#usually vegan pastries are croissants and cinnamon rolls

[oediex]

The zero-waste shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so on Saturdays I have to make sure to buy plenty of vegetables, but today I have an additional plan. I dig my little cloth bread bag from the kitchen drawer, because maybe, just maybe, there'll be some vegan croissants left. They have them sometimes, but often I'm too late.

I see the sign before I've even parked. "Vegan pastries" and an invitational arrow inside. I quickly lock my bicycle and rush inside.

"Are there any vegan pastries left?" I ask, and when they assure me there are still a few, I pull out my little bag and add, "You're not going to believe this."

As I carefully pick out my preferred pastries - one croissant, one chocolate roll, and one cream-filled pastry covered with chocolate - I chat to the cashier about the lack of pastries not involving animal exploitation and suffering.

"It's the one thing I really miss," I tell her. "I hate that I can't just walk into the bakery or the grocery store and buy vegan croissants."

"Same," she says. "We've been noticing an increase in demand, so we have them twice a week now, and more than we used to!"

Music to my ears.

[theunaestheticstudyblr]

Some of my favorite easy and fast foods/snacks for $5 or less that aren't ramen and spaghetti:

Couscous. You can get boxed couscous for like $3 and it's enough for 2-3 side dishes at least and takes literally 5 minutes and no extra ingredients. You can get large containers of it for like $5 at Walmart too so you can season however you want. A nice grain that's easy to digest and pairs well with almost anything.

Popcorn. Everyone's favorite healthy junk food that can satisfy most cravings. You can usually get a box for like $4 or a jar of kernels for like $6.

Oats. Whole oats. Extremely versatile. Put them in smoothies, make cookies, granola, snack bars/balls, brownies, oatmeal, etc. Truly the best bland fiber and filler out there. You can even easily make your own oatmilk for super cheap by blending them with water and straining!

Frozen veggies. Last for months in the freezer and usually under $2 a bag. Not great if you prefer raw veggies, but if you are fond of sautéed or roasted ones, save some money and just get them frozen.

Chocolate chips. Cheaper than chocolate bars and you get a lot more chocolate. Perfect for those cravings!

Powdered potatoes. I know I know but if you ignore the package directions and put some butter and milk and seasonings in it, you can't tell. Ready in like 2 minutes and you get a shit ton of mashed potatoes for like $2.

Vegan Mac and cheese. I'm lactose intolerant and so I will forever be thankful for the vegan movement of the early 2010s for making nondairy products easier to find and more affordable. Vegan Mac and cheese literally tastes the exact same and bakes so well. Annie's so far has been my favorite brand and they have other pastas with sauces too like squash which is so good.

Crepes. You can make your own batter for cheap but who likes all them dishes? You can find pre-made crepes for like $3 for 10.

Apples. You can find 2lb bags of these for $3 at a lot of places. I never knew they were so cheap and I go through phases where I'll eat like 4 a day.

Lunch meat. Packs of turkey cost like $4. I use turkey on so much. Bagels, omelets, salads, sandwiches, wraps, croissants, etc.

Ready to bake pastries. I'm not a big bread person but croissants ready to bake have my whole heart and cinnamon rolls can really help make a bad day a little better.

Pretzels. I'm an absolute whore for Pretzels and eat so many of these things. They're so easy to pack for snacks for class or anything really. I can't go two weeks without them.

Rice crisps. Rice cakes are great but they're big and crumbly and get stale if you don't close the bag JUST right. But little Rice crisps??? Elite. They come in so many flavors and are super crunchy and they're just super cute too and they're bogo a lot at publix.

Frozen potstickers. You can get them for so cheap and I have a giant bag of them in my freezer right now that I got for like $7. I usually get smaller portions for $4 or so though but decided to splurge and get 3lbs of them cus why not.

Frozen shrimp. A bag of extra small Frozen shrimp is about $5 at Walmart. Eat them thawed and cold or put them in pastas or rice or Soups. They're a staple in my house.

These are just a few I could think of off the top of my head. Please add to the list!

