Tag Archives: Good Eats

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

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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?

Darrens

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

Darrens Tables

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

Darrens Menus

A peek at the menus here at Darren’s.

Darrens Drinks

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.

Darrens Drink

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.

Darrens GF Crab Cake

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.

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Sunday Funday at Sonny’s Hideaway #SummerAtSonnys

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Sunday Funday at Sonny’s Hideaway #SummerAtSonnys

By Erin

If you are looking for a new place to try for a wonderful Sunday Brunch; then have I found a place for you! I am always on the lookout for tasty new places for a nice Sunday Brunch, so when I heard from Sonny’s Hideaway in Highland Park to come in and try their new Brunch Menu, I just could not resist. Brunch is happening on Sundays from 11 AM-3 PM; making it a great option for daytime eats and drinks.

With a new chef on board at Sonny’s Hideaway comes a new brunch menu. Chef Alexander Abdel-Monem has added a number of fancy summer dishes to the mix, including ricotta fritters with hazelnut and chocolate, passionfruit custard, chickpea pancakes with tomato, eggplant, swiss chard, cumin and parmesan and bone marrow hash with sriracha. These options happily join other brunch classics like Brioche French toast with cinnamon creme fraiche and fried chicken with poached eggs. Whatever you choose, you are bound to have one delicious meal!Sonnys Hideaway

Chef Alexander Abdel-Monem, the cocktail list for the Sunday Brunch, and also the fun Tiki Tuesday’s that Sonny’s offer! 🙂 Yum!

Cocktail offerings for Sunday Brunch include some spicy Bloody Marys, Hurricanes, The Naughty Professor, and the classic Mimosa, which should all go nicely with any of the sweet or savory dishes.

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Good Eats at Who Song & Larry’s in the OC @WSLCantina

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Good Eats at Who Song & Larry’s in the OC

By Erin

There’s a hot new restaurant in town that you won’t want to miss. Located at the Stadium Promenade in Orange County, an unexpected party-crasher is here; Who Song & Larry’s – a Real Mex Restaurant. It is conveniently located right near the Honda Center and Angel Stadium, so it’s the perfect spot to stop at before or after a game, concert, movie, show, or whatever else happens to bring you to the area. Personally, I would just come here to come here to Who Song and Larry’s as I had such a great time here and the food, drinks, and service are top-notch! I was invited to come out and try the menu at Who Song and Larry’s and I am so glad that I did!

WhoSong&Larry

I love the open floor plan and all of the outdoor space. It will make you feel like you’re leaving the city and embarking on a little mini vacay, even if it is only for a few hours! 😉  Which was the whole concept of Who Song and Larry, to feel as if you have traveled the world with them. An array of 12 unique chandeliers shine over the restaurant’s separate dining areas. The cantina includes tall communal tables, and in the heart of the restaurant, the custom-built indoor-outdoor bar connects the cantina with the patio. With two beach palapas  and a 10-foot fire pit, the outdoor patio is the ideal setting to enjoy a sunny afternoon happy hour, a weekend brunch with family or late night drinks with friends.

WhoSongLarryDecor

Who Song & Larry’s is a unique new restaurant concept that combines the fun and flair of Mexican culture with handcrafted cocktails and a fusion of foods from around the world. With an emphasis on “social eats,” Who Song & Larry’s offers food, drinks and an ambience that are sharable, unexpected and eclectic.

The restaurant concept originates from the fictional story of two best friends – Who Song and Larry – who traveled around the world meeting good people, eating great food and sharing many drinks. The two friends then decided to open a restaurant filled with their favorite food, mementos and friends. Upon your visit you will experience the spirit of the duo and their adventures through the restaurant’s eclectic décor and unexpected menu.

To complement the wonderful food, Who Song & Larry’s cocktail list will make you dizzy just looking at it and making it hard to choose. Libations  include hand-crafted cocktails, specialty margaritas, flaming Mai Tai’s, sharable drinks served in wooden buckets and an extensive selection of tequila and mescal brands. Pick your poison. You want it, you can bet they probably have it!

WSLDrinks

My favorite drink that I tried, the Blood O Margarita, on the left, the Strawberry Moon in the Middle and Jack & Jill on the right.

The Blood O consists of Cazadores Blanco, Blood Orange, Agave Nectar, Handmade Sour, Muddled Blood Orange & Chile Pequin and is very light and refreshing. I love anything that has Blood Oranges in it, so it’s no surprise that I loved this drink! The Strawberry Moon was my second favorite drink of the night, Strawberry Moonshine, White Lightnin’ Moonshine,Strawberry and Lemonade. If you are looking for something to share with a group, then the Jack & Jill is an excellent choice. 3 Olives Berry, 3 Olives Grape, 3 Olives Orange 3 Olives Dude, Blue Curacao, Handmade Sour,Blueberry Red Bull, Served in a Wooden Pail (no water).

The Who Song & Larry’s menu was created by Executive Chef Johannes Bernau and his team and consists of a very eclectic mix of favorite flavors from around the world. With his Japanese, Dutch and Indonesian background, Chef Johannes’ menu includes everything from quintessential SoCal Mexican favorites to fresh seafood, specialty salads, sharable starters and a unique Cal-Mex sushi menu.

Let’s take a look at the food now shall we?

WSL Feast

A feast fit for a king I think! Where to start?

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