Food Babies!!

Honestly, that is the only way to describe how Jamie, Spark, Venk, and I were feeling after having Dinner at Manhattan Beach Post earlier this week!  We all left so satisfied and so full, I could barely walk to the car, and I think all of us felt like we had Food Babies for the next 24 hours because we tried over half of the menu!

When we got seated in the Dining room we started off with cocktails and each of us ordered something different, Venk got the Mezcal Tequila drink, while Spark got a Manhattan, and Jamie got a drink with Scotch and Apple in it, that was my favorite.  I ordered a Gin, Kiwi, and Elderflower drink because I'm currently on a Gin kick and that was so light and refreshing but for the rustic meal we were having I think the Scotch drink would have been more appropriate, for me anyway.  I think all of us were in agreement that it was our favorite!  We had the same waitress, Janet, from the last time Jamie and I had Brunch at Manhattan Beach Post and she's such a wonderful server, friendly, suggestive, attentive, and still gives you the space you need to finish an incredible meal :)

Dinner at Manhattan Beach Post

Then the food started and I don't think it ever ended!  I saw Cheddar Bacon Biscuits in my future and sure enough, there they were in all their glory served with that Maple Butter.  My only bit of sadness (and it was tiny) was that they weren't served hot.  We also got the Soft Pretzel that was served with a Horseradish Mustard and it was the best Soft Pretzel I have ever had and the Mustard had the perfect amount of kick and added a little flair to the delicious Pretzel!  After our Carb Course it was time for Meats, Mustards, and Cheeses.  There was this fresh Ricotta Cheese and all these Meats, Proscuitto, Salami, and three fresh Mustards: one was Stout, another was Red Wine, and the last was a Pink Peppercorn, and I really liked them with a little cheese, Meat, and bread.  Another favorite off the Charcuterie board was the Pickled Vegetables and Pickled Grapes which were an interesting and pleasant surprise!

Details of The Charcuterie...yum!

Cous Cous and Brussel Sprouts

We had planned that we would get three items in each section of the menu, so 3 appetizers, 3 vegetables, and 3 entrees.  By now, we were just getting started and then the Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans with Crispy Pork, and Cous Cous with Pomegranite were dropped at the table.  Freddy Smalls currently holds my heart with their preparation of Brussel Sprouts, fried and served with Goat Cheese and have an Apple Cider glaze.  They are the perfect savory but sweet treat!  And they are still my favorite after trying the Brussel Sprouts at MB Post but I like anything that can be made sweeter and these had a Cheese and more savory flavor than the ones at Freddy Smalls.  The Green Beans were incredible and I found myself polishing off those and the Cous Cous because I didn't want anything to go to waste!  The Cous Cous was probably my favorite of this section of the meal because it was so light; it came with Feta Cheese, Grapefruit, Yogurt, Mint, and the Pomegranite seeds and was light and tasty.  We also ordered the Shrimp Ceviche which had fresh Jalepeno and certainly had that great kick of flavor and was also served with home-made Shrimp Chips!

Pork Jowl

Fresh Shrimp Ceviche

By this point we were all so full we decided on one Fish entree and one Meat entree.  We ordered the Scallops and perhaps it was just that I was so full they weren't my favorite part of Dinner and I've been spoiled with the Raw Bar at Water Grill that those were one of the few things that didn't get finished.  We also ordered the Lamb Belly and I was nervous because I didn't want to be eating a Baby Lamb, poor Lamby, since I have a tough time thinking about it (similar to the way I feel about Veal) that I was worried about trying it.  I know, I know, I eat Steak, Chicken, Pork, etc and there's no need to get into things but it's a different thought process when I'm thinking about eating a little one.  Jamie assured me it was a full-grown Adult Lamb so I did try it, even though it looked like Duck meat when it came to the table, and that is also not my cup of tea.  We all agreed it was a little salty and for me, it just wasn't my thing but it doesn't mean I wouldn't try it again either.  Then the Chef dropped off a couple things for us and I don't know how we were even going to fit through the door on the way out after all we had eaten!  He brought the Pork Jowl and the Steak with a Chimichurri Sauce and Broccolini.  The Steak was awesome, it was tender, perfectly cooked, and I loved the Broccolini with it.  I also liked the Pork Jowl because it had a crispy edge but by this time I could barely fit anymore food in my belly so I had to stop.  I still think I out-ate everyone ;)

We dined for over 2 hours and were ready for a little break so we had some French Press Coffee to help our stomachs settle and of course, there was no passing up dessert with this crew!  We got the Elvis Dessert that was Chocolate Pudding, Peanut Butter, and a Bacon Brittle (which of course I made room for) and it was so amazing!  I was definitely happy to end the meal that way.  Plus, the French Press Coffee, which I drank Espresso style was the best cup of Coffee I have ever had!  I may turn into a Coffee Snob because of this!

