e*star LA » Beverly Hills

Dine LA Restaurant Week Launches Sunday

e*star — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:18:17 +0000

Last week, the food and restauranteur community of Los Angeles gathered at The Hollywood Roosevelt to celebrate the launch of the winter installment of Dine LA – a two-week-long collaborative effort to offer diners three-course lunches and dinners at six specific price points.

$      Deluxe Dining   $16 $26
$$    Deluxe Dining   $22 $34
$$$   Fine Dining       $28 $44

Burger Slider

The red carpet was out and almost 100 chefs – many donning their white jackets straight from the kitchen – were the stars of the night. Oh – plus Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Writers, journalists, bloggers – what have you – were or weren’t donning our white “PRESS” badges. The purpose was clear: To celebrate food’s imminent role in Los Angeles culture – and the accessibility every man has to fine dining. And why don’t we enjoy some fixins from Dakota Chop House and 25 Degrees with cocktails from Matt Biancaniello of Library Bar to wash them down while we’re at it? Pork belly, tacos, quesadillas, salads, burger sliders and even a shiitake mushroom-infused Manhattan were passed around – but the hits of the night were undeniably the spicy burger sliders and Biancaniello’s arugula gimlet.

Arugula Gimlet

If you haven’t already, make your reservations soon; Dine LA runs Jan 24 – 29 and Jan 31 – Feb 5. The bevy of restaurants this round tops 243. Schedule a lunch in there to save a few dollars – it’s a great occasion to take an extended break from work. Eva (lunch or dinner), Palate (dinner), Cube (lunch or dinner) and Petrossian (lunch or dinner) rise to the top of my personal list.

And don’t forget to enter the daily contests Dine LA is holding: Starting 10 AM and running all day, answer a trivia question to be entered to win $100 gift certificates to participating restaurants (today’s is Petrossian, lo and behold). Also follow @dine_la on Twitter for updates.

Bonus: If you’re an American Express card holder, all you have to do is “do” Dine LA three times and you get a $20 credit on your statement. Just spend more than $21 per time.

And if you’re interested in the names behind the scene in Los Angeles food, it might interest you to peep the Dine LA Family Tree to see how they – and we – are all interconnected. Food brings us all together, doesn’t it?

M Café: Accessible Macrobiotics & Plain Deliciousness

e*star — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:24:56 +0000

Kale with spicy peanut sauce, Scarlet quinoa, Lentil salad

All good things – that require discipline – come to an end. That is, in my case, anyway; I had dabbled in Macrobiotics all but a week a few years ago before deciding that my palate wasn’t committed and my budget wasn’t copious. It’s not as if I didn’t agree with the basic theories behind the philosophy – as opposed to the new-ish fad diets such as Atkins or South Beach. Yin and yang, salt and sweet. Good and nightshade grains. Macrobiotics, no doubt, introduced me to my affinity to quinoa – even if it took some acclimation in the beginning.

Enter that one-off shopping trip I had made to Erewhon way back when. I had spent $100 yet when I got home, it seemed as though I had barely bought anything at all. My yoga teacher and friend Hillary had confessed to me that her financial planner had stressed that she and her husband “must spend less on food” – and they were the most hardcore advocates of M Café I had ever known.

Organic cut-fries with nori, shiso & sea salt

The good news is that M Café – starting with the Beverly Hills location – has made a recent effort to meet the affordable price points of today’s healthful vegan and macro-foodie. What’s undoubtedly a response to the market of today, menu items on average came down by $2-3; Javier of Teenage Glutster and I were invited to sample the goods of their new, accessible “Little m” menu.

First of all, I cannot sing enough praises about their organic fries. I am actually thinking they are the best “salted” fries in the city – with a mixture of nori (seaweed), shiso and sea salt and simultaneously not tasting nearly as salty as any other fries I’ve ever had before. Perfectly crispy and perfectly sized, it was truly a revelation. The sweet potato fries are also perfectly seasoned with chili, sea salt and lime. If you’re into the sauce thing, the beet-red organic ketchup is impressive as is the spicy yuzu mayo. The great thing about the fry selection is that M Café stays true to the original while making an effort to put an imaginative spin on things given the Macrobiotic requirements.

