Acabar (LV's LA)

I like beautiful places and gorgeous spaces. What if I told you that hidden behind a golden door in Hollywood is a Mediterranean oasis.
 Acabar is a swanky Mediterranean restaurant that occupies the space where Dar Maghreb used to be. Opulent and sexy, this spot transports you to another place. Nights over Egypt is a great way to describe the ambiance.The Moroccan decor is so stunning that you will forget you are in Hollywood and feel like you have arrived on the Hot Sands of North Africa.

 Behind this gold door, is some amazing eye candy

 We were greeted by these candles and rose petals in an open roof atrium surrounded by a fire pit. Absolutely stunning to look at.

And of course I had to get dolled up for the occasion:-) And since this is a birthday celebration, that calls for a little glam and elegance. Queen for a day. Or in my case, Queen for the month of July! This is birthday celebration #2 :-)

 It is not often that I have an occasion to wear a dress with a train, but since I am Queen for the day. Why not?

My  friends and I loved the ambiance

three the hard way:-) I love these ladies!

It was dusk when we arrived, but as the sun went down, the vibe in this place got really sexy

And this is what I mean...

Roses, candles, fire pit, sexy sexy sexy

 Every  detail is ornate and beautiful

Acabar is perfect for the Shah that wants to "Rock the Casbah"

If you like glamorous opulent settings, this is definitely
 the perfect place.

Every detail is awe inspiring. If you appreciate and admire beautiful things and I definitely do. How about you?

We started with the infamous "Porn Bread" yes, this is actually called Porn Bread, which is a playful and seductive twist on cornbread. This delicious bread is accented with corn, jalapeno and bacon and chock full of flavor. Slathered with whipped honey  butter, this is absolutely scrumptious. The phallic shape of the bread and even the way it is served sliding out of a cylinder, is playful and seductive.

 The food at Acabar is meant to be shared, so be sure to order lots of different things. Everything we tasted was delicious and had layers and layers of complex flavor. The Zuchinni blossoms with tomato and preserved lemon were fragrant and delicious.

 This photo does not do this dish any justice. This caramelized cauliflower with pickled peppers was an absolutely refreshingly different way to eat cauliflower.

 The braised lamb with couscous, was  delicious and fall off the bone tender. The other dish that we really enjoyed was the Shrimp toasts with rock shrimp, quail egg and Thai basil. Some of my photos did not come out clear because the flash on my camera wasn't on at first.

The Boneless chicken wings are served with green chickpeas, quinoa falafel, charred dates and walnut Tahini. These wings are succulent and layered with so much flavor and they marry well with all of the other dishes. Definitely try the chicken wings if you are the type of person that is nervous about trying different foods. These yummy wings are a great dish to try and a safe place to start

The drinks at Acabar are exotic and full of potent liquors, but my friends and I decided to have a mocktail and the bartender happily obliged and created a special birthday libation for me. This drink was refreshingly tart, but very fruity with grenadine, OJ, sparkling water and a hint of pineapple

Happy!

The lounge oozes with the kind of vibe that makes you feel like you are dreaming an Arabian Nights fantasy, but you are not sleeping. I guarantee that all five of your senses will be engaged.

 luxe, warm and inviting.

 Happy Birthday to me!

I tried the goat cheese cheesecake with lavender ice cream. The cheesecake was light and fluffy and the lavender ice cream that co-starred with the cheesecake was absolutely sublime. Ice Cream flavored with flowers is very common in Mediterranean ice creams and sorbets. Rosewater and Orange blossom have always been favorites of mine, but this lavender ice cream is pretty delicious as well.

 This dessert was such a treat for my taste buds. I was very curious about what a cheesecake made with goat cheese would taste like and it was tasty, but the texture is different than traditional cheesecake and it had a hint of sweetness, but wasn't over-the-top sweet

 My girls made me feel like a true VIP for my birthday dinner:-)

 Reflecting on a great evening. A beautiful environment is such a great way to enjoy life and lift your spirits. Enjoying unique restaurants is truly one of my passions.

