegan! I don't know what it is, but it's the best left over food ever, I almost crave it more than the fresh version. So lucky me, I had Thai for lunch today too.

Well guys, I should probably get to sleep now or my drive home tomorrow is going to be killer.... but not the good kind of "killer". I am going to miss the sunny beaches of Santa Monica this week but I couldn't be happier to go home! And don't you worry, I will be blogging about the food I have while I'm at home too! So for any of my Grass Valley natives, I hope this brings you home as well! 

Time to finish packing and get some shut eye!

xo Cass

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Selfie Sunday

                                         Goodevening and happy Sunday!

On this perfect night I am enjoying staying in with my favorite magazine, Norah Jones radio, and cup of Chai Vanilla tea! Here in Santa Monica it's been raining off and on since last night so all I want to do is be super cozy!

On days when I work I usually just come straight home afterwards and make food here, therefore I don't have as much to post for you guys! That is why I have made this my "selfie sunday", all about me.

So since it is all about me, I am going to tell you my daily routine (on a work day that is).

First! I wake up to my ever-so annoying alarm at 6:30 a.m. and crawl out of bed into the bathroom where I immediately wash my face and brush my teeth in hopes of keeping me out the walking zombie zone. After I finish, I go into the kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove and grab all the necessities out of the fridge to make my lunch. Usually this consists of a salad with cucumber and garbanzo beans, whole wheat cous-cous with chicken and avocado, and a home-made dressing for both of them. After I finish constructing my lunch I go back to the pot of water which at this point should be boiling and throw old-fashioned oatmeal in! I know it sounds crazy but I have found that I really prefer the old fashioned oats over instant oats, they seem to stay a little more crunchy rather than mushy. So into pot those go, along with some cinnamon! While those cook down, onto the stove goes a pan and eggs! I am truly not an egg fan, but I have to get my protein in! Once the eggs and oatmeal are both finished I grab a plate and get ready to accessorize my oatmeal! I used to put coconut, chia seeds, and honey on my oatmeal everyday but now I have gotten into a big sweet-tooth phase so my oatmeal gets coated in a few mini chocolate chips, a scoop of peanut butter in the middle (yes, the middle and the middle only), chia seeds, and honey. The reason I like my peanut butter in the middle is because then it gets all melty and falls over the oats, and at the end it is the yummiest peanut butter bite! So after I finish eating my breakfast I usually put on my work clothes, which consist of a black tee-shirt and jeans, and put on my mascara and eye brows! I leave home between 7:15 and 7:20. I work at the 3rd St. Promenade at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf... Sadly there is no employee parking though so I have to park on further residential streets. So once I get to those its about 7:30 and I always leave my car at 7:40... it gives me enough time to not get a ticket and enough time to get ready at work. Once I walk along the streets and into The Coffee Bean, I go in the back and put my Doc Martens on, my visor and apron, then clock in! What comes next is a day filled of brewing coffees and trying to understand the languages of the many tourists that come through! After work (usually 4 or 4:30), I start to walk back to my car and make my way home! It's the beginning of traffic hour so it always takes me a bit longer to get home. Once I finally do make it though, I almost immediately hop in the shower! The smell of coffee no longer smells good at that point and is practically tattooed into my skin. And after that is a whole lot of relaxation, kind of like I am doing right now! Usually this includes watching House on Netflix though, I am on season 7 and completely addicted. I generally make myself go to sleep by 10, but no later than 11.... and get ready to do it all again!

Tomorrow should be a real curve ball for me though, I don't work until 12! So we will see how that goes, ruining my whole schedule!

Until then, I am going to just continue to listen to the sweet voices of people like Rachel Yamagata and finish my almost cold Chai tea.... Maybe I should make more? Is that bad...? Oh well!

I hope you guys are enjoying your evening as much as me, whether that means your cuddled in bed with Netflix or eating super good blog worthy food! Also I hope you enjoyed my "selfie sunday", I attached an actual selfie if that helps...? 

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See ya' guys laters!

xo Cass

Lords of Dogtown

So remember when I told you guys that it wouldn't be very long until I returned to Dogtown Coffee? Well it was sooner that expected, only took me two days to be drawn back into the ocean-y oasis. But don't you worry, I made sure to try something new so I could have some information to share with you guys.

Today when I went I got a Vietnamese Coffee and an Original Breakfast Burrito with bacon. Incase you were wondering what a Vietnamese coffee consists of, it is iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk. So it is like getting an iced coffee with all the work done for you! No going over to the milk bar... Staring at the different options until you decide whether you want whole or soy, and don't even get me started with all the different options there are for sweetening your coffee... It's a hassle, so why not order the perfect coffee to begin with. 

