Eat|See|Hear Blogger Meetup

Attention SoCal bloggers: I have a fun free meetup in the works and I want YOU to join us.

Let's hang out, grab some food, and catch a screening of (500) Days of Summer under the stars!

Eat|See|Hear is a company that produces those awesome outdoor movies each spring/summer. Complete with food trucks and live music, it's quite the outing. I figured it'd also make a great setting for a group of bloggers to get together and have some fun!

Here are the details:

Saturday, May 10, 2014 from 6PM to 11PM 

MEET UP: Arrive at 6 to mingle, grab food, and settle in (we'll have a reserved area, details to follow)
SEE: (500) Days of Summer starts at 8:30
HEAR: Live Band starts at 7
EAT: Food Trucks available all night
WHERE: Santa Monica HS Memorial Greek Amphitheater
BRING: A blanket and/or a low-sitting chair and some beverages and snacks for yourself (optional)
RSVP: To me (leeannmorrissey@gmail.com) by Saturday May, 3

The best part? Guests of the meetup will get in free! In exchange for free entrance, I just ask that you write a post about the night mentioning Eat|See|Hear. I'm a friend of the creators and since they're generously donating free tickets, I'd like to give them some link love in return.

Hashtag of the night: #EatSeeHearBloggerMeetUp
Be sure to follow Eat|See|Hear on their social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Feel free to invite your blog friends, just have them RSVP with me so I can add them to the list.
And if you have any questions at all, please let me know.

I hope to see you there!

         

Areal Restaurant Santa Monica

Attention foodies: let me introduce you to your new, favorite LA-area restaurant - Areal!

Located near the beach on the trendy Main Street strip in Santa Monica, Areal is the perfect destination to gather for an exceptional meal. A few weeks ago I attended SoCal Blogger Society Spring Fling Brunch hosted at the restaurant and immediately fell in love. From house-made Belgian waffles, to eggs benadict with lox, to bacon and maple infused whiskey cocktails, every single thing I tasted was great. I knew I had to go back for more.

My next visit was for dinner, and once again I was beyond pleased. Before I even get to the food, I have to mention the service. Everyone is super friendly. Our server, Matthew, even remembered me and my guest from the brunch we had attended. That's really impressive!

To start, I had the tuna tartare. It was quite good and refreshing. The tuna was tasty and the avocado was a nice touch. I liked that this dish was light so I could still enjoy my dinner without filling up beforehand.

To drink, I selected the Saints Crossing which is made of gin, basil, cucumber, elderflower, lime, and creme de violette. You can probably guess from those ingredients that it is a crisp concoction. I love a good gin drink and was in cocktail heaven.

For my main course I decided on the gnocchi. Although listed as a starter, the portion is perfect for a meal, especially since these Italian dumplings are always on the heavier side. Areal's version of the dish features pancetta which adds a nice salty crunch. It was so good that I couldn't stop eating and ignored my stomach even though it was getting pretty full.

Despite the fact I was pleasantly stuffed from previous courses, I just couldn't pass on the creme brulee and macchiato. Such a good decision! The espresso was served traditionally, strong and delicious and complemented the sweet, decadent brulee which was cooked to perfection with a delightful contrast of smooth custard and hard caramel top.

In addition to serving a plethora of wonderful food and beverage choices, Areal's ambiance is quite cozy. Decorative lighting, lush landscape surrounding the establishment, and blankets at each patio table make for a comfortable setting. The crowd is a nice mix of young, hip patrons and charming older couples who seemed to be enjoying date nights. There's a little of something for everyone at Areal.

              

If you live in the Santa Monica area or are planning a trip to LA, be sure to add Areal to your must-try list. The combination of delicious food, great service, and inviting atmosphere make for a wonderful dining experience. I highly recommend this restaurant!


Areal
2820 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Parking is metered behind the restaurant in a lot and valet is also offered for $4 with validation.

         

SoCal Blogger Society Spring Fling Brunch

On Sunday, SoCal Blogger Society hosted a Spring Fling Brunch for it's members and it was so much fun! I've been to several blogger events and this was by far the best I've experienced. Everyone was so friendly, the food was great, and the drinks were flowing. Hosted at the amazing Areal restaurant in Santa Monica, the setting was perfect for meeting new ladies and socializing with some I already know.

Me, Kate, Lauren (I kinda love myself in this picture and may cut you ladies out ;)

Kohl's Mixed Media Sweatshirt!

Group shot with our swag bag sunglasses

Whiskey infused with bacon and maple syrup. I hate bourbon but this was GOOD!

Me and Kate

Some delish Areal samplers

Sarah, Shirley, Stormi, Lauren, and me

Another group shot of our table

Bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese...amazing

If you live in Southern California, I highly recommend you join SoCal Blogger Society and come to the next event. And I also can't speak highly enough of Areal. The setting was charming, the staff was delightful, and the food and drinks were perfection!


