My mouth starts to water when I think of fresh crudo - uncooked fish, thinly sliced and drizzled with olive oil, an acid (such as lemon) and seasonings. A classic Italian dish, there are a handful of Italian restaurants in Los Angeles known for their crudo. With a crudo bar in the center of the restaurant and a variety of crudo dishes on the menu, Culina Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles is one of these restaurants.
In addition to the crudo dishes on the dinner menu, which range from $12-$14, Chef Mette Williams has created four seasonal crudo dishes for #crudohour. And, even better, they only cost $6 each. So head to Culina, grab a seat at the crudo bar and order up.
The term “natural wine” can conjure up many strong reactions, and many of them are not positive. While natural wines can show the diverse personality...
West Burgundy Wine Group is a new division at Jackson Family Wines that is focused on estate-grown, site-specific wines crafted from classic Burgundian varieties.
West Burgundy...
With a free weekend in between events in Washington DC and Chicago, it was time to visit Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the first time. With two food/wine/spirits/travel writer friends living there, I wanted to see the city they call home.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon and we immediately headed over to Bert's Bar (3907 S. Lake Drive), a local bar on the south shore of St. Francis. It was a perfect early summer day with temperatures in the high 70s and the sun shining as we sat on the patio, looking out to the lake. Surprisingly, for a local bar, Bert's has a very substantial and interesting wine and beer selection. We enjoyed a bottle of the crisp private labeled Bert's Bar Chardonnay (the grapes come from California) and typical bar food - fried mozzarella sticks and fried zucchini.
DineLA is here again. For 12-14 days, twice a year (winter and summer), hundreds of restaurants around Los Angeles offer prix fixe menus for less than their normal price. It is the perfect time to head to the restaurants on your list that you have been meaning try.
On my list was Fundamental LA. A neighborhood restaurant in Westwood, I had been hearing great things about the fresh farmer's market ingredient menu. So, a couple of friends and I went to dinner there the other night.
The small plate menu is divided up into 4 sections and with the Dine LA menu, you can chose one item from each section for $40. This is a great value as each dish ranges from $12-$22 each and you could easily spend more for less if you order a la carte. And, with friends, we managed to order different items in each section and then shared.
The flavors of each dish is matched by its presentation. Although it seemed that most of the dishes were plates on one half of a large plate, they all looked like works of art.
First Course
The Hamachi Belly with sour plum, shiso and ginger granite
This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.
Ahhhhhhh. Pinot noir. Just the name can make people swoon. Considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, the fickle red grape is highly sought after. It is thought of as a romantic wine that most people fall in love with. So, when the annual World of Pinot Noir weekend comes, Pinot lovers from all over the country come to celebrate this grape.
As Pinot-files, we all lust for the perfect expression of this grape. From its primary home in Burgundy, France to the Russian River, Carneros and Central Coast (Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria) to the Willamette Valley in Oregon to New Zealand (Central Otago, Martinborough and Marlborough), there is no shortage of world-class regions. These regions provide the perfect growing conditions for this picky grape. These cooler regions provide a long spring and fall, resulting in complex and interesting wines with aromas that range from cherry, cranberry and raspberry to earth and mushroom.
As I wandered through World of Pinot Noir, there were more than 200 wineries pouring their wines over two days. I found the Burgundy table, moved to some Santa Barbara producers, met a new Oregon producer and tasted through the New Zealand table. I could taste the various differences from region to region and was quite content.
But, then I saw a sign that said “Michigan” and another that said “Finger Lakes.” I shook my head in confusion. Pinot in Michigan and Upstate New York? Doesn’t it snow and freeze there? I quickly changed my focus and decided to explore the area of the room lined with wineries from regions that you wouldn’t expect for pinot noir production.
In the wine industry, there are many once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Tasting a wine for the first time, pulling an old vintage out of the cellar, sitting...
Last summer, I went up to Malibu to visit Elliott Dolin at Dolin Malibu Estate and learn about his wines just after the Malibu Coast AVA had been approved (the article appeared in the Napa Valley Register).
It's now been a year and a lot has happened in Malibu. First, shortly after the AVA was approved, a vineyard ban took effect. While this does not affect anyone within the City of Malibu, it affects anyone outside of Malibu who wants to plant vineyards in a coastal area. Luckily Dolin Malibu Estate falls within the City of Malibu and is not directly affected by this ban. But, Elliott will continue to fight the ban as he supports his neighbors and friends.
Driving down Sepulveda Blvd towards LAX, it is easy to not really pay attention to the area around Jefferson Blvd. We are accustomed to seeing large chain business after chain business: from El Pollo Loco, Fed Ex, Big Lots, Pacific Stereo and Just Tires to Buffalo Wings and Pizza, Fast Signs, AAA Pawn and Jewelry and H&R Block. But tucked among all of these rather uninteresting stores is a hidden gem! While other local family businesses have given way to these chain businesses, for 50 years Sorrento Italian Market has been serving the local community with specialty food products and wine from Italy.
The store was opened in 1963 by Alberto Vera and his wife Ursula. Icons in the community, Alberto was the former mayor of Culver City and generations of families grew up going to the store. In 2010 and 2011 respectively, Alberto and Ursula passed away and son Albert Vera Jr. took over the family business.
