Regardless of who wins, be grateful you even have the right to vote. Respect other people’s opinions, knowing how lucky we are to have a voice. Be safe, alert, and care for one another. And if all else fails, there’s always #americakes
IN THE MIX: Pancake Review with Special Guests, E! Dating Coach Laurel House and IVY Members
August 3, 2016
This weekend I had an extra special brunch with E!’s “Famously Single” Dating Coach, Laurel House AND members of The Ivy!
Over the past few months I’ve joined fellow young professionals across the country as a member of The Ivy. The Ivy, aka the world’s first Social University, was created to unite thoughtful individuals through inspiration and connections. The Ivy’s mission is “to trigger transformative ideas and collaborations that lead to unprecedented human unity, progress, and fulfillment.” As a member of the Ivy, there are various monthly social opportunities to attend, including discussions with distinguished leaders, art nights, cocktail and dinner parties, film screenings, theater and symphony performances, fitness and wellness activities, getaways, and more. Ivy Chapters are located in major cities across the country including LA, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, and Washington DC, and chapters are opening soon in Tokyo, Tel Aviv, South Africa, Sao Paolo, London, Paris, Dubai, and more!
Photos from The Ivy Summer Soiree White Party
As part of my Ivy membership interview we discussed Ma’amCakes at length, and soon after being approved as a member, my concierge mentioned that we should throw a Ma’amCakes-specific event! In brainstorming the perfect Guest Reviewer for the brunch, I came across this super interesting interview with Dating Coach (and Ivy member) Laurel House (unfortunately, only Ivy members can read the interview), and decided Laurel would be the perfect candidate.
Laurel, best known for her “tough love” approach, is a Dating Coach on E!’s“Famously Single,” co-host of “The Great Love Debate” podcast on PodcastOne, a Dating Coach for Three Day Rule Matchmaking and CupidsPulse, and has been a featured expert on KTLA Morning News, E! News, Good Morning America, Nightline, Glamour, AskMen, Brides.com, Thrillist.com, and dozens of other print, online, and television outlets. Her FIFTH(!) book “Screwing The Rules: The No-Games Guide to Love” was recently published with Running Press. Laurel is an expert on how-to advice, specifically how to empower clients to move on from breakups, learn how to have successful first dates, and turn those dates into healthy, fulfilling relationships.
In spite of the frequent city-wide “no reservations” brunch policy, Doughboys graciously allowed me to make a reservation, and the lucky first 15 Ivy members to sign up had a guaranteed seat. While it was originally suggested that this be a girls-only brunch, as the main topic was about the dos and donts of dating, I thought it was crucial that this be a diverse discussion; as a result, almost half the attendees were men.
After glancing at the brunch menu and drooling over all the pancake options, we landed on the Black & Whites, Malted Cornmeal, Rice Krispy, and the Blueberry Flax pancakes, which were all split among the table.
As brunch was being served, our table sure had a hot conversation over those delicious hotcakes. The Ivy guests were definitely not shy around Laurel, as they kicked off brunch by asking “what would you say are the biggest mistakes/trends of dating these days?” “Defining gender roles,” said Laurel, “it’s important to let the man be the man and the woman be the woman. A man should always pay, unless the woman offered to take the guy out. And also, clearly stating your intentions from the beginning – uf you’re looking for a relationship, or you’re just looking for a hookup, that’s something you need to make clear on the first date.” After all, we’re not mind readers, people!
After one of the Ivy dudes mentioned how guys are in trouble from the get go, as they have to live up to Prince Charming, Laurel explained why you should screw Prince Charming – but not literally; Prince Charming swoops you up from the life that you know, locks you up in a castle and only sets you free on his terms. Um, well THAT’S an interesting way to look at it! Laurel went on to talk about how you should be open to meeting a spouse in any surrounding (i.e. airports, Starbucks, the grocery store and more), how dating apps have seriously affected dating (and, unless you app-date with a strategy, it’s hard to find love), and how imperative it is to keep an open mind.
Overall, we shared funny stories, interesting relationship lessons, and most importantly, DELICIOUS pancakes! Laurel’s favorite were the Blueberry Flaxseed while mine, of course, were the Rice Krispy pancakes – look at those melted marshmallows! Doughboys’ Pumpkin Pancakes are some of my favorite in LA, but keep in mind, they are only served seasonally.
Thank you so much to Laurel House for being a Guest Reviewer with Ma’amCakes! Be sure to check out Laurel’s website for more tips and tricks – and especially if you’re looking for a dating coach!
Special shout out to The Ivy for helping me put this together, and a huge thank you to the guests who came to dine with Ma’amCakes and Laurel. If you’re interested in learning more about the Ivy, email teresa@ivy.com so that she can personally make sure you are guided through the membership process.