The focus of our lunch was the deli salads (title picture) that are available at M, which also happens to be how most diners enjoy the restaurant during the day. Depending on availability, you can get a 2 serving selection for $7.45 or a 3 serving selection for $9.75. There wasn’t a salad I wasn’t impressed with. Fresh kale was perfectly seasoned and dressed, the scarlet quinoa had such a unique flavor that was appetizing yet didn’t hide the taste of the grain. The lentil salad was deliciously hearty and the salmon salad tasted fresh and had good bite (thanks to the perfect amount of celery) with a good, “creamy” consistency.

Wild salmon salad, Curried tempeh salad, Dilled organic tofu salad

I thought the consistency of the finely-chopped tofu in the dilled organic tofu salad was rather impressive – appropriately dense and the dill flavor was particularly refreshing in combination. The tempeh was also good – a salad that appeals to a slightly anti-microbiotic, sweet tooth like their other tempeh items. The “sweet” flavor here is justified by its description as BBQ. One of my favorites was the sesame soba noodles with the noodles made in-house and tasting extra fresh with great bite. The sesame flavor was nice and subtle – even a bit more complex than its simple description. A nice surprise.

Additionally, there are new menu items such as the breakfast burrito, bento box and combinations like the Big Macro meal ($11.95, includes Big Macro burger, fries and lemonade) and soup and sandwich combo ($7.95, includes soup and a half-sandwich). The Curried tempeh deli salad and wrap as well as the sweet potato fries are new and only available at the Beverly Hills location for now. Eventually, M Café will expand the aforementioned options to the other locations on Melrose Ave. and in Culver City.

Chocolate cake

The desserts were also solid, with my favorite being the chocolate cake – a dark slice (as most vegetarian and Macrobiotic chocolates are) that was still moist, not tough nor too dark. M Cafe’s spin on the carrot cake was the most healthful-tasting version I’ve ever had – and perhaps for the first time this meal, that was also its downfall (try Veggie Grill’s, instead). Good was the tirimisu, which had more cinnamon than I was used to, but had the right consistency and was a certainly delicious rendition.

Especially given the lower price points and confirmed suspicions that M Cafe’s food is not only freshly made with quality ingredients but also absolutely delicious, I will definitely be by on another lunch date to graze on their amazing salads.

All aforementioned food was hosted.

Opening Night At Bouchon Beverly Hills

e*star — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:47:13 +0000

I had heard stories of the red carpet opening a couple nights prior, for which my credentials didn’t quite make the cut. Ultimately, I convinced myself, I was going to have a full meal at Bouchon on opening day – that is, one of the first meals ever served at the Beverly Hills outpost. While I’m not the kind to look a gift horse in the mouth, is not the full meal the important part? Fun as it may have been able to ogle A-listers and pretend I was one myself, the entire dinner experience last night was indeed a privilege.

Jeremiah and Chad were gracious enough to include me in a reservation Jer so blithely secured the first day the lines opened – by merely walking across the public parkway that separated his employer, The Montage, and Bouchon. Our 4-top was set for 6:15 PM and while we were seated, our greeter thanked us for visiting: “You are our first guests.”

Beignets de Brandade de Morue (cod brandade with tomato confit & fried sage)

As we enjoyed the fresh house-made bread and delicious butter, Thomas Keller escorted family into the dining area and Laura Keller - beautiful as ever – oversaw her post in the high-ceilinged, pink light-tinged, perfectly French bistro. Half the entertainment in the duration of the night was hearing Jeremiah’s story of packing up and leaving his home in Arizona to work at Bouchon Yountville – and of course the invaluable stories in the kitchen that ensued after the uproot.

We ordered a Pisco Sour, Tonic & Gin and a spritzer with orange bitters to start things off. My Pisco was nice and eggy, the way I like it.

