What a charming find in Dana Point. If you close the front door and listen to the soothing French music, and taste the Parisian flavors you could be somewhere in Paris. Really! French food that is so authentic, you need not get on a flight and travel 12 hours across the world to eat good. What Gemmell’s had to offer is old world French fare, with all the bells and whistles. Lots of perfect sauces, and fine rich nuances of Gay Paree.

Chef Gemmell was born in Guatemala, his ancestry is Scottish. He came to the United States in 1971, and worked as a bus boy at Disneyland. He worked there for 2 years, and went from busboy to assistant chef. After that he had many jobs honing his talents in the culinary world. His big break came when he worked for Jean Bertranou and Michele Blanchette at L’Ermitage, learning so much from these two masters. In 1978, at age 30 he opened his own restaurant, one in Dana Point, and then another in Newport Beach, and the rest was history. In 2000 he opened Gemmell’s in Dana Point, now rated #2 ZAGAT Best Continental restaurants in Orange County. Gemmell’s designs and bakes his own pastries, as well as his skillful sauces.

My server Vicky was very succinct, she did not mince words. When she said to try this you did and she was right by suggesting what she knows is good at Gemmell’s. I came there on Sunday, and got both the Bruch menu and Lunch menu, I picked most items off of the lunch menu. Vicky steered me in the right direction with my menu choices and wine pairings. What can I say, ask for Vicky, you will be a happy customer.

Here’s what I tried:
Traditional Onion Soup with a Gruyere Cheese
Blanket. Very much like traditional onion soup, with the melty cheese layed over a nice piece of bread and baked in the oven. I am a good judge of this soup, and this one ranks with the best of the best.

Lobster Bisque with Sherry Wine. Loads of sherry make this a powerful soup, I only wished it had pieces of lobster instead of being a straight puree.

Shrimp Scampi – Gulf shrimp sautéed in a lemon garlic buerre blanc. What a wonderful rich sauce that accompanied these little jewels.

Warm Spinach Salad with fresh baby spinach leaves tossed in traditional hot bacon dressing with a touch of brandy with scallops. Ok, I have to confess, by far the greatest spinach salad ever. These scallops are slightly breaded or egg battered, and adds so many flavors to the lovely sweet dressing.

Sand Dabs Meniere – with white wine, butter, parsley, and lemon. Vicky said this dish was very popular and I can see why. Thin pieces of fish with an egg batter, perfect light butter sauce, really marvelous.

Pork Loin with Madiera semi – glace sauce. This dish is also a keeper, terrific Madiera sauce to accompany this very tender pork loin.

Gemmell’s Bistrot Burger – Lean ground beef fresh baked nun with all the trimmings and French fries. Another good burger, but honestly, I would go straight for the shrimp, pork tenderloin, and sand dabs and skip the burger.

Desert Chocolate Mouse. Gluten Free. So delicious, a great mouse served in a parfait glass, how elegant.

Half Chocolate – half vanilla, Harlequin soufflé. With Grand Marnier this is Gemmell’s Signature dessert and is baked to order and served with a rich Crème Anglaise sauce. Wow, this desert harkens back to a time, when your waiter would have to ask you half way into your meal if you had any interest in a soufflé for desert. Anyone that knows anything about a soufflé knows it is a great culinary art form, and takes a lot of preparation. I was astonished and amazed; yes this desert is totally worth the calories.

Here are the wines I tried:
Champagne/Sparkling – Michael Servin, France. Nice effervecence bubbles, perfect starter for a great meal.

Chardonnay 14 Hands, Washington State. This is a very drinkable Chardonnay, and paired nicely with the Lobster Bisque and the shrimp scampi.

Chardonnay Rodney Strong, Sonoma. I like this with the spinach salad with scallops. This wine is not too over powering for this dish, it adds just the right amount of buttery flavor.

Chardonnay Cuvaison, Carneros. This wine was one of my favorites, with it’s great caramel, vanilla and butter taste; it went great with the mellow sand dabs.
Pinot Noir, Rodney Strong, Russian River Valley 2010. I like this wine with the pork loin, it was not too heavy and went great with the Madeira sauce.

Parducci, True Grit, Petite Sirah, Mendocino. I paired this one with the burger and of course the deserts. The chocolate and this wine was one big party in my mouth.
Everything I tried was truly a great experience, so much elegant fare; you really need to come here on an empty stomach. Such great presentation, artistry and the decadent flavors really will give you a lot of bang for your buck.

There is fantastic art on the walls, very Parisian oil paintings. The décor is right out of a bistro in the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The inside is very romantic and cozy, while the indoor patio is bright and airy. This is nouvelle cuisine at its finest. Even though it is a small, quiet restaurant, you can still have a relaxed conversation over good, consistent French food. You could have a pleasant dinner date or a casual friend meet here for a spectacular meal a la Francais. Either way you will leave very happy.
Gemmell’s Restaurant
34471 Golden Lantern
Dana Point, CA. 92629
949-234-0063

http://www.gemmellsrestaurant.com

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The Harbor Grill is a no nonsense seafood restaurant. Sitting in Dana Point Harbor with a nice view of the boats, this place offers very fresh seafood, with a lot of stellar choices. Since 1984 proprietors John, Wanda and Keegan Hicks have prided themselves on great quality and delicious food. Keegan Hicks took over from his parents as owner, and he decided not to change a thing. His folks have owned The Harbor Grill since 1984 when in 2003, Keegan stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park delivering flavorful, mouthwatering food.