[formeryelpers]

Caffe Luxxe, 22333 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265

Caffe Luxxe has several locations on the Westside, including one in Malibu. They roast their own beans. It seems like they used to carry Milo + Olive baked goods but switched to Farm Shop Santa Monica. We arrived in the late morning and there weren’t too many items left in the pastry case. They had croissants, muffins, cookies, cinnamon rolls, donuts, oatmeal, yogurt, and sandwiches. I love Farm Shop pastries. Spotted some gluten-free and vegan pastries.

They have various hot and iced coffee and tea drinks, including drip coffee, pour over coffee, and espresso drinks. All shots are double ristretto.

Latte ($5.25 for 12 oz): Stronger latte than usual, pretty flavorful and only a tad bitter. Pretty good though not the smoothest. Simple foam art.

Ham & cheese croissant: Very nice, the ham wasn’t too salty and it tasted like quality European ham, the cheese was melted on top and inside the croissant as well. The croissant was also crisp and big. Yum.

I had an enjoyable experience at Caffe Luxxe but Mr. Froyo did not. The coffee’s good though. Mr. Froyo ordered a pour over which took over 15 minutes. He went back inside to check on it and it was still on the counter.  They hadn’t even put it in the cup yet. It was lukewarm by the time he got it.

The décor was fine – had an upscale, somewhat cold look. They sell cute greeting cards, cookies, tea, olive oil, coffee beans, mugs, and even their own lotions. There’s a nice outdoor patio in the back. They’re in a strip mall with its own parking.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[wanderbitesbybobbie]

RECIPE: EASY 4-INGREDIENTS NO-YEAST PIZZA CRUST

The art of kneading (masa in Filipino) dough has been an essential part of my life as a pastry chef. In my previous job in “Oliveto”, an Italian Fine Dining Restaurant in Sydney, I make at least 20 kgs of Ciabatta Dough everyday and every Friday, I make about 70 to 100 pieces of Herbed Focaccia Bread. This has been my ritual every 10:00 AM before lunch service. Kneading has been my best friend more than piping or decorating dainty Italian Pastries. When I relocated by the beach, I found a new job at a pastry shop at Bondi (where I lived in Sydney). They served almost everything, from a variation of muffins and cakes to bagels and sandwiches. I thought I graduated from the kneading part, but guess what? I’m back to kneading… and the funny part? I start my kneading job at 4:00 in the morning before the shop opens at 6:00 AM. It just moved to an earlier schedule! This time, it’s not Ciabatta and Focaccia anymore. I make Brioche Breads, Sourdough, Baguettes, Hand-Crafted Donuts, Cinnamon Sticky Buns and Nutella Rolls. I also make Croissants, Danish, and some other pastries made of laminated dough, which also requires a more complicated kneading technique. But why am I blabbering about kneading anyway?

This is a quick and easy pizza recipe, but though it only has 4 simple ingredients, it still requires you to knead the dough. It’s not just a simple mix-all-ingredients kind of thing. Flour and water when mixed together creates gluten. The kneading process will add the strength and volume to your dough to form just the right amount of gluten to make your pizza crust. Don’t worry, I will assist you step-by-step and just like my previous Cabbage Rolls recipe, I have provided photos to make it easier for all of us. Let’s start unleashing the baker in you! So… Let’s go!

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Serves: Double Recipe makes 3, 8 inches thin crust pizzas. Single Recipe makes 2, 6 inches thin crust pizzas

Baking Time: BLIND BAKE AT 15-20 mins; FINAL BAKE AT 20-30 mins

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE PIZZA DOUGH (Double Recipe: Makes 3, 8″ inches thin crust pizza)

4 cups All-Purpose Flour * (prepare additional 1 cup for dusting)

2 cups warm water*

4 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. salt

FOR THE PIZZA DOUGH (Single Recipe: Makes 2, 6″ inches thin crust pizza)

2 cups All-Purpose Flour* (prepare additional 1 cup for dusting)

1 cup warm water*

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. salt

* Chef’s Notes: Your pizza crust texture will depend on the kind of flour you will use. I have specified here All-Purpose Flour because it is the easiest to find in Supermarkets. But, if you want your crust to be more glutenous (springy), you can use Bread Flour or a mix of Bread Flour and All-Purpose Flour in a 1:1 ratio. Bread Flour has more protein content, thus producing more gluten when you knead your dough. Also, make sure you are using WARM WATER. Not boiling, and not too hot, just warm. We need warm water because this recipe does not have any leavening agent like yeast or baking soda or baking powder. The warm water will act as the “natural glue” when we combine all ingredients together. Remember, we are using vegetable oil. We don’t want the oil to solidify while we are mixing everything together, thus the warm water. 