 

This is the perfect place for a girls night out, an evening among friends and the cozy lounge and soft candle light make this the perfect date night destination

Acabar

1510 N. Stanley Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90046 

323-876-1400

Leopard Love

 Happy Tuesday loves! I hope your weekend was as great as mine:-) My birthday is next Tuesday and I have already started celebrating. This year I have been extended so many dinner invitations that I had to start celebrating a week early:-) I am looking forward to lots of good eats during my birthday month and a nice big hunk of birthday cake. What is your favorite way to celebrate your birthday?

My ensemble today is black, white, red and leopard. I love animal print, so it manages to always find its way into my outfits. I love black and white because it is such a classic look and can be accented with any color and look chic. Do you like black and white?

Scarf: Burlington Coat Factory, Top: Nordstrom, Pants: JC Penney, Bag: Kate Spade: Shoes: Shoe Dazzle

I am completely obsessed with animal print

I love the way this nail color looks with this color combo

These shoes are very very very comfortable and I love that the heel is not ridiculously high

Have an amazing day!

Gracias Madre (LV's LA)

 Gracias Madre means: "Thanks Mom" in Spanish. I find the concept of Vegan Mexican food intriguing. I am not Vegan by any stretch of the imagination, but I quite love eating here. When I mentioned Vegan Mexican to some of my friends, they were quite amused, especially my Latino friends. I got responses like: "Um, really LV, if its Vegan, it aint Mexican. No es bueno"

If its Vegan Mexican, it can't be real Mexican food, but actually this is definitely the real deal. This is Mexican food  reinterpreted with farm fresh vegetables, rather than meat. If you are a carnivore, you might be hesitant, but don't be. The dishes are quite flavorful and really filling.

 I sin rather boldly when it comes to food. I eat plenty of things I shouldn't, but Gracias Madre makes me feel better about my food heathen ways. These fresh corn tortillas are the perfect prelude to a great meal. What a great way to get the party started!

I could not resist this cocktail that is basically an adult snow cone sitting on top of a delicious libation of: Tequila Blanco, Muddled Kiwi, Mint, Lemon, Agave Nectar, Lime Bitters, and Hielo Raspado Bitters. Sounds intriguing right? This delicious drink is called La Quinceanera

Delicious and the perfect balance of sweetness. If you like a little snowcone with your liquor:-) Give this a try.

The Ensalada Des Espinacas, is a delicious blend of spinach, grilled asparagus, mint, snap peas, shitake mushroom and mandarin aged balsamic . This was absolutely delicious

The sweet potato flautas had a nice blend of caramelized onions, pico de galla, guacamole, cashew nacho cheese, and cilantro. The savory black beans were the perfect complement to balance the hint of sweetness from the sweet potato. You will find plenty of interesting twists on classics with a plant based vegan flair

 The restaurant space is absolutely gorgeous inside and out

The rustic decor makes the space warm and inviting

I have a little less than two weeks before my birthday, but my good friend and I decided to start celebrating a little early, so this is birthday celebration number one:-) more to follow!

Peach  cobbler with homemade vanilla bean coconut ice cream. Absolutely delicious! The peaches were not quite as sweet as my southern taste buds are accustomed to, but the ice cream added the extra element the peaches were missing

This gluten free vegan fudge brownie had me floored by how good it was.The base of this is made with black beans and as crazy as that sounds, this tasted pretty awesome. The Mezcal Caramel sauce, cashew cream and coconut bacon made this so good that it tasted every bit as good as its less healthy counterparts. The desserts were delicious, decadent, sweet and sinful. You get the point, right?

 I'm not embarrassed to say that when we finished this, I went around the plate with my finger to get the last of the caramel sauce. Well, at least I didn't lick the plate. I really wanted to though.

Nothing like wonderful friends and great food:-)

Doesn't a great meal make you feel good?

 This is the perfect restaurant to enjoy delicious and healthy Mexican food in a gorgeous setting. Pay no attention to the Hollywood starlets at the next table...Just eat:-)

Gracias Madre

8905 Melrose Ave

West Hollywood, CA 90069

323-978-2170