Celebrating my Mom's Birthday

It would have been my Mom's 57th Birthday (sorry Mom, should I say 29th) on February 9th.  Every day has been a struggle and that day could have been completely miserable, but it wasn't, and although I cried and missed her throughout the day, I tried to make the most of it and do things that she would enjoy doing.  What better way to celebrate than by eating, which she and I definitely had in common :)

My day started with a morning work-out and then I had set up an appointment at the Aveda Salon to get my hair-cut and also get a facial.  It was one of the best hair-cuts I've gotten there and I always make a stop at Diddy Riese for an Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich when I'm in Westwood.  Mom loved stopping there too when she was visiting.  I picked out a dress that Mom really liked and was ready when Jamie picked me up for our incredible Food Adventure!

Cheers Mom...Happy Birthday!

Jamie and I started off at Pearl's on Sunset in West Hollywood.  Carolyn (who was also very close with my Mom) manages the Bar/Restaurant and it was also Happy Hour, so we were excited for the $1 Oysters and $3 Champagne, and other yummy bites.  The Oysters were fabulous and the Champagne was sweet; I had my first ever Grilled Oyster and Fried Oyster, which I loved.  We also had the Lollipop Lamb Chops and Grilled & Chilled Shrimp.  Everything was delicious including our cocktails!  And there was even a place setting for my Mom...thanks Carol <3

Pearl's on Sunset with Jamie & Carolyn

Next up was EPLP on La Cienega.  Initially, I was a little nervous.  I checked out the menu during the day and was a little leery about it but after getting a glass of wine I was ready to be adventurous.  I was with Jamie afterall, and she always makes me try new and strange things and I usually end up loving them.  Like the Abalone which is similar to a snail (I made sure Jamie didn't tell me what it was or I would have shied away from it) that was absolutely delicious!  We also did the Kakoda, which was raw shrimp ceviche with coconut milk, lime and chili.  In all honesty, I had so many favorites throughout this meal, I can't pick just one or two.  Although I would go back and order that ceviche again and again!  We also got the Wood Grilled Octopus; I am not an Octopus fan but I did try it, and it was alright (better than ok but probably not something I would order again, although the salad it came with was really yummy).  We did the Heirloom Tomato and I felt like I was missing out on the cheese in it, but of course there wouldn't be cheese in Asian Cuisine.  It was light and fresh.  For our entree, we ordered the Massaman Curry which was Venison Shank (another surprise, I thought it was short rib, but it was tender and flavorful but not too gamey) served with a pickled green relish and brown rice.  At this point, we were really full from our Happy Hour but everything was too good not to eat.  Thankfully, the Curry would be great later on, and I also took the leftover Octopus Salad and brown rice.  Special thanks to Jamie's friend who took such great care and made us feel so special on a beautiful day.

No meal is complete without dessert and Jamie knows me too well as to not stop somewhere for the finishing touch to our Food Adventure.  Our final stop was Terrine on Beverly for Beignets and an after-dinner drink.  The Beignets were light and airy, and my Gin Cocktail was fresh and just enough to close out the evening still feeling good.

I'm so glad we were able to check out a couple new places and get to Pearl's for the Tuesday Oyster & Champagne night, I'll definitely be back for that, and EPLP has a beautiful rooftop that we didn't get to see, so I'm sure the next time we have Dinner, we'll visit that as well!

I wish I could share more Birthday's with my Mom but I will continue to celebrate for and with her, no matter what, and I'm so glad I had such a great friend to share that special day with!

Dine LA Week

I love checking out new restaurants during Dine LA!  I was able to hit up a few different places at the end of January and look forward to going back to them in the future!

The Roof on Wilshire was my first Dine LA experience this last month and Aimee & Andy came with me.  It was a little bit rainy but the roof had covered tables and heat lamps so it ended up being perfectly fine.  The view was beautiful and we were all excited for Dinner.  I started with the Shells & Cheese while Aimee & Andy got the Brussels Sprouts.  Both appetizers were really big and enough for all three of us to share but I was hungry so I didn't mind.  I ordered the Bowl of Goodness with Shrimp that had Avocado, Quinoa, Siracha, Beans, and more.  It was so much food that I took over half of it home with me.  It was definitely spicy but everything worked really well together!  I finished off the meal with the S'mores Cheesecake which was really yummy and had a marshmallow melted on top.  On top of the three courses for $29 they also offered a cocktail of your choice so I decided on the Vodka Martini with Cucumber & Mint and it was delicious and refreshing!  I had enough leftover food for Dinner the next day!

The following week Jamie and I checked out Terrine which was just outside of West Hollywood and their outdoor patio where we sat was beautiful.  We stuck with the Dine LA menu but also added The Beef Tartare which was my first raw beef adventure and that was good.  I started with the Lobster Bisque which was nice but I loved the Truffle Agnolotti that Jamie ordered, perfect pillows, in a beautiful sauce that I wanted seconds and thirds!  We both decided on the Wagyu Beef Short Rib and that was incredible and tender; it was served with a Brown Butter Pomme Puree that was one of my favorite parts of the meal!  You can't go wrong with Brown Butter!  I decided on the Sticky Toffee Pudding for Dessert and it was a perfect end to the meal.  Their three courses were $39 and well worth it!

The Dine LA Menu at Terrine...Beef Tartare & Sticky Toffee Pudding

Jamie and I also had plans to check out one more place but decided to do some Happy Hour hopping around Beverly Hills instead and ended up spending $30 on a three-course meal with tax and tip!  We did good.  We started off at Crustacean and had to order the Garlic Noodles as these are noodles that dreams are made of!  I also got a no-carb burger which was served with cut green beans.  That was ok but the noodles always raise the bar!  We then walked over to Wolfgang Steakhouse and while Jamie got the Ribs I got the Steak Sliders which came with French Fries.  The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and served with a horseradish sauce that was awesome.  I was really proud of our Beverly Hills Happy Hour dinner on a budget :)

I can't wait to go back to The Roof on Wilshire, especially when the sun is setting; it'll have a stunning view.  I'd like to go back to Terrine as well and try some other things off the menu.  Jamie really encourages me to try things that scare me, so she's the perfect date in situations like that!  I've already been back to Wolfgang since going with Jamie and had more delicious food there so that was fantastic!  Three new places for the win! 

To see more photos from Dine LA or if you want to check out my Food Adventures follow me on Instagram: Lyndsey Wegner on IG