PROCEDURE:

FIRST OF, PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN AT 200*C or 180*C (if you’re using a convection oven)

1. In a mixing bowl, put together all the pizza dough ingredients. Mix them together with a spatula or spoon until there are no flour lumps. The mixture will be sticky at first, but don’t panic. Just keep on mixing. If you have a stand mixer, mix everything using the hook attachment.

Chef’s Notes: If the mixture is still sticky after everything is incorporated together, add a bit of flour little by little about a tablespoon at a time. This dough recipe will tell you straight-forward what it needs. If it’s too sticky, it needs a bit more flour, if it’s too dry it needs a bit more water. Work (knead) the dough until you reach a consistency that doesn’t stick to your fingers or to the bowl anymore. But also making sure that it is still soft to touch. Do not attempt to knead the dough more if you feel like it’s a bit dry already. This might result into an “overworked” pizza dough, making your pizza crust really hard when it’s baked.

2. If you have reached the soft dough stage, weigh your final product. If you are using the double recipe, the final product will weigh more or less 1098 g. Divide the dough by three and knead it into round balls, 366 g each ball to make 8″ pizza crust. The weight may vary depending on how much flour or water you have added into the mixture. After this stage, rest the pizza dough for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

  3. While your dough is resting, prepare your toppings.

  4. After the dough has rested, dust a flat surface with flour to make sure the dough does not stick on the surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough  into 8″ flat round (or 6″ if you’re using Single Recipe), about 1/2 inch in thickness. The thickness will depend on your preference, but for this particular recipe, it is meant to be thin-crust as it will not rise up with the absence of yeast or any leavening agent.

  5. Dust an aluminum pan with flour and carefully transfer your pizza dough into the dusted pan. With a dough docker, or a fork, or toothpick, dock the pizza dough. Docking is the process of poking small holes into a dough. This prevents the dough from puffing up by parts during blind baking. This is a very essential process if you are working with a dough that was kneaded with yeast, but it’s best to apply this practice even without the yeast.

Chef’s Notes: BLIND BAKING is the process of pre-baking the dough without the filling or toppings. This is usually done when your filling or toppings take a shorter time to bake than your crust. You blind bake your crust to make sure it is fully baked before you put the toppings on. Moreover, this gives the extra strength/stability for the crust to be able to hold all your toppings and sauces without the crust getting soggy. Blind baking doesn’t only apply to pizza dough. It is an important step when making pies with pre-cooked fillings like Apple Pie or a quiche.

!!! Blind bake your pizza dough in the oven for about 15 mins. at 200*C or 20 mins. at 180*C. After blind baking, take out your pizza crust to be topped with pizza sauce and your toppings.

6. You can use any Pizza Sauce of your choice. You can make your own pizza sauce from Tomato Sauce, herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper, or with whatever herbs or spices you would like to add. Or you can use a pre-made one like what I have used. 115 g of pizza sauce can exactly cover an 8″ round pizza crust.

  This Pizza Seasoning always comes in handy. *winks*

  7. Place the pizza sauce in the middle of the crust. Start from the center and spread cleanly up to the sides.

  8. You can do this with a small palette knife/off-set spatula or with the back of a spoon.

  9. After adding on your toppings, bake your pizza for about 20 minutes at 200*C or 30 minutes at 180*C.

  I MADE 3 FLAVORS FOR MY PIZZA.

YOU CAN FOLLOW MY FLAVORS OR YOU CAN GET MORE CREATIVE AND CREATE YOUR OWN. YOU CAN EVEN MAKE A DESSERT PIZZA LIKE BANANA NUTELLA OR CHOCOLATE MALLOWS PIZZA OR APPLE CINNAMON PIZZA. THE CHOICES ARE ENDLESS! HAVE FUN ON THIS PART!

