All'acqua.

Have you ever gone to a Dodger game or a concert at the Greek Theater and came out starving and wondering where you can grab a bite? All'acqua is the perfect place! It's located in the up and coming Atwater Village on the Glendale Boulevard strip, and its Italian name, All'acqua translates to Atwater.

The menu offers Pan-Italian dishes including wood fired pizzas and house made pastas. I went with my girl friend and we love to order a few things from the menu and share them all. It's a great way to experience different things restaurants offer. All'acqua also has a large variety Californian and Italian wines that make this place also great for date nights.

We started off with grilled country bread, which was drizzled with garlic and olive oil. This bread is one of the best breads I've eaten at a restaurant! It isn't complimentary, but for $3, it's a good appetizer.

Next, we ordered the charred asparagus egg fried in bread crumbs and topped with shaved Parmesan cheese. This was by far my favorite item on the menu! The asparagus gives the dish a fresh taste and the cheese and bread crumbs give it a comfort food feel. I couldn't get enough of this.

I'm a huge pasta lover, in fact it's probably my favorite thing to eat, so I had to try one of the house made pasta dishes. We decided to try the spinach and mushroom pasta. The sauce on the pasta was really light, which was nice since we were eating so much. You can taste the freshness of the pasta, which was cooked perfectly al dente.

All the wood fired pizzas on the menu looked so delicious. My girl friend is a little picky with what she eats, so we had to compromise by ordering the prosciutto and arugula pizza. The pizza was fairly large and since we ordered so much food, I was only able to eat one slice. That one slice, however, was amazing. Somehow cooking pizza in a wood fired oven gives it a certain flavor that can't be beat.

We couldn't end the meal without dessert, of course, so we ordered the Bombolini. They were Italian donut holes covered in a Nutella sauce and paired with vanilla gelato. The gelato was super creamy and the juxtaposition of it with the warm donut holes was perefection. It's the most popular dessert on All'acqua's menu, so it's a must have!

Next time you are looking for a night out at a local trendy spot, check out All'acqua in Atwater Village and make a night of it by visiting one of the many surrounding bars after your dinner! 

Rosé Wishes and Lavender Dreams

A few weeks ago, I ventured to the LA County Museuem of Art to check out the acclaimed Rain Room exhibit (which was awesome, by the way!). Since I didn't have a ticket to the exhibit I had to be put on stand by for a ticket holder to not show up. In the meantime, I trekked the other exhibits at the museum, but still had time so I decided to get a drink at the cute little restaurant on site, Ray and Stark's Bar.

Now, I'm not necessarily into really fruity drinks, I tend to go for the drinks with bourbon, but one item on the cocktail menu immediately caught my eye...the Rosé Wishes and Lavender Dreams! I love lavender and rosé and thought it would be an interesting combination together, and quite honestly, how could anyone not love the name of the drink? I bet even Robin Leach would love to try this. The drink consisted of sparkling rosé wine, lavender syrup, vodka, and lemon.

I've been to a lot of bars in LA and have had some really great drinks, and I can honestly say that this drink at Ray and Stark's Bar is one of my top 5 favorite cocktails in LA! It has a hefty amount of vodka in it as well, but with the flavors of the rosé, lavender, and a splash of lemon, you can barely taste it. It feels like you're drinking a fancy soda. Fair warning: the drink really creeps up on you...you can barely taste the vodka, but trust me, it's there!

I don't live super close to LACMA and I can't be going there every time I feel like having this drink so I attempted to make it at home, and it actually came out quite successfully! If you can't make it to LA and want to try this drink, I'm bringing it to you with this quick recipe. Make adjustments where you wish (i.e. the amount of vodka), but either way, you are sure to love it! I, personally, couldn't find sparkling rosé, which the bar used, so I just used a Love Noir non sparkling rosé wine.

Rosé Wishes and Lavender Dreams
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Lavender syrup (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons lavender leaves)
• The juice of 1 medium sized lemon
• 1.5 cups Rosé wine (sparkling or non sparkling)
• 3 shots vodka
• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger 

Directions:

1. Start by making the lavender syrup. Boil 1 cup of water with 3 tablespoons of lavender leaves. Once it has boiled, add 1 cup of sugar until it dissolves in the water. Strain the lavender leaves from the mixture and let cool. 

      2. In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add 1.5 cups of Rosé wine. **Note: if you're using             sparkling wine, don't shake it in the shaker! Shake the other ingredients first then add the                     sparkling wine after.  

      3. Using a jigger, add 3 shots of vodka to the wine. 

      4. Pour 1 shot of the lavender syrup into the mixture in the shaker. 

      5. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the mixture. 

      6. Seal the shaker and shake the ingredients all together. 

      

      7. Pour the drink into a martini glass and garnish with some lavender leaves. 

      8. Enjoy!  

Cheers! 

Zinque.

A few weeks ago, I hustled down to Melrose to check out a really cool Seinfeld pop up exhibit, so since I was already there, I decided to eat dinner at one of the trendy spots around the area. I came across this really cute French bistro type place called Zinque and fell in love with it.

