Detour Bistro Bar Opens in Culver City #BestDetourEver @DetourBistroBar

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Erin

Detour Bistro Bar Opens in Culver City

By Erin

As if there weren’t enough detours already in Los Angeles with all the freeway and street construction that is continuously going on, this is a Detour you will want to take. I took this Detour myself the other night as part of a media preview, and it left me curious to try more. The Detour Bistro Bar has arrived in the Los Angeles area into Culver City. The Detour combines farm-to-table produce with seasonal California and European inspired dishes to create a unique neighborhood dining destination in Culver City. This westside restaurant belongs to Los Angeles locals Ranni Kumgisky and Dane Pearson who are long-time caterers. These two are always searching for the most fresh seasonal ingredients to create weekly menus that will keep customers wanting to come back for more.

The Detour is open daily for happy hour, dinner and weekend brunch. Starting April 6th, they will be opening for lunch at 3pm Monday-Friday.

Why don’t we take a look into what the Detour has to offer?

The Detour is a quaint little place, but the decor is very LA. I loved the layout of the space, it made it feel bigger and more spacious that what it actually is. It is a very nice, bright and airy space and also has an outdoor patio you can enjoy on a nice sunny California afternoon or evening.

Best Detour Ever. I love the walls here.

I know many people, including myself who would love to have one of these! So creative.

The menu for the media preview.

We started the evening out with some drinks. From left to right; The Diablo, Honey Old Fashioned, and the Summer Splash. I had the Summer Splash which consisted of vodka, cranberry, pineapple, and sweet and sour. It was very refreshing and not to fruity, perfect for a nice warm spring evening.

Shrimp Tacos: Cabbage, cilantro sauce, corn tortillas. So simple, yet so good. This was my favorite item from the night. I love shrimp, and these shrimp were pretty darn good, I also love tacos. It always makes for a great combination.

Lamb & Goat Cheese Flatbread: Lamb, Goat cheese, apricot marmalade, and mint. This was also a pretty tasty bite that we tried. Very flavorful and tender.

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

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Erin

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!

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.

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.

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.

Knott’s Berry Farm’s Boysenberry Festival & Giveaway #KnottsSpring @Knotts

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Erin

Knott’s Berry Farm’s Boysenberry Festival

By Erin

*This is written by me for GigaSavvy. I do not work for or with any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them. I’ll be attending a media event for the Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival with complementary passes. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

Boysenberry Pie. Boysenberry Lattes. Boysenberry Trifles. Oh my! Now all we need is a glass of boysenberry wine! As a foodie at heart, Knott’s Spring is my all time favorite time of year here at Knott’s Berry Farm, because of all the fresh and tasty bites and sips to choose from. This is one fun spring food fest that you won’t want to miss! You can celebrate this spring during Knott’s Berry Farm’s Boysenberry Festival that is harvested in the theme park’s historic Ghost Town. From March 28th- April 12th, 2015, this 16-day festival returns with an unforgettable lineup of exquisite Boysenberry Bites, dazzling entertainment, gourmet food and the Wine and Craft Brew Tasting Garden, plus the limited time return of the classic Bear-y Tales characters in a pie making kitchen, and more!

Ghost Town: The History

A little bit of fun history about Knott’s that you may not know, as this fun festival celebrates its roots. Back in the 1930s, Walter Knott harvested the boysenberry, which is a cross between a loganberry, red raspberry and blackberry. It was named after its originator Rudolph Boysen. All boysenberries in the world can trace their roots back to Knott’s Berry Farm. That’s pretty neat!

This spring you can purchase authentic boysenberry plants from Walter & Cordelia Knott’s Original Roadside Boysenberry Stand (recreated for the special event). The Knott family sold freshly picked boysenberries from the original stand. Guests can capture the moment and the memories at boysenberry themed stand-in cutouts, like wanted posters, a boysenberry farming family and more. Watch special demonstrations including a chainsaw wood sculpting, glass blowing and blacksmithing. Meet the Ghost Town’s mayor, Mayor Desmond Ryder and his lovely wife, Josephine. From day to night, Ghost Town has never looked so lively.

Tasty Boysenberry Treats to Try

Deep Fried Alligator Pieces & Fries with Boysenberry Aioli

Fried Cheese Curds paired with a Spicy Boysenberry Dipping Sauce

Craft Beer and Wine Vendors – Boysenberry wine and Belgium Boysenberry Beer, located inside of Ghost Town’s Wilderness Dance Hall, will feature an assortment of wine and craft brew labels, in addition to a variety of boysenberry inspired gourmet food that’s just bursting with flavor.

Boysenberry Trifle (vanilla cake piece, frozen boysenberry, soft serve ice cream, and whipped cream)

Berry Market™ Boysenberry BBQ Sauce smothered on an assortment of other delectable treats (an original Knott’s Berry Farm creation)

Fish and chips sandwich with boysenberry tartar sauce

Boysenberry ICEE Floats

Boysenberry Frappuccino and Latte (served at the new Gourmet Coffee Hut which proudly serves Starbucks drinks)

And more!

You can find more charbroiled treats cooked on open-air barbeques throughout the streets of the festival. Additional fee for tastings. Guests who want to take home the exquisite sauce can do so by stopping by the Berry Market, General Store in Ghost Town or by visiting knotts.com.

Horsing Around In LA

Tag Archives: foodie

Detour Bistro Bar Opens in Culver City #BestDetourEver @DetourBistroBar