Bacon Deluxe

4 strips of bacon (sliced into medium dice)

2 slices of ham (sliced into medium dice)

onions (sliced in round)

capsicum (aka bell pepper)

sliced button mushrooms

pineapple tidbits (sorry pineapple haters. pineapple wins. haha)

sliced black pitted olives

cheese (mozzarella/or any quick-melt cheese)

Japanese Tuna Garlic and Corn

Canned Tuna Flakes (hot and spicy)

Corn Kernels

Garlic (minced)

cheese (mozzarella/or any quick-melt cheese)

Japanese Mayonnaise (I put this after baking.)

All-Veggie (Vegan-Friendly)

Sliced Button Mushrooms

Corn Kernels

Garlic (minced)

Onions (sliced in thin rounds)

Pineapple Tidbits

Capsicum (sliced thinly, please don’t copy my laziness in slicing. Haha)

Tomatoes (sliced in wedges)

sliced Black Pitted Olives

    DO YOU HAVE EASY PIZZA RECIPES OR TECHNIQUES YOU WOULD LOVE TO SHARE?

DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE? OR PLANNING TO TRY IT?

HOW DID IT GO? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

LET ME KNOW! I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

            RECIPE: EASY 4-INGREDIENTS NO-YEAST PIZZA CRUST was originally published on WanderBitesByBobbie

[shortsrifle7-blog]

The Essential Guide to Breakfast at Disney World

At Walt Disney World, nearly everything qualifies as a breakfast. Hot dogs are slung by 10 a.m., last night’s desserts double as sugary morning fare, and the Dole Whip stand opens earlier than your usual workday begins. Truly, there are no rules.

But while the options are boundless, sitting down to a full meal of eggs, bacon, and toast here can be a merciless catch-22: You either cannibalize your early-morning park time (precious hours when ride lines are shorter than usual) with dining, or forego the serious sustenance required for the long day ahead.

There are, in fact, some fantastic eye-openers on the property, but you’ll have to know where to find them. Which is why we’ve highlighted the best breakfast tacos to scarf on the run, specialty foods worth taking a break for, and when you should just rely on the emergency granola bars in your backpack.

Desperate for caffeine? The most obvious options are called out below, but refer to Eater’s comprehensive guide to coffee and tea across the property for info on where to get hopped up throughout the day.

The famous Cat Tail pastry at the Cheshire Café

Magic Kingdom

With an updated park entry procedure, having a reservation no longer gets you into the park as early as it used to. Character dining options are either the Crystal Palace buffet with Winnie The Pooh & Friends (don’t knock it, Eeyore is a delight) or the iconic Cinderella’s Royal Table, with tableside princess visits inside the castle’s upper towers. The only other sit-down options are Plaza Restaurant, which just introduced breakfast, and Be Our Guest (more on that below).

Signature morning sweets include Cheshire Café’s eponymous “cat tail,” a pink and purple icing-drizzled Danish log, and the warm jumbo cinnamon roll at Gaston’s Tavern; both are fine, not great. If you prefer to start the day with a macaroni-and-cheese-topped hot dog, you’re in luck, because Cosmic Ray’s, Lunching Pad, and Casey’s Corner all start serving lunch fare bright ’n’ early at 10 a.m — with the frozen pineapple favorite, Dole Whip, up for grabs as early as 9 a.m.

Top Pick: Sleepy Hollow, whose freshly made sweet and savory waffle sandwiches hit the spot, unless you indulge in a Mickey-shaped one instead. (Late risers, take note: the ham, egg, and cheese waffle sammy is served ’till noon.) Avoid: Be Our Guest. The hottest ticket in town is a travesty at breakfast time, when a chaotic pre-order format ruins its delightful Beauty and the Beast-themed interiors. The food isn’t terrible and comes out lightning quick, but it remains a pricey breakfast that’s not entirely worth it. Coffee: The Main Street Bakery (halfway down the main drag, right-hand side) hides the park’s very own Starbucks, while a Joffrey’s Revive stand in Tomorrowland (by Space Mountain) serves solid coffee without the long lines.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Morning options are tough to come by inside this timeless take on Tinseltown, with most quick-service locations opening early with lunchtime foods in busy months, but grab-and-go eats, such as the whoopie pie-like carrot cake cookie, at the Trolley Car Café Starbucks are a reliable choice. That is, if you’re not eating omelets and Mickey waffles with familiar Disney Junior faces at Hollywood & Vine, the only spot in the park offering character dining.

