Blogging Live from the Market at Santa Monica Place!

So fun! This is my first "live blog," from the Blogger's Lounge at Santa Monica Place's Market, opening tomorrow to the public. Tonight was a sneak peak for media and guests, and amid the soft gourmet cookies, cheese plates, fresh flowers, and souffles, I found a moment to blog and say hello. Downtown Santa Monica has never been so delicious!

What a great event--more to come on this fabulous venue, and thanks to my lovely roommate Melissa for inviting us all. This will be a great spot for foodies, winos, and gourmands alike. Makes the city that much more delicious, and there is truly nothing better than a night with amazing foods, mini-sized so you can try it all, dear friends, and wonderful wine!

UPDATES

I wanted to share some of the best things I tried last night...this is one part of city living you won't want to miss, Angelenos! Fresh, organic handmade unprocessed food is something to be grateful for, no matter where you're living (it was just extra-fun to enjoy the night with friends in all parts of the industry, complete with live DJ set of course, and more fashion inspiration than I was expecting). Cheers to loving my city! Here's the rendering with fake people, since it has yet to be photographed in full-swing:

Beachy Cream: cute gals in retro 50's bathing suits and organic ice cream sammies. You can't walk past without stopping. I had a chocolate-chip vanilla filled one...

Primi al Mercato: Laboratory of Pasta. Fresh gnocchi, pesto mint ravioli, and a squid pasta that reminded me of a fancy meal I had in New Orleans YEARS ago...I love the sense of food-memory. It reminded me of one of the best dates I've ever been on...ooo-la-la. Heck, I'd go on a date with the pasta from this place if it's always this fresh!

Norcino Salumeria: I mean...it was a plate of bleu, fresh pecorino, mozzarella, prosciutto and salami. I had this dish first and it was a great starter. Their salami selection was first class.

Röckenwagner Bakery: Souffle bar. Bar of souffles. Yeah I was pretty happy here...

The Cookie Guru: Aurelie Vacherese knows the way to my heart. As the creator of her company, she was on hand last night to dole out the absolute gooey-est chocolate-chip cookies on the planet. I can only describe this as "I went back four times" [sidenote: the cookies were cut into fourths, come on...] Folks, she uses organic everything, and a special European butter. This is the cookie experience you had once as a child, and no one since has been able to replicate, and now you can buy by the bag.

Venokado: It's ok; I just want to live here is all. How brilliant that Susan Brink, Molly Brink and Tracy Hof have brought their WeHo success out to Santa Monica, as I really don't think I've seen anything like it. Conceptually, they pair fabulous wines with eclectic, coordinated gift items. So just come straight here when shopping for the next occasion where I deserve a gift from you, ok? And to answer your question, of course an experiential stop like this has a tasting room.

My night ended with a cone of peanut butter and salted caramel from N'ice Cream, and a sweet bouquet of tulips from Magical Blooms, brought to you by Jenny Barker, a floral designer/entrepreneur whose work has appeared on HGTV and more. I'm still on a high about the evening. So stop by The Market, post haste, and let me know your favorites, please.

On a technical note, I secured @CitySweetCity today on Twitter... feed coming soon. Happy Friday - have a great time in your own city this weekend!

Photos courtesy of http://www.themarketsmp.com/ and purveyor websites, all linked above. Photo of me, courtesy of me.