Food

Reno has not been on my radar for years, not since a college ski trip that had us based in Reno and skiing in Tahoe. Living in Los Angeles, a common weekend getaway is to Las Vegas. So, an invite to a wine event in Reno was a great excuse to head to "the biggest little city", Reno, Nevada. The event was at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa in Reno where I stayed for the weekend. While I did go out and explore the burgeoning food scene of Reno (a story about this is coming soon), I spent most of the weekend at the five star Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, located a few minutes from downtown Reno. I checked into my room which overlooked the city of Reno. My spacious room had all the key amenities but best of all, a super-comfortable bed. Atlantis Hotel and Casino
19 August, 2015
Los Angeles is a big city and I am happy to drive anywhere to try something new. But, after heading east to Silverlake to try Lamill Coffee, I so wish they would come to the westside! Lamill Coffee Lamill Coffee is one of Los Angeles' first hometown roasters, having started roasting and brewing coffee in 1998. Their Silverlake location opened in 2008. Lamill Coffee I ordered an espresso when I arrived and it was perfect. It is a constant complaint that no one knows how to make a proper espresso in the US and that they are always too big but Lamill does it right!
17 August, 2015
My mouth starts to water when I think of fresh crudo - uncooked fish, thinly sliced and drizzled with olive oil, an acid (such as lemon) and seasonings. A classic Italian dish, there are a handful of Italian restaurants in Los Angeles known for their crudo. With a crudo bar in the center of the restaurant and a variety of crudo dishes on the menu, Culina Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles is one of these restaurants. In addition to the crudo dishes on the dinner menu, which range from $12-$14, Chef Mette Williams has created four seasonal crudo dishes for #crudohour. And, even better, they only cost $6 each. So head to Culina, grab a seat at the crudo bar and order up.
12 August, 2015
According to the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers, as of 2013, half of all food worldwide is wasted! Food waste happens from production to processing to consumption and we all need to do our part to reduce this waste. And, that is exactly what Wildcraft in Culver City is doing. A modern Italian tavern, Wildcraft uses fresh seasonal vegetables and their pizza and pasta is handmade. However, there are scraps left over when they are cutting pasta or pieces of vegetables that typically get thrown away. But, not anymore! Not only is Executive Chef Bryant Wigger using the scraps in the kitchen and the bar, but you can enjoy them during happy hour....or shall we say "Scrappy Hour"? Wildcraft Culver City As the saying goes, "one man's trash is another one's treasure." What we may see as scraps, Chef Wigger doesn't see as waste and utilizes kitchen scraps in some of the cocktails and happy hour offerings.
10 August, 2015
As I have been working with some Greek wines of recent, I took note when I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about Greek wines. What surprised me all the more was that two of the restaurants quoted (Iron Gate and Zaytinya) were Washington DC restaurants. So, when work took me to DC, I made a point of checking out Iron Gate and headed there for dinner with a couple friends. Iron Gate Opened in 1923 by the General Federation of Women's Clubs, Iron Gate held the title of the oldest continuously open restaurant in Washington DC until it closed in 2010. Then, in 2013, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and Executive Chef Anthony Chittum reopened Iron Gate, featuring a Mediterranean menu inspired by Greece and Italy.
30 July, 2015
With a free weekend in between events in Washington DC and Chicago, it was time to visit Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the first time. With two food/wine/spirits/travel writer friends living there, I wanted to see the city they call home. Milwaukee I arrived on Saturday afternoon and we immediately headed over to Bert's Bar (3907 S. Lake Drive), a local bar on the south shore of St. Francis. It was a perfect early summer day with temperatures in the high 70s and the sun shining as we sat on the patio, looking out to the lake. Surprisingly, for a local bar, Bert's has a very substantial and interesting wine and beer selection. We enjoyed a bottle of the crisp private labeled Bert's Bar Chardonnay (the grapes come from California) and typical bar food - fried mozzarella sticks and fried zucchini. 
28 July, 2015
My taxi picked me up in downtown Chicago and I told the driver to take me to the Pilsen neighborhood, just three miles southwest of the Chicago Loop where I was staying. The area was originally inhabited by Czech immigrants who named the neighborhood Pilsen after the Czech Republic city Plzeň. The area then became predominantly Latino. He argued with me and kept questioning why I wanted to go there. I couldn't understand why he was so resistant and explained that I knew exactly where I wanted to go.....Punch House, located in the historical Thalia Hall. Thalia Hall Thalia Hall, modeled after Prague's opera house, was built in 1891 by original proprietor John Dusek and the neighborhood's Eastern European immigrants. The space has been restored and today is a music venue/event space, as well as Dusek's restaurant and The Tack Room, a bar in the former carriage house. And, downstairs is Punch House.
23 July, 2015
DineLA is here again. For 12-14 days, twice a year (winter and summer), hundreds of restaurants around Los Angeles offer prix fixe menus for less than their normal price. It is the perfect time to head to the restaurants on your list that you have been meaning try. On my list was Fundamental LA. A neighborhood restaurant in Westwood, I had been hearing great things about the fresh farmer's market ingredient menu. So, a couple of friends and I went to dinner there the other night. The small plate menu is divided up into 4 sections and with the Dine LA menu, you can chose one item from each section for $40. This is a great value as each dish ranges from $12-$22 each and you could easily spend more for less if you order a la carte. And, with friends, we managed to order different items in each section and then shared. The flavors of each dish is matched by its presentation. Although it seemed that most of the dishes were plates on one half of a large plate, they all looked like works of art. First Course The Hamachi Belly with sour plum, shiso and ginger granite Hamachi Belly
20 July, 2015
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