Spring in Wisconsin :)

Just a couple weeks ago I was heading to Wisconsin for a whirl-wind week of fun!  It was my first trip back since Christmas and there was so much planned.  I was looking forward to spending time with my family and just being home :)

My cousins were actually on the same flight from LA to Milwaukee so when we landed in WI we all went out to Dinner together.  On Thursday night I Bartended at Rosie's Valley Inn and my entire family came in and visited me.  It was a blast to be behind the bar in Wisconsin and reminded of how affordable it is to drink back home.  I poured a round of drinks (all cocktails) for $11; it would have cost $40 in Los Angeles!  It's kind of mind-blowing.  My little cousins loved helping me out behind the bar, doing dishes, pouring sodas, and even mentioned coming to help the following day because doing dishes in the bar is far more fun than doing them at home!

Monica & I with Nicki, Russell Wilson speaking for the Graduation, and Dad & I at Camp Randall!

On Saturday, Dad and I drove to Madison for Nicki's Graduation from UW-Madison.  Russell Wilson (QB from the Seattle Seahawks who went to Madison for a year) was the Commencement Speaker and did a really great job.  I was actually impressed with his speaking abilities; he was relateable, funny, but also very motivating.  Aside from the hail (it was so cold it was hailing...in May) and walking seven miles to get to the right area, it was neat to be at Nicki's Graduation and we were so glad we went!  It was also Tyler's Birthday so we celebrated later that evening at St. Anne because no trip back home is complete without a steak from my favorite place in WI!

Bridal Shower Cupcakes!

Sunday was Tyler & Monica's Bridal Shower with family so we had a nice party at my Aunt Mary's house, had a beautiful lunch, opened gifts, played some games and answered questions about Tyler & Monica.  When everyone had left and we had cleaned up, the kids and I played cards!

Algoma Pierhead Lighthouse

I was looking forward to our Wine Tasting Adventure in Door County for months so we all went to the Von Steihl Winery on Monday afternoon.  After tasting some delicious wines (for free) and buying a few bottles as well, I had seen that there was a Cheese Tasting a few miles away.  We headed there next and tasted some fabulous cheese, once again, bought a bunch because they had Squeaky Cheese Curds.  They vacuum-sealed mine since they were traveling back to California with me and I wanted to make sure that they would still be squeaky when I got them home to LA.  We had Lunch on Lake Michigan and then Dad and I went to the Algoma Pierhead Lighthouse.  We had to walk on this narrow walk-way to get closer to the lighthouse and the water was actually splashing up and over it because the waves and current were fairly strong.  It was a little scary at times and I was really surprised that my Dad led the way but when we got to the lighthouse, he was just as excited about seeing it as I was.  I was so glad we did that together!  On our way back to Plymouth, we stopped at one more Winery with the entire family called Parallel 44 and Dad and I both agreed on the same bottle to buy there.  They had a Summer Concert series that sounded like so much fun, and reminded me of Malibu Wines.  I hadn't eaten at A&W in years since they're only open when it's warmer outside so I was really excited to get my traditional hot dog from there and cheese curds once we got back to P-town.  This time I changed it up and got a burger too and let me say, In & Out, oooooh you have some competition!  It was so yummy!

My Dad's Birthday was on Wednesday, the day I was heading back to LA, so late Tuesday night I prepped for his Birthday surprise.  I had a giant piece of Chocolate Cake I had picked up, some Sparkling Wine from one of the Wineries, a few gifts, and then we played cards and just hung out on my last night in Wisconsin. A low-key 61st Birthday surprise!

The week I was home went by so quickly and my Dad called me the next day to thank me for such a nice time and to tell me he loved me.  That's always nice to hear and as difficult as things are for me without my Mom, I can't imagine Dad being in the house without her.  He's so strong and I'm so proud of him!  We really did have a good time although I wish I could have made a meal one night (I sound like my Mom), but we played lots of Trivia Crack, debated some politics, learned some things, and had some really nice conversations.  I'll be heading back in a week and a half for a few days and can hardly wait!

Spring in Wisconsin Pictures

More pictures from my week-long trip to Wisconsin in May!

