The Gourmandise School of Sweets & Savories Expands

The Gourmandise School of Sweets & Savories Expands

Since 2011, The Gourmandise School at Santa Monica Place has offered hands-on cooking classes for all ages and skill levels, with a focus on teaching classic techniques using locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.

But now, with the new and larger location unveiling this month, visitors will immediately be immersed into the Gourmandise experience through an exposed glass storefront window providing views of hands-on cooking classes and live demonstrations. The new location will also offer a robust class schedules that accommodate more students, and host large scale, private events.

The new facility will be fully outfitted with major appliances courtesy of KitchenAid in three new state-of-the-art kitchens including two classrooms, one demonstration space, and an expanded retail area curated by Gourmandise chef instructors. While the extended retail store will offers culinary items and cooking ingredients from local purveyors.

Stay updated on the grand opening festivities and sign-up for classes by following The Gourmandise School on Instagram. 

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Whole Foods Market 365, Santa Monica Grand Opening

Whole Foods Market 365, Santa Monica Grand Opening

When I worked in PR/Marketing, research found that folks liked spending more time entertaining at home than going out. I never really bought it, mostly because I didn't see myself as a homebody.

But life is as life does. Spending time at home has become less about being a homebody and more about living in a space that I enjoy being in. My space, my married and cohabitating with my husband and a four-legged daughter space, goes beyond decor to make it something that I'm happy to live in. From the scent of our candles to the music I start my day with, to the food we choose and every little aspect of living, now takes a higher level of importance. Not because I no longer enjoy eating out, but because in my marriage, we also create intimacy when I cook weekend brunch, or when I sit at the dinner table with my hubby to catch-up on our day in front of a big bowl of salad.

We both love looking in our fridge and being able to pull out seasonal fruits to snack on, having the ingredients to whip-up a three-course dinner in the middle of the week, and finding the hidden desserts for a late night snack. Once I get back to school, I'll be filling our fridge with easy to cook and ready made dinners, and small portion most-anything to fill my pack-pack with healthy snacks and lunches to eat in between my classes.

That's why I immediately said yes to previewing the brand new 365 by Whole Foods, Santa Monica...and let me tell you, I'm so glad I did!

In a nutshell, the new 365 by Whole Foods, Santa Monica is a vibrant 30,000-square-foot space that takes “neighborhood grocery store” to the next level. From its high-quality products without any artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives, to unique and affordable grocery items from local vendors, 365 was created for customers that are committed to healthy living, but that also need a grocery store to offer convenience and value.

While the selection of fruits and vegetables was enviable by any standards, I was pleasantly surprised with how large the "build your own salad," and the "hot and cold meals to go" areas were. 

There was also an incredibly long row/refrigerated section of fresh juices, teas, water (sparkling and flat) and Kambucha as soon as you walked into the store.

Shoppers will find plenty of ready-made wraps, sushi, pizza, sandwiches, pastas, and breakfast tacos, that are perfect for the Santa Monica College lunch crowd or anyone heading to the beach.

For those of us that are always stuck wondering "what's for dinner?, 365 by Whole Foods also has a "Scan a wine bottle, beer or spirits for food pairing ideas," ratings, user reviews and recommendations. While the beer, wine and spirits section has 400+ wines, 200+ craft, domestic and imported beers, 50+ spirits, with many organic and sustainable options!

The 365 by Whole Foods, Santa Monica  Taqueria and in-house kitchen which offers tacos, bowls, burritos, plus build-your-own Detroit-style pizzas that are made fresh to your order.

A favorite of mine, local Los Angeles roasters Groundwork Coffee has a cafe outpost within the store, while San Francisco-Vietnamese Fast Casual favorite Asian Box Street Food is located in the patio area of the 365 by Whole Foods Market store complex.

But other than the store feel, the selection, and convenience of meals and variety of products, my absolute favorite part of shopping at 365 by Whole Foods, is their 365 Rewards program.

365 Rewards is a free personalized digital loyalty program that gives shoppers special discounts, free products, and other surprises based on your shopping patterns. Plus, 365 rewards members receive 10 percent off more than 100 items throughout the store - every single day!

Program highlights include 20 percent off all berries on Wednesdays, digital punch cards with buy 5 get 1 free offers and $5 off a $25 purchase for new members. (Trust me, I literally used that discount, and more, the first time I shopped!)

365 by Whole Foods, Santa Monica 

2121 Cloverfield Blvd. at Pico Blvd.
Free on-site parking.

Open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD 365 BY WHOLE FOODS MARKET!!

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MicroTheater comes to Los Angeles

MicroTheater comes to Los Angeles

*This is a Sponsored Post*

MicroTheater LA, the Spanish immersive theatrical phenomenon is finally coming to Los Angeles January 28-29! 

