So it took two tries, but Matt and I were finally able to check out the new Ballast Point Brewery in Downtown Disney earlier this week. We popped in last week, but the place was so packed you couldn’t even get to the bar. For our lunch this week, we made a reservation, and though it was not as crowded as last week, the place is still hopping, so if you want to actually eat there, I suggest booking a time for a guaranteed seat.
Now, a couple of things I will say right off the bat. I was a server for seven years, and during that period I worked an opening of a new restaurant, so I know how hard it is and how tricky it can be figuring out a new system. So I understand that there a few kinks to work out. We experienced quite a few kinks during our lunch, but the best thing I can say is that they were mostly handled well by the staff. But to start, it took twenty minutes from the time we checked in for our reservation until we were sat at our table, and I don’t know how much longer it would have been if I hadn’t checked back in with the hostess at the twenty minute mark. There seemed to be a lot of confusion when it came to checking people in and getting them to their tables. But after the long wait we were taken to a great table with a view overlooking Downtown Disney.
I was invited to a hosted media preview in exchange for my review.
If you are hungry, you might want to stop reading this post. And if you’re not hungry, prepare to be, because by the time you get through this post, you’re gonna be ready for a delicious meal. If you live in Southern California, chances are you are familiar with Stonefire Grill. Growing up in Valencia (home of Weeds, tract homes, and the original Stonefire), I had the pleasure of eating Stonefire Grill all the time. Anytime anyone was having any sort of big party or gathering, every banquet at school, everything was catered by Stonefire. And you always knew, if you were getting Stonefire, it was going to be bomb. At our LA house, we didn’t have a Stonefire close by, but luckily, I still got my fix at a number of weddings, and I have always been super impressed with their catering staff. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and really go above and beyond every time.
So when I was invited to the media preview for Stonefire’s newest restaurant (conveniently located just ten minutes from our new place) and I was like sign. me. up. And of course, it did not disappoint. We were treated to a buffet of pretty much everything on the Stonefire menu (which is a lot of things) and everything was delicious. Matt got to accompany me, and suffice to say, he is now infinitely more tolerant of this whole “influencer” deal. (Of course he is, he got to eat all the food and doesn’t have to do any of the work ;o).) These are just a few of the items that we sampled at the preview. You have been warned…
The other night Matt and I had one of our rare date nights when we went to see The Color Purple at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Since we have had season tickets to the Pantages for a couple of years, we have established some go-to restaurants in the area, but this time, we decided to try something new. So of course, I turned to Yelp, and as soon as I saw The Parker Room, I knew we had to check it out. The Parker Room used to be a jazz club in the 1940’s and hosted the first West Coast show for Charlie Parker (hence the name). My husband is a musician and jazz aficionado so as soon as I mentioned the name, he was on board. The place is super tiny, but it’s super cute, steeped in history, and if you go during happy hour, reasonably priced (for Hollywood).
The food menu at Parker Room is limited, but the cocktails abound, and really, that’s what matters, amirite?
I had an At Last, which was a delightful combo of tequila and strawberry. This is one of those drinks that I want to recreate at home. It was perfect for the summer months in particular, super light and refreshing.
Matt had the Dizzy G Old Fashioned, which is one of his standby drinks. He said it was good, but also just a pretty standard old fashioned (which I don’t think is a bad thing).
We decided to do a bunch of the happy hour appetizers instead of entrees, and while everything was fine, I wouldn’t say anything was spectacular. We had the chicken tacos, which were tiny, but yummy. The chicken was a little lacking in flavor, but the sauce was delish.
The fried calamari was my favorite of the items we tried. It was flavorful, and the aioli dipping sauce was awesome. We also had the fries, which were fine and not eventful enough to photograph.
I’m not sure we would come back to the Parker Room for dinner in the future, but we would definitely come back for happy hour cocktails and Matt for sure wants to come back to hear their live music sets (every Tuesday night). And while we did walk from the bar (on Vine at DeLongpre) I wouldn’t say it’s super convenient to the theater. Check out this bar if you’re into jazz or just want to grab a quick cocktail when strolling around Hollywood, but skip it if you need a real meal.