The flowers were found in the backyard of our house, along with that gorgeous tree.  Von Steihl has such delicious wines, you can go the traditional route with a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir or you can try some of their fruit wines with Blueberry or Raspberry or sweet sparkling wines.  They even have barrel-aged Ports!  The cheese-tasting was like a dream and I'm just going to leave it at that :)  Dad and I loved checking out the lighthouse in Algoma that's right on Lake Michigan, it was a scary walk to it, but so worth it!

Flowers & Trees in Plymouth

Wine & Cheese Tasting in Door County

Holding up Algoma's Pierhead Lighthouse with Dad!

Blind Barber Birthday

We all had such a fun time for my Birthday at Bar Lubitsch, I knew that having my actual party on Friday night at Blind Barber would be great!  I've been going into Blind Barber, which is a speakeasy inside a Barber Shop here in Culver City, for over a year now.  On top of their amazing grilled cheese selection, they've got an array of drinks and the service is always top notch!

I spent the afternoon by the pool and then early in the evening Jamie came over with some snacks and a bunch of wines for us so we could do some Wine Tasting.  They ranged from a Rose, to Chardonnay, to a Chianti.  The Rose surprised me the most since I typically hate Rose because it's always too dry but this was light and airy, with a touch of sweetness at the end and a smooth finish.  Jamie told me it wasn't available to buy on its own, only for restaurant sales.  It made drinking it with her while getting ready for my Birthday so special!  I also picked out one of the Chardonnay's and the Chianti that also had a smooth finish to keep.

An array of Wines for our Tasting and a mini Photo-Shoot before heading to Blind Barber!

Some of my friends were already at Blind Barber by the time we arrived, our Uber got lost getting to my apartment so we jumped right into some cocktails.  I started with the Strawberry Fields and the next thing I know, I was taking a shot, and another one a half hour later, and had another drink in my hand after that and the night just kept going from there.  Thankfully, Jamie made sure I ate some of the fabulous Grilled Cheese that I had ordered, and Carolyn was making me drink water, and I happily obliged.

Catching up with friends, Ashley, Carolyn, Jeff, and Bear at Blind Barber!

There was dancing, shots, and fun!  So many of my friends showed up and stopped by, and I apologize if I'm forgetting anyone.  Thanks to Jamie (for starting the festivities off with a bang) Jeff, Bear, Andy, Kayt, Patrick, Ashley, Raph, Mikey, Carolyn, Nick, Charlie, Sam (for also making sure we all got home safely), Adam, Giana, Justin, (for trying) Giere, Simon, Daniel, our wonderful Bartender, Allyson, the manager at Blind Barber, and anyone else who came to celebrate and toast with me!  Can we please have a re-do where I don't have to take shots and let's not celebrate my Birthday but just get everyone together to hang out and have an awesome time!?!

My favorite part of my Birthday is just getting all my friends together in one space to hang out and catch up.  So perhaps I'll try to set something like this up every few months so friends can meet other friends, we can all relax and enjoy some great food and drinks, and celebrate that we're all here in LA and having the time of our lives <3  Thank you to everyone who made my Birthday special!

Wine Expo in West LA

I've been wanting to go to Wine Expo for quite some time now.  One of my regulars and friends from Irish Times where I Bartend worked at Wine Expo and would always talk about the Monday and Thursday 20 for $20 events as well as the Champagne & Bacon Tasting.  The 20 for $20 was 20 tastes of wine for $20.  Seriously?  Score!!

All the ladies and I who Bartend at Irish Times talked about a little outing but it's always hard to get everyone together and work with all of our schedules so Alicyn and I decided to go on our own since no one else was available.  We took an Uber to Wine Expo which is on Santa Monica Blvd in West LA and looks like your typical Liquor Store or Wine Warehouse from the outside but once you walk in, there's a Tasting Room right to the left.  We got two seats at the bar and were ready for our adventure!

Before and After our Wine Tasting at Wine Expo!

