Tag Archives: foodie

BRIO Tuscan Grille Introduces ‘A Tale of Two Risottos’| @BrioItalian #BrioTuscanGrille

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‘A Tale of Two Risottos’ at BRIO Tuscan Grille

By Erin

*I was invited as media to come in and try out the new ‘A Tale of Two Risottos’ for purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

BRIO Tuscan Grille Irvine Spectrum Orange County

There are few dishes as versatile as risotto, and when it’s made right, it’s perfection. BRIO Tuscan Grille at the Irvine Spectrum has introduced its “A Tale of Two Risottos.” A classic tale of old-world meets new, these limited time offered dishes (through March 27th) are a product of BRIO’s love affair with risotto and the finest seafood available. 

Now, of course before jumping to the main course, we had to order some drinks and something from the PRIMI (Appetizer) Menu.

BRIO-Drinks-Wine-Sangria-Peach-Bellini

 A White Peach Sangria and Peach Bellini. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon, even if it was pouring down rain outside!

BRIO-Bruschetta

For an appetizer, our waitress recommended that we try the Bruschetta Quattro– which is a sampling of their four housemade brushettas. Perfect for sharing and getting a little taste of everything.

Lobster-Bisque

I have soft spot for lobster bisque, so if I see this anywhere on a menu, I just have to try it. Plus it was a cold, rainy day outside, so even more reason to try a cup of their delicious, creamy lobster bisque soup! Topped with a sauteed shrimp garnish. 

Lobster-Risotto

Available during both lunch and dinner, the savory risotto dishes include:

Lobster and Shrimp Risotto: Broiled Maine lobster tail served over risotto with shrimp, mushrooms, asparagus, roasted red peppers, basil and Parmesan. This was my favorite of the two risottos.

Brio-Tale-of-Two-Risottos

Sea Scallops with Risotto: Five large, seared sea scallops served over a roasted vegetable ratatouille risotto.

 These decadent risotto creations are available through March 27.

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Stacked: Seasonal Treats for the Holidays! | @Foodwellbuilt #FoodWellBuilt #Holidays

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Stacked: Seasonal Treats for the Holidays!

By Erin

*I was invited as media to come check out the special bread pudding at Stacked for the holidays!*

Stacked has been serving up some special holiday treats this season! One thing in particular: Bread pudding! The classic dessert favorite that transcends generations with its richness and warmth, has made its grand debut this holiday season at STACKED: Food Well Built. With Stacked’s trademark personalized twist, guests can enjoy 22 topping options to customize their bread pudding creation for a limited time.

Stacked’s new bread pudding starts out with freshly baked Challah bread, cream, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, toasted walnuts and a hint of vanilla.  Guests will be able to STACK their bread pudding with sauces like caramel, chocolate, peanut butter, strawberry and hot fudge.  Other flavorful toppings include bananas, strawberries, Reese’s® peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, marshmallows, peanuts, toasted almonds, whipped cream and candied bacon. You can also add to your creation with six flavors of ice cream including vanilla, fudge swirl with peanut butter, double fudge brownie, strawberry, mint chocolate chip and coffee.

Here is the creation of bread pudding that we had. With so many toppings it was a little hard to get to the bread pudding part, but when we did, boy was it good!

Stacked-Bread-pudding

“Rich and satisfying bread pudding is one of those desserts that warms your soul, and we’ve reinvented traditional bread pudding as only Stacked can – with many, many ways to make it exactly as you’ve dreamed about,” said Paul Motenko, Co-founder, STACKED Restaurants LLC.

Stacked-Kahlua-Hot-Chocolate

The Kahlua Hot Chocolate is another holiday treat you won’t want to miss.

Holiday-Drinks-Stacked

Winter Cocktails. Very yummy!

Artichoke-Dip-Stacked

Of course we had to have a little bit of dinner before diving into all the sweet treats, so we started with some warm Spinach and Artichoke dip. The nights have been so cold, so this dip is perfect to help warm you right up! Spinach and artichokes, blended with cheese and garlic, then topped with a tangy tomato relish. Served with crispy tortilla chips.

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Northgate Market in Norwalk: The Mercado Project | @NorthgateGlzMrk #NorthgateNorwalk

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Northgate Market in Norwalk

By Erin

*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Society Culinaria for Northgate Norwalk. All thoughts and opinions remain 100% my own.*

Northgate-Market-Storefront-Norwalk-Flowers

The Mercado Project is Northgate Supermarket’s new shopping concept where the customer experiences a “mercado feel” throughout the store.  Northgate has recreated the individualized Mariscos stall, The Carniceria, Floreria, Lecheria, Panaderia and Coffee Shop for shoppers to enjoy, reminisce or experience for the first time. This was my first time to experience and enjoy this new mercado feel and I loved it. I was absolutely amazed at everything there was to choose from. I was like a kid in a candy store at this place, except on a much larger scale, and there was much more to choose from than just candy! Let me give you a little preview of what you have to look forward to when you get the chance to stop by for yourself… Be warned though… once you come here, you will be coming back often for more tasty treats! 😉

On our tour of Northgate Market, here were some of the highlights.

1.When you first walk into the store, one of the first things you will see is a fresh guacamole bar, where a woman is custom making guacamole just for you.

Fresh-Guacamole-Bar-Avoacado-Mercado-Northgate-Market-Norwalk2. Aguas Frescas, Coffee, & Tea Bar. A tasty selection of daily made aguas frescas and other refreshing drink options.

Aguas-Frescas-Coffee-Tea-Northgate-Norwalk

3. Grab & Go: A large selection of freshly made items for when you’re in a hurry and need something quick. Items change daily and are always made fresh! Salads, Tamales, Sushi, Ceviche, brightly colored glelatinas, arroz con leche and other tasty delights can be found here.

Grab-&-Go-Northgate-Market-Norwalk

4. An Empanada Bar- Lots of different flavors of empanadas where a native Argentinian is making them fresh in house.

Empanadas-Northgate-Market-Norwalk

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