I literally just read this. And I literally am hurriedly getting ready to depart for Platform.
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All gone. 
Oh, it was so sad. I had found street parking and was rounding the corner to the front of the store. And I saw 2 people at temp tables packing up. I’ve never had her pies, and I don’t know what Nicole looks like, but I assumed she was one of the people packing.
Me: “Are they all gone???”
Her: “Yes, we just sold out. It was crazy. We had people lined up b/f I ever got here.” ::sigh::
An employee (or owner) of Stay came out and said, “Are you already done??? It seems like you just got here.”
Nicole seems very sweet.
Will have to place an order for one her pies to pick up… Was looking for a pick-me-up b/c I tinkered w/ the bread recipe, and it’s not going well. We’ll see what it looks like when I bake it tonight…
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Summary of our whirlwind trip, including some THE best food I’ve ever had. Thanks everyone for the suggestions! 
Glad to be back in L.A.
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Republique, first time for dinner. $40 for a plate of pasta and mushrooms. I think I’ll stick to picking up bread, pastries, and the occasional sandwich.
It was good, but not $40 good. I wasn’t even paying, yet it still irritated me.
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Hi @Bookwich,
Yah that’s my issue with Republique as well: Some very solid dishes, their pastas are very good, but their prices are borderline ridiculous for said pastas.
MON PETIT POULET
Like @J_L, this weekend I got down with MPP. My first visit. I also thought it was quite good. I had a similar order (mashed potato / haricot vert) but opted for the thyme sauce. Also tried the olive sauce, which was niiiice. The owner/operators couldn’t have been more friendly. Oh! And that chocolate cake. Man. A must order, I’d say. Hope they do well.
705 Lincoln Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
http://www.monpetitpoulet.com/?lang=en
BACO MERCAT
Had some time before seeing Fun Home at the Ahmanson Theatre, and we’d never tried Baco, and so we went. The space is well-lit and welcoming during the day, and I could see it being energetic and fun at night. Not much of a crowd for lunch. Overall, really enjoyed it there. Looking forward to the Culver City location opening up.
THE ORIGINAL BACO
Great, bold flavors and a nice mix of textures
CARNE PICADA FLATBREAD
Comforting and hearty without being heavy
PISTACHIO CHEESECAKE
Again, really nice combo of flavors and textures
408 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
http://www.bacomercat.com/
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How was fun home? Seeing in a few weeks.
Not the person you directed the question to, but I just saw it this past weekend (@President_Mochi: when were you there???). I knew nothing of the musical b/f going. It was amazing, brilliant, and heartbreaking. I left completely gutted, in the best way possible.
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My wife and I thought it was terrific. I am a big fan of the graphic novel, but my wife had never read it, and she really enjoyed the show. Good music, great cast, funny and poignant.
(Plus, we went to a matinee, and stopped off at Little Jewell so I could get a shrimp po boy on the way home, which was excellent as always. And we’re…back on topic! )
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The novel was great - glad you all enjoyed it
I concur with the others’ praises. Really enjoyed it. Since you’ve read the novel, I think you may even like it more. My friend had read it, and from the way she talked about the performance afterwards, it seemed like it enhanced the experience.
@paranoidgarliclover - I was at the 2pm matinee on Saturday. I was the one sipping the over-priced rose with a plastic straw.
@BHAppeal - Little Jewell was literally my second choice if we hadn’t gone to Baco.
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I had my heart set on chirashi sushi from Soregashi for my birthday lunch, but alas, I was mesmerized by the cherry blossoms at Descanso Gardens. Having a new camera to play with could’ve factored into my poor time management skills…
I picked up a fish curry with appam and vegetable pakora from Mayura. The fish curry is one of my favorite dishes there, but the salmon was overcooked. The taste improved a couple of days later. Taiyaki from Deli Taiyaki and sakura mochi from Fugetsu-Do in Little Tokyo for dessert. Back to crappy iPhone 5 photos…
I made a beeline to the Rucker’s Pie pop-up at the Platform. She was testing out a number of new items for her bakery.
I took home a couple of slices of pie and a piece of focaccia. The banana browned butter chess pie was the winner and champeen! The focaccia was tasty, but incredibly rich.
Then, I indulged with the fish sampler and a citrus/avocado/gem lettuce salad from Gjusta. Life couldn’t be any more perfect at the moment. Sigh.
My in-laws treated me to brunch from Din Tai Fung (Glendale branch). Their mascot had a bit of a mishap and was sporting an oven mitt to hide his injury…
They also plied me with honey ginger ice cream and bergamot basil sorbet from Sweet Rose Creamery.
I don’t think I’m going to fit into my skinny jeans after this weekend, but it was damn worth it!
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So jealous, esp after seeing your pics!
Planning to see the cherry blossoms at Decanso. How long are they around???
Ah, I was there Sat evening. To make it on-topic, partner and I went to Pinot Bar for dinner. I have pics, but I haven’t yet uploaded them. He had the shortribs (DELICIOUS), and I had the burger (surprisingly beefy flavor, and the medium rare was a true medium rare!). Poor servers were literally running for the kitchen after they left the seating area; someone said that they had a new chef, so I think they might’ve been running a little behind. Still, we got out in time for the show, and that’s all that matters.
Given that they have a bit of a captive audience, I thought the food was quite good and not unreasonably priced. I would not mind eating there again.
Friend was randomly at the show, too. He said he went to Otium and thought it was “amazing.” Not sure what he had (or if he has much of a palate).
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I feel so guilty, @paranoidgarliclover… Luckily, I don’t think it’ll be too long until her bakery opens.
The Cherry Blossom Festival is happening on the 11th and 12th, but tickets are already sold out. However, members get free tickets. Perhaps give them a call. If you can make it out on a weekday, I believe you should be able to avoid the ticket requirement.
https://www.descansogardens.org/programs-events/cherry-blossom-festival/
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Hi @MaladyNelson,
Happy Birthday! 
Sounds like you had a great weekend. We liked Nicole Rucker’s Chocolate Chess Pie when she rotated it in one weekend at Smorgasburg. Thanks for the thoughts on her new items.
Gjusta Smoked Fish Plate: Perfection! Which Fish did you get this time? Love their bread!
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Don’t feel guilty at all! I’ve been eating a lot recently, so prob for the best that I missed her. 
Hmmm… Might be a reason to get some Pho So 1…
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