The Tasting started with Sparkling Wine and Champagne, moved to the lighter whites, then Chardonnay, and into the more fruit-forward reds, Pinot Noir, all the way to a Cab, and finished off with some Dessert Wines.  By the time we got done we figured out we had about six glasses of wine and it was definitely worth the $20 it cost to do the Tasting.  Alicyn took notes on the wines she liked and didn't like.  We definitely had different opinions about the whites but had the same palate for the red wines.  In fact, we both really liked the Steel Chardonnay they had, even though both of us agree normally they have a metallic or tinny after-taste to them.  Our Bartender told us that Joffre also does a really buttery Chardonnay so I can't wait to hunt that wine down :)  I loved our final Dessert Wine which was a Moscato di Asti, so sweet and perfectly carbonated!

Drinks with Jay at Irish Times for Metal Monday :)

Of course, the night wouldn't have been complete without a stop by Irish Times for Metal Monday.  Plus, Charlie and Jay were there and asking me to stop by for weeks, so Alicyn and I Uber'd over there after our Tasting.  No night at Irish Times is complete without Hell Fires...darn you, Ian.  

It was a really fun night and something new and fun to do in LA.  Wine Expo also has Happy Hour which offers half-price on all the wines.  Our Chardonnay during Happy Hour would only be $2.50.  AND they're constantly changing their 20 for $20 menu so you'll get to try at least a few new wines every time!  They also have food:  Appetizers, pizza's, entree's, and desserts too.  It's definitely a pretty awesome deal and I'd love to go back and get a couple bottles next time as well! 

Pourvino in Plymouth

While I was back home in Plymouth for Christmas my family and I decided to check out this new wine bar called Pourvino.  I'm so excited we have a place like this back home; if I was still living there it would definitely be my go-to spot.  I can't wait to visit again and do more wine tastings and check out their new food menu as well!

Mom and I decided to split the Sweet White Wine Flight and also ordered a bottle of The Little Black Dress Moscato.  Our awesome Bartender gave us an extra taste of another kind of Moscato that was a little more syrupy but without the sugary taste; it had mango and tropical fruit notes, was really smooth and totally delicious!  I almost wished we had tried that before we ordered The Little Black Dress bottle because we might have gotten that instead.  That Moscato was very tasty as well, with slight carbonation and from California.

The Sweet White Flight we had included a Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sauternes.  The Riesling was far less sweet than I expected and was my least favorite of the three but Mom enjoyed it.  I really liked the Chardonnay because it did have that buttery finish and I always look for that when picking out a Chardonnay.  It was a unanimous decision that the Sauternes was the best of the three.  That wine was the sweetest and the grapes they use are partially raisined which brings on the sweeter flavor.  Even my Dad liked that one!  He was drinking Bourbon that night since he's more of a Whiskey drinker.

Wine Tasting at Pourvino in Plymouth!

Overall, the experience was amazing.  Even the music was on point, they had a chill mix that had Sara Bareilles playing "Little Black Dress" and other fun songs (perfect while we were drinking the same-titled bottle of Moscato).  On Tuesday's they have half-price bottles and it made the night very affordable, even in Plymouth!  To top it all off, they have a menu that includes a Chocolate Tasting, Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake, small plates like Proscuitto wrapped Breadsticks, and Spinach Artichoke dip.  This is a must visit spot in our wonderful small town in Wisconsin :)

It looks like they just updated their menu so find Pourvino on Facebook right here: https://www.facebook.com/pourvinowinebar

Mom & Dad's September Visit to LA! Part 2.

After spending a wonderful couple of days in Carmel with family, Mom, Dad and I headed to Solvang to spend a couple days there!  It was just a couple hours from Carmel to Solvang but I was really bummed there were no Football games being broadcasted on AM radio in California!  How was I supposed to get my Sunday Football fix?!

Thankfully, after we arrived in Solvang and checked into The Hadsten House (where Mom and I had stayed this past May) we made our way to Los Olivos to check out a couple wineries before the day was over.  We were able to catch the tail end of the Packer Game, and lucky for us, they pulled off a win, after a huge deficit!  We really liked the wine at Arthur Earl & Alexander Wayne.  They had lots of options to choose from and we were able to tailor it to our taste.  We even bought some dips and hot sauce at these tasting rooms!  

First Wine Tasting in Solvang at Daniel Gehr's!

