Brunch at the Beach at Del Frisco’s Grille

Written by Allison Levine on July 19, 2018

Food Cocktails

The heat was at an all time high in Los Angeles and it was over 100 degrees across the city. I had been invited to check out Del Frisco’s Grille’s new brunch menu and brunch at the beach sounded like the perfect antidote. It was also a great opportunity to catch up with a friend.

Del Frisco’s Grille sits on Ocean Avenue, directly across the street from the Santa Monica Pier. Of course, it is summer in Los Angeles, which means that the tourists have descended upon Santa Monica. Hoards of people were trying to cross the street to head to the pier or the beach and I sat patiently at the light, waiting for it to change. I pulled up to the valet, parked and walked into Del Frisco’s. While sitting on the patio, looking out at the ocean sounded lovely, the idea of sitting inside the cool indoor space sounded better so we opted for a lovely booth by a window.

Del Frisco’s Grille is a steakhouse by night, serving up creative twists on American comfort classics. But on the weekends, they are offering a revamped brunch menu that will satisfy both locals and tourists alike. We started with the share dishes on the menu.

The Smoked Salmon Tower is the quintessential brunch platter. Perfectly toasted New York bagels are served with two different cream cheeses, one plain and one an “everything” caper spread. On the top of the tower is smoked salmon from Foley Fish in Boston, red onions, cucumber, tomatoes and capers. I love a good bagel and would have been satisfied with just this dish…..but there was more to come. Read More +

Please The Palate Newsletter July 2018

Written by Allison Levine on July 5, 2018

Travel Lifestyle Food Cocktails Wine

Summer is officially here and with that comes the 7th anniversary of Please The Palate! Seven years have literally flown by and this past Spring was no exception. I spent most of the past three months on the road with trips that took me to Chile, Croatia and Italy, as well as trips to Napa, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. I have so many stories to share! Some of the stories are below and there are more to come!

This past month I was also invited to judge my first wine competition, the Central Coast Wine Competition in Paso Robles. It was a really fun experience but afterwards it took a lot of brushing my teeth to get them back to white.

I am also excited to announce that I am working with the Gelato Festival America 2018 which returns this year and will be coming to eight cities around the country! I am looking forward to eating lots and lots of gelato! I will be managing the Gelato School so be sure to come say hi! I am excited to offer you a $5 discount on tickets with the promo code PLEASETHEPALATE so save the date and tell your friends!

Also, there is a Kids Jury that takes place at the Gelato Festival. So, if you have a child between 2 and 12 years of age who you think would like to be a judge, please send me an email.

Upcoming Events

Calistoga Uncorked Tasting
at the Presidio, San Francisco
July 12th, 4:00-7:30pm
Cost $75

Calistoga winemakers and owners from 30 wineries are bringing the Top of Napa Valley down to San Francisco for an opportunity to taste and purchase hard to find Calistoga AVA wines. Most of the wineries that will be pouring are not open to the public so this is your chance to discover them at the picturesque Golden Gate Club in the Presidio on July 12. Light bites will be served to complement the outstanding wines.

Gelato Festival America 2018
The Gelato Festival, the most important event dedicated to artisanal Italian gelato, is coming to America. After traveling through Italy and Europe, the Gelato Festival brings goodness, joy, experience and culture to America. From city to city, award-winning chefs, gelato masters and prestigous gelato companies will share the fantastic world of artisanal Italian gelato.

Purchase your ticket and you can taste all the flavors in the competition as well as other special flavors, attend the courses and play games in the delicious Gelato Village. You can also vote for your favorite flavor! Use the code PLEASETHEPALATE to save $5.

August 11-12 Jersey City
Liberty State Park, 200 Morris Pesin Dr, Jersey City, NJ 07305

August 18-19 Boulder
Twenty Ninth Street, 1710 29th St, Boulder, CO 80301

August 25-26 Chicago
Chicago Premium Outlets, 1650 Premium Outlet Blvd , Aurora, IL 60502

September 8-9 Washington DC
City Market at O, 800 P St NW, Washington, DC 20001

September 22-23 Los Angeles
TBD

September 29-30 Dallas
Dallas Farmers Market, 920 S Harwood St, Dallas, TX 75201

October 20-21 Scottsdale
Kierland Commons, 15205 N Kierland Blvd Suite 150, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

October 27-28 Tucson
La Encantada, 2905 E Skyline Dr, Tucson, AZ 85718

Check out www.pleasethepalate.com for upcoming events and if you want to be notified of blog posts when they go live, please sign up on our site, here.

Read the full July 2018 Newsletter.

Brunch Spot: Ysabel in West Hollywood

Written by Allison Levine on June 15, 2018

Food Cocktails

A friend was in town last weekend and we wanted to enjoy a late brunch before she had to head to the airport. I had read that cocktail chef Matthew Biancaniello was doing his weekend pop-up at Ysabel in West Hollywood that day so we headed to Ysabel on Fairfax. Sadly, when we got there, we learned he had switched days, but luckily we had happened upon this hidden spot.

Ysabel is located on Fairfax Blvd. The nondescript building has no sign (at least not one I could find). But my GPS said I was there so I pulled into the driveway and parked in the lot. I entered a long tunneled walk-way and on the other side was a truly beautiful midcentury-modern space.

The large space is like a butterfly. There is an outdoor patio that leads to an indoor area in the center.

Even the indoor area feels like it is outdoors with the large glass window doors open wide and a live tree in the center of the space. The space feels like a luxurious living room with sofas and chairs grouped together. Read More +