Frisee salad with mushrooms (special)

Oh, cod beignets. So dense and yet delicately fried. The sweet tomato confit complemented the salty fish and the crispy sage was just the touch of green the bite needed. Chad got the Salade de Betteraves et Poires (marinated beet & poached pear salad with toasted hazelnuts, garden mache & black truffle vinaigrette) which he was extremely happy with. Jeremiah went with a watercress & endive salad with Roquefort – but I was extremely happy having ordered the salad special – a cornucopia of mushrooms topped with frisee in a sherry vinaigrette. I was impressed with the variety and quality of mushrooms. While a sweeter take than I’ve usually had involving mushrooms, it made me really appreciate the frisee it was topped with.

Plats des Cotes de Boeuf (red wine braised beef short rib with caramelized Savoy cabbage, glazed sweet carrots, parsnips & jus de Boeuf)

This is where we moved to the carafe of wine – a perfect Pinot Noir from Sashi Moorman (Stolpman Winery north of Santa Barbara) from their Vin de Carafe Rouge program. It was suited to everything we’d order thereafter. My braised shortribs were of course tender, savory but also not too sweet. The tang from the jus de Boeuf was perfect and while it’s tough to go wrong with a braised shortrib, I was ultimately happy with the dish and promised I’d go harder on them the next time. The other omnivore at the table, Jer, got the roasted leg of lamb (with Swiss chard, pommes boulangere, Swiss chard ribs & lamb jus) while Chad ordered the halibut with grapefruit confit, which was a special last night. Jeremiah was happy with how perfectly-cooked the lamb was from the cross-cut and I was forever intrigued by the delicious briny Swiss chard the meat was topped with.

Ile Flottante (meringue with vanilla, creme anglaise, almond & caramel)

While cheese enthusiast Chad asked our server to choose three cheeses for him (one each of goat, cow and sheep’s, of course) Jeremiah definitely got the winning dessert of the night. He recognized it as a new dessert that wasn’t on the menu while he worked at Bouchon – and indeed it was brand new. The Ile Flottante resembled a panna cotta yet had a looser consistency. The salted caramel sauce made to pour was divine. (Yes, I admit – I’ve been a salted caramel fan for awhile now. What – aren’t you?) The almonds finished off the taste and gave the dessert an overall weight. Such a beautiful dessert. My lemon tart was refreshingly light. Pine nuts were in the crust and the consistency of the lemon for once wasn’t custard-like but incredibly fluffy. I wondered how they got the fluffy texture so brown, to which Jeremiah divulged that it is broiled on multiple sides to achieve that color.

Our server, recognizing that Jeremiah had spent his fair share in a Thomas Keller kitchen, asked if we would like a look inside theirs. Uh, absolutely. We met his old boss, Jeff Cerciello, who oversees all of Thomas Keller casual dining (Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, Ad Hoc) as well as “TK” himself – a very gracious and kind soul despite the reputation he has built for himself. Yes - very surprisingly to me. Bonus. I was giddy just to witness Chef Keller ask Jer where he is now after having left Yountville.

After failed chances at reservations at Per Se and never even having visited the Napa area, I finally had my first Thomas Keller experience (That is, outside of a grilled cheese and Arnold Palmer at Columbus Circle’s Bouchon Bakery). I was floored by the quality and perfection strived for in each dish, all on opening night. The intention was clear: To make everything extremely well and to perfect homemade recipes without the distracting flourishes high-end dining so often has come to rely upon. While I don’t have another reservation in my sights, I would be content to sit down at the bar – perhaps after 10 o’clock – and enjoy this caliber of French Bistro as much as possible. I can think of many more nights where I’d run into fellow food bloggers like I did Kevin Eats and Christine of Folie à Choisauce on this night. (I also heard I missed Betty Hallock of LA Times and Joe Pesci. Oh right – I also saw Don Johnson. Yep.)

Bouchon Beverly Hills Opening Night Flickr Set

Bouchon Brings French Country To Beverly Hills

e*star — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:09:29 +0000

Croque Madame

Add Bouchon Los Angeles to Yountville and Las Vegas, and then add Bouchon to The French Laundry, Per Se, Ad Hoc and Bouchon Bakery. This is Thomas Keller up front and right here in our city and on Cañon. And it’s about time, Chef: “I am very excited to open Bouchon in Beverly Hills. I was born in Southern California and worked in LA for many years. It feels good to be back home.”

