Angelina's Pizzeria Napoletana Dana Point

Angelina's Pizzeria Napoletana Dana Point

*This is a Sponsored Post*

On our recent getaway to Costa Mesa, we drove further south to Dana Point to spend our Sunday afternoon. We were looking forward to enjoying a light hike on the bluffs to see the view of the ocean from a higher elevation.

What we ended up doing was taking a light walk around the harbor, chatting-up with some locals and eventually driving five minutes out to enjoy a delicious lunch as a last hurrah to wrap-up our weekend away.

We had lunch at Angelina's Pizzeria Napoletana in Dana Point, which is a cozy locals spot that prides itself in their Italian artisanal menu and boutique wine list.

Besides the more traditional Neapolitan pizza combinations at Angelina's that use San Marzano tomatoes in the house-made tomato sauce, the pizza dough is made daily, and the toppings are either California-local and organic, or importanted from Italy. Whether traditional red, or my favorite, bianca, the flavors take a different twist after being baked in a 900 degree rustic almond wood-burning oven which adds an amazing aroma

For those looking for something other than pizza, Angelina's menu has a large, yet not overwhelming, selection of Italian favorites, including appetizers, pastas, desserts, and of course, their namesake Neapolitan pizzas made both with red sauce, and bianca-style (sauceless).

For our first course we ordered the "Scelta Di Salumi & Formaggi," a chef selection of imported Italian cured meats sliced when ordered, Italian cheeses served, pine nuts, artisanal honey, and other dried fruits, which was accompanied with freshly baked flat bread ($23).

We followed our tour through Italy with one of my hubby's favorite, Caesar salad, or as Angelina's likes to call theirs: Cesare salad. The salad was made with romaine hearts, homemade croutons, anchovy lemon dressing & shaved parmigiano reggiano ($12).

Of course, Angelina's has a large selection of various Italian favorites, but why order anything other than Pizza?

So we ordered two:

Hubby ordered the Diavola with spicy salami, Fior Di Latte mozzarella, San Marzano DOP Pomodoro Sauce & Fresh Basil, which was topped with pepperoncini oil. ($16)

I ordered the Boscaiola white pizza, which included the Napoletana-style sausage, mushrooms, Fior Di Latte mozzarella, fresh basil & extra virgin olive oil ($18).

Both were incredibly well seasoned, baked perfectly, and had the perfect amount of toppings that filled our mouth with every bite.

To end our wonderful lunch, we shared the Tartufo (Gelato Truffle), which was spumoni ice-cream covered with a dark chocolate hardshell dessert. ($8) I also added, of course, a cappuccino made with one of my favorite coffee brands, Lavazza.

While everything we ordered was made incredibly well and presented beautifully, it was the service that really made Angelina's special. 

From the local family with small children that was sitting next to us, to the younger patrons that were seated at the pizza bar, we were all treated as part of a large Italian family - making a delicious meal more so enjoyable and so worth the drive south.

Angelina's Pizzeria

Monarch Bay Plaza

(949) 429-1102

32860 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point CA 92629 

(Ample private lot parking)

Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Daily

Website: http://www.angelinaspizzeria.com

Family-friendly restaurant with no reservations required.

ENJOY!

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Oaxacan Food at Tlayuda LA

Oaxacan Food at Tlayuda LA

* This is a Sponsored Post *

As I moved away from organizing the Lifestyle Bloggers National Conference, one of the activities I planned on creating was a monthly (or quarterly) blogger meet-up aptly named #llbloghumpday.

Our inaugural #llbloghumpday event in Los Angeles was held at Tlayuda LA, a Oaxacan restaurant located in the up-and-coming neighborhood of East Hollywood that's owned by LA Entrepreneur Laura Guerrero.

The boutique restaurant has a small, yet substantial, menu that takes a modern twist on classic Oaxacan dishes, like Tlayuda's, which are Oaxacan pizzas, complex moles, and creative desserts, such as the Mascarpone Cheesecake by Chef Turok.

All dishes, including the perfectly crispy and flavorful black and white totopos (tortilla chips), and aguas frescas, are made in-house using authentic and local ingredients.

But while the food is the star of this urban gem, LA Art fans will also appreciate the artwork displayed from local artists, while a trendy mural and whimsical Oaxacan creatures are painted around the restaurant.

