Easter Picnic

Just pack and go!  Pick a place, set up and voila...It's ready!  For this picnic, I picked up a few ready made sandwiches and some yummy pastries from Paris Baguette.  Ham & cheese, turkey, and chicken sandwiches were the choices.  Of course I can't forget the mimosas to go with our sandwiches so I picked a few more items from Trader Joe's: orange juice and champagne for our mimosas, tortilla chips, and a box of assorted French macarons.  Another picnic item is a pack of ready to serve salami, sausages, and assorted cheeses.  A perfect picnic!  Hassle free.  Got all the essentials and just enjoyed a beautiful day under the California sunshine on Easter Sunday. 

By the way, a must have is a handy dandy cart/wagon from Costco to transport everything from the car to that perfect place!  The Dollar Tree is also a great place to grab colorful paper goods and serving plates and platters.  

ready made sandwiches from Paris Baguette

4th Street Market

A new food hall in DTSA (Downtown Santa Ana) just opened! I've tried a few already! So keep your eyes peeled for more of my gastronomic adventures from 4th Street Market!

4th Street Market | East End – Downtown Santa Ana

4th Street Market features restaurants in Downtown Santa Ana’s East End, and is the home of East End Kitchens incubator kitchens.

4THSTREETMARKET.COMhttp://4thstreetmarket.com

Urban Food Adventure

Gjelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
It was definitely worth the wait to sample some new dishes while strolling along Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice, CA.  Gjelina had a variety of dishes to choose from -- a vegetable dish were among the few items we set our eyes on.   Although a bit disappointed the dandelion, anchovy, parmesan, lemon & breadcrumbs (Gjelina's take of a Cesar Salad) salad was not available, our vegetable choices were not bad at all, most especially the roasted fennel.

I like the casual atmosphere of this place.  It had a rustic feel and much to our surprise,  there was a back patio to accommodate even more guests as our host took us towards the back.   I liked it.  And yes, I would definitely return to try the other dishes on the menu and I would recommend this place if ever you're in the area.

First veggie item: Charred sugar snap peas, soffritto, mint & prosciutto

Second:  Roasted Fennel, white wine, blood orange, & fennel pollen 

Third: Grilled broccolini, garlic, chili & vinegar

Grilled octopus, braised lentil, fennel & smolked tomato
Squid ink chitarra, asari clam, chili, garlic, parsely & breadcrumb 

Housemade chorizo, tomato, cream, fennel, chili & basil

Rhubbard strawberry with caramel ice cream and butterscotch pot de creme