Please The Palate |

The Flats Beverly Hills

The Flats in Beverly Hills sits on a corner of Wilshire Blvd, one block east of La Cienega. Outside, construction of the Metro's Purple Line has the street blocked off but inside, The Flats was bustling.

At the helm of The Flats is Michelin-starred Executive Chef Paul Shoemaker who has worked at Alan Ducasse, French Laundry, Water Grill, Providence, Firefly and Bastide, as well as his own restaurant Savory in Malibu. I first met Chef Shoemaker at the opening of Intro Art Gallery and Chef’s Table in North Hollywood where he offered a multi-sensory interactive dining experience. It is hard to forget the edible “dime bag” he served us that was made with Japanese rice paper filled with powdered foie gras, cocoa puffs, pine nuts and carbonated caramel. I was excited to try his newest endeavor, The Flats.

26 December, 2017

Lunch in Los Gatos at The Catamount

The first time I went to Los Gatos was when my friend and I rushed to the Michelin-rated Manresa to enjoy their "Bar Bites" menu before heading to catch our flight out of the San Jose Airport. As we drove into the town on our single-minded mission, I made a mental note of how adorable the town of Los Gatos looked and how I wanted to go back. And I finally did! In between events in San Francisco, I headed south to Redwood Shores (20 minutes north of Palo Alto) to visit friends. When I was invited to check out The Catamount, I thought it was a perfect chance to return to Los Gatos. Little did I know that Los Gatos is a good 45 minute drive from Redwood Shores but thankfully my friend was a good sport and willing to drive. We entered the charming town of Los Gatos where the streets are lined with shops and pulled into the lot where The Catamount is located.

Opened in May of 2017, The Catamount is a very large (10,000 square feet), bright and airy space with a beautiful Carrera marble bar welcoming you at the entrance and a warm, modern comfortable overall feeling. The historic building dates back to 1923 and the name The Catamount is a combination of "the cats" (translated from Los Gatos) and the Santa Cruz Mountains, which can be seen from the windows in the restaurant.

14 December, 2017

From Farm to Table at Flora Farms in Cabo

There is a must go-to place in San Jose del Cabo. It is not a particular hotel; it is not the beach; it is not a tequila bar; it is not a taco stand. It is an organic farm and restaurant called Flora Farms.

I was in Cabo, staying on the beach on the tip of the Pacific Ocean side. My friends had heard about this place from a chef friend and asked me to join them. We ordered a taxi and took a one hour drive back towards the airport to San Jose del Cabo. After passing large hotel after large hotel, we turned down a dirt road and drove another 10 minutes and arrived at Flora Farms. Flora Farms in an organic compound owned by Gloria and Patrick Greene. As the car parked, we came across a few shops, including one where over-priced locally-made soaps were for sale as well as a James Perse clothing store. There was also a wine and coffee bar. We followed the path to the left and at the end is Flora’s Field Kitchen and Flora’s Farm Bar. An open-air restaurant, Flora’s Field Kitchen has an rustically modern and natural feel to it. We took a seat at our table as the water misters cooled us down.

07 December, 2017