I'm a huge fan of French food. What's not to like? Cheese, wine, fresh baguettes, crepes, wine, cheese, wine, cheese, tartes, and did I say wine and cheese? I love French wine and cheese, especially with good bread so I went a little crazy on ordering it here.

I started off with a Rose from Provence. I tend to like my wines on the dry side, but this wine was actually very delicious and paired well with everything else I ordered. My boyfriend, the beer lover, was pleasantly shocked to see his favorite beer, Delirium, on tap!

We started with the Ahi Tuna Tartare with Pesto as an appetizer. The fish was really fresh and it tasted really good with the pesto and fresh parmesan shavings on top. But the best part of this dish was the bread all the tartare was placed on. If you've been to Paris or know anything about French pastries, you know Polaine and Polaine is the best of the best when it comes to bread. Zinque ships out Polaine bread from Paris and it really brings the whole dish together. I honestly don't know how I will go back to eating bread from the grocery store after I had the bread here.

Next was a Quiche Lorraine. This quiche is named after a region in France and had pancetta and Gruyere cheese. It was absolutely divine. It came with scalloped potatoes with more cheese on them...I mean, can you get more French than that?

Because I clearly did not have enough cheese in this meal, I also ordered Baked Camembert Cheese. Baking a soft cheese and getting it all warm and gooey takes a cheese to a whole other level, let me tell you. It's really a must have. It was served with a drizzle of honey on top of the cheese, Marcona almonds, grapes, and wheat bread.

What's a French meal without dessert? I was so full, but I knew I couldn't pass up dessert. Hence this glorious Banana Bread with French Vanilla ice cream. The banana bread was warm and soft and the ice cream on top was just the perfect addition to it. I just love when ice cream slowly melts on top of a warm dessert. Don't make the mistake of not ordering this.

I love checking out new restaurants and bars wherever I go, but I think I will definitely be back here in the future! If only for that Polaine bread :) 

Vinoteque on Melrose.

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I were looking for a cute little place to have dinner and we stumbled across this place, Vinoteque on Melrose Ave, which I remembered my cousin, Mimi, suggesting to me. It's known for it's amazing wine selection and tapas style meals. For those that don't know, tapas are small plates which are shared among the table. Vinoteque was a good fusion of French and Spanish style tapas.

What I loved the most about this place was the ambience in the outdoor patio where we sat. It was a courtyard area with vines growing all over the walls, a calming fountain in the center, and a projection of a film noir silent movie playing in the background. It was a really nice date spot, but I would also totally come here with a girlfriend and I saw a group of people celebrating a birthday in a secluded cabana.

Make sure to ask about the wines! Most of the wines are French and I had a hard time deciphering what was what so I just ordered one that wasn't so great. Luckily, they allowed me to taste it and order another one since I didn't like it.

We started our meal with truffle fries (of course, my favorite) and the dipping sauce was a type of salsa, which really complemented the fries.

Then we had some fried artichoke hearts and let me tell you...I dreamt about these after eating them, because of how good they were. I have a mind to recreate these babies on my own at home.

Next, we had little mini Croque Monsieurs, which are French ham and cheese sandwiches. They were topped with balsamic vinegar, which really completed the dish. We also had these amazing sliders, which I really enjoyed. It had a tasty combination of sun dried tomatoes, onion jam, and harissa mayo...this was to die for.

Lastly, we ended our meal with the usual tapas dessert...churros! They were mini bite sized churros and were paired with a caramel sauce and boysenberry jam to dip the churros in.

If you're looking for a place to catch up with a friend or to impress your date, Vinoteque is definitely the place! 

Meat District Co.

The other night, my girl friend and I decided to extend our list of eating at the best burger spots in LA so we paid a visit to Meat District Co. in Pasadena to try out their burgers. Let me just say, the quality of the beef here is spectacular. It's really juicy and tender. In addition to the 10 types of different burgers, the menu is riddled with so many different meals like hot dogs and BBQ ribs. I didn't get a chance to try any of those, but the burgers and side dishes were amazing. I was impressed by everything from the menu to the food to the dessert.

How cute is this meat cleaver shaped menu?

A wall of wines...my heaven.

Our flights of white wine.

Transparent refrigerator filled with fresh meat. 

Southwestern Burger: 1/2 lb of beef with potato rosti, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and arugula.

Honorable mention burger: Truffle Burger 1/2 lb of beef with truffle Parmesan, arugula, roasted peppers, tomato, and truffle aoili. 

French fries.

Truffle mashed potatoes.

We had a milkshake for dessert including creme caramel pudding with a butterscotch shake mixed with Ferrero Rocher. To die for...make it a point for your next burger craving!

Throwing a Fab Dinner Party.

Last weekend, I decided to throw a dinner party for my girlfriends at my house. I've watch tons and tons of Barefoot Contessa episodes...enough that I've learned a few tips and created some of my own for creating the perfect dinner party. I really love cooking and I love entertaining, so this was a fun experience for me. Here's what it takes to throw a great dinner party...

Table Setting:

Use a fun tablecloth and pair with napkins in a similar a color palette. The color blue is psychologically an appetite opener, so its helpful to use. Serving food in white serving dishes are classy and a good way to make your food the star of the table rather than a fancy plate.

