Milo and Olive - Santa Monica, California

Address: 2723 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403

Items Ordered:

• Wood fired garlic knot with EVOO and sea salt (not pictured)
• Milo chopped salad: tomato, red onion, pepperoni, fresh mozarella w/ red wine vinaigrette
• Spinach salad with corn and walnuts (special of the day)
• Linguine with mushrooms, corn, and ricotta (special of the day)
• Housemade pork belly sausage pizza: braised greens, tomato, fresh mozarella

I love all things bakery, and I have to say Milo and Olive is like the perfect restaurant for me: there are pizzas, pastas, baked goods, beer, and they're open late! The pizzas are delicious (albeit a tad too greasy), the garlic knot is a flavorful, bready mess, and you can use the remaining garlic as a spread or in other dishes--totally worth it! Definitely try their salads if you visit, both that I've tried were delicious, and even the vegetarian pasta special we tried was amazing. Milo and Olive really does carbohydrates justice, and I would definitely recommend you try it for yourself.

On another note, I really need a new camera besides my old point and shoot! I like blogging just to document and remember good meals that I've had, but the best part of food blogs has to be staring at delicious food pictures. With that said, I'm really jealous of other people's amazing blog pictures, especially when it makes me want to lick my computer screen. Any good camera suggestions are appreciated!

--y

Pizza & Chicken Love Letter - Los Angeles, California

Address: 3377 Wilshire Blvd. #110, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Items Ordered:

• Fried Chicken, with sweet and spicy sauce on the side
• Sweet Potato Chicken Pizza
• Bulgogi Pizza

Interesting pizza toppings, Korean fried chicken...sounds like a great match to me! My favorite pizza was the sweet potato pizza. It was like nothing I ever had on a pizza before, but it definitely worked. The fried chicken was nice and crispy and I liked that we got the sauce on the side to keep it that way. And the restaurant name - cheesy...but oddly appealing. Fried chicken and pizza...what an epic love story. Haha ok I'll stop right there...

--v

Pizzeria Mozza - Hollywood, California

Address: 641 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Items Ordered:

• Cauliflower fritti
  
• Artichokes al forno with ricotta crostini
• Funghi misti, fontina, taleggio & thyme
• Bacon, salami, fennel sausage, guanciale, tomato & mozzarella

After hearing rave reviews about Pizzeria Mozza, I had to check out the restaurant for myself. For the antipasti, our server recommended the cauliflower fritti, which was a hit. The batter was crispy and well-seasoned, and the aioli dipping sauce was a good accompaniment. We also ordered the artichoke dip of sorts, and while I love artichoke, the dish was too oily for me. After a few bites, I wished for some hot tea to cleanse all the oiliness from my palate. As for the pizzas, the funghi misti contained an abundance of flavorful mushrooms, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're really a mushroom lover because all the fungi can get a little overwhelming. The "meat lovers" pizza had a great crust and the meats were delicious, especially the fennel sausage and even the bacon, which I usually don't prefer. The only drawback to this place is the overall greasiness of the dishes, which left me feeling uncomfortably full and sleepy post-lunch. I've always trusted chefs like Mario Batali who are more on the rotund side (:P) but this place is a visit only in moderation.

--y