I am ecstatic because one of my favorite restaurants in NYC is FINALLY in LA - Serafina!
Serafina's new home on the Sunset Strip, (in the old Maia spot) is already gaining a ton of recognition not only for its hard to miss signature yellow and blue branding, but for its incredible, authentic Italian cuisine. As a gal who is part Italian and from the East Coast, I am ALWAYS keeping an eye out for great Italian restaurants - Serafina has never disappointed me!
Not to mention, word on the street is that Serafina Sunset is the new celeb hotspot. Lots of familiar faces have been dining at the restaurant ever since it opened, and a few of them made appearances at the Grand Opening Party a few weeks ago.
Photo by: Serafina Sunset
I was so excited when I got to experience Serafina Sunset first hand at its Media Luncheon and Grand Opening Party.
At the media luncheon, Serafina offered an incredible tasting menu, featuring many of its signature dishes. What I loved most about the dining experience was that the owners, Stephen Belafonte, Vittorio Assaf, and Fabio Granato made every effort to make sure all of us were satisfied with our food, and came to chat with each of us about the dishes' ingredients, how they were prepared and how we were enjoying everything.
One of the things I really admire about Serafina is that whether it's a party or a small group gathering, you're always treated like family here.
Photo by: Serafina Sunset
Here's a little run down of everything we ate. Try not to drool:
LA PIZZA ITALIANA
Pizza Tartufo
Pizza Bianca w/ Arugula
CARPACCIOS
Bresaola
Carpaccio di Filetto e Tartufo
Prosciutto & Burrata
PASTAS
Gnocchi
Farfalle Limoncello
Ravioli Burro e Salvia
DOLCI
Tiramisu
Panna Cotta
Crostatina w/ Red Berries
Two nights later was the restaurant's Grand Opening Party. What. A. Turn out! I brought my friend Candice along for the fun.
The place was packed - complimentary rosé and champagne was served around the restaurant for the guests who met, mingled and enjoyed the night. I loved how we really got to experience what its like to be at Serafina at night - the restaurant's airy indoor-outdoor space still proved to be intimate and inviting. Looking in from outside on the street, Serafina was the place passer-byers wished they could be at too.
Photo by: Serafina Sunset
One of my favorite parts of the Serafina Grand Opening Party? The celebs! Mel B, of The Spice Girls/X Factor/America's Got Talent is actually another co-owner of the restaurant so it was awesome to see her there!
Photo by: Serafina Sunset
Other celebs including Jonathan Cheban and Christina Milian hung out at the restaurant as well. It was so cool to see Jonathan's SnapChat story later that night and see how much he enjoyed all the food he ordered - although the space was packed with people, it still remained very intimate, so I was able to see what Jonathan munched on before it made it to social media!
Photo by: Serafina Sunset
Photo by: Serafina Sunset
I had such a great time at the Serafina Sunset Grand Opening and I can't wait for all the delicious meals there that lie ahead. I have an odd feeling that I'm going to be a regular! ;)
On June 23rd, New Amsterdam Vodka held its "It's Your Town" party at LAB Art Los Angeles on La Brea and teamed up with local LA street artist, Moncho1929to showcase his art and celebrate with none other than New Amsterdam Vodka!
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
I was so excited to attend this event, and brought my brother Steven who is very into the art scene along with me. I have a huge respect for street artists and was so excited to learn more about Moncho1929. His work has actually appeared in the French Consulate, Soho House, Times Square and even on NBC'S "The Voice." New Amsterdam Vodka and Moncho1929 came together to celebrate the vibrant culture and people of Los Angeles.
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
First thing's first: the New Amsterdam Vodka featured cocktail: the Dam Good Mule. New Amsterdam Vodka's twist on the Moscow Mule! Warning: this drink is insanely good.. and hard to put down! It is so refreshing and really enjoyable to sip on. It is just the right amount of sweet (and a little bubbly, too), but still had that punch from the vodka to balance out the flavors. I am usually a tequila person, but I became so obsessed with the Dam Good Mule - which says a lot! What I love the most about it is that it's so simple to make and it can be made at home to enjoy whenever. Yay!
