Darren’s Restaurant Partners Up with The Macallan for Special Dinner on March 16th! #DarrensMB

 

Darren’s Restaurant Partners Up with Macallan for Special Dinner on March 16th!

By Erin

On Monday, March 16th, Darren’s Restaurant is hosting a special 5 course dinner featuring the Macallan Brand of Scotch. If you’ve been around here for awhile, you know this isn’t my first time at Darren’s. This past summer, I was introduced to this gem of a place located in beautiful Manhattan Beach, just steps away from the beach. The food at Darren’s is beyond amazing, and they also are very Gluten Free friendly! Be sure to check that out as well in: Gluten Free Fine Dining at Darren’s in Manhattan Beach! I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of this very special event happening on March 16th, so come take a look at what’s in store! If you are not able to attend this event, as I believe it has already sold out, I still highly recommend checking this place out and also giving The Macallan a try!

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This exclusive dinner event, slated for next Tuesday, March 16th at 7pm, will feature a personalized and guided tasting which will introduce guests to The Macallan brand of single malt Scotch and starts off with a nice welcoming cocktail, like the one below.

Darrens_Cocktail

First, we were welcomed with the “Welcome Cocktail,” which was the Manhattan Boulevardier, made with Cutty Sark “Prohibition,” Campari, blood orange juice and Noilly Prat. I loved this drink. The blood orange gave it just enough of a fruity taste for my liking. I love anything blood orange, so there is no surprise really that I loved this drink.

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Our first course, that went along with the “Welcome Cocktail,” (as well as a head start on The Macallan 10 Year Old Fine Oak, pictured here) was a Pulled Duck Fried Spring Roll, stuffed with Bartlette Pear Agave Grain Mustard Sauce. The Spring Roll was popping with flavor and it paired very well with the cocktail as well as with the 10 year old fine oak. I’ve never thought much of Scotch before, but I actually liked this one. It was pretty smooth and wasn’t too strong. This was my 2nd favorite scotch we tried over the course of the evening.

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Shaking It Up at the Hard Rock Cafe

Shaking It Up at the Hard Rock Cafe

*I was unable to attend this awesome event over at the Hard Rock Cafe as I was on a media trip, so my girl Mary over at Along Comes Mary, graciously was able to cover it and report back to us! Thanks Mary!*

By Mary Lansing

(*Disclosure: I was The Hard Rock Cafe’s guest in place of Erin Miller. All opinions are my own & thanks to HRC & Erin for having me!)

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Have you ever been to The Hard Rock Cafe? As someone who is both a LA native & self-proclaimed music lover, I am a little surprised that I have only recently begun going to this awesome restaurant. Each location has its own special touch; whether its Michael Jackson’s fedora at Hollywood Boulevard, a dress worn by Courtney Love in Las Vegas, or a famous ZZ Top car smack in the middle of the bar at Universal City Walk’s, they give each spot its own flavor!

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Thanks to Erin, I headed out recently to The Hard Rock at Universal Studios City Walk for an amazing night showcasing their new, eclectic SHAKE IT UP private bartending classes. Perfect for a birthday party, bachelorette or bachelor night, or simply a fun way to gather up all your friends, these private group classes invite you & your guests to be one on one with some of HRC’s best bartenders, literally teaching you how to make your own concoctions…& oh yeah, keep ’em to drink following! 😉

Hard Rock Cafe

For your soiree, you’re reserved the entire upstairs loft overlooking the hustle & bustle below your eyes at The City Walk’s location. Outside, you can relax & people watch all visiting the outdoor promenade. We were shortly after introduced to “Moose” & Rob. 2 of HRC’s star bartenders, who couldn’t have been more fun to show us the ropes as we attempted to make a Gin Martini, Vodka Martini, Margarita & HRC’s infamous “Hurricane” drink.

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How did I do? Well, lets just say that I won’t be applying to work at Hard Rock anytime soon! But, it was extremely fun to learn just what goes into your favorite drinks; while my vodka martini was much too strong, the guys do step in to make ones to show you how they should taste; so, you’re guaranteed to have a well made drink if you’re not a pro yet 😉 As a margarita lover, it was interesting to learn just how true & pure HRC makes theirs; I had some in Las Vegas & thought they were the best I’d had in a long time, now I understand why. It’s all about a good quality mix, fresh lime juice & the best tequila they have.

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