Cali-inspired fare, refreshing cocktails and festival vibes – the best of the golden state is closer than you think. So-Cal on The Lawn at Garden Kitchen & Bar, which is popping up at the alfresco precinct from Thursday to Sunday until the end of summer, is the perfect cure for no-travel blues. The mouth-watering menu of Californian eats is sure to get tongues wagging, with the likes of chilled Moreton Bay bug rolls, sriracha tuna poke bowls with quinoa, avocado, carrot, cucumber and ponzu, crispy eggplant tacos with summer vegetables, guacamole and coriander, and thin-cut chips coated in chicken salt gracing the tables. Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to save money? Penny pinchers need not worry, as The Star is slinging $5 dishes every Thursday, from cheeseburger dumplings and smoked-corn burrito bowls to fried-chicken sandos and loaded fries topped with liquid cheese, smoked bacon bits and sour cream.
If all of that snacking has got you a bit thirsty, we know of a few tipples that will sate your senses. Wet your whistle with the Palm Springs G&T (Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Gin, Mediterranean Fever Tree Tonic and lemon), the Coachilla (Frozen Gordon’s Pink Gin, strawberry Monin, sugar syrup and lemon juice), The East Coast (Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Gin, soda, sugar syrup, lime and mint) or the Summer Spritz (Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Gin, Belsazar Dry Vermouth, sparkling wine, orange bitters and fresh rosemary). The fun doesn’t stop there, with an entertainment line-up that will have you daydreaming that you’re at Coachella. There will be everything from acoustic tunes and R’n’B Fridays hits to electro-pop beats and house music. Some of your favourite homegrown artists will also be hitting the decks, with Bombs Away, Havana Brown, Rave Radio, Tigerlily and Jesabel all making an appearance.
This article was written with our friends at The Star. To learn more about the So-Cal on The Lawn event, head to The Star’s website.