About the Joy of Food

Articles by: Joy

Pizzana

in Carbapalooza, Comfort, United States, Los Angeles, CA, Vegetarian, Italian 6 comments

Los Angeles, CA (The Joy of Food) — If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be an ultra-rich asshole living in Brentwood hidden behind 10-foot privacy hedges that wrap every inch of your house, you can get an idea by sitting in Pizzana’s patio for lunch. It doesn’t get […]

Zak the Baker

in American, Breakfast and Pastry, Carbapalooza, United States, Miami, FL 7 comments

Miami, FL (The Joy of Food) — Zak the Baker is the bakery every neighborhood needs, a bustling, thriving city hot spot with the glorious baked goods to warrant its cult-like following and endless accolades. If you come here for one thing and one thing only, it should be for […]

HiroNori Craft Ramen

in Carbapalooza, Comfort, United States, Vegetarian, Japanese, San Diego, CA 6 comments

San Diego, CA (The Joy of Food) — San Diego is blessed with formidable ramen options, even outside traditionally Asian neighborhoods. The king of ramen in San Diego is probably Tajima, long considered a bastion of porky goodness for the masses. Then there’s HiroNori, recently arrived to town and bringing […]

Gusta Pizza

in Florence, Carbapalooza, Comfort, Italy, The Milky Way, Italian 2 comments

Florence, Italy (The Joy of Food) — Florence is a city with countless wonders, but remarkable pizza isn’t one of them. Unless you’re familiar with the regional cuisines of Italy, you may not know that the food known as ‘pizza’ generally struggles to find its footing north of Rome. No […]

The Original Sab-E-Lee

in Comfort, Gone Fishing, United States, Vegetarian, San Diego, CA, Thai 6 comments

San Diego, CA (The Joy of Food) — Of all the Thai cuisines represented in California, Isaan-style may be the most delicious. The food of Isaan is famous for being very spicy and pungent, seasoned with fresh herbs and fermented fish (plah rah), featuring some of Thailand’s spiciest salads. All […]

Hodad’s

in American, Comfort, Drink, Greasy Stuff, United States, Vegetarian, San Diego, CA 6 comments

San Diego, CA (The Joy of Food) — Hodad’s is a beacon of hope serving baskets of awesome to the shirtless and shoeless since 1991. Those who are seriously hammered, stoned, and/or missing clothes are welcomed with open arms. I first visited Hodad’s when I was a college-going gal in […]

Ladurée

in Paris, Breakfast and Pastry, Dessert, France, French 5 comments

Paris, France (The Joy of Food) — I was introduced to Ladurée, and dare I say the finer things in life, on trips to Paris in my youth, when I was led hand-in-hand down the grand boulevards by my mother and given bites of the cloud-like little pillows of pistachio-flavored […]

Sprinkles Cupcakes

in American, Carbapalooza, Dessert, Los Angeles, CA, United States, Vegetarian 4 comments

Los Angeles, CA (The Joy of Food) — Sprinkles began as a haute cupcakery to the stars with this location in Beverly Hills in 2005, ushering in the era of designer sweets and the prices to match. Before Sprinkles, charging $5 for a cupcake would have gotten someone punched in […]

Joe Beef

in Montreal, Canada, Comfort, Gone Fishing, French, Meaty Goodness, Quebecois 2 comments

Montreal, Canada (The Joy of Food) — When I saw two jolly guys on television traveling with their own stash of truffles on a train jaunt through the Québécois countryside, I knew I needed to visit whatever restaurant they were hawking on the show. Those jolly guys were chef-owners David […]

Bestia

in Carbapalooza, Comfort, Drink, Meaty Goodness, United States, Los Angeles, CA, Italian 4 comments

Los Angeles, CA (The Joy of Food) — To understand Bestia, you should look at the gnocchi al pomodoro, a dish with just a handful of ingredients. Their version comes closest to how you’d find it in Italy. I would eat my weight in these little pillows of heaven if […]