Archives for July, 2012

RIP, Ernest Borgnine Dies at 95

Posted on Jul 08, 2012 under Uncategorized | No Comment
Ernest Borgnine, I'm holding his Oscar for Marty

Ernest Borgnine, I'm holding his Oscar for Marty

Today Oscar winning actor Ernest Borgnine passed away.  I interviewed Ernest at his Hollywood Hills home five years ago when he was 90.   He reminded me of a big teddy bear.  He shared with me tales of old Hollywood and his “history” library full of antique and collectibles from past presidents.  Here is the link to my interview with the actor, http://www.latimes.com/extras/events/custom_publishing/arcPdf_storage/livingWell/LivingWell_12-07.pdf.

Food Lovers Weekend in Irvine

Posted on Jul 07, 2012 under Uncategorized | No Comment
Irvine, CA

Irvine, CA

Located in the heart of Orange County, Irvine offers world class shopping, great beaches, championship golf courses and nearby theme parks.  They city also offers a variety of restaurants and culinary adventures for visiting foodies.  Here are a few places to explore on your next trip to Irvine.

Hyatt Regency  outside

Hyatt Regency outside

Check into one of the 536 guestrooms at the Hyatt Regency, the area’s only AAA Four Diamond hotel.  Located two miles from John Wayne Airport and South Coast Plaza, guests can enjoy the 24-hour fitness center, outdoor pool and tennis courts before retreating to guestrooms with modern furnishings and art, separate business spaces with desks and high speed Internet and flat panel television.

The Wine Artist

The Wine Artist

Wine enthusiasts can visit The Wine Artist, a 2,500 square foot Tuscan designed boutique winery and wine tasting bar specializing in corporate events, private parties, custom labeled wine and bottling experiences and cooking classes.   Here you can design your own bottle label, pick a red or white blend, cork it, label it and take it home.

corking wine

corking wine

Owner MJ Hong teaches a variety of cooking classes, including tastes of Thailand, France, Italy, and Spain.

Pad Thai from cooking class

Pad Thai from cooking class

Reservations for wine bottling and cooking classes can be made at 949/297-3656 located at 21064 Bake Parkway.

Qzina Institute of Chocolate

Qzina Institute of Chocolate

Chocoholics will love the Bean to Bar tour and tasting offered at Qzina Institute of Chocolate.   Qzina is an international importer of specialty chocolates and its Irvine facility is a training center for pastry chefs, chocolatiers and cocoa loving laypeople.  During the tour and tasting guests can view the 18,239 pound chocolate sculpture modeled after an ancient Mayan Temple.

world's biggest chocolate sculpture

world's biggest chocolate sculpture

Visitors on the bean to bar tour learn how chocolate is made and get to sample chocolates from all over the world.

deshelling cocoa beans

deshelling cocoa beans

chocolate tasting

chocolate tasting

Located at 9461 Irvine Center Drive, 949/208-8462 for reservations.

Irvine is also home to a number of restaurants, including Chef David Myers Pizzeria Ortica at South Coast Plaza.  Enjoy handmade Napoli-style artisan pizzas, antipasta dishes and homemade pastas.

appetizer plate

appetizer plate

parma ham pizza

parma ham pizza

Pizzeria Ortica is located at 650 Anton Boulevard, reservations at 714/445-4900.

If you are in the mood for Japanese food, try the new SWSH Shabu Shabu, where you can cook your own meal.  Choose from an array of petal thin sliced meat and vegetables, tofu and noodles to dunk in a pot of boiling water then dip in ponzu or sesame sauce and eat with rice.  SWSH’s space is trendy and chic with half of the dining room dedicated to booth seating and the other half to a long traditional bar.   The menu offers a few modern twists including a raw egg to cook with the meat and vegetables, Angus ribeye beef and Kurobuta pork.  Located at 2710 Alton Parkway, 949/474-0888 for reservations.

Standout menu items include the guanciale, ricotta and cippollotto pizza, pear and pecorino torelli, and the tagliatelle bolognese.

