LA West Elite Event At Manchego

This was a wonderful, intimate and very special night of amazing food! Manchango’s is a beautiful spot along Main Street in Santa Monica. it’s the perfect place for a date. As the sun went down, the candles lit up and the space transformed into another world. I almost felt like I was in Spain! So much has already been said about the food, so I’ll just add that it was all extremely delicious and satisfying. The service was also top notch! The servers were so gracious and kind. I would go back here if I wanted to get tapas any day!

Thanks Unilocal and Brittany B., for another fabulous Elite event.
The tapas kept coming and the vino kept flowing…
I love getting to sample so many items from the menu. It makes getting to know a restaurant *that* much better.
My favorites: The manchego cheese from the cheese platter, the pulpo (octopus), and I loved the churros con chocolate.
The spanish wines accompanied the food quite nicely, and the whole dinner took me back to my time in Barcelona. Except that the service here is excellent.
Thanks again to Unilocal for introducing me to a lovely place here in Santa Monica. I’ll definitely be back soon.

AWESOME!
Pretty simple and sweet… a small, but intimate event. Met some new Unilocalers and enjoyed a lot of wonderful tapas and abundant wine =)
Needless to say… I will be back soon.
My highlight was the Octopus and the Churros. Being there made me want to fly back to Spain… ASAP!
I can’t say this enough… but thanks again Brittany B. for organizing another amazing event on the West side!

This was my first Unilocal Elite event since moving to Los Angeles (from Brooklyn), and what an awesome welcome it was. Do they always feed you this well at LA Unilocal events? I am not used to leaving an Elite event as stuffed as I did yesterday!
We had, I believe, 15 different dishes!
My favorites were:
— charcuterie plate
— grilled zucchini rolled up with feta and caramelized pecans
— calamari (not fried, in a delicious sauce)
— shrimp wrapped with jamon
— spiced churros with dark chocolate
— white wine sangria with lots of fresh fruit!
I would definitely order all of the above when I return… but I wanna try their other dishes too! What a dilemma!
The service was extremely friendly, the drinks seemed bottomless, and I really enjoyed the company of fellow Unilocalers!
Thanks for an awesome event Manchego!

2 reasons why I love tapas:
1. Tapas ALWAYS pairs well with red wine. and… I LOVE LOVE LOVE wine.
2. Ordering one entrée is boring. I love trying a little bit of everything and tapas allow you to do just that.
With that said, Manchego’s Spanish tapas are to die for… and I had the pleasure of trying a bazillion (sort of not exaggerating… omg it was a FEAST) at the West Elite Event. Thanks, Brittany for setting it up! It was awesome!!!
The highlights of my night:
+ Cheese Plate
more specifically, the machego cheese (of course) and the jam.
+ Goat cheese en pan tostado, honey, figs, truffle oil, mixed berries
the texture of the toasted bread, size, strong flavor from the goat cheese, sweetness from the figs/​honey, tart flavor of the berries, and the truffle oil… perfect bite of heavennnnnn. Holy crap. I will probably make a sad attempt to imitate these beauties so I can have them every single day. Wish me luck.
+Shrimp wrapped with jamon
seasoned and grilled to a perfection. The sauce intensified the flavors. Definitely a top savory dish.
I had the pleasure of enjoying the back patio… rustic, dark, and romantic. Loved the wood with the red accents. I will most definitely be back!

Amazing meal and amazing wine. my favorite dishes were the octopus and the churros. the brussel sprouts were really good too! we sat on the back patio and that was just the cutest little spot. the staff was super friendly and hard-​working. i had the best time!