For those of you unfamiliar with MicroTheater LA, in this creative experiment five different theater companies present 5 plays, 15 minutes each, 5 times a night, outside the conventional stage. Each intimate performance holds only 15 audience members to allow for a unique theater experience. 

While all of the plays will center around the same theme, each director puts its own unique spin to the evening's theme to give the audience different perspective on similar situations.

The evening will also feature live music, wine, tapas and short plays repeating throughout the night, surrounded by the work of international and local artists. 

Founded in Madrid in 2009 on the grounds of an abandoned brothel from where it quickly expanded to over a dozen of re-occurring theater experiences in Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Miami, MicroTheater is finally coming to Los Angeles by way of the Santa Monica Art Studios.

MicroTheater LA is being held on two nights at the Santa Monica Art Studios, located at 3026 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405.

Sat, Jan 28, 2017 

7pm Reception, plays start at 7:30pm, and repeat every 30 minutes.

Sun, Jan 29, 2017

6pm Reception, plays start at 6:30pm and repeat every 30 minutes.

Tickets are $20 for Night Pass, which includes the entrance fee to all five plays and a glass of wine during the Reception; or, $5 per play per person. Tickets can be purchased in advance here, or with cash or credit card at the door.

Check out MicroTheater LA's Facebook page For more information on each play.

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Join me at Elleffe Design's U.S. Launch Showcase Reception

Join me at Elleffe Design's U.S. Launch Showcase Reception

* This is a Sponsored Post*

Elleffe Design, a luxury home decor brand from Italy, has invited me to host a “divertimento” tutorial on the art of the tablescape to celebrate it's US launch.

The tutorial and reception will be held on Wednesday, August 17 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica.

Besides learning how to create a beautiful tablescape concept – in the vein of chic modern with a touch of whimsy - guests to this exclusive event will be treated to a viewing of the Elleffe Design collection, receive 20% off Elleffe pieces, as well as take home several other special gifts and prizes.

I would love for you to join me and learn how to easily create beautiful table decor at home, and ask that you RSVP here to confirm your attendance by Tuesday, August 17.

Ana Lydia

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Bare Burger opens in Santa Monica

Bare Burger opens in Santa Monica

*This is a Sponsored Post*

Westsiders rejoice!

The eyesore that the empty Omelette Parlor on Main St. was, is no more - Bare Burger, the East-coast organic burger institution, joined the neighborhood!

Before opening it's doors, Bareburger made a few upgrades to our local brunch favorite, while keeping a few touches from it's original design...and kept the original white metal Omelette Parlor sign!

For folks like me, that have way too many memories and brunch stories to boot, I expected to lose a few breaths when I walked into the updated Main St. restaurant. But I didn't.

What I did, instead, was smile. Bareburger is gorgeous! It's light and airy, with an updated urban country house feel, and looks like it's been part of the neighborhood forever.

There's plenty of space for single lunchtime diners and large families, and while the outside patio is much smaller than before, the indoor dining areas are set-up in such a way that you don't feel boxed in.

But as beautiful as the new space is, the stars of Bareburger are the unique menu offerings like elk, bison and duck patties, salads, bowls, house-made fries, sandwiches and milkshakes, which are all made with organic, local and non-GMO ingredients.

Some of my favorite dishes included:

Onion Rings, which were coupled with paprika mayo and smoke sauce.

Sprout & Shroom side dish, which included a marinated brussels & bulgur freekeh, topped with fried oyster mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, and habanero mayo.

The Hudson Salad, made with baby spinach, blue cheese, duck bacon, sunny side egg, hass avocado, grape tomatoes, red onions and topped with buttermilk ranch dressing.

Falafelwraptor, a collard green wrap sandwich with chickpea falafel, feta, spicy pico de gallo, alfalfa, cucumbers, pickled red onions, and lemon tahini dressing.

Hot Honey Chicken sandwich made with a buttermilk fried chicken breast, topped with brussel slaw, grilled pineapple, crispy lotus root, and hot honey on a sprout bun.

The So Cal Turkey burger, topped with aged cheddar cheese, pickled red onions, alfalfa and guacamole on a sprout bun.

***

Bareburger also prides itself in being able to alter the menu or prepare dishes individually to ensure that they are able to serve folks with most (if not all) allergies and food sensitivities - and of course, all done with a smile.

While everything my hubby and I tasted at Bareburger was absolutely delicious and worthy of a second time order, for those that want to create something more unique, you can enter the “Build Your Own Burger" contest. The contest runs now through May 15th and more information can be found at Bareburger.com/contest.