Top Pick: Woody’s Lunch Box in Toy Story Land. The strange delights at this quick-service stand are worth stopping for, particularly the indulgent scrambled-egg bowl with smoked brisket, gravy-smothered tater tots, and a s’mores French toast breakfast sandwich with graham-crusted brioche. It’s less sweet than it sounds, and you can even use Disney’s mobile-ordering service to skip the line. Avoid: ...eating lunch fare at 10 a.m. It won’t end well. Coffee: Starbucks is located within the Trolley Car Café (at end of the entrance’s central stretch, right-hand side), but a Joffrey’s Coffee stand is conveniently lurking at the entrance of Toy Story Land.

Cheesy stuffed croissants at Les Halles Boulangerie

Epcot

Epcot’s World Showcase is the place to chow down on international cuisine within themed pavilions during the day, but only Mexico, Norway, and France are open pre-11 a.m. If you’re back there — most likely for a morning ride on Frozen Ever After — there are sweet Scandinavian pastries and a salmon-and-egg bagel at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe, or Mexican specialties like chilaquiles and pambazo de chorizo con huevo at Cantina de San Angel.

You won’t totally destroy your plans by sitting down for breakfast, so munch on a family-sized platter of hearty staples with Chip ’n’ Dale, Pluto, and Mickey Mouse at Garden Grill or with a bevy of princesses at Norway’s part-buffet, part-restaurant Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, the park’s two character dining locations. If you’re just putzing around Future World between morning Fastpass reservations and need a quick bite, Sunshine Seasons, with its souffle, croissant egg sandwich, and healthy options like a tofu wrap and overnight oats, is your best bet.

Top Pick: Les Halles Boulangerie in the World Showcase’s France pavilion for a tempting bakery case of croissants and chocolate-filled pastries, along with ham- and cheese-stuffed croissants, quiches, and croque monsieurs. Avoid: Waiting until World Showcase opens at 11 a.m. Have a little something, even if it’s a piece of fruit — you’ll want to pace yourself once the real eating begins. Coffee: Here, Starbucks is called Fountain View; walk past Spaceship Earth and it’ll be on your right-hand side, across from the fountain. Can’t wait? There are Joffrey’s Coffee kiosks beneath the monorail station, over by Test Track, and within the World Showcase.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Given that your morning plans likely include waiting for the immensely popular Avatar: Flight of Passage ride, skip the sad pastries sold at pop-up stands nearby and send a family member to retrieve French toast sticks, sausage-and-egg biscuits, or sweet pineapple lumpia from Pandora’s nearby Pongu Pongu stand. (The line now snakes through an outdoor walkway between Pandora and Africa, alleviating any difficulty of shimmying through a proper queue to find them — a big Disney no-no.)

Your only true sit-down options are Tusker House, a character breakfast buffet with good food and a few African options (mealie pap, beef bobotie) or, gulp, Rainforest Cafe, so opt for the former if you’re inclined. It’s got the core characters — Mickey, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy — and some of the best grub, too.

Top Pick: Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe. The quick-service counter in Asia has an array of made-to-order sunrise sandwiches — bacon and egg on challah toast, sausage and egg on an English muffin — as well as a breakfast burrito and tacos, all served with herbed hash-brown bites. Avoid: Kusafiri Coffee Shop, the kiosk in Africa whose oversized Mickey-shaped cinnamon roll is not as good as Instagram would have you believe. Coffee: Creature Comforts houses the park’s Starbucks (take the left at the park’s emblematic Tree of Life; it’ll be on your left-hand side), but if you’re headed toward DinoLand U.S.A., Isle of Java is more convenient.

Tonga toast at the Polynesian Village

Around the Resort

All Disney Resort hotels offer breakfast, but only some are worth changing your plans for:

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Kona Cafe offers loco moco and macadamia-nut pancakes, but is most famously known for the cinnamon sugar-crusted, banana-stuffed sourdough loaf that is Tonga Toast. Reservations can be tough to nab, so you can also grab the toast to go (sans strawberry compote) at Capt. Cook’s.

Disney’s Yacht Club: Ale & Compass offers one of the best breakfast buffets in the park (they’ve even got whitefish salad!) as a small upcharge to its selection of inventive entrees that are, for the time being at least, priced competitively.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Sanaa’s limited but substantial breakfast menu, paired with up-close views of animals, makes it a top choice time and time again.

