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Delightful Desserts at Monsieur Marcel French Restaurant

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Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Really, I love nothing more than my Ladies Lunches where my favorite girls and I catch up for hours on end, enjoying a string of desserts to make it last! Our most recent gathering was at Monsier Marcel, the charming French, outdoor bistro at the Farmer’s Market on 3rd and Fairfax.

We loved the natural looking Macarons which had wonderful flavor and perfect consistency from cookie to filling.

The Creme Brûlée was lovely the way that Creme Brûlée always is. Really, it’s hard to mess up Creme Brûlée.

Where we lose cherries is over the disappointing Profiteroles. Profeteroles are a childhood favorite from overseas travels, so I have a preset standard for how they should taste. Unfortunately, restaurants in America never quite nail them the way Europeans do. The pastry puffs at Monsieur Marcel’s were too dry and crumbly, the ice cream too bland, and the chocolate sauce generic. Blah. Bla bla blah.

Ultimately, we did a good job cleaning our plates.

Even the Profiteroles

For more information on Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market and Restaurants, click here.

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Creme Brûlée, Chocolate Cake, and Adrienne Maloof

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Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

This past weekend I had three sweet endings to an awesome night. It started with a shockingly affordable and delicious sushi dinner at Yatai on Sunset Blvd where we got this Creme Brûlée. The dish was quite shallow, which made for a high ratio of burnt sugar to custard. While everyone loves the crisp layer of browned sugar on top, I wanted a little more comforting custard to fill me up. Furthermore, the Creme Brûlée was served really warm, which I found off-putting.

Then we ended up at a friend’s birthday, which had an Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake made by Sweet Lady Jane. You may recall from this post here that I am not a fan of their cupcakes or dismissive behavior. Their cakes, however, have consistently scored better than average with a 3- cherry rating. While I enjoyed the French chocolate buttercream and Belgian chocolate ganache, the overall cake lacked an addictive umph that makes one go back for more.

Finally, and most thrilling yet, I got to meet Adrienne Maloof at the birthday party!!! If you watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, you know that despite her glitzy Vegas gear, Adrienne is the cool voice-of-reason who steers clear of drama, and has an endearing relationship with her husband, Paul. You guys, I am telling you- in real life she is ADORABLE. I mean, SO sweet, petite, and cute. Not to sound sycophantic here, but she kinda glows. And check her out striking that pose. I need to take notes!

Three Cherries for the desserts and Five for Adrienne Maloof!

For more info on Yatai, click here.

For more info on Sweet Lady Jane, click here.

For more info on Adrienne Maloof, click here!

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Nutella Creme Brulée at the LA Farm in Santa Monica

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Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

I recently checked out the swanky LA Farm, which is actaully in Santa Monica and not to be confused with the Beverly Hills Farm. I know, confusing. Anyway, I saw a lot of men in suits (rare in LA!) and learned quickly that this spot is where the movers and shakers dine (I probably shouldn’t have worn sweats!). My lunch was tasty, but pricy and not organic, which is meaning more and more to me as I read about the problems with our “food” in America. Anyway, you came here for the desserts! So let’s discuss the Nutella Creme Brulée.

Once I cracked through the burnt sugared layer on top, this dish reminded me of Chocolate pudding with a strong hazelnut presence. There was nothing wrong with this Creme Brulée, per se. Indeed, if you really want a Nutella Creme Brulée, this is probably the perfect rendition for you. That said, I’m not sure I’ll ever find myself daydreaming about it or coming back for more.~

For more info on the LA Farm, click here here.

XOXO

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Flan from The Flan King

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Friday, June 4th, 2010

While my friend claimed to be "no flan expert," she raved about the Flan King from the Farmer's Market. I was excited to try the original and banana flans that she brought to book club since they sounded legendary. Perhaps my expectations were too high though, because I didn't quite understand the big to-do. Yes, the flan was yummy, but not necessarily more so than any other flan I had tried before.

Perhaps the most off-putting part for me was the consistency. This flan was literally as hard and thick as cheese. In fact, I took a slice of cheese from the plater and a slice of flan and ate them side by side to compare.. yep, same consistency! My other friend, the Cheesecake lover, didn't mind this at all. But flan, my fellow sweet-teeth, should have a whisper of lightness, a hint of a jiggle, a bubble of laugher somewhere in there. The Flan King's version, however, was impenetrably unyielding. It took no prisoners.

Someday I'll have to tell you about the flan at LaLa's on Melrose. Now that custard treat is one for the record books!

But in the meantime, click here to check out the Flan King's site to see their fabulous array of flavors and locations. Perhaps I just had an off batch…~

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Creme Brulee at Little Next Door

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Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

My brother was in town for the night and we had a delightful dinner at my neighborhood haunt, the Little Next Door. While Chris shares our family's infamous sweet-tooth, he takes it to the next level with his appreciation for heavy, creamy dishes.

The first item we ordered was the creme brulee (clearly I've been in a custard mood lately). Upon first bite I practically did a happy dance. Finally, a dessert done well at the Little Next Door! First of all, it looked perfect with its evenly glazed, fire-burnt top, and long, exotic vanilla bean. Secondly, it tasted delicious. The creme was whipped seamlessly thin and had a strong vanilla presence.

While I enjoyed the smooth and lighter version, my brother shook his head, noting that it tasted like they'd use reduced fat milk or cream, a huge no no in his book. (Sigh).. fair enough. We settled on 3.5 cherries for the creme brulee!

To see our thoughts on the Caramel Chocolate Pot de Creme, tune in tomorrow!

For more info on the Little Next Door, click here.

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Creme Brulee at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

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Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Today I enjoyed a delicious Lavender Creme Brulee at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. It looked and tasted quite lovely, even though the first spoonful shocked my senses into thinking it was too sweet. I quickly got over that initial reaction and polished the plate clean.

While some lavender treats can taste like soap, this one only had a subtle hint of flower for exotic flare. Finally, I could taste a richness enhanced, perhaps, by extra egg yolks, which personally, I enjoyed. Overall, a great lunch experience!

For more info on Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, click here.