Posted on Jun 05, 2010 under Archives |
Lobby at W Hotel, Hollywood
I recently visited the new W Hotel in Hollywood to review it for lowfares.com. Kristi Blake, the pr director, gave me a tour of the suites, spa and property. Here are some pics and a brief overview of tinseltown’s latest hotspot.
Located at one of the most iconic intersections in the world, Hollywood and Vine, the 305 room W Hotel sits above the Metro red line station. Once inside, the reception area leads to the vast light-filled 45 foot Living Room with a dramatic corkscrew shaped chandelier, a mirrored floating staircase, soaring 34 foot ceilings and a footbridge suspended overhead. The cavernous lobby also houses red carpets, an indoor small bar and the adjacent Station Hollywood, an al fresco lounge. The W also has 143 luxury condominiums, a 375 unit apartment block and retail space.
Set just off of Hollywood Boulevard and opposite the art deco Pantages Theater, the hotel is close to eastern stretch of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and walking distance to Graumans Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater, Hollywood and Highland shopping complex, Amoeba Music and the Cinerama Dome and Arclight movie theaters.
Wow suite at the W Hotel
The W features a range of rooms and suites labeled wonderful, marvelous, fabulous and WOW. The décor and amenities are similar in all categories, with rooms in a palate of white, silver, bronze and red featuring marble bathrooms with walk in showers, 350-count Egyptian cotton sheets, goose-down duvets, white lacquer furniture and bejeweled door peepholes. Most also have the W signature bronze vinyl and chrome chaise window seats. WOW suites also offer enormous patios, marble foyers, kitchenettes and dining tables.
The hotel also houses Sweat, a large state-of-the-art fitness center free to hotel guests and open 24 hours. The W’s Whatever, Whenever Service can satisfy any guest requests (for a fee) including limo service, babysitting, dinner and show reservations and travel services. The PAWS (Pets Are Welcome) policy welcomes pets under 40 pounds for a $100 non-refundable deposit plus a $25 per day charge.
Biiss spa
For sheer relaxation, guests can book a treatment at the 6,000 square foot Bliss Spa offering pedicures, facials, waxing and skincare services as well as signature massages in seven treatment rooms. The spa features the W signature brownie buffet, rhythm and blues music, and movie while you manicure nail stations.
WET, W pool scene
The 12th floor rooftop pool and bar feature panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills and downtown, poolside curtain daybeds and Moroccan inspired cabanas.
Drais Hollywood
Drais Hollywood, a restaurant, bar and nightclub rolled into one, is located on the roof adjacent to the pool and spans over 20,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space. The sprawling area houses multiple bars, metallic silver booths, huge red lamps with chrome stripper pole bases, and mirrored ceiling high columns. The 120-seat restaurant’s menu features American standards such as steak, seafood and pasta.
Now through December 31, 2010, guests can get 50 percent off a second night stay or book two nights and get the third night free. Arrivals must be Thursday through Sunday. The hotel is located at 6250 Hollywood Boulevard, reservations can be made at 323/798-1300.
Posted on Jun 05, 2010 under Archives |
delphine at the W Hollywood
A few weeks ago I stopped by the new W Hotel for a tour and lunch at their lobby level restaurant Delphine for a story I wrote on the new hotel for lowfares.com. My good friend Nicole met me for lunch at Delphine.
The lobby level Delphine Eatery and Bar designed by New York based Mark Zaff is filled with Riviera inspired décor – arched wooden ceilings, comfy pale blue circular banquettes, blue and white tile floors, massive framed mirrors, pictures of French beach scenes and shelves with antiques and books. The menu is French bistro fare and comfort food, offering macaroni gratin, fish and chips, steak frites with béarnaise, tapas, pastas and burgers. Adjacent is Station Hollywood, an open air space with a bar, seating areas, two fire pits and an 600 square food pull down movie screen. Here’s a sampling of what we ate at Hollywood’s new hotspot.
cheese plate
We started with a cheese plate and caesar salad.
caesar salad
Nicole, my friend ordered the lobster, which was huge and yummy.
