Tag Archives: Food

Rosenthal Estate Winery

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Do you like wine tasting? A few friends and I made the drive up the PCH into Malibu to visit Rosenthal Estate Winery where we had a fabulous Saturday.

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The weather was fantistic and this gem of a tasting spot is located right off the PCH (not up in the winding hills like the other wineries) which means it’s got ocean views.

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The tasting room has some indoor seating, but it’s best to pack a picnic and layout in the back of the property.

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While we were there, a group setup an engagement party in the back with flowers, homemade signs… the works! It’s looked like a pinterest board!

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There’s the ocean, just yonder. The heat lamps outdoors makes it so you can hang out on the patio long into the night (although they close at 8pm). We started our day with the $12 wine taster (which included 4 wines) and then purchased bottles to share among our group.

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Be sure to bring plenty of snacks and boardgames!

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Oh, and they have goofy surfboards you can pose with. Here is me and my friend Grace being silly.

Add this to your Los Angeles to-do list. In fact, stop at Trader Joes (load up on snacks), hit the beach and then around 3pm mosey on over to the Rosenthal Estate Winery. Doesn’t that sound like a fabulous Saturday?

Do This Today: St. Paddy’s Day Stout @ Tony’s Darts Away

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Are you ready for St Patrick’s Day? Tony’s Darts Away is doing an all weekend celebration! Expect a lot of porters and stouts (my favorite) and even oysters presented by the Oyster Boys. On Saturday at 5pm, the Oyster Boys will be in the house serving $2 oysters. Here’s the rundown copy and pasted right from there event. I can’t wait:

 

ALL WEEKEND we will offer specials including:
• Beer bread made from Old 38 Irish stout & Irish butter
• Oyster Mushroom ceviche (v)
• Chocolate Stout Pudding
• Corned Beef or Seitan (v) & Cabbage w/red potatoes
• The Incompetent Shepherd’s Pie (v)
And substitute a bun on any sausage for a choice of:
• Champ: Irish style mashed potatoes with butter & scallions
• Colcannon: Irish style mashed potatoes with bacon, onions, & braised cabbage) (vegan available)

Taplist to include:
• Ballast Point Victory at Sea Imperial Porter
• Alesmith Speedway Stout
• TAPS Balinese Stout
• Bear Republic Big Bear Stout
• Firestone Walker Walker’s Reserve Porter
• Hangar 24 Chocolate Porter
• Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
• Highwater Brewing Campfire Stout
• Island Brewing Co. Starry Night Stout
• Ventura Surf Brewery Oil Piers Porter
• North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
…and more to be announced!

Event: St. Paddy’s @ Tonys (event link)
Location: Tony’s Darts Away, 1710 W. Magnolia Ave, Burbank, CA
Time: 12p – 2am
Cost: FREE to get in and tons of deals!

Do This Today: Fat Tuesday at Tony’s Darts Away

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Today is Fat Tuesday! For people who don’t celebrate the religious aspects, you can still celebrate the FOOD aspect! Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank is doing a special Fat Tuesday menu including Okra hush puppies, Salmon Burgers, Artichoke Po’ Boys + Oyster Po’Boys, cajun sweet potato fries and kings cake(photo above)! If you’ve never been to Tony’s you should know they have boardgames and you can even bring your own. You’ll love it!

Event: Fat Tuesday @ Tonys (event link)
Location: Tony’s Darts Away, 1710 W. Magnolia Ave, Burbank, CA
Time: 12p – 2am
Cost: FREE to get it and dishes are $6-$10.75

Ninja NYC

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I haven’t talked too much about my holiday in NYC / Connecticut / Cape Cod, but more of that is coming, I promise you. While in NYC just before Christmas, I met up with friends and got to experience the restaurant Ninja.

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This restaurant is completely Ninja themed. The waiters are dressed as ninjas and the decor feels like something out of a movie. The experience begins by taking an elevator to the dining area. We were then led to our table, as all of the tables feel very secluded and private. When you order from the menu, it has symbols on it indicating which meals come with Ninja presentations.

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These presentations are in the photos above. They lit food on fire, and used weapons to serve the dishes… and much more.

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My sushi (above) came with a magical fog (dry ice) which added to the presentation.

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Above is a photo of the dessert we ordered. It looks like breakfast but it was a tasty dessert. All the dishes were fun and the night was enjoyed by the whole group. It’s a pricy meal, so save if for a special occasion and it’s fun with groups (as the more specialty meals ordered, the more ninja magic you get to see). Check it out if you get the chance in New York City.

