finding legitimately good bbq in la

Last weekend Jeff and I made a plan to head down to Olvera Street and then grab lunch at the Horse Thief.  My friend Marleine randomly mentioned that it served up good bbq.  I was 100% skeptical, because being from the South I'm almost always disappointed in LA's options.  But, we went and it was fantastic. Their bbq was delicious, but I'm completely obsessed with their greens - the perfect combination of sour and bitter!

It's a part of Grand Central Market, which has turned into a very cool, trendy place to hang out with friends, eat delicious food and sip espresso. 

It makes a great day excursion, even if your baby skipped her first nap and you couldn't actually make it to Olvera Street, still well worth it!

Afterwards, I needed a coffee so we headed to G&B Coffee.  The iced cappuccino did not disappoint.

Crowns and Sushi Lunches

Remember that dentist appointment that I showed up for a week early?  Well, I finally made it to the actual appointment and in my constant multitasking haze, I booked a sushi lunch with one of my favorite Marys for right after.  Yeah, didn't think that through.  In case you need to know, spending an hour and half with your mouth being held open (and half of your face numb) doesn't really lend itself to cramming sushi in your mouth.

Luckily, I smartened up and ordered a hand roll.  I could gnaw on it from the good side of my mouth!

i'm thankful for ...

Last weekend we drove into LA (so sad that I have to say that) and had brunch at BLD with Auntie Erin/Tita.  Even though Amelia had a bit of a meltdown waiting for her food, it was such a lovely time.

 

I may have shown up for my dental appointment a week early, but the upside was taking myself out to lunch and doing a little shopping.

Our realtor (and now friend) Grace met me out a house with a vietnamese iced coffee in hand.  It was amazing and so very thoughtful of her.  I'm now officially addicted to Lee's coffee!

Last week I went downtown to meet girlfriends for dinner at Industriel Farm.  The food was delicious (farm to table), the ambience was perfect and the conversation and company were both insightful and hilarious.  But, one of my favorite moments of the night was walking down the street, at night, by myself.  Just me.  And I know it's cliche, but I rarely get those moments where I am reminded of who I actually am.  It was exactly what I needed.

A Girl and her Daddy

The past few weeks have been rough in the Voris household.  Amelia was sick with a cold, which meant no outings with our mommy and baby friends.  Then, just as she was getting better, I got the stomach flu.  It was not pretty.  But, luckily Jeff is our rock and managed to take care of his (very) needy girls all weekend.

Even though there are few things I hate more than nausea (and everything that comes along with a nasty stomach bug), the bright side of being bedridden for days was seeing the bond between these two.  It makes me ridiculously happy to see how much they love each other.

One of the first thoughts I had when we found out we were having a girl, was that she just hit the jackpot with Jeff.  I love knowing that she will grow up feeling so, so loved by her dad.  That's pretty powerful for a little girl.