And we are glad to have you “back.”

Opening day is Wednesday, November 18 – when the curtains open on the fruits of labor by a meticulously crafted team headed by Chef de Cuisine Rory Herrmann (Per Se). GM Greg Rowen is formerly of Jardiniere (also GM) and Four Seasons San Francisco (Restaurant and Bar Manager). Pastry Chef Scott Wheatfill, Head Sommelier Alex Weil and 23 others fill out the Bouchon team.

As for the menu, expect bistro classics like Roast Chicken, Leg of Lamb, Quiche Lorraine and Trout Amandine. And of course – a raw bar featuring east and west coast oysters on the half-shell. On the other tiers will be cold poached Maine lobster, sweet gulf white shrimp, tiny Bouchot mussels, littleneck clams and Dungeness crab.

The wine list at Bouchon Beverly Hills location will focus on winemakers on the Central Coast of California. The program, entitled Vin de Carafe, will periodically feature an exclusive selection, blended specially for the restaurant one barrel at a time to showcase the distinct personality and flavors of the featured vintner. At opening, Bouchon will unveil its own pilsner-style beer called White Apron, crafted by James Hayes.

Bar Bouchon, which opens in Mid-December, will be a classic French wine bar with an indoor and outdoor terrace and a capacity for 46 guests. Small plates will compliment an extensive wine and beer list. Expect potted foods, salads, charcuterie, cheeses, tartines, sandwiches, caviar and desserts. “Escargots Bourguignonnes and Tarte Flambé will be featured alongside seasonal dishes including Macaroni au Truffes (macaroni with black truffles) and Courage (winter squash with red currents, sage and beurre noisette)” notes the press release. Divine.

Adam Tihiny recreates the atmosphere of Bouchons past – but do check EaterLA for first photos of Bouchon. Check below for hours and to make your reservation. Do it now – because for certain they are probably into the first few weeks of opening. I am super excited to be a part of a reservation on opening day! (Thank you Chad and Jer!) And by the way – they are open until pretty late at night! I can’t wait until I can just drop in. All the time.

While you’re there, just shake in your boots at the technology to come and yet you may never see:

“We’re going to have a video feed between all three Bouchons–Bouchon Yountville, Bouchon Las Vegas and Bouchon Beverly Hills. Three-way. By early summer it will be all five-way. So each restaurant can view the other restaurants. Only the kitchens.”

- Q&A With Thomas Keller – LA Weekly Squid Ink

Open 7 days a week for lunch & dinner.

11:30 AM – 12:30 AM

Make a reservation on OpenTable

Bouchon Beverly Hills
235 North Cañon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.271.9910 (reservation line)

Mussels au safron (Maine bouchot mussels steamed with white wine, mustard & saffron; served with French fries)

Dining Out To End Cancer

e*star — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:02:07 +0000

Ready to dine out for a good cause?

Buy a Dining Out to End Cancer card for $25 and for the month of November, get 20% off the entire check – excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity – at participating restaurants.

Proceeds from the sale of Dining Out to End Cancer cards will support highest priority cancer research at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC). Woohoo! My alma mater! And what better way to support than to support cancer research?

Take a look at the participating restaurants for the full scoop:

Blvd 16 Restaurant and Lounge
BONDST Beverly Hills
Border Grill – Santa Monica
Carousel Restaurant
Catalina Restaurant
Chakra Cuisine – Beverly Hills
Chakra Cuisine – Irvine
Ciudad
Coupa Cafe – Beverly Hills
Grub
Il Grano Restaurant
Ketchup
La Fonda on Wilshire
La Poubelle Bistro & Bar
Literati Cafe
Literati 2
MINX Restaurant and Lounge
O Bar and Kitchen
Pastina Trattoria
POP Champagne and Dessert Bar
Sam’s by the Beach
Spark Woodfire Grill – Beverly Hills
Spark Woodfire Grill – Huntington Beach
Spark Woodfire Grill – Simi Valley
Spark Woodfire Grill – Studio City
Susan Feniger’s STREET
Taste on Melrose
Taste at the Palisades
The Yard
Vinoteque on Melrose
West Restaurant & Lounge