Linking up for Treat Yo Self Thursday and Lovely Thursdays

Bloggers and Bellinis

Saturday I had the pleasure of attending Bloggers and Bellinis, an hosted by Eventbrite. Located at the private, members-only club, 41 Ocean, across the street from the beach in Santa Monica, it was the perfect setting for a group of bloggers to get together for brunch, champs, and some mingling.

 Beautiful flowers

 

My shirt matched the flowers...oops!

My place setting was so cute

 They tasted just as good as they looked

 

 

Kate of Nautical By Nature and I didn't plan matching outfits, we promise! 

 

A special thanks to the awesome products in our swag bags: Napoleon Macrons (if you're in LA, they're offering 40% off macron 6-packs with the code Bonjour Napoleon , POM Wonderful, Uber, Butterfly Floral & Event Design, and more great brands!



Linking up for Random Wednesday

The Buttermilk Truck & Hotel Shangri-La Sunset Soiree

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Sunset Soiree celebration for The Buttermilk Truck's brunch partnership with Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica. Beloved in LA and featured on a national scale thanks to the Cooking Channel and Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine, this popular food truck has perfected the red velvet pancake. Yeah, you read that right. Red.Velvet.Pancakes. 

The collaboration between The Buttermilk Truck and Hotel Shangri-La is going to be pretty magical. Instead of following the truck to get these tasty treats (because sometimes you need an immediate sweet fix) you can enjoy them for brunch in the beautiful setting of the Santa Monica seaside hotel any time you want starting June 22. 

Don't live in LA? Don't fret! Starting Saturday you can buy their delicious red velvet pancake mix on The Buttermilk Truck's Web site or purchase it at Surfas, Bristol Farms and Sur La Table starting in August for a little over $10 a can. Great deal!

Linking up for Random Wednesday

LA Bucket List

Today I'm linking up for the first (official) weekly installment of Never Ever Ever... The goal is to talk about something you've never done. So I figured I'd highlight the things I've never done in LA but have always wanted to.

I live right smack in the middle of the city, in Hollywood. So there's really no excuse that I don't explore more. Since I'm contemplating a move out of the city, here is my buck list for LA. I've never ever...

Walked Rodeo Drive even though I live 15 minutes away. 

 

via

Had a drink at the Hollywood hot spot Chateau Marmont even though it's a $5 cab ride away.



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Hiked up to the Hollywood Sign even though I can see it from my neighborhood.

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Went wine tasting in Malibu even though it's less than an hour away and beautiful (from what I hear).



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Frolicked on the Santa Monica beach even though I've been to the pier many a times. 

 

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Pretty sad, huh? I think it's about time I start working my way through this list!

Link up with the hosts: Shelley, Neely & Stephanie!

Flat Stanley Takes on LA

Two weekends ago I had the pleasure of helping out my cousin with a school project. His class is learning about different areas and they were asked to send a Flat Stanley to their friends and family in different regions. So Stanley was folded up and sent from Arizona to California. Then I grabbed him and headed to some popular LA spots to take pictures of him. Along with me for the ride were my friends Stephanie of Thoughts from Cali and Jana.

First stop was Griffith Observatory where there are amazing views of Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, and the Pacific Ocean. It's gorgeous. My cousin's name is James Dean so I was excited to take a picture of Stanley with a James Dean statue!

Of course we had to get Stanley with the Beverly Hills Hotel in the background!

Last, we went to Santa Monica. It was freezing and windy that day! I know that our temps don't compare to those around the country and world, but by LA standards it was painful to be out there. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the coldest day of the winter.

I had to take pictures with the end of Route 66 because it runs through my cousin's town, I live off of it, and it happens to end at the Santa Monica Pier. It's crazy just how small the world is.

Notice how windy it was. Poor Stanley's leg was almost ripped completely off!

Despite the chill, we were able to snap pics and have a great lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

best.shrimp.restaurant.

Enjoying Los Angeles

After being gone for the better part of September, I am back in LA and loving it! This past weekend I spent time hanging out in the areas that I never visit and generally take for granted. After exploring, I realized that I am lucky to live in such a great city, and I need to take advantage of that!

Friday I headed to Hollywood and Highland for some dinner where I was pleasantly surprised to see Brody Jenner. I was going up the escalator and he was going down. For the brief three seconds that I got to stare at him it was delightful! His skin is so perfect and flawless. In fact, he was pretty...which I am usually not a fan of, but it's working for him!

Saturday consisted of the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Starbucks and shopping were the main attractions. Following those fixes, it was off to the Santa Monica Pier for Bubba Gumps. Nothing beats enjoying good seafood on the boardwalk with a Malibu view in the distance! (Pictured below, right)

On the way home, driving past The Grove, I spotted Jared Leto! Yummy! I wasn't positive it was him until my mom got excited and confirmed that it was him. Gorgeous eyes!

The weekend was finished off with breakfast at The Griddle on Sunset Blvd. We waited in line for nearly two hours, but it was well worth the wait. The food was great, HUGE proportions, but great.

I am glad I took a step back and enjoyed my surroundings. We get so busy in our daily lives that we're stuck in a boring routine. If you have the opportunity this week, stray away and enjoy yourself!

Photo courtesy of: Big Hollywood