Keegan graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Resort and Restaurant Management and enhanced his culinary and cultural education with worldwide travel. Not much has changed here, even Cathy my server has been with The Harbor Grill since 1993, and the manager for 26 years. Why mess with perfection.

Executive Chef, Angel Fabian began his career with the Harbor Grill in 1986. He attended the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley. Angel has also traveled extensively, visiting many places in South America. Angel’s sauces, salsas and unique flavored broths reflect an international influence including Latin America, Asia, Southwestern and Mediterranean.

There are some times when folks sitting next to me ask why I am trying so much food, they become overly curious and I have to spill the beans. With every new dish that came out their eyes were about to pop out of their heads. Philip and his wife Kerry started asking me about my job and if I was a food blogger, so we struck up a fun lively conversation. They told me of a relative of theirs who was doing the same thing in New York, but a little different from my story, this lucky nephew has been appearing on some celebrity chefs shows, like Anthony Bourdain. Maybe one day those chefs will come knocking on my door.

Here’s what I tried:
New England Clam Chowder, this is a wonderful version of a very popular soup.

Dungeness Crab Cocktail, very simple, just really good fresh crab, with great cocktail sauce

Fried Oysters w/ Spicy Cornicohn Tartar Sauce, this dish was a standout, with this luscious dipping sauce, and nice breaded oysters.

Steamed Clams, perfect broth, very fresh clams.

Smoked Halibut Salad, another standout, they smoke their halibut in house and the 2 dressings were terrific.

Pacific Swordfish Marinated Japanese Style, Cathy suggested that I try this and she was very right, tender fresh fish with an amazing sweet marinade.

Bouillabaisse, Mediterranean Style Seafood Stew with Lobster, Crab, Shrimp, Clams and fresh fish. I have had this many times, but this one was really a winner. The lobster in it was a nice surprise, plump and super tender, excellent menu item.

Grilled Scallops with Angel Hair Pasta in Serrano Chile Sauce, wow what can I say about this dish. The Serrano Chile sauce on the angel hair pasta was so different, but in a really good way. The very large scallops had been seared, this one I will crave for a long time.

Cajun Blackened Rib eye, kind of spicy with an abundance of good seared crust, I liked this one too.

Here’s the wine that I tried:
Mers Soliel, Silver Chardonnay, Unoaked, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey 2011. This wine worked so well with the oysters, it had some oak, but not enough to drown out the nice clean flavor of the oysters.
Chamisal Chardonnay- Edna Valley 2008. I paired this great wine with the halibut salad; it had some caramel and some oak so it went good with the smokey aroma of the halibut.
Pine Ridge Chardonnay, Dijon Clone, Napa Valley. When in doubt Chardonnay with shellfish is a sure fire winner, this was a good match with the clams.
Zinfandel – Sonoma County 2009. The Bouillabaisse had lots of shellfish, but it also is made with a tomato base sauce, so this wine gathered those flavors and ran with it.
Tierra Secreta Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2010. The Cajun Steak was a great pair with this fine wine.

Deserts:
Bread Pudding with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce, a little too sweet for my tastes, and I was way to full to appreciate.

Dulce De leche with chocolate walnut brownie layered with chocolate mousse and a caramel glaze. As full as I was I had to indulge my senses, this desert was killer, so rich and full of wholesome chocolate flavor.

Thanks to Philip and Kerry I tried the Crème Brule, which was a true winner.

I have to admit, this place is very special, just plain great cuisine. And why not? After all, they just earned the People’s Choice award for best chowder.

Whether enjoying the cozy dining room or the colorful garden terrace, the view of harbor sails encourages a leisurely meal while a pianist adds the perfect background music each evening.

The open kitchen and round mesquite grill is worth noting. The Harbor Grill offers a delicious daily array of fresh seafood cooked in a variety of inventive styles, including Southwestern, Pacific Rim, Caribbean, Cajun and Mediterranean. I could go on and on about the atmosphere and the back story but honestly, I really can’t wait for my viewers to stop reading and get in your car and go to The Harbor Grill in Dana Point. Happy eating.

The Harbor Grill
34499 Golden Lantern
Dana Point, CA. 92629
949-240-1416

http://www.harborgrill.com

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Located in a small mini mall in Dana Point this place is not what you would expect. Kind of sports bar, kind of local flavor, but the real surprise is how this unassuming restaurant has such bold and unique…delicious food!

Peter Andriet, well known for opening up the first microbrewery in Orange County, really keeps himself and staff in perfect harmony with the customers. There is something in the air here, his employees are happy and carefree, and it shows. When asked how he picks such wonderful people he says that his staff just magically appear. He doesn’t do a lot of advertising to get them. They just walk through the door one day and he hires them. And let me tell you, Peter’s positive attitude, reflects in all of his workers, his executive chef Ronnie and The Points great food.

Christina Lomeli, our bartender, was so elegant and beautiful. She really could not have been sweeter. Coming from Fratello’s family restaurant in San Clemente, Christina says sometimes she has to act like the resident shrink for the bar, and sometimes the customers act like hers. Her favorite thing about the place though is the atmosphere, and that it is really one big family. Yes, this is my point; The Point is Orange County’s new “Cheers”, where everyone knows your name!

