The Divine Dish

Weekend in Old Town Temecula

Posted on Oct 13, 2011 under Archives | No Comment

I recently attended a press FAM trip sponsored by the Temecula Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau highlighting Old Town Temecula.

Old Town Temecula is an eclectic blend of the past and the present where over 120 years of history is on display.  The 12 block area that houses the Old Town district is full of live entertainment, shopping, dining, specialty food stores and wine bars in a hodgepodge of original homes and commercial buildings constructed from 1882 to 1936.

Visitors can choose from a variety of places to stay in Temecula, from humble to quaint, budget to boutique, and laid-back to luxury.  I stayed at the Temecula Creek Inn, which provided easy access to wineries, championship golf courses, the local Pechango Casino and Old Town.   The 130 rustic guest rooms are designed in a wine country palette and offer views from the patios  of the 27 hole golf course.  Set on 350 acres against a backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains, the resort features tennis courts, golf courses, a heated swimming pool, and two restaurants.

Before the FAM trip began, I headed out to Palumbo restaurant (41925 Fifth Street).

Offering a Southern Italian menu and a variety of local Temecula wines, I sampled a few of the house specialties.

My favorite was the Jalapeno chicken, a nice piece of juicy breaded and pan fried chicken topped with a garlic, sun dried tomato and jalapeno sauce.  It was served with pasta and vegetables.

The next morning all of the writers met at the Temecula Visitors Center, where we were greeted by the friendly staff.  Here you can find all the info you will need to find shopping, dining and wine tasting details for your trip.

We were given a map to visit some specialty boutiques, wine bars and restaurants in Old Town.  The first stop was the small Chili Gourmet, offering all types of hot sauces.

I headed off to the main street of Old Town and stumbled upon Quilter’s Coop, a large quilting shop with a variety of beautiful quilts and sewing fabrics.

I especially liked the timely Halloween quilt.

Next the writers gathered at the Lorimar Wine Tasting Room to sample local wines and tasty appetizers supplied by Soro’s restaurant.

Next I wandered across the street to the Temecula Olive Oil Company to taste some local olive oils.

The large store had an impressive array of olive oil and products made from olive oil – lotions, shampoos, soups and many other things to choose from.

Other interesting food shops included the Lavender Company and the Temecula Valley Cheese Shop.

Next the writers gathered at the Tesoro Winery to taste more local wines and some lovely appetizers from Palumbo Ristorante.

I met Tom and Laura Plant, locals who produce a great wine site called WINEormous.  They pointed out some other favorite spots for locals to hang out.  I particularly liked the Collective, a premium wine lounge showcasing wines from boutique wineries around the Temecula Valley.  Their upstairs patio is a great place to chill out with some good wine.

Next we headed over to Sweet Lumpy’s to have some barbecue.

The barbecue here was great, offering all the traditional sides.   On Friday nights, the restaurant also hosts local bands.  We were lucky enough to be there when the Silver Beatles, a Fab Four tribute band, was jamming.

Next we headed over to Villa de Calabro Winery and Olive Oil Company for dessert.

Whether you’re looking to do some local wine tasting, try an adventurous balloon ride, or just peruse the many restaurants and boutiques of Old Town, Temecula is a great weekend getaway about an hour and a half from LA.  For restaurants, local events and activities and wineries, go to www.temeculacbv.com.

The Taste Fashion Bites Brunch on Rodeo Drive

Posted on Sep 05, 2011 under Archives | No Comment

Last Sunday my friend Chris and I attended The Taste, a four day food festival sponsored by the LA Times and Food & Wine magazine.  Here are some pictures from the Fashion Bites Brunch presented by Ciroc vodka and Infiniti.  The event stretched for three blocks up and down Rodeo Drive.

Over fifty restaurants, exhibitors and wineries attended all hosting booths with food and beverage samples.  Here are pictures of some of the tasty food and drinks that we tried:

Factor’s Deli had bagels with salmon, red onion and tomato.

Greenleaf had tasty organic granola with yogurt.

Locando del Lago had a variety of dishes including squash carpaccio, soup, and focaccia.

Breadbar had a great tomato quiche.

Cake Mamas offered a nice variety of cupcakes.

The Farm offered a yummy braised pork belly and egg dish.