Our lively group enjoyed a variety of delectable dishes and sauces, most which were highlighted by avocado (sliced, mashed, and in sauce form), Oaxaca cheese (a mozzarella-like string cheese), and a variety of house-made moles; and of course, our meal ended with delicious dessert of both cheesecake and flan.

Some of my favorites from our first #llbloghumpday blogger & influencer lunch meet-up included the Tlayuda mixta, which had the perfect balance of chorizo, pork and beef; chicken mole tacos which were highlighted by their petit hand-made tortillas; the perfectly garnished torta Oaxaca, and, of course, you can't go wrong with any of the aguas frescas or speciality drinks of the day, with a special shout-out to the cafe de olla, which is the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

Tlayuda LA
5450 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Phone: 213.261.4667

Hours: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Daily

Website: www.tlayudala.com

Social Media Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @TlayudaLA

Street & metered parking, with no reservations required for this local favorite.

Buen provecho!

Ana Lydia

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Lunch at Hermosa Beach Fish Shop

Lunch at Hermosa Beach Fish Shop

One of the many things I wanted to do during my summer break was to drive to the South Bay and hang-out with my hubby at one of the many beach towns we tend to ignore the rest of the year. So on a recent Sunday morning we drove to Hermosa Beach, AKA "The Best Little Beach City," located just south of us.

True to its tagline, Hermosa Beach is really one of the cutest beach towns in Southern California and only a short 30-minute drive from the Westside (with moderate traffic).

But because of the cuteness element of it, it's hard to find parking...so after a quick cruise down the main drag, hubby and I drove east a few blocks and found our lunch spot: Hermosa Beach Fish Shop (HBFS).

Unlike the restaurants in the Hermosa Beach main drag that seem to appeal to a tourist crowd - IF you find parking - Hermosa Beach Fish Shop has ample parking because it's located in the same shopping center as a grocery store and coffee house.

THIS in itself, was a huge deal for us, so of course we said yes to the restaurants invitation to stop by for lunch.

The restaurant is a casual locals hangout with both indoor and dog-friendly outdoor seating, that has a walk-up-to-order and seat yourself-fast-casual-theme that has become commonplace in the So Cal restaurant scene.

The menu is extensive yet heavily focused on its namesake: fresh Seafood delivered daily. But the best part about it? Fish, shrimp, scallops, or lobster, can be prepared any way you like, and seasoned with any one or any two (or three!) marinades or rubs of your choosing, and either grilled or pan fried.

But it gets better!

The seafood can either be prepared and served in tacos, over a salad or as a plate. Everything, and I mean, everything including the tacos, are large servings and can be shared.

You can complement your dishes with their house green salsa (OMG - SO good!), red salsa, and some dishes are served with a tropical mango salsa.

The sides, from the rice, to the steamed vegetables, are prepared and seasoned perfectly; while the seaweed side salad was a refreshing and tangy.

We tried the clam chowder, which was a light yet creamy chowder that was the perfect start to our meal.  We then had the blackened-shrimp appetizer that was served with their spicy aioli - it was a perfect "blackened" rub that was so good, we're still talking about it.

For our main course, hubby had a grilled sea bass prepared with "garlic butter," while I ordered the pan-fried scallops seasoned with a chipotle glaze. The scallops were very good, but the sea bass was outstanding. An absolute must try!

As for drinks, while my hubby and I didn't drink adult drinks this time around, we were pleasantly surprised at the Hermosa Beach Fish Shop's selection of local beer on tap and finding out that the restaurant doesn't have a corkage fee!

While we don't live a short driving distance to the Hermosa Beach Fish Shop, we will definitely come back and spend a weekend afternoon with Princess Maya.

I also invite you to check-out Hermosa Beach Fish Shop on Faceook to stay updated on their specials and events: https://www.facebook.com/HBFishShop

Do let me know when you stop by!

Ana Lydia

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A New Old Dining Experience at McCormick & Schmick's

A New Old Dining Experience at McCormick & Schmick's

When I worked in Pasadena many moons ago, one of my favorite activities was enjoying Happy Hour at McCormick & Schmick's. The food was always excellent and the drinks were made with perfect attention to detail. (M&S has one of the best, if not THE BEST, Martini.)

The problem is...I no longer work in Pasadena and rarely do we head that far east.  

Fortunately for me/us, I recently met the amazing management team from the El Segundo/Manhattan Beach location, that was lovely enough to invite to dine at this location for one of our date nights.

