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Clockwise from bottom left: Brandon’s Barbecue Pickled Salad, Minted Macadamia Nut Cole Slaw and Red Pepper Orzo at The Peninsula Beverly Hills’ Roof Garden

What’s better than lounging around outside on a warm summer’s evening? Lounging around on The Peninsula Beverly Hills‘ hotel rooftop while enjoying fancy barbecue and cocktails, obviously. And with the hotel’s Weekend Barbecue at the Roof Garden, you can do just that.

Grab a Speckled Jalapeño Margarita — it has just the right amount of kick — and nosh on some addictive roasted red pepper hummus and pita chips while you take in the view. Then move on to the mains: I liked the Giant Tiger Shrimp served “char siu,” or Chinese barbecue, style and the ribs best. And don’t forget the side dishes — purple Okinawa sweet potatoes; Red Pepper Orzo with roasted corn, cilantro and blue cheese; and Brandon’s Barbecue Pickled Salad are all standouts.

Speckled Jalapeno Margarita

Giant Tiger Shrimp

If you’re still hungry, order the Ahi Tuna Chop-Chop from the rooftop’s regular menu. Accompanied by avocado, crisp pineapple, baby coconut and roof garden-picked herbs, The Peninsula’s take on the ubiquitous ahi tuna-and-avocado starter is a revelation and by far one of my favorites.

Ahi Tuna Chop-Chop

You have until September 2 to enjoy the weekend barbecue, which happens Saturdays and Sundays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Further reading:

BBQ at the Roof Garden, Peninsula Hotel (Beverly Hills) by Gourmet Pigs

Peninsula Beverly Hills’ BBQ and Cocktails on the Roof Rock by Deathbed Food

Courtesy of Pinkberry.

From June 25 through August, Pinkberry will be offering a new flavor, as it tends to do in the summertime. This year it’s watermelon. While I normally wouldn’t bother reporting on a new frozen yogurt flavor, I was intrigued by the news that Pinkberry is recommending this new watermelon flavor topped with watermelon puree, diced watermelon and diced cucumber, which will be offered at stores upon its release. Adding a little savory vegetable action into the mix might not be such a bad idea, though I haven’t tasted it yet so I can’t say for sure. When I do, I’ll let you know what I think.

Oh, and to up the ante in the world of froyo, Pinkberry is introducing a daily happy hour from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to push its new flavor. Any size watermelon froyo, including swirls and side-by-sides, will be half-price during this time.

UPDATE: I just tried the new flavor, thanks to a special delivery to my office from Pinkberry, and I like it a lot. The watermelon frozen yogurt is nice, especially with the watermelon and cucumber pieces, which seem to cut the sweetness of the froyo a bit (a good thing for me). I’m not sure I’m a fan of the watermelon puree, though, but only because it froze into an icy mass after sitting on the cold yogurt.

Note: The frozen yogurt with toppings that was delivered to me was complimentary.