Tocaya Organica - El Segundo

Locally sourced and all organic, Tocaya fits right in at The Point with the likes of find-your-zen Prana and yogi-haven Lululemon. 

It's easy to skip over for the richer sandwiches of Mendocino Farms and overlook it for the brimming pasta plates of North Italia, but they do have an affordable taco combo with a margarita and a menu that accommodates every imaginable dietary restriction/choice. 

I think the Margaritas are new, and they're the best addition yet. The passion fruit is awesome, and guava is just as great. They don't make them weak, but they won't floor you either so you can still drive home after a single glass. 

A "B" is an Asian F, but my tacos begin with B and they get a solid A. The Barrio, as recommended, is mildly feisty with slightly spicy beef chorizo and a kick of jalapeno jack. The Baja is worth getting the carne asada for a little extra, and the combo of chipotle crema and queso fresco is just right.

You also get a side, and I ate two of the Elote. It sets a small mouth-fire, but that’s what your margarita is for. Wash it down while you make good choices, though with the menu at Tocaya, I suspect all choices are good.

Smitten Ice Cream - El Segundo

I am smitten with Smitten. Said no one ever. Pretty sure Yelp is full of all sorts of puns. 

My feelings for Smitten are real. They are pure, and as meticulously-churned as their creamy, cold perfection. I like big bowls and I cannot lie. We were waffling about springing for the waffle bowls, but these bowled us over. They're baked to a level of undeniable perfection, and they're a lot less messy than a cone.

I've been trying to check out Smitten for months. It's hard to make it work with my hectic schedule, but honey, you have to make thyme for the things that matter. The Honey Thyme ice cream matters a lot. It's honey sweetly interrupted by a mildly minty thyme. Glad I gave that one the thyme of day. 

It really teas me off that don't let you mix flavors. Then again, the Earl Gray is such a smooth tease that I don't mind having both scoops at all. I don't support adding sugar to tea, but the brown sugar caramel sauce on top is reminiscent of southern sweet ice tea.

Smitten can't be beat if you're trying to beat the heat. Made-to-order, churned on the spot ice cream has a frozen freshness that shows. It is so much sweeter, so much creamier, so much smoother than any other ice cream you've ever had. Consider me smitten with Smitten!