Please The Palate |

A Night of the Unexpected with Wild Turkey® American Honey

How can you say no to an invitation to head out for a "Night of the Unexpected"? Here's how the invite went: "Here’s how it’s all going down. I will send a car service to pick you up from a location that is convenient for you. The car will take you to a secret location in LA where you will participate in the first activity of the night. Afterwards, everyone will be whisked off to a second secret location for dinner, American Honey drinks and another activity. A car service will also be provided to take you home at the end of the night." So, at 5pm I was picked up by a car and driven to the destination. Thanks to LA traffic at rush hour, it look over an hour to get to the destination - the eastside of Downtown LA. We entered a warehouse district where I was let out of the car. I entered the building where I met up with the group in a narrow hallway. What were we about to do?

21 November, 2014

What Does Pinot Noir Mean To You?

Ahhhhh.......Pinot Noir. Just saying those two works can make most wine lovers swoon. But what is it about Pinot Noir that so many love? A fickle grape that requires optimum growing conditions, Pinot Noir is typically a lighter-medium bodied, fruit-forward red wine. Originally the noble red grape of Burgundy, Pinot Noir is grown today in Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, France, Spain, Germany and Italy. When Pinot Days Southern California came to Los Angeles, bringing more than 40 Pinot Noir producers for an afteroon of tasting, I thought is was a good chance to ask some winemakers, and others, what Pinot Noir means to them.

19 November, 2014

It’s All About Flavor At Cardamom Restaurant

If you like flavor and spice, Cardamom is for you. LA's newest Indian Restaurant opened last month and is already getting noticed by the neighborhood. In the location formally home to India's Oven, business partners, and brothers-in-law, Nasir Syed and Badrul Chowdhury, have created a restaurant that represents all of the regions of India.

Nasir actually worked at India's Oven when he first arrived in the US. So it is a perfect circle that he has come back here to open his own spot. But to do so, Nair and his brother-in-law decided to bring their uncle to Los Angeles to help. A successful restaurateur in London who had 32 locations at one point, Chef Manju Choudhury came to LA and spent 2 months creating the menu and training the staff.

17 November, 2014