Lifestyle

Maude has been open for five years! That means 51 menus and 530 Dishes and for me that means 43 menus and 450 dishes. For their fifth anniversary, Maude ventured to Chef Curtis Stone's homeland with a menu centered around Western Australia. Of course, I did not miss this menu as I have not missed a Maude menu since year one! Heading to Western Australia covers a large area. Western Australia covers an entire third of the continent and encompasses the Outback, beaches in the south and of course wine country. There are nine wine regions in Western Australia, including Margaret River, Great Southern and Perth. Per usual, my dining companions pulled wines out of their cellars to share at dinner. But, the wines they brought, while Australian, were not from Western Australia, but rather the well-known regions of Barossa Valley and other areas of Southern Australia. Of course, we enjoyed these during dinner, but we also ordered some gorgeous white wines from Western Australia. But, before we got into the wine, we started with a glass of Moon Bog Old Mate Pale Ale and house-made chips. Beer and chips definitely let us know that we were heading to Australia.  
19 March, 2019
Homelessness is a major issue in the United States and especially in Los Angeles County where there are more than 53,195 homeless people. Luckily, there are a number of wonderful organizations that are working to eliminate homelessness and one of them is Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)3 organization. To raise money for Union Station Homeless Services, they host a very fun event called Masters of Taste and that is the Please The Palate pick of the week. I have been involved in charity events where I have heard first hand about people's stories. Homelessness can really happen to anyone of us. Many people live paycheck to paycheck and it only takes missing a paycheck or two and having no support network locally.
16 March, 2019
Studying wine is no task, especially when it comes to studying and really knowing Italian wine! I took a deep dive into Italian wine with Vinitaly International Academy and spent a full week learning about the history, grapes, wines and more. I have studied wine and specifically studied Italian wine in the past but this course proved so much more. To really master Italian wine, it is a life's worth of study, not just a week of classes. But, taking this course was interesting, educational, inspiring and has me thinking about trying the course again if time permits. Want to know more about studying Italian wine and Vinitaly International, check out the story below that I wrote in the Napa Valley Register.
Studying wine is a lofty task. For the wine professional, or for the passionate wine enthusiast, there are the most well-known certifications through The Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and The Court of Master Sommeliers.
There are also the Society of Wine Educators certifications. Each of these programs provide an in-depth study of wine from around the world. And, while Italian wine is a part of each of these programs, the reality is that none of them take a deep dive into the world of Italian wine. And, that is a world unto itself.
14 March, 2019
Last summer, I was invited to judge for my first time at the Central Coast Wine Competition 2018. When it came time to the final round, we were voting for the Best White Wine and ended up selecting a Grenache Blanc. After the competition was over, we all went into the back to see what the wine was that won. It was the Alara Cellars 2017 Grenache Blanc that won “Best in Show” for white wines. The label was quite eye-catching but none of us had ever heard of the winery that was owned by Janu Goelz. That was because it was the first vintage of Alara Cellars. Fast forward more than six months and I met Janu and Jason Goelz for lunch when they visited Los Angeles and they shared their story of how they met and about their two individual wine labels which I wrote about in the Napa Valley Register and am sharing here. When you think of wine production in Northern California, you likely think of Napa or Sonoma. Of course, there are other wine regions in Northern California, such as Mendocino and Lake counties.
28 February, 2019
On my trip to Oregon a few months ago, I met so many passionate, dedicated, friendly winemakers and was so impressed with the camaraderie within Willamette Valley. One of the best examples was between Brittan Vineyard and Winderlea Vineyard and Winery. These two wineries were founded by two different couples but the wine world has brought them together and now, while their brands are their own, their businesses are intertwined. You can read the story I wrote in the Napa Valley Register here. One of the things that fascinates me about the wine industry is the level of friendship, camaraderie and passion that exists in such a competitive industry. In essence, every winery is seeking placement in a very crowded market. But, friendship and collaboration seem to overpower the competition. A perfect example is Brittan Vineyards and Winderlea Vineyard and Winery, two wineries in the Willamette Valley.
21 February, 2019
It is that time of year when the rosé wines from the last vintage will be released. Each year, Fiddlehead Cellars in the Santa Ynez Valley hosts a Pink Party. Guests dress in pink and pink wine is poured all night for a fantastic nite of fun. The Fiddlehead Pink Party takes place the weekend prior to Valentine's Day, which means that it takes place around my birthday (and in the past has occurred on my birthday), so it is a dual celebration. For five years I have been attending this event! It is an event I look forward to each year and that is why this week's Please The Palate Pick of the Week is the Fiddlehead Cellars Pink Party. This year, the party moved from the Fiddlehead Winery and Tasting Room in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto to the restaurant Root 246 in Solvang. Open for ten years, I had not been to the restaurant in years and was impressed by the exciting new change. The modern decor restaurant is now run by Chef Pink, aka Chef Crystal DeLongpré. Chef Pink has been featured in Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue”, Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” and “Man vs. Child” on fyi,TM. Chef Pink took over Root 246 in December 2018 and has created a seasonal menu blending local ingredients with fine dining techniques.
16 February, 2019
I never need an excuse to eat ice cream but incentive is never a bad thing. So, here is an incentive to head to Humphry Slocombe on Abbot Kinney in Venice....Ice Cream Happy Hour! What more do you need to know other than every Wednesday, between 2pm and 6pm, if you purchase a single scoop, your friend will get a free scoop. Well, perhaps you want to know what you will find at Humphry Slocombe. Humphry Slocombe opened their first store in 2008 in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Today there are locations in the Mission District and Oakland and last summer, in August 2019, they opened a location in Venice Beach. The compact space has a bright, casual, inviting feel. 
13 February, 2019
Presented by the Japanese Food Culture Association, the Japanese Food Expo returned to the Universal Hilton Hotel to showcase Japanese food and culture through tastings, demonstrations and workshops. More than 50 exhibitors were in attendance. From savory to sweet and from sake to beer, the Japanese Food Expo showed that there is more to Japanese food than sushi. I was invited to attend the trade portion of the event, which took place during the day and was able to get around the expo and taste everything and find some favorites. 
12 February, 2019
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