A couple of weeks ago, Matt and I had literally the best meal I have ever eaten. I say that with no hyperbole, knowing that to make such a bold claim is a big effing deal. Well, this was one effing delicious meal. Maccheroni Republic is located downtown on Broadway, between 3rd and 4th. We went to eat there before we saw Something Rotten at the Ahmanson, and walked from the Music Center parking lot to the restaurant (we actually walked around downtown all day, and this is where we ended up). It’s not a short walk by LA standards, but it’s definitely doable and totally worth not having to park downtown twice. The restaurant is not in the greatest location downtown, but it’s tucked away and feels private enough that it doesn’t matter. They do not take reservations, so be prepared for a little bit of a wait (though we went at 5:30 to have plenty of time to eat and get to the theater and there was no wait). The most important thing is to come hungry.
We started out with a bottle of Malbec, which I tend to forget about a lot of the time, but every time I have it, I remember how smooth and delicious it is. I love that it is served in old school glasses, true Italian style.
The menu is very simple, just straight up delectable sounding pastas.
Matt had the Bigoli Della Nonna, which looks like spaghetti and meat sauce, but is so so so much more than that. The sauce was insanely good.
I had the Tortelloni Burro E Salvia and it was one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth (don’t be dirty). Guys, this pasta melted in my mouth. Every bite I took was more delicious than the last. The handmade pasta makes such a huge difference in the overall quality of the dish, and when you combine that with the sauce and the cheese…let’s just say I was in pasta-lovers heaven.
For dessert we had the Apple Tart and it was just as amazing as it looks. You can’t go wrong with apples and caramel. Not only was the entire meal so incredibly scrumptious, but our total bill including tip was under $100. That’s a bottle of wine, two entrees, and a dessert, plus tip for under $100. For a meal for two downtown, and one as good as this, that is a freakin’ steal.
This is the one and only time I have been to Maccheroni Republic, but I will literally be going back to this place for every single special occasion I have for the rest of my life. This is my new favorite restaurant, and I am seriously counting down until my next chance to visit. If you are going to be downtown, this stop is a must. You will not be disappointed!
This past weekend, Matt and I were invited by some friends to attend a viewing party at Library Bar in downtown Los Angeles. When you combine books, Game of Thrones, and booze, I am a happy camper, so we obviously jumped at the chance. I had never been to the bar before, mostly because it is downtown and getting there and parking is a pain in the ass. However, because it was Sunday, the drive was less awful than it normally is. As soon as we walked in, I fell in love. If I didn’t have a kid, and a job, I would spend every weekend hanging out at this bar. It’s the best, and I seriously wish it were closer to my house.
We arrived around 4:30 to get spots for the 6:00 Game of Thrones (they also show the episode at 9:00 and 10:30). While we were some of the first ones there, I’m glad we got there early because we got an awesome spot. For my first drink, I ordered the Tequila Mockingbird, for obvious reasons. It was super tasty, though the spicy “rim” that was actually all over the side of the glass was a little inconvenient. Next time I will ask for it as just a rim. But the drink itself was super yummy.
At around 5:00 they started serving their themed Game of Thrones drinks. Between everyone in our group, we tried them all, and they all got positive reviews.
This one is the Mother of Dragons. It tasted similar to a pina colada. It was good, but it wasn’t my favorite of all the ones I tried.
This one is the Blood and Fire. Epic failure on my part, I was not ready with my camera at the bar, because they actually light the sprig of rosemary on fire. I’m always down for a little spectacle with my cocktails, and as a bonus, it tasted great! I would definitely order this one again.
Matt and I split the fried chicken sandwich, which was very tasty. The fries were the best part though, they had a great seasoning. This is definitely the kind of bar that has good, but pricey snack type foods. We split the sandwich and then ate another snack when we got home.
They show Game of Thrones on one big main screen and one other smaller TV. We had a great spot since we got there so early, but it did seem like most people in the bar had a decent view of the show. They also showed the previous week’s episode, though they didn’t turn the sound on until the new episode started. I was a little worried about watching the show in a bar with a big group of people, but it was actually better than expected. A couple of people were talking, but for the most part, everyone paid attention and no one was too obnoxious. We did go home and watch the episode again, but I always do that so I can do my notes for the podcast.
I am so happy I discovered Library Bar. I will 100% visit there again, and I would definitely check out another Game of Thrones episode there in the future. How do you feel about viewing parties? Do they enhance your experience or take away from the show for you? Let me know!
One of the built in benefits of having season tickets to the Pantages is that it forces Matt and me to go out on pre-scheduled date nights. We are both so busy that we sometimes go weeks in a row without ever having a weekend night off together, and weekdays as I’m sure you can imagine, mostly consist of Squirt. We don’t go out to eat before every show, but we try to as much as we can, and before our last show, we decided to try a new spot, Wood and Vine. Wood and Vine is located at the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine (hence the name), which is conveniently right across the street from the Pantages (which means you only have to park once, which in Hollywood is a mega score).