Huge lobster
I was trying to stay on my diet and ordered the healthy salmon with vegetables in a miso broth. Both the lobster and the salmon were delicious.
Salmon with vegetables in miso broth
Me and Nicole
We felt very proud of ourselves that we kept to ordering healthy food until….. the waiter brought out dessert. We had to sample these treats, a chocolate terraine with a rich chocolate mousse like top and a crunchy crust that came with a very large ice cream sandwich. We also received a huge apple tart. Both were really delicious.
chocolate terraine cake and ice cream sandwich
Apple tart
Delphine is a great dinner option if you are heading to the Hollywood area to catch a flick at the Arclight (just blocks away) or a show at the Pantages (even closer, just across the street). An added bonus is you can take the metro to the W’s doorstep. Located at 6250 Hollywood Boulevard, reservations recommended, 323/798-1355.
Posted on Jun 02, 2010 under Archives |
Ethel M Chocolate Factory, Las Vegas
A while back while researching info for my Las Vegas travel guidebook I took a tour of the Ethel M. Factory in Las Vegas. Ethel M stores are found in Las Vegas, but if you don’t live there you have to order from their website. Here are some pics inside the factory.
Making chocolates
The tour is free and starts adjacent to the M & M Store, where you can buy just about anything with the M & M logo. Here is a shot of the production tables, where all chocolates are hand crafted.
production shot
The tour is short and includes a mural of the history of Ethel M. Chocolates. Head Pastry Chef Jin Caldwell accompanied me on the tour (interview is on last post). In addition to thinking up and creating new chocolates, she often makes chocolate sculptures, one is below.
chocolate sculpture
The tour ends at the Ethel M. Shop, where you can taste a sample (free!!) and see the many hand crafted chocolates that they create.
Ethel M. Store
I wandered around here for awhile and Chef Jin was nice enough to select a huge bunch of chocolates for me. They have massive amounts to choose from so I let her select a nice variety of favorites that she created.
Chef Jin picking out my chocolates
chocolates
chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates
In the winter Ethel M decorates the entire factory (and their huge cactus garden, which you can walk through after the tour) with Christmas lights, so December is a really nice time to visit. The tour and chocolate samples are free and if you have kids or just love chocolate as much as I do it is a great place to stop by when in Vegas.
My Ethel M Stash
I came away with tons of chocolates and a nice present for Matt. The signature pecan brittle was my fave and didn’t last very long. The Ethel M Chocolate Factory is located at 2 Cactus Garden Drive in Henderson.
Posted on Jun 02, 2010 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews |
Ethel M. Chocolate Head Pastry Chef, Jin Caldwell
On a recent visit to the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory I interviewed Jin Caldwell, who is their head pastry chef. She was nice enough to give me a tour of the factory and picked out some great chocolates that she created.
For Caldwell, the art of creating chocolate confections is the realization of a lifelong culinary passion. as the former chocolatier and pastry chef for Wynn-Las Vegas and the Bellagio Hotel, Chef Jin has worked under the direction of world renowned pastry chefs such as Jean-Phillipe Maury and Frederic Robert. A graduate of Le Cordon Blue Culinary School-Scottsdale, Arizona, Chef Jin has had a life long passion to create great cuisine.
Chef Jins’ culinary skills have earned her numerous awards and worldwide recognition. In 2003, she won the grand championship of the American Culinary Federation Culinary Challenge, with two “gold” and one “silver” medal. She has been featured in numerous national venues, including the Food Network and Rachel Ray programs Chef Jin also represented the United States at the 2006 World Ice Cream Cup in Rimini, Italy, where her chocolate-raspberry ice cream cake was judged to be among the world’s best.
In 2007, Chef Jin was invited to be one of 12 team captains selected for the prestigious national pastry team championships held in Nashville, Tenn. her 3-person “Team Caldwell” was also the first all-female pastry team to ever compete at this high level of culinary expertise, and earned a silver medal overall in the 13-hour competition. Team Caldwell also took first place in the chocolate entremet, frozen entremet & chocolate bon-bon categories.
Chef Jin sat down with me after our tour and talked about what probably is the best job in the world, creating great chocolates!