Here’s what I had:

Wedge Salad with blue cheese crumbles, bacon, diced tomatoes. This salad is very large, the iceberg wedge is very solid and crisp, and the accoutrements are all excellent.

Catalina Clam Chowder – Their version of the New England classic made fresh daily and served in an artisan bread bowl. When by the sea order the chowder, be prepared for all the extra herbs that are in this very filling soup.

California Burger with aged blue cheese, bacon, and California avocado. This one packs a punch, with its very big bacon strips and nice smokey flavor, a great burger.

Pepperoni Pizza – This would be considered a small pizza, done in their pizza oven, it a pizza lovers pizza.

St. Louis style BBQ Ribs – Slow roasted with tangy BBQ sauce with hand battered onion rings. Wow, these are so good, next time I would skip a lot of the other menu items and go straight for these wonderful ribs! They smoke them for 5 hours to get that fall off the bone smokey flavor. That said, the onion rings, I died and went to heaven, amazing!!

Seafood Paella – The Point style. Salmon, cod, clams, shrimp, sausage, bell pepper, onion in a saffron broth, over bed of rice. Lots of very fresh seafood, and good saffron flavors drizzled amongst the great fish broth.

Fry Bread Pastrami Sandwich – Indian fry bread wrapped around hot pastrami, mustard, pickles, pepperoncini, Swiss cheese, and with garlic fries. This one is a favorite, so different. Kind of blue collar, but also ethnic, with the Indian Fry bread, not something you would ever see served with juicy pastrami. The garlic fries were crispy with just the right among of garlic.
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3/5/7 Sliders with Hawaiian roll, French mayonnaise, pickle, aged cheddar cheese. Very simple, but wonderful, and the Hawaiian bread adds a sweetness that you would not get from a sesame seed bun.

Lumpia – Homemade Filipino egg rolls. Ground pork, shrimp, carrots, soy, sesame, water chestnuts and green onion. This would be a traditional Filipino Appetizer. Chef Ronnie got this recipe form his uncle Lito Badua, who is Filipino. This one I am totally hooked on. I just love a really good lumpia. These are very small almost cigar like, but they are so perfect. The sauce is just what you would expect with this Filipino treat.

Steamers – Steamed clams in a white wine, with citrus butter and cilantro sauce. This is a different version of this great dish, with there being a sauce not a broth. There are large sliced onions as well, a good balance of flavors.

The Wines I tried:

Chardonnay, Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma, CA. This wine went great with The Seafood paella, and the Lumpias, just the right amount of fruit and acidity to balance these 2 dishes.

Chardonnay, Parducci, Mendocino County, CA. One of my favorite wines, went great with The Steamers, added some nice notes to the garlic sauce.

Sauvignon Blanc, Out Of Beer. This is a fun light fruity wine, great with The Wedge Salad as well as the Fry Bread Pastrami Sandwich.
North Coast, CA
Sauvignon, Silvertap, Sonoma County – Very drinkable, no heavy grapefruit, just good peachy flavors. This wine went great with the sweetness of The Sliders.
The atmosphere is fun and friendly, especially for kiddies. They have a kid’s cave, where children can enjoy their favorite movie, draw on a chalkboard, and eat off of the kid’s menu. It is very airy, clean, with great classic rock music. There is also an outside patio right off of Pacific Coat Highway. And who can forget Truman the 7-month-old Great Dane who greeted me at the door.

It has a 60’s beach vibe to it , but with sophistication. There are flat screen TV’s for the sports enthusiast, and a cool overhead industrial fan and charming hardwood floors. My favorite part was the 2 four tops tables that look out over the spectacular view of Dana Point and the Harbor. The Point is so relaxing and peaceful, what a way to spend an afternoon.

Peter the owner really knows his stuff; he previously owned 3 other bars specializing in beer, 1 in Newport Beach, Huntington, and Tustin. He took some time off and then saw this new opportunity for a fun, casual, change at a new bar in Blue Lantern Plaza. He prides himself on innovation, one being the premium wines on tap. He likes the idea of getting his wine right from the barrel to eliminate the middleman so his customers don’t have to pay and arm and a leg for good wine.

So check out this new fun spot with great food. A place where everyone will soon know your name.

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The Point Restaurant & Bar
34085 PCH
Dana Point, CA. 92629
949-464-5700
thepointrestaurantand bar.com

Food & Wine Festival Palm Desert™ Saturday Grand Tasting

This event included, grand tasting, celebrity chef demonstrations, wine tasting, wine seminars, and book signings. The chefs for this great event included: Deborah Scott, Jan Boydstun, Sara Moulton, Adam Gertler, Sean Kanan, Luciano Pellegrini, Alejandra Schrader, Chris Mitchum, Mark Peel, Martin Yan, Maria Sinskey.

I got to watch Luciano Pellegrini make fresh pasta and Martin Yan do stir-fry. I am a big Martin Yan fan, host of PBS Martin Yan’s China and the celebrated host of over 3,000 cooking shows. Martin Yan has written 30 cookbooks, including the award-winning Martin Yan’s Feast, Martin Yan’s Asian Favorites, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking (intro by Julia Child), Martin Yan’s Quick & Easy, and his latest, Martin Yan’s China. He invited me to come in for a tasting at his modern new restaurant M.Y. China in San Francisco. He did some great demonstrations with his knife as well as boning a chicken in 18 seconds. With all of his slicing and dicing he always says “Cut, Cut, Cut, Cut, Cut, Cut”, about a thousand times over and over again. Chef Yan is super entertaining, and from what I tasted his Black Bean Chicken stir-fry was outstanding.

