Silver Lake

I am rich. I am rich, not by money nor by assets, but I am rich with friends. I have always been lucky to be surrounded by wonderful friends from every stage in my life--elementary school, high school, college, graduate school, and now residency--all of whom I value, trust and keep close to my heart.

I've also learned to value my independence, my alone time, my "me" time. The time when I can sit, relax, people watch, and be alone. Today was one of those days. Ironically, I decided to explore a part of town in Los Angeles with a name that speaks of richness--"Silver Lake", except today I was not surrounded my one of my life's riches: my friends.

I was by myself. And I was happy. In Los Angeles. Silver Lake, to be exact.

Los Angeles continues to amaze me with the different types of restaurants, cafes, and innovative dining options.

Intelligentsia (http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/) is a free-trade coffee cafe down Sunset Blvd that offers outdoor and some indoor seating, has free wifi, and serves probably the best coffee I've had. After tasting my latte with a nicely designed foam leaf, I was not surprised by how packed Intelligentsia was at 430pm on a Thursday.

I even watched the barista design the leaf on my latte and it was amazing how he did it.

Across the street was Forage (3823 West Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA http://www.foragela.com/ ) which is a market-driven type restaurant that had just opened January 2010 by Jason Kim, a former sous-chef of Lucques. The restaurant is white, plain and simple--characteristics that mirror the food. Ingredients that Jason Kim mixes up are fresh, simple and good. You can either pick 3 sides for $10 or 1 protein and 2 sides for $13.

I ordered the mac'n cheese, Glazed rainbow carrots, asparagus, fennel and chives, and the pork belly sandwich:

The mac'n cheese...let me just say, was the best, let me emphasize, it was the BEST mac'n cheese I have ever had. And I absolutely love mac'n cheese. The richness of the cheese, crunchy crust, and the balance of salty and creamy made it perfect.

Vegetables tasted organic, naturally sweet and was wonderfully tossed in an olive oil dressing.

Lastly was the pork belly sandwich. Amazing. It came as a layer of lean pork belly, followed by tomatoes, and a pickled cabbage salad, sandwiched between toasted baguette. It reminded me of the sandwich I had at Sandwich Story (see previous blog). It's rare that I've had a meal (or 3) at a restaurant where every dish I had was mindblowing.

Today, even though I was not surrounded by one of my riches (my friends), I was welcomed by another gift this Silver Lake city had to offer--delicious food. Today, my "me" day, was the most absolutely wonderful day I've had by myself...and I can't wait to share these new places with my friends.