Lazy morning. The kids were up bright and early – it was the Double-O’s last chance to hang out with S & B’s girls – but none of us were in any rush to pack up and go. Our hosts have spoiled us these past few days, and if put to a vote, I have a sneaking suspicion some of my family members would elect to stay indefinitely.
For breakfast, I whipped up some omelets stuffed with B’s homemade keema, a traditional Indian spiced minced meat dish. (Never fear – B wrote down her recipe for me, so I’ll be posting my adaptation soon enough!)
After reluctantly stowing our luggage back into the trunk of our car, we headed out of town – but not before making a pitstop at the local Mother’s Market & Kitchen. The boys grabbed some snacks and greedily feasted on free samples in the produce aisle…
…while I nabbed a bottle of coconut aminos. Why, you ask?
Because we were off to Torrance, home of a bazillion incredible Japanese restaurants, and I needed a Paleo-friendly sub for soy sauce. Both Honda and Toyota have their U.S. headquarters here (and are the top two employers in the city), so it stands to reason that there are plenty of insanely great Japanese eats in town.
Before the kids were born – and waaay before we started eating Paleo – Fitbomb and I had often dined at Sanuki No Sato in neighboring Gardena. Nostalgia dictated that we revisit the joint today. But once I took a look at their menu, it all came rushing back to me – we used to come here for the restaurant’s specialty: steaming bowls of udon and soba. D’oh!
Luckily, Sanuki No Sato also serves up sashimi, so my hubby and I split the largest platter available on the menu.
I fished the bottle of liquid umami out of my purse and cracked it open…
…and we dipped fresh slices of pristine sashimi in it.
Our sashimi lunch was served with a cup of chawanmushi, a silky and savory egg custard.
(Wanna make your own at home? I’ve got a simple recipe for a Paleo chawanmushi in my iPad app!)
After lunch, we stopped by the Whole Foods in Torrance to stock up on more grub to bring to the CrossFit Games this weekend.
We filled up our cart with roast beef, veggies, fruit, kombucha, and – most importantly – chocolate…
…only to discover that we could barely cram all our loot into the teeny fridge in our hotel room. Good thing Fitbomb’s a Tetris stud.
While the Double-Os spent a leisurely evening with their dad in our hotel room eating takeout from the neighboring Mitsuwa Market and zoning out in front of the boob tube…
…I managed to escape to Salt’s Cure for a meat-tastic dinner with some of my favorite Paleo blogger pals: Diane (Balanced Bites), George (Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations), and Bill and Hayley (The Food Lovers’ Kitchen).
The menu at this tiny West Hollywood spot changes daily. Diners scrutinize the new items scrawled on the illuminated chalkboard on the wall before making their choices.
We all shared an assortment of charcuterie…
…that came with a zingy house-made mustard.
We also split a plate o’ pickles…
…and the grass fed beef carpaccio appetizer.
For my main dish, I ordered the braised short ribs. When the meat arrived, I saw that it was accompanied by some broiled zucchini (yay!) and a big dollop of grits (not so yay). I’ve never been a huge fan of sofkee, so I didn’t eat the mushy maize. The short ribs themselves, however, were tender and flavorful, and dusted with finely-grated horseradish. (The sweet-and-savory bites of pork chop that I “borrowed” from Diane’s plate were even better!)
Don’t fret, my vegetable-loving friends – we didn’t just eat meat. The five of us also shared a bunch of veggie side dishes.
Supper was fantastic: great company, well sourced and prepared grub, and stellar service. I had a great time catching up with camera-shy Diane (whose book, Practical Paleo, is dropping next month!); the blissfully in love Primal cuties Bill and Hayley…
…and George, the sharp Marine with a heart that’s even bigger than his impressive social media savvy.
I love these guys. After hours of gabbing, we begrudgingly left the restaurant ‘cause Jimmy Kimmel was patiently waiting for table. (No, I didn’t bother the man for an autograph, but in retrospect, I should’ve at least told him how much I admired his diabolically funny Natalie Maines/Adam Carolla prank.)
Okay, folks. It’s late, and I gotta get some shuteye so I’ll be (somewhat) alert at the CrossFit Games tomorrow. Hope to see you there!
