L.A. Quickie

Jumping on our suite bed at Hotel Roosevelt. Girls just want to have fun.

Gorgeous interior of our hotel.

Sneaking off during dinner at The Bazaar to take shameless bathroom pics.

Incredible dinner by Jose Andres.

Food captions, clockwise, starting from top left:

Jamon Iberico, fried farm egg with truffle butter//"Philly Cheesesteak" air bread, cheddar, Wagyu beef// Seared Mary's Farm Chicken, honey dates, mustard caviar// Braised Wagyu beef cheeks, California citrus.

Dirty dancing at Teddy's.

Tourist time at LACMA.

Too much fun with my bestie.
I was wearing: Velvet jumper, H&M leather pants, Karen Millen booties, Alexander McQueen scarf as a turban, Chanel bag.

Amazing desserts at Bottega Louie.

Poolside drinks at The Standard Hollywood.
I'm clearly wearing too much clothing. 

Decadent dinner at The Aventine.
Must try: Margherita Pizza and Lasagna. So good!

A few weeks ago I spent 24 whirlwind hours in L.A.

Based on the photos above, I would say that we were very efficient with our time.

Just another reason I love living in Southern Cali - when you need a change of pace, just hop into a car, 

and two hours later you'll find yourself in a whole new world.

Weekend Diary

Hi there..

it's a gloomy Monday here in America's Finest City,

and I'm dreading the thought of going to class tonight. 

I haven't posted a weekend diary for a while,

so I figured I'd share what I've been up to lately:

..joining some friends and family for sing-along time at The Shout House piano bar..

..indulging in LOTS of wine at Bacchus Wine Bar..

..taking in some art with Pacific SD Magazine at the historic La Valencia hotel..

..previewing some fashion with San Diego Magazine at the Hard Rock Hotel..

I was wearing Foreign Exchange top and blazer, f21 skirt, Steve Madden pumps and vintage Louis Vuitton bag.

Phew.. 

I guess I've been busy!

No wonder I'm so tired.

What did you do this weekend?

California Modern

F21 top & jacket, J Brand jeans, Kelsi Dagger booties, Givenchy bag

Sea Dew Collins - rosemary infused Stolichnaya vodka, Punt E Mes vermouth, lemon

Chanterelle Stew - 60° egg, roasted onion jam, potato foam

In my last post I mentioned that San Diego is in the midst of Restaurant Week. 

That's pretty much a holiday in my eyes. 

A multi-day holiday,

filled with dining deals up the wazoo.

A few days ago,

we celebrated the husband's birthday at Flemings,

which was just so-so.

It was just... 

I don't know,

boring. 

Yeah, the steak was good, 

but that's about it. 

Just a little piece of tender filet minion in the middle of a boring plate. 

Sad sight. 

Well,

whatever creative juices I was missing at Flemings,

were definitely made up for last night. 

The husband and I visited Georges at the Cove, California Modern.

It. Was. Glorious. 

Now I know the picture directly above this text doesn't look too impressive..

What IS that?

Right? 

I know. 

It was one of those instances when no matter how hard I tried I couldn't capture the exquisite taste that was in my mouth onto my camera. 

But please take my word for it,

when I tell you that it was probably my favorite dish of the night.

Of course everything else was amazing as well.... 

This.

This is what I earn for when I dine out.

Creativity and flavor. 

The presentation is just a cherry on top. 

Grilled Sardines - winter tabbouleh, pomegranate, yogurt

Prime Hanger Steak

Braised Lamb Shank - butternut squash risotto, sweet onion raisin relish, feta salsa verde

Chino Farms Carrot Cake - tangerine bubbles, salted pepitas, vanilla creameux, ginger florentine, candied carrots, marinated pears

Sneaky George...

just snuck onto the number one spot 

on my list of favorite dining establishments.

Bravo.

Take Me to Pleasure Town

"I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly..." - Ron Burgundy

{F21 top, J Brand jeans, Jessica Simpson heels, Chanel purse, MK watch}

Here's a little fun fact about me - I'm Russian. Do you know what Russians drink? 
Vodka. 

It's not a stereotype. We won't even get offended if you automatically assume that this iced clear liquid flows through our veins. It's pretty much a fact. When I go out, I drink vodka.

This means that I have no idea how to tell the difference between any other types of alcohol. 

All those silly flavors of whisky? Forgetaboutit. I have no clue about what's good or bad. 

Last night, an opportunity arose to attend a whisky tasting party. Oh, and it was free.

I thought to myself, "why don't I go and get educated.. you know.. think outside the box?". 

So off I went to The Macallan tasting, held at the brand spankin' new Port Pavilion, right there on San Diego bay.

I went. I drank. I conquered. 

I'm still not a huge fan of the taste, but hey, at least I now know that in order for it to be called a Scotch whisky, a whisky must be distilled and matured in Scotland. Did you know that?

And do you know what the difference between Single Malt Scotch and Blended Scotch is? No?

Would you like me to tell you?

Ok fine. Single Malt Scotch whisky is made from 100% malted barley and distilled at a single distillery, while the Blended Scotch Whisky is made by blending together a number of single malts and grain whiskies. 

Pretty nifty, eh? Now you can't tell me that I lost brain cells from drinking. On the contrary, I actually gained knowledge last night!

Now, who's ready for that weekend?

Come oooooon Friday!

Voyou, I ♥ You

The hubs and I celebrated the beginning of the weekend by meeting some friends for cocktails and dinner at Voyou, my new favorite spot! It was our first time there, and I was mesmerized by this restaurant's European vibes. We were greeted by the owner himself, who charmed us with his cute French accent, and wowed us with his ability to cover the whole joint on his own. The food was a-ma-zing, and the prices were beyond reasonable. If you haven't been to Voyou yet, I recommend you go as soon as possible. Oh, and don't forget to order the mac'n cheese; it is out of this world!

{Olives and Stuff: marinated olives with tapenade}

{Tuna Burger: ahi tuna steak, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, tapenade, served with parmesan crusted asparagus}

{Seared Scallops: paprika seared scallops with lemon aioli}

{Mac'n Cheese: with Swiss Gruyere accent}

Quarter Century Celebration Part II

Isn't that an amazing quote? Pretty much summarizes my weekend... Here's a quick rundown of how my Saturday went: jog, brunch, mani/pedi, check into an amazing suite at the Sofia Hotel, dinner at The Currant, cake from Extraordinary Desserts, dancing at Voyeur. Life. Is. Good.

{View from our Suite/I'm wearing an Arden B dress, Asos Cuff, Sergio Rossi Pumps}

{I LOVE my friends!}