Dinner at Gordon Ramsay Steak, Paris Las Vegas

Posted on Jul 02, 2012 under Archives, Las Vegas | No Comment
Gordon Ramsay Steak

Gordon Ramsay Steak

Celeb chef Gordon Ramsay pays tribute to his home country of England both in menu items and atmosphere at his new steakhouse located in Paris.  Diners enter through a “chunnel” emulating the passageway from England to France and the two-story dining room’s main focus is a dangling neon art sculpture representing the chef’s movements while creating his signature Beef Wellington.

entrance

entrance

The restaurant accommodates 200 guests who can choose to dine at the bar, lounge, chef’s table or main room.  Drinks can be perused via an iPad digital menu provided for each table.

iPad displays cocktail menu

iPad displays cocktail menu

I visited a few weeks ago for an article for The Daily Meal and invited my good friend Joni to tag along.  I chose my standard dirty martini which came with a nice surprise of bacon at the end of my olive, Joni chose a strawberry cosmo.

jonis drink

strawberry cosmo

dirty martini

dirty martini

Joni chose the traditional Caesar salad which came with a nice surprise – a Scottish egg, and I selected the market green salad with butter lettuce, crispy pancetta, blue cheese, tomato raisins and green goddess dressing.

caesar salad with fried Scottish egg

caesar salad with fried Scottish egg

Market green salad

Market green salad

For the main course, an array of raw beef in various cuts is presented tableside.  Each is dry aged for at least 28 days in a Himalayan salt room and hand selected by Pat LaFrieda.

meat display

meat display

We both chose the ribeye which was perfectly cooked.

ribeye

ribeye

Other menu offerings include seafood and Ramsay’s infamous Beef Wellington.  We chose fire roasted corn  with chile and lime and a huge baked potato for our sides, others menu sides include a mushroom tart, sautéed spinach, mac and cheese and other steakhouse standards.

fire roasted corn

fire roasted corn

baked potato

baked potato

Before our dessert course came out we were presented with three chocolate and liquor dipped spoons which paired well with our coffee.

spoons

spoons

The standout dessert is Ramsay’s Sticky Toffee Pudding, which Joni ordered, and consisted of a sweet pudding cake, brown sugar toffee and brown butter ice cream, delicious.

sticky toffee pudding

sticky toffee pudding

A dedicated chocoholic, I ordered the chocolate layers, a rich chocolate cake with passion fruit ganache  layers and coffee ice cream.

chocolate layers

chocolate layers

the wedding planner and the food critic

the wedding planner and the food critic

The next time you find yourself in Sin City hankering for a traditional steak, head over to Chef Ramsay’s new digs.   Located at 3655 South Las Vegas Boulevard, reservations at 702/946-7000.

The Weekly Dish – July 2, 2012

Posted on Jul 01, 2012 under Archives, The Weekly Dish | No Comment

Here is the dish on what is happening this week in Los Angeles and Las Vegas:

Los Angeles

Chef Christophe Happillon shucking oysters

Chef Christophe Happillon shucking oysters

Church and State – Chef Christophe Happillon, the Oyster Gourmet, will bring his famous oyster bar to Church and State every Tuesday and Thursday beginning this week from 6 to 10 pm.   $36 per dozen, 1850 Industrial Street, reservations at 213/405-1434.

Soleto Trattoria and Pizza bar debuts downtown this month, located in the financial district.  Chef Sascha Lyon will be overseeing the Southern Italian menu.   Located at 801 South Figueroa Street, 213/622-3255.

Las Vegas

Central Michel Richard

Central Michel Richard

Central Michel Richard at Caesars Palace- will be hosting a Great American Cookout this Saturday, July 7.  The all you can eat barbeque includes beer and patio seating to view fireworks beginning at 9pm, reservations at 702/650-5921.

Luxor – launches it’s “Race Through The Pyramid” contest now through July 23.   Submit a video showcasing why you and your favorite comrade should be chosen among four teams to compete for a luxury prize package.   The four selected teams of two will receive roundtrip airfare to Vegas and hotel stay and meals and participate in various challenges at the Luxor to win a VIP vacation package.   Enter at www.luxor.com/racethroughthepyramid/.

Minus5 Ice Bar Frosty Mojito

Minus5 Ice Bar Frosty Mojito

Minus5 Ice Bar, Mandalay Bay – Chill out at Minus5 Ice Bar and guests who wear a Minus5 t-shirt will receive $5 off any entry package on July 4.  Also, this week the bar launches it’s latest cocktail creation, the Frosty Mojito Cocktail, located at 3960 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

palazzo

palazzo

Lagasse’s Stadium at Palazzo – is hosting a UFC 148 viewing party with fighter Roy Nelson on Saturday, July 7.   The event begins at 7pm at 3325 Las Vegas Boulevard South, 702/607-2665 for reservations.

Earl of Sandwich – is opening its second Las Vegas location at the Palms on July 2.   Official sandwich cutting will begin at 5 pm, located at 4321 West Flamingo Road.

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