If you like Pina Coladas…

I’ve been going to Acapulco since I was a tot here in Burbank. It is a very family friendly restaurant with good food and good service. But I was very excited to be over 21 when I got my drink the last time I visited. I asked the waiter which was the best Margarita on the menu…he of course offered me the top-shelf-tequila-drinkers favorite. I explained that I’m not a big tequila drinker and I tend to prefer my Margarita’s a little on the fruity side to mask the tequila taste. He thought for a moment, then came up with the perfect answer: The Pinapple Margarita. The name only sold me, I was super curious and my taste buds started to tingle with anticipation.

 

The Pinapple Margarita only comes in blended form (not over ice, like a traditional Marg). So I ended up with a blended concoction that I just couldn’t remove from my lips. Each sip was a sip of summer and beaches. Pina Colodas can be a little sweet for me, but this margarita was more subtle than the average colada, so it was more like drinking a slushie. I could only taste a hint of the tequila, which was useful since I probably would not have slowed down on the gulping without that little reminder.

 

In my book, the Pinapple Marg from Acapulco will go down (no pun intended) as one of my favorite summer drinks…and one of my favorite winter drinks-since it’s so good at reminding me of summer days. For the few fruity margarita fans out there, that feel my pain when it comes to tequila shots, I encourage you to give tequila another try…in pinapple slushie form.

Not just any Iced Tea

No, this is not another alcoholic beverage…I do drink other things too. For instance, I happen to love tea. More specifically, I love Chai Tea and Thai Iced Tea.

 

I’ve had Thai Iced Tea with just about every Thai food meal I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve been trying to decide if there is one restaurant that does Thai Iced Tea exceptionally well. During my empirical research, I ordered the tea while dining at Exotic Thai Cuisine. I’m not sure if it was the neon lights on the walls, or the brightly colored chopsticks, but for whatever reason, this Tea tasted wonderful.

 

Typically, I order my Thai Iced Tea after my meal and use it as a dessert replacement. I’ve found that when I order it with the meal, I drink it too fast and end up pouting over my empty glass. By now I’ve learned that  A: I don’t like Green Tea Ice Cream, and B: A glass of Thai Iced Tea is sweet enough to appease my sweet tooth and I tend to enjoy it more if I get to focus on drinking it (as opposed to being distracted by all the great food on the table). If you are dieting, and looking for the dessert alternatives that won’t kill your calorie count, I always recommend looking over the specialty drink list.

 

Exotic Thai Cuisine has won many, many “Best” awards over the years…they are renown for serving great food…I do think, however, that this is the first acknowledgement they’ve gotten for their Thai Iced Tea. I love being a trendsetter…Iced Tea Drinkers Unite! Go out, and discover your favorite Tea providers and give them the acknowledgment they deserve!

Never had a Mojito? Blasphemy!

One of my favorite pastimes is going to a restaurant with a great patio and sipping on a tasty beverage with friends. Granville Café not only has a superb location on San Fernando (near the AMC), but it also has the patio, drinks and appetizers to boot.

 

My absolute favorite (after much empirical research) was their Berry Patch Mojito. If you’ve never tried a mojito then you’re missing out on one of the best summer drinks of all time. A mojito is traditionally made with rum, fresh mint, fresh lime, and a splash of soda water. The Granville Café has stepped this drink up a notch and added fresh berries to the mix. Not only is the presentation of this drink impeccable (it’s the kind of drink that people see from across the room and make a point to ask their waiter to bring them one as well), this drink also will bring you back to the Granville time and time again wanting another. It is sooo wonderfully fresh, light, and perfectly balanced (not too sweet, not too alcoholic, not too minty…just right). Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are all muddled in with the fresh mint and lime to create happiness in a glass.

 

You should know, that typically, I am not a rum drinker. Usually, I stay away from drinks that include rum as an ingredient. The Berry Patch Mojito is so delicious that the fact that rum is involved was a non-issue. In fact, I’d recommend this drink to anyone, rum drinker or not. However, if you swore to yourself that you’d never drink rum again, then here are some other selections I tried and loved: Tipsy Lemonade and Pearadise Martini.

 

If you are mysteriously not yet convinced to wander into the Granville Café, then consider this: they have an exceptional happy hour with discounted mixed drinks, beer and wine as well as deliciously discounted appetizers that runs Monday-Friday 4pm-7pm.