![\"Karen](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/unspecified-e1473893409693.jpg\")
<\/a>Karen Salkin and Alice Farinas. Photo by Leni Maiai.<\/p><\/div>\n
It was at Salt Creek Grille in El Segundo, and was for a group of females in the media biz, so everything was already set for us, which made is so easy.\u00a0 I felt like I was at a friend\u2019s baby shower, minus all the dumb games! (No offense, new moms.)<\/p>\n
Salt Creek Grille is in one of my favorite shopping centers, (especially at holiday time,) Plaza El Segundo.\u00a0 I had been to this eatery before, for an evening private party, but that one was inside.\u00a0 This time we were in the beautiful, breezy, umbrella-ed garden, at tables of four.\u00a0 I loved all the different fashions we came up with.\u00a0 There was everything from shorts to jeans to beautiful dresses.\u00a0 (I was in the \u201ccute dress\u201d category.\u00a0 But a girl who sat with me had the best outfit of the day\u2014a thin chiffon dress with pastel balloons on it!\u00a0 It actually matched my favorite tablecloth in my house.\u00a0 How can one not be happy looking at any form of balloon?!)<\/p>\n
<\/a>Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the big one at the top.<\/p><\/div>\n
The organizers did something so cute\u2014rather than use table place cards, they marked our seats with tote bags with our name tags on them.\u00a0 Then, to whet our appetites for what was to come, there was a beautiful \u201cdisplay buffet\u201d set-up, featuring the plated dishes we were about to feast on.\u00a0 But, happily for me, we had table service, which I always like so much better than having to get up and dish it out myself. (I know\u2014poor, pampered Karen, right?)<\/p>\n
I have a feeling that our table was the biggest group of pains-in-the-butt.\u00a0 One girl was a vegetarian, one a pescetarian, I\u2019m on the \u201cstroke diet\u201d, and, shockingly, I found-out that day that, contrary to my previously-held belief, Alice does not eat every ingredient known to man! (That was an eye-opener.) But, between the four of us, we sampled everything, with very happy results.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Photo courtesy of Melrose PR.<\/p><\/div>\n
Since I don\u2019t drink, I watched the rest of the assemblage enjoy Salt Creek Grille\u2019s signature Bloody Mary. Alice said, \u201cWhat a great idea–it comes with a skewer of bacon-wrapped shrimp (which is filled with horseradish,) so you get a drink and<\/em> an appetizer at the same time! Perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n While we were mingling at the beginning, the amiable staff passed one of Salt Creek\u2019s signature dishes\u2014beignets.\u00a0 Alice said,\u00a0 \u201cThey were delicious! I loved the sweet cream filling, and it was bathed in bourbon caramel sauce.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, as soon as we sat down, we had their house\u00a0salad, which I loved.\u00a0 It had thin slices of green apple, and candied walnuts, and was very healthful and filling.\u00a0 Alice had it with a chunk of crabmeat quiche and said,\u00a0 \u201cThe crab quiche was baked with asparagus, and was so delicious. It\u2019s a good healthful choice for brunch.\u201d<\/p>\n We then moved on to Huevos Rancheros, but, since we were all diet-challenged, none of us had the full dish! We each enjoyed the parts we ate, though. I was the only pork girl, and I found it, and the rice and beans it was combined with, to be very tasty and spicy. It\u2019s the perfect dish to help wake you up on a lazy Saturday! Alice said the \u201chuevos,\u201d topped with pico de gallo, was a \u201cgreat choice for a Mexican brunch.\u201d<\/p>\n Chicken and waffles. Yum! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The rest of the girls had the generous, pretty waffles, which Alice described as \u201ccrispy, delicious, thick, and yummy.\u201d\u00a0 The dish was actually \u201cChicken and Waffles,\u201d but I ate all the fried chicken! (I told<\/em> you we were a weird group.) The honey-fried chicken was heavenly, and I could not resist the uber-crunchy breading.<\/p>\n Alice said the Monte Cristo sandwich was \u201cmouth-watering!\u201d She went on,\u201dIt was so thick and high, and filled with turkey, ham, and swiss cheese. The raspberry melba sauce that was drizzled on it made it extra-yummy!\u201d<\/p>\n It was really a lovely brunch, and now we can’t wait to go back to Salt Creek Grille and try their other meals.<\/p>\n Our gang of artists: (l to R) Leni, Kelley, Bernie, Flavia, Jessie, Alice, Karen. Can you tell who loves painting the most?!<\/p><\/div>\n A perk of dining in that area is that there\u2019s so much to do in Plaza El Segundo! They have tons of stores, and beauty services, and something very unexpected\u2014a charity painting studio! Let me explain: People can stop into the humongous studio of Portraits of Hope anytime, to paint colorful designs that are then hung at places that need a little brightness, such as hospitals, laundromats, and even a fire station or two. (They did my beloved sheriff station in Aspen, I believe. The station<\/em> is not beloved to me\u2014the guys who work there are! Long funny story, for another time.) So, the kindest of the brunch guests went over after we ate, to paint disks to beautify animal shelters. I thought I was into it, until I saw what others<\/em> were doing! Some of these people are real artists! I was really impressed.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>