I really wish that I was actually in Barcelona but i'm not going there anytime soon ... so, i'm settling for second best, tapas & sangria at BarCelona, the appropriately named modern Spanish restaurant & bar in trustee Old Town Pasadena. My girlfriends and I were craving a girls night and with our men busy and the 405 shut down we decided to escape to Old Town for what turned out to be a delicious meal with the best of friends.
I was incredibly hesitant about trying out a new cuisine but I was pleasently surprised as soon as the sangria hit my lips. I loved the vibe of the restaurant and the food was much better then I expected. We tried a variety of tapas including the flat bread with romesco, pine nuts, manchego, grilled apple, arugula (delish!), grilled garlic shrimp (mediocore), crispy eggplant with honey and spiced yogurt (I couldn't stop eating it!) and we finished off with the special seabass with corn relish (amaze!).
Now, my only vice is that their tapas are small and not priced accordingly; we walked out at around $40 each for the above + 2 more tappas ... but after 2 glasses of sangria I really didn't care.
I have a pretty amazing family and at the center of it are the two best parents ... ya, ya, ya, I know we all say that but they are pretty much incredible. Since tomorrow is father's day it's appropriate I boast about mine ... I give him quite a bit of crap for the 'glass ball' speech that he has now given at all of our wedding celebrations and the 'life lesson' talks he has attempted to have with me throughout the lows i've experienced but the truth is he has always been right on the money ... his little speeches are so relevant and his message is almost always helpful - if not right at the moment of crisis, I find myself on a bad day being reminded of one of our chats. He is such a huge influence in my life and I am forever grateful for what he has taught me.
....and now to his 'glass balls' speech ... basically it emphasizes one of my motivations for this blog - mastering the balancing act; the 'glass balls' of life (family, friends, work, etc.) - they don't work if one is off, you don't work if one is off and each piece is just as important as the other - that's where the 'glass' comes into play ... life is fragile, relationships can shatter, your health can fail - you have to nurture each one. I'm pretty lucky, i've always had a pretty solid foundation with my family at the center of it, and they've always reminded me of how important this balancing act is and have nurtured every other area of my life ... they embrace my friends, my choices and are there to make sure i'm keeping myself even when I feel like i'm falling off balance.
Last night we celebrated Father's Day with just the immediate family at La Grande Orange in Pasadena (YUM! - See below) ... my dad started dinner by asking everyone how their week was (a ritual of his throughout our entire lives at the dinner table) and ended our responses with a toast to all of us (on his father's day celebration, of course) ... he has always been so supportive of where we are in our lives, involved in the highs and lows; even when it's him that we should all be focusing on. It was a pretty great evening - both of my brother's are dad's now and I can't even put into words how proud I am of them and their families - I have a pretty incredible relationship with them and for that i'm grateful ... but it all goes back to my parents, their parents and the foundation they created for us. I left the dinner feeling pretty much just love and pretty damn lucky.
Now, tomorrow is Father's Day and my dad is on a golfing trip with his brother's and his dad... We are always giving him crap about his time consuming hobby but i'm so happy that he gets to spend this special day doing something he loves with some pretty special people.
Dad & I last weekend dancing at the Paine Wedding
.... And now to the AH-MAZING meal! I have never been to La Grande Orange before so I was a little nervous; with my new eating habits I sometimes find myself limited at restaurants so as usual I pulled up the menu before dinner and was not disappointed - fish tacos, salads, veggie burgers and a promise on their website for an "honest approach to quality food." Right up my alley .. and oh was it ever.
We started off with chips/guac/salsa and a shrimp ceviche - both were delicious. I ordered the veggie burger with cole slaw (i'm pretty predictable) and it was seriously delicous - 2nd fave to the Granville Veggie Burger. My hubby had the ahi burger which sounded disgusting but was actually pretty damn good. The rest of the fam had tacos, salads, burgers & my dad ordered a side of mac & cheese that looked delicous and no one was disappointed.
I totally recommend this place - it's an affordable (& historical) gem in Pasadena - the restaurant is the 1953 De Mar Train Station.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Father's Day weekend with their amazing dad's.