All of the food was spectacular; lots of yummy braised meat dishes, as well as some nice savory salads. The wines were nicely chosen, and a lot of them paired great with the food items served. My favorite dish was a braised beef with celery root puree, made by IW Club, by far the best thing there for me. Another great one was wild mushroom pasta, fantastically prepared by Sullivan’s, but sadly they ran out of it very quickly. So much lovely food and libations under one tent.

This was my first hopefully of many Food and Wine Events, the whole experience was very enlightening, and educational. It was very well organized, the only recommendation I would give the organizers was to air condition the large white tent, and it got just a little bit stuffy during the afternoon hours. Otherwise it was very enjoyable, to be able to taste and savor the great restaurants of this area. This really made me want to attend every Food & Wine event in every upcoming city! http://www.foodandwine.com/promo/events
www.palmdesertfoodandwine.com/

This is all of what was offered:
Products:
Stick Figure Salsa
Sweet Fire Jelly
Caesar’s Favorite

Restaurants:
Sullivan’s
Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine
Mastro’s Steakhouse
Catalan Restaurant Mediterranean Cuisine
Campanile LAX International Cuisine
Island Prime
IW Club
3rd Corner Bistro
Zin

Wineries:
Callaway Vineyard & Winery
Clos Pegase
Gainey Vineyard
Grgich Hills Estate
Gundlach Bundschu
Hess Collection
JAQK Cellars
Kenwood
Laroche Wines
Liberty School
Ménage à Trois
Monte De Oro Winery & Vineyards
Napa Cellars
Peju
Seghesio Family Vineyards
Sequana
Sonoma-Cutrer
Stonegate Winery & Vineyards
Treana
Walt Wines
First Press
Folie à Deux

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The Air Museum is home to one of the largest collections of flyable WWII aircraft in the world. Unlike many other museums, their air-conditioned hangars have no ropes to keep people from interacting with the exhibits. This museum allows visitors of all ages to gain a fresh perspective of World War II — the unparalleled event that shaped the world we live in. The museum is dedicated to the preservation, presentation and interpretation of the Air Power of World War Two.

The Bob Hope exhibit is housed in the Pond hanger, and the best part is seeing all of the lovely mementoes that belonged to Bob Hope, as well as all of the incredible ways he touched people’s lives. There is a rare and amazing history here; Bob Hope had a very full life. He also loved Palm Springs, with his iconic John Lautner-designed volcano home; look no further then the mountains right above Palm Springs to view it. Sadly, this house is now up for sale; for a cheap asking price of 50 million.

Back when Bob was still with us, I had the opportunity to go to the Bob Hope/Chrysler Classic, pro-am golf tournament held annually in Palm Springs. What a vision, seeing him ride around in his golf cart that looked like his famous ski slope nose. This hysterical golf chart is part of this exhibit; that alone is worth the price of admission.

Bob Hope always looked like he was engaged in the moment and having great fun. His love of golf and his wife Delores were a big part of this exhibit. Delores was a fantastic cook and her antipasti salad will become one of the staples in my potluck repertoire. It is so remarkable how many United Sates presidents that Bob Hope was able to share his game of golf with including; Gerald Ford, George Bush and Bill Clinton. But one can’t forget how active he was with The USO and performing for many troops worldwide.

This exhibit depicts a humanitarian, as well as an ever-ready jokester. The photos are spectacular; Bob was very handsome in his youth. His love of state and country is very evident, but the best part is his love for his wife Delores. What a great way to spend a few afternoon hours.

Palm Springs Air Museum of Flying
palmspringsairmuseum.org/
745 N Gene Autry Trail
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 778-6262

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Wed. March 20, 2013 – The Drama and Designs of Project Runway

This show was sponsored by Donna MacMillan and Marilyn Goldstein.

Local Project Runway all-star Michael Costello debuts his spring 2013 collection and shares the runway with 11 other Project Runway designers showing their latest collections.

A one-hour cocktail reception precedes and the Hors d’oeuvres were courtesy of Trio Restaurant and the wine served was courtesy of Le Grand Courtage.

At the reception there was so much to look at, the people, the fashion, some good some bad, but all were entertaining. The food was very creative, served in colorful Chinese take out containers, which provided very easy clean up I’m sure. The runway show had some very innovative fashions as well as some horrible fashions. I am not going to name names… lets just say you know who you are, and with Project Runways brand I can say no more. The after party was just lovely, under the stars at the glorious Viceroy in downtown Palm Springs. Nice tray passed horderves, my favorite was the mini BLT’s, so scrumptious. I sat down on a couch and got up for a moment to get another cocktail and when I came back Sue Wong was sitting along side of me. What a treat! Talking to her before her big night and she so graciously gave me a preview on her face book page, where she did the invites herself. There were other familiar face and all of the models from the show were there in there imaginative street clothes. All in all a very fun night.

Thursday March 21, 2013 – Sue Wong Runway Show

Sue Wong always astonishes with her revered, age-old couture techniques implemented by the finest couture houses in Europe, evoking the allure and glamour of eras such as Weimar Berlin, 1930s Shanghai, Precode Hollywood, and Manhattan’s gilded Jazz Age, and all things Great Gatsby. Now this show was worth all the money in the world, even though it was free for me. Sue Wong is an inspiration, she as a person is so Zen like. Her creations are exceptional, with every piece different and boldly unique. All of the models wore very severe feather headdresses, but somehow managed to match perfectly with their couture. The embroidery and tooling is unmatched anywhere. Sue’s line is elegant but whimsical, fairylike but royal. The colors were so marvelous; many jewel tones that you just can’t find.

