Having spent a disproportionate share of my lifetime at the mall, I can repeat normal mall business hours backwards, forwards and in my sleep. 10am to 9pm, Monday through Friday, weekend and holiday hours vary. For your average shopper during the non-holiday period, that is more than enough time to get your goods and go home. But what about movie-goers? After catching an 8pm movie, they exit at 10pm only to find locked doors and restaurants packing up for the night. If you’re lucky, the soft pretzel shop might still be serving.

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I think the LA Times is trying to woo me.

After all, how else could you explain today’s big headline food article on Rillettes.

Those of you who’ve been following our food serion for a while now are probably already aware that yours truly is French (well, half but I’ve got a passport to back up my claim). And anyone who’s spent any significant amount of time in France is no doubt familiar with God’s gift to stomachs. But there may be a small and sad portion of you who are unfamiliar with this.

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Southern California has always been home to healthy living (or at least health fads)… We birthed jogging, popularized yoga, and let’s not forget the countless diets that have seen the light of day here. And recent trends are howing an increased awareness of just what we’re eating: a recent South LA city has imposed a moratorium on all new fast-food restaurants.

Well now Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is mulling over a new proposal that would force restaurant chains to display the caloric content of each dish on their menu.

Quote Yaroslavsky: “Most people do not have a clue how many calories they are taking in when they have a milkshake or a double hamburger with cheese and fries,” he said. “This is an incentive for people to make the right dietary choices.”

This new measure would only affect chains with more than 15 franchises, so most of our favorite little hole-in-the-walls could still slip by. But this very well could spell doom for Outback Steakhouses’ Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing (2,900 calories).

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As a Frenchman, there’s one thing I simply can’t live without, and that’s butter. It really, truly does make everything better: bread, meats, veggies, desserts… There’s nothing that can’t benefit from a little butter.

Well with the heat keeping most of us indoors, here’s a great little project that can keep you busy and wow your palate: make your own butter!

Believe it or not, it’s actually extremely simple, and can be quite gratifying. All you need is some heavy whipping cream and a food processor.

So head on over to bay area bites for this fun and easy-to-follow little guide that will have you salivating in no time!

Photo by taiyofj, story via Serious Eats

Toi on Sunset came very highly recommended from a friend. The atmosphere’s great, the food is greater, and she even got to meet Quentin Tarantino in a daring after-dinner introduction during which she referred to him as “Quenti.” This being said, I don’t take Thai recommendations lightly; it is one of my favorite cuisines.

My friend Ellie and I got there around 8:15 on a Thursday night. There were some people crowding around the entrance and we worried there would be a wait, but we followed the instructions on the sign out front to wait for the doorman who showed us right to our table.

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HAPPY HOUR

• Bollywood Nights | Monday, August 11, 2008 | 6:00 pm | Nirvana - Map | Samosas, cocktails, and Bollywood films: I know it’s so cliche, but it sure as Hell sounds like Nirvana to me. When the menu itself refers to its appetizers as “foreplay”, you can assume that it’s either the truth or a boost to the establishment’s ego. Do yourself a service and find out. For more info, call (310) 657-5040.

FUNDRAISER

• BaRock the House | Monday, August 11, 2008 | 8:00 pm | suggested donation $15.00 | 21+ | Temple Bar - Map | Ashton and JT of Music Forward Productions have arranged this concert show to raise funds for Presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s campaign, and to keep the public informed on societal and political fronts before the quickly-approaching November 4th election. Bands Wallpaper, The Outline, Oliver Future, and White Arrows will be available for your rocking out pleasure. For more info, call (310) 393-6611.

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It’s long been my personal opinion that Italian food should only be enjoyed every once in a while, mostly because of it’s rich taste and my gluttonous eating habits. However, watch out slim waistline! I may have just changed my mind and be inclined to start wearing fat pants soon, due to the fine folks at Miceli’s.

Miceli’s has been family owned and operated in the heart of Hollywood since 1949. They have three floors of everything you’d expect at a fine Italian restaurant, and more. Not to mention, a hidden downstairs dining hall perfect for a large sized family get together or a mafia shoot out, or both. Upon entering the front door your greeted with inviting sights, smells, and sound all designed to enhance your dining experience. Among the more prominent things to behold are the Red and White checkered table cloths, Plethora of hanging Wine Bottles, Original Dark wood framing from the Pig’n Whistle, and if you happen to be there at night, award winning Piano man Brian O’Rourke. This guy can play and definitely deserves a tip in his jar. High marks go to the staff as well who are attentive ,friendly, and also super fast. In fact, my meal was prepared so quickly that I had to cut short my dinner conversation with my best friend Mary Elizabeth.

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Having the good fortune to live just blocks away from someone who makes the freshest, chewiest, most ridiculously soft and sexy coconut macaroons is just plain great luck. But when that neighbor then takes a chance and hires you to photograph the heavenly things, ah, that’s something different. That’s just straight awesome. Not only was I lucky enough to do something I love, I was introduced to this seriously amazing little treat.

Susan Hecht has created “MyMacs“, her pretty much flawless incantation of the classic coconut macaroon, both plain and chocolate dipped, and has just started selling them at what is now the new Sherman Oak’s Farmer’s Market. At last, we have our own Farmer’s Market!  Double hurrah for this week!

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During these hot summer days, there’s nothing quite as refreshing as a nice chilled coffee beverage. Blended or iced, it just hits the spot when you’re trying to cool off. Recently Coffee Bean has launched their new Non-Fat Yogurt Ice Blended drink for the summer.

And being the lovingly generous people that we are, we’ve decided to give away four gift certificates, worth $40 each, to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

We asked you to leave your favorite joke below and the winners have been picked. Congratulations to….

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I remember back in olden times when a trip to the mall was just that: a shopping trip to the mall. Cruise through the department stores, stop by the specialty shops and threaten violence against the guy on the hand lotion cart. But with the advent of lifestyle centers offering everything from movie theaters and sit-down restaurants to the more traditional specialty shops and boutiques, a trip to the mall is not a simple outing. It is work and work requires sustenance, which is why we’ve created this multi-part series devoted to the best mall eats in town.

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Mmm, coffee. Can’t function in normal society without it. Steaming hot and aromatic, it’s all good. Does your morning fix last throughout the afternoon? Do you long for the day that your upper of choice becomes intravenous (still talking coffee, here)?

In other words: do you wish you knew how to to quit it?

Starbucks wishes you wouldn’t, so much in fact that they’re offering a sweet nationwide deal for you java-jonesers. Having priced their almost-$4.00 grande iced beverages for a measly $2.00 every day after 2:00 pm means that you can start putting funds towards the more important things - like food, gas, and rent. Or more coffee. All you need is a same-day receipt verifying your morning purchase.

How thoughtful is that?

Story via CNN.com | AP Photo by miss karen

There’s nothing more pleasant than a nice brisk and refreshing cocktail on a warm summer afternoon to help you cool off and unwind. And with the Monday blues still lingering, I thought I’d share this fantastic recipe for a rosemary-infused cocktail!

First off, you need to start with some Rosemary Simple Syrup (or alternatively you can use the even more delicious-sounding Lemon Verbena Simple Syrup). Apartment Therapy’s The Kitchn has a very simple instructions on how to make both the Rosemary and the Lemon Verbena.

From there, it’s even easier.

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