We did start our day at Daniel Gehr's since it was where my incredible Port came from!  I picked up a bottle of Pinot Gris from there while Mom and Dad decided on a Late-Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Alexander & Wayne.  Thankfully we were sharing tastes at these rooms and that gave us all a chance to taste different wines.  As we walked back to the car we saw the Carhartt Winery.  What?  Could it be a Winery that Dad would actually like and be excited about?  The Tasting Room was small with just a couple stools and there was Led Zepplin on the radio...I loved it!  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for us in there so we went to the back patio where there was plenty of room and beautiful furniture.  We ended up moving back into the Tasting Room after some people left because the owner was there and just more friendly than our server was.  I ended up getting a Syrah from there and we found out throughout the day Mom actually liked Syrah's & Malbec's.  It just had to have certain components that appealed to her taste buds.  She likes more earthy reds that have a quick finish while I prefer the more fruity reds and full-bodied whites.

Banana's Foster.  Amazing.

That night we went to Dinner at Checco, and the only positive thing I can say about the restaurant was that the Caprese Salad was good.  It was really disappointing and the service was some of the worst we'd ever had.  Not to dwell on that Mom and I went to grab dessert at Hadsten House and had the best Banana's Foster I've ever had.  It's not something I would typically order but the way the Bartender described it, sold us, since we wanted something that would fill us up.  This dessert was so perfectly sweet and prepared I can't say enough amazing things about it!  Even if you're not a banana person, this dessert was incredible!  You just have to try it to see.

The next morning after a nice breakfast at the Hotel we went to Lucas & Lewellen where they have some sweeter white wines and then we checked out Tocatta, their sister Tasting Room.  I really liked the wines at Tocatta, and they had a Sweet Red Wine, that we ended up getting two bottles of.  One for me and one for Mom & Dad!  We walked around Solvang and checked out some of the shops and then went to the Chumash Casino so Mom could gamble for a little bit.  I came out $25 ahead so that was good enough for me and Dad and I enjoyed some refreshing cocktails at the bar until Mom was left penniless ;)

Dad & I hanging out at the Casino Bar...just waiting for Mom ;)

We did stop in Santa Barbara to check out a couple of the Tasting Rooms there.  We shared these as well, and couldn't even finish them because they were very red-heavy and I think at that point, we were all wined out!  We got to LA in the early evening and all ended up crashing early after such a long weekend!  More about the last part of our trip in Part 3!

Mom's May Visit to LA! Part 3.

We did so much during the week that Mom was out here in LA!  She got to come to work with me, see me play the Wicked Witch in Wizard Of Oz, we took a road trip to Solvang, and capped off the week with her seeing me Host at Afterbuzz TV!

On Tuesday morning we had a yummy breakfast in the Dining Room at Hadsten House and then decided to spend some time in downtown Solvang.  We walked into the shops and candy stores.  I hadn't seen Rock Candy on a stick since going to Wisconsin Dells when I was 12!  The candy stores had all the old candy I remembered as a kid; it was crazy.  We ended up buying some fudge that was fantastic and had to take a picture in front of the windmill.

Bridlewood Winery & Vineyards

We decided before making our way back to LA to stop at one more winery in Santa Ynez, so we went to Bridlewood, as I had researched and the pictures were just gorgeous.  As you make your way into the winery, the driveway is tree-lined, and there are different types of flowers everywhere.  The Tasting Room was actually on the vineyard so after doing our tasting we were able to take a tour of the grounds.  Once again, this winery had a Red-heavy menu and were more earthy than fruity so they weren't our favorites but I would go back to this winery purely for the view.  The great thing about this winery was how beautiful it was and how immaculate the grounds were kept.  We got to go down to the horse corral, and then walked to the pond area, where you could picnic and oversee a good part of the vineyard.  This was so different than anything we had seen so I was glad we were able to stop here on our way home.  As we made our trip back to LA, we also stopped in Santa Barbara and walked along the pier.  We went into some of the shops and both of us picked out some earrings in remembrance of our little road trip!