***

Bareburger is located at the former Omelette Parlor building, 2732 Main St., Santa Monica, CA, 90405.

Ana Lydia

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Food Fare 2016

Food Fare 2016

Tomorrow, Thursday, March 3rd, the 37th Annual Food Fare is returning to LA celebrate 50 years of health and wellness with Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar.

Advance purchase tickets for Food Fare 2015 are $150 for the daytime session (11:00 AM – 2:00 PM) and $250 for the evening session (6:30 PM – 9:30 PM), with proceeds from Food Fare support Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, to provide life saving cancer screenings, birth control, prevention and treatment of STDS and sexual health education to Los Angeles County's women, men and teens.

If you miss the advance ticket sale, you can also purchase your afternoon or evening pass at the door.

The more than 100 chefs, restaurants and caterers will bring on their A-game to Food Fare 2016 in epicurean categories such as comfort, fusion, desserts, ethnic food and more.

Food Fare participants will also bring everything from restaurant customer favorites to chef’s choice, and even some off-menu items, making some dishes exclusive to Food Fare.

Restaurants participating in Food Fare 2016 include JAR, Takami Sushi, Momed, Angelini Osteria, Lucques, Il Piccolo Verde, Porta Via, Qusqo Bistro & Gallery, Rosti Tuscan Kitchen, Ayara Thai Cuisine, Marino Ristorante, Clementine and Little Beast Restaurant, to name a few. Keeping things fresh and exciting, Food Fare has recruited a fleet of new participants this year including Akasha, An Catering by Crustacean, Fig Restaurant Santa Monica, Mayura Indian Restaurant, Bel Air Bar + Grill, Mud Hen Tavern, Slow Fish, The Albright, PopKitch, Moruno, Auntie Em’s Kitchen, Girasol and Knuckle & Claw, among many others.

In addition to the seemingly endless food samples, Food Fare 2016 attendees will also enjoy refreshments, coffee, wine, beer and spirits from purveyors such as Cappuccino Man, Greenbar Distillery, Golden Road Brewery, Jardesca, Alquimia Tequila, Dry Sparkling, Mountain Ranch Winery, Kikori Whiskey, Pomar Junction and Angel City Brewery.

For a complete list of participating restaurants, beverage purveyors and vendors, or to purchase your tickets, please visit www.pplafoodfare.com.

But don't worry if you miss the presale - tickets will be available at the door!

Ana Lydia

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Stickhouse Gelato in Santa Monica

Stickhouse Gelato in Santa Monica

As much as I love ice cream, there's really nothing quite like gelato. But gelato on a stick? Well, that's different...

Direct from Italy with love, introducing for the first time in the U.S. Stickhouse Gelato:



Each Stickhouse Gelato bar is literally gelato on a stick that's made with a La Ghiacciola (“The Icicle”), a machine that uses a special microcrystallization process to create a gelato that's thick and dense with flavor.

The Stickhouse Gelato bars, whether fruit or cream-based, are made daily using only the finest natural ingredients as well as locally sourced fresh and seasonal fruit, that can also be customized with your choice of chocolate and nuts toppings.

While I loved all the toppings and pop flavor combinations, I found that the fruit pops were elevated with the toppings, while the cream-based flavors, such as the cinnamon cheesecake, are better enjoyed without a topping.

My favorite pop being the Strawberry with dark chocolate and hazelnut toppings...try it and let me know what you think!

Stickhouse Gelato
223 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Ana Lydia

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Italian Fine Dining at Via Veneto Santa Monica

Italian Fine Dining at Via Veneto Santa Monica

* This is a Sponsored Post *

There are times that for no reason other than having the one you love waking-up besides you is reason enough to celebrate the day, the week, and life in general. On those days it takes a special type of restaurant to sustain -or create- a mood fitting of that occasion. 

Via Veneto on Main Street in Santa Monica, is perfectly suited for one of those days. 

The perfect kind.

The perfect kind of day that celebrates love, an anniversary, a special occasion, or a quite simply just the two of you...

On those perfect days, you drive to Santa Monica only to realize that although you're in the middle of it all, you have just stepped into a restaurant that is far removed from it all...and it's almost as if you have discovered a secret hideaway....

Expect to leave behind your day, your worries, and life...and invite Via Veneto do what they do best...delight their guests with an upscale Italian menu that uses organic, locally grown and sourced ingredients that create a luxury Italian dining experience.

While the menu offers a large selection of Roman-inspired dishes, Via Veneto prides itself for it's selection of sophisticated handmade pastas, while their in-house grill-master has perfected their veal scaloppine and juicy filetto di manzo. Via Veneto also offers an extensive dessert menu and enviable wine selection that pairs perfectly which each course.

