{"id":657,"date":"2010-02-01T23:03:49","date_gmt":"2010-02-02T03:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/?p=657"},"modified":"2010-02-01T23:03:49","modified_gmt":"2010-02-02T03:03:49","slug":"my-foodie-party-at-the-culver-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/my-foodie-party-at-the-culver-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"DINING:FOODIE PARTY AT THE CULVER HOTEL"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOODIE PARTY AT THE CULVER HOTEL<\/h1>\n

Last year around this time, I hosted a mini food fest at the historic Culver Hotel in Culver City. It turned out to be so fabulous, and a wonderful prototype for all the Superbowl parties around town, that I decided to do it again this year, if only for you guys to have no-brainer ideas for football munchies.<\/p>\n

\"img_0024-b1\"Wanting the same perfect location, but always desiring a different feel to each of my soirees, I chose to use a different party room in the same venue. Last year, it was on the super-fun mezzanine, and was perfect. But since the Culver Hotel had just remodeled their skinny off-the-lobby dining area, I wanted to show it off to the assemblage. While the guests were equally divided in the debate over which room was better, many of them commented to the effect that this one is a \u201cbeautiful room\u201d with a \u201cgreat view,\u201d and appreciated the \u201ceasier powder room accessibility!\u201d And the thick black curtains kept it separated from the lobby din\u2026so we could create our own!<\/p>\n

The hotel had just re-done the floor, and added multiple chandeliers, a wall of classy library-type shelves, and a high, giant, silver-framed mirror. It has kind-of a film noir feel now. I almost felt like I was in a game of Clue!<\/p>\n

Culver Hotel 9400 Culver Blvd. 310-558-9400 www.culverhotel.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

Always wanting to introduce my guests, (and the world!,) to new taste treats, I chose mostly different ones from last year. Due to popular demand, though, the pizza and wings paid a return visit.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s all their info, with some of the attendees\u2019 comments in quotes. Every single dish drew raves, including \u201cloved,\u201d \u201c the best,\u201d and \u201cmy favorite!\u201d I\u2019m delighted that my guests\u2019 tastes are as diverse as the dishes I picked-out for them! As always, these are listed in no particular order, except for category–just make sure to read them all, or you\u2019ll miss out:<\/p>\n

Appetizers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"gotwings\"Got Wings–<\/strong>Lemon-Pepper Wings, Garlic-Parmesan Wings.
\nThese are the same fabulous wings as last year–only the name has changed, to reflect a fresh approach to the menu. Maybe that\u2019s because pre-party, many guests asked me, \u201cGot wings?\u201d It was \u201cso easy\u201d to eat these \u201ctangy,\u201d \u201cnot wet\u201d wings at a crowded party, that they\u2019re just about the only things I got to enjoy at my own party!
\n1544 S. LaCienega Blvd. 310-360-4800 www.gotwings.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"monte-alban\"
\nMonte Alban<\/strong>–Potato Molotes
\nThese \u201cperfectly seasoned\u201d potato-stuffed pockets are the Oaxacan version of knishes or samosas. Guests \u201cloved\u201d them \u201cwith or without\u201d the \u201cexcellent mole.\u201d Since Oaxacan cuisine is new to most people, one guest said \u201cthis food I most dreaded tasting\u2026was fabulous!\u201d \u201cYUM!\u201d
\n11929 Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles 310-444-7736 www.restaurantemontealban.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"buffet\"Fresh Brothers<\/strong>–Greek Town Special Salad, Farmer’s Market Salad
\nThough Chicago-type pizza is their specialty, Mr. X and I were so impressed with their \u201cexcellent\u201d \u201cvery fresh\u201d \u201cdelicious\u201d salads, we had to feature them at the party. Our guests were glad we did, as they were gobbled the quickest! Every comment echoed that the \u201cbalsamic vinaigrette is amazing!\u201d and that they were the \u201cbest salads ever!\u201d<\/p>\n

4722 1\/2 Admiralty Way Marina Del Rey 310-823-3800 www.freshbrothers.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>
\n\"cafe50s1\"Cafe 50s<\/strong>–Southern Fried Mac & Cheese with Ranch Dressing, Green Bean Fries with Mustard-Mayonnaise Dipping Sauce and Spicy Ranch Dressing-<\/p>\n