Such a great, well-​planned and well-​executed event! I’m so happy to have been there!
The food and wine just kept on coming, and coupled with the intimate décor, attentive service and great conversations, it made for a wonderful time.
My favorites were: Grilled Zucchini, Goat Cheese en Pan Toastado, Pollo Catalina, Shrimp with Jamon, Brussels Sprouts and Churros!
On the menu:
Marinated Olives — Deliciously salty. The green olives were surprisingly meaty, and had great texture and flavor. What a great way to whet our appetites.
Quesos a la Tabla & Charcuterie: The goat cheese was my stand-​out favorite, but the manchego was a close second. It all worked great with the chorizo, jamon and fig jam.
Hummus & Pita: The pita was warm, and the hummus was smooth, creamy and satisfying.
Grilled Zucchini: This was one of my favorites from the night (and not something I would have honestly ordered myself). But the zucchini was perfectly cooked, the feta was creamy and salty and the sweet crunch of the pecan complimented everything perfectly. Delicious. I wanted a whole plateful of these!
Goat Cheese en Pan Tostado: Another favorite from the menu — it was warm, sweet, savory and complex. The bread wasn’t too hard or crispy, which I liked. The fig went so well with the goat cheese, and the tiniest hint of truffle brought it all home.
Farmer’s Market Vegetables: The asparagus, beets and mushrooms were cooked to perfection, and I loved the sauce — had a hit of curry powder in it. Yum!
Calamari in Ink Sauce: I honestly wasn’t that impressed with this dish. It was savory, but the calamari was a tad bit rubbery, and the sauce had a gritty texture to it.
Potato Blini with Smoked Salmon: Another miss for me – it was too salty, and didn’t have much going for it in texture. I could hardly tell there was a potato blini hidden with the salmon and poached egg.
Shrimp Wrapped in Jamon: Delicious! The shrimp was perfectly cooked and tasted so fresh. The jamon added wonderful salty contrast.
Brussels Sprouts: I loved the texture on these. So crispy, and the flavor from the bacon and the vinegre de jerez made for such a savory, satisfying dish.
Pollo Catalina: I was surprised by how much I loved this dish. The chicken was perfectly seasoned, and had such great flavor. After talking to Ash about his recipe, it turns out it’s ridiculously simple: Just fresh, small chicken thighs, pan seared then finished in the oven with a bit of butter and chicken stock. Finish with poached raisins and almonds. Oh man, was it great. The crisp texture of the chicken skin, melded with the tender, juicy meat. Heaven.
Empanadas: These little empanadas were tasty, but didn’t deliver as much on flavor as I expected. The lamb was tender enough, but the jalapeño and red pepper sauces masked a lot of the lamb flavor I was looking for.
Flan: Tasty, but not my favorite of the two desserts. It had a gelatin-​like texture to it – and I’m more partial to creamy, smooth flans.
Churros: These were light, airy and came out hot and fresh. They were much lighter than I expected them to be, and they were sweet, sugary goodness.
It was such a great time! Ash (the owner) was perfectly hospitable and our server Ashley was wonderful as well.

Another amazing Unilocal Elite event!!!
@ Brittany: MAJOR props for coordinating such an awesome event and managing a perfect mix of enough people, but not too crowded! You continue to outdo yourself!
@ Ash (Manchego owner/​manager): Thanks for an incredible evening! The food was amazing. The wine and sangria were great. The entire staff was wonderful! And the new location is awesome!
MEAL HIGHLIGHTS:
Cheese & Charcuterie: Awesome all around, but the manchego was the stand out for me. YUM!
Grilled zucchini w/​feta cheese and caramelize pecans: This might have been the highlight of the entire night. Wonderful!!!
Crostini with goat cheese, fig, honey and truffle oil: MAGNIFICENT! Perfect balance of flavors!
Jamon wrapped shrimp: YUMMO!!!
Brussels spouts: So perfect! Loved the depth that the bacon and vinegar added.
Pollo Catalina: I hardly ever order chicken out, but if chicken tasted like this all the time, I would. It was one of the most perfect chicken dishes I’ve ever had. Loved how juicy it was!
Awesome experience all around!!!

Live in the area and love Manchego. When I got into the Unilocal event I was beyond excited to check out their new location.
They have relocated just a few doors down. It’s really cute inside. Same type of feel with the dim lighting and small cozy space but they now have some cute new décor and bathrooms inside! Also, the menu has been revamped and they now serve wine.
From the time we got there until we left we had wine in our glasses and food on our plates. It was unbelievable how much food they actually served. 5 course meal! My favorites were the Spanish cheese board, the potato blini with smoked salmon and poached egg and the anchoa olives.
The red wine they served was exquisite. I will definitely have to get some just to have around the house. I believe it was called Crucillon
The servers were so friendly and the owner Ash was awesome. Came by each table to personally greet everyone.
This was the best Unilocal Elite food event I have been to! Can’t wait to come back with friends for dinner and drinks.
Brittany B. thank you so much for putting this on and inviting us!

Such a fun evening! Great fun, great food, great friends. Manchego is such a wonderful place. The staff was amazing and couldn’t be any better.
I’m so thankful to Manchego, Unilocal and Brittany B. for having us and treating us to an exceptional dining experience.

This was an extremely well organized and well executed Unilocal event. The vibe at Manchego was very impressive displaying a combination of elegant décor, great food and a consistently amazing level of service. On that last note, I should mention the extremely helpful and genuine servers that came around and left us wanting for nothing. Also, props as always to Brittany B for being top of the pops with regards to event logistics — in addition to just being a total smoke show — and I was very impressed with how things went down.
Great company too: At our four-​top we had representatives from Ukraine, South Africa, Thailand and Belgium (by way of Korea). A veritable United Nations of dining you might say. Our varied ethnic backgrounds also provided for lively conversation over courses of charcuterie, hummus, grilled octopus (my favorite!), Brussels sprouts, churros and other delicious bites… and as we lifted our glasses of Spanish wine repeatedly toasting to each other’s good health, I thought to myself, «wow, we really do live in one world».
Thanks Unilocal Elite team and Manchego… you guys stay classy.