Woo Street! Woo Vinoteque! Woo BONDST! Get out there and save 20% in the name of cancer…

Cards are $25

Savings good for month of November

Destination: Happy Hour at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse

e*star — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:33:08 +0000

All photography graciously provided by Andrew Herrold

It’s a restaurant in Beverly Hills with Wolfgang’s name on it. And you would be sorely mistaken to think it were that Wolfgang – because it’s not. Zwiener, who is the former famed head waiter at New York’s Peter Luger Steakhouse, had built an identity and following of his own on that coast – and due to that demand extended his Wolfgang’s Steakhouse outpost to Canon Drive last year (much to Puck’s chagrin).

Having never eaten there, I was lucky enough to be invited to a media happy hour as a warm-up. I’ll have to revisit to give their steak a fair shot since the “warm-up” was done quite well.

Their cocktails have range, if a bit novel. But for the most part they are good. I started off with their oyster shooter – or what they call Absolute Oyster Shooter, with fresh blue point oyster, Absolut Vodka, horseradish and cocktail sauce. The only problem is that it’s done in a martini glass and there is no “shooting” about it. To get to the oyster I had to skim what heavy-hitting vodka lay on top and was tired of the drink by the time I got to the oyster and cocktail sauce that was on the bottom.

A thoughtful champagne spritzer cocktail called Birthday Cake was refreshing, light and a touch sweet – and deceptive because despite its name could easily be enjoyed as a non-dessert. Made with Grey Goose Citron, Frangelico and limoncello – it was probably the first time I had thoroughly enjoyed limoncello in a specialty cocktail if because only a touch was used (yes – even in romantic settings like the Amalfi Coast).

My favorite cocktail of the night, called Sunset, had a bit of a personal trump card – a jalapeno slice for its garnish. It was perfectly spicy and drinkable yet interesting. It’s made with Don Julio Blanco, orange juice and a touch of grenadine (they should probably mention the jalapeno in the menu).

As for the appetizers – they saved the ground-breaking to others but what they stuck to, they did well. Thankfully, the steak skewers were done perfectly (well – they are a steakhouse) and just the right amount of pink in the center despite their less-than-bite size. The cheeseburger sliders were juicy, tasty and also the required pink in the center but a variation on that were the lobster sliders (pictured above). If a bit reminiscent of crab salad – just done with lobster instead – they were even crunchier, delicious and perfect for small bites.

The tuna tartar, served on spoons, was seasoned just a touch and not overdone. It was good to taste the finely diced fish for what it was and not what magical mixture it could be made into.

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, nor Beverly Hills, isn’t in an area where I’d normally “cruise” for post-work relief – but it’s definitely a worthy destination. It’s high end and conservative (don’t come here for the atmosphere, hipsters), yet pleasant. There’s a nearby public parking lot that’s free for two hours and combined with their reasonable happy hour, you can brush shoulders with high-rollers and tourists alike without breaking the bank. The cocktails will keep you interested, lubricated and the bites happy and whet for dinner.

Happy Hour:
$7 menu all night, $7 cocktails 4-7 PM

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse
445 N Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA‎
310.385.0640‎

Cabbin’ it in LA: It’s Text-a-Taxi

e*star — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:41:57 +0000

Photo credit to elakerfan on Flickr

I’m going to New York next week. Though I’m very much a subway girl while there, there will be a lot of taxis – and at that, ones you can hail. I doubt any of us ever instructed anybody to “hail a cab” as a means of getting around Los Angeles. Despite our best efforts, that is. But let’s get serious here. Outside the airport or hotel complete with taxi lanes, we’re most accustomed to calling one if we had planned to use a cab, at all. I don’t know about you, but I’ve experienced many a frustration with operators on the other line while trying to call one.

This Labor Day weekend might be prime time to try a new experiment. I know you’re on your phone texting your dogsitter, anyway!!

