What a whirlwind of a trip to the west coast. It was a jam
packed 3 days of non-stop exploring & fun…oh…and apartment searching. Yup,
I’m planning a cross-country move in the next few months. Although the main
goal of this trip was to get better acquainted with the LA area, we did manage
to squeeze in a little fun!
And since my Monday blogs are always about FOOD, I’m gonna talk about just that.
Zack & I hit up a ton of local restaurants, & had some of the most
delicious meals, so let's just dive right in, shall we? Oh, and be sure to click
on each restaurant’s name which is linked to their website if you want to check
out their full menus!
DAY 1:
First up: IN-N-OUT Burger. (ok, so not exactly “local” but pretty much just west coast). After
waking up at 4am & taking 2 planes to get to LA, this greasy fast food
joint was exactly what we were craving. Plus, since we’re planning to move, we
had to make sure it was a good substitute for Cookout. It passed our taste
test. We just got a double cheeseburger & some fries but there is a secret menu that we will have to try next time.
Then there was Birds.
Nomity nom nom. I had an enormous
Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap with a side of Mac & Cheese (which was
deliciously ooey & gooey) AND a Watermelon Margarita. Zack had the biggest
Chicken Pot Pie I have ever seen.
DAY 2:
Ok. Wood fired pizza is the best & Pitfire Pizza was on point. Zack & I shared a pepperoni pizza
for lunch, but I’m thinking the Greens, Egg & Ham Pizza sounds interesting
(bonus points for a creative name!). Oh…& did I mention the Blood Orange
Lemonade. Nuff said.
After watching the Clippers (in the Staples Center) at our
first NBA game, we headed for a late night meal at Burbank Bar & Grille. No pics from here because we were
starving & taking a photo was the last thing on our mind. Recommendations:
Stacked Chicken Nachos, BBG Mac & Cheese, & the Crispy Chicken Salad.
MMM MMM GOOD!
DAY 3:
On our last day we headed over towards Santa Monica &
ended up eating both lunch & dinner on the pier. Great weather, great view,
& great atmosphere. Lunch was at Rusty’s Surf Ranch. We both ordered the Fish & Chips, some onion strings, &
some Grown Up Lemonade.
After soaking in the view, riding the Ferris Wheel, &
dipping our toes in the Pacific Ocean, we watched the sunset at Mariasol. I’m always in the mood for
Mexican, & what a perfect way to end our trip. Peach Margarita, chips &
salsa, & the Enchiladas Santa Monica (stuffed with chicken, shrimp, &
mushrooms).
Well, bit of a longer post, but I hope you’re feeling
inspired to try a new restaurant! Whether you’re staying local or going out of
town, it’s always fun to try new places. Who knows…it just might become your
new favorite! Here’s a tip: search restaurants on the Google Maps App & click
“Local Favorites.” We used this a few times and weren’t disappointed!
Let me know what new place you decide to try next! I’m
always looking for my next meal out!
XO – Courtney
