Savannah’s Chophouse: A Night of Food & Fun For All @SavChopHouse

Savannah’s Chophouse: A Night of Food & Fun For All

By Erin

I love a good night of food and fun with friends. Last month I hopped into the car with a couple of good friends and we traveled a little farther South into the OC to try out a steakhouse that was new to all of us called Savannah Steak & Chop House that is in Laguna Niguel.  Gigasavvy has a Social Club now and this was to be their first gathering and we had all been invited to join in on this special night! Savannah’s made it a truly special night to remember, and a lovely date night for those attending with their spouses or significant others.

Savannah-Steak-Chop-House
We were greeted by a very welcoming staff, as well as these cute guys below… uhhh lobster anyone? You really can’t get it fresher than that! The decor is very elegant, classy and refined. A special occasion or date night place for sure!

Savannah-Chop-House

Outside on the patio where we would be spending our evening at, we were greeted by a gorgeous view and a sunset setting over the ocean. How romantic!! Uh, well it would be if I had a special someone like that to share it with! If  you DO have romance in mind though, be sure to ask for Table #1! Table #1 has the best view on the outdoor patio which is perfect for romance and to wine and dine your honey at.  Many engagements have occurred here at this special spot! The General Manager Phil Roberson and Executive Chef Chris Tzorin spoke to us and went out of their way to make sure we all had a wonderful time and that the food was superb. Savannah’s has an amazingly accommodating and attentive team.

Savannah's

We started off with appetizers and drinks that gave us a preview what the rock star chef  Chris Tzorin had in store for us.  The tray passed appetizers included: Smoked Salmon on a Toasted Point, Bruschetta, and Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp.

savannahs-drinks

Cheers to a night of amazing food and company!

SAVANNAH-APPSThe delicious Tray Passed Appetizers.
Tempura-Stuffed-Zucchini

After we had a little bit of time to mingle with everyone, we were seated and the first course was served: Tempura Stuffed Zucchini!  Stuffed with herd goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes on top of a bed of mixed baby greens and a Ponzu sauce. It was the perfect way to start off our meal together.

Savannah-Salads

 Next up for the second course was either a Watermelon Beet Salad with a mixed blend of lettuce,  candied pecans, goat cheese, and a herbal vinaigrette. This was the salad that I had and it was a very refreshing choice for a hot summer day.  The other choice was a Caesar Salad with croutons, Fried Capers, Parmesan, and a House Caesar Dressing.

Savannah-Surf-Turf

The main course was next! It was none other than a superb Surf and Turf plate! A Filet Medallion with Shrimp Scampi, mashed potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, and a nice Cabernet Reduction. I love steak and shrimp, so I was in heaven with this meal!

Savannah-Dessert

No meal would be complete without a dessert or TWO! 😉 The choices to share were a warm flourless molten chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream, berries, and a chocolate sauce. THIS one was amazing. I could have easily eaten a second one of these all on my own!! The other choice was a Strawberry Short Cake, which consisted of a warm vanilla cake, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This one was also very yummy, but the Chocolate Cake stole my heart.

Other things offered here at Savannah’s includes: live entertainment, childrens’ cooking classes, magician dinners, wine-pairing dinners and other fantastic events that are all excellent reasons to come eat Chef Tzorin’s fabulous food and have a good time with good company. You really can’t go wrong here. It doesn’t matter if you are seated inside by the huge cozy rock fireplace near the bar, in the main dining room, the veranda or out in the patio, you are in for a special treat and a ton of fun! So go on out and start making your own special memories at this delicious restaurant in the heart of Laguna Niguel.

Savannah Chop House
32441 Golden Lantern
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
949-493-7107
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A very special THANK YOU goes out to Savannah Chop House and Gigasavvy for a wonderful night out at Gigasavvy’s 1st Social Club Gathering! I hope to be a part of many more to come!

Boudin Bakery Presents: NEW Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches! @Boudinbakery #BoudinGrilledCheesePlease

Boudin Bakery Presents: New Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!

By Erin

*I was invited as a guest to a media tasting for purposes of this review.  All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

What happens when you take an American Classic comfort food like the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and have the creators of Boudin Bakery spice it up a bit? You get 3 new Gourmet Grilled Cheese favorites! The Great Grilled Cheese (with or without bacon), the new Jalapeno Grilled Cheese, and the Grilled Brie with Apples & Fig Jam!

Boudin-Chef-Alan-Skversky

 We got to meet with Corporate Chef Alan Skversky who enlightened us about these new creations and Boudin Bakery’s history. Boudin’s sourdough bread uses only 4 ingredients, contains no yeast, it’s started with a wild yeast that’s only found in the air of San Francisco, or “mother” dough that provides the bread with a unique tang. A portion of the original mother dough still starts each and every sourdough loaf that Boudin makes. The types of sandwiches that Boudin has created over the years have evolved into gourmet tastes and flavors to please every palate.

Boudin Bakery

The Great Grilled Cheese

Boudin-the-great-grilled-cheese

The Great Grilled Cheese- (vegetarian)includes Havarti & sharp cheddar melted to perfection on Parmesan-crusted sliced sourdough bread. According to Chef  Skversky, Havarti cheese is used because they only wanted to use the best, and most flavorful premium ingredients. Love Bacon? Who doesn’t!? 😉  You can also order this delicious sandwich with bacon or ham. Three strips of applewood smoked bacon on your grilled cheese sandwich? Yes please! That sounds like heaven to me. Chef also told us that the bacon is strategically cut and placed on the sandwich in a way that each bite, from start to finish, is the same from crust to crust. This one was my favorite, and I know I’ll love this one even more with the bacon!

Grilled Brie with Apples & Fig Jam

Boudin-Grilled-Brie-With-Apples-and-Fig-Jam-2

The Grilled Brie with Apples & Fig Jam-(vegetarian) This one was a close second favorite for me. Grilled with melted brie, Havarti cheese, sliced Granny Smith apples, and fig jam, all on Parmesan-crusted multigrain bread. This one is on the sweeter side. Think of it as a dessert grilled cheese sandwich. 😉 I loved it!

Jalapeno Grilled Cheese

Boudin-Jalapeno-Grilled-Cheese-2

The Jalapeno Grilled Cheese-(vegetarian) Melted cheddar on their Jalapeno Sourdough Bread makes up this one. Not overly spicy, the jalapenos are mild, bringing just the right amount of heat. It might be pretty simple, but it packs plenty of flavor. If you don’t like spicy at all, then you might want to stick to the other two options above, but if you don’t mind a little bit of spice, then this ones for you.

Boudin Turtle

Boudin Bakery creates such adorable bread animals like this turtle! Too cute!

Be sure to Download & Print this Coupon for an awesome deal!!

Looking for Fundraiser Ideas?  Attention Teachers, Sports & School Organizers!

One other awesome thing I need to share about is the amazing opportunities Boudin has for communities, sports teams and schools. Coming from a family of educators, I know how important it is to keep students motivated. Boudin has some special awards that teachers can inquire about to reward their students with for achieving their goals. Reward your students with a FREE Kid’s Meal at Boudin Bakery. You can email David Keller at dkeller@boudinbakery.com to inquire about setting up a fundraiser for your school or organization and for copies of the award certificate!

Boudin-Grilled-Cheese-3Now, which grilled cheese sandwich would your taste buds want to try first? 😉

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!

Darrens_Macallan_Dinner

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.

Darrens_Spring_Rolls_Macallan

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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