Pop-ups are all the rage, lately, especially in Los Angeles. Test Kitchen, however, brings that concept to another, oxymoronic level in that it is a “permanent” pop-up, of sorts. Yes, Test Kitchen serves exactly the purpose of how it sounds in the first place, and is indicative of a food culture and city in which [...]
Welcome to the real Melrose Place. Aaron Spelling is nowhere to be found, and sure, Area – an SBE nightclub – is just a block away, but you’d never have guessed it from inside Bastide’s enclosed, quaint and olive tree and garden lined patio. In fact, dining at Bastide is somewhat like dining at someone’s [...]
If you ever thought French restaurants were immune to happy hours, Bastide will prove you wrong – for one day per week. Starting next week on July 26th and on every Monday thereafter from 5 – 7 PM, not only will Bastide host a happy hour, you’ll be able to enjoy the duration of it [...]
I admit, I had never visited Frankies Spuntino in Brooklyn – nor Manhattan – but I was intrigued when I received a copy of their cookbook in the mail. How fascinating the story is, of how The Franks (Falcinelli and Castronovo, if I must be specific) had actually grown up in the same neighborhood, just [...]
I love FIG. Probably one of the best ever cheese plates I’ve ever had was there. Their ingredients are always fresh and inspire the very recipes Chef Ray Garcia creates in his kitchen. The natural light accommodates the beautiful furnishings of the dining room well, making for an ever-pleasant, cheery yet sophisticated ambiance in Santa [...]
It seemed to be sort of a mission when I was asked to do a tasting in Orange County – but it wasn’t the first time. I’m intrigued, though, when there’s enough confidence to invite writers to dine inside a chain (albeit somewhat upscale) hotel. Perhaps there’s enough substance there to warrant a splash. Or [...]
It isn’t every night that I can venture out and spend hard-earned dough at the latest and greatest Los Angeles dining spots, lest my wallet cause my ”To Eat” queue to become back-logged. Let’s admit it – all of us are a little commitment-phobic. The way of the game, as is also in my Manhattan playbook, is [...]
In a collaborative effort that is decidedly Francophile, Mireille Guiliano - former CEO of Clicquot and author of New York Times Best Seller, French Women Don’t Get Fat - will be hosting a special caviar tasting dinner at Petrossian on Robertson Blvd. Diners will be celebrating Guiliano’s follow-up book, Women, Work and The Art of Savoir Faire as well [...]
I had occasion to visit Ojai Valley Inn & Spa not of my own accord, but on invitation to spend the night there after attending the Papabubble candy-making workshop one Saturday afternoon. That is, not before enjoying a special meal in the resort hotel’s main restaurant (of a total 4), Maravilla. The resort itself is [...]
