One of the best ways to celebrate summer is with food, music, and a few hundred of your friends and neighbors. Sounds like a block party to me! Plaza El Segundo, the shopping center located at the corner of Sepulveda and Roscrans, recently kicked summer of with a block party that featured plenty of the ingridents to mix up a celebration to remember.
Located in the “Edge” area of the Plaza, the block party was a buzz with vendors raffling off yoga memberships and make up kits among other things. Of course, I was interested in the samples from the restaurants!
We were welcomed into the party with a sample of all natural coconut water, one of which was flavored with passion fruit. They were both light and refreshing.
The folks from Melt Gelato were on hand with samples. Among them were Taste of Italy, a blend of cherry and sweet spices, and Espresso, a creamy favorite for coffee lovers.
Starbucks was offering samples of passionfruit tea and iced coffees. The intention being to help folks cool off on a hot summers day. Sadly, a marine layer had rolled in and the event was a little chilly for a summer’s evening. Some hot chocolate would have been nice, the baristas admitted. Still, I threww back several shots of the tasty beverages. I love the little coffee shot cups!
Veggie Grill offered up samples of their delectable sweet potatoe fries, some of the best I’ve ever had. When served hot off the grill they are imcomparably crunchy and sweet! Served here with a mild chipotle sauce and BBQ sauce; they were great individually but I found tasted best when mixed together. Smoky, spicy, and sweet!
The friendly staff from Pinkberry were passing out their signature yogurt for a cool, creamy summer time treat. The crowd litterally flocked to their table at intervals as they ran out, refilled, and ran out again. The flavors on deck were their new ones; coconut and passionfruit, both of which paired nicely with a topping of strawberries.
The Counter was up next, creating a cross-plaza rivalry by also serving up sweet potatoe fries and sauce. I must admit, I like The Counter’s fries too (read the review here), but Veggie Grill’s are a little bit better! Either way, the people at The Counter are the best, friendly and lots of fun.
The last sample of the day was a big one; a full serving of tacos, chips, and salsa from La Sirena Grill. Since they opened, I’ve been in and out of the place for lunch, always getting tortilla soup to go. I knew I needed to get back after tasting the tacos, I know I have too! The meat was moist and flavorful with the sauce providing the perfect amount of heat and spice.
Despite the slightly dreary weather, it was a wonderful night. The crowd, the music (New Orleans jazz and an off the wall R&B/rap group), and the tasty treats made this a great event.
That looks like so much fun! Delaware is a bit boring, but I’m sure they’re doing this in Philly somewhere. That’s just a hop, skip and a jump.
looking at those sweet potato fries tempts me to grab some for lunch. i saw the notice for this event and was a little bummed i wouldn’t be able to make it. totally forgot that there was a pinkberry in the plaza, haha. and darnit, i still haven’t tried la sirena–that sample looks bomb!
Excuse us what? Do we need to move to El Segundo? Freeeeeee sweet taters, Pinkberry and tacos! Outrageous!
@Yum Yucky – Hope you get to a block party soon…you’re missing out!
@Margaret – YES! sweet potato fries are good anytime of the day. yeah, let’s make plans to head over to La Sirena soon.
@The Duo – Ha! If you didn’t know, El Segundo is the place to be.