Posted on Aug 17, 2010 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews |
Chef Ernst Dorfler and Gerry Sayers, owners of Five Sails Restaurant, Vancouver
On my last trip to Vancouver, I visited the Five Sails restaurant at the top of the Pan Pacific Hotel. The restaurant has amazing views and equally amazing food, which I got to sample in a fabulous tasting menu. I also got to sit down with owner and Chef Ernst Dorfler to talk a bit about his food. Our interview is below.
Chef Ernst Dorflers’ diverse career began when he left his home in Sirnitz, Austria at the age of fifteen to become an apprentice at the Four Star Trattlerhof Hotel in Bad Kleinkirchheim. Armed with formal French and Swiss training Ernst left to see the world, enriching his cultural and gastronomic experience in Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Canada.
Dorfler’s Canadian culinary adventures have taken him from the East to the West Coast. He commenced his Canadian “tour” at the Quebec Hilton in Quebec City, followed by the Westin Hotel, Waldens Restaurant and the Four Seasons Hotel in Edmonton and eventually bringing him to Vancouver in 1988 as Executive Chef of the Five Diamond, Pan Pacific Hotel.
From 1981 to 1992 Ernst competed in the culinary arts locally, nationally and internationally achieving over 30 gold medals. He has been proud to represent Canada at seven international culinary events and was a member of the acclaimed Canadian Culinary Olympic Championship Team in 1992, achieving the highest honor of gold medal for best overall team/country at the World Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany.
Chef Dorfler has continued to win praise and accolades from Vancouverites and visitors to the Five Sails Restaurant and the Pan Pacific Vancouver – both of which have been consistently recognized with the AAA Five Diamond designation since 1990.
Posted on Aug 07, 2010 under Archives, Las Vegas |
Encore's Beach Club
The hottest parties in Las Vegas aren’t at the nightclubs. They’re now by the pools. Anyone deprived of spring break shenanigans in college can make up for lost time at any of Vegas’ latest indulgence – the ultra pool. Many resorts have recently added opulent swimming areas each with a distinct personality catering to an adult crowd. Here is a round up of the latest splashiest scene.
Encore Beach Club
At 60,000 square feet, Steve Wynn’s new Encore Beach Club is larger than the combined square footage of XS Nightclub (40,000), Tryst (10,000) and Blush (4,000) at the Wynn properties. The venue features three tiered pools, daybeds and 26 cabanas with refrigerators and flat screen TVs. Eight luxurious bungalows include balconies overlooking the Las Vegas strip, each with a private bathroom, shower and Jacuzzi.
Guests can also play blackjack at air-conditioned poolside open-air tables. Encore Beach Club is the first pool venue to offer sunbathers air conditioning outside.
Encore's Beach Club
City Center
Whether guests choose to soak up the scene at the newest pools, go all in at waterside casinos or dare to be bare at an adults-only retreat, the resorts at City Center are the place to dive into summer fun.
Aria Resort pool
ARIA Resort and Casino houses three distinctive pools and hot tubs. Lavish cabanas include 42” LCD televisions, iPod docks and WiFi Internet access. The Liquid Pool Lounge offer an adults-only experience with a state-of-the-art sound system and world class DJ’s. Liquid’s 1,200 main pool is surrounded by 85 chaise lounges and 35 daybeds, while two separate private pools boasts uber-VIP private cabanas.
The Vdara Hotel and Spa 40,000 square foot features phenomenal views of City Center, chaise lounges, plush daybeds and cabanas. Massages, made-to-order cocktails and gourmet tapas can be ordered poolside.
Mandarin Oriental Pool at City Center
Mandarin Oriental’s stylish 8th floor pool deck houses two lap pools, a plunge pool, Jacuzzis and pool butlers that provide guests with towels, ice, drinks and snacks. Poolside cabanas offer fresh fruit, sun care amenities and flat screen televisions. The Pool Café offers Asian inspired dishes as well as salads and light snacks.
Fortuna pool at Caesars
Caesars Palace Garden of the Gods
Caesars Palace’s new five acre Garden of the Gods pool oasis features eight swimming pools, an 18-foot waterfall and swim-up blackjack tables. Forty-four new private cabanas include flat screen televisions, DVD players, iPod docking station, wireless Internet access and plush furniture. Caesars Palace Spa offers a variety of pampering services poolside including sun tan lotion application, massages and body scrubs. The Garden of the Gods pools are situated on three levels at the heart of the resort and allow guests to find their own pool experience, from those looking to socialize and connect at the stylish new Fortuna Bar to those who want to enjoy a relaxing quiet massage at the Jupiter pool area or partygoers who want to swim to the latest sounds by resident and guest DJ’s at the Venus Pool Club.
