The Divine Dish

Interview with Celebrity Stylist Mark-Alan Harmon

Posted on Dec 10, 2010 under Archives, Interviews, Other interesting people | No Comment

Mark-Alan Harmon has worked as a personal shopper and wardrobe stylist in nearly every part of the country, as well as with nearly every type of person. He brings people’s style and comfort together in a way that’s easy and fun.  I spoke to him about his upcoming event, Botanic Bling, at the Descanso Gardens and a bit about upcoming fashion trends and what every girl needs for her closet.

Descanso Gardens presents Botanic Bling featuring celebrity stylist and TV personality Mark-Alan Harmon on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 11-12.

Botanic Bling is a trunk show of wonderful botanic-themed accessories, including jewelry and scarves, from a diverse collection of independent vendors and craftspeople. Many of the items are handmade and one of a kind.

The theme of this year’s Botanic Bling is “Holiday 2010: What to Give and What to Get.” Harmon will offer tips on selecting and wearing chic accessories with an eye toward picking out the perfect present (but no one will tell if you keep it for yourself!) Harmon’s presentations are at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. both days.

Botanic Bling will be in the historic Boddy House at Descanso Gardens. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission to Botanic Bling is free with Gardens admission.

 

Dinner at Mama’s Fish House, Maui

Posted on Dec 03, 2010 under Archives | No Comment

I heard raves from about Mama’s Fish House for weeks before setting off to Maui, so I had to include it in my itinerary.  It fit perfectly in at the end of a day exploring Maui’s upcountry.

The retro-Polynesian fantasy version of a Hawaiian restaurant lies just beyond the cute small town of Paia.  Opened in 1973, it is one of the first restaurants on the island of Maui.  The restaurant, actually a converted beach house, opens to a crescent shaped beach lined with palm trees, offering up the perfect view for the island’s stunning sunsets.

If you plan your dinner before sunset, you can take a few minutes to walk around the beach and enjoy the view.   Inside houses candlelit tables covered with island print cloths, walls covered with Maui memorabilia and dozens of amazing flower displays (pics later in this blog).

Here is what we enjoyed:

The view, the view, the view…. We were lucky enough to get a front row seat for the sunset.  Won best view for dinner out of the restaurants on my trip.

I  had to get the Mai Tai, as I promised I would have one tropical fruity with the umbrella drink while in Maui.  It was huge, a fishbowl size, and boy was it strong.  I only drank a third of it as I had a long drive back to Makena.

My friend Tina had the sashimi salad, with crispy won ton strips, Hana pohole fern, wasabi goat cheese and tuna sashimi.  Yum.

I had the lobster guacamole because …. it was lobster in guacamole!  I knew it had to taste delicious, and it did.  Fresh and buttery lobster.

What’s unique and wonderful about Mama’s Fish House is that the menu, which changes daily, is quite simple, there is a long line of fresh (meaning probably that it was caught that morning) fish that includes the details of who caught it, where, and how it was prepared.  We sampled just how fresh the fish is when the chef sent out some big local shrimp, perfectly grilled, for us to sample.  Theses were fantastic.

I had to order the house special, mahi-mahi stuffed with crab and sage, with a side of local rice and asparagus.

Tina had the fresh grilled ono with onions, carrots and avocado relish.  Both were perfectly cooked and the freshest fish I had on the island.

For dessert, we split the banana crisp topped with locally made ice cream and a chocolate turtle wafer.  A great way to end a fabulous meal.

I had to take pictures of the beautiful flowers that surrounded the tables.  Don’t bother driving to the botanical garden, just come to Mama’s for dinner for an up close view of tropical flowers.  We were lucky enough to also get to sneak into the offices and I snapped some shots of bouquet arrangements there as well, here are the flower pics:

We also got to tour some of the rental cabanas.  These are great alternatives to staying in a resort – as you can get cozy accommodations perfect for a romantic couple getaway or larger ones with kitchens for families.  Here are some pics:

As an additional bonus, if you stay at one of the cottages you get a “kamaaina rate,” or local discount of 20 percent on meals at the restaurant.  I highly recommend dining (and staying if you have enough time on your holiday) at Mama’s Fish House, 799 Kaiholo Place, Paia, reservations strongly recommended, 808/579-9762.

Dinner at The Pineapple Grill Restaurant, Maui

Posted on Nov 21, 2010 under Archives | No Comment

Located partway up Maui’s scenic Pineapple Hill, the casual but elegant Pineapple Grill overlooks the golf greens on the Kapalua Bay Resort and the Pacific Ocean.  This upscale casual but elegant steak and seafood restaurant serves up Pacific Island cuisine with an Asian twist.  It also has a large wine selection, features an exhibition kitchen, black marble bar and outdoor dining on the lanai.  On my last trip to Maui I enjoyed a tasting menu prepared by Chef Ryan Luckey.  Here is what we sampled:

My friend Tina, who lives on the island, joined me and we started off with a few appetizers.  I had the Ahi tuna and salmon tartare with Hass avocado relish, chili oil and crispy lotus chips.  It was delicious.

Tina had the house special, steamed Manila clams with shitake mushrooms in a black bean truffle butter broth.  The broth was rich and great for dipping bread into once we devoured the fresh clams.

I visited Maui during the last week of October, right when Monchong was in full season.  The Monchong is a medium firm sweet fish with high fat content and is very easy to cook, similar to a Butterfish.  It is only available in Hawaii and in season for a few months in the year.  My lemon porcini dusted Monchong came with tarragon-lobster essence, asparagus spears, gold mashed potatoes and a Kula tomato concasse.   It soon became my favorite thing to order while in Maui.

Tina had the Asian braised short ribs which came with truffle gold potatoes, kalbi demi glace and pineapple relish.  Also very good.

For dessert, Chef Luckey sent out a lavender infused creme brulee with strawberries and a pineapple cheesecake.

I would highly recommend the Pineapple Grill for its stellar views, laid back atmosphere and upscale food.  Located at 200 Kapalua Drive, 808/669-9600, reservations highly recommended.

Interview with Soleil Moon Frye at Weleda Beauty Mobile Tour

Posted on Nov 07, 2010 under Archives, Interviews, Other interesting people | No Comment

I recently interviewed actress, environmentalist, and businesswoman Soleil Moon Frye at the Weleda “Honestly Natural, Truly Beautiful” national mobile tour when the Weleda biodiesel truck stopped in Hollywood at the bottom of the Hollywood and Highland shopping mall.

Weleda sponsored the tour in support of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to promote safe and natural ingredients in lotions, cosmetics and shampoos.  Weleda uses 100 percent plant based botanical ingredients in their products with no animal testing.  The biodiesel truck provided opportunities for everyone to receive a mini-spa treatment, take home samples of great Weleda products, and film a short video for a chance to win a trip to the Weleda Spa in New York.

Also on hand was Soleil Moon Frye.  Frye played the spunky orphan in the 1980s TV series Punky Brewster and as an adult was in Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.  She has directed several films and currently is the voice for Aseefa in Nickolodean’s animated Planet Sheen.  Frye also owns The Little Seed, an environmentally conscious children’s specialty boutique in LA.  I sat down with the busy actress to talk about her connection with Weleda, her eco-friendly LA store, life as a mom, and her upcoming projects.