Mom by the Pond & Vineyards at Bridlewood

I was Hosting both of my shows at the Afterbuzz TV studios that night so Mom was my guest and got to see how I spend my Tuesday evenings.  We started off watching Real Housewives of New York which is a show she's never seen, and the reality show I do with my Co-Hosts.  There are four Hosts, Ashley, Courtney, Stephanie, and myself for that show so we tend to have a longer discussion with lots of opinions and ideas and normally have a guest calling in to the show which is great!  This week's episode was true to form with lots of drama and plenty to talk about.  Next up, it was Supernatural my CW show that's on it's 9th season and I Host with Tom and Travis.  We have a lot of fun talking about the show and usually have some good laughs when we're chatting or giving predictions.  Mom really enjoyed watching us do the show together and seeing the studios.  She said she didn't realize how big the studios were when she was watching our recaps but that it was really awesome to see me doing my Hosting job in-person and live.

With my Co-Host, Courtney, at Afterbuzz TV, for our Real Housewives of New York After-Show!

No trip to LA would be complete for Mom without some Yogurtland, so we did that on her first and last day here in LA, except it was Menchies on Tuesday night.  On Wednesday morning, Mom and I made a stop at Panera for an early Lunch and then I dropped her off at the airport.  Even though she was here for a week, it felt so much shorter with how much we had going on this whole time.  Hopefully she'll come and visit me again soon because I miss her already :)

Thanks for everything while you were out here visiting Mom...love you lots <3

Mom's May Visit to LA! Part 2...The Wine Adventure.

After a fun-filled week in LA it was time for Mom and I to take a little road trip to Solvang to spend a couple days relaxing, eating good food, and drinking great wine!  I had looked up some Wineries on Sunday night to prep us for the following couple of days and get some good ideas before we got there.  Yes, I'm a planner; I try to be spontaneous but it's nice to have good options over nothing!

We left on Monday morning and checked in at Hadsten House in Solvang and made our way to Los Olivos to start our Wine Tasting Adventure!  In addition to our stay at Hadsten we had our choice of over 20 wineries with complimentary tastings and most people find they save as much money as the cost of the room just by using that discount.  Awesome!  Our first stop was Daniel Gehr's Winery which I'd read on Yelp had an incredible port that everyone must try.  We liked most of the wines we tasted there, but really enjoyed the Riesling and of course, the Fireside Port.  I loved this winery and how friendly everyone was; I felt happiness as soon as I walked in the door, and as soon as we mentioned we were from Wisconsin, we chatted with a fellow Packer fan who works at the Tasting Room and has season tickets to the games!  We bought the Port and were on our way to the next Winery.

Our first stop on our Wine Tasting Adventure was Daniel Gehr's Winery :)

It was just a block and a half away to Coquelicot, and our server, was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.  Their menu also gave descriptions of wine and key words, using comedy to explain which definitely comes in helpful after a couple stops.  My favorite wines at this Winery were the Back Seat Blonde and Back Seat Brunette.  I loved the lime and mango flavors in the Blonde but really enjoyed the Blackberry in the Brunette.  Mom liked the description of the Brunette which made our decision easy, especially since we're not Blonde.  We bought the Red and then took a little walk around Los Olivos.  There were probably 15 wineries in this four block radius so you really had plenty of options but I was so happy with both of those I was ready to get closer to our Hotel.  We did stop at one more and shared the tasting but since they were heavy on the Red Wines and Mom prefers White we didn't buy anything because nothing stuck out to us.

Daniel Gehr's had given us complimentary tastings to Lucas & Lewellen in downtown Solvang so that was our last stop of the day.  I loved this winery because you had a choice of a Red Tasting, White Tasting, Sweet White Tasting, or Mixed.  I chose the White and Mom got the Sweet White.  We enjoyed both of our tastings but after a long day of drinking wine, I wish we would have saved this for the following morning.  I do remember how good the Viogner was, and we actually bought two bottles, so Mom could take one with her!  This will only ensure I'll be back again to try the wines and buy more on my next visit.  Once again, they were very helpful here and happy to answer any questions we had so I look forward to stopping by again soon!

