The Best Dessert I ever Ate - Bacon Chocolate Bar with S&P Ice Cream

We don't go to Los Angeles (LA) as often as we want to due to couple reasons (far distance from OC and the horrible traffic and parking situation).  We felt that we did miss out a lot in LA - all the bar scene, fancy and classy restaurants, interesting and unique places and museums...  About a month ago, we decided to take a mini weekend get away trip in West Hollywood area to explore the city and escape our normal busy lives in Orange County for a few days.

The highlight of the trip to me was visiting Animal restaurant, located in LA, by the famous Melrose neighborhood.  I have heard so many positive comments and impressive compliments about this place on different media.  I was beyond excited when we got there.  We didn't make any reservation, so we waited for about an hour and half for our table (not bad for a busy Saturday evening at a hip restaurant like this in LA).  We ordered five small dishes (Pork Belly BBQ Sandwich, Fois Gras with maple sussage and home made biscuit and gravy, Halibut with Peas, Churrizo with Melted Cheese, Marrow Bone with Chumichurri Sauce) for the two of us.  Everything was amazing and I could taste the freshness and well-preparations in each dishes.  Of course, we could not leave the restaurant without having some sweet to end our meal, so we ordered their signature bacon chocolate bar with salt and pepper ice cream and Dulce De Leche.  The Dulce De Leche was average, nothing really special about it.  However, on the other hand, the bacon chocolate bar and the s&p ice cream was delish!  No wonder it was featured on Food Network's show, The Best Thing I ever Ate. 

 

Let me tell you the presentation of the dessert - Very elegant and modern looking presentation.  And the bar looked like a piece of bacon with different kinds of chocolate in between.  The saltiness from the bacon mixed with the bitterness from different kinds of chocolates and the perfect sweetness from the creamy and silky ice cream was a perfect harmony; it was undescribably incredible. 

Celebrities Love Cupcakes (Who doesn't?!)

Found these cute pictures of the Hollywood celebrities with their favorite food (cupcakes) from Google. 

The former 'N Sync member showed us his cupcake love.

The Hill star, Laura Conrad does not only love to eat cupcakes,
and rumor has it she is going to open a bakery in LA soon too.

The Gossip Girl loves her cupcake too.

Off from the Red Carpet, the Fashion Police Joan Rivers
showed us her cupcake love in the public.

The all grown-up Emma is enjoying her cupcake.

Kourtney Kardashian to Kim Kardashian: "Forget about the 72-day marriage, let's have a cupcake."
LOL

Winner of the American Idol showed off her cupcakes.

Suri Cruise loves fashion (just like her mom and her mom's best friend's Victoria Backham),
but she also loves cupcakees too.

The new parents, Mariah and Nick are still madly in love with...their cupcakes.

“Animals are my friends-and I don't eat my friends.”

“Animals are my friends-and I don't eat my friends.”

Q:  Carrie Underwood, Orlando Bloom, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Alec Baldwin, Leonardo Dicprio, what do these Hollywood celebrities have in common? 

A:  A beautiful face, a talented mind, or a million dollar body?!  Yes, but NO.  In fact, these celebrities share one concept together, which is they don’t eat meat because they are either a vegan or a vegetarian. 

A lot of people get mixed up with these two terms.  Here are a brief definitions of vegetarian and vegan.

Vegetarian:  Vegetarian is a blanket term used to describe a person who does not consume meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.
This grouping includes vegans and the various sub- categories of vegetarian; however, it generally implies someone who has less dietary restrictions than a vegan.

Vegan:  Vegan is the strictest sub-category of vegetarians. Vegans do not consume any animal products or by-products. Some go as far as not even consuming honey and yeast. Others do not wear any clothing made from animal products. 

In the past 10 years, being a vegetarian or a vegan seems to have become a trend here in California.  Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons: In addition to ethical reasons, some reasons for vegetarianism include health, religious, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic or economic. 

Mrs. G (me) is only a weekend vegetarian.  I only go vegetarian whenever I feel my body needs to be detoxified.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE VEGGIES, but I dare to say goodbye to meat, seafood, and all the fatty goody grease…

One time I was in a vegan restaurant, I was hesitated to try a vegan cupcake at first.  But my meal came with a free dessert, so I figured why not!  I picked up this rose water cupcake and I was in heaven after just one bite.  I could not even tell that was not made with eggs and butter.  It tasted beyond NORMAL, it actually tasted AMAZING (light, moisted, fluffy, right amount of sweetness)!  I was amazed from my first vegan cupcake experience.  Since than, I crave to have a vegan cupcake once in a while.

There are handfuls of vegan cupcakes stores throughout California.  Next time, if you have chance, don’t be hesitated to try one yourself.  Be one “sweet” vegan….at least for once!

*A side note, C for Cupcake Cupcakery do offer vegetarian and vegan options, feel free to contact for information.