These \u201cdelectable,\u201d \u201cinteresting\u201d little wedges (of mac \u2019n cheese) are a \u201cvery cool concept\u201d that \u201cactually works.\u201d The \u201cflavors all balance out.\u201d
\nAs to the new-even-to-me \u201cexcellent\u201d green beans, guests \u201creally liked\u201d these \u201cfun\u201d \u201cinstant favorites.\u201d
\n11623 Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles 310-479-1955 www.cafe50s.com<\/strong>
\n[Note: I can vouch for this location only.]
\nMain dishes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"paul_s-portrait-copy_gprt\"LaRocco\u2019s Pizzeria<\/strong>–Cheese Pizza.
\nOnce again, this \u201cbest ever,\u201d \u201cgreat,\u201d \u201cclassic cheese pizza\u201d proved to be a super-popular item. And the close proximity to the Culver Hotel allowed the generous Paul LaRocco to keep us supplied with \u201cfresh, hot\u201d pies all night, which the guests \u201creally appreciated.\u2019
\n3819 Main Street 310-837-8345 www.laroccospizzeria.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"chipotle\"Chipotle<\/strong>–Burritos Assortment: Grilled Chicken, Barbico (spicy shredded beef), Carnitas (pulled pork), and Vegetable. Also, chips with fresh guacamole, and 4 salsas.
\nWe took advantage of their new party concept: burrito in a box. It\u2019s perfect for group orders, whether it be a fabulous party like mine, or just an office lunch, and the guests were thrilled that they came foil-wrapped with easy-to-read labels. The vegetarian went the fastest, but everyone loved the \u201chearty,\u201d \u201chealthy,\u201d fillings, and lauded the \u201cfantastic guac!\u201d Great party idea–serve the salsas and guac in individual containers to avoid double-dipping. \u201cVery 2010!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chipotle 9512 Culver Blvd. 310- 841-0561 www.chipotle.com<\/strong><\/p>\n


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\"darrows\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Uncle Darrow\u2019s–Jumbalaya<\/strong>
\nYou guys can actually taste this \u201cexcellent\u201d \u201cperfectly-spiced\u201d \u201cnon-greasy\u201d \u201csausage-filled\u201d dish for yourselves at their Mardi Gras Festival on February 27. It benefits many charities, and, if last year\u2019s was any indication, should be loads of fun.
\n2560 S. Lincoln Blvd. Marina Del Rey 310-306-4862 www.uncledarrows.com<\/strong><\/p>\n


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\n\"img_0010\"Meet<\/strong>–Shrimp Carbonara (Linguini and shrimp in a creamy sauce.)
\nFans of this \u201cfavorite\u201d \u201cclassy dish\u201d felt the \u201cshrimp was perfectly cooked in the pasta,\u201d which isn\u2019t always the case at other restaurants. They said it was \u201cdivine\u201d with \u201cgreat subtle flavor.\u201d
\n9727 Culver Blvd. 310-815-8222 www.meetrestaurantla.com<\/strong><\/p>\n


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Desserts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"cupcakes\"Swirls Cupcakes<\/strong>–Chocolate-Raspberry, Blueberry, Red Velvet (and assorted other flavors)
\nAll my tasters agreed with me that these are \u201cyummy\u201d and the \u201cbest new cupcakes\u201d in Los Angeles. (I\u2019m adding New York to that.) One even noted, \u201cI don\u2019t usually like frosting but I ate all of it!\u201d The blueberry ones \u201cwere quite a good surprise\u201d because that\u2019s not a flavor you\u2019re \u201cexpecting to find in a cupcake.\u201d (Even Clarence enjoyed some crumbs of that one. His comment was \u201cWoof!\u201d)<\/p>\n

14006 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks (Fashion Square Mall)
\n818-986-9900 www.swirlsdesserts.com<\/strong><\/p>\n


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<\/strong>Leslie’s Famous Biscotti-<\/strong>-Hazelnut, Double Chocolate Hazelnut, Ginger Snappin’, and Coconut-Macadamia Nut
\nThese \u201cwonderful\u201d \u201cthin\u201d biscotti, in creative flavors \u201chit the spot.\u201d Now guests can\u2019t wait to \u201cvisit Leslie\u2019s cooking classes\u201d to see if they can replicate them for themselves. Good luck with that!
\n10955 W. Pico Blvd. 310-553-8707 www.lesliesfamousbiscotti.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Gotta Have S\u2019more-<\/strong>-Old-fashioned S\u2019mores in Muffin Form (in a variety of flavors)
\nThis is the newest dessert to hit the scene in quite awhile, and I was proud to feature them at my party. Guest comments included: \u201coriginal,\u201d \u201ctasty,\u201d \u201cbest thing I\u2019ve tasted in years,\u201d \u201cperfection,\u201d and \u201ctop drawer.\u201d That last one was written to rhyme with \u201cs\u2019more,\u201d I\u2019m pretty sure. (Oh, I just added \u201csure\u201d to the rhyme! So, if you see this poem on their website, remember–you read it here first.)
\n888-957-6673 www.gottahavesmore.com<\/strong><\/p>\n


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Beverage:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"margarita\"Casa Noble Tequila<\/strong>–I usually go with just classic wine at my parties, to not detract from the foods, but margaritas are such fun! Especially when they\u2019re made with this new Casa Noble tequila. The bottles made for a beautiful display, as well, which added some pizzazz to the bar area. www.casanoble.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s it for this year. If you\u2019re an eatery who wants to participate in the future, (if I have energy enough to do it again next year,) please let me know throughout the year. Now please excuse me while I sleep-off this food hang-over!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FOODIE PARTY AT THE CULVER HOTEL Last year around this time, I hosted a mini food fest at the historic Culver Hotel in Culver City. It turned out to be so fabulous, and a wonderful prototype for all the Superbowl parties around town, that I decided to do it again this year, if only for<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-los-angeles-restaurant-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}