Please The Palate Pick of the Week: The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel

Written by Allison Levine on February 9, 2019

Travel Lifestyle Food Wine

When I travel to New York for work, I typically stay at a hotel near where the event I am working will take place. This past week, I was in New York for a wine event that we decided to do in The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel, in Manhattan’s Financial District, within walking distance to the World Trade Center and the Brooklyn Bridge. I decided to stay there as well for the convenience. I had seen photos on the internet and read about it but nothing could prepare me for The Beekman. It is one of the most magnificent hotels I have ever stepped foot into and hence it is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

From the moment my car pulled up to the doors, I was greeted by a bellman who grabbed my bags. Check-in at registration was friendly and quick and then I was escorted to my room by a friendly young man, JB, who marveled at the beauty of the hotel with me, even though he looks at it every day. Read More +

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Seedlip Cocktails

Written by Allison Levine on January 26, 2019

Lifestyle Cocktails

My days and nights are filled with wine lunches, tastings and dinners. And one of the biggest challenges is limiting how much is consumed if I am driving home. But this week, I went to lunch on a beautiful, crisp, clear day at the Malibu Beach Inn and spent three hours sipping Seedlip cocktails. And, in the end, I got in my car and drove home. Why? Because all of my cocktails were non-alcoholic! It was such a treat to sip cocktails all day and yet not experience the effects of the alcohol, among other benefits, and that is why Seedlip Cocktails are the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Seedlip Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirits are the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits. Made from herbs and botanicals, it is a truly nonalcoholic spirit, as well as sugar-free, allergen-free, sweetener-free and has no artificial flavoring. And Seedlip has no calories or carbs. Read More +

Khong Ten – A Modern Twist on Traditional Vietnamese Flavors

Written by Allison Levine on January 15, 2019

Food Cocktails Wine

I was first introduced to Vietnamese food when I lived in Washington DC. There is a large population of Vietnamese living in Northern Virginia and Vietnamese restaurants line the streets the way sushi restaurants do in Los Angeles. I have always been disappointed in not finding more Vietnamese restaurants here as I find Vietnamese food to be fresh, healthy and full of flavor. There is a large concentration of Vietnamese living in Southern California but most of the Vietnamese restaurants are located in Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley. Of course, in Los Angeles you can find a smattering of Pho shops but now you can also find a modern take on Vietnamese food at Khong Ten LA in West LA.

Khong Ten translates to “no name” in Vietnamese. Co-Owner and Chef Kim Vu and her partner Don Andes called the restaurant “no name” as they were developing the concept. Don wanted the restaurant to have a Vietnamese name and ironically, on his travels to Vietnam, learned the meaning of Khong Ten. What started as an inside joke stuck and ultimately it is the perfect name for the restaurant.

Khong Ten is not a traditional Vietnamese restaurant. “There is really no name to describe what we are doing here,” explained Kim Vu. “We are not a Vietnamese restaurant. It is more an exploration of Vietnamese cuisine.”

Kim is a first-generation Vietnamese-American but considers herself part of what she describes as the “third wave.” She identifies as 100% Vietnamese but is nothing like her parents. She explained that “the first generation cooks like they are back home and then the second generation, especially in California, starts to use local, fresh ingredients that are available. The third generation re-imagines the cuisine of their parents.”