B Bar

I recently had an extremely late night dining experience at B Bar which I had previously only been to for drinks. I've always loved the casual in-door/outdoor layout of the restaurant, half of the restaurant is inside and the back half is a year-round garden which is enclosed and fully heated in the winter and open during the summer so patrons can dine and drink under the stars. It's the perfect spot for weekend brunch, after work drinks, weekend nights out and fabulous for dinner.

For a late night dinner my friend and I started off with a tasty order of Homemade Guacamole & Chips. The menu boasts nine great sounding salads. I ordered the Roasted Beet Salad with herb-walnut crusted goat cheese. The menu also features a variety of dishes from seafood to pizzas to burgers and quesadillas.
I'm a big fan of restaurants and bars that have cocktail menus and B Bar doesn't disappoint. The cocktail menu features two of my favorite drinks- sangria and mojitos- but also offers a Watermelon Martini, B Bar Cosmo, a Spiced Margarita and more.

B Bar is very similar to The Park, located on 10th Ave near 17th St., and after my first visit to B Bar I asked the hostess if they had the same owner and she said yes but seemed a little unsure. Does anyone know if they are owned by the same people?!? (I really hope they are because they are really too similar not to be. Haha)

B Bar is located at 40 E. 4th St. near Bowery, see map HERE.

La Palapa

While strolling around the West Village with my brother on a Saturday evening we came across La Palapa, an adorable Mexican restaurant with a lively bar, a large dinning area and best of all, outdoor seating. The West Village location (6th Ave. between 21st & 22nd St.) has three custom drink creations; Fresh Lime & Pomegranate Juice Margarita, White Hibiscus Sangria and Michelada (a beer cocktail). I love white wine and love sangria so ordered the White Hibiscus Sangria, which, I have to say, was not the best white wine sangria I've ever had. It was refreshing but not great. We started our meal with their delicious homemade guacamole and chips. The menu featured four different entree-sized salads, even one that includes grilled cactus. I ordered the Ensalada De Palmitos Y Aguacate (hearts of palm, avocado, tomates and mixed greens with fresh oregano vinaigrette) with a side of black beans. They even have a main entree specifically for vegetarians, Plato Azteca Vegetariano- two potato taquitos with guacamole, salsa, rice tortilla, grilled cactus paddle and black beans.
La Palapa is a great summer spot and I definitely recommend it. Apparently there is another one in the East Village- at St. Mark's Place & 1st Ave.

Studio Square- Astoria Beer Garden

I don't go to Astoria very often but every time I do I have a great time. This past weekend a group of friends and I checked out the brand new beer garden- Studio Square.

Until now I've only experienced beer gardens in Germany where there are hundreds of communal tables lined up outside with a very small indoor space, if any, and bars that only serve beer, bratwurst, giant pretzels and radishes. So you can imagine my surprise when I entered into the huge modern warehouse space on 36th St. in Astoria. There are three indoor areas to escape the rain or the cold if that's the case but there is also a large outdoor space with rows and rows of communal tables and a square fire pit.
Not a beer lover?- not to worry, the bars at Studio Square are fully stocked with all kinds of liquor, beer, wine and sangria. The menu puts an American twist on traditional German beer garden fare, offering bratwurst, hamburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, and keeping vegetarians in mind by offering a portobello sandwich, jumbo pretzels, french fries and more!

I definitely recommend you visit this fabulous beer garden- it's perfect for big groups or even for a party of two! It's located at 35-33 36th Street and is open Monday - Friday: 4pm-4am and Saturday - Sunday & Holidays: noon - 4am.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts of Studio Square!
To see more photos of Studio Square check out Yelp

Mexicali Cocina Cantina

Great Mexican restaurants are not hard to find in LA but Mexicali Cocina Cantina was a great find, located in Studio City on Ventura Blvd & Laurel Canyon Blvd. We had a very strange waiter but the food was great. My friend and I shared their homemade Guacamole, she ordered the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla and I had the Mexicali Fajita Salad. But their menu also includes a long list of Tacos, Tamales, Burritos, and Enchiladas as well as fabulous margaritas and sangria.

BOOM

The live music at this Soho restaurant is accompanied by a fabulous menu, offers a great menu, live music and both red and white sangria. I definitely recommend the Nizzarda salad, one of Boom's Classic Signature Dishes Organica salad. They are also known for their Classica bruscette. Located at 152 Spring St. (near West Broadway).

Check out the post on Socialight:

Alta

I was led into this Tuscan-esque tapas restaurant as a surprise for my birthday! Myself and three friends and I ordered several small plates to share. We ordered Fried Goat Cheese with lavender infused honey, Spinach Salad with dried cherries, toasted pine nuts and red onion, Smoked Mozzarella in shredded filo, tomato and red onion salad with caramelized balsamic, and finally the Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Fuji apples, creme fraiche and pistachio nuts. I ordered Alta's Non-Classic (white) Sangria and it definitely wasn't a classic sangria, I was very tipsy much quicker than with most sangrias.

Check it out on Socialight:

Guantanamera

The moment you walk into Guantanamera you are surrounded by Cuba with live music and a station for hand-rolled cigars. The waitstaff definitely give us plenty of time to make our entree selections while we sipped the delicious white-wine sangria flavored with apples and oranges. My friend and I were all pleased with our entrees which included Ensalada de Pina Y Aguacate (avacado, which I substituted with artichokes, and pineapple in a mango vinaigrette on a bed of mixed greens) and the Arroz con Camarones (yellow rice with shrimp and vegetables). Fun place, great food, vast drink menu, definitely worth the trip!