Caesar's Palace pool area
Hard Rock HRH Beach Club
The new HRH Beach Club at the Hard Rock Hotel nearly doubles the pool vicinity to house five acres. Featuring an expansive pool area, sandy beach, 17 daybeds, 24 luxury cabanas, eight spa villas, swim-up blackjack and a gaming lounge. The spa offers manicures, pedicures and poolside services including deep tissue, Swedish and reflexology massages. The gaming area includes seven blackjack tables, a roulette wheel and one ice game. For those who want to play their favorite casino games such as video poker and slots in the comfort of a cabana, mobile gaming is also available.
Posted on Jul 30, 2010 under Archives, Food and Travel News |
TASTE OF BEVERLY HILLS, PRESENTED BY FOOD & WINE, “TWEET TO EAT” CONTEST STARTS ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, OFFERING FOOD FANS A CHANCE TO WIN TWO WEEKEND PASSES TO THE LABOR DAY FESTIVAL
Follow the “Taste of Beverly Hills” Food & Wine Festival on Twitter (@TasteofBH) August 1-15 for daily culinary clues about participating chefs and the first fan to correctly guess each of the 15 chefs (answers accepted via e-mail after 4 p.m. August 16) will receive two weekend passes to the event, a $1,000 value.
“Taste of Beverly Hills,” presented by Food & Wine, is a four-day food, wine, and music extravaganza, taking place behind the Beverly Hilton Hotel September 2-5, 2010. This event will showcase over 50 chefs and restaurants from throughout Los Angeles, and the country, as well as cooking demonstrations, LG Electronics’ “Taste of Something Better” live culinary competition, wine seminars from top vintners, and more.
In anticipation of the upcoming festival, the Taste of Beverly Hills and FOOD & WINE invite devoted food fans to get to know the celebrated chefs who will make up the culinary lineup through a daily Twitter contest, held August 1-15, culminating in the chance to win the grand prize of two complimentary weekend passes (a $1000 value). In addition to the grand prize, opportunities to win other festival related perks will be announced throughout the contest, via the @TasteofBH Twitter feed.
Beginning August 1 and continuing through August 15, the Taste of Beverly Hills Twitter account will post a daily “Culinary Clue” about a participating chef (Twitter hash tag: #CCTOBH). The first fan to send an e-mail to TweetToEat@TheTasteofBeverlyHills.com after 4 p.m. on Monday, August 16, with all 15 correct chef names will receive two complimentary weekend passes. Weekend passes grant access to all Taste of Beverly Hills sessions, exclusive of the Thursday, September 2 “90210 City of Beverly Hills Celebration,” which is an individually ticketed event. Additional opportunities to win festival prizes will be announced, via Twitter, throughout the contest.
Visit www.thetasteofbeverlyhills.com The Taste of Beverly Hills for a full schedule of events.
Posted on Jul 30, 2010 under Archives, Interviews, Other interesting people |
Davidji is an internationally recognized meditation teacher, life guide, and public speaker. He travels the world sharing timeless wisdom on stress management, deeper life fulfillment, emotional healing, balancing business and wellness, getting unstuck, and taking your life to the next level. He is the author of several books, hundreds of articles, and is the subject of many videos.
Since 2003, davidji has lived and worked at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, CA which he refers to as “the sweet spot of the universe.” Having apprenticed under Deepak Chopra and David Simon for seven years, he is the Chopra Center’s lead meditation teacher and ayurveda instructor teaching thousands each month throughout the world to tap into the stillness and silence that rests within.
Davidji
The Chopra Center serves as headquarters of alternative medicine gurus Deepak Chopra and David Simon. It houses a multitude of classes, daily meditation and yoga, seminars, workshops and treatments based on the principles of Ayurveda, an ancient healing system of India. The Center combines mind and body techniques with natural spa treatments, including Oshadi, a herbal wrap to eliminate toxins; Pizichilli, a rhythmic therapy massage to enhance circulation; and Abhyanga, a two-therapist massage to enhance the immune system.
I sat down with Davidji, aka David Greenspan, for a chat at the Chopra Center at La Costa in Carlsbad about the center, how he came to teach there, and the mind/body connection. Throughout our conversation a variety of people walked by and all of them had to stop to chat with David. He greeted each person with a huge hug and every friend thanked him before leaving. I also felt better after I talked with him than before our conversation, which I think is part of the reason he is one of the main reasons to visit the center. He gave me a CD of his meditations and after a week I’ve reduced a good deal of stress following the CD. You can purchase his meditation CD, DavidJi Guided Meditations, at his website, www.davidji.com.