Anywho, while I didn't order their specialty burrito, The Munchies Burrito, mine hit the spot perfectly! The Orignal came with avocado, eggs, aged white cheddar, home-made pico de gallo, and bacon with a honey wheat wrap to pull it all together. The pico de gallo was super refreshing in the burrito, making the richness of the cheese and avocado perfectly balanced. While it looked small when I picked it up, I regretted that statement immediately afterwards when my belly was extremely full. (I have the eyes bigger than your stomach sydrome) The reason I chose this basic version of the burrito over the munchies was because the Munchies burrito came with tater-tots and a chipotle-cream sauce on the inside. Please do not get me wrong, this absolutely sounded the best and I know it would have rocked my world... But today I just wasn't ready to commit to all those extra fatty foods inside my body. Next time though, you know I WILL be getting the Munchies burrito. 

 Since this post is purely about Dogtown, I feel like I should give you guys a better idea of what this place is really about. For anyone in the Santa Monica area, it is right on Main Street. But the nice part is that it's a bit away from all of the other coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques that are a few blocks down the street. Therefore, there is usually a parking spot not too far away. It is meter parking though so bringing change is an important thing to remember so you don't have to make the silly decision of charging 50 cents to your card. The building is on the corner of the street so as for outdoor seating, there are quite a few tables on the side patio area and directly infront of the store as well. Also, there is a big superman flag waving on a pole in front so it's pretty hard to miss driving by! On the inside it is pretty decently sized for a coffee shop, about 6 or 7 tables along the wall and a bar along the windowsill. The decor is very beachy, but not the expected sea-shell-anchor-light-blue-paint decorations, it's more of the painted surf murals, unstained wood on the walls, longboards and surfboards kind of decor. It has a super cool feel, and the murals are very well done.. not some tacky painted pictures. They have done a really well job of keeping a serene feel in there. I can't put into words the attitude of a surfer, but that is exactly how it feels inside... So if you know, you know. The menu has a lot of choices for you... But not too many that you are overwhelmed. Just a few for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Their coffee selection is also very good, offering options like the Vietnamese Coffee and the Sweet and Salty plus many more that your average coffee shop doesn't offer. They have some good looking bakery items as well (which I will definitely be indulging in). Basically overall... they are awesome!

 I even got a Dogtown card today! Every 90 points you get $15 dollars, and every dollar you spend is worth a point. I'm still not exactly sure how it works but I have a while to go anyways so I will wait until I get closer to 90 points to figure out what this $15 dollars means... Like do I just get this money to spend for free or what, because that is a good deal...? Anyways, I'm excited! My future with Dogtown seems bright and tasty so far!

 I hope you guys got a good feel for my favorite coffee shop and enjoyed reading!

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xo Cass

Sushi Burrito: Greatest Invention Ever

It's hard to miss!

Hi all!

So, for my second post, I'm coming at you with all my bases loaded. This may be the greatest beginning to any food blog....ever. Today I am here to share with you my magical experience with the one of the greatest food trucks in Los Angeles, Jogasaki Burrito. Now I know you may be asking yourself, "What makes them so special?", and for you I will say two words: sushi burrito. Ever since I saw the special they were featured in on Food Network, I have been dying to try Jogasaki. Then, once I moved to Los Angeles, it was practically inevitable that we would some day meet. I am constantly checking their twitter to see where they are going to be through out the day, fingers crossed that they will be in Santa Monica. Sadly, I am usually too late or too busy to make it when they are... which leads me back to my original statement, 

this was a magical day in the making. 

Now, let's get straight to the logistics here, from the inside out we have: TONS of sweet crab mix, cucumber, avocado, tempura shrimp, and spicy tuna... these middle ingredients are then covered with a thin layer of rice, and to top it off the whole burrito is gloriously blanketed in a soy wrap. And size-wise, well... I was suuuuper full after! This burrito I ordered was the B2, I think... (there were so many options!)

It was truly exactly what you hope to taste when thinking of a sushi burrito. So assuming that we are thinking the same thing, it was like eating a sushi roll with your hands. For me, this is heaven. The greatest invention anyone has made yet. Sushi has been my all time favorite meal since I came out of the womb (this isn't even a joke). If there is one type of food I could eat for every single meal, every single day... it would be Sushi! So again, greatest invention ever letting people shamelessly walk around eating sushi with their hands.

    Back to Jogasaki though, like I said, there were  atleast 20 different options for your burrito! Just  about anyone could find something that suited their  palate! And not only do they serve burritos, they  also have other super scrumptious looking meal  choices like ahi tacos, sushi nachos, and your good  ol' classic sushi rolls! Best yet, at a FOOD TRUCK! Am I the only one in awe here?

To the part I hate, my tid bit criticism:

1) The spicy tuna wasn't very spicy! For some people this could could be a big relief... But I was really expecting that punch to even out the sweet crab! 

