Pit-fired perfection

Pitfire Pizza, downtown Los Angeles

Since dating my boyfriend these past three and a half years, I have probably consumed more pizza than ever before. (I swear, pizza is like a food group for him. And most definitely his favorite food.) For that reason, I'll go out on a limb and call myself somewhat of a pizza connoisseur because I truly have had my fair share of slices of all types: thick and thin, loaded and margherita. 

Based on this past experience, I have to say that Pitfire Pizza makes possibly the perfect pizza. Strong statement, I know, but it was that good.

(Prior to Pitfire, it was a little pizza place in Virginia, outside D.C., that held the key to my pizza-loving heart because of it's amazing, cracker-like crust. But that's another story.)

See, before the Sara Bareilles concert last week, the boy and I needed to grab a bite to eat for dinner. I had checked out dozens of restaurants in the area online, looking for something new, different, delicious. While I was tempted by several fancy-sounding Italian restaurants, I opted for Pitfire because it seemed like it would be budget friendly and a sure-fire hit with the boy, who is an even pickier eater than me.

Summer special artichoke pizza

Well, Pitfire delivered on all counts. (Literally, they deliver, but of course that's not what I mean.)

The boy got his typical pepperoni pizza, but Pitfire's version was far from typical. Made with Zoe's slightly spicy natural pepperoni, sweet tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and torn basil, it was finger-licking good. I got a bite or two before the boy polished it off, no problem.

I decided to try something I had never had before: artichoke pizza. It was on Pitfire's summertime specialties menu, and I was thrilled they still had it even at the end of September. Topped with roasted artichokes, blistered red and yellow cherry tomatoes, wilted spinach and black olives, it was the most flavorful pizza to ever have the joy of entering my mouth. It was salty and delectable-- even more so after drizzling it with some red chili flake-and-herb-infused olive oil on the table-- and I felt a tad guilty leaving even one piece on the plate.

As you can see in the photos, we also had a light salad-- with asiago and "torn" croutons-- to get our greens. I washed it all down with a glass of Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc. Slightly sweet, with notes of fig, apple and grapefruit, I think it was the perfect pairing.

Now, as tasty as the toppings and sauce were, Pitfire's pizza wouldn't be as magnificent as it is if not for the crust. Pitfire stays true to its name. The pies are cooked in a wood fired oven, resulting in a rustic, crispy, perfectly singed crust. And the bubbles! Oh, the bubbles were my favorite part. You know how sometimes there are bubbles in your pizza crust? Well, these bubbles weren't full of air... just more doughy, delicious bread! Oh goodness. Charred and chewy pizza. What could be better?

I was kind of hoping to try Pitfire's smothered cookie-- a warm cookie topped with organic soft serve, hazelnuts and your choice of sauce (I would have gone for the house made caramel sauce with Maldon salt)-- but the boy and I were just too stuffed (thank goodness for my flowy dress!) and it was not meant to be. Next time, I'll save room!

(Totally trying the handmade chicken meatballs with grilled bread next time. Totally.)

Oh, how I hope there will be a next time. I'd seriously drive an hour just for that crust.

Pitfire, could you make a special delivery to Simi? Please and thank you.

So, now I need to know: Have you had any great pizza lately? Or tried a new restaurant? I'd love to hear!

xo,

Food, Wine + Zooey

Two Sundays ago (but who's counting?) my bestie Marielle and I went to the inaugural Los Angeles Times Celebration of Food & Wine. After seeing a full page ad in the Times about a month or so prior, I immediately marked my calendar, invited Marielle and then like a good friend pestered reminded her to buy tickets. (And gave her a discount code, yippee!)

Well, it turned out to be a beautiful day-- the day before Labor Day, in fact-- and not just for the obvious, gluttonous reason. It was so wonderful to spend a carefree day with my best friend in the whole world, indulging in tasty treats but also catching up on each other's lives. We're both so busy all the time that moments like those don't happen often, so I cherish them when they do.

The actual event didn't fail to deliver, too. Though trying to find parking in L.A. always proves to be challenging, especially when thousands of people are all going to the same exact place, the venue itself was pretty spectacular: the backlot of Paramount Pictures Studios. While browsing around, weaving between people and hopping from booth to booth, I would occasionally stop to look around and think, "Wow, it looks like we're on the streets of New York!" Which of course only made me remember my unfilled yearnings to visit the Big Apple. But never mind that...

All told we spent about three hours sampling various gourmet foods and wine. Mostly wine. (I have to say, I was a bit frustrated to see that many of the vendors-- especially the food trucks-- we're charging for food as opposed to giving away free samples, as I had expected. We did pay, after all, to get in. That would be my only complaint of the event.)

During our journey around the outdoor fest, we devoured lots of sweets: salted caramel ice cream from the Cooking Channel's Ice Cream truck, cake balls from Delicious Wishes of Beverly Hills (toffee for me, and I think peanut butter for Marielle, or something similarly divine), and a zeppole (basically an Italian donut, covered in powdered sugar) from Rosa's Bella Cucina. We had to fork over a $1 for that last one, but it was sooo worth it.