Here's how to make it:
Dam Good Mule Recipe:
5 liters New Amsterdam
3 liters Top Hat Mule Concentrate
10 liters of COLD/Purified Water
(ingredients above make one 5 gallon korney keg)
Garnish with a Lime Wheel & Fresh Mint
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
Moncho1929's work was placed throughout the entire space amongst other artists. I personally loved all of his pieces that actually featured New Amsterdam Vodka! He incorporated the bottle in his artwork in such creative ways. My favorite was a piece he did that was a very colorful portrait of a lifeguard stand with a surfboard leaning up against it. The surfboard design had an illustration of New Amsterdam Vodka on it which I thought was so cool and unexpected. Another one that really stood out to me was an image of a big gun that had microphones attached to the top of it, mimicking a camera. I would assume that it's referencing the power that the media has over people, and it's very clever how he depicted that.
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
Photo by: New Amsterdam Vodka
I also loved the awesome graffiti screen that allowed guests to actually create their own art for the entire party to see. Seriously, when each person had their own chance to get up there in front of the screen, everyone surrounded you and anxiously awaited the message or drawing you'd be putting up there! I wrote "The Gilded Bellini <3 New Amsterdam Vodka" (Of course). Then, my design was transferred on to a t-shirt so I could save it forever.
I really was blown away at how well New Amsterdam Vodka and Moncho1929 teamed up and created such a truly unique event. Since New Amsterdam Vodkawas actually incorporated into his work, it really set the event apart from traditional gallery and cocktail parties. I walked away with even more of an appreciation for street art, a newfound love for New Amsterdam Vodka, and an obsession with the Dam Good Mule. It was just too dam good to be true. ;)
As rosé season emerges, one may ask how to appropriately ring in the precious few months we look forward to all year. The answer is: the annual La Nuit en Rosé Food and RoséWine Festival.
For the second year in a row, it was held at Skybar at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood and consisted of a three-day endless rosé celebration. My fab friends Kyle of From Hamptons to Hollywood, Mitch of Cavalier-Crew.com and I got the chance to attend, giving us the pleasure of accessing 6o different rosés from around the world along the gorgeous poolside overlooking all of LA.
Mitch and I attended the Rosé Sunset Soiree on Saturday night. It was a great turn out, with many people walking around sampling rosés, lounging by tables and mingling with others. Dim lighting with strung lights across the pool created a very sexy, refined ambiance. Although many attended, the charm of the intimate outdoor terrace created a very luxe, exclusive experience.
Of course one of the ultimate highlights of the event was this amazing video booth.
Rosé vendors were incredibly friendly and enjoyable to talk to. I loved learning about different rosés and discovering what makes them so different, whether they were more floral, fruity, dry, light, or sweet. It’s hard to believe that so many unique blends exist! It was super pretty and very fitting that many of the rosés on display were illuminated with pink lighting.
While nearly all of them were extremely pleasing to the palate, I hands down fell in love with Fantinel, a bubbly rosé from Italy. It was sweet, but not overpoweringly sweet because of its similar consistency and taste to champagne. And if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm totally champs obsessed. Fantinel was one of the select rosés at the event that was bubbly, but that made it really stand out from the others. It was so crisp, tantalizing and an absolutely gorgeous shade of pink. Mitch and I made friends with the Fantinel reps and couldn’t stop coming back over for another refreshing swig!
The following day was the Rosé Pool Party where Mitch, Kyle and I got to come into the event as a triple threat – determined to discover more amazing rosé and take endless pictures for our future posts. The blog is always on the brain!
The vibe of the pool party was very Hamptons-esque, which was really cool to get a taste of on the West Coast. Lots of people were wearing white (like myself), some springy pops of color, and a handful were donning their best swim suits.
Lots more mingling went on and we connected with a bunch of cool people. It was such a nice day out with the sun shining and the music bumping. With a glass of rosé in hand, you couldn’t help but just genuinely have a great time!
The event (which I wish spanned longer than just a weekend!) was incredibly chic and enjoyable. It was so cool to be able to meet people with similar styles and tastes, and to have the opportunity to open my eyes to so many amazing rosé brands from around the globe. With each sip of a different blend, I truly did feel more cultured! The weekend had the perfect amount of sexiness, sophistication, trendiness and lightheartedness – it was evident after each guests’ (and our's) frequent trips back to their favorite rosé stations that the event was a total success.
I already cannot wait for next year’s event! Huge thank you to La Nuit en Rosé for a very fun and beautiful weekend with friends. Life is waaay more fun through rosè colored glasses. ;)
Interested in attending next year? Be sure to visit nuitrose.com and follow @nuitrose on Instagram for all the deets on future La Nuit en Roséhappenings.
