Eating Out Over-rated

When was the last time you ate out and had an amazing meal?  One that equates to great clean food, and wonderful service with no food hangover?

Yesterday, I took Jeffrey out for a birthday lunch to a restaurant in town that boosts sustainable produce and  “clean” protein (wild fish, grass-fed meat, etc. free of hormones) and was beyond disappointed besides spending a fortune.

We rarely eat out since the food we make at home is organic, clean protein and my body is happy later with no food hangover.  So yesterday was a treat with an expectation of a good experience considering all the good reviews of this eating establishment.

I have to wonder if my body is so used to this type of eating that it “rebels” when something alternative is introduced such as too much salt or additives and preservatives.

What’s the solution?  I choose to make great tasty food at home since I can control what goes into it (as much as one can) and use spices instead of salt or very little salt to flavor my food.  I go out on occasion and limit the restaurants I try to those with my principles – a selection of “clean” protein, organic produce, and limits of salt.

However, what do you do if you follow these principles and it does not work out?  What did I do besides writing this blog?

I waited till my body felt better and ate a very small clean meal last night to minimize the backlash.  I wrote my first ever review on Yelp since I needed to vent a bit and I’m keeping my meals small and simple today.  And this week will be the same – simple tasty food that my body likes and rewards me for at the end of the day and on the scale.

On occasion an eating out experience can be amazing and there are some wonderful restaurants in Los Angeles.  However, for now I’m eating at the Dopart-Batchelor establishment and am happy to report no food hangover with great service provided!

Sometimes we think it is a treat to eat out. 

However, the treat of health may be a simple healthy meal from home….now that is A Recipe for Life!

Umami Burger Lunch at Fred Segal

It was “girl’s lunch out” today at the office and we met at Umami Burger at Fred Segal in Santa Monica.  With all the rave reviews we wanted to see if Umami lived up to it’s hype for one of the best burgers in town.  From the huge lunch crowd you’d think they were the last lunch place left in Santa Monica.

We each ordered a different burger and split it 4 ways.  Umami boosts of using grass-fed meat that they grind themselves with clean ingredients.

I ordered the special of the day for the table - Fall Harvest Salad - and it was absolutely a 10!  Romaine and Radicchio lettuce with butternut squash, candied walnuts, heirloom tomatoes and Parmesan created an amazing sweet, savory crunchy taste.  I would definitely go back just for the salad and perhaps this should be a permanent menu item.

The burgers we ordered were the:  Truffle, SoCal Burger, Spicy Beef and Ahi.

Our order came quickly as they need to move tables with the huge crowd.  Service was pleasant and efficient. 

The burgers come a la carte.  They are the perfect size for a female – about 4 ounces on a large bun.  I don’t think a male would be satisfied with this portion.

My favorite with the SoCal Burger – a little char taste with cheese created the perfect combination.  The Spicy Beef was great if you want that extra kick.  The other burgers were good but not memorable. 

They make their own ketchup, which had a great taste and was not too sweet – which was a nice treat since I don’t eat regular ketchup due to the high carbohydrate content and high fructose corn syrup.

I ordered the green iced tea, which I did not know was lightly sweetened with sugar so I sent it back and just got water.  The food was not overly salted and everyone reported no bloat after lunch.

Would I return?  Absolutely for the salad.  The burgers are good but not a 10 and $100 lunch bill for a burger lunch for 4 is steep.  Apparently the recession has not affected this crowded cafe in Santa Monica.

My rating system is below and these are the numbers.

1. Clean Food (sampled) – 4

2. Clean Space – 4

3. Friendly Staff – 4

4. Balanced proportions of protein/carb/fat – 3

5. No Food Hangover – 4

Umami Burger got a 3.8/5

Grocery Shopping in Europe and the United States - Is there a Difference between the Continents?

One of my favorite things to do in other countries is visit the grocery store.  The different types of foods, and the packaging and layout of what is available fascinate me.  On my last trip I must have visited at least 6 or 7 markets.

What are some of the main differences?

Layout (road map) – in America once you’re inside the store you are bombarded by the huge bags of chips or jumbo bottles of soda on sale.  Containers of processed foods full of sugar and multiple ingredients are everywhere, especially on the aisles.

