Gluten Free Fine Dining at Darren’s in Manhattan Beach!

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Erin

Gluten Free Fine Dining at Darren’s in Manhattan Beach!

By Erin

Only a block from the beach and located in the heart of Manhattan Beach, Darren’s features a variety of savory small plates and delicious fine dining options. Set in a posh yet welcoming and relaxed environment, you will feel at home quickly with the extremely friendly staff. Equipped with a full-bar and an extensive wine list, along with seasonal specialty cocktails you are sure to find something to quench your thirst. Darren’s also has a nice Happy Hour and Bar Menu that is perfect for watching the big games on their flat screen TV. When I was invited to come over and give Darren’s a try, I couldn’t resist. The best thing was how accommodating they are at Darren’s. My friend is on a very strict Gluten Free diet, and they made sure everything served was gluten free (unless otherwise stated). Why don’t we take a look around now?

The outside of Darren’s. It’s clearly marked, making it easy to find,which is always nice! 🙂

Inside, the tables are very intimate and cozy. I loved how bright and airy it was. Perfect for taking all of my pictures… 😉

A peek at the menus here at Darren’s.

We started out with a couple of drinks to get started with. Pictured here is the Bath Water-American Harvest Vodka, St. Germain, Cucumbers, Fresh Basil and Lemon Juice. On the left is the Strawberry Kiss- Stoli Strawberry Vodka, Fresh Lemon, Fresh Strawberries, and a Kiss of sparkling wine. Both were made very strong.

A Little bit later we tried this one, called The Bear-Stoli Blue Berry, Fresh Lemon, Fresh Blue Berries, Basil Press. This was my favorite drink. Not quite as strong, with just enough of a fruity sweet taste from the berries.

The first dish we tried was the Crab Cake-Jumbo Lump Crab, Daikon Sprouts, Soy Dry Mustard Sauce, Sriracha, Sweet Soy Sauce. The Crab Cake we had was a little bit different than what is stated on the menu as this one was made Gluten Free for us and it was VERY delicious!! We had fun trying to figure out all the different flavors it was that we were tasting.

Budweiser’s #MadeInAmericaFest Comes to Los Angeles–August 30th & 31st!

Posted on August 24, 2014 by Erin

Budweiser’s Made In America Fest Comes to Los Angeles–August 30th & 31st!

By Erin

*This is a sponsored post, all thoughts and opinions remain my own and I sure do love listening to a great concert!*

There is an exciting, two-day music festival coming into town here in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend on August 30th and 31st. JAY Z is curating an awesome blockbuster roster of talent, which will include more than 60 artists that embodies the American spirit. Performances will be across 3 stages at Grand Park in Los Angeles.

The Made in America Festival, sponsored by Budweiser, was started by Jay Z in 2012. Inclusion was the basis of its foundation as the festival prides itself on featuring an array of music from genres ranging from hip hop to rock to EDM. The festival started out two years ago in Philadelphia and will be there again this year as well at the same time the Los Angeles festival is going on. This is the inaugural year of the Budweiser Made in America festival in Los Angeles. Featuring an eclectic and awesome mix of artists such as Weezer, Imagine Dragons, Capital Cities and John Mayer. See below for complete list of artists that will be performing in Los Angeles. A unique gathering of talent will be seen here for sure!

Here’s all the info you need about this fabulous event to go grab your tickets for the upcoming weekend!

*Where: *Los Angeles**

*When: Labor Day Weekend

August 30th & 31st

Grand Park, Downtown LA

*Get Your Tickets Here!*

2 day Tickets for LA

1 day Ticket for LA- August 30th

1 day Ticket for LA- August 31st

Overview: This is the inaugural year of the Budweiser Made in America festival in Los Angeles. Festival benefits the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. The Budweiser Made in America festival is the first American festival to run simultaneously on both coasts in LA and Philly.

Artist Lineup: Imagine Dragons, Kanye West, John Mayer, Steve Aoki, Juanes, Afrojack, Kendrick Lamar, Rise Against, Weezer, Sublime with Rome, Metric, Capital Cities, Chance the Rapper, Cypress Hill, Gareth Emery, R3HAB, Schoolboy Q, Wolfgang Gartner, Borgore, DVBBS, 12th Planet, YG, Mute Math, Rita Ora, Nipsey Hussle, Dr. Dog, Terraplane Sun, ZZ Ward, Classixx, Hit-Boy, DJ Mustard, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, SZA, Yellow Claw, Grits & Biscuits, Will Sparks, Cut Snake, Scavenger Hunt, A Tribe Called Red Cause

Cause Village Vendors Shawn Carter Foundation, United Way, Headcount, Budweiser Veterans, Tyler Robinson Foundation (Imagine Dragons charity), Dogs without Border, Hire LA, Food Forward, United States Green Building Council, LIFT Los Angeles, Skid Row Housing, LA Street Car, LA Street Galler.

Which artists are you most excited to see from this eclectic and fabulous lineup?

Inspiration From the Hundred Foot Journey – Le Cordon Bleu Reception

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Erin

Inspiration From the Hundred Foot Journey

By Erin

*I attended as a guest of Disney, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.* =)

Before the movie came out in theaters, I was spoiled by attending a special casual and intimate dinner reception inspired by The Hundred Foot Journey at the world famous Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Los Angels, California. Being the foodie that I am, this was pure heaven. To be able to see the movie, then get to live it and taste some of the delicious food actually SEEN in the movie. OMG. Pure Heaven. 😉

It was a feast for the senses, being able to dine on the dishes inspired by The Hundred Foot Journey. Seeing, tasting, and smelling some of the tantalizing dishes that culinary genius Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) cooked up was a real treat. In the film, Hassan and his family are displaced from their native India, who end up settling in the charming and quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. After opening an Indian restaurant called Maison Mumbai which happens to be 100 feet away from the famous Le Saule Pleureur’s Michelin-starred eatery, a full-on heated battle between the two establishments ensues. Luckily, Madame Mallory recognizes her rival’s (Hassan Kadam) undeniable talent as a chef. What happens next with this rivalry? Who ends up out on top? You haven’t seen the movie yet? Why not? This weekend is the perfect chance to make things right then and go find out! 😉

Our journey at Le Cordon Bleu started with a pleasant arrangement of scrumptious appetizers. This included: Tandoori Chicken Skewers, Petit Quiche Loraine, and a beautiful assortment of assorted Charcuterie and Cheese platter with Curried mustard & Major Grey Chutney. I couldn’t get enough of the Tandoori Chicken skewers and the cheese. It was a great way to start out a new “Food is Memories” moment. 😉

Our next stop on our food journey was sampling the entree choices. On the menu was Beef Bourguinon a La Hassan, Chicken Tikka Massala with Saffron Rice and asparagus. Yum! Look at that asparagus! So fresh and tasty, not limp at all! I love my veggies, so I had my fill of asparagus here.