From Oct. 18 – 19, The Taste Costa Mesa returns to The MET. The Taste Costa Mesa is a gourmet food and beverage event hosted by the LA Times. In addition to food and beverage tastings, attendees will be able to watch cooking demos and experience live music. The Taste Costa Mesa leverages its success…
wine
LA Times, The Taste, Returns Labor Day Weekend
Each year during Labor Day weekend, the LA Times hosts their annual “The Taste”. This event features food and beverage tastings from some of the hottest restaurants in LA. Attendees may also attend cooking and beverage demonstrations by some of the most notable chefs and mixologists in LA. My recap of last year’s opening night…
Roberta’s, Authentic New York Pizza
New York expats often long for familiar items like New York pizza. While many pizza restaurants in LA claim to offer New York pizza, the opening of Roberta’s intrigued me because they started their operation in New York City’s Brooklyn borough. I missed opportunities to sample Roberta’s LA pop-ups and I was glad to see…
Esters Wine Bar’s Weekend Brunch
Walking up to Esters Wine Bar, I was impressed with their stunning design. The exterior is modern and their outdoor patio is quite inviting. They happen to be next door to Cassia, an extremely popular restaurant featuring Southeast Asian cuisine. I invited my friend to try Weekend Brunch at Esters Wine Bar. The vibe is…
Rose Cafe – A Delightful Weekend Brunch Destination
I spent my formative years on the Westside. When I first became interested in eating something other than chain restaurant food, I remember that the Rose Cafe had a strong local following. In 2015, they changed hands and they brought in a new chef. My wife and I recently visited them for a weekend brunch….
A Basq Kitchen Celebrates National Paella Day for 4 Days!
A Basq Kitchen will celebrate National Paella Day, March 27. It continues the celebration with a different paella each day until Saturday, March 30. Paella is a Spanish rice dish topped with peppers and loaded with everything from shrimp to chorizo to lobster. Variations on original Spanish Valencia exist, but the commonality seems to be…
Los Balcones, a Gem in Studio City
Studio City is becoming the epicenter for cutting edge restaurants in the San Fernando Valley. It appears that the majority of valley restaurant news is about restaurants opening in Studio City. Los Balcones is one of them. It isn’t new, but what is exciting about it is the recent collaboration between chefs Jorge Rodriguez and…
Restoration Kitchen Features Italian Wine Dinner
The email I received from Restoration Kitchen in Torrance was too good to be true. A four-course pre-fixe meal paired with fine Italian wines for the price of $87 including tax and gratuity? Four-course wine dinners usually start at $100 and that doesn’t include tax and gratuity. Co-owner Wesley Takiguchi gave us a quick overview…
United’s Polaris Lounge Opens in LAX Terminal 7
United Airlines recently executed a soft launch of their new Polaris Lounge in Terminal 7 at LAX. My wife received an offer from United Mileage Plus for their grand opening and purchased two tickets so that I could attend. I was very happy to receive this opportunity. United’s International Business and First Class customers are…
Gelson’s Adds Upscale South Bay Grocery Experience
Gelson’s is a regional supermarket chain operating in the more affluent areas of Southern California. After a multi-year struggle with the City of Manhattan Beach, they finally opened on Nov. 14. I visited them a few times and have made some personal observations. Gelson’s is best approached from the north on Sepulveda because from the…