Spinach and Tomato Southwestern Style Quiche Recipe

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I made this delicious quiche recipe and I have to share it. I basically combined a few recipes and jazzed it up myself. I made it tonight and it was so good. Trust me, it’s delicious. I hope you enjoy!

Isn’t she a ‘bute!? Not just tasty, but pretty too. And this is all it took:

Spinach + Tomato Southwestern Style Quiche (makes 1, 9″pie)

Ingredients:
1 cup Fat free milk
2 cups Low moisture or fat free cheese (let’s try to keep it healthy-ish)
1 cup Southwestern Style Egg Beaters (it’s less than a small carton)
10oz Frozen spinach (I just made up this quantity, and you can sub in other veggies)
2 Small Roma Tomatoes
1 Pillsbury pre-rolled pie crust (2 come in a package… so make 2 quiches!)

I started by preheating the oven to 350F. While that’s heating up, put the frozen spinach in a skillet.. maybe add some garlic and olive oil if you’re so inclined. Be sure to save 1 tomato to cut into round slices, which will go on the quiche last. That’s what makes a lovely coloring in the presentation. While the veggies are cooking and the stove is preheating, why not spread out the pie crust in a 9″ pie dish. If you’re using a Teflon-type metal pan, there’s no need to coat it with anything first. In a medium sized bowl add 1 cup of the egg beaters (equals about 4 eggs), the cup of milk, and the 2 cups of cheese. Just stir a little to make sure all the cheese is coated in the liquid. Around now the veggies should be finishing up and the stove perfectly heated. Take the veggies (drain if it’s watery) and add it to the cheese/egg/milk bowl. Stir just a little and then pour into the pie pan. Try to keep the cheese from clumping together and really mix it in with the veggies. Lastly, put your slices of tomato along the top in a cute array. Push down on them just a tad, so the egg mixture seeps through,just a little. You want the tomatoes to be apart of the quiche and not just sitting on top. Put in the oven for 1 hour. After an hour make sure it’s fully cooked and then let it sit for 10+ minutes to cool. You’ll see the quiche slowly settling to it’s regular size. Then enjoy!

A nice treat to enjoy with the quiche is a spoon full of plain greek yogurt (a healthier substitute for sour cream with lots of protein!). Sometimes it’s nice to have a little avocado on the side… it’s a nice creamy touch.

Hawaii Post 9: Crossing Food Off The List

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To catch you up to speed:
Post 1: The Hilton Waikoloa
Post 2: Waikoloa to Hilo
Post 3: Hilo to Volcano Village
Post 4: Volcano Village to Kona
Post 5: Kona to Maui
Post 6: Lahaina + Trilogy Boating Excursion
Post 7: Ziplining + Maui Brewing Company
Post 8: The Road To Hana

This is my LAST Hawaii post, I swear, and it’s a shorty.

On our last day, we spent it relaxing by the beach and buying goodies to bring home to our  friends but we also had one last indulgence: food. I know what you’re thinking, we ate so much already what could we possibly add to the list? Oh boy…

We started our day by visiting the Gazebo Restaurant which was only a mile away from our condo. It’s right on the water and exactly like it sounds, a gazebo. It’s a favorite amongst everyone in the neighborhood and expect a line. But the best things in life are worth waiting for right?

It started raining while we were waiting in line to get in, and they had a special Gazebo umbrella stand with giant umbrellas waiting for us. That’s one think about Hawaii, one thing it’s raining and the next it’s perfect weather. You never know. Our day started rainy (it’s like Hawaii knew we were leaving!) and then ended up being a great last beach day.

After a tasty sandwich at the Gazebo, we walked across the sand to Napili Beach to enjoy our last swim. The water was so warm I couldn’t resist. And a sea turtle stopped by too. After a couple hours we left the beach to check into where my sister was staying for the remainder of her trip. While my friend and I had to head back to LA to face reality, my sister extended her trip through Memorial Day weekend. This meant that we had a place to wash off after our beach day, which worked out really well for us.

Now what time is it? Time for dessert! We decided to have dessert before dinner on our last day. If you think that sounds piggy, well it is. We stopped into Kimo’s (a Young House Love recommend) and caught their happy-hour drink specials and shared a massive macnut “hula pie”. It’s point “B” on the map. Yummy and huge so definitely share.

