Today was a sunshiny day, perfect for a stroll around the Grove in Los Angeles.My former friends had never been there before, so I thought it would be great to show them around. The Grove has been one of my favorite daytime spots for a while now – I love the bright open space, water shows and most of all, the bountiful food selection. The Grove connects to a permanent Farmers Market, where there are shops with goods varying from wine and cheese down to hot sauces from around the world.
Our first stop was at Planet Dailies, a great restaurant for appetizers and cocktails. We ordered the Pisco Sour, Grace and a jalapeño margarita. The Pisco Sour was great, very much like a whiskey sour, topped with foamed egg whites. I advised my friend to order the Grace, because it is pretty easy to drink and not too strong. The pear flavor is really refreshing on a hot day such as this one.
For food, we just shared the fire-roasted Brussels sprouts and the tater tots. The Brussels sprouts were cooked just right, so that they were still soft and juicy without being mushy. The tater tots were actually completely different from other tater tots I have tried – they were about 3 times the size of a normal tater tot, and they were filled with both mashed and stringy potato pieces.
Next, I walked over to the farmers market and explored around. We ended up stopping at Monsieur Marcel for some wine and a cheese and charcuterie (assorted meats) platter. I love variety, so I picked diverse cheeses and meats. For cheeses, I ordered the Humboldt Fog goat cheese, a Cantalet cow cheese and a Pecorino sheep cheese. For meats, I picked the prosciutto di parma (pork) and the duck liver mousse. The Humboldt Fog and the duck liver mousse were my top favorites of the plate.
What I had next was something I had been looking forward to for a few months now – Bennett's Cabernet Sauvignon sorbet! My roommate had shown me a picture of this a while back, and ever since then, I have been so excited to try it. It tasted just like a glass of red wine – but cold, refreshing and slightly sweeter. This was definitely the highlight of the day, and I don't even like ice creams and sorbets usually. It was a really nice pick.
The final food stop on our stroll today was at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, just next to the movie theater. I saw a picture online of their sweet shrimp with fried shrimp heads, so that is just what I got! The quality of seafood was fantastic, and the fried shrimp heads were crispy and delicate.
The water shows at the Grove are beautiful at night. People-watching and listening to the music and fountain made for a great end to the day.
