Today was a great downtown L.A. day. We started at the San Antonio Winery. This L.A. landmark has been around since 1917 and was packed on a Sunday afternoon. Although you can't tell from the website, everyone gets 3 tastings free of charge. You can also upgrade and get their reserve collection, 4 wines for $10. They have a large restaurant on site and several banquet rooms. The restaurant is cafeteria style and they had simple sandwiches as well as full entrees. It was very crowded while we were there between 2:30 and 3. We took the tour that is offered every hour on the hour. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. It was interesting to learn that they were the only winery in Los Angeles to survive prohibition and that it is still family run. I've been to several vineyards but this tour was unique because it is more about the business end; they make wine for other vineyards, provide many churches with communion wine and all wine that's bottled in Los Angeles is bottled there. Definitely worth a visit.
After that we headed to The Brewery Artwalk. This is a twice-yearly event just a half mile from the winery. The Brewery is a 22 building colony in which 500 artists have studios. This weekend all of the studios were open. There were so many different types of artists at this event. Most live in the spaces too so you were able to see many different styles. All were very welcoming and happy to talk about their work. We spent about 2 and a half hours and saw about 2/3 of the studios. It was a great free event.
www.sanantoniowinery.com
breweryartwalk.com
Showing posts with label L.A. Musts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label L.A. Musts. Show all posts
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Palos Verdes Peninsula
We had a lovely day full of free events on the Palos Verdes Peninsula today. We started out at the South Coast Botanical Gardens which had their 50th Anniversary Open House. It was absolutely beautiful. There was a Garden of Senses that invites you to touch and smell different herbs and flowers, a large cactus garden and a gorgeous, huge rose garden. A great place for a photog or a picnic in a relaxing, beautiful environment.
Next, we headed to the Wayfarer's Chapel. The drive there was gorgeous, past grand homes in Palos Verdes Estates and then along the coast. Don't let the first sign on the west side of the street fool you, the actual chapel is further down on the east side of the street. The chapel is made by Lloyd Wright, Frank Lloyd Wright's son, and is completely made of glass so you feel as if you're outside. The ladies at the gift shop were super helpful, too. A great spot to check out.
The aforementioned helpful gift shop ladies then sent us to the Point Fermin Lighthouse. We missed the tours that stop at 4, but we were able to enjoy the ocean views from the park around the lighthouse. It's a nice point to watch the cruise ships that head out of Long Beach. There are picnic tables, grills and a playground. We'll have to go back for the tour.
Across the street was the Korean Bell of Friendship. I'd recommend walking up Gaffey to get there. We followed a group over a fence and up a steep hill which was fairly difficult, especially in flip flops. The bell was quite beautiful and surrounded by a pagoda. The location, on top of a hill, offers gorgeous views and lots of wind for many kite fliers.
www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org
www.wayfarerschapel.org
www.pointferminlighthouse.org
www.sanpedro.com/sp_point/korenbel.htm
Next, we headed to the Wayfarer's Chapel. The drive there was gorgeous, past grand homes in Palos Verdes Estates and then along the coast. Don't let the first sign on the west side of the street fool you, the actual chapel is further down on the east side of the street. The chapel is made by Lloyd Wright, Frank Lloyd Wright's son, and is completely made of glass so you feel as if you're outside. The ladies at the gift shop were super helpful, too. A great spot to check out.
The aforementioned helpful gift shop ladies then sent us to the Point Fermin Lighthouse. We missed the tours that stop at 4, but we were able to enjoy the ocean views from the park around the lighthouse. It's a nice point to watch the cruise ships that head out of Long Beach. There are picnic tables, grills and a playground. We'll have to go back for the tour.
Across the street was the Korean Bell of Friendship. I'd recommend walking up Gaffey to get there. We followed a group over a fence and up a steep hill which was fairly difficult, especially in flip flops. The bell was quite beautiful and surrounded by a pagoda. The location, on top of a hill, offers gorgeous views and lots of wind for many kite fliers.
www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org
www.wayfarerschapel.org
www.pointferminlighthouse.org
www.sanpedro.com/sp_point/korenbel.htm
Grilled Cheese Invitational - April 24
Yesterday I volunteered at the Grilled Cheese Invitational. The event was divided into 3 main sections. The first was for he main sponsor, Tillamook. They gave out complimentary grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese samples and coupons. They couldn't have been friendlier and had plenty of buttons and photo ops. Izze soda provided soda samples, too.
The next section had several trucks and other vendors. This included 2 grilled cheese trucks, the World Fare truck, Borders truck and vendors like Campanile. Only two trucks mattered here, The Grilled Cheese Trucks, they are the same owners and lines were crazy long for favorites like Cheesy Mac and Rib which included sharp cheese, bbq pork and caramelized onions.
The absolute place to be here, though, was the grill! When you buy your tickets, be sure to sign up to be a judge. As a judge you get access to the grill area where the competition takes place. There are 4 rounds of competition and both pro and amateur competitors. Basically judges line up behind a barrier and every time a competitor completes a sandwich they divide it in 4 and pass out their product with a ballot to judge the components of the sandwich. Each round is about 30 minutes so you have plenty of time to sample many sandwiches.
From what I hear, the event has been madness in years passed but this year was smooth sailing. Keep an eye out for next year's event. They seem to have found their stride and things will just get better and better.
http://grilledcheeseinvitational.com/
The next section had several trucks and other vendors. This included 2 grilled cheese trucks, the World Fare truck, Borders truck and vendors like Campanile. Only two trucks mattered here, The Grilled Cheese Trucks, they are the same owners and lines were crazy long for favorites like Cheesy Mac and Rib which included sharp cheese, bbq pork and caramelized onions.