She has 65 different looks, each one better then the next. Her designs are magical, mysterious and sexy. There is just no way to top this kind of talent. Later, I opted not to attend any other shows. Why would you drive a BMW when you can luxuriate in a Rolls Royce? My cup runnith over, it is just the best of the best as far as any runway show I have ever seen. I was so blessed to have spent time with Sue Wong the night before, and then to sit almost front row and be charmed forever. Sue Wong lives for one thing: to spread glamour and beauty

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www.suewong.com

Life can be so amazing and fun, especially when you have my job, being able to eat and drink at the most incredible restaurants. Well Piero’s PizzaVino is no exception, well thought out cuisine in the heart of the hot hot hot, El Paseo shopping area in Palm Desert. And the pizza, well that’s a whole other story!
Mama Gina’s is Piero PizzaVino’s sister restaurant right across the street. The original Mama Gina in Florence Italy, is still being run by Piero’s cousin. Piero told me he wanted to open a restaurant that would offer really great food at a decent price, but it had to be a very close location for him to even think about this new venture. He sold his other renowned restaurant Acqua Pazza 2 ½ years ago, so he was ready for something new. Then came Pierro’s PizzaVino. Now, for Piero to check on his staff and clientele he just has to walk across the street.

We also talked about the fact that the there is no comparable pizza in West Hollywood, and that Piero’s newest restaurant, with all it has to offer, is a well-kept secret. I tried to persuade Piero into opening an annex in WEHO. I guess I gave away the secret; Piero’s PizzaVino is the best pizza in Southern California, with unusual affordable prices!

At Piero’s PizzaVino, the placemats tell the story of pizza. “Artifacts such as marble slabs and culinary tools resembling those commonly found in today’s pizzerias were discovered in ashes smothering Pompeii after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 A.D.” Piero’s PizzaVino uses four key ingredients for true Neapolitan Pizza; the oven, San Marzano tomatoes, Fiordi Latte and DoppioZero Flour, it’s all about the balance. They are very serious about their pizza, and it shows!

To read more: www.ppizzavino.com/history.htm

Here’s what I tried:

ANTIPASTI AND ZUPPE:
Minestrone Soup. Like mama’s milk, very comforting with such a nice mellow flavor.
Fried Calamari served with their “Diavola” sauce. Very light and the sauce is a big winner.
Asparagus wrapped in Italian Pancetta from the broiler. The pancetta is cooked crisp and the asparagus in snap tender, a nice marriage of flavors.
Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta cheese and topped with raw honey. Melissa said this was a true taste treat, and she was right. You must order this for a starter, that is all I can say.

INSALATONE:
Tuscan Wedge with Iceberg lettuce, prosciutto bites, oven roasted vine tomatoes, and roasted pine nuts served with our sweet Gorgonzola dressing and crumbled blue cheese
PizzaVino Caesar with Shrimp, really terrific salad, the dressing is just the right amount with great nuances.

PIZZE:
Bubba-Bubba with Piero’s white sauce, mozzarella, crumbled Italian sausage, caramelized onions and mushrooms. The caramelized onions really kick this up a notch, and the white sauce adds just the right amount of flavors. The real treat here is the crust, the beat pizza ever!
Capricciosa with Tomato, mozzarella, baked prosciutto (ham), mushrooms, artichokes and black olives. This is a very lively combination; the artichokes and the baked prosciutto are the highlights.

PIATTI DEL GIORNO:
Shrimp in a white wine, herbs and garlic sauce served with roasted potatoes and asparagus. This dish is very good; the sauce is a perfect blend of herbs and garlic.
Pork Tenderloin with oven roasted served with olive oil mashed potatoes, asparagus in a mushroom Marsala sauce. This pork was so tender and luscious, with the Marsala mushrooms, got to have this dish again.

TEGAMINI (Pasta casseroles baked in wood-fired oven):
Rigatoni with fresh clams and mussels in a light marinara sauce. The pasta is perfect, and the shellfish is evenly cooked.
Cheese Tortelloni with eggplant, fresh oregano, mozzarella and bread crumbs. My oh my, once again a favorite must have, oozing with good cheesy goodness.

Special:
Cioppino seems like they have been simmering this very flavorful stew all day. It is really that good, and the seafood seems like it just came off the boat.

DOLCI:
Hazelnut Nutella’s Ravioli with strawberry compote and whipped cream. This is one big carnival in your mouth, full of fantastic tasty rides, a dolci not be missed.

Wine’s Tried:
Robert Pepi Sauvignon Blanc, CA. Fruit forward, but not with grapefruit, instead nice peach, pineapple flavors. This wine paired great with the zucchini flowers. The wine brought out the very pleasant honey drops, and the cheesy center to the zucchini.
Hess Select, Chardonnay, CA. This wine went great with the Caesar salad, bringing out the tangy citrus hints in the dressing.
DeLoach, Chardonnay, CA. I liked this wine with The Calamari, quite the no brainer. Rule of thumb, seafood equals Chardonnay!
Trinitas, Chardonnay, CA. This is one of Melissa’s favorites, and now mine. It has very nice caramel and vanilla subtle bites, but worked very well with Bubba Bubba pizza, helping the richness of the caramelized onions, and balancing out the simple flavors.
Paul Hobb Malbec, Felino, Argentina. Of course got to pair this with the pizzas and all the red sauce menu items, it pulled out all of the surprise flavors in these dishes.
Joel Gott, Zinfindel, CA. This one was just made for the Pork Tenderloin, and the lovely Marsala sauced mushrooms. Truly a happy combo.

