Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday Quickies #87: Mad Hatters and March Madness

Artsy Cappuccino

March is almost here and I'm still mis-dating documents as 2009 *sigh* but here's to longer, sunnier days and me finally getting used to 2010 (before my bank's grace period for one-year-old checks expires!)


Today, 4 to 10 p.m., after about two months of soft launch with a RSVP-only tasting room, Eagle Rock Brewery is having their grand opening! Enjoy their three regular brews, they will also debut the Libertine Imperial Amber Wit, a hefty 8.6% ABV brew made with caramel malts, spices and honey for a sweet-fruity-spicy concoction. The tasting room will also serve guest beers from brewery friends and the Frysmith truck will be parked outside from 6 p.m. onwards for your eating pleasure!

Today to Sunday, the Western Regional Barista Competition is back, this time taking place at Siren Studios at Sunset. Watch as West Coast's finest baristas compete in pulling perfect cups of espresso-machine beverages, and push the envelope with signature coffee drinks with mixology and culinary techniques! And of course, there'll be complimentary coffee provided (and pulled by some of the best baristas in the state) and even workshops to learn how to cup and analyze coffee. Complete schedule of events here.

From now until Tuesday, blogger friend Gourmet Pigs is having a re-do of Bid and Eat for Haiti, this time with a more East sider streak with gift certificates for La Casita Mexicana, Elements Kitchen and The Raymond. Last time's auction raised $765 for CHF International and Operation USA, so hope this round of bidding do just as well (Gourmet Pigs is aiming for at least another $235 to make one grand or more)

Monday, March 1, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tavern's Larder is bringing back their Wine and cheese nights! For $29/person, attendees can nosh on small plates paired with delectable wine sips and Sous Chef Melody Bishop guiding through the pairings. This Monday's event will focus on Southern Rhone wines, which will be paired with dishes such as roasted root vegetables and midnight moon cheese // smoked duck hazelnuts, fried sunchokes and fig jam // a Reuben variation with red cabbage slaw // wild mushrooms with spinach, garlic and truffle butter. Call to reserve 310.806.6464

From March 1 to 31, 3 to 5 p.m. - coinciding with the Alice in Wonderland movie, The London's Boxwood Cafe will be offering a $28/person "Mad Hatter Tea" for the entire month of March. The whimiscally colorful affair include treats such as Queen of Hearts Tarts, Unbirthday Cakes and Caterpillar Caps alongside their assortment of teas and mini-sandwiches. The affair finishes with a "Drink Me" champagne toast with assorted color-themed mixers (Red w pom juice and PAMA liqueur, Green w apple liqueur and lemon/pineapple juices, Purple w Framboise, etc.) at $5 each.

Wednesdays, all night long - Echo Park gem Allston Yacht Club is debuting their "Wicked Wednesdays" where everything on their menu is just $5 each! Whether you're jonesing for their cedar planked salmon, sweet potato fritters with minted yogurt, or roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic reduction and bacon -- it's all just a Lincoln apiece. With that kind of savings, you can even indulge in some of their affordable wine and cocktails without much guilt (on the wallet, at least.)

And my favorite reads of this week:

FoodGPS interview The Bitter Truth makers and got the lowdown on what they're doing to this crucial cocktail component.

SeriousEats is all about at-home cheesemaking, with two fast and simple instructions on how to make ricotta and goat cheeses at home, along with a drool-inducing apple-goat cheese-honey tartlet recipe.

CHOW is taking a gourmet spin off March Madness snacks, presenting 11 gussied-up variations on roasted jalapeno poppers.

LA Times look into the absence of Filipino cuisine in the local restaurant scene, and offers up one place that does whip up a mean adobo and pata.

Still gleefully reminiscing on the Porco Rosso from Edison's Radio Room, I discovered this nice oldie but goodie blogpost from the Cocktail Nerd about sweet vermouths as an apertif and drink component, plus ratings of several popular varieties.

Beans, beans, the magical fruit! A visual guide to the numerous varieties (and how to prepare them) from CHOW.

0 comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...