My Favorite Spots in LA & What I Cooked Last Week

Where to Eat in LA, Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin, Lasagna Soup, and Yaki Udon

Hi everyone, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Doug and I have been staying at my parents’ house for a few days, and it’s been so nice to be with family. We spent most of yesterday cooking and eating—everything turned out delicious!

This week, I’m sharing my favorite spots in LA for breakfast, coffee/tea, lunch, and dinner. But before we dive in, I have a cozy recipe for you: cheesy potatoes au gratin. It’s my go-to side dish for fall and winter celebrations. It makes a big batch, perfect for feeding a crowd, and it’s just the kind of warm, comforting dish I crave on a cold day.

What I Made Last Week! ↓

Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin

Simmering the potatoes in whole milk infuses them with rich, creamy flavor and ensures they bake up perfectly tender—the most dreamy side dish for the holidays! 

Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin

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Ingredients:

Potatoes

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick

• 5 cups whole milk

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce

• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Assembly and serving

• 2¼ cups (7 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese

• 1 cup (3.5 ounces) grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Make the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add the milk and kosher salt. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over high heat, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Pour the milk into a large bowl and set aside. Wipe out the pot. 

2. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

3. Make the sauce: In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onions start to become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. 

4. Stir in the garlic and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, ½ cup at a time, stirring to fully incorporate between each addition. Add ¾ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, if desired. 

5. Assemble: Add a layer of sauce to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, followed by a layer of potatoes, a generous sprinkle of Gruyère, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan. Repeat this layering until all the potatoes are used, ending with a layer of white sauce and cheese on top.

6. Cover with foil and place on a sheet pan to catch any drips. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until bubbling and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more.  

7. Serve: Remove the gratin from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and enjoy! 

Prep time: 30 minutes | Total time: 2 hours  

Serves 8 

You can watch the video here. :)

My favorite spots in LA

Now, onto my favorite LA spots. Narrowing down the list was no small task—there are so many great places—but these are the ones I truly can’t live without :)

A little backstory before the list: My husband Doug and I have been in LA for the past three and a half years. We started dating in New York and lived there for seven years before moving to LA during Covid. We’re both big city cats. Doug has always loved LA, I was open to trying something new, and since we were working remotely at the time, it was easy to make the change.

I’ll admit I had some reservations—being from Northern California, I worried LA might feel superficial. And that first year, I missed New York so much that I questioned whether we’d made the right decision. But eventually, I realized I was looking for New York in LA, and of course, the two cities are so different.

Once I embraced LA for what it is, I started to see its charm: the stunning landscapes with palm trees and mountains on the east side, where we live; the slower pace of life (compared to NYC’s constant hustle); and the amazing weather—sunny and in the 70s most of the time.

And the food? We thought we’d be downgrading when we left New York, but LA’s food scene blew us away. In many ways, it feels like an upgrade!

Here are my absolute favorites for coffee/tea, breakfast, lunch, & dinner:

Coffee and tea