After hearing so many rave reviews about the chef at Hadsten House we decided to have Dinner there.  I started with the Lobster Bisque which had a puff pastry shell on top and was absolutely amazing.  Mom got the Warm Spinach Salad which was just as good as my soup.  They were out of the Braised Short Ribs which is what Mom wanted to order so she chose the Chicken Marsala and I got the Sea Scallops which had a Parmesan risotto and white truffle oil.  They were the best Scallops I have ever had, perfectly cooked, and paired so well with the risotto.  I was really impressed with my meal!  We still had dessert left so Mom got the Apple Pie with a house-made caramel sauce and I got the Creme Brulee that was really good too.  Overall, I was really happy and glad that we decided on that for Dinner!

Entrees & Dessert at Hadsten House in Solvang...thanks Mom!!

Since we had spent most of the day drinking we took a little nap and then went over to the Chumash Casino to do some gambling.  I knew Mom was looking forward to this for days!  We spent a few hours there and for the time we were there I didn't lose all that much, so it was kind of fun to do something I don't get to do very often.  And just spend time with Mom too :)  We had gotten upgraded to a spa suite when we checked in and there was no way I wasn't going to use that giant jacuzzi tub with fireplace and flat-screen TV before we left, so we took a little dip in the tub and watched some 'Sex In The City' before bed.  Talk about an awesome day!

The Wine Adventure and Road Trip continues in Part 3!

Mom's May Visit to LA! Part 1.

My Mom came to visit me almost two weeks ago and stayed with me for a week.  Our time together went too fast as it always does and we were busy nearly every day with something to do.  Lucky for us, that was making dinner together, laying by the pool, having a four-course dinner in Hollywood, and taking walks around the neighborhood!

Mom got in on Wednesday morning so we decided on En Sushi for Happy Hour since Mom and I haven't had Sushi together in a long time.  I had picked out two different kinds of sashimi, two rolls, spicy tuna on crispy rice, and edamame.  We also had a couple of drinks and En Sushi is one of my favorite Sushi Happy Hours to go to because it's such a good price for so much food.  I always leave full!  I was happy to hear Mom say that everything was really delicious and she'd like to do this again sometime!  That night I hosted Karaoke at Gabe's with Mom's help and we had a fun night there with friends and Gummi Bear Shots :)

While Mom was visiting it was in the high 80's and low 90's so we were able to get in pool time on Thursday morning before I had to work at Irish Times that afternoon.  Mom always likes to help me get the bar set-up and I repay her with a little beer tasting of new beers since her last visit.  She came back later so we could have dinner at the bar together too; we had the Guinness Shrimp and Bangers & Mash and also got to try the French Onion Soup, Fried Ravioli, and Grilled Cheese with caramelized onions and bacon.  We've changed our menu at Irish Times and updated it with some new items and elevated some of the older ones and everything I've tried has been really great!  We also stopped at Freddy Smalls to have dessert since they had a Yogurt Panna Cotta with Pinot Noir soaked blueberries and my favorite, Rocky Road dessert that's meringue, a pudding/mousse, with almond cookies, and sea salt.  I wouldn't normally go for Panna Cotta but this is by the best one I've ever had and the Rocky Road always delivers!

Took Mom to Dinner at Amalfi in Hollywood to celebrate Mother's Day early!

On Friday it was another day by the pool after a long walk around the neighborhood and I made my famous Bloody Mary's to sip on during the 90 degree day.  We did a little shopping that afternoon before we went to Dinner at Amalfi in Hollywood.  We had our four-course meal that started with Jumbo Shrimp in a White Wine Sauce (that was awesome) and then Mom chose the Brussel Sprouts Salad which was really good and a nice portion.  Potato Leek Soup is usually my favorite but I wasn't a huge fan of theirs; Irish Times is still number one on their version.  Mom and I planned on splitting our entrees so I chose the Filet with Gratin Potatoes in a Mushroom Demi-Sauce and Mom got the Lobster Ravioli with Shrimp and Asparagus in a Saffron Cream Sauce.  My steak was cooked perfectly and the potatoes were really yummy.  The Ravioli surprised me because I really enjoyed the lobster in it and cream sauce.  For Dessert, we decided on Tiramisu, and it wasn't the best I've ever had but we were both so full it took all I had to finish it!

Sunday Dinner for Mom!

