Food

A work trip took me back to Austin, Texas. I knew that there is an exciting food scene in Austin and I hoped to find some time to try a few new places. Time was limited as I only had two nights but we managed to find two cool spots that both happen to be located in historic landmarks. Freedmen's Bar 2402 San Gabriel St Austin, TX 78705 Freedmen's We arrived into Austin on a Sunday evening and I was with a group of Australians. So the top of the list was to eat Texas barbecue. Our options were limited based on the time and day but it was recommended that we head to Freedmen's Bar. Located near the University of Texas, Freedmen's is a popular spot among college students.
18 July, 2016
It is easy to find a cocktail bar, a wine bar and even a brewery in just about any town these days. What about a cider bar? In New York there is one - Wassail. Cider was once the primary drink in colonial America. But after industrialization and then Prohibition, apples were left for eating and if it was made into drinking form, it was for apple juice or non-alcoholic ciders. While cider has been popular in the UK, Spain and France for years, it is only recently that cider has had a renaissance in the United States. And personally, I think that is a good thing. Cider List Wassail NYC is celebrating this renaissance. As they explain on their website, "Cidermakers are fermenting juice again to create a diverse array of dry, still, and flavored ciders; orchardists are planting heirlooms and "spitters," the highly tannic and bitter apples suitable only for fermenting; foragers are finding abandoned trees and reviving long forgotten varieties; urban homesteaders are making cider in their apartments and backyards." At Wassail, they feature 90+ ciders on draught and by-the- bottle, as well as apple-based cocktails. They also have wine, beer and cocktails.
14 July, 2016
Tell me a restaurant that is a challenge to get into and I am up for it! After all, month after month, I book at reservation at the 25-seat Maude Restaurant in Beverly Hills. I was in San Francisco and lined up in the early afternoon to get into State Bird Provisions. So when a friend in DC mentioned Rose's Luxury to me, I made it a point to eat there on my last visit to DC. Rose's Luxury Rose's Luxury is a neighborhood restaurant. But to get a seat to eat here, it is based on a first-come, first-served basis.There is no pretension to it. It is a cozy, energetic restaurant that has an inviting manner and delivers on the food. They maintain a first-come, first-served policy because their priority it to remain a neighborhood restaurant and make it possible to anyone to dine there without advance planning. Rose's Luxury But, this means that there is a line that forms around 4pm each day with people hoping to get in that night. And, I was one of them. It was towards the end of winter when I was last in DC so it was a bit crisp and cold outside. But, I arrived at 4pm and was the second person in line. I did not think there would be a big line due to the cold but within a few minutes, the line was inching its way down the street. As we all stood out in the cold, everyone was chatting, making the time pass but also setting the tone for the friendly neighborhood spot.
11 July, 2016
Chef Bill Corbett made a name for himself as a pastry chef in San Francisco. He studied under some of the best pastry chefs and served as executive pasty chef for Michael Mina, The Absinthe Group and Coi, to name a few. He was named "Best Pastry Chef" by San Francisco Magazine in 2011, "New York's Rising Star Pastry Chef" by StafChefs in 2007 and named one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America by Dessert Professional Magazine. Chef Bill Corbett Now Corbett is living in Los Angeles and serving up savory vegetarian dishes at a weekly pop-up throughout the summer. The pop-up is located at Lamill Coffee in Silverlake. You can still get a great cup of coffee at Lamill but every Thursday and Friday night, you will enjoy the food of Corbett. The vegetarian tasting menu will change weekly. And it is very affordable. For $40 you will get four courses, and for another $20 you can get the wine pairing.
