Fig Friday

I’ll fly through the beginning of this post and get the part when (part of) my family is in town!!

So tired I couldn’t even scoop my oats into the bowl.  They were made with oats, buckwheat, apples, cinnamon, and vanilla stevia. 

 

Lunch was shake ‘n bake.  Minus the bake.  I just love using tupperware with lids to get dressing in every nook and cranny.

 

This is especially important when it’s a delicious dressing like Follow Your Heart’s vegan caesar.

It helps if you sing while you do it: shake shake shake, shake shake shake…

 

This gorgeous monster had mixed greens, broccoli slaw, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumber. And a looooot of Caesar dressing. 

 

I had a ciabatta roll on the side to wipe up all the extra dressing.  But once the dressing was all gone, I wanted another roll.  So I had a second one with hummus. 

 

Sabra done.  Looks like another Costco trip is in order…

After lunch I did some work around the apartment, went on a run, and then got ready for the arrival of my mom, sister, and g-ma.  The girls in my family (minus Laura, who is still traveling the world) were in Southern California for a baby shower.  Even though I was going to see them on Saturday, they were nice enough to brave the Friday LA traffic to commute from my g-ma’s house in Newport Beach to Santa Monica.  A good meal with family is worth it.  🙂

We went to a restaurant called FIG, which I have been eyeing for a while now.  The restaurant is located in the Fairmont Hotel on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica.  Despite being blocks from our apartment, I actually discovered FIG’s cuisine at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market (they occasionally have a small set-up serving part of their menu).

With their focus on eating local, seasonal, and organic, how could I not be a fan?!  The menu even tells you what produce is currently in season and/or coming soon.  Being in California certainly has it’s perks. 

The food has nothing but amazing reviews and the block-from-the-ocean location can’t be beat.  So we gave it a try!

We started with cocktails.  I was SO happy to find they had my absolute favorite drink ever, the Moscow Mule.  Mmmm…ginger.  It came in a cute tin mug too.  My mom’s blueberry and thyme cocktail is to the left of mine. 

 

As soon as these individual bread packets arrived, I was in love.  They were hot and lightly toasted and sooo soft.  Yum.

Our waitress was really nice and friendly and easily helped me navigate the vegan options on the menu (there were plenty).  She also helped the rest of the fam by sharing her favorites and whatnot.  I love good service and she was excellent. 

Even though there were large salads as main courses and a vegetable curry entree, I ended up choosing a starter and vegetable side because they were among her favorites. 

Brussels sprouts with a vegan preparation (without butter or bacon).  They were very vinegar-heavy, which I didn’t mind, but my mom (who also got them) thought they were a bit too potent.  That may be because there was no bacon to balance the dish, but I still enjoyed it.  I love brussels sprouts, so whenever I get a chance to eat them without having to stink up the apartment, I jump at the chance. 

 

Scarlet quinoa with chard, carrots, apples, and Marcona almonds.  Finally, I now know the name of those white almonds!  This dish blew my mind.  It was bursting with flavor.  I savored each and every bite.  I can’t even being to describe how stellar it was.  I would order it again and again and again.

Marie and Kyle both started with a tomato soup.  Kyle actually said this was “the best” tomato soup he has ever had.  So yeah, I guess it was good.

My mom and Marie spilt the Chopped Salad as their entree, which had chicken, avocado, Applewood Smoked Bacon (which they omitted), charred corn, hazelnuts, cranberries, and a lemon-oregano dressing.  The crispies on top were fried carrot chips.  The meatless version of this was my back-up order.  It looked great also, so I may have to go back and try it as well.

 

As per our waitresses recommendation, Kyle and my g-ma both got the Short Rib and Pancetta Meatloaf. 

 

It came with mashed potatoes, Nante carrots, and baby broccoli.  Kyle all but licked his plate. 

Last but not least…dessert. 

 

Even though we were all stuffed we got a strawberry and rhubarb crumble for the table.  The strawberry ice cream came on the side so the lactose intolerant folk didn’t get sick.  I avoided the crumble top because it most definitely had butter in it, but I did have a bite of the fruity inside.  It was tart, but sweet in a deliciously balanced way. 

This was very much one of my favorite meals in Santa Monica.  What with the fun, summery ambiance, the emphasis on seasonal produce from local growers, and the ingredients-first inspired meals, I know we will be going back. 

FYI to the locals, FIG at Five takes place every Tuesday through Saturday from 5-6 pm in which they offer the menu for half price.