Now that dessert was out of the way, we made room for dinner. We stopped into Cool Cat Cafe where my sister and I split a veggie burger and our friend got a salad for the plane. We weren’t starving (obviously) but we knew we wouldn’t get to eat for another 8 hours.

We said our goodbyes to Lahaina, and she replied with a rainbow. Don’t worry, we’ll be back.

The Golden Road Brewing Pub Grand Opening

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If you read my blog, you know I practically live at Tony’s Darts Away, love Mohawk Bend and have been eagerly awaiting Golden Road Brewing. Basically anything Tony Yanow has a hand in, I enjoy. Sunday, January 15th, was the Golden Road Brewing Pub Grand Opening and I wouldn’t miss it!

Making your way down San Fernando in Glendale, you can’t miss their primary-colored facilities just across the railroad tracks.

The opening was from 11a-11p and I showed up around 1pm and ended up staying until 4p. The weather was cloudy, but didn’t keep people from enjoying the patio. The last time I was here (which I wrote about HERE) was for their brewery opening, where I spent most of my time in a different building and only got a peak at what their pub would become. It’s hard to believe that was only 3 months ago!

I started off with their Rye on the Palate, which had notes of coffee (which I love). It was delicious. I followed it up with the Schwartz Stout which I also enjoyed. I was there with great company: Amber, Adam and Adams cousin Michael.

They had a wide selection of tee shirts, and promo items as well as books on craft brews. My favorite item is the tote with pockets for two Golden Road growlers (the middle bag in the photo).

The bartenders were very nice and the wait staff was active about collecting glasses and cleaning the tables. During the 3 hours I was there, there was a steady flow of people coming and going and we thankfully got a table for the full three hours. We were having so much fun that the hours flew by and we didn’t even do one of the many tours they offered. Occasionally a train would go by and everyone would cheer and drink! Now that’s a drinking game I like.

The crowd was a mix of hipsters, curly mustaches, older couples, groups of people in jerseys (they had football on their 3 tvs) and even families (earlier in the day). We ordered some of their fritters and I especially loved the mushroom risotto parmesan fritters (so tasty!).

We took advantage of their special “$10 for a burger and a can” deal. I ordered the vegan burger (of course) which was loaded with peppers and quite scrumptious as well as the Golden Road Hef, all for $10! I look forward to coming back and ordering off their main menu as well as tasting more of their brews. The only thing that could make this place any better would be board games. I could easily see myself meeting friends at one of their long tables on a Friday night, trying some new brews while playing some Apples 2 Apples and eating risotto fritters. Ahhhh, Heaven.

Boneyard Bistro: Stout Night

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Stout Night

As Beer Week continues, I found myself at Boneyard Bistro on Tuesday night for their Stout Night. As a stout fan, I couldn’t pass it up. As a human being, I was exhausted. But sleeping is for the dead, and Im thankful I joined Amber for a lovely beer tasting at Sherman Oak’s Boneyard Bistro. I tried the Nectar Ales Black Xantus and the Bear Republic Old Baba Yaga which were 4oz for $4. It was a great way to try new brews without going overboard in price or quantity. The Zantus was amazing and so full of chocolate and cherry flavor that I had to take my time drinking it. The Yaga was very strong and had a coconut flavor, this too was a sipper for me. Did you go? What did you get? Is there one on the list I should try?

The past 2 weeks have been fabulous, trying new beers and exploring new bars with good prices. The final event will be happening this Sunday at Union Station (take the metro!) and tickets are $45. That’s a bit costly for me, but beer lovers won’t want to miss the over 70 local breweries that will be serving up at the event.

Although beer week is coming to an end, that doesn’t mean awesome beer events have to stop. Hopefully you tried some new brews and have some new favorite bars. If you’re still jonesing for a cool beer event, you don’t need to wait long. On Saturday October 29th Drink and Hunt LA is hosting a boozy Halloween scavenger hunt. Check out the link and get your $25 tickets through Thrillist for a deal.

Taken from Thrillist’s website

Monday Funday

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What did you end up doing this weekend? Leave a comment if you did something we should all know about… especially if it was a fun reoccurring event.

Last week was so crazy (adjusting back to the work schedule and all) so I allowed myself Friday night to vegg-out, watch some TV and hit the hay. It was fantastic and we all deserve a night like that.

