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LA Market by Kerry Simon Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen was a show I followed fairly closely in its earlier seasons. Even though I haven't been keeping track of the show these days, when I was invited to try the new menu at LA Market, whose new Executive Chef is Chef Nona Sivley, winner of Hell's Kitchen Season 8, I was definitely intrigued. Along with Cathy , one of my favorite dining partners, we ventured to the spacious LA Market, located inside the JW Marriot in Downtown Los Angeles. The Ox A meal is always better with a nice cocktail. I ordered "The Ox," which is a mix of grapefruit juice and vodka. Nice and refreshing! Bread Basket The bread basket was the usual fare, though the breadsticks were quite delicious. Seared Shishito Peppers - sea salt, chili, lime This was something I'm pretty familiar with. It's tasty, and fairly mild. Personally, you can't go wrong with a plate of shishito peppers, though I've seen this offered quite often i...

La Vida Awhile back I was invited to attend a vodka tasting, hosted by EFFEN Vodka, and was located at a swank Hollywood eatery called La Vida. A brief look at EFFEN vodka: Based out of Holland, this smooth spirit was actually designed for the "club scene," thus a younger audience. The rubber non-slip grip is definitely a plus for those busy bartenders around town. In addition, the rubber sleeve helps with the insulation of the vodka. In terms of the taste itself, it goes down smooth and perfect for either a mixed drink or a simple vodka shot at a party. Below were some of the drinks I tried during the event: 6th and Main - EFFEN Black Cherry, Prosecco, St. Germain The first drink I tried was one that was made with the EFFEN Black Cherry flavored vodka. With the addition of the prosecco, it has all the makings of a nice, refreshing summertime drink! Very nice! La Skyline - EFFEN Black Cherry, Chambord, Cranberry Juice Next up, another drink made with the EFFEN Black Cherry,...

Nakkara on Beverly A Thai blogger dinner on a Wednesday night on Beverly? Coming from Pasadena, I always dread hitting traffic on the 110 or the 101, but since I haven't sat down with a group of bloggers for dinner in awhile, Thai sounded great! Joining me at Nakkara were: Kevin of kevinEats who received the invitation from the owners of Nakkara, Diana of DianaTakesaBite , Felicia of TheFoodLedger , Amy of The Roaming Belly , and Christina of Food, Je T'Aime . Nakkara Mieng Kham We first started off with an "amuse buche" of sort, and in this case, you have toasted coconut, cashew, dried shrimp, lime, ginger, Thai chili, and red onions wrapped in a leaf of lettuce, finished off in a flavorful sweet mieng sauce. You take this dish down in one bite and the complex of flavors hits your mouth, but in a good way. Quite a nice start to the dinner. Spicy Filet Mignon Skewer Here, we're presented with a simple skewer of wonderfully cooked filet mignon and bell pepper dun...

Entrance Gyenari, a new restaurant in Culver City's restaurant row opened by William Shin which presents a menu influenced by William's long lost cousin Debbie Lee of The Next Food Network Star fame, is one of the few Korean themed restaurant on the Westside of Los Angeles. When I received an invitation from the PR to visit Gyenari, I was more than happy to accept the invite. Assorted Skewers Upon arrival, I was presented with a tray of skewers consisting of: 1) Grilled Eggplant with a spicy miso paste - Good texture, and the miso added a nice kick. 2) Spicy Pork - A tad spicy, which was nice. Quite flavorful 3) Beef with onions - Good flavor, but didn't really stand out. Soju Caipirihna The soju caipirihna, presented to the entire party was actually quite nice. Sweet, and not too strong, but a nice cocktail to start off the meal. Pomegranate Pearl In addition to the welcoming cocktail, I ordered a separate drink of pomegranate pearl. Made with pearl plum vodka, pomegrante ...