2) While this may be more of a tip..... I insist that you eat your burrito right when your name is called. I decided that I wanted to wait until I got to sit down and enjoy it, but at that point it had gotten a little warm and I mean... Who wants warm sushi? But this isn't Jogasaki's fault! Only a forewarning to you guys and my mistake!

Buuuuut, over all I give Jogasaki Burrito a 4.5/5 rating! And I have a feeling that the next time I go they will absolutely make up for that .5 percent! 

I hope you guys enjoyed hearing about one of my new favorite food trucks and if you live in or are ever near the Los Angeles area you make sure to hunt this gem down! 

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Until next time!

xo Cass

Dog Town and DK

Today had two new outings, and one oldie...but goodie.

Look at those golden raspberries! Unbelievable.

To start off my day I went to the Santa Monica Farmers Market in the morning, near the 3rd Street Promenade. I pass them setting up this magical event all the time on my way to work, but haven't been able to go. (hence the "on the way to work") But finally today I was off and ready to see what it was all about. To start with the basics, this farmers market happens every Wednesday and Saturday on Arizona Ave (I think that's the starting street) and a few other off streets. What I found from going... It is huge! I have been to a few farmers markets in the past but due to my disappointment have never really felt the urge to be a regular at these events, they lacked in both size and product. But this was beyond my expectations!

There were so so soooo many fresh fruit and vegetable stands it was incredible!

Next newbie was Dogtown Coffee! Which was nothing but amazing. I was off to a really awesome day, a 2 out of 2! This little get away could instantly bring the surfer back to any past life shred-er, or make a never-before rider feel like they have been riding waves for years. To start, the place is filled with beachy looking accented boys working to make you whatever you want... Obviously an instant plus to any girl with a beating heart. But beyond the boys, they had the service and product to back up their heart throb style.

I ordered the Acai Energy Bowl and their specialty coffee, The Sweet and Salty. The acai bowl was really delicious! It was proportioned well and extremely refreshing. It was topped off with strawberries, bananas, dried coconut flakes, granola, and (I believe) honey. The coffee though was the true brain teaser. A mixture of sweet and salty, in your coffee... like what? It was a sweet coffee infused with caramel flavor (really not very sweet though, definitely a nice subtle sweetness) topped off with a sea salt foam. Going in for the first sip I expected the typical chocolate-caramel-salt flavor of many ice creams and candies. But no, this was completely different! As I said it was a subtle sweetness, one that didn't give you a stomach ache after a few sips making you beg for a sip of cold water. It was easy to drink the entire time, you kept wanting more. As for the foam, it is exactly as it sounds! Sea salt flavored, and very well done too. Once you shake up your coffee a bit, you get the melodious flavors of it all together and happily drink away. Needless to say, I had to get the app on my phone right after I was finished because I knew I would be coming back!

Lastly, on my day of greatness, I went to DK Donuts. One of my favorite treats. If you are in Los Angeles or Santa Monica, and your sweet tooth is aching... I urge you to go here. I have had many of their donut options and have loved just about all of them! The only one that was not my favorite was the Blueberry Pronut, a protein donut. But other than that they are always super yummy!

Today I went with a Peanut Butter Pronut, a Pistachio Ube, a Green Tea Cronut (crossiant-donut), and a plain sprinkled donut. Also, let me state that these were not all for myself! They were happily shared! One of my favorites there that I did not indulge in today is the Wownut, a waffle-donut hybrid. They are so good, its like honestly one of the best things I have ever had in my life! So thank you DK for that! Definitely a go-to for me and I am pretty confident that anyone who tries will soon after feel the same! My only tip and forewarning is to bring cash! They do not take cards, and the ATM inside their store charges like $2.15 to take out your own money.

Alright guys, I think that is a pretty good first post and enough for today! 

I hope that you guys enjoy and if you have any feedback please feel free to let me know! 

xo Cass

Welcome!

Hi guys! Welcome to my new blog, Love with a Side of Toast!

Yes, that is me!

I am super excited to get this thing going and hope you guys enjoy what I have to offer! Just to clarify what my blog is going to be all about, I am here to write about food! Treats! Anything that hits my taste palate just right. I recently moved to Los Angeles a few months ago and since then a true journey has begun, both mentally and... taste-ally? I eat out pretty often and always want to tell people about my reaction and give detail to what I am tasting, so I thought this would be the perfect place. For my first blog post I just wanted to let you guys get to know me a little, to better picture my outings. My name is Cassidy and as I stated earlier, I live in Los Angeles. I am 19 years old and just trying to find my place in this huge world. There are so many options in the world, and Los Angeles offers just about all of them which can seem scary but if you're just taking it one day at a time, you can see how lucky you really are! So now that you can see who I am and know what I am here for, I think it is time we really get this started!

I am going to post my real, official Love with a Side of Toast post in just a few minutes, and after that... There is no telling where our journey will end up!

xo Cass