05 July, 2016
Food is art. And at Ray's and Stark Bar, the restaurant at LACMA, art is food. Inspired by the museum where Ray's is located, Chef Fernando Darin has created an internationally inspired menu using local seasonal ingredients. But it is the plating that takes it from food to art. Ray's and Stark Bar at LACMA Chef Fernando Darin was born to an Italian family in a region of Brazil with Portuguese and African influences. He recently arrived to Ray's and Stark Bar after working for Eric Greenspan, Michael Voltaggio and most recently for Patina at the Hollywood Bowl and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Previous to cooking, he was a musician and artist for fourteen years. It is his global upbringing and artistic background that influence his food and drive his creativity. We started with the tuna tartare with avocado, oroblanco citrus fruit and taro chips and I was immediately transported to the realm of food as art. The presentation was like a beautiful art piece of art, balancing of color and dimension. The flavors are fresh and the oroblanca citrus brightens up the dish. Tuna Tartare, avocado, oroblanco citrus fruit, taro chips
27 June, 2016
It seems like every time I drive down Ventura Boulevard in Studio City/Sherman Oaks, there is a new restaurant. It is hard to keep up but one of these restaurants caught my eye. With the vibrantly colorful exterior, it is hard to miss Cocina Condesa along Ventura Blvd just east of Colfax. Cocina Condesa Inside the restaurant is a large open space with long high wooden tables and tall red leather chairs, a full bar along the back wall and tv screens above the bar showing the local sports game. The walls are exposed brick while the ceiling is red. Mexican folk art is displayed throughout the restaurant, as well as accents of color. The loud, casual dining room opens up to an outdoor patio that runs the length of the restaurant. This restaurant screams high energy. Cocina Condesa Cocina Condesa features a menu prepared by Executive Chef Eddie Garcia of Mexican street food - tamales, tacos, corn on the cob and more. What that also means is that the menu consists of small plates so it is fun to order a lot of different items for a selection of tastes.
25 June, 2016
Same Same......but Different. That is the name of the Thai restaurant tucked in a strip mall on Sunset Blvd in Silverlake. Locals know the place as Rambutan Thai and while the kitchen and food remain the same, the front of the house is different. Now the name makes sense, right? Same Same but different Adam Weisblatt of Last Word Hospitality and his partners Angus McShane and Holly Zack are what is different about Same Same. They were on a mission to find a small, established business to buy and take over and create a Basque wine bar. They found Rambutan, a 13-year-old family business in Silverlake. However as Weisblatt shared with me, as they were looking to buy the place they noticed how customers were drawn to owners Katy Noochlaor and Annie Daniel. So instead of buying the place, they decided to collaborate.
20 June, 2016
208 Rodeo has been open since 1991 but there is a good chance you are not familiar with it. It is a small restaurant but between breakfast, lunch and dinner, they do 800 covers a day. So, if you are not aware of 208 Rodeo, it is time to get to change that. 208 Rodeo The restaurant is set atop the stairs on Via Rodeo's cobblestone street on Rodeo Drive in the heart of Beverly Hills. There is an intimate indoor dining area but the majority of the seating is on the outdoor patio that overlooks the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel. This is the ideal place to sit as it is a great spot to enjoy lunch and people watch. Or head there for dinner and enjoy a meal under the stars. People Watching from 208 Rodeo Open for twenty-five years, 208 Rodeo offers a menu focused on California cuisine with pan-Asian and French influences. 
17 June, 2016
Having lived in Italy many years ago, I know what good pizza tastes like. There is nothing better than a thin crust Italian pizza with the perfect balance of tomato sauce and cheese and a glass of Italian wine. And, I have found that place in Los Angeles at Pizza Romana. Pizza Romana Located on La Brea Boulevard, just south of Melrose in the space formerly known as Cube, Pizza Romana is owned by Alex Palermo. For those who loved the menu at Cube, rest assured that while Palermo changed the concept, those dishes are still on the menu. In addition, they put a large wood fired pizza oven in the center of the restaurant. Pizza Romana Alex Palermo grew up in Wisconsin, the son of a Roman father and American mother, and spent his vacations in Italy. He then attended college in Southern California. Having spent some time working at the La Jolla Pasta Company during summers and having visited Italy, he understood that homemade pasta is something that comes from "home". During his senior year in college, he took an entrepreneurial course. As Contadini was the only "fresh pasta" on the market at the time, he used his summer experience as an idea. He got a pasta machine from another company in San Diego and set it up at a friend's dad's restaurant in Santa Monica. He would work from 11pm to 4am making restaurant quality pasta for retail. Divine Pasta Company was born. His first client was Gelson's Market in 1992 and it grew from there where it can be found at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Costco today.
13 June, 2016
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