Eat. Live. Love. At the Olive Pit Grill!

Eat. Live. Love. At the Olive Pit Grill!

By Erin

If you love a good Mediterranean/Greek meal, have I found the place for you! Nestled off of Bolsa Chica Street in Huntington Beach (they also have a location in Brea, CA as well) there is a true hidden gem,  the Olive Pit Grill .  This place is a tasty delight for your taste buds. The best part is how fresh the food is and that it is all homemade in-house, which shows in the quality and flavor of every bite. The prices can’t be beat either! We were invited out to try many of their delectable items that they have to offer. I must say, I have been back a handful of times already as I can’t get enough of the stuff! 🙂

Their slogan is Eat. Live. Love. It is very evident as when you are here, you are like family, everyone is so warm and friendly. You definitely eat well here. The love and passion for the food can be seen in  everything as well, as everything is homemade daily and made from scratch! You will find many items here that are NOT on their regular menu. They offer many specialty items you will want to check out and try out for yourself! So make sure to ask about them the next time you go!

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The first thing we tried was the Frappe “Greek Style” Ice Coffee ($2.25) and the Three Dip Combo ($8.85) which comes with three homemade dips and pita bread. For ours we had the Spicy Cheese, Hummus, & Melitzanosalata (eggplant) dips.

Olive Pit Grill

The Ice Coffee was amazing, mine didn’t last long. It was just sweet, smooth, and Frappe enough for my liking. The pita bread was extremely warm, soft and fresh out of the oven! It was tempting to just fill up on the pita bread alone the dips were all so flavorful and tasty!

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The Taste of Huntington Beach Raises over $40,000 for Children’s Library!

The Taste of Huntington Beach Raises over $40,000 for Children’s Library!

By: Erin

Food, Wine, good music? Sound good to you? Well that’s what the Taste of Huntington Beach had to offer, all for a wonderful cause! If you remember my earlier post about the Taste of HB then you have some idea of what a great event this was and I hope many more of you will be able to attend next year!

I had the opportunity to attend this and was very kindly given two press passes to come and enjoy and explore what the Taste of Huntington Beach has to offer everyone. This wonderful event took place the other Sunday, on April 28, 2013. We had such a fabulous time sampling from local restaurants & bakeries from the city of Huntington Beach as well as the many breweries and wineries that were in attendance from all over in California. I was very impressed with how organized and how smoothly everything was being run. The only thing I wish that was different, that I heard others say as well, is that it needs to be longer! Ending at 4pm is much too early as everyone is just getting started and comfortable.  Some time is needed to just sit back, relax and let all the delicious food and wine settle while listening to some awesome music and enjoying loved ones company.

The Taste of Huntington Beach was held for a charity to support the Children’s Department of the Huntington Beach Library and it was a raging success. Over $40,000 was raised by this one day event that was attended by over 2000 people.

Now onto the fun part! Here are some fun photos of what you can experience for yourself at next years taste! 😉

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Samar Saad, winner of a student essay contest, cuts the ribbon to officially open the Taste of Huntington Beach 2013.
Left to Right: Former HB Mayor Dave Garofalo, HB Local News; Surf Music Legend Dean Torrence, Jacque Balbas-Ruddy HB Chamber of Commerce, Samar Saad, former HB Mayor Joe Carchio, HB Restaurant Association President Ron McLin.

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Mr. Huntington Beach and myself.

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Haute Cuisine with Dominique’s Kitchen!

Haute Cuisine  with Dominique’s Kitchen!

By: Erin

Are you ready to go on an adventure to Paris that will delight your taste buds?  Do you have your passport ready to go? Well, if you don’t (at least if you are in the US)  you are in luck! Dominique’s Kitchen in Redondo Beach, CA is here!! Opening in October of 2012, this is an absolute jewel of a restaurant tucked in on the famous Pacific Coast Highway just minutes from the ocean & pier. Walking in, you truly feel transformed as if you are leaving the L.A. area and entering another country. Dominique’s is an intimate bistro, the tables are close & cozy to one another & the warm family atmosphere makes you feel right at home. Be ready to make some new friends when you visit Dominique’s! I have been to Paris, France before, so walking into this blissful place brought back many happy memories. I felt like I really was back in Paris.

The restaurant space is small enough to enjoy an intimate dinner, yet large enough to not feel claustrophobic. There is patio seating for the warmer summer days and nights outside as well as an indoor type patio that is covered with heaters should it get too cold.

DominiquesKitchenWhen the opportunity arose to review Dominique’s I jumped at the chance to try out this new Euro-French restaurant. A French restaurant, here, nearby? I didn’t have to fly to Paris for some good French food? Yes, Please! I have been craving a trip back to France, so this was a wonderful  substitute. Now, anytime I’m missing Paris, I just need to hop in the car and my new-found Paris vacation is just a hop, skip, and jump away at Dominique’s in Redondo Beach! I brought my fellow blogging buddy and dear friend Kirsten over at SoCal Kids Outdoor Adventures with me as I knew she could use a vacation just as much as I did and she loves to be adventurous and try out new things! 😉

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