The vibe here is industrial, yet homey. The ever hands on Piero laid his own brick walls, and the Colorado Beetle wood gives it more of an old world, rustic look. There are old copper Italian pots that surround the open kitchen. It is not an intrusive environment, so that the food takes center stage.

Piero likes to keep his business in the family, his daughter is his office manager and son is general manager of Mama Gina’s. Piero told me about his father being a chef and working on the ship SS Andrea Doria. His father is 92 and currently lives in Viareggio, known as the Italian Riviera. He must have a great retirement life, with its great sunshine and beaches. Piero is really in great shape, he does not have an ounce of fat on him, and he is 61 years young. He claims that he is addicted to pizza, and has to have a few pieces a day, but balances that with a sensible salad for dinner. The other fantastic thing beside its food that Piero’s PizzaVino has to offer is the very gregarious Melissa. She is all things to Piero and PizzaVino, acting as manager, including offering a lot comic relief and killer suggestion for her choice of wines by the glass. Melissa is so gracious, she really adds a lot of fun to this already fantastic establishment, and she has paid her dues, in the past working for Donald Trump.

With temperatures sometimes over 118, a lot of El Paseo businesses close in the summer months. Melissa says “there used to be a time when folks had 2 houses, so they could get out of the sun baked dessert in the summer. Due to the fall in the economy some people don’t have the luxury of getting out of the summer heat and have to stay put”. Piero’s PizzaVino is open all year round, and caters to tourist and locals a like; they know where bread is buttered.

If you’re looking for just run of the mill pizza, bypass this restaurant. But like me if you’ve been to Italy and know the difference between an imposter pizza and a real one then by all means next time your in the desert make Piero’s PizzaVino a stop in your weekly schedule, you will be so glad you did.

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Piero’s PizzaVino
72722 El Paseo
Palm Desert, CA. 92260
760-568-2525
http://www.ppizzavino.com

In a small but unassuming neighborhood, very close to USC, is a little jewel; this place is a great find. You don’t have to be in there for more than a few minutes to realize, this place is fun! It’s accessible, comfortable, and has none of the airs that typical gastro style wine bars in Los Angeles have. Also,there is another thing about this place that will really surprise you. Besides the ever – inventive food, there is a constant stream of beautiful model type girls walking through the doors. But once again, not your typical hoochy messes one would see in Hollywood. No, these are very smart wonderfully coiffed USC students, who have figured out that the best game in their neighborhood is Bacaro LA!

There were 3 long 8 seat tables that housed 3 different Birthday parties for twenty something ladies on the night I was there. These girls were out to totally get their party on. They sang, they toasted, they ate and they primped, all the while never missing a beat. You see, what owner Danny Kronfli has done is offer up a terrific special; $20.00 for an hour and a half of all the white or red wine you can drink. Well no one gets so drunk that they are under the table, instead they just get very happy and sing their college fights songs. I am telling you Bacaro is so worth the drive into the great USC abyss.

The staff is also a highlight, with the always-smiling Jasmine, who checked on me just the right amount of times to the Chef, Lior Hillel, who hails from Jean George in Manhattan by way of Israel. He has such a great eye and palate. He graduated from Le Cordon Blue in Pasadena, and also studied as a pastry chef. The baguettes that he makes from scratch were scrumptious. He also talked about being a soldier in Israel, I am sure that all of his good and bad experience brought him to this fantastic crossroad, of being the executive chef here at Bacaro LA.

Here is what I tried:

Cold:
Poached Shrimp
Citrus Chili Sauce, with shaved fennel. The shrimps are plump and fresh, and the sauce has some very nice little treats.

Caprese salad, “gioia” mozzarella, tomatoes, basil pesto, good ingredients makes this a worthwhile dish.

Pan seared polenta with roasted market eggplant salad, very interesting combo, kind of Italian and kind of Mediterranean.

Burrata Di Stefano, sea salt, cracked black pepper, grilled sourdough. It all melted in my mouth.

Cabecou marinated goat cheese with fresh ground black pepper, cranberry compote, and baked baguette. The cranberry compote really makes this dish pop, extremely good.

Hot:
Grilled lamb burger
with cucumber, parsley tahini sauce, shaved radish, and sourdough. The concept of this Middle Eastern blend works, very enticing.

Lamb stuffed eggplant, with lemon garlic emulsion, lemon chip, and scallions. I like the consistency of the lamb, and how it great it goes with the eggplant.

“Noa’s” cauliflower with chipotle aioli and mixed greens, this one is a perfect way to eat healthy and have amazing taste all at the same time. The chipotle sauce is off the hook, it is so good they bottle and sell it. I was very lucky to have been gifted one bottle!

Grilled Chicken Panini with mozzarella, very tasty, and nicely prepared.