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn: If you’re looking to give your kids some princess magic and yourself a table-service breakfast (poached eggs with fennel sausage; sopressata-stuffed breakfast calzone) far superior to the character buffets, Trattoria al Forno is the spot.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: 1900 Park Fare is the ol’ standard when it comes to character dining, but Grand Floridian Cafe not-so-secretly has one of the best breakfast menus (and calmest atmospheres) on property.

Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort: Fuel is the ideal lobby pit-stop, with a full espresso bar, egg sandwiches, and endless packaged snacks ideal for scarfing while waiting for the Magic Kingdom bus.

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort: Ravello not only has a superior breakfast buffet, but hosts character dining a couple days a week, giving you quality time with Goofy, Mickey, and Minnie alongside a gourmet spread of charcuterie, house-made granola, and eggs made to order.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort: The perk of staying at a Disney hotel that recently underwent renovations is an updated quick-service menu that almost always includes unexpected surprises. Enjoy breakfast Cubans, coconut waffles, and a chorizo tostones Benedict at Centertown Market or try the cream cheese-guava French toast and yucca hash at the hotel’s Spyglass Grille.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter: Load up on breakfast po’ boys, baguette French toast, breakfast shrimp and grits bowls, and beignets from the quick-service counters at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory.

Disney’s Art of Animation: Long heralded as the best quick-service food of all value-tier hotels, Landscape of Flavors delivers a strong and varied bounty, with breakfast sandwiches on naan bread, challah French toast, and vegan seitan scrambles.

Source: https://www.eater.com/2018/12/21/18138029/best-breakfast-restaurants-walt-disney-world-florida

[sdconnection-blog]

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Cafes in bustling Italian cities typically cater to five meal cycles: breakfast; lunch; a late-afternoon period for wine and light snacks; dinner; and dessert in the mid-evening hours, when more wine or an end-of-day cappuccino is in order.

Locally grown Pappalecco, founded in 2007 by two brothers from Pisa, covers those bases.

Since opening its original location in Little Italy, the café has branched into Hillcrest, Kensington, Del Mar and Cardiff. The big draw is gelato, culled from an old Tuscan recipe. It’s available in 16 flavors and made from scratch at the company’s central kitchen in Point Loma, along with a decent variety of breads and pastries distributed also to all of the café’s addresses.

Dark chocolate tiramisu and mixed berry gelatos

Many of the gelatos are fantastically creamy, such as the seasonal tiramisu recipe rich in espresso. Others are vegan, though equally palate-arresting, like the dark chocolate and mixed berry flavors that continued holding us to the gist of “pappalecco,” which is slang for “little licks” in Italian. Our licks, however, weren’t so diminutive once we got started.

The menus also feature sprightly salads and assorted panini sandwiches. In addition, brick pizza ovens reside at the Kensington and Cardiff locations, where the pies are constructed largely with Tuscan-imported flour, tomato sauce and mozzarella.

To my disappointment when visiting the Hillcrest location with a vegetarian friend in tow, I was led to believe by a public relations representative that the pizzas are sent to locations without the full ovens, and then reheated and served in slices. Not the case, although we found plenty to revel over during this post-lunch time of day.

Caprese salad with house-made roll

Pappalecco recently introduced a selection of organic wines from Tuscany, including a boozy well-structured Sangiovese from Santa Lucia vineyards. Served peasant-style in a rocks glass, it paired splendidly to the savories we ordered, including the Roma salad comprising chicken, romaine, avocado, dried cranberries and almonds in Caesar dressing. (Yes, red wine does sing sometimes to leafy greens and poultry.)

My companion ordered the caprese salad, featuring the usual suspects — ripe tomatoes, milky mozzarella and fresh basil — but with the added bonus of pesto and wisps of sweet balsamic contributing to its attractive presentation.

The paninis that followed were crispy and stuffed generously with their various ingredients — perhaps a little too much in the Pappalecco panini I ordered. Layered inside was lean ham, softly cooked eggplant, ripe tomatoes and fresh arugula. Yet it was the heavy combination of cream cheese, melty mozzarella and “green sauce” (pesto mixed with a tad of mayo) inside that prevented me from finishing the other half, which gladly came home with me.

