Friday Quickies #57: Springtime Sweetness...

The delicious Black Orchard beer from the Bruery, enjoyed at Riva!

I love weeks like this when my Friday Quickies practically write themselves, lots of tasty going-ons just over the horizon so without further adieu...

Found out via FoodGPS and Caroline on Crack, the Bruery is having their 1st anniversary celebration party tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For $25/person you can enjoy foods from Beachwood BBQ while enjoying this craft brewer's various concoctions (I, for one, am ga-ga over their light and flowery Black Orchard) as well as the Trade Winds Tripel from Craft Beer Fest. Oh yes, there'll be goodies to take home too!

And to give some representin' to my local 'hood - Old Town Pasadena is having their restaurant week from June 1st to June 8th, with three-course lunches for $15/$25 and dinners for $25/$35. For those who think Old Pas has nothing edible to offer, I beg to differ, especially with exhibits from the menus of POP Champagne & Dessert Bar and La Grande Orange Café (and a few other solid choices, such as Vertical Wine Bistro and Red, White + Bluezz, whose menus aren't up yet). Anyways, this is one of few restaurant weeks that actually goes into the weekend too (unlike others that blackout Fridays and/or Saturdays) so do use this opp to give some of those restos a try!

A little more west, Cube Marketplace has a fantastic menu this week featuring fried soft-shell crab with sweet corn puree and arugula salad, seared diver scallops with lemon risotto and asparagus w bacon vinaigrette and raspberry pavlova with stewed mulberries. Delicioso indeed! And get there fast since this menu is only till May 20, when at least a few fab items will surely rotate out.

Also, LA Mill Boutique introduced a few new things in light of the season and the economy. Their spring drinks menu will feature sweet basil julep (or as I call it, a "detox mojito" with white tea and basil instead of rum and mint -- tried it during a warm afternoon and it was utterly refreshing!), caramel corn (with housemade peanut milk, espresso, popcorn, sea salt and caramel sauce! oh my!) and a recession roast that's cheaper option by the cup ($2.50) or the pound ($11.75). The recession roast will rotate, when I was there last weekend it was Ethiopian Limmu, a citrusy, winey brew that is very smooth and just easy-to-drink. Oh yea, I tasted their spicy-cheesy jalapeno-cheddar biscuits that's so heavenly fluffy; as if I needed yet more reasons to go there.

And last but not least, the winner of the McCormick&Schmick gift card giveaway, drawn at random, is Mike from FamishedLA. Congrats!