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Petrossian in West Hollywood recently held a special event dubbed an industry night for those in the food business to meet and mingle, and that included food bloggers — oh, how far we’ve come, huh?

The restaurant/marketplace (very trendy these days, though to be fair, Petrossian was a market first) is planning on holding these industry nights about once every couple of months, according to Chef Benjamin Bailly. If this recent event is any indication of what these nights will be like, we’re all in for some great food and drink. It’s a great deal, too: Drinks range from $2 to $8, and the plentiful appetizer-size food is free!

I had a pumpkin ale, but I tasted the hibiscus champagne, and it was nice — not too sweet. I thought the sangria was too sweet, but that might have been because I was eating a lot of savory foods.

Hibiscus champagne with an edible flower in the bottom of the glass

The food ranged from hummus and sweet potato chips to pork belly sliders, and it was all really good. I haven’t had a sit-down meal here, but I figure it they can make great appetizers — which I’ve found a lot of places can’t do, despite having a good regular menu — that the meals should be good, too. For a rundown on the restaurant’s regular menu, check out My Last Bite.

Borscht (left) and gazpacho (right)

Crab and salmon (I think?) crostini

Butternut squash soup

The items below were my favorites of the night: Bacon-wrapped dates and apricots, pork belly sliders and panna cotta. I found the bacon and pork belly to be amazingly light, considering the amount of fat they surely had — a great way to trick yourself into thinking that it’s not bad for you! And the panna cotta had tons of vanilla bean specks; it was very tasty.

Bacon-wrapped dates

Bacon-wrapped apricot

Pork belly slider with caramelized onion

Panna cotta with strawberries

Like I mentioned before, Petrossian is also a market selling high-end food like caviar, smoked salmon and artisan chocolates.

Sweets counter

I’ll definitely be back and hope to try a proper meal here some time (the menu is on the pricey side, though), especially since Bailly was so nice to us, making the rounds to ensure everyone was having a good time. And he’s pretty involved in the local food scene, a la Chef Ludo Lefebvre, with tweeting and eating out around town.

Chef Benjamin Bailly