Another Day, Another Cupcake

The South Bay-ers have been reminding me that I need to taste one of the cupcakes from Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach.  Really?  I'm quite picky and frankly, I'd rather have a well made cupcake over one that is cute, and by the name alone, I imagine they have really cute cupcakes.

I made my first visit to the cupcakery today and was surprised to see a nice assortment of treats.  From cake pops to macarons to sugar cookies, there was almost too much for me to absorb.  I ended up purchasing a chocolate macaron and a Nutellalicious cupcake.

At first glance, the cupcake is gorgeous.  The chocolate buttercream-like frosting (I was told it's like buttercream but made with whipped cream) is lightly dusted with gold flecks and topped with a whole hazelnut and praline chips.  The cupcake, which is a chocolate hazelnut cake, is filled with a mixture of frosting and praline, adding a crunchy texture.

The cake itself was moist and tasty, but as you can see from my photo, there isn't much cake.  It's pretty safe to say the Nutellalicious is about 25 percent cake.

If you like frosting, this might be the place for you.

Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach - 916 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA - www.cupcakescouturemb.com

Project Eater LA: Sunnin

Belmont Shore is quite the foodie paradise. On any given corner, one can find a bbq restaurant, a sushi spot, frozen yogurt, a cupcakery, an Irish pub - you name it, it can probably be found on Second Street.

Second Street is also home to several Lebanese restaurants, including Sunnin, which is a featured eatery on Eater LA's list. In the past, I had tried and enjoyed Open Sesame, but was thoroughly impressed with my dinner at Sunnin. I know understand why Sunnin made the Eater LA list while Open Sesame did not.

Despite the French decor (Sunnin is located in the old La Creperie space), Sunnin is authentic Lebanese cuisine. I ordered the Chicken Kebab. Simple enough right? At first glance, I was surprised at the size of each chicken piece - easily larger than the ones at Open Sesame. My first bite was equally surprising - instead of being dry (not that chicken is supposed to be dry, but as we know, it happens more often that it should), the chicken was moist, succulent and perfectly seasoned with a hint of lemon. Deliciousness!

Sunnin Lebanese Cafe - 5110 East Second Street, Long Beach, CA - www.sunnin.com

So Fraiche

According to Frank Bruni of the New York Times, "Fraiche isn't about pyrotechnics or lavish indulgences. It's about abundantly flavorful food cooked with skill and sense and presented at restrained prices." No truer words were ever spoken.

To kick off a bachelorette party, my friends and I visited Fraiche for the first time, and were presented with an exquisite fixed meal. Course upon course found their way to our tables faster than we could eat anything - from prosciutto wrapped figs to mushroom risotto, steak frites to four cheese tortellini - and each bite was more delectable than the last.

One of my favorites (as simple as it may sound) was the baby beet salad. So light and delicate, the baby beets are served on a bed of fresh ricotta cheese and topped with toasted hazelnuts. An amazing start to an amazing dinner!

Fraiche - www.fraicherestaurantla.com - 9411 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232

The Eater LA Project

Eater LA released their list of 38 essential LA restaurants and the LA Foodie Girls are on a mission to tackle this list.

So far, we've tried Wurstkuche, In-N-Out, Fraiche, Sunnin and Petros. Five down, 33 to go. Reviews to follow.

Click here to check out the list. Happy Eating!