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.

Celebrate Your Inner Child at Stacked: Food Well Built! @FoodWellBuilt

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Erin

Celebrate Your Inner Child at Stacked! Food Well Built.

By Erin

Trying to think of an innovative place that has something to please everyone that you can take the family or some friends to? Then you will want to take a trip out to Stacked the next time you dine out! When I got an invite to come in for a visit, I couldn’t pass it up. Stacked: Food Well Built is a full-service, casual restaurant with a unique way of ordering that enables you to get exactly what you want, as you customize your meals in a comfortable, relaxed way on a tablet at your table. Whether you want to let your inner child out and customize all sorts of delicious and creative concoctions, or you like to go the more traditional route and order items that already have a set list of ingredients, Stacked is a place you will want to try if you have not already!

The tablet-based ordering system allows you to use a drag and drop feature that gives you the ability to visually build your meal right on the screen. I am a very visual person myself, so it helps me to see exactly what I am attempting to order. Other benefits of having this system is the ability to control when you order and when you pay. This lets you easily customize your meal as you select your favorite ingredients to create your own personal masterpiece. However, if you do prefer a traditional approach, where a server takes your order for you, the staff is always happy to do so!

What the tablets on the tables look like that you order from. It is a very user-friendly way to order. Stacked has lots of TVs everywhere, making it a great place to stop in for Happy Hour and to watch one of your favorite teams play.

As a true kid at heart, I just had to order my “dessert” first, by ordering a Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake! 😉

The Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake is a rich, refreshing blend of Chocolate Chips and mint topped with a generous dollop of Whipped Cream. I also added on strawberries to my shake. It had been a very warm day, and I had been outside at the barn for the past 4 hours. This was the perfect option. A light, creamy, mint flavor with chocolate and strawberries mixed in, with whipped cream on top!

Next, since it was so warm out, we decided to order The Cow In The Garden Salad.

I loved this salad! Think of an amazing explosion of flavors that blend together perfectly. What’s in the Cow in the Garden Salad? Flat Iron Steak with a Spring Lettuce Mix, Point Reyes Bleu Cheese, Sundried Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Onion, Toasted Pepitas, Bleu Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette dressings topped with crispy Onion Strings.

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.

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Detour Bistro Bar Opens in Culver City #BestDetourEver @DetourBistroBar