Please The Palate |

Yalla Mediterrean Comes to Los Angeles

Fast, fresh and healthy - who doesn't like that combination? That's what Yalla Mediterranean offers. With two locations in Northern California, Yalla Mediterranean has come to Los Angeles with a first location in Burbank and Culver City is slated to open in December.

Featuring the cuisines of Greece, Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Tunisia and Egypt, Yalla Mediterranean celebrates the flavors around the Mediterranean. Everything at Yalla Mediterranean is custom made-to-order. Stand in line and decide the base you want to start with - falafel, chicken shawarma, chicken skewers, steak skewers, kefta skewers or salmon skewers. All the meats are tasty but the chicken shawarma was a favorite! The kefta meatballs and falafel are both tender and flavorful.

Once you pick your protein, it is placed on the custom grill, which is both a rotisserie and conveyor, and will cook as you build the rest of your plate.

02 November, 2015

Happy Hour at Fogo de Chão

When I think about Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian steakhouse, I think about it's reputation as a meat lovers destination. With almost a dozen skewers of lamb, beef, pork and chicken being carried through the dining room, my previous visit to Fogo de Chão resulted in a "meat coma", borderlining the "meat sweats". But, rest assured, if you are looking for a "lighter" experience or perhaps you are not in the mood for an intense meat-filled meal, you can still enjoy the flavors of Fogo de Chão at their Happy Hour. Happy Hour, offered Monday through Friday from 4:30-6:30pm, not only offers Brazilian-inspired small plates but also at a special price! Check out what's available: Warm Hearts of Palm and Spinach Dip - Served with crispy toasts, it's a creamy, filling dish that is great to share with friends.

Warm Hearts of Palm and Spinach Dip, crispy toasts

31 October, 2015

Give Vodka Another Chance

This article originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register (October 30, 2015) Is vodka your favorite drink? That was the question posed by Purity Vodka Master Blender Thomas Kuuttanen at a recent dinner. More than half of the hands went up. Whether it was true, shouldn’t one answer favorably in front of a vodka producer? Well, I did not raise my hand. I could not lie. Vodka is not my favorite spirit. I am a gin drinker. I find vodkas to be rough, flavorless and odorless and some are like rubbing alcohol. Sure, it is a neutral spirit and can be the base in many cocktails but I like the flavors that come from other spirits. We did not get the response you would think from a vodka producer. He responded that vodka is, in fact, not his favorite spirit either. Having worked in the spirits industry in Sweden for many years, he is more of a fan of whiskey. Thomas explained that he found vodka kind of sad; vodka is more about image and not about content. But, spirits are about soul and passion, and that is what Thomas set out to make, creating Purity Vodka, which is the winner of more than 100 gold medals in blind competitions.

30 October, 2015