Please The Palate |

Even the Rain Could Not Stop the 2nd Annual Masters of Taste

As the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers", but in Los Angeles that saying rarely applies. Here we are in the beginning of May, ready to enjoy the spring weather. But, last weekend, while the sun was shining, the clouds were grey and the rain was looming as the 2nd Annual Masters of Taste LA was getting ready to start. As we entered the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, we were ready, just in case, and we had our rain jackets and umbrella.

Masters of Taste brought together more than fifty chefs and restaurants, as well as wine, beer, spirits, cider and non-alcoholic purveyors. More than 2000 people bought tickets to attend the event. A football field filled with food and drink is reason enough to attend the Masters of Taste but all the more so because 100 percent of the proceeds go to Union Station Homeless Services which assists the city's homeless.

11 May, 2017

The Super Vintage of the Rhone Valley

This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register. The bi-annual Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône took place on April 10-13. Over four days, wine professionals from around the world explored...

09 May, 2017

Please The Palate Pick of the Week – Humphrey Yogart

Frozen yogurt has come and gone and come again as a trend. First in the 1980s and 1990s, frozen yogurt shops were on every corner. Then, in the last decade, places such as Pinkberry and Yogurtland started popping up. But with the motto: "Be Bold. Be Different. Blend-In," Humphrey Yogart has stood the test of time for more than thirty years and that is why it is my Please The Palate "pick of the week."

I began going to Humphrey Yogart, located in a strip mall in Sherman Oaks in the 1980s, when I was in high school. Humphrey's was always different than the rest of the frozen yogurt shops. In fact, just from the name, you can tell they follow their motto to "be different." The name "yogART" is the playful name for their art of blending frozen yogurt with ingredients to create individualized flavors.

06 May, 2017