The large menu at McCormick & Schmick's El Segundo/Manhattan Beach

The menu at El Segundo/Manhattan Beach's McCormick & Schmick's is focused on their fresh approach to dining, while the executive chef showcases a vast selection of only the freshest quality seafood varieties, some of which were from local waters near their restaurant; as well as unique species from international waters. 

The Executive Chef also creates seasonally inspired dishes and regionally inspired menu items that are unique to this location. So while I was still able to order the Maine lobster bisque at the El Segundo location, there was an item or two that were on this locations menu that isn't on the Pasadena-location menu.

In terms of the location itself, the El Segundo/Manhattan Beach location is a lot closer to my Westside home, and close to both the 105 and 405.  This location is also directly across the street from a movie theater, making it the perfect restaurant for a date night or special night out.

Shrimp Kisses appetizer, bacon-wrapped pepper-jack filled shrimp

This location is quite large and had a beautiful outdoor courtyard area, several private rooms and a stunning bar - making it the perfect location for special occasions or other celebrations. But since it's close to the LAX and other hotels, it's also ideal for meetings and small work gatherings.

Lobster Bisque

Clam Chowder

My hubby and I both enjoyed an a shrimp appetizer that was called "Shrimp kisses" to start, followed by Maine lobster bisque for me, and New England clam chowder for my hubby.

Although my hubby is a HUGE pasta fan, I was surprised to see him order a simple grilled fish dish, while I picked a more flavorful parmesan crusted sole with orzo.  Both were great, cooked perfectly, and exactly the right size to fill us without taking us over the edge.

Grilled Mahi Mahi served with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes

Although the dining room buzzed with plenty of folks, private parties, and the usual busyness of a Saturday night, our waiter didn't skip a beat.

Everything, we experienced, from the location, to our private dining area for two, the drinks, to the food, and ultimately the service, was extremely well done.

Parmesan crusted sole with butternut squash orzo and seasonal vegetables

As if our evening couldn't be any better, we ended our meal with a seasonal strawberry dessert that highlighted the yummy strawberries that were in season.

Strawberry seasonal dessert

With dozens of menu items available at all McCormick and Schmick's locations – including fresh seafood, aged steaks, poultry, entrée salads, pastas and more -- we found that this was the perfect restaurant to bring everyone in the family, including our picky eaters, for a special night out, happy hour, or even to plan a special celebration.

McCormick & Schmick's El Segundo/Manhattan Beach
2101 Rosecrans Ave. #1280

El Segundo, CA 90245

(310) 416-1123

Reservations: Recommended

Hours: 
M-WED: 11:00AM-10:00PM
TH-FRI:    11:00AM-11:00PM
SAT:   3:00PM-11:00PM
SUN:  11:00AM-10:00PM

Price:
Happy Hour - Appetizers start at $2.99

Lunch - $15.99+

Dinner - $22.99+

Catering / Special Occasion - vary

___

Do let me know if you stop by or plan an event at McCormick & Schmick's El Segundo/Manhattan Beach - I would love to hear about your experience!

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Happy One Year Anniversary to Pono Burger

Happy One Year Anniversary to Pono Burger

Pono Burger invited me and a guest to celebrate their one year anniversary. Other than a mouth watering food tasting, no other compensation was received.

There's no shortage of good restaurants in the Westside. But there's never enough restaurants created with the heart and soul that Chef Makani Gerardi brings to Pono Burger.

A native of Hawaii, Chef Makani named Pono Burger for the Hawaiian word meaning “to do things with integrity” or “to do things the right way;" while her food philosophy is simple: use organic and farm fresh ingredients.

While the menu is purely Hawaii, the ingredients aren't. Chef Makani sources local artisanal food vendors to bring the best ingredients to Pono Burger. Committed to the farm-to-table movement, I also spotted an herb garden outside the restaurant.

Celebrating it's one year anniversary, Chef Makani planned a special celebration dinner where I was able to preview speciality burgers and other items that will only be available for a limited time. 

Starting with the Farmers Market Salad, which had a healthy helping of La Oveja Negra organic Manchego cheese and organic Santa Barbara pistachios, the Dijon-apple vinaigrette was an absolutely perfect touch of flavor on an otherwise light salad.

For dinner, we were given three sliders of the seasonal burgers available this spring, including: The Paniolo, The Palani and my favorite, The Kahiki burger, which was made with an organic beef patty, organic roasted red bell peppers & Ras el Hanout grilled eggplant, housemade tzatziki sauce, organic cucumber strings with a citrus mint drizzle.