The restaurant has a super cool hipstery bar area, but we opted to sit on the back patio, which has a really fun vibe. The patio would be an awesome place for a party. We sat at the firepit table, which is in the middle of the outdoor area and is kind of a communal seating area. Our waitress explained that the concept of the food is American tapas, so they are small bites meant to be shared (though the portion sizes didn’t seem small to me).
We ordered drinks first, obvi. I got the Accomplice, which was delicious. I will be making a homemade version of this all summer long. Matt got the Black Manhattan, which is one of his go to drinks.
We started with the green salad, which was fine, but nothing special. For one of our main dishes we chose the mussels and it might have been the first time we ever ordered seafood still in the shell to share. I was a little hesitant, but they were really yummy. Definitely not what I would have gone for first, but I’m glad I branched out and tried something new.
As soon as I saw grilled cheese on the menu, I knew we would be ordering it because I have the taste buds of a twelve year old. I have to say, this is one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I have ever had and I would order this every time I ate at this restaurant if Matt would let me get away with it. Seriously. So. good.
Matt is not a big dessert person, but I am the dessert person and when I’m in charge of ordering, we’re getting dessert. And this dessert was effing heaven. It’s butterscotch with a bourbon ice cream and a thyme crumble. Sounds weird, but it was tasty AF. Even Matt got down with this bad boy.
The view from the our seats on the patio, wouldn’t this make a great spot for a small wedding?
Overall, our meal at Wood and Vine was perfect for date night. The drinks were great, the food was yummy and the ambiance was super cool. I can definitely see us eating there again and it would be a great spot for a small party.
Several months ago, an event popped up in my Facebook feed, advertising a Star Wars themed pop up bar in Hollywood called the Scum and Villainy Cantina. I immediately went online and bought tickets and then promptly forgot about it until a few weeks ago when reservations for the bar opened up. Matt and I decided to go to SVC during his spring break, so we chose a Wednesday evening at 6:00. Each ticket came with two drink tokens, a souvenir glass and a souvenir coin, along with access to the bar for two hours (which was plenty of time).
We arrived to the “secret” (not so much anymore) location about a half an hour before our reservation, and found a parking spot on Cahuenga immediately. If you have ever tried to park in Hollywood, you know how next to impossible that is. We were the second group in line, so we could have gotten there later and been fine, but I always prefer to be early. About fifteen minutes before our entrance time, we were checked in and given our two drink tokens. We were let into the bar right at 6:00.
Inside was dark and foggy (and terrible for taking pictures). There wasn’t a ton of decoration, per se, it was really more like we had actually walked into a bar in space. The music was eclectic and nerdy-I mean, they played the Flash Gordon theme song by Queen so I had no complaints about that. In general, I thought they captured the atmosphere of a space cantina pretty well. We grabbed two seats at the bar and cashed in our first tokens. Tokens were only good for specialty cocktails or beer, but they did also have a full bar. First I tried the Big Bang. All of the cocktails came with a glowstick in them.
With my second token I tried the Dark Side of the Moon. Both of the cocktails were fine. Neither was so amazing that I would order them again, but they were both tasty and seemed to have a decent amount of alcohol.
The best part about being at SVC was the people watching. A lot of people (most, really) came in costume and everyone was willing to pose for pictures, which was fun for us since we didn’t dress up. We saw some really cool outfits.
Matt totally photo bombed my Stormtrooper selfie.
About a half an hour before our time was over, the big guy came out. It was fun to see the Stormtroopers (who were guests at the bar) immediately flock to his side and flank him as he walked around the bar.
Matt and I had a really fun time hanging out at the Scum and Villainy Cantina. We didn’t try any of the food since it all seemed pretty generic (we hit up In N Out on the way home, which is really the only way to do it), but we enjoyed the drinks. The prices for the other drinks at the bar seemed pretty on par with most of Hollywood, and while tickets for the bar were a little steep (I think we paid $50 per ticket), I found the whole experience to be worth what we paid.
As far as I know, there are no more reservations available for SVC, but they do have some walk up spots available. I would check their website and/or social media channels for the latest updates on accommodating walk ups. If you are a Star Wars fan in the So Cal area, I would 100% recommend checking out the experience. It was definitely a fun and nerdtastic experience!