The Bacaro Burger made with all natural Angus grass-fed beef served on bicycle breads handmade grilled honey wheat, with fried egg on top. This burger is all about the egg being on top, you could eat this one for breakfast lunch, and or dinner.

Bacaro clams with white wine, plugra butter, mirapoix, capers, smashed cherry tomatoes, and freshly grilled baguette. The clams are very fresh and gave great clam liquor to all of the accompaniments.

Grilled hangar steak, with grilled zucchini, house made béarnaise sauce. The béarnaise sauce is the star of this dish, OMG!

Short Rib Sliders with house made coleslaw, caramelized onions, and beet hazelnut dressing. The meat is so tender, this is a must have slider.

Pizza:
Bacon and brie with tomato sauce and jalapeno. Kind of fiery, but very good. The pizzas are the perfect size for one person as well.

White pizza with besciamella sauce, bacon, scallions, mozzarella. This pizza would be my drug of choice, with its entire bacon and cheese flavor.

Cheese and Salumi:
Cana de Cabra , goat, SP, BlueDes Causes, cow, Fr, Sottocenere Al Tartufo, cow, It. Salame Toscano, Salame calabrese, Salame Finocchiona, with figs, almonds. Exceptional cheeses and salumi, nicely plated, and all great flavors.

Wines:
Felines Jourdan, Picpoul De Pinet. Fr. ’11. A great wine with the caprese salad, and the cheese.
La Cadette, Colomband, Fr, ’11. Even though this wine is French is paired great with the Italian Burrata Di Stefano.
Quinta De Correio, White Blend. Portugal. Great wine with the cheese plate.
House White, Sauvignon. Blanc, ’09, CA. I drank this one with the Cabecou marinated goat cheese; it added another dimension to the cheese.
Sean Minor, Chardonnay, ’10, CA. I liked this wine with the poached shrimp, subtle, but worthy.
Chareau St. Pierre, Grenache, Rose, Fr. This wine paired great with the polenta.
Geta Murra, Chianti, Tuscany ’11. This wine went really good with the pizza and all its Italian sauces.
House Red, Blend, France, simply and delicious, worked good with the Bacaro Burger.
Chateau Fitere TANNAT, CAB. FR. ’09. This wine worked nicely with the short rib sliders.
Sean Minor, Pinot Noir, Central Coast ’11. I would try this combo together, the Bacaro clams.
Casa De Mouraz, Tempernilla, Port. Went great with the hanger steak, bringing out all of the rich cherry flavors in the meat and wine.
Sangria, this is there very house made concoction that is simply the best sangria ever! I drank this with both deserts, and was pleasantly surprised.

Sweets:
Vanilla with walnuts and clover honey brown butter cookie dough, this is one heck of a great accomplishment, wow.

Homemade Cranberry Bread Pudding, served with vanilla ice cream, nice if you’re a bread pudding lover.

The atmosphere is very cool; the walls are virtually floor to ceiling chalkboards, where they write their wines by the glass menu, which changes all the time. The ceiling had a great fixture that is made out of old wine bottles. They just expanded which gives them a total of 60 seats. Imagine, on a Wednesday night near downtown and they’re packed to the gills! When I asked Danny about their night, he said this was just another slow Wednesday, on the weekends there are people standing and drinking throughout the entire place. Danny and his brother Robert are also building a concept BBQ restaurant right across the street, and maybe another one down the street, he basically wants to take over the neighborhood, but with this, they have really struck gold.

So come and enjoy fantastic food, marvelous scenery, and the reality that in this funky college neighborhood, this is not a mirage. Great things come in little surprise packages, and this restaurant is small but mighty. The word Bacaro means Venetian wine bar, so why go to Venice when you can come get your wine on here!

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Bacaro LA
2308 S Union Ave
Los Angeles, CA.
(213) 748-7205
bacarola.com

Ed Levy of Bow and Truss promised me a treat by hooking me up for dinner at The Federal. What he didn’t tell me was that the treat was to not only my palate but also my eyes. All these beautiful young spirited NOHO people. So much excitement under one roof, I walked in and the place was filled with the aroma of wonderful food and the atmosphere was absolutely electric!

The Federal is the one of the best gems here in the artsy NOHO district; it really holds its own to the other restaurants popping up. It’s got an old Chicago or San Francisco saloon type vibe. Like Mickey Cohen or Bugsy Siegel could be sitting in the booth next to you, after all they have curtains that close at every booth. With its large leather bar, kind of like Board Walk Empire meets modern day chic, this place holds lots of intrigue. It is the oldest standing structure in the San Fernando Valley, and in the 1960′s was Kennedy headquarters for the presidential election.

The lighting is good for all, it’s comfortable and looks cool, a nice evenly lit bar with that beautiful soft amber glow that makes everyone look younger. The ceiling has a very large picture frames in gold. The brick walls add to the grace, charm and overall grandeur of this building. They have flat screen TV’s for sports events as well. The night I was there the bar area was very happening. The upstairs area has local bands playing, and the line to get up there was long, and the people very happening.

Here’s what I tried:

Pass Arounds:
Smoked Trout, pesto toast, pickled red onion, hard boiled egg, the presentation on this menu item is stupendous, the trout is so great, and the accompaniments are just perfect.
Crab-n-corn Fondue, with seasonal vegetables and house made crackers. It is served with zucchini, and tomatoes. The fondue has a very nice cheesy flavor, and is wonderful with the crab, a very fun way to do a fondue.