Mom had helped me run lines for the play on Saturday morning since this was her first time being able to see Wizard Of Oz since we had opened three weeks prior.  I felt like it was my best show and performance as I almost lost my voice and was emotionally exhausted from performing that day, my muscles were actually sore.  A bunch of friends came to see the show on Saturday and on Sunday, Mom came to see me play a Munchkin and Citizen of Oz.  Mom even commented that she had no idea I was going to change my voice for the Wicked Witch role since when we had practiced, I did it in my normal voice.  Of course, I couldn't give my great idea away when I wanted to surprise her with it during the show!  That night I made a Quinoa salad, and Salmon Dinner with rice, lemon asparagus, a cheese plate and we had a mini-wine tasting too.

That was just the first few days...we had a trip to Solvang that started on Monday, but I saved that for Part 2 of Mom's week-long visit to LA :)

To see pictures from Dinner at Amalfi or any other photo's from Mom's trip and Wizard of Oz check out my Instagram at: http://instagram.com/lyndseywegner#

Santa Barbara :)

I've been living in LA for 8 years (wow) and had never been to Santa Barbara until just a couple weeks ago.  Neil and I were heading to SB to see Sara Bareilles play at The Bowl and decided to make a day of it and do some Wine Tasting, walk around the city, and just enjoy a fun day!

Kalyra Winery

As we made the 70 minute drive from North Hollywood, bagels in hand, we passed through Carpinteria (both curious, we found out that the Chumash Tribe had a carpentry shop, which is where the name came from...I knew it) and when we got to Santa Barbara it was a perfect 72 degrees.  We could see the ocean from our hotel room at the Santa Barbara Inn and decided to hit up the pool before exploring downtown.

I had made a list of a few Wineries to check out using the Urban Wine Trail I found on-line (some were right on the water, others had games to play while you were tasting wines, and others were listed as generous pours) and after researching some of the Wineries settled on Kalyra since they had a dessert wine that was supposed to be amazing.  Some of the wines had a tin/metal flavor but it was because they were fermented in steel (just not our favorites) but we ended up loving the Semillon which had hints of jalepeno and vanilla.  We each bought a bottle and Neil also picked up a bottle of the Orange Muscat because it was perfectly sweet and light.  I'm sure we'll be checking out some of the wineries on our next visit!  Then we walked to downtown since we were in the more industrial area known as 'The Funk Zone' and looked at some of the shops before stopping for a late lunch at Verde.

During our afternoon walk, Neil had scouted an Italian restaurant, Palazzio, where we had a wonderful Dinner.  We sat on the patio and Neil ordered a trio of items that were all delicious, especially his ravioli!  When we finished up, our friendly server packed up some Tiramisu to go since we had to get to the Sara Bareilles concert; she made our visit so special :)

Dinner at Palazzio in Santa Barbara

Unfortunately, we got to the concert at 8:15 pm (our tickets said Sara Bareilles Concert 7 pm) and she was playing with One Republic but since it was listed as her show, and we figured there would be an opener, we thought we would have plenty of time and probably catch the middle of One Republic's set.  Instead, the doors opened at 5:30 pm, she had an opener at 6 pm and she started promptly at 7 pm.  It was so disappointing because after seeing concerts for years, I've never missed a show, or been too late, because the time listed is when the doors open.  We decided not to stay for One Republic out of pure disappointment and walked the whole way back from the Bowl to downtown and tried to make the best of the rest of our evening.  It had really been a beautiful day so it was so frustrating to miss one of our favorite artists perform considering she was playing in LA the next day, but we wanted to force ourselves to get out of town and do something different, and both Neil and I were scheduled to work the next night so we couldn't have even gone to the show, even if we had tickets.

The next day we grabbed breakfast overlooking the ocean in our hotel and then walked around the Pier area and some of the shops.  It was clearly a town for walking as we probably clocked in over 6 miles in 24 hours but even with the clouds it was a gorgeous day and we had a really fun time in Santa Barbara.  

I can't wait to go back and I love that we went during the week so it wasn't as busy or touristy as it could have been.  School was in session so there were still people around but we got to do things at our own pace without feeling rushed or crowded.  Knowing we're only just a little over an hour away makes it so convenient and belonging to a wine club may not be such a bad idea after all :)