We balanced out the sugar with a few salty bites: spicy yellow curry (made with coconut milk, potatoes and carrots) from Sedthee Thai Eatery, some bread and cheese (I ate the bread and gave Marielle my cheese) from La Brea Bakery, and a surprisingly delicious mungbean patty but I don't quite remember who from. Blame the wine.

Speaking of vino, there were tons of wineries to taste, and though we had eight drink tickets each (plus extras from a kind lady who gave me hers at the gate), the vendors didn't much care to take them. We sure didn't mind!

First there was a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from Dutcher Crossing Winery, then a nice, light Syrah from Farella-Park Vineyards, followed by a crisp Pinot Grigio, from the LA Times Wine Club (who we liked for their hearty pours).

Our favorite at the festival, though, was Pech Merle Winery. They won points for taste and experience, because unlike the other wineries, they gave us a true tasting, letting us try several of their vintages. We loved them all!

We also tried Korean black raspberry wine from Kook Soon Dang that was dangerously good, as in, it tastes so much like juice you would get drunk before knowing what hit you. Similar to that was VeeV Acai Spirit. I'm not one to sip straight liquor-- I'm a cranberry and vodka kind of gal-- but with this I'd make an exception. Pour VeeV into a martini glass and you're good to go.

Lastly, we tasted Evan Williams Honey Reserve Bourbon. This would be the one thing we tried that didn't win us over. Too strong, we both tossed it-- but kept the cute plastic shot glass it came in. Guess we're not bourbon girls.

With all that alcohol flowing, and a bit of a buzz going, we took a few silly pictures. Who can resist posing with a Sake bottle or ... doing whatever it is we're doing in that second picture. Oh, I know what we're doing. We're making fools of ourselves! Gotta love it.

As the sun began to set, we made our way over to the Hollywood Stage for the evening attraction. No, not food or wine-- but a concert by She & Him. You know-- Zooey Deschanel!

Even though I had never heard Zooey's music before, I was uber-excited to see her, because she is just so darling. (I finally saw "500 Days of Summer," well, this summer.) Though I had told Marielle who would be performing, she didn't realize who I was talking about until we got to the stage. And then she was just as excited as me! We talked about how beautiful Zooey is while swaying to the music... Her voice sounded as sweet and as lovely as she looks.

Even the back-up singers were adorable. All the ladies were wearing fun, colorful dresses with black tights. Perfect! (And check out that guy's white hat in the audience... too cool!)

The whole gang... Matt Ward, the "Him" in She & Him, is on the far left. And isn't Zooey's green dress pretty? The layers fluttered up and down when she jumped to the music, shaking her tambourine.

Closing out the show, Zooey and Matt tackled the piano, pounding the keys together.

The crowd shouted encore after the band left the stage and a few minutes later, She & Him obliged with one last song. With the last notes hanging in the air, the crowd began to break up. As we were leaving, I noticed that the Crepes Bonaparte truck (if you've watched "The Great Food Truck Race" on Food Network, you'll recognize this truck) was still open for business. Even though I was a tad full and it cost a couple more bucks out of my pocket, I couldn't resist.

I ordered my usual-- Nutella and banana-- and Marielle tried a savory Ranchero crepe. We devoured them on the walk back to our car... Both got two thumbs up!

So there you have it. My first food and wine fest. I consumed many, many calories that day but overall, I'd call it a culinary success.

Labor Day bits

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend! I know I sure did, even if it did make going back to work today a tad more difficult. (Isn't that always the way?)

This three-day weekend was perhaps more needed than usual. Last week was, in a word, miserable at times as I felt my emotions buckling under stress (and nature's hormonal "gift"). But the light at the end of the dismal tunnel was the long weekend ahead. So once those 72 hours of freedom began, I wanted to squeeze every last drop of fun and sunshine out of them.

Here's the rundown:

Saturday was spent lazily at first, catching up on sleep and relaxing in pajamas while watching TV. But soon enough we (the boy, Hazel and I) busted out of the house and into the outdoors, taking a quick drive up to Santa Barbara. Well, the drive wasn't quick thanks to some slow-moving holiday traffic but we still got there in time to walk Hazel along the boardwalk, get some pecan praline ice cream on the pier and watch the sun set over the water (see photos above). On the way home, we stopped for pepperoni pizza. After polishing off 2 1/2 slices, I got a call from my bestie, Marielle, that the gang was going out for drinks and dancing at Cisco's, a popular hangout in Westlake Village. I hurried back to my house, got gussied up in record time and joined my friends for what turned out to be a fabulous night out. One that ended at about 3 p.m. with me watching "Law & Order: SVU" and another slice of pizza. (DiGiorno this time, if you must know. So bad, but so good!)

On Sunday, Marielle and I attended the inaugural Los Angeles Times Celebration of Food & Wine. I'll share more on this later but for now let's just say it was a highly caloric day. Copious amounts of wine were consumed, with a bit of food sampling mixed in for good measure. The fest finished with a concert and a crepe-- sweet for me, savory for Marielle. Fun times all around. But it didn't end there-- afterward we headed to a friend's house where a group of us chatted about life and played Catch Phrase! Yep, fun times, indeed.