Flowers are a great centerpiece to bring the table together. It's great to use bright colored flowers that pop in contrast with the tablecloth, napkins, and plates. Make sure the flowers aren't too tall. I like to test this by sitting in front of the flowers and making sure the flowers are not in my field of vision when I look across the table.

Candles are also a great addition to your table. Make sure, again that they are not too tall. Most importantly, make sure they are NOT scented! You don't want a candle scent to overpower the smell of your delicious food.

I used a blue color palette and added a pop of color with bright yellow sunflowers. 

Drinks:

I like to have both red and white wine available for my guests. Have enough bottles for the amount of guests you will have...about 1 bottle per 4 people.

I also have some hard liquor and a couple juices or sodas to mix it with.

Finally, I fill a pitcher with water and add some lemons to place on the table.

Toasting to my girls. 

Dinner:

Start with a good appetizers. Depending on the amount of guests, have a couple of options. Since I only had 3 guests, I made a cheese plate. I placed brie, gouda, and gruyere cheese on lemon leaves and added some toasted french bread with red grapes and almonds.

Everyone's tastes are different, but what I like to do is have 5 parts to a meal:

1. Start with a salad with a light dressing. 
2. I like to include some type of bread like rolls or garlic bread. 
3. Then for the main course, I like to make 1 protein dish like marinated chicken, steak, or fish. 
4. Then I have 1 carbohydrate side dish like mashed potatoes or a simple pasta. 
5. Then I have a MUST of a vegetable(s) like brussel sprouts or broccolini. 

For my dinner party, I began with a light Greek salad with lemon and olive oil and made some garlic Parmesan bread. I made grilled chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, rosemary, sage, and olive oil. I paired it with roasted rosemary potatoes and roasted asparagus.

Dessert:

When the meal is done, I like to serve dessert with tea and coffee.

I like to have fresh fruit as a dessert option for those who prefer healthy alternatives.

Desserts are what guests bring as a gift to a dinner party most of the time, so serving their gifted dessert is a must.

Depending on the amount of work you do to prepare for dinner, I like to keep this part light and simple. I cheat and just arrange store bought cookies or buy a pie or cake. If the rest of the dinner I make is easy and less time consuming, I'll try to bake a dessert.

And that's it! A fun and easy way to entertain and throw a great dinner party. Getting compliments about it all is the best part ;)

Spontaneous Getaways...Wine Not?

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend! For me, this weekend I had a spontaneous desire to get out of town so my boyfriend and I trekked to Temecula where some of our favorite wineries are. The first time we went there was after buying a Groupon deal that gave us a few wine tastings at various wineries, and the awesome wine and a fun time brought us back!

Some wineries are more tourist driven and a bit pricey, and they all have a different vibe. Hart Winery, for instance, is a great spot to buy good wine that is moderately priced (they have the best Rosé!), but there isn't much of a nice ambiance to sit down and enjoy a glass of wine there with a great view. Leoness Cellars, on the other hand, is more pricey but it has an amazing area to enjoy your wine outside. The outside seating overlooks the winery's grape vines and also has a nice view of the some of the Temecula wine country. Churon Winery was also a great tasting spot...word to the wise, they pour double the wine in your glass than most other wineries do for the tastings here *wink wink*. 

As far as food is concerned, I wasn't expecting anything amazing from such a small town, but I ended up finding some great local spots that left me wanting to go back for more. We loved Gourmet Italia, which had delicious authentic Italian dishes and the nicest owner/manager who spoke to all the restaurant patrons throughout the night. Check in on Yelp and you get a free cannoli! The Great Oak Steakhouse at the Pechanga was also great. And for breakfast, save your appetite for pancakes of many many flavors at Original Pancake House (pumpkin all year round!). 

Needless to say, Temecula is a great mini getaway and I would recommend it to anyone looking to relax and have a fun, delicious, and tipsy weekend ;)

Leoness Cellars.

Leoness vines.

Hart Merlot.

Before fermentation.

Pops of sunshine color among the vines.

Ponte Winery.

25

In my circle of friends, we celebrate our birthdays on the actual day and continue celebrating until a week or two after..what other way would you want to celebrate your birthday? Birthdays come once a year, celebrating yourself is only appropriate. These are the highlights of birthweek celebrations...

My week started with a romantic dinner with my boyfriend.

Houston's, Pasadena.
Recommended entrées: Thai steak noodle salad, French dip sandwich. 
Recommended wine: Belle Glos Pinot Noir.

Next I celebrated with my family.

Birthday balloons from my best friend.

Pink ombré cake with strawberries and Kit Kat made by my mom. 

                     

Me and my best friend, Natalie.

Finally, I celebrated with all my friends at one of my favorite bars, Sassafras Saloon in Hollywood. 

Revolving whiskey bottles at the bar.

My girls.

Spin the wheel, for your drink price.

L'amour. 

Homemade cinnamon and chocolate chip cupcakes for all.

Thanks to everyone who made my birthday so memorable this year. I love you all!