In Europe they still have boxes of cookies and chips but they are contained within their perspective aisles with less variety.  The ends of aisles contain food products that usually correspond with the aisle or a pickup food item for a quick meal such as some cheese, a sandwich or a drink.

Variety (options) – in Europe the amount of foods that can spoil are more prevalent– i.e. more fresh food abounds.  There are many aisles of meats, cheeses, yogurts, fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. which are within the store, not just the perimeter.  In America food that spoils exists but is contained within the perimeter of most stores.

Less Sweet - both countries like their sweets – no doubt about that.  However, in Europe the plain varieties of great tasting yogurts abound.  Yogurts with sugars exist, but are not the norm.  Foods in Europe contain sugar but not to the sweetness of American foods.

Jams and Peanut (nut) Butter – a side point but one of interest.  The Europeans are very into their jam they have on bread in the morning.  America has jellies and jam but not in the varieties and amount in Europe.  If you want peanut butter in Europe you will have to search for it and if you do find it, there may only be one brand similar to a Jiff or Skippy.  I did not find any natural nut butters, at least in the regular grocery stores.

Cheeses (grass fed dairy) – cottage cheese does not exist in France or at least none of the stores I visited.  I purchased something that looked like cottage cheese but it ended up being a whipped cheese that I did not care for.  Of course the French like their frommage and the variety of cheeses are astounding and overwhelming.  You could spend hours educating yourself on the types of cheeses, and each region in France has types that are common or can be purchased only in that area.  The entire dairy comes from grass-fed cows (versus corn fed), which is preferable since grass-fed products contain richer amounts of omega-3 fats.

Ingredients – I spent a few hours looking at labels to compare.  In America a packaged food could contain 50 ingredients and purchasing items with less than five ingredients is challenging.  I found European packaged foods to have much fewer ingredients – somewhere between 5-10 but not at the level in America.

GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) – when Europe heard about the studies related to GMO’s many countries did away completely with GMO’s.  Studies are mixed but this controversy is definitely one to keep in mind.  In America, the 4 major GMO’s are corn, soy, canola/canola oil and sugar (anything not listed as 100% cane sugar).

Is there a take home message in all this? 

Grocery stores in Europe are much easier to navigate with healthier options resulting in a healthier diet.  There are more real whole fresh foods, with less processed foods, and processed foods that contain fewer ingredients.  Unfortunately Europe is heading towards our way of eating more than a few years ago versus Americans going towards the European way.

If both countries embraced the original diet of clean whole non-processed foods with minimal sweets and treats the world would be a healthier place free of many Western disease processes. 

Coming back to America, I will miss the amazing plain organic yogurts and cheeses.  However, since my favorite food is peanut butter if I lived in Europe I’d have to make my own – a risk I’d gladly take living in a healthier eating environment. 

Farmhouse, Friends and France

While visiting our good friends Lucille and John Jack in France they suggested we take a road trip to the Burgundy region of France.  This rolling foothill region of France is notorious for it’s wines; food and quaint, picturesque villages nestled in lush densely wooded areas.

Lucille researched where to stay and came up with a Mill Farmhouse, called Le Vernois du Bas, which can be traced backdating to 1292.  Jeffrey was skeptical but decided to give up control and let someone else plan our vacation and chalk it up to an adventure.

The drive from our friend’s home outside of Paris took about 4 hours and we arrived in the afternoon.  After visiting numerous cathedrals, historical landmarks and an intensive, impressive French history lesson we needed a rest.  Our hosts Dick and Erlynn Van der Stelt greeted us at the gate along with their wonderful dogs Zuchero (sugar) and Morrie and their cat Mickey Meow. 

After settling in we looked at the lush, green grounds, brooks, ancient aqueduct and stone buildings; it felt as if we had landed in the middle of paradise.  They even have a goose named Boris who is more than friendly and had the softest coat I’ve ever felt.  Their parrot Giji is beyond funny and in the evening gives quite a show if you’re up for it

You can learn more from their website but Erlynn and Dick are from Holland and have remodeled several farmhouses in the past.  They purchased this Farmhouse 4 years ago in complete disarray as it was untouched for many years.  Since their occupancy they have completely remodeled and restored all the buildings and grounds and made it the luscious inviting place you see in these pictures.