The absolute place to be here, though, was the grill! When you buy your tickets, be sure to sign up to be a judge. As a judge you get access to the grill area where the competition takes place. There are 4 rounds of competition and both pro and amateur competitors. Basically judges line up behind a barrier and every time a competitor completes a sandwich they divide it in 4 and pass out their product with a ballot to judge the components of the sandwich. Each round is about 30 minutes so you have plenty of time to sample many sandwiches.
From what I hear, the event has been madness in years passed but this year was smooth sailing. Keep an eye out for next year's event. They seem to have found their stride and things will just get better and better.
http://grilledcheeseinvitational.com/
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Gourmandise Dessert / Learn About Wine Classes
Earlier this year, I attended the "Girls Only Cooking School: French Macarons & Wine" class with a friend. I found the event on Goldstar and it far exceeded my expectations. We learned so much about making macarons and tips on the equipment the teacher used and where to get ingredients. In our class everyone had their turn in the process. There were less than 20 students and we had the opportunity to leave the tables and see the process up close. The space the class was in was a big loft downtown, it was a really nice setup with a full, beautiful kitchen. The sommelier was informative and friendly, too. We tried 4 or 5 great wines. I only wish we could have purchased the wines we liked. I'd highly recommend this class.
Class was put on by Learn About Wine but the teacher,Clémence, does classes on her own too. Check out both sites for info and schedules.
http://learnaboutwine.com/
http://www.gourmandisedesserts.com/classes.php
Class was put on by Learn About Wine but the teacher,Clémence, does classes on her own too. Check out both sites for info and schedules.
http://learnaboutwine.com/
http://www.gourmandisedesserts.com/classes.php
Monday, April 12, 2010
Hiking at Will Rogers Park
Last weekend was an eventful one (it was 3 days after all) and, in addition to Adventures in Archery, we also had a chance to go hiking at Will Rogers Park. We arrived at 2 and had just missed the tour of Will's house. It was beautiful from the outside and if you're planning a day there, I'd recommend you arrive around noon, hike for an hour or so, do the house tour at 1, then have a picnic lunch.
Directions - We arrived from he PCH and drove up, up, up Sunset. If you're coming from the PCH, take Chautauqua Blvd. to Sunset. It'll save lots of time. We parked in the lot and paid the $12 (yikes) because any little bit will help the parks these days. We'll really miss them if they're not around.
The Park - When you arrive the first thing you see is a huge polo field. I read that there are games on Saturdays. Sounds like a great place to spend the afternoon. There was no game the day we were there but lots of people picnicking and playing with their dogs. To get to the trails you'll pass by stables with horses and an old blacksmith's shop. The 2 mile loop to Inspiration point is quick and very pretty. It's steep at points, but very manageable. We did the loop and all available detours in about an hour and a half. This would be a great place to take people from out of town for a nice view without too much work to get there. It's a quick and easy version of Topanga Canyon, easier to get there and easier trails.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=626
Directions - We arrived from he PCH and drove up, up, up Sunset. If you're coming from the PCH, take Chautauqua Blvd. to Sunset. It'll save lots of time. We parked in the lot and paid the $12 (yikes) because any little bit will help the parks these days. We'll really miss them if they're not around.
The Park - When you arrive the first thing you see is a huge polo field. I read that there are games on Saturdays. Sounds like a great place to spend the afternoon. There was no game the day we were there but lots of people picnicking and playing with their dogs. To get to the trails you'll pass by stables with horses and an old blacksmith's shop. The 2 mile loop to Inspiration point is quick and very pretty. It's steep at points, but very manageable. We did the loop and all available detours in about an hour and a half. This would be a great place to take people from out of town for a nice view without too much work to get there. It's a quick and easy version of Topanga Canyon, easier to get there and easier trails.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=626
Archery at Cheviot Hills
Last weekend I finally made it to Rancho Park Archery at Cheviot Hills. What a cool, free activity. Make sure you arrive early for the 11am class, they only accept 20 people and some were turned away from our group.
We parked at the front lot and 2551 Motor Ave. and walked to the range but you can also follow signs to parking right next to the range.
The first 45 minutes of class were an orientation. Our teacher showed us how to figure out which eye is dominant which determines whether you're a leftie or a rightie. After that you get your free equipment and shoot until they kick you out. We stayed until 1:30 and had a blast.
Once you take the orientation class you can come back during open shooting on Saturdays and Sundays. Once you have your own equipment most nights the range is open. The equipment, classes and open shooting times are all free so they ask for donations. It's a great idea to give a few dollars for the class. It's such a great resource.
Also, Cheviot Hills Recreation Center is a great spot. They have tennis courts, baseball fields, open spaces and even a dog obstacle course. The dogs and owners both seemed to be having a blast. This is a great place to return to, even if you're not up for archery that day...
We parked at the front lot and 2551 Motor Ave. and walked to the range but you can also follow signs to parking right next to the range.
The first 45 minutes of class were an orientation. Our teacher showed us how to figure out which eye is dominant which determines whether you're a leftie or a rightie. After that you get your free equipment and shoot until they kick you out. We stayed until 1:30 and had a blast.
Once you take the orientation class you can come back during open shooting on Saturdays and Sundays. Once you have your own equipment most nights the range is open. The equipment, classes and open shooting times are all free so they ask for donations. It's a great idea to give a few dollars for the class. It's such a great resource.
Also, Cheviot Hills Recreation Center is a great spot. They have tennis courts, baseball fields, open spaces and even a dog obstacle course. The dogs and owners both seemed to be having a blast. This is a great place to return to, even if you're not up for archery that day...
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