Wow, where should I start??? This was by far THE BEST Unilocal event I’ve ever been to! It was a cozy smaller event, we all sat down at table in the restaurant and they kept bringing us plates after plates of tapas. My wine glass was never empty.
I had been to their old (original) location a few times but this new location is 100 times better. My friend and I sat on the back patio and it was so nice. Not cold at all but it had nice fresh air throughout the night.
Service was amazing, everyone was super friendly and nice. The owner came to our table a couple of times to ask how everything was and he stayed to chat with us for a few minutes. You could tell how much he cared about our experience. Cannot say enough good things about the service!
Food was excellent, including dessert. I think we got more than 10 plates tonight, can’t decide what I liked the best… It really was all good. :-) The best food at any Unilocal elite event I’ve been to so far.
My only wish is that they offer vegetarian empanada. I’m not a vegetarian, but when it comes to empanadas, I prefer vegetarian ones, like spinach and cheese. I know their menu changes seasonally, so maybe in the future?!
All in all, we had an amazing night. Will definitely be back for more!
Thank you Ash, Thank you Team Manchego, Thank you Brittany B!!!

Thank you Brittany for including me in yet another fabulous evening with fellow Unilocalers. Thank you Ash and your wonderful staff to include Ashley; had a great time, enjoyed the food and wine immensely, and met some new Unilocalers too. The venue was perfect, excellent parking just behind the restaurant in a city parking lot. Relatively inexpensive for Santa Monica; $ 3 for three hours = perfect. The seating was very comfortable, the ambiance was pleasant, and the staff working the event was very attentive and gracious. One of the better events I have attended for sure.
As far as the Restaurant, Manchego is a Spanish Tapas place that focuses on delicious small plates in a cozy atmosphere. They recently relocated to this location from down the block and now have a nice patio seating area as well. They have a very nice Spanish wine list specially selected by the owner who uses a distributor who spends time in Spain selecting the wines. Our dinner included about nine courses of incredible food that was very tasty and full of flavor. I especially liked the hummus, olives, cheese plate, and the shrimp dish; wow!
This restaurant was very comfortable and clean. The bathrooms were immaculate and in excellent working order. The kitchen was clean as well and worked very efficiently. Manchego can seat comfortably about 50 people at a time and either the patio or the main dinning area are both good choices for seating. Thanks again Ash for hosting such a nice event and Brittany for allowing me to attend.

Definitely one of my favorite events! Thank you, Brittany B. :)
Really cute tapas place with fitting décor. I just loved the ambiance of the place — the wooden tables, minimalist settings, decorative utensils. Really rustic and I thought it was perfect for the Spanish vibe.
Spanish wine with wonderfully awesome tapas make for a fantastic night. Each plate was probably enough to share between two people and I absolutely LOVED that we got to sample SO many dishes. Really allowed us to judge and value both the food and service. My favorite dish was the fig/​bread dish and the chicken. Sorry for being so vague as I didn’t read the menu to know the names of the dishes, but they were really really good. And of course the sangria nearing the end of the night was perfectly refreshing.
Overall I had SUCH a wonderful time that I would definitely come back here on a normal night. Tapas are a perfect social and/​or romantic night and I’m so happy I got the chance to check this place out. And most of all I loved that the owner was out and about, introducing himself, serving food/​drinks, and just being open with all of us. Really showed me that this place is more than just a restaurant serving food. So, thank you Brittany for allowing us the chance to intimately experience this awesome gem in Santa Monica!

This was an incredible event in my neighborhood. Each plate set was carefully accented with Unilocal swag and candles. Wine started flowing and dishes started coming along. The staff was superb in service. Thanks Brittany B. for helping me discover a gem in my own neighborhood.

Wow… what a experience I had at manchego’s it was awesome.
Ashley is awesome nice and beautiful every time she is near, the owner Ash was fantastic talking to us about the dishes and wine.
They started out with little bread pieces with cheese and meats and a bowl of olives. I remember hummas and bread, goat cheese dish, shrimp, zucchini and cheese, flan desert was great, churros desert in chocolate sauce, the awesome sangria ’ s oh my god good! We all at the Elite party where at a five star establishment the way they took care of us.
As always a special thank you to Brittany our awesome CM who makes our events so nice.
Thank you Manchego for your outstanding hospitality.

As usual this was a fabulously hosted and executed Unilocal Elite Event!
The STAFF were exceptional! Knowledgable, friendly, and very efficient!
The ambiance is great! Perfect for dates! Or friends!
Overall the food was delicious!
**FAVORITES**
quesos a la tabla
calamari in ink sauce, basil and avocado
octopus (pulpo), house garlic tomato sauce
shrimp wrapped jamon, garlic and tomato sauce
pollo catalana, shaved almonds, poached raisins
churros, dark chocolate
flan
I cannot wait to visit this place again!

Thank you Manchego, Unilocal West LA and Brittany B for putting together another great event!
I really enjoyed tonight’s event. Perfect place for a Unilocal elite event. I love the new location! Love the back enclosed patio.
My favorite tapas tonight was the goat cheese en pan tostada with honey, fig and truffle oil. Yummy! Although I didn’t get to stay for the entire event and try all of tonights tasting menu… the first course was def my fave. Sooo much food!
Thanks again for another amazing event! Cheers!