Menu Review at American Farmhouse Tavern & Dining Hall, Manhattan Beach

You’re not in Kansas anymore! For patrons of American Farmhouse Tavern & Dining Hall, that’s a good thing. They’ve taken Santa Maria style barbecue and paired it with stylish farmhouse décor for an experience that’s rustic and elegant at the same time. Spoiler alert: The food is good too.

Fresh + Frozen = Buitoni Pasta Party

I have to give a big thanks to Foodbuzz and Buitoni for selecting me and the South Bay Foodies to host a pasta party featuring Buitoni Frozen Meals for Two.  It was fun paring their entrees with my own fresh veggies.  Read on to see my pairings and how everything turned out!

Big, Fat, Greek Festival

An explosion of Greek hospitality ignited Long Beach over the Labor Day weekend, September 5th – 7th with the annual Greek Festival hosted by Assumption Greek Orthodox Church on Colorado St.  Celebrating 60 years as host of the “Festival by the Sea”, the Assumption Church opened its doors to the community to share food, drink, entertainment, and their rich Hellenic culture.

OK, OK! Yours is Bigger Than Mine!

There are big grills, and there are BIG GRILLS.  The Ranch Kettle by Weber, for example is a big grill.  Any grill that requires a tractor trailer to pull it around is a BIG GRILL.  The Johnsonville Big Taste Grill is a perfect example.

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

There’s nothing better than having your favorite street food at home!  With this dinner, I brought one of my favorite “meals from a cart” from the streets to the dinner table.

Grilled Corn, Grilled Asparagus

Its a common misconception that grilling is only for meats.  But as the French say: Au contraire mon frere! Just about anything you can cook in the kitchen can be made in a similar fashion outside on the grill.  If you’re already cooking your meat there, why not cook the rest of your meal there too!?

(It’s Always) Time to Grill!

I know some people think Spring and Summer are a sort of “grilling season”.  For me, though, grilling is a year-round activity.  Some of the best steaks I’ve ever made were fired up during an Iowa blizzard!

Fortunately, living in Los Angeles provides optimal grilling weather year round.