Curry Cauliflower, fried, with lemon aioli. This is so fresh healthy and fantastic, a great way to eat cauliflower.
Fed Chop Salad, treviso, iceberg, tomato, cucumber, pepperoncini, garbanzo bean, manchego cheese, oregano and lemon. A great take on an old stand by, really good salad. I could see many of the nearby studios ordering this for lunch take out.

Fried Brussel Sprout Salad, crispy red onions, goat cheese, baked apples, balsamic reduction. This dish is wonderful.

Soups:
Tomato Basil, very savory, nice tomato flavor.
Summer Grilled Corn Chowder, great homey flavor.

Sides:
House Fries, herbs, parmesan and garlic with truffle salt. Very rich, fantastic truffle flavor.
Maple-Glazed Sweet Potato Tots, I loved the idea of these sweet potato tots, and have never seen them done this way.
Bacon Brussel Sprouts, smoked goat cheese, once again a great way to treat brussel sprouts.
Skillet- Sautéed mushrooms, such great mushroom flavor and lots of different types of mushrooms.

Burgers:
The Federal, garlic chips, smoked cheddar, Bibb lettuce, balsamic onion. Very unique and different, I liked this burger the best.
OMH (oh! my habanero), pepper jack cheese, pickled habanera, avocado, and cayenne crispy onions, really flavorful, packs a serious punch. My producer said it was delicious…just too hot for me.
Greco, lamb, feta, parsley, tomato, olive, and tzatiki. Loved this surprise burger, very Mediterranean.

Mains:
Ipa Braised Short Ribs, melted leeks, hulk smash potatoes, big bold flavor, and the leeks added a nice touch as well.
Grilled Swordfish, forbidden rice, Swiss chard, sherry braised shallot sauce. The rice is very unique and very good, the sauce is kind of sweet, and the fish was nicely prepared.

Ox Tail, braised garlic kale, mash, and jus. I would only order this if you have eaten Oxtails before, not for the meek or finikey. Very bold flavor.

Dogs and Sammies:
Vegan Wenna, spicy chipotle dog, avocado, tropical fruit salsa, and cilantro cream. They claim the one is a popular item for Vegan folks. I would have to say two big thumbs up. It is rich and filling, with so much great guacamole flavor that you’ll never know that it’s healthy for you!

The Angry Chicken Sammie, fried chicken breast, wing sauce, blue cheese, arugula pepperjack, served with coconut ranch. Kind of like wings, but classier.

Wines:
White Riff Pinot Grigio Venezia, this wine worked great with the smoked trout plate, with its nice drinkable fruit essence.

Mac Murray Pinot Grigio, Sonoma Coast, CA. I like this wine with the corn chowder; it added a whole new dimension of flavor to this soup.
Sean Minor Chardonnay, Central Coast, CA. Loved this wine with most of the pass arounds.

Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, Russian River, CA. This wine is very elegant and was terrific with the swordfish.
Greg La Foliel’I’E Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA. The perfect grape, perfection in a glass, great with the angry chicken sammie.

Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, CA. Really terrific with both brussel sprouts dishes.
Rosenblum Zinfandel, Paso Robles, CA. For me I loved this wine with the Greco burger; it gave this dish an extra exclamation mark.
Quivire Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, CA. This hearty zinfandel added a wonderful nuance to the tasty short rib dish, as well as the oxtails, and of course all of the burgers.

Desserts:
The deserts were obscene: The Elvis Pie, with its rich creamy smooth peanut butter and banana inside, was like a big explosion in my mouth.

The Red Velvet Cake, had a chocolate crust with luscious velvet cake and a cream filling in between. This is sumptuous and velvety smooth, ripe with great chocolate flavors.

So unique, so special, this place is a stand out. There are so many subtle nuances, you won’t even be able to pin point why you are so happy being here. Maybe one reason was my fantastic server Katie, who landed in Los Angeles from Chicago. She has a very L.A. story, she is an actress and her husband is a writer and has been with The Federal since they opened in February 2 years ago. Katie made my experience extra special, with her knowledge of food and wine and fun personality; I just would not have wanted anyone else! Chef Shawn from Manhattan was also very helpful, and fired up some amazing grub for my gastronomic pleasure.

So take a stroll in the NoHo Arts District, check out the music, the art and the entertainment, on the street or all under one roof at The Federal. Ignite your palate here, you will be happy that this kind of place exists so close to home.

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The Federal bar
5303 Lankershim Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 91601
(818) 980-2555

www.Thefederalbar.com

After my dinner disaster at the Ranch, I went back to my room, but was very happy to hear the roar of live music coming from the bar across the street…Thank God! Jadin, owner and bartender was very accommodating, he gave me some extra wine samples and told me to come by before leaving town the following day and he would give me some lunch to go. The music was very fun, the people even more fun. Lots of locals getting happy. Jadin from what I heard is a very nice man and is very involved in his community through sports programs. Honestly, I was just happy to be amongst people who had personality unlike the previous location. This bar saved my night!!

This is what I tried:

Sandwiches
Chicken Pesto – So delicious and juicy.

Chipotle Pulled Pork – Wow, this one is a real winner. So meaty and great flavor, another perfect sandwich. Their fries are made with curry powder, which bursts through and makes for fantastic flavor. Their coleslaw is a real treat as well. Thank you Jadin!!!

Wrec Room Sports Grill
219 E. Matilija Street
Ojai, CA