Pancake Review at: THE SMITH
December 27, 2014
Since the moment I landed home in NYC for my annual holiday visit, all I could hear about from my mother was that I needed to try the Salted Caramel Pancakes from our neighborhood restaurant hot spot, The Smith located on 63rd and Broadway; however, there was one problem – I was getting all 4 wisdom teeth removed a few hours after I landed at JFK! While I wasn’t sure whether or not these pancakes would be worth all the motherly hype, one thing was for sure – the thought of dripping salted caramel over a bed of pancakes was enough to force me into an early recovery. Fortunately, I was in good paws and had the best healthcare:
After about seven days of yogurt, eggs, and occasional mac and cheese (I pretty much was only able to taste and swallow), you can imagine how my mouth watered with the thought of these legendary pancakes. Mistakenly, we visited The Smith after 12pm on Wednesday, and learned the hard way that you can *only order brunch before 11am.*
By Saturday, Christmas finally came and after a quick glance at the menu, stitches still intact, I ordered the food item that I had been hearing about for weeks.
The Salted Caramel Pancakes from The Smith were everything I had imagined, and more. The pancakes themselves were like heavenly pillows; if I could have placed those in my mouth after surgery, instead of the gauze, the recovery process would have been much more sweet and savory. The pancakes were so fluffy and delightful that I actually smiled (to the best of my ability) while eating. The touch of salted caramel to the already delectable delicacies created a pancake party in my healing mouth.
While I don’t care much for pecans, nor could I eat anything crunchy anyway, I did appreciate that The Smith placed the pecans on top of the pancakes, as opposed to in the batter. As I’m also not much of a whipped cream person, the, instead, whipped ricotta definitely made the dish more unique. At the end of our meal, I thought for sure my mom would smile with vindication, but she instead said concluded breakfast with “cute waiter!” Like mother like daughter I guess. Hours later, as I’m now getting ready for dinner, I’m still thinking about those pancakes, and while I do have more restaurants to try, these bad boys might just be my new favorite pancakes in NYC. Well mom, this is the only time that I won’t mind hearing “I told you so.”
And for a full video of the Salted Caramel Pancake experience:
A Brunch Burger with… Pancake Buns?!
April 24, 2013
Check out this crazy brunch concoction from Littlefork, that was recommended by a very special FanCake!
See the feature on UrbanDaddy here.
Pancake Review at: SONOMA WINE GARDEN
July 30, 2012
Jun 26th, 2012
Yes, I know what you’re thinking. “They have pancakes?!” Well, Sonoma Wine Garden located on top of Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, CA actually has quite the weekend brunch menu!
Having visited Sonoma Wine Garden for a friend’s birthday, I was already looking forward to the bottomless Bellinis; seeing Ma’amCakes on the menu, however, was just the syrup on the pancake!
So, this menu is pretty much the “Where’s Waldo” of pancakes, but check out the first dish “Kaiserschmarrn,” and voila! Ma’amCakes. Having never tried this “Austrian specialty” before I was a little hesitant, but also delighted, to try something new.
Um. Where are my pancakes, and why is there a spoon on my plate – er, bowl? A Ma’amCakes first! Never in my life have I seen pancakes served this way. First bite, here we go!
Interesting… very interesting. As per the menu above, Kaiserschmarrn consisted of a caramelized Austrian pancake soufflé with raisins and roasted apples. I could definitely taste all of the ingredients. However, to my disappointment, the dish tasted much more like caramelized apples and raisins, with a hit of pancake dressing. In other words, this dish tasted more like the toppings, than the actual main course. Having never tried Kaiserschmarrn it is somewhat difficult to review, as I have nothing to compare it to; that being said, when comparing this dish to the rest of the amazing Ma’amCakes in this city… you can’t even really call these pancakes. With the apple and raisin flavoring, this is the kind of dish you eat in the fall season, before going on a hay-ride.
On a positive note, the whipped cream in the jar was a perfect addition for this dish. The thickness of the cream perfectly balanced the pancakes, and I probably ate more of the whipped cream than that of the Kaiserschmarrn. That ain’t good news for a pancake review, people.
Overall, I highly recommend the Sonoma Wine Garden for brunch, particularly for a special occasion on a beautiful summer weekend. That being said, the Ma’amCakes, not so much. I must say I do actually have some Austrian in me, but have never had Kaiserschmarrn in me before last weekend. I appreciate Sonoma’s attempt to host pancakes with a bit of a twist; but this is Los Angeles, people, and we want a fork on our plate, and at least want an option for more traditional pancakes – especially to soak up the bottomless Bellinis.