For a non-burger eater (oooppss - did I just say that?!), The Kahiki burger had a refreshing flavor with 
a light bite. It didn't feel foo heavy or overly dressed, unlike the other two burgers which both had Niman Ranch Bacon. For my tastebuds, The Kahiki was a perfect spring burger: full of flavor but otherwise not a heavy burger.

To accompany the sliders we tasted two types of pomme frites, the organic russet and the sweet potato. Both fries were seasoned perfectly and just enough crispiness to munch on them the entire evening. But the winner was really the garlic aioli. It was perfection!

To end our meal, we were given an option of one of three shakes: Organic Strawberry, Salted Caramel with Niman Ranch bacon bits or Hot Fudge. Normally I don't go for the tried and true, but our waitress was very persistent about the strawberry shake. Not being one to turn any type of berry away, I took her suggestion and ordered the Organic Strawberry shake.

Sweet, but not to sweet. Enough strawberries to really give you the berry taste, but not too much to where you are biting into berries. The vanilla ice cream was there, but only served to compliment the shake, not overpower the sweetness of the fruit. It was the perfect ending to a beautiful evening.

Going back to Chef Makani: she did a great job of bringing Hawaii to Santa Monica. Her warm personality and attention to detail is felt in every aspect of the restaurant.

The atmosphere of Pono Burger is absolutely welcoming. The space is not only historical but completely restored with an island feel. It is a true Westside restaurant: California casual, but with an upscale and unique menu you wont find elsewhere.

Pono Burgers

829 Broadway

Santa Monica, CA 

(310) 584-7005

Reservations: Not necessary

Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11:00am-9:00pm 
Friday - Saturday: 11:00am-11:00pm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PonoBurger

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/PonoBurger

***VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS BY CLICKING HERE***

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Join me at AREAL Santa Monica

Join me at AREAL Santa Monica

The wonderful folks at Areal Santa Monica invited us to enjoy Sunday dinner at their restaurant. What follows is my true and honest review.
There's three distinct areas in Santa Monica. The tourist area, the locals area and the lifers area. We stick to two. I'll give you two guesses.

Areal - Indoor Decor / Lamp

The locals area is very laid back. Expect to see surfers changing into work clothes from their body suits in the middle of the street; while casual urbanites bike-ride to work.  I actually worked in this area when I repped IKEA.

We're there most Tuesday evenings for the Food Truck festival with Maya in tow.  But on the weekend? You can't get us there since tourists and out-of-towners tend to clog the small streets on their way to Venice.  Me no likey traffic in my 'hood.

But now we have a reason to tread through traffic and folks...

Menu - Areal Restaurant

For those around my age group (cough-cough), you will remember the World Cafe for the many parties, annual New Years Celebrations and Happy Hours.  Truth be told, since I got married before World Cafe closed, and well, happy hours with the girls became a thing of the past, I had not been to its newest incarnation now called Areal.

On a recent weekend, our friend Michael from Eating Around So Cal invited us to preview the Areal Restaurant menu and experience what had become of one of my favorite single-gal restaurants.

This time with hubby in tow, we navigated the Areal Restaurant to sit in their beautiful indoor area.  Let me explain something for those that remember The World Cafe: Areal upgraded the space and interconnected rooms and the outdoor area into a beautiful space that includes a dog-friendly patio, indoor sit-down restaurant, outdoor waiting area, and the bar.

We sat down with Michael to digest the extensive dinner menu of locally-grown and sustainable food items in their restaurant area, which opens into the large and beautifully-lit patio. The indoor space we found to be appealing for date nights and even special occasions, the outdoor area was a bit more casual and hosted several lively conversations while we were there; while the bar was, well, a bar.

The menu was completely revamped from what I remember, and unapologetically California Cuisine.   For my out-of-California readers, let me explain what California Cuisine is: beautifully presented fusion food that is made with fresh and local ingredients.

While the food was great and worthy of a return visit, the service was more so.  Expect both thoughtful and attentive service that allows you to lounge and enjoy your conversation when you dine at Areal.

Areal Restaurant

2820 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 392-1661

Reservations: Recommended

Hours: 
Sunday, Tuesday - Thursday: 10 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Friday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 1 a.m.
Monday: 5 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Areal-Restaurant/206416826096093?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArealSM

***TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS OF OUR DINNING EXPERIENCE CLICK HERE***

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