The Pappalecco panini with ham and eggplant (Photos by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

Apple tart

The veggie panini was lighter and somewhat similar, sans the ham. It too featured eggplant, mozzarella, tomatoes and the green sauce. But I especially liked the additions of onions and mushrooms. I could have consumed it entirely in one sitting, just as my friend did while managing to make room for the aforementioned trio of gelatos we ordered with a fair amount of indecision from the colorful lineup.

In the adjoining display cases are pastries and croissant sandwiches, all aglow from their ambient shelf lighting. An apple tart called to us, resulting in a fateful encounter with bright-tasting apples layered beneath a perfectly sugared crumb topping. The spice factor was especially notable, hinting at more than just cinnamon and nutmeg. Maybe star anise or cloves as well?

Pappalecco’s atmosphere in Hillcrest is casual, friendly and artfully decorated with large black-and-white photographs related to eating, and with quotes by famous people attached to them.

“I live and love in God’s peculiar light” is one by Michelangelo that was hanging over our heads as we lazily wrapped up our visit. As with the other Pappalecco locations, we’re told, they are similar to coffeehouses, but with more of a social vibe fueled by the presence of wine, beer and charming Euro-style fare.

—Frank Sabatini Jr. is the author of “Secret San Diego” (ECW Press), and began his local writing career more than two decades ago as a staffer for the former San Diego Tribune. Reach him at fsabatini@san.rr.com.

    The post ‘Little licks’ appeared first on San Diego Uptown News.

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Joel Skinner

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Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

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seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

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balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: SDUptownNews.com ‘Little licks’ By Frank Sabatini Jr. Cafes in bustling Italian cities typically cater to five meal cycles: breakfast; lunch; a late-afternoon period for wine and light snacks; dinner; and dessert in the mid-evening hours, when more wine or an end-of-day cappuccino is in order.

[montrosemavens]

Black Hole: An Eclectic Space with Laid-Back Tastes

By Isabella Neblett and Matthew Watowich

Black Hole is located on 4504 Graustark St in the museum district of Houston, Texas. The four owners: Dawn Callaway, Miriam Carrillo, Scott Repass and Scott Walcott, when opening Black Hole, were trying to create a small indie-like, community atmosphere, and we would have to say they succeeded. From the outside, Black Hole’s status as a coffee shop was apparent. Upon walking in, we were greeted by a chalkboard sign listing a series of standard drinks in curly, white font. Posters of local bands and artists lined the violet walls. Several people sat on the couches socializing, while others worked furiously on their laptops. Light music played in the background, which started as mellow electronic before shifting to calm indie. As we approached the cashier’s counter, we saw three glass jars of stacked cookies, of which there were no descriptions to be found. A glass case to the right revealed a plethora of sandwiches and pastries. The cafe was dim, with the natural lighting from the large front windows only hitting one side of the cafe. The other side was lit with small yellow lamps that help create a relaxed atmosphere. In the middle of the cafe was a line of sofas in pairs of two. Each pair of sofas were a different color and fabric, and between each laid a small wooden coffee table. Much of the furniture did not match one another, but collectively, they seemed to work to create a laid-back environment.

                                     The opening doors of Black Hole

We chose to sit on the left side of Black Hole, in a small nook with two comfortable sofas. A soft, blue glow radiated from the two overhead lamps whose modern, minimalist design fit in with the eclectic vibe that Black Hole seemed to be going for. A collection of sci-fi movie posters hung on the back wall, their titles featuring the likes of Star Trek and Space Balls. In the center lay a movie poster for the sci-fi hit Black Hole, which is clearly what the coffee shop was named after. Rather than being focused on this sci-fi name, Black Hole’s ambiance was eclectic and intimate, a great working space for college kids as well as middle aged business people. In the past, Black Hole was populated mainly by judgemental hipsters, but today, it consists of a much more diverse, open crowd. Through this change, Black Hole has remained an accepting, communal place, as it promotes local bands, artists, and advertisements.