I may end up loving where I live even more (the key phrase for that would be, “central to everything”) because I just found out about a new service that makes cab service even more conducive for my friends and I to take around town. You can now text the address of your location to “777222″ and GoFastCab will dispatch a cab directly to you, wherever you are in L.A. – even South Bay and Long Beach! Sweet!

After texting your address, you get a confirmation text back to you so you know they received it (and that your text didn’t get lost in outer space). If you change your mind, you can also text “CANCEL” to the same number and that will cancel your cab. If you’re wondering where your cab is before he gets to you, you can text “STATUS” for a status message back.

I think the best part about this, though, is when you’re out at the bar and not exactly sure when to cash out because you want to secure the cab you called – for fear of someone else snatching your cab from you. The service calls you when they’re outside!

GoFastCab is built upon a network of “state-approved” cab companies – which, when I looked at the list, mostly look like Yellow Cab-affiliates. This was actually a relief to me, because I had seen a report on and had first-hand experience with a certain mmh-huh cab company that used, and I bet still use, overclocked meters – much to the demise of unsuspecting tourists. (Once I questioned a blue and white cab’s metered fare, all he wanted was to get rid of me and lowered the price immediately.) But Yellow Cab I have not had problems with. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

I’m going to plan a night out on the town whereby I use this service. I’ll be anxious to report back with my camarades as well as hear feedback from you as to whether this is a worthy service or not. So save the number on your phone:

777222

Text your address, including apartment number (if applicable), city and zip code

And remember these two commands:

STATUS – Find out where your cab is

CANCEL - Cancel your cab

Just wait for the call from the cab company letting you know that they’re outside, ready for you.

Also – after I gave my contact a bit more inquisition about the service, I thought to inquire about the cab rates since I’m not all that familiar with what exactly is standard. So as a point of reference from Yellow Cab’s rates, you can expect a $2.85 floor charge right off the bat with $0.30 per 1/9th mile ($2.70 per mile) and another $0.30 per 37 seconds of traffic. So while I still have to take my experimental night out whereas I leave myself at the mercy of this service – I’m already guessing that I won’t change my conclusion that cabs are always better with company. Isn’t it always nice to share the bill?

Til I report back, again. Also, feel free to leave any stories – good and bad experiences – here in comments. I really want to hear everyone’s stories. Our L.A. night life may depend on it – if it’s worthy.

GoFastCab Cities

Rosé et Fromage at Maison 140

e*star — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:01:30 +0000

Maison 140’s Bar Noir is quite a unique spot. With Maison 140 being a boutique hotel housing only 43 unique guestrooms, it’s actually hidden away in an enclave in Beverly Hills. Bar Noir has Mandarin and French black-red themes and an intimate feel, which makes it the perfect place to relax with a few good friends over cocktails. Or wine and cheese, that is.

For the summer, you can enjoy this stylish retreat while sipping fruity, floral French Rosé wine and nibbling artisanal cheeses selected for the pairing. It’s held every Wednesday from 6-9 PM and costs a respectable $35 per person.

The following Rosés are featured:

Jaboulet—Côtes du Rhône ‘Parallèle 45′ Rosé 2008

Whispering Angel—Côtes de Provence Rosé 2007

Sauvion—Loire Valley Rosé D’Anjou 2008

Caroline on Crack, Tara of Tara Met Blog, H.C. of LA-OC Foodventures and I had a chance to taste the wine paired with cheese and charcuterie. And yes, you could say that we were rosy from the Rosé. *groan* But it was a good time to try a kind of wine I’ve never been familiar with and the cheeses Bar Noir offered were quite impressive. My favorite was a rosemary-encrusted cheese and the Sauvion-Loire Valley Rosé. In general, Rosés are fruity (that is, sweet) and floral so if you like dry wine this is probably not the tasting for you. I could see girlfriends getting together over these wines and cheeses…stereotypically speaking, that is. Pardon me.

To RSVP for Masion 140’s summer Rosé “Vin et Fromage,” e-mail: tastings [at] maison140beverlyhills [dot] com or call 310.407.7795.

