It's sometimes easy to forget about long-standing restaurants when we are always trying the newest place. But, for more than 30 years (since 1983), Marino Ristorante has been family owned and operated serving traditional Italian food to the Hollywood and Hancock Park communities.
Every morning at 5am, Mario Marino (the son of founder Ciro "Mario" Marino) can be found at the fish market, selecting fresh fish for the menu. Then you will find Mario at the restaurant, both at lunch and dinner, charming guests and suggesting wine pairings.
Just before the holiday season started, Terrine LA opened its doors on Beverly Boulevard in the old Pane Vino space, a block from Jar Restaurant. And, just after the holidays, Terrine LA opened its doors for brunch. So, to start the new year off on a good foot, we headed to Terrine LA for brunch.
Terrine LA is a gorgeous space. The brasserie-style restaurant is a wide open space with bright natural light (in the daytime). The elegant copper and marble bar runs along one side of the room and a whitewashed brick wall runs along the other side. A large picture window behind the bar offers a view into the kitchen. And there is the romantic patio featuring a lovely old tree in the center. However, as it was one of those very rare cold days in LA, we opted to sit inside.
This post originally appeared on FoodableTV.com
The world of wine is vast. There are over 10,000 different varieties of wine grapes and wine is made in...
We can find pizza almost anywhere we go and there are lots of styles of pizza - thin crust, thick crust, NY style, Chicago deep dish. But, my favorite of all is Italian style pizza. From the crust that is just crispy enough to the appropriate balance of tomato sauce and cheese, Italian pizza is perfection. Top it off with the individual size of an Italian pizza, it's a meal.
But finding a proper Italian pizza in the US is not as easy as it sounds. There are lots of good pizza places out there but so many times the crust droops when you pick up the slice or the cheese and tomato sauce are just too much or too little. But, at Desano Pizzeria and Bakery, they are doing it just right.
There are three locations in the US - Los Angeles, Charleston and Nashville. The Los Angeles location is in "East Hollywood" on Santa Monica Blvd just east of the 101 Fwy. If you live in LA, you might be thinking that there isn't much just east of the 101. True. It's a lot of warehouses but inside on of those warehouses is where Desano is located.
I went to S.Y. Kitchen for my first time last summer and loved it. So, when I drove up to Santa Barbara wine country for the weekend recently, I knew I wanted to go back. I remembered that the chef and sous chef are Italian brothers Luca and Francesco Crestinelli and I have actually known Luca from when he lived in Los Angeles and worked at Vincenti and then Bar Toscana. Luca hadn't been there the last time I was in so this time we got a chance to catch up. But, suddenly, I realized that I was surrounded by Italians - the chefs, the bar manager Alberto Battaglini and many of the waiters. The wine director Emily Johnston is American but, like me, an Italo-phile. I almost felt as if I was in Italy.
I took a seat at the bar and started with cocktails (and wine). SY Kitchen is one of the only places in Santa Barbara wine country to get well-made cocktails. And, truth be told, after a day of wine tasting, a cocktail is what is needed. Bar Manager Alberto Battaglini focuses on fresh ingredients and makes all of his own garnishes. There is a wall of jars with candied citrus, herbs and other housemade garnishes. Alberto has created a good menu but really likes to hear what guests want and he has trained his staff to do the same.
With more than 15 years in the wine industry, I have met so many wonderful, intelligent successful women in various positions - from making wine to selling wine to buying wine to writing about wine. And, in my experience, these women are not only passionate about wine but they are gracious and supportive of one another.
This was exemplified when CEO of St. Supery Winery Emma Swain recently visited Los Angeles to host a small lunch with women in the wine business. While we enjoyed the wines of St. Supery, we chatted about wine, shared funny stories and laughed together.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Dar Maghreb was LA's premier Moroccan restaurant. I remember my parents going there on special occasions. I even remember going with them once when I was a tween and being mesmerized by the decor, the belly dancers, sitting on pillows and eating with my hands. But after 40 years, the restaurant closed and a new restaurant opened in its place last year - Acabar.
Over the past year, I have seen Acabar at various events around Los Angeles, including LA Food and Wine and LA Times Taste. At these events, Chef de Cuisine Kevin Luzande was behind the table serving up the amazingly delicious crispy lamb buns. Every time I tried one of these, I told myself that I needed to go to Acabar.
It's been a few years since I was last in Miami and the last time I was there, I wasn't blown away by the food scene. South Beach seemed more preoccupied with the perception of a foodie scene, rather than the substance of it. But, on a recent trip to Miami for work, I went outside South Beach where I found delicious cuisine at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink.
Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, located in the Design District in Miami, is owned by James Beard Award-winning chef/owner Michael Schwartz. The casual bistro focuses on fresh, local ingredients. The cocktails and wine program are fresh and creative. After a delicious Hemmingway Daiquiri, I was impressed by the eclectic wine list that included Greek wines like the Assyrtiko that we started with and the Arbois Trousseau that we finished with.