Dining in California

I feel as though this post is long overdue, though my Facebook friends have been able to view the photographs I took of the food I enjoyed while I was in Los Angeles!  My parents were kind enough to treat me to a vacation away from Northern Ontario for my Birthday present.  I have to say, I was nervous to go, as I was to be staying with my cousins who are ADDICTED to shopping and I actually don't like shopping.  Strange, I know.  Anyhow, cousins Angela and Amy showed me to some fantastic restaurants and eventually turned me into quite the little shopper after all!  I came home with tons of goodies, fun new shoes and garments of clothing. I miss L.A!  If you haven't been, I highly recommend you do!  It's full of interesting characters, events, delicious food, culture, art, fashion, deversity, beautiful neighbourhoods, beaches, palm trees!...The list goes on and on.  I want to move there some day.  Maybe I'll just move right into one of these restaurants!  :-) 
(*Some photos were taken by my cousin, Angela!)

Before our little shopping adventure began in Venice, CA, we had a delicious brunch at a restaurant called "Gjelina."  The restaurant was so pretty!  We sat outside amongst vine leaves crawling up the brick exterior of the building and enjoyed some yummy cocktails with our meals.

Amy's meal:  Cured ham, fried eggs, arugula salad, lemon and romesco.  Mmm mmmmm!

Angela's pan-fried ricotta gnocchi in brown butter and truffle honey with Prosecco.  YUM!

Grilled peaches with Burrata, arugula, prosciutto, balsamic and EVOO. 

DELICIOUS truffled crispy fingerling potatoes with herbs and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese shavings-

My yummy light lunch of homemade pickles, herbed cream cheese, freshly baked bread, house cured salmon and pickled red onions with capers...Such beautiful presentation too!  I remember seeing someone eating this dish as soon as I walked in and knew immediately that I would be ordering the very same thing.

Beautiful 'Mai-Tai' cocktail at Bottega Louie! 

Absolutely gorgeous pizza at Bottega Louie!  This one has Burrata (my favourite,) prosciutto, garlic sauteed rapini and topped off with EVOO.  This pizza is perfection!  The crust is charred yet chewy, the cheese is light yet decadent and the saltiness of the ham against the bitterness of the garlic rapini is a marriage made in heaven!  Topped off with fruity olive oil...Out of this world!

Are there any memorable vacation dishes that stand out in your mind?