On Saturday I got a text from the lovely Amber that she was available for a nighttime excursion so we decided to attend the grand opening event at Sunset Beer Company. They had a food truck out front and a wall of fridges filled with cold beer you can get to-go or purchase and enjoy on one of their couches. Amber is a beer expert, so she gave me the rundown of what I should get. They had a DJ spinning tunes from 8-9p and then a live band started up around 9-10p. The entire place consists of 2 rooms, one for buying beer to-go and the other with a small bar and lounge style seating. The event had a great turn out. Did you go? What did you think? They seemed unprepared for the number of attendees. There was one place to purchase beer, which meant long lines and once you purchased the beer you had to get in another line to get them to open the bottle and get you a glass (quite a process). But once you maneuvered the lines there was a fair amount of room to snag a spot to watch the band. It was a very fun free (except for the cost of the beer) event. Overall, I really enjoyed myself and recommend checking this place out.

From there we crossed the street to check out the opening of Villainy General Store, a cute little shop along Sunset. They had good prices on hipstery gifts ranging from artwork and ponchos to old school candy cigarettes and soaps. The highlight for me were the break-up greeting cards (example: “God wants me to see other people. Correction: God wants me to stop seeing you”). They also had a nice food spread to celebrate the opening. At this point it was just after 10pm and we decided to walk up Sunset to Tony’s Darts Away sister restaurant: Mohawk Bend.

A visit to Mohawk Bend is a long time in the works for me. I love Tony’s Darts Away, so when I heard they were opening a sister restaurant in Echo Park I was dying to check it out. Unfortunately, every time I was scheduled to go something would always come up.

Thankfully, the stars aligned on Saturday night and Amber and I had a great visit. We got there pretty late in the night which meant the 20 minute wait we were told to expect was more like a 5 minute wait (just enough time to grab a Coffee Citizen beer by Cismontane). Just like Tony’s, their beer list was about 3 pages long. Once seated we wrestled with what to order (as all of it sounded fantastic). We decided on the Bittersweet Symphony pizza (radicchio, sweet peppers, and smoked mozzarella) to share (perfect for 2) with a side of rosemary seasoned fries. The food bill came out to under $20. Great food, great beer, great prices. I can promise you Amber and I will be back.

Other deals in the area to be aware of: Barragan’s offers Wednesday night margaritta deals. Get there early and snag a spot on their rooftop patio. After that head to Gold Room next door for their cheap shots and free tacos. If you’re in the mood to dance, Short Stop has a dance floor without the creepiness that comes with a nightclub and they are located a little east along Sunset. Across from Short Stop on the inside corner of the strip mall is Sunset Beer Company, which as I learned this weekend, is a great place to get unique bottled beer for a good price. From there head back west on Sunset for about 5/10 minutes and hit Mohawk Bend on the north side of the street for a great meal. I don’t recommend all of these places in one night, but plan your night around hitting a few of these spots and you won’t be disappointed.

Bar of the Day: Tony’s Darts Away

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Today I want to talk about one of my favorite places in Los Angeles: Tony’s Darts Away. I first discovered Tony’s when I drove home from work late at night a year ago. I would drive down Magnolia in Burbank, passing tv repair shops and barbershops that were closed for the night and in between these Mom and Pop shops was Tony’s Darts Away. This tiny bar had bicycles lined up out front and a warm light coming through the windows; it was definitely worth investigating. The bar is usually quite crowded for such a hidden location. They serve amazing vegan hot dogs with a menu of do-it-yourself fixin’s. I must recommend the vegan smoked apple sage sausage with cheddar cheese, vegan aioli, and frizzled onions on top for a crunch. Amazing. If you go with friends be sure to get a dish of the vegan sweet-potato fries. They put a molasses on top and sprinkle the fries with nuts, which creates a sweet/salty/crunch combo that you will love.

Besides their amazing food, they serve beer made at smaller independent breweries and they have them all on tap. Tony’s is about being eco-friendly and cans and bottles are not on their menu. They have special brewery events and an extensive menu everyday. They are definitely worth friending on facebook and stopping by for a cold one. For under $20 you could have an awesome night of unique ales, vegan hot dogs, and board games (oh yeah, did I forget to mention THAY HAVE BOARD GAMES!) They opened a sister restaurant called Mohawk Bend in Echo Park which is more about the food and less about the beer. As soon as I go I will review it for you here! Check them out at http://www.tonysda.com/

*Just a reminder that I am not paid to advertise anything I post, this and future posts are all based on my experiences and hopefully will help you find a fun cheap way to try something different in Los Angeles.