Lifestyle

It’s finally summer - the perfect time for a refreshing twist on your favorite cocktail blends. Tea enthusiasts turned cocktail extraordinaires are launching their newest brew, featuring cocktail mixers infused with tea blends - perfect for custom crafted cocktails that won’t weigh you down. Teaologists Maria Littlefield and Jennie Ripps specialize in developing delicious tea blends with flavor profiles made to compliment the essence of your favorite alcoholic beverages. After feeling frustration with traditional options for cocktail mixes (and the added sugars), this duo set out to create unique tea blends that would complement flavor profiles found in other alcohols, while still giving our palates something light and fresh to sip on. Owl’s Brew’s unique, all-natural loose leaf blends can be used in a variety of recipes, using vodka, rum and tequila. For example, the Captain Palmer is a dark and delicious tea base that can be paired with rum, whiskey and bourbon
18 July, 2013
French Quarter, Bourbon Street, Pat O’Briens, Hurricanes, beads, slushies, all night debauchery….these are probably some of the first things that come to mind when thinking about New Orleans.  Visiting New Orleans, it is impossible not to find a place to drink.  But New Orleans has also entered the cocktail renaissance that has spread around the country. New Orleans is home to many traditional cocktails that can be found in some of the more historical bars in the city.  And new bars have been opening at a rapid pace that offer a modern take on classic cocktails, using fresh ingredients and enjoying the art of the cocktail.  From classics to originals, there are many places to get a great drink! Many people think that cocktails were invented in New Orleans.  While this isn’t true (the name “cocktail” first appeared in an upstate New York newspaper in 1806), there are a few drinks that New Orleans can proudly take ownership of, such as the Sazerac and the Ramos Gin Fizz, and a few French Quarter bars worth visiting both for their history and for their “featured” drink.
11 July, 2013
On a recent morning, I had a breakfast meeting and was looking for somewhere to meet other than the typical coffee chain. We met at Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop in Century City. Greenleaf is a great spot to grab a healthy lunch (specialty salads and sandwiches or make your own salad) but you can also stop by for a healthy and tasty breakfast. 8816233098_ceaffd2c5b
08 July, 2013
The 17th Annual Restaurant Industry Conference took place this week at UCLA through UCLA Extension. Focusing on brand relevance and evolution, the one day event was attended by more than 350 industry executives, including restaurant operating companies, owners, C-level executive, lenders, private equity investors, investment bankers, suppliers and professional advisers. 17th Annual Restaurant Industry Conference Restaurant Industry Conference Here are some highlights I took away from the day:
05 April, 2013
How many times are you drawn to a bottle of wine by the label?  Sure, you may start by looking by varietal or region but you can't deny that the label may catch your eye and make you take notice? While an attention-grabbing label is a great marketing tool, the meaning behind the label is also of significance. Here are some wine labels that have caught my attention, as well as the meaning behind some of the labels.
14 February, 2013
Every year dineLA's Restaurant Week offers a specially priced prix fix menu for lunch and dinner, allowing diners to try a variety of local restaurants. The 12-day dining event, which just took place from January 21 - February 1, showcased some of LA's best restaurants. With so many restaurants to try, both old and new, Restaurant Week provides an opportunity to explore as many restaurants as you can manage to eat at over 2 weeks.  And, with lunch menus priced at $15, $20, and $25, and dinner menus at $25, $35, and $45, you won't necessarily break the bank by eating out. In addition to the price, this is a great way to get a taste of a restaurant's menu as the prix fix menu is typically made up of smaller portions of regular menu items. During this last restaurant week, we made it out to 3 restaurants. And, as we were dining as two (or three), we were able to order almost every item offered on the menu. Here are some recent highlights from the more recent Restaurant Week:
01 February, 2013
Ever since I lived in Italy, a daily cappuccino is a part of my every day routine. Each morning, I grind the beans and steam the milk to make my own cappuccino. I have owned a variety of Italian espresso machines over the years and my favorite has become the Pasquini. While the machines come from Italy, I learned recently that Pasquini is based in the US, actually right here in Los Angeles! I took a trip to the showroom that is located on Olympic Blvd, just west of Downtown LA, for a behind the scenes tour. When Ambrose Pasquini moved to Los Angeles in 1951, he missed his daily espresso(s) that is a common experience in Italy.  So, he imported an espresso machine from Italy and opened Moka d’Oro on Vermont Blvd., the first espresso café in Southern California. As other restaurant owners expressed interest in the machines, he began importing machines and adapting them to American standards and adding improvements, such as pressure and temperature controls. Then, in the 1970s, Mr. Pasquini designed an espresso machine for home use. Five decades later, Ambrose Pasquini still runs the family business with his sons Guy and Matthew. A great espresso machine needs great espresso
22 January, 2013

Hard cider is the preferred British choice in alcoholic beverages. Like fish and chips and  bangers and mash, hard cider is a quintessential British product....

17 January, 2013
An artist expresses thoughts with a brush; a chef expresses thoughts through food. Brushstroke, the new restaurant founded by Chef David Bouley and Chef Yoshiki Tsuiji, is where art and food meet and the beauty of Japanese culture is translated into an extraordinary dining experience. Offering authentic Japanese cuisine, the menu is a reflection of the season. Typically, when restaurants change their menus seasonally, they change them 4-6 times per year.  But at Brushstroke, the chefs follow a 20-phase seasonal calendar tied to nature which means that the menu will be different every time you dine there. Brushstoke offers a kaiseki menu, a traditional multi-course Japenese dinner. Kaiseki is a type of art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colors of food. The term also refers to the collection of skills and techniques that allow the preparation of such meals, similar to haute cuisine. Each menu is created in collaboration between the Bouley Test Kitchen in New York and the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan.
09 January, 2013
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