If you’re a regular reader, you know my parents are foodies and when they visit me, we tend to go big.
They’ve treated us to some of my finest meals – from Del Posto and Hearth to many other dining faves.
This visit was only a short one, but we still packed in a good time – strolling on the beach and soaking up the sun’s rays. Before heading to dinner, we enjoyed drinks at The Penthouse. Happy hour at the The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica is worth the pricey drinks because of the view alone…but for the record, the drinks are really good, too.
Seating along the windows is prime real estate, so it was a good thing we arrived by 6:30 pm. The Penthouse is (as you’d expect) on the top floor of the hotel, which is located on 2nd and California, offering amazing 360 degree views of the Westside, from the coast to the Valley.
The ambiance was Hollywood chic with the casual mellow feel of Santa Monica.
There were even sunroofs to let in views of the bright blue sky!
As we took in the breathtaking views, we browsed the cocktail menu. SO many good choices!
Clockwise from the left, mom’s Bubbles & Kiwi, dad’s Spicy Hot Margarita, Kyle’s Rooftop Manhattan, and my Thyme & Cucumber Amnesia.
I tried my mom’s, but not my dad’s (me and tequila don’t mix at all).
Her Bubbles & Kiwi had Muddled Kiwis, Plymouth Gin, St Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Lemon Juice and a dry burst of Perrier-Jouet Brut Champagne.
I liked it but it was very sweet, so one sip was enough. I love kiwi though, so the muddled fruit was a perk.
My drink was recommended by the waitress, and I’m so glad I went with it. Despite the odd sounding pairing of thyme and cucumber, I just went with it.
In addition to Muddled Cucumber and Thyme, it had Cranberry Juice and fresh Lemon Juice and Gin. It was light and refreshing, and the flavor was subtle but definitely present. It’s the kind of drink you could sip all night. Plus, how cute is the floating cucumber island with the sprig of thyme popping out of it!
Kyle’s drink was potent smelling, so I didn’t try it, but in case you were wondering, he was the first one to finish.
The Penthouse’s Rooftop Manhattan has Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, a Dash of Angostura Bitters and a Maraschino Cherry.
The people watching in this place was hilarious. Nearly everyone surrounding us was on a mobile device. I was trying to take a picture of it, while Kyle mocked the neighboring crowd.
He calls this look “TCB” (taking care of business). Please note the guy in the background doing the same. 🙂
As the sun went down, we took photos and eventually headed to dinner.
You better believe we will be returning to the Huntley again. If the drinks were that good, I want to try their food menu too.
Dinner was only a short walk away…
Top Chef Masters turned me and Kyle on to the genius of Chef Susan Feniger who competed in Season 2, and apparently co-owner Chef Mary Sue Milliken will soon be competing in Season 3 (premiering this week!).
Needless to say Border Grill has been on the to-visit list for a while now, so this meal was long overdue.
Aren’t my parents cute!
After we were seated they brought us chips and salsa and we ordered drinks. The cocktails were what you’d expect in a Mexican restaurant, but I still managed to find a non-tequila, non-wine drink.
Sangria! Yum. There was so much chopped fruit in the drink I couldn’t really taste the alcohol. But I didn’t really care since I had to work the next morning.
For our entrees, my mom and dad both got the same dish.
Chicken Poblano Enchiladas ~ slow roasted chicken • handmade corn tortillas • poblano crema grilled corn • wild mushrooms • roasted poblano chiles
Kyle got the special, probably because the name of the dish, Chilequile, was his nickname when he studied abroad in Spain. FYI, chilequiles are kinda like deconstructed enchiladas, or nachos with fried tortillas underneath a bunch of toppings.
Chicken Chilequiles
I got the Border Vegetables ~ sweet creamed corn • green chick peas • braised fennel • quinoa salad • sautéed mushrooms black beans • seasonal farmers market vegetables
I couldn’t figure out what the braised fennel was the entire time I was eating it, but it was only so-so. The green chickpeas on the other hand were AWESOME. Where do you buy green chickpeas anyway? The quinoa was really acidic, almost like the tabbouleh I got from Tender Greens, but I liked it. When I mixed the black beans with the quinoa and the rest of the seasonal veggies it was great.
All in all, a great night. I left way too full, but the walk back home helped.
Dessert was a treat of a different kind.
Remember that mystery suitcase from this post?? One reader actually guessed correctly, and identified it as an accordion.
Back in the day, Kyle’s grandpa was a member of a musical group called the Polka Dots. And lucky me, he left his accordion to Kyle. Hmmmm…I don’t remember anything about learning musical instruments in our wedding vows.
Who plays (or used to play) an instrument?
I played the french horn. <—Band geek 😉
Tomorrow I’m announcing the Tropical Traditions coconut peanut butter winner so get your last minute entries in asap.
Oh my gosh, my dad is a wicked good accordion player. He and Kyle should jam together. Please bring Sangria.
YUM that meal looks awesome! I had some really good sangria the other day at a spanish restaurant. To die for! I had TWO glasses 😉
My husband’s and my FIRST DATE was at what is now Penthouse! That was ~20 yrs ago and back then, 3rd Street promenade was gross, as was “Toppers” as it was called back then. It had free, greasy finger food that attracted everyone (including frugal husbands-to-be), but the view was spectacular. Good times.
