Please The Palate |

First and Oak – A Hidden Gem in Solvang

Solvang, in the Santa Ynez Valley, is a kitschy town known for its Danish-style architecture and aebelskivers. But a few blocks off the main street is the charming and romantic boutique Mirabelle Inn.

Just inside the hotel is First & Oak Restaurant, an elegant and intimate restaurant that offers personalized service and creative cuisine. The Mirabelle Inn restaurant was established in 1993 but in July of 2015, father and son team Bernard and Jonathan Rosenson purchased the property and remodeled it.

Running First & Oak is Executive Chef Steven Snook who worked for Chef Gordon Ramsey for 10 years. Originally from England, Chef Snook came to the U.S. in 2009 and worked at Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London Hotel in New York City, Kenwood Inn and Spa and Salish Lodge & Spa before joining First & Oak.

13 March, 2018

Please the Palate Pick of the Week: Chilean Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

If you had asked me a week ago about Chilean wine, I would not have had much to say. It is not a region that I had explored and my familiarity with the wines was generally limited to the value wines made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere. But after spending a week exploring Leyda Valley, Casablanca Valley and Limari Valley, three areas in the coastal region of Chile, I am enamored. Without a doubt the elegant Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from these regions are the Please The Palate pick of the week. Chile is a long and skinny country. From north to south, Chile is approximately 2600 miles long. On the west side is the Pacific Ocean and only 110 miles across the country are the Andes, with Argentina on the other side. There are vineyards near the Andes, there are vineyards in the Central Valley (between the Andes and the Coastal Mountain Range) and there is the Coastal Region where vineyards lie between the Coastal Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean.

10 March, 2018

Tiger Fork: Hong Kong-inspired cuisine in the heart of Washington DC

After finishing an event in the Shaw neighborhood in Washington DC, my clients and I headed off for dinner. A friend recommended Tiger Fork, a Hong Kong-inspired restaurant. I googled the location and the map said Blagden Alley, which sounded like something out of Harry Potter. We walked down 9th Street NW and turned on N Street NW. Google Maps said we were there but we only saw closed businesses. However, halfway down the street was an alley so we turned down the alley and a bit further down found murals on the walls and bars and restaurants. We were in Blagden Alley. There was no name on the door but the large window told us we had found Tiger Fork.

Blagden Alley is an historic district in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington DC. A series of intersecting brick-paved alleyways that date back to the 19th century were once home to workshops and stables and today is the location of bars and restaurants. Inside, Tiger Fork is bustling. Lighted lanterns hand from the ceiling and long communal tables run down the center of the restaurant. A large bar sits in the front center of the restaurant and flames from the woks can be seen from the open kitchen in the back.

08 March, 2018