Each night we had a 5-course gourmet dinner that would rival any high-end restaurant.  Erlynn and Dick are gracious, warm and inviting hosts.  They authentically love what they do and make a wonderful team in taking care of the guests and the property. You do not feel like a guest but rather part of their family. 

It was awe-inspiring sleeping in and having dinner in a building over 700 years old.  I took walks each morning around the property admiring the greenery, little brooks, the happy white cows eating grass and I even took a playful turn on the swing in the yard.

The cows really cracked me up.  I always talk about eating meat from grass-fed cows but seeing them in their environment made me realize how happy they are roaming around the meadows and eating their grass all the while their young nurse in a non stressful environment.  This has to have a positive effect on our bodies when we eat this type of cow versus cows that are kept in a little stall, unable to move and fed corn.  Just think what would happen to us if we never moved more than a few inches each day and ate only corn-feed.

Only 3 days here and now leaving today was sad.  Having a simple life with nature, greenery and happy animals is inviting to visit and even contemplate the possibilities of living in this environment.

If you’re up for an adventure in France I highly recommend you stay with Erlynn and Dick – you won’t be disappointed and will eat well.  I might consider going there to write my next book.

The Misfit in Santa Monica – Clean Foods Only

Multiple times a day clients ask me “Where can I eat on the West side that has the type of food you are recommending?”

Since options are scarce, I would draw a blank and try to divert them to eating at home and limiting their eating out meals. That changed a few days ago.

Bob Lynn of LGO (La Grande Orange) recently opened up The Misfit, a true clean eating restaurant approved by me.

Bob believes in real whole foods and stands by the principles I believe in with respect to every item on the menu.

I went to The Misfit and was beyond impressed.  There is a plethora of choices on the menu to try and are all organic, balanced and stocked full of nutrients.   Executive Chef Bruce Kalman has outdone himself and encourages patrons to ask questions about the food.

What are the items I look for?

• Organic vegetables, which Chef Bruce purchases three times per week at the Santa Monica Farmer's markets

• Grass-fed meat, and pastured chicken called Jidori, both from animals that eat grass and not corn like most protein served in 99.9% of restaurants

• Variety with respect to protein choices, both meat and vegetarain
  

• A variety of vegetables (which is beyond imaginable with this menu)

• Multiple gluten-free choices and entrees for those who are sensitive and/or have Celiac disease.

What did I try?

A few wonderful appetizers, the best of which was “peas, English + snap, tendrils, sprouts + opal basil” which had a wonderful flavor, crunchy texture and was just enough to take the edge off your appetite and avoid eating the bread (which by the way is non-existent so there is nothing to tempt you).

Jeffrey and I split the “asparagus salad” which has lemon, parmesan-reggiano, and a poached egg on it.  It was light, colorful, crunchy and satisfying.

For the entrees I had the “bk’s chopped kale salad, sunflower seeds, midnight moon goat cheese and grilled chicken” and Jeffrey had “the misfit burger” which was grass-fed Paso prime beef.

 My mouth has not been that happy in a long time. 

The kale salad was an absolute “10” for me and the burger a “10” for Jeffrey.  Both were balanced, layered with great flavor and extremely satisfying.  I would seriously eat this salad every day if given the choice.

I also sampled a few bites of the “mac and cheese.”  Most of you know that is not something I would normally eat but this one (there’s always a but, right?) is gluten-free with lots of organic Oregon Cheddar Cheese.  It provides again a great alternative to those who want a gluten-free entrée that contains more protein than most and a nice treat.  And it is perfect entrée for picky children.

And the true test…

of whether a restaurant has “clean” food is the next day for me.  Since I eat organic foods free of hormones if I do eat out my body feels bloated, and out of sorts the next day.  I am usually up 2-3 pounds on the scale from the extra salt and additives. 

Result – nothing – no weight gain, felt great and no physical symptoms.

If you want to treat yourself, go directly to the Misfit.  It is truly a Misfit in Santa Monica and all of the Westside as far as I’m concerned since nothing rivals it.  Tell Bob and Bruce I sent you and enjoy your clean-eating meal.  Your pocketbook and body will thank you the next day.