A Weekend in Santa Monica

As promised, I am back early this week with a full update on our recent trip to Santa Monica, California. Stuart and I have never really spent much time in the Los Angeles area, but we've heard great things, particularly about the food scene! So, we were thrilled when our friends Sean and Melissa move to the area and invited us for a visit.

We arrived at their adorable one-bedroom apartment around 5pm on Friday evening, which they share with a sweet Sheltie named Jackson and a parrot named Bird Noir. We had a long overdue catchup session on life since the four of us lived in Seattle (Melissa and I met taking French class during graduate school at UW). Then, we set out for stop #1: dinner at Night + Market on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. 

 

You can tell things we going to be good as our first order was the Chang "tower of beer." Literally, this is a huge tower of beer with an elephant head on top. Naturally. 

Next up was a quick appetizer of chicken "party wings"

Followed by a spicy green papaya salad

 Plus a special crispy rice dish

A beef stir fry topped with a fried egg...

And some classic Pad Thai.  

For dessert, we sampled a truly unique Asian ice cream concoction at a place called Blockheads Shavery.

 

Jackson was jealous of all our food action. Sorry Jackson!

  

Breakfast time on Saturday found us at Superba, a bakery and cafe where "toast" is all the rage. We ordered the avocado toast as well as the burrata toast, not pictured.

Lunch = fantastic seafood tacos and cauliflower tostadas (yes, really) at Tacos Punta Cabras

 

Our final meal was dinner at a modernized beer hall in Venice, called Wurstkuche. 

 

Last but not least, I died and went to heaven when we discovered that my favorite Portland-based ice cream shop, Salt & Straw, was having a grand opening of their LA location. This cone was definitely worth the 20 minute drive each way. Thank you, Sean and Melissa for an incredible weekend!!