Thank goodness we didn't take an after picture because I'm not sure we would have been recognizable after all that food but what an incredible and exciting meal!  It's not something I could do even on a regular basis because I do like the simplicity of things but it was a very different style of food and I love experimenting because I've found some new favorites that I'll be drooling about until I get to try even more!

Brunch in Manhattan Beach!

Manhattan Beach Post Brunch

Last Saturday Jamie and I hit up Manhattan Beach Post in Manhattan Beach for a new and exciting Brunch!  It was a beautiful day outside, a little breezy, with the sun shining brightly, and as we got seated at our table we had an incredible view of the ocean and the waves crashing in!

Both of us were so hungry so after ordering 5 different dishes, we hoped that would be enough.  First off, we got started with cocktails, Jamie ordered the Pushing Daisies which had Champagne, Grapefruit and Rose in it, and I got their version of a Mojito.  Jamie's was served in a beautiful glass, and my Mojito had crushed ice in it and was delicious!  Our first bit of heaven were the Cheddar Bacon Biscuits that reminded me of Red Lobster's (don't tell them I said that) but were a billion times better!  It was honestly the best biscuit I've ever had!  I actually saved half of it so it would be the last thing I ate before we left!  The biscuits are served with a maple butter and have their own Facebook page.  You can check it out here: Little Drops of Heaven called Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits! 

Biscuits & Our Fruit Salad

Next up was a Citrus Salad with Mint and Honey.  It was not what I expected but still good and perfectly chilled.  There were a few different fruits served in a grapefruit bowl with some mint and honey drizzled on top.  I was expecting a salad so aside from that it was good.  Perhaps a little expensive for a bowl of fruit, but anytime you order a fruit bowl at a restaurant it's normally going to be around $10.  Our Chile and Maple Bacon came at the same time as the Citrus Salad and wow was that awesome.  It was the perfect amount of sweetness with a nice kick of spice.  My only complaint there was that I like my bacon crispy, but sopping up the juicy goodness in the skillet was pretty darn awesome.

Before our entrees came, Jamie ordered another cocktail called The Hessian made with was rum, allspice, nutmeg, and pumpkin which was the perfect holiday drink!  All of their food and cocktails change depending on the season and what's fresh, so it's kind of exciting to try entrees and cocktails that may not be there on our next visit.  Our Ricotta French Toast and Roasted Peppers with Burrata Cheese Sandwich came next and looked beautiful.  The sandwich bun was soft but firm enough to keep everything inside, and the greens had a citrus dressing on them which blended perfectly with the cheese and peppers and was served with home-made chips that were huge and hard Parmesan on them.  There was the perfect amount of Ricotta Cheese between the 2 slices of French Toast, that was sweet but savory, and a perfect dessert to end our meal.

Roasted Pepper & Burrata Sandwich with my amazing Biscuit!

I wish I would have had room for another biscuit but I was so full at the end of our meal I could barely finish the other half of my first one!  I'm going to go back strictly for biscuits one day!  Before we could go home, we were gifted with yet another cocktail, this one was The Man in the Yellow Hat.  I'm not a big Tequila drinker, and I don't particularly like Mezcal Tequila because it's got a smokey flavor and reminds me of bonfire, which I hate, but because of the banana, coconut and cardamom in the drink, it was really well blended and actually suited the drink.  Knowing me, I'd probably order it with Silver Tequila but seeing that I could drink it with the Mezcal made it a great drink and something I could sip on and enjoy and that was a pleasant surprise!

Our whole experience was amazing.  From sitting down at our table with our ocean view, to the impeccable service, thanks to Janet, the fun-flavored cocktails, and the elegant yet perfect comfort food, we were very satisfied customers and are excited to return!