All items on the menu can be ordered a la carte, but my recommendation is to let yourself experience Via Veneto by giving your well-versed waiter a few guidelines and ordering the tasting menu. Wine drinkers can also pair their wine with each course with either a selection from the in-house sommelier, or choose your own from a selection.

I also recommend that you start your dinner with the the cheese platter and olives, which is accompanied by a truffle-infused honey and country bread.

We gave our waiter carte blanche for our tasting menu, with our only request being that the octopus be included as one of the four items in our antipasto platter.

While everything presented in our antipasto platter was delicious, the octopus was like nothing I had ever had...

The octopus was cooked, then thinly sliced before drizzled with olive oil and garnished with grilled campari tomato. It was absolutely delightful.

For our first course we were served a selection of raviolis and my personal request, risotto with fresh-shaved black truffles.

While I expected the risotto to be delightful, the ravioli was most impressive due to it's thin pasta shell that simply melted in your mouth before your taste buds exploded when the ricotta met the sweet red sauce.

For our seafood main course, we were given a selection of branzino, which is a meaty Italian sea bass and langostinos, a smaller version of a lobster, but sweeter and with a nicer texture.

Both were cooked to perfection and served with a light butter sauce and garnished with chopped tomatoes.

The meat main course included house-made Italian sausage, veal scaloppine with porcini mushroom sauce, and grilled prairie land, bone-in veal chop, cooked with butter and sage.

Let me preface by saying that I usually find veal quite gamey...but not at Via Veneto. It was butter and absolutely melted in my mouth. My hubby devoured this dish. Devoured.

Both our seafood and meat platters were presented with vegetables, our favorite being the garlic spinach and oven-roasted potato side-dish.

For our final course our waiter recommended that we try an Italian dessert wine followed by a selection of their most popular sweets, including the tiramisu, chocolate profiteroles, berry panna cotta, and my personal favorite and the crowning jewel for the evening's dinner: the Nutella tart. 

The tasting menu at Via Veneto was an absolutely beautiful experience that I recommend you enjoy for your next special occasion...or quite simply, a day that you give-in to the love that you have around you.

Via Veneto
3009 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-1843 (Advance dinner reservations required)

Ana Lydia

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Our Afternoon in Marina del Rey

Our Afternoon in Marina del Rey

Sometimes it's the little things that matter...Like enjoying a picnic after taking a nice tour around the Marina.

So on a recent weekend, my hubby and I picked-up a packed lunch from Uplifters Kitchen with the plan to spend the afternoon in Marina del Rey and take a tour of the Marina on the Marina del Rey Water Bus.

Honestly, I had never heard about the Water Bus until a friend told me about her experience riding the Water Bus. For $1 per person each way, it totally sounded like something we could do even if we ended-up hating it.

Which we didn't. We LOVED it.

The Water Bus was a super casual way to enjoy the Marina by riding a boat without having a boat. Passengers ranged in ages and backgrounds, but the vast majority were locals that parked a bit too far to walk back to their cars. While some were going to the concert being held later that day at the Burton Chace Park, others just planned to ride along for the day and stop wherever the mood struck them.

To start on our afternoon Marina adventure, we picked-up the Marina del Rey Water Bus at the Dolphin Marina stop and got off at Fisherman's Village.

We had a nice stroll, window shopped and even saw a few sea lions at the Village!

Later in the day, we took the Water Bus to Mother's Beach where we walked around the beach and found a nice place to eat our yummy lunch from Uplifters Kitchen. I didn't notice until that day, but Mother's Beach has several BBQ areas and covered picnic tables. Summer music and parties filled the air, while we connected with a few new friends.

It was such a beautiful day in the Marina.

Perfectly breezy, not too hot, and with the absolutely yummy lunch we had in tow, it was hard not to smile and just be.

It's hard to leave the Marina after such a beautiful afternoon, but eventually we had to get back to our Princess Maya, and took the Water Bus to the Burton Chace Park stop.

Once we got off the Water Bus, we noticed families and couples carrying lawn chairs and setting up their picnic spots around a stage. Turns out that the Marina schedules weekend concerts, and that day was no different.

Had we known about the concert scheduled for later that day, we would have stayed a little longer to enjoy the evenings festivities.

The Marina del Rey Water Bus is scheduled from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but activities -ranging from free concerts and movies - are scheduled  throughout the year.

We plan on going back to enjoy a movie outside - and of course take our Princess Maaya - we hope that you join us too!

To learn more about the Water Bus and the various activities planned for this Labor Day Weekend, visit: Marinadelrey.lacounty.gov

Ana Lydia

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