The Sprinkles truck was on hand to provide a variety of tasty cupcakes.

Fig and Olive had some tasty sandwiches.

Napa Valley Grille offered some refreshing gazpacho.

Green & Blacks chocolates were a crowd favorite offering a dozen varieties of chocolates.

Studio City’s Sweet Butter had our fave of the day, a creamy mushroom soup.

Pure Cheesecake had delicious cheesecake samples.

Dinner at Church and State

Posted on Sep 05, 2011 under Archives | No Comment

Brasserie Church and State serves up French bistro fare in the heart of downtown’s Art District.   Large Warhol-esque paintings, brick floors and strings of lights surround diners as they choose from entrees including a house-made charcuterie, bouillabaisse, steak frites and a variety of cassoulets.   The small but lively bar offers an extensive wine list with two dozen pours by the glass.  I recently visited the eatery to include it in an article on downtown Los Angeles for travelhoppers.com.  Here is what my friend Dalbert and I ate:

I started with a Belgian endive and watercress salad with blue cheese, fuji apples and walnuts with a sherry vinaigrette.  We also shared some warm bread with a delicious soft butter spread.

Dalbert ordered the special roasted tomato, squash and eggplant appetizer.  The portions were huge and the fresh tomatoes were delicious.

We both had the steak frites for our main course, a New York strip loin with french fries and a bearnaise sauce.

The creamy mac and cheese was a perfect side dish with macaroni, gruyere cheese and a thick bechemel sauce.

The dessert selection was plentiful.  We chose the lemon tart and the rich chocolate pudding.

Next time you find yourself downtown stop by Church and State for comfy French bistro fare, 1850 Industrial Street, call 213/405-1434 for reservations.

Dinner at WP24, Ritz Carlton, LA Live

Posted on Aug 17, 2011 under Archives | No Comment

I recently visited WP24 at the Ritz Carlton at LA Live for stories for the Metropolitan News and travelhoppers.com.   Wolfgang Puck’s latest LA venture is located on the 24th floor of the Ritz Carlton downtown and houses a huge lounge and adjacent restaurant featuring high-end Asian fusion cuisine.

Diners enter through the very large lounge and bar area, perfect for pre or post Laker game drinks.  After passing through the lounge the bar scene fades into the formal dining room, set above the neon freeways with vast  panoramic views of downtown LA.  The muted shades and big comfy leather chairs lend a relaxing atmosphere to the modern room.  Here is a sampling of Chef de Cuisine’s Sara Johannes remarkable food that we enjoyed:

We started with the spicy hot and sour soup which included sweet prawn wontons, fresh peas,micro basil and fried ginger.  Next came a variety of amuse bouches, including lobster spring rolls, prawn toast, foie gras bac buns and seafood turnovers.

All were amazing, we liked the foie gras buns the best.  Next came a nice sampling of the dim sum plate, which changes daily.  Ours included a chive crystal dumpling, dan dan dumpling, tiny dimpling, scallop sui mai, and suckling pig with quince apple puree.

Our main courses started with a stunner – the live Maine “Angry Lobster.”  True to its name, the lobster was spicy thanks to the addition of Szechuan chiles and also was flavored with fried garlic and black bean dust.  This lovely dish was served with a side of Lop Cheung sausage fried rice which we loved.

Next came another stellar dish, the famous whole roasted duckling.  Yep, a whole duck roasted Peking style with stir fried fall mushrooms, snap peas and scallions.  Our server  presented the whole duck to our table, a definite wow factor if you are bringing a date, and then took it away to carve it and brought back our servings.

The duck comes with steamed fresh buns and an assortment of condiments to make tasty little sandwiches.

Next came a nice lychee yuzu sorbet to cleanse our palette before dessert.

Although stuffed, we had to try Pastry Chef Sally Camacho’s famous marjolasian dessert, which resembled a Twix bar on steroids, and is the best dessert I have had in any LA restaurant for quite a while.   No wonder Chef Camacho was chosen to compete in Top Chef Desserts on Bravo TV, which premiers tonight.

Come to WP24 for the great Asian fusion cuisine, panoramic views or just to taste the marjolasian dessert, but be sure to stop by next time you are downtown.  Reservations can be made by calling 213/743-8824, located at the Ritz Carlton, 900 W. Olympic Boulevard.