                                 A view of the inside seating space

Many people rush to Black Hole due to its cozy atmosphere, but as we found, their food and drinks do not live up to their expectations. In total, we ordered seven drinks and three pastries. As for drinks, we got a double shot cappuccino, an iced vanilla latte, an iced mocha latte, hot chocolate, an iced cajeta latte, a standard latte, and a French press. While we were ordering, the staff did their job, but they were not overly friendly or welcoming. They were willing to help if you asked a question directly, but they did not go out of their way to help. Throughout our order, the cashier kept leaving to go help make drinks, which was understandable as there were only two staff working and they were serving a large group, but it still made me feel as though they were significantly understaffed. After ordering, there was no real place to wait around for our drinks, which left us awkwardly standing between tables. Luckily our drinks came out quickly, minimizing these awkward feelings.

       Isabella, Teja, Matthew, and Harry sit on a couch, enjoying their drinks

We received our hot drinks in small, ceramic mugs that rested on miniature plates, while our cold drinks were served in large glasses. The first drink we tried was the double shot cappuccino. The cappuccino was strong, its flavor slightly acidic yet pleasantly rich, which worked well with the warm, ivory foam that smothered it. The next drink we tried was the Iced Vanilla Latte. While the drink had potential, the barista had not stirred it thoroughly, which left the first half being overly sweet like drinking vanilla syrup straight from the bottle. The later half, however, was smooth as some of the vanilla syrup had dissolved into it, but it still remained slightly too bitter.

The hot chocolate smelled promising, giving off a warm, sweet aroma. The drink itself, however, was the exact opposite. It tasted watered-down and as if it had been sitting out for a couple days. The Iced Cajeta Latte was well made in terms of sweet coffee, especially if you don’t typically like coffee since the strong, cinnamon flavor overpowered the taste of the coffee. The drink was rich, which worked well with the coziness of the coffee shop. The hint of coffee appeared at the end, adding a nice bitter aftertaste, which complemented the sweetness of the cinnamon and milk. The regular latte was by far our least favorite drink. It started off sharp and jarring, with a pungent taste that lasted long after you put the drink down. The French Press dark roast was also disappointing. Poured from a miniature, silver French Press, the coffee was supposed to be a dark roast yet its woodsy flavor was diluted. The amber color, differing from the usual mahogany, also signaled that it was pressed well. At $2.25, however, it was decently priced. It’s not the best French Press I’ve ever had, but it’s certainly not the worst, either.

               Our three pastries with our cappuccino and iced cajeta latte

The food matched the forgettable and somewhat disappointing nature of the drinks. Before eating them, we warmed them up in the microwave, which we strongly recommend as without this the food would be room temperature and no where near as satisfying. The sticky bun had a firm outer crust of caramelized sugar, which surrounded a soft dough interior. The texture was inconsistent in the center, with some pieces being drier than others, but the contrast between the dry, sweet center and the firm, sticky crust was quite nice. A thin layer of cinnamon vanilla glaze covered the entirety of the bun, but the cinnamon taste was faint. For a few of us, the sticky bun was too reminiscent of an over sweetened croissant. That isn’t to say that it was bad, but it left us wanting more. The chocolate croissant consisted of soft, plain flaky bread surrounding a dark, melted chocolate center. The chocolate comes as a wonderful surprise, softening the texture of the bread. Definitely microwave it though, or else the chocolate would be hard and dry. Overall, the chocolate croissant was average, nothing special; you could probably find a similar one in a display case at Starbucks.

The Vegan Cinnamon Roll was our favorite pastry. The vegan aspect of it threw some of us off at first as we expected it to be grainy and bland, as vegan desserts can often be. It, however, was surprisingly enjoyable. The creamy, rich vanilla frosting balanced out the bready inside, which was complemented by the runs of cinnamon streaming through it. My only criticism of this would be that at times, the thick layer of frosting could easily overpower the somewhat bland bread, making the whole dish turn into a overly sugary treat. This did not pair well if you ordered a sweet drink like I did, but I could imagine it could go well with a more bitter drink.

Overall, we strongly recommend Black Hole because of its cozy environment, which provides a nice setting for studying or socializing with friends. The food and drinks aren’t great, but for the price, it’s worth the buy. One redeeming factor is that they offer a wide variety of foods that cater to dietary restrictions. If you are to visit, we strongly recommend the Iced Cajeta Latte, the Cappuccino, and the Vegan Cinnamon Roll.

Ratings:

Food: 5.5/10

Service: 6/10

Atmosphere: 7.5/10

Price: 8.50 per person (for a drink and a pastry)

Overall: 6.5/10