Monday, March 28, 2011

Fraiche Happy Hour

Blog Note: Due to my recent relocation to a studio apartment in Santa Monica (!!!) and the expenses that follow, Culinary Therapy will be entering a period of finance-management. Don't fret dear readers, now that I'm mostly settled into my new digs my infrequent posts will be a thing of the past. This just means that I'll be sampling more happy hours and adding more recipe posts to the mix. 

Last week, my friend Jamie and I had a happy hour date at a restaurant I've been meaning to try, Fraiche in Santa Monica.  As I perused my new "happy hour finder" app, I discovered that not only is the hip foodie locale only a few blocks from my work, but they have a happy hour Monday-Thursday 5:00pm - 10:30pm, Friday-Saturday 5-6:30pm. As we settled in for some epic girl-time, we ordered a glass of their red and white house wines ($6) and took a glance at the menu.

 First, let me warn you -- unlike most gourmet happy hours, Fraiche does not substitute quantity for price. We expected smaller portions of our orders for $6-10, and ended up with a tad too much food. Of course, the leftovers made for an excellent snack a few hours later, and with such generous helpings we found it difficult to stop.


Of the 12 selections on the menu, we elected for the truffle fries, proscuitto pizza, and truffle burger. Though I'm not a huge fan of fries to begin with, these (photo up top) were seasoned with parsley and adorned with a Parmesan cream - a salty-sweet addition to an ordinarily standard side. Jamie's truffle burger was pink to perfection, stuffed with caramelized red onions and grilled portobello mushrooms. Lastly, the refreshingly light pizza sealed the deal for me: a thin, soft crust topped with arugula, strips of prosciutto, spoonfuls of oozing burrata, and drizzled with balsamic glaze. This $10 item secured Fraiche a definite second visit in the future, where I hope to taste their bruschetta and other HH pizzas. 


If you work on the Westside and are living on the dime, definitely squeeze Fraiche into your weekday dinner schedule. With $5-6 mixed drinks, beer and wine, it's perfect for a quick drink after a long day or a mini-feast for less than $20! Stay tuned for more happy hours and gourmet deals as I struggle to balance my finances and love for good eats.

Fraiche
312 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA
310.451.7482

2 comments:

Jae B. said...

Oh geez, I want to eat my screen! I must try that place. Thank you!!

Rachel said...

Definitely do! I went back again and had some more delicious treats... will post about it soon!

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