Cocktails

Whenever I thought of Mezcal, I thought of it as a smokey version of Tequila. I know that Tequila and Mezcal are different spirits, both made from agave, but I was never a fan of the smokiness. But then I met mezcal connoisseur Ulises Torrentera and tasted his Farolito Mezcals, and I have a completely new perspective on Mezcal which I wrote about in the Napa Valley Register and you can read here. There is the saying, “wine is life.” But in Oaxaca, Mexico, “mezcal is life.” I am not talking about tequila, which is a type of mezcal. I am talking about mezcal, a liquor that can be made from more than 30 varieties of agave and is cooked inside earthen pits lined with lava rocks and then distilled in clay pots.
05 September, 2019

Happy Summer 2019! I hope you had a wonderful, long 4th of July weekend. This summer (specifically June 8th), marks the 8th anniversary of Please...

09 July, 2019
Do you enjoy drinking cocktails but sometimes need or want to take a break....but then are easily tempted by the cocktail menu? Here's a great option - guilt-free delicious alcohol-free cocktails make with Seedlip Drinks. Read about Seedlip distilled non-alcoholic spirits in my column in the Napa Valley Register which I have shared here.
Have you ever needed a break from drinking but still want to go out and socialize? I know that I sometimes need a break from drinking alcohol but am still so tempted when I go out and see a great cocktail list.
20 June, 2019
HATCH LA opened one year ago in downtown LA at The Bloc, a block-long open-air urban center located on 7th Street at the 7th Street Metro Stop. What was once a covered shopping mall housing Macy's and the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles Hotel is now a vibrant open space with restaurants and shops. Hatch is a modern izakaya style restaurant serving yakitori, Japanese skewered chicken from organic Jidori chicken, as well as fresh raw fish and creative plates. And now they are serving cocktails with a Japanese twist. 
11 June, 2019
Enjoying a glass of wine or a balanced cocktail with a meal is a pleasure in life. Sipping on a glass of wine or a tasty cocktail with friends is a social activity. But, what if you do not want or you cannot drink alcohol? Luckily there is a growing trend of non-alcoholic drinks and Los Angeles is leading the charge. And, the opportunity to find delicious, balanced, flavorful non-alcoholic drinks is the Please The Palate pick of the week. Distill Ventures, the first accelerator for the spirits industry, found that 83% of bar managers in Los Angeles think non-alcoholic cocktails are part of a growing trend. And, more than 40% of restaurants in Los Angles offer a non-alcoholic specific drinks menu. With brands like Seedlip, the world's first distilled non-alcoholic spirits, we no longer need to order overly sweet "mocktails" attempting to mimic a classic cocktail or fruit juices when we want to have a drink. Seedlip and other soon to be released non-alcoholic spirits are creating a new category, not trying to copy an existing one. And, when used in drinks, the flavors and textures are complex and refreshing.
25 May, 2019
Located in Los Angeles County on the border of Ventura County, Westlake Village is 30 miles from Los Angeles and can seem like a world away. But on a Sunday morning, when traffic is non-existent, it is an easy drive to Westlake Village for a one-day-getaway at the Four Seasons Westlake Village. From the moment we pulled the car up to the valet, we felt like we were on vacation. Service is impeccably friendly at the Four Seasons Westlake Village. We were greeted at the door and directed straight ahead to Coin & Candor, the new restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village. A California Brasserie, Coin & Candor is open and inviting. It sits just off the main lobby and is bright white with large floor to ceiling windows. A large circular bar sits in the center of the restaurant with seats for eating on one side and a chef's prep station on the other.
23 May, 2019
It was a classic LA day, not hot but not cool. I drove across the city to Silverlake to Tacos Delta, a family-owned taco stand that was opened in 1981. But on this particular night, the nondescript taco stand was converted into a vibrant, eye-catching space for a Tequila Don Julio dinner. Traveling across the country, Tequila Don Julio is bringing a taste of the colorful culture to the US as part of a series of events hosted by Tequila Don Julio and The Infatuation. The dinner was a celebration of Mexican culture as part of their new campaign, For Those Who Know. Bringing a taste of Mexico's colorful culture to the US, Tequila Don Julio selected Tacos Delta to celebrate the restaurant’s story and how it became a meeting point where ‘those who know’ have been coming for nearly three decades to enjoy authentic Mexican eats.
09 May, 2019
Chef and Author of the Fire of Peru, Ricardo Zarate is on fire! Considered the "godfather of Peruvian cuisine", he is spreading the flavors and excitement of Peruvian food across Los Angeles. His restaurant Rosaline in West Hollywood showcases classic Peruvian dishes and his new place, Los Balcones in Studio City, explores Mestizo cuisine, Peruvian dishes blended with Spanish and Asian flavors. Los Balcones is located on the corner of Moorpark, just east of Tujunga. It sits in the space that was previously Girasol. Los Balcones has kept some of the decor, including the magnificent ceiling that looks like an etched flower. After sitting down in the covered patio looking out onto Moorpark Avenue, our first order of business was to select our drinks. We ordered the "special" cocktail that was described as inspired by Zarate's book, The First of Peru, and was made with mezacal and an orange juice ice cube. The serving of the cocktail was the first hint of what we were in for - lots of flavor, a little heat and some of the most colorful dishes you may have ever seen.
25 April, 2019
Living on the west side of Los Angeles, I find myself regularly heading downtown and even further east to try new restaurants. But the west side is also worthy of exploration and one of those places is Margot, a rooftop restaurant located at The Platform project in Culver City. A friend invited me to dinner and selected Margot. I had not heard of it and had only been to The Platform once before. With all of the construction in the area, it had not been on my radar. But, now it is and I have already been a few times. 
11 April, 2019
Show more
Loading...
Copied!