The Divine Dish

Palazzo Magnani Feroni, Florence

Posted on Apr 29, 2012 under Archives, Italy | No Comment

Located one block south of the Arno is the gorgeously grand Palazzo Magnani Feroni.  I was lucky enough to stay at this 15th Century all suite former palace the last time I was in Florence.   The large Renaissance resort houses marble stairways, huge elegant salons, stone fireplaces, original frescoes, antiques and silk and damask furnishings.  Each of the 12 suites has huge sitting rooms and master bedrooms and private marble bathrooms.

I stayed in the Angelica suite which housed two televisions, antique furniture, a treadmill and a beautiful terrace.

Throughout the resort are a maze of elegantly decorated rooms.    The rooftop patio also offers sweeping views of Florence.

The breakfast buffet is included in your stay.  The breakfast room features an original Murano crystal chandelier and a coffered ceiling once housed in the Palazzo Farnese in Rome.  The extensive buffet includes cheeses, eggs, cereal, meats, fruit and a variety of breads.

Situated close to the Ponte Vecchio, the Palazzo Magnani Feroni is the perfect place to stay for an elegant and romantic holiday in Florence.  Located at Borgo San Frediano 5, reservations at 39 055 23 99 544 or through their website www.palazzomagnaniferoni.com.

Tasting Dinner at BierBeisl, Beverly Hills

Posted on Apr 27, 2012 under Archives | 1 Comment

BierBeisl might be tiny, but the new Austrian restaurant in Beverly Hills delivers huge flavors in a variety of schnitzels and sausages.  At the helm is former Patina Chef Bernhard Mairinger, recently named a top rising chef for 2012 by Zagat.

I visited the eatery a few days ago and was excited to try the charcuterie plate and schnitzels.  The modern layout offers diners seven seats at the bar overlooking the small kitchen and about 15 tables, so reservations are a must.

Nick and I started with the famous charcuterie plate which had a variety of cured meats, mustards and sauces.

We also enjoyed the house-cured char with heirloom beets and fresh horseradish served over a nice herb salad.

The selection of Austrian and Czech beers is amazing.  We enjoyed a nice pisner and staropramen.

Next came our main dishes, a kasekrainer sausage infused with Swiss cheese and served with tarragon mustard and fresh horseradish.  This was similar to a Polish sausage and filled with flavor.  We loved this dish.

Equally tasty was the juicy bratwurst served with tangy sauerkraut and tarragon mustard.  Other sausages on the menu include the Debreziner- a spicy thin coarsed sausage, Weisswurst – slow simmered in mild and served with a pretzel, Polish, traditional Wiener and Bier Cabanossi.

Next came the crispy veal schnitzel, my fave of the night, served with lingonberries and lemon.

We ended the meal with the famous sachertorte and the coffee hazelnut schnitte – both decadent and rich.

Last was a taste from BierBeisl’s schnapps bar – we choose plum schnapps.  A perfect way to end a delicious Austrian meal.

Now is the perfect time to visit the eatery as they are offering two great specials.  In honor of Sigmund Freud’s Birthday, order any two sausages from May 6 – 11 and get a third sausage free.  Additionally, on May 4 is a special menu pairing featuring Weingut Juris (Austria’s premier red wine producer) wines.

Next time you find yourself in the 90210, stop by BierBeisl for a little taste of Austria.  Open for lunch and dinner, located at 9669 South Santa Monica Boulevard, reservations are a must,  310/271-7274.

Interview with Joe Bastianich

Posted on Apr 20, 2012 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews, Other interesting people | No Comment

I caught up with restaurateur, winemaker, and host of MasterChef US and MasterChef Italy Joe Bastianich on the new redesigned set of MasterChef in Culver City.

Bastianich, along with partners Mario Batali and his mother Lidia Bastianich – has established some of the country’s most celebrated restaurants in New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles including Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamόn, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Del Posto (New York),  B&B Ristorante and Carnevino (Las Vegas)  and Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles). The beginning of 2011 marked Bastianich and Batali’s  first overseas venture with the opening of Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza in Singapore.

In summer 2010, Bastianich again partnered with his mother and Batali, as well as Italian retail pioneer Oscar Farinetti, to bring Eataly, the largest artisanal food and wine market in the world, to New York.

Additionally, Bastianich operates three wineries in Italy and one in Argentina.   He has authored several books on wine, including the award winning “Vino Italiano” with Sommelier David Lynch.

Bastianich is an accomplished author whose passion for the culinary arts has been recognized with professional awards from Bon Appétit magazine and the James Beard Foundation.

I talked with Bastianich about his love of food and wine, MasterChef US and Italy, and his upcoming memoir, “Restaurant Man,” scheduled for release on May 1, 2012.

 

Cocktail and Small Bites Tasting at Blvd 16, Westwood

Posted on Apr 20, 2012 under Archives | No Comment

Last night, Kris Ferraro from Wagner Junker PR Agency and the Hotel Palomar hosted a lovely “new cocktail and small bites” tasting at the Blvd 16 restaurant and lounge located inside the Palomar.

After starting with some champagne for the small group of bloggers and food writers, we watched as the bar’s mixologist made our first cocktail – The Lyder Side.   Composed of Bols Genever Gin, hibiscus liqueur, lemon and orange juice and agave, this turned out to be our fave drink of the night.  Very refreshing and not too strong.

Our first small bite was a tasty satisfying hummus dip with warm pita chips.

Next came a nice tuna appetizer with roasted red peppers, tuna and avocado over a round slice of watermelon.

Our second cocktail was the Pisco Sour, with Kappa Pisco, egg whites, lemon juice, agave and Angostura’s Bitters.  This was our least favorite.  I took my friend Dalbert with me to the tasting and we are both lightweight drinkers, so we thought the floating bitters overpowered the drink and it was a little too sour for us.  We both agreed that we would like the drink without the floating bitters.

Next came a duo of flatbreads, a stinging nettle pesto, goat cheese and tomato sample and a salmon with lemon creme, asparagus and diced tomato sample.  We loved these.

Our last cocktail was the New Old Fashion with Jameson Irish Whiskey, blood orange and maraschino liqueur and Peychauds bitters.

This was also very strong and a good pairing for our next courses of sample appetizers.

Chef Richard Hodge explained each of our appetizers.  He changes the menu seasonally and uses market fresh ingredients.

We loved the mini sliders, yummy angus beef topped with crispy onions, smoked tomato black pepper aioli and jack cheese.  These were our faves of the night.

Our last appetizer course was the fish tacos, fried cod with pickled habenero, shredded cabbage and creme fraiche in a corn tortilla.  These were very very spicy.

For dessert we were given a nice crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside spoonful of creme brulee with a strawberry slice on top.

If you find yourself on the Westside, Blvd 16 is a great place to chill out with some tasty cocktails and bites from their bar.  A plus is that you can create your own selection of small appetizers 2 for $5, 3 for $8 and 4 for $10.  Located inside Hotel Palomar at 10740 Wilshire Boulevard, 310/474-7765 for reservations.