What is the quintessential summer fruit? My vote is watermelon! Some of my favorite chefs are preparing watermelon in fun ways onto their menus this summer.
Since National Watermelon Day is on August 3, here is a list of 6 restaurants and bars that feature watermelon on the menu in innovative ways.
1. True Food Kitchen offers summer menu featuring a heirloom and watermelon salad. This goes well with watermelon mojitos. Other summer items include heirloom tomato pizza and gluten free pan roasted chicken with corn, green chickpea, fresno chili, feta and cilantro pumpkin seed pesto. 860 S. Sepulveda Blvd., (310)469-7725; 395 Santa Monica Place, (310)593-8300; 168 W. Colorado Blvd., (626)639-6818. Here’s my review of True Food Kitchen – http://beverlypress.com/2016/09/true-food-kitchen-stays-true-to-its-healthy-roots/
2. Salazar in Frogtown
The Sandia dish is made with crème panna cotta, spicy pistachios, watermelon aqua fresca. This Expansive dining destination is along the LA River. It offers a colorful outdoor setting featuring grilled steaks, chops, seafood & vegetables over mesquite wood.
2490 Fletcher Dr, Los Angeles – salazarla.com
3. Hot Hot Food restaurant in Silver Lake offers a Watermelon Chili Lime Salt Ice Ice Baby. It’s made with fresh puréed heirloom watermelon, Maldon salt, chili powder, fresh lime juice, agave. Read why I like the innovative fried rice dishes at Hot Hot Food – http://beverlypress.com/2017/05/hot-hot-food-fusion-fried-rice-and-more-in-virgil-village/
4. Copa d’Oro – Santa Monica’s “Godfather of Cocktails” Vincenzo Marianella makes a Green on Red cocktail made with Gin, lime, fresh watermelon, St. Gremain, and Cali Grape Kombucha. Read about other cocktails Marianella makes at Copa d’Oro and Independence – http://beverlypress.com/tag/the-independence/
5. Beaming is located in Century City, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood. Some of the freshly made coolers include a Watermelon Mint Cooler made with cold pressed watermelon, lime and cucumber juice, Maqui fruit, mint sprigs. Read my review of Beaming
6. Prank in DTLA is the first “walk-up” bar to incorporate cured terpenes into select cocktails. Terpenes are derived from cannabis, but contain no THC, and have anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. They serve a Hilaria made with Papalote mezcal, sherry, watermelon, honeyed apricot, citrus, limonene terpene, bitters, and herbs.
Dine, Travel & Entertainment 