Maison 140
140 Lasky Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Rosé et Fromage every Wed. through August
6-9 PM
$35 per person

Bar Hours:
Sun – Wed 5:30 PM – 12 AM
Thu – Sat 5:30 PM – 1:30 AM

Accessorize Like a Rock Star: Soffer Ari Store Launch

e*star — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:44:30 +0000

Soffer Ari reached a milestone by opening his own flagship store in the beginning of the month. It’s well-deserved; he’s been in the business for 13 years. I could really tell that everything in Soffer Ari’s store is not only handmade but made with the utmost care and the finest detail, the last finish. Rock is either your fashion or lifestyle and he is here to meet your demand.

Something you won’t find in his collection is grunge. It is all edge, baby – sometimes elegant and sometimes enigmatic – and I can tell you I’m seriously considering saving up a few weeks’ lunch money to have that special, knock-em-dead piece of my own. Pieces. I could use a few pieces. But I won’t.

Themes included razor blades, skulls, leafy crosses, Star of Davids, and more. But they were all exquisite. Above everything else about his pieces was the craftsmanship and detail. Everything was also of the utmost quality.

And what kind of rock-influenced jeweler would he be without rockstar clients? Amongst them are Stephen Tyler, Tommy Lee and Robbie Williams. Celebrity clients or not, it’s all about the details and – if you can afford it – the customization. Just ask him for a couch. You’d be mistaken to not examine the leatherwork in the store. His leatherwork is just as detailed as his jewelry is ornate. I can see only the most flamin’ rockers rockin leather pants with clover shields and that’s okay. I’ll take my ring or even bracelet.

I was absolutely intrigued by his work. Because detail also includes being able to do ornate well. No piece seemed “filler” – they all seemed intent on making a statement. I love edgy so there were so many rings, bracelets and belt buckles that were up my alley. I’m just not quite ready for the razor blade around my neck quite yet. (I would enjoy admiring yours, though.)

See e*starLA’s Soffer Ari Flickr Set

Soffer Ari
850 S. Robertson Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90035
310.849.9272

M-F 10AM – 5PM

Shout It From the Rooftop: Blogger Prom Venue Finalized

e*star — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:52:55 +0000

Preface: This post is brought to you by my work for the Blogger Prom Committee. Blogger Prom (official blog) takes place on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 in West Hollywood, CA. Free cocktails, delicious food, sweet giveaways, a gorgeous venue and only bloggers in kitschy, cool, weird prom attire. It’s closed to bloggers and invite-only so if you are a blogger and can make it, contact me (esthert at gmail) with your URL via email. “Closed” also entails no more invites once we reach capacity!

As they always say: Location, location, location!! We have finalized the venue of our phat Blogger Prom, and it will be on the rooftop of The Hyatt Andaz Hotel, located right on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.

That’s right – the rooftop. Caroline and I (Esther) made a visit to the space and were absolutely floored – so to speak! The north view is of the Hollywood Hills and the south, The Sunset Strip in all its glory.

Not only that, Andaz will be providing food featuring their very own chef Sebastien Archambault, who hails from France by way of a short stint in Mexico. He procures the menu at the hotel restaurant, RH, with fine detail and is always revising and perfecting. Our blog-happy guests will enjoy a very special Summer Californian menu at Blogger Prom.

The Andaz Hotel just finished their serious $35 Million remodel in January of this year so Blogger Prom guests will be some of the first to really experience the “reformed” hotel known as The Riot Hyatt. Yes – this is the famed stop-off where members of Led Zeppelin have rented entire floors and driven motorcycles through the hallways (the movie Almost Famous also recreated these scenes here), Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones dropped a TV off the balcony and Jim Morrison permanently lived for years.

So be ready to enjoy nothing short of a posh, pool-side setting nestled in between some of the best views available in all of Los Angeles. Better wear your bathing suit underneath your cummerbund or sea-green ruffle dress.

Because bloggers are the new rockstars.

Andaz West Hollywood
8401 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, California
90069

323.656.1234

Cross-posted at The Official Blogger Prom Blog