Monday was just as eventful but still laid back. It was Labor Day, after all! I celebrated at a barbecue with friends. We munched on chips and dip, drank ice cold beers (as well as a couple margarita-flavored wine coolers for me) and played several tournament-style rounds of Cornhole. After a few tries, I became surprisingly good at tossing the little bean bags onto the board and into the hole, shocking most everyone at the party since it's safe to say I have no skills whatsoever at Beer Pong-- usually the game of choice at gatherings like these.

All around, it was a fantastic weekend spent with good friends, good food and good drink. Which always equals a good time in my book.

How did you spend your Labor Day weekend? I'd love to hear.

A (quick) taste of wine country

When one thinks of California wine country, most minds go to Napa and Sonoma. Maybe Santa Barbara and Paso Robles.

But although it is easily left off the list, Temecula Valley has some vineyards worth checking out, too.

For years now-- basically since discovering my affection for vino at the ripe age of 22-- I have desperately wanted to go wine tasting. (I have spent many many hours looking at the Cloud Climbers website.) And yet, my plans never worked out. So after being told that Temecula is home to several wineries, many of them sprawling and award-winning, I had it set in my mind that I was going to finally step inside a tasting room this Fourth of July weekend.

And, to my delight, I found success! After spending Independence Day morning slathered in SPF 70 sunblock while watching a charming parade on Old Town Front Street in Temecula, the group of us took a drive down the town's rambling wine country row, more formally known as Rancho California Road.

It's hard to know where to stop when you are just driving aimlessly. And it's hard not to judge a book, or in this case, a winery, by it's cover. But we took in our choices and spontaneously decided to pull into Wilson Creek Winery. Even from the road, we were drawn in by the gorgeous Tuscan-inspired grounds, and the number of cars in the parking lot spoke volumes, too.

Now, I may be a wine novice, but in my limited opinion, the wines at Wilson Creek did not disappoint. I bought the boy and I tickets for five tastings each (the tickets cost 12 bucks a pop; not sure if that is average or a rip, but whatev). The boy gave some of his tastes away to his sister, but I kept all mine for myself :) Bring on the wine!

My first taste ended up being my favorite: 2009 White Cabernet Sauvignon. The sweet smelling wine is bursting with the flavors of grapefruit, pineapple, kiwi and ripe pear, and cutely described as "a tropical drink in a bottle, without the little umbrellas." Who could resist, right? Not me apparently. I ended up buying a bottle-- because I wanted to but also because I felt like I had to. It was my first wine tasting experience after all! Plus, it came in a beautiful blue bottle that I plan on saving long past the wine is gone.

My second taste was a red, the only one I tried: 2006 Estate Mourvedre. I asked the woman behind the wine bar to suggest a red that a white-loving gal would like and this is what she picked. After reading the tasting menu that said it "exudes aromas of dark cherry, ripe plum, raspberry with vanilla and sweet wood," I wasn't so sure how light it would be. But after my first sip I decided I actually quite liked it. One day I'll be a red-loving gal. One day.

Up next was the winery's wow-factor specialty, Almond Champagne. Yes, almond. It really did taste like the nut! The sparkling white wine is naturally fermented with a hint of pure almond oil. It was strange... but intriguing. And according to the winery, it would be great paired with a light dessert. Thinking about the possibility, I'd have to agree. 

My fourth taste was Golden Jubilee, a white wine named after the owner's Golden Retrievers, two of which ran into the tasting room, tails wagging, to say hello while we were there. So adorable! It definitely gave me that family feeling the winery is known for. And the wine was just as enjoyable as the dogs. The menu described it as "unique and refreshing," and those were the very words that came out of the boy's mouth after he tasted it! Like Wilson Creek's other whites, this also has a fruity bent, with flavors of kiwi, ripe peach and pineapple. If had a more money to spend, I would have left with a bottle of Golden Jubilee, too. It is one of those wines that you'd reach for on a hot summer day, while sitting on the porch watching the sun set.

My last taste was the 2008 Estate Muscat Canelli. (sorry, no link for this one!) This one was tropical too, with a citrus twist from tangerine. I liked it but it didn't make the same impact that Golden Jubilee and the White Cab did.

After all those tastings, I left the dark, barrel-filled tasting room with a little buzz. (I know, I know. Light weight!)

Overall, it was a fun, relaxing way to spend an hour or so of a summer afternoon on a holiday weekend. Unfortunately, it was our only pit stop along Temecula's winery row-- the boy's 8-year-old niece wasn't in the mood for another tasting session-- but I was glad to at least get a quick (first) taste of wine country.

I can't wait for more!

So, have you ever been wine tasting? Where did you go? (I'm taking recommendations for my future vineyard travels!)

P.S. Speaking of wineries, I saw this gorgeous vineyard wedding on Etsy today-- the bride bought many of her Big Day items from Etsians-- and I'm smitten. A lovely backdrop of green vines + a big white tent on a sprawling lawn + handmade goodies + lotsa wine (duh) = what's not to love?