Category Archives: pommes frites

A Night of Deathtraps!

     Plans changed last night. Drastically. I originally planned on staying in, having a Punkin Ale (or two) and getting to bed at a decent hour. Dan and Malachi decided that just wouldn’t do.

My amazing boys drove all the way up to my neck of the woods, and the night slowly blurred into oblivion in the best ways possible.
Yep, that loving look between roommates sets the precedent for the evening…
Dan and I split a pitcher of the Ladyface Weizenbock that they had just tapped the day before. This wheat beer is not filtered which gives it the dark cloudy look, and tasted fruity and light with a little sweetness. I find that most of Ladyface’s beers have a little more sweetness than I’m used to – but I can dig it!
Malachi had some wine with his whine – “I don’t LIKE beer!”
We split the garlic and herb pommes frites with garlic aioli. Drool.
     We closed the restaurant and headed out around 12:30am. The rest of the night would be spent risking our lives and freezing our asses off. Disclaimer: we had a sober driver, thank you very much!
Visiting an old abandoned train station in the middle of the night seems like a safe idea to me!
     We went to Paramount Ranch, parked at the outer gates (the parking lot closes at sunset) and hiked the half-mile in to get to the western town. Gates were jumped, trespassing was committed, and many, many pictures were attempted, of which the only usable one is posted above.
     Post-trespassing, we trekked back to the car and decided that the next logical place to go would be the beach. We got to Zuma Beach around 2am and made a mad dash into the water, screaming in pain as each fist of icy water pummeled our bodies – doesn’t that sound like a fun time to you? One minor detail we forgot: towels. But really, who needs towels when it’s a breezy 60 degrees out after an extended amount of time in the bitterly cold ocean? We jumped back in the car, pumped up the heat and decided to end the night.
     I got back at 3am, left my flip flops (that are still coated in sand) outside, showered and crashed. Today’s lesson: going to work is even LESS fun than usual after only four hours of sleep. It was so worth it.
I suffered through the longest day of my life at work and was rewarded with this amazing dinner cooked by the roommate: Lemon-herbed tilapia, sauteed spinach with cherry tomatoes and garlic, seared asparagus and red bell pepper, and a small sweet potato (my family and I thought these were yams for years!) with a pat of butter.
My life is complete.
What was your last spontaneous adventure?

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Filed under Dan, deathtraps, garlic fries, Ladyface Ale Companie, Malachi, ocean, Paramount Ranch, pommes frites, tilapia, Weizenbock, Zuma Beach

Ladyface Date Night!

     Today, I had one goal in mind when I woke up: HAPPY HOUR DATE NIGHT! In preparation for such fantastical wonderment, I centered my day around it. It’s all about balance, baby!

My Monsta had SIX cups of spinach, 1/3 of a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/2 of a banana, 3 sprigs of fresh asparagus, 1/2 of a lemon and 1/2 of a lime, and 1/2 of a cup of frozen blueberries. POWERMONSTA!!!!
     I had four teeny-tiny hours at work today. I arrived with a big mug of coffee in my hand and a smile on my face. After those four hours, I left with an empty mug and a scowl. Grrr on you, retail!
I refueled with a mini-Kitchen Sink Salad. This had half of a bag of chopped lettuce, 1/4 of a chopped bell pepper, 1/2 of a cup of lentils and 1/2 of a carton of egg white salad. Just enough to tide me over until dinner, and just enough health to cancel out what comes next!
We went to Ladyface Alehouse and Brasserie (What is a brasserie? I’m too lazy/exhausted to look it up!) for happy hour. This was my first time being here, and most definitely not my last!
The fermentation process takes place in the middle of the restaurant! Next time I go here, I will most definitely ask for a tour of the brewery! And employment! If only I lived closer…
First things first: We got the Picture City Porter. This beer has a strong scent of coffee and a mild taste of chocolate. It’s very rich, but has only a small amount of carbonation. Aaaah, beer, I’ve missed you!
We split a pitcher. It was somewhat awesome.
After checking out the bar menu, we couldn’t agree on the type of pommes frites to get, so I ordered the garlic and herb with garlic mayo, and he got the Harissa spice. The garlic and herb fries were AMAZING! He ended up not being a fan of the Harissa spice (“They’re too spicy! I thought they’d taste smoky!”) and demolished the remains of my fries. Rawr.
The sliders came next. We got them medium-well (NOOOO SALMONELLA!!!!), and they came on the most fluffy, delicate little buns I’ve ever had. When I start working there, I’ll tell you what they actually consist of :).
We also got an order of bruschetta. I was trying to have an open mind, but I definitely do NOT enjoy eating fungi, and only recently began enjoying having tomatoes on my burgers, so these were a fail for me. Plus, the toasted bread almost chipped my tooth. Boo.
Obviously, the only way to make my teeth feel better was to have another beer. They were all out of their ambers, so I settled for what the waiter recommended: Big Daddy IPA by Speakeasy. Apparently, Speakeasy is out of Boulder, CO: my old hometown. As soon as I heard that, I was sold. This beer is ridiculously hoppy, which I’m finally growing to appreciate and respect, and tasted like the holidays – a bit like pine, as weird as that sounds… It’s similar to Hoptober by New Belgium, yet was mellow enough that I wasn’t pursing my lips in pain after every sip. I guess I’m learning!
This picture is solely for my friend, Malachi. A giraffe, and a carafe. You’re welcome.
After a few hours and three beers on my part, we ended up with this amazing and completely unnecessary piece of bread pudding. Okay, that was a lie. It was TOTALLY necessary! This bread pudding was luscious and decadent and full of cinnamon, brandy, and love. It tasted like Cinnabon on crack. In a good way.
     Now, it’s only 9:45pm and I am completely tuckered-out. Starting happy hour at 4pm can do that to you, I guess. Enjoy the visual attack of delicious pictures, and I shall go pass out with visions of bread pudding swirling and twirling through my head. Tomorrey morning shall be greeted with a hike!
Where’s your favorite place for happy hour?

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Filed under beer, Bread pudding, date night, green monster, kitchen sink salad, Ladyface Ale Companie, Picture City Porter, pommes frites, sliders