Food

Recently I was heading up to Paso Robles to be a judge at the Central Coast Wine Competition. On my way, I went to meet with winemaker and owner David McGee of Monochrome Wines. His tasting room is located in Tin City, an super-hip wine tasting destination in Paso Robles. But, Tin City has more to offer than just wine tasting some of the best boutique wineries in the region. There are a few other surprises. You can read all about it in the story that I had written for California Winery Advisor. So what is Tin City Paso Robles and why should wine lovers care? Fifteen minutes south of the town of Paso Robles, an unassuming industrial park is home to an unexpected experience: Tin City. While pool supply companies, auto body shops, and air conditioning distributors are still located here, there is no mistaking that Tin City is Paso’s hippest wine tasting destination. Add in a brewery, cider maker, and distillery and it is clear that Tin City is a drinker’s paradise!

Before We Get To The Tiny City Wineries

26 July, 2018
Hollywood has a new drinking (and eating) destination. Bar Joe, inside Spoonfed, will satisfy you morning, noon and night. That is right, Bar Joe is an all-day drinking destination. Bar Joe is located inside Spoonfed in the heart of the Hollywood Media District. Spoonfed is a large, bright open space that combines counter service with comfortable seating and lots of natural light. Tucked inside Spoonfed is Bar Joe. Bar Joe offers table service in its dining room and patio. The entire Spoonfed menu is available in Bar Joe and Bar Joe provides all of the drinks for both spaces. The only thing you have to decide is if you want table service or self-service. 
24 July, 2018
The heat was at an all time high in Los Angeles and it was over 100 degrees across the city. I had been invited to check out Del Frisco's Grille's new brunch menu and brunch at the beach sounded like the perfect antidote. It was also a great opportunity to catch up with a friend. Del Frisco's Grille sits on Ocean Avenue, directly across the street from the Santa Monica Pier. Of course, it is summer in Los Angeles, which means that the tourists have descended upon Santa Monica. Hoards of people were trying to cross the street to head to the pier or the beach and I sat patiently at the light, waiting for it to change. I pulled up to the valet, parked and walked into Del Frisco's. While sitting on the patio, looking out at the ocean sounded lovely, the idea of sitting inside the cool indoor space sounded better so we opted for a lovely booth by a window. Del Frisco's Grille is a steakhouse by night, serving up creative twists on American comfort classics. But on the weekends, they are offering a revamped brunch menu that will satisfy both locals and tourists alike. We started with the share dishes on the menu. The Smoked Salmon Tower is the quintessential brunch platter. Perfectly toasted New York bagels are served with two different cream cheeses, one plain and one an "everything" caper spread. On the top of the tower is smoked salmon from Foley Fish in Boston, red onions, cucumber, tomatoes and capers. I love a good bagel and would have been satisfied with just this dish.....but there was more to come.
19 July, 2018
The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, yes the famous one where Pretty Woman was filmed, has been an iconic landmark on Wilshire Blvd and Rodeo Drive for 90 years. Located on the second floor is a rooftop space that overlooks Wilshire Blvd. In the 1960s and 70s it was the Garden Lounge but for the past 30+ years, it has been an empty concrete space used for private events....until now. Just in time for summer, the rooftop has been converted into the Secret Rosé Garden and it is the Please The Palate pick of the week. From the main lobby of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, head up to the second floor and enter room 211 which has been carpeted pink. Through room 211, another door opens to the rooftop.
14 July, 2018
Since Maude changed its format to focusing on wine regions every quarter, they have taken us on journeys to Rioja and Burgundy. For their third featured region, Maude takes us to our own backyard, the Central Coast. From Santa Barbara to Monterey, the Central Coast is a region filled with so much bounty and the Maude team spent a week visiting farmers, purveyors and winemakers to create the menu. The menu generally focuses around the fresh local seafood that we are so fortunate to have access to. Spot prawns, abalone, oysters and uni are just some of the delectable treats we enjoyed. And each dish was paired with wine selections from producers in the Central Coast, from under-the-radar producers to well-known names. As we arrived to Maude for our reservations, we were escorted upstairs to the wine cellar lounge. This room is now incorporated into the regional tasting menus. For Rioja, we started in the lounge with a glass of Cava and a plate of jamón serrano and cheese. For Burgundy, we ended the evening in the lounge where we enjoyed a cheese and dessert display. And for Central Coast, we again started our meal upstairs where we were greeted with a glass of Broc Cellars, Chenin Blanc, Petillant, Shell Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles 2017. The effervescent wine has a floral honeyed nose with notes of citrus, peach, pineapple and key lime pie, as well as yeasty aromas and was the perfect way to start the evening. 
10 July, 2018

Summer is officially here and with that comes the 7th anniversary of Please The Palate! Seven years have literally flown by and this past Spring...

05 July, 2018
For wine lovers, Burgundy is Mecca. It is one of the world's most prestigious wine regions. While traveling to Burgundy is preferred, from April to June, Maude Restaurant brought Burgundy to us as Burgundy was the wine region that inspired the second region featured this year. Burgundy is in the eastern region of France. It is only 75 miles long and runs form Dijon in the north to Macon in the south. Burgundy is divided into five main wine regions: Chablis and Auxerrois, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise, and Maconnais. The Maude team traveled to Burgundy earlier this year to explore the region. This is a region known for its wines but also for its gastronomy with specialties such as dijon mustard, coq au vin, beef bourguignon, Burgundy snails, cassis and epoisses de Bourgogne cheese. From their travels, they created a delicious 10-course meal that was beautifully executed and it embodied the tradition and elegance of Burgundy.
28 June, 2018
I love ice cream. And this week while on a trip to Paso Robles, I found Negranti Creamery. A family owned ice cream company based in Paso Robles, Negranti Creamery is the Please The Palate pick of the week. Negranti Creamery was created by Alexis and Wade Negranti who met at Cal Poly. Both had good jobs when Alexis decided that she wanted to start a sheep dairy. Neither one of them had milked an animal before. They milked their first ewes in 2011 and got their license in 2012. Today they are the first licensed sheep's milk production facility for ice cream in the US.
23 June, 2018
A friend was in town last weekend and we wanted to enjoy a late brunch before she had to head to the airport. I had read that cocktail chef Matthew Biancaniello was doing his weekend pop-up at Ysabel in West Hollywood that day so we headed to Ysabel on Fairfax. Sadly, when we got there, we learned he had switched days, but luckily we had happened upon this hidden spot. Ysabel is located on Fairfax Blvd. The nondescript building has no sign (at least not one I could find). But my GPS said I was there so I pulled into the driveway and parked in the lot. I entered a long tunneled walk-way and on the other side was a truly beautiful midcentury-modern space. The large space is like a butterfly. There is an outdoor patio that leads to an indoor area in the center. Even the indoor area feels like it is outdoors with the large glass window doors open wide and a live tree in the center of the space. The space feels like a luxurious living room with sofas and chairs grouped together.
15 June, 2018
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