Yes, your folks are adorbs. And your hub’s TCB pose is the same one mine uses all the time- (and Ameena’s Ali of course!). Men.
I used to play the accordian!! I was part of an Irish music and dance group and the accordian is actually really big in Ireland! So funny! Tell Kyle I’ll teach him a few tunes
I *tried* to play the French horn in 5th grade band but I was absolutely horrible. My passion for being in the band ended soon.
What?! You went for Mexican food and *didn’t* get guacamole?! Were you feeling okay???
Courtney
What nice night out. Everything looks delicious! I play the piano 🙂
mmm i am jealous of your entree at the mexican restaurant, which is kind of ironic considering i live in mexico, ha. but mexican in the states is so much more veg friendly than the reality here!
i used to play the violin. i technically still do, but i’m horribly out of practice.
Ha, I used to play the french horn! And my dad had an accordion. I never got to play it though, boo.
I haven’t been to Border Grill in a while. I love the salsa trio they serve. And the chopped salad is pretty good; it’s got those green chickpeas in it too!
Oh my gosh, all that food looks amazing! Kyle’s hilarious – his TKB pose and his accordian face, lol.
I love the name the “Polka Dots”, hehe, it’s so awesome!
I definitely was a band geek when I was younger too… I played the flute for regular band and then bass guitar for jazz band =) Still don’t think I could play that accordian though!
Drinks look great. Love the cucumber floating on top of the drink 🙂 And what views too! Sometimes it is funny to see how many people are on their phones. Crazy to think about what we would all be doing if we had no phones haha
The food and drinks look amazing!! I love the cucumber and thyme on top of your drink! I used to play french horn as well 🙂
If he needs lessons my husband’s best friend is an ethnomusicological student at UCLA specializing in accordions 🙂
And by ethnomusicological, i mean ethnomusicology!
i love the accordian! i have played a lot of instruments throughout my life – piano, voice, oboe, drums, guitar, and many more – b/c my whole family is a bunch of musicians. i even went to band camp!
you mean TKB doesn’t mean “that Kyle boy”?
mmm your dinner looks so good. Love Mexican food! I used to play the flute in middle school. Although I was terrible so at school concerts I would just hold it up and pretend I was blowing air. Trust me, it was for the greater good. 🙂
I love Border Grill! I ordered the Border veggies when I was there too. So good! I loved the green chickpeas.
I played the clarinet for 5 years!
what a fun weekend!!!!! i love good times with the parents. you got me wanting mexican food.. and i dont even like mexican food!
I’ve never played an instrument before, and I really wish I could! I took piano for a semester in high school just to fulfill some requirements, so I can play a few tunes, but it’s pretty pathetic 🙂
Haha, Kyle is the man. You guys should start a band and call it “The HipHop Hippies”! 😉 I don’t know how much an accordion falls under the category of hip-hop… but you guys could make it work! That quinoa sounds delicious… Acidic because of the dressing? Have you ever tried balsamic and quinoa? It is really interesting. I recommend trying it at least once! And your parents seem like cool people, I wish my dad was a foodie… He would be perfectly happy eating pastries and drinking coffee for the rest of his life.
I played the flute! 🙂
I love the photos. They are gorgeous.
Your mom’s drink sounds absolutely awesome. I always want to recreate bar drinks at home, but it would be ridiculous to buy all the weird liqueurs for them.
I played the piano for 15 years, actually! And haven’t touched one since I went to college 🙂
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omg i just died.. those enchiladas look LETHAL they are soo good!
I used to wait tables there back when it was called Toppers. It really does have an amazing view!
ahahaha I LOVE the accordion shot! Oh my gosh, who would have guessed? Well, one of your readers, but sure as hell not me.
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I play the classical guitar. In fact, my first degree (before I went back for nursing school) is in Classical Guitar Performance. I’m definitely a music geek to the max. 😉
Tell me… what is muddled kiwi?
“TCB” (taking care of business) face! Hilarious and so true. I was in yoga the other day doing pigeon pose (which is evil and painful) and the instructor said, “How many of you want to be on your phone right now? Oh hey, what’s up? I’m in pigeon pose. What are you doing.” People laughed, but seriously, I bet a lot of them wanted to be on their phones. Kinda sad.
thats hilarious. lets make a joint wacky wednesday post.
wow. im glad they made some changes…i had no idea the promenade used to be gross either!
i agree…what WAS i thinking!?!
good to know…i was eyeing that salad, too. so where can i buy green chickpeas on my own?????
i played the flute before switching to the french horn, and i too was horrible (and thus understand the fake concert playing). fortunately, i was much better at the french horn and actually did solos and duets and stuff.
ive had quinoa with balsamic when i added it into a salad. it was good, but i think maybe balsamic can be a bit too strong for the subtle flavors of quinoa? i dunno. i am NOT mentioning your hip hop hippies idea to kyle at all…i am afraid he will be into it!
muddled anything is when they smash it up with those pestle things at the bottom of a glass. you can do it for most fruits and stuff for drinks. its yummy.
Love this post! Love the fan, love Kyle playing the accordion, love it all. Xoxo!
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