Archive for the 'Gourmet' Category
Two California luxury hotels added to AAA’s 2010 Five Diamond Award list
November 6, 2009 2:45pm
Open less than a year, the Resort at Pelican Hill in Orange County like all hotels, has struggled against the tides of a beleaguered economy. But that doesn’t mean it can’t take a great compliment. The luxury coastal property is one of two California resorts that have danced into the exclusive ranks of AAA’s just-released Five Diamond Award list for 2010. [Corrected at 5:45 p.m. Nov. 6: An earlier version of this post said the Resort at Pelican Hill is south of Laguna Beach. It is north of Laguna Beach.]
California, with 20 five-diamond hotels, also added the opulent Grand del Mar in San Diego to its coffers.
The new Golden State additions join the company of some real longtimers, like the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, which has populated the list for 24 consecutive years, and the Peninsula Beverly Hills, with 17 consecutive years under its belt.
For Pinot, go to Willamette Valley, one of North America’s best wine regions
October 12, 2009 1:02pm
It being harvest season, good wine has been on the minds of many of us. If you’re thinking about a real wine-tasting getaway, you’ve probably already considered Napa Valley and Sonoma, popular spots that rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, on TripAdvisor.com’s recent list of top 10 wine destinations in North America.
But for something more adventurous, head farther north, to Oregon’s wine country. Willamette Valley, which ranks No. 3 on the list released by the user-generated-review site, boasts the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards in the state, according to the Oregon Wine Board.
The 150-mile-long valley, sitting between the coastal mountain range and the Cascades, is “a lush rural area” with a “gently curvaceous landscape shaped by volcanic events, then polished by abundant Pacific moisture,” said writer Patrick Comiskey in his article “Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley offers a vintners’ bounty.”
In the region’s 200 or so wineries, many of them small, you can sample wines produced from cool-grape varieties. And if you’re a fan of Pinot Noir? Read the rest of this entry »
‘Julie & Julia’ foodie tour of France
October 6, 2009 5:56am
Have you seen the movie “Julie & Julia,” directed by Nora Ephron? Read the book?
Much of the film takes off from “My Life in France,” describing Julia Child’s post-World War II encounters with French cooking and eating. The renowned chef was working on the memoir when she died in 2004, leaving it to be finished by Alex Prud’homme.
Now true believers in the “French Chef” can follow her tracks through the land of tripe and escargot on a tour devised by New York-based Tour de Forks, which specializes in culinary excursions around the world, from New Orleans to Australia.
DineLA Restaurant Week Oct. 4-9 and 11-16
October 4, 2009 12:47pm
DineLA is offering a second helping of Restaurant Week that starts today (Oct. 4-9 and 11-16). As if it weren’t hard enough to decide which of the 175 participating restaurants to try during the last event, in January, there are 125 more restaurants in this event. That’s a grand total of 250 restaurants to choose from. Some of the new celebs jumping on board to have some Restaurant Week fun include Josiah Citrin with Caché, John Sedlar with Rivera, Michael McCarty with Michael’s and Josie Le Balch with Josie.
If you haven’t dined out during Restaurant Week before, it’s a great opportunity to try new eateries around town. Participating restaurants offer a three-course meal for lunch and dinner at special prices that range from $16 per person to $44 per person. Note: Prices do not include tax, beverages or gratuity. It’s also best to make a reservation.
As you know, there’s been a big food-truck fad happening in LA. Five of L.A.’s top chefs took to the road to promote this season’s Restaurant Week, including Anisette’s Alain Giraud, above.
Tip: Did you know that lots of new restaurants have been opening up downtown? Check out the buzz to see whose tables you might’ve missed.
When: Oct. 4-9 and 11-16
More info: DineLA Restaurant Week
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
[Photo: Anisette's Alain Giraud will be one of five chefs offering free tastes. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times]
Napa Valley wine travel: Use Twitter and Facebook to nab a deal during ‘Crush’ season
October 1, 2009 5:56am
TripAdvisor recently named Napa Valley the “undisputed American capital of wine” in its list of Top 10 North American Wine Destinations. Second place went to Sonoma and third place went to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. To celebrate, Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa put up a sale on rooms through Twitter and Facebook for their fans during the 2009 “Crush” grape harvest season. It’s a 72-hour sale that started Sept. 30, so book your rooms by Friday if you want to take advantage of a good deal during this annual event.
Deal: Rooms start at $99 (Sunday through Thursday) and $199 (Friday and Saturday) for stays through Nov. 14. That’s a significant markdown, considering that rates typically range from $209 to $259 weekdays and start at $279 on weekends. The lowest weekday rate I found (on sale) at Hotels.com was $159 per night. This deal is only good on Twitter and Facebook. It’s also worth following the Marriott on Twitter (@napamarriott) because it sometimes gives out free tasting passes to its local winery partners to tweeps who visit. Note that the offer is only good through .
Moon cake alert: Mid-Autumn Moon Festivals in L.A. and beyond
September 24, 2009 1:19pm
It’s about time for the Mid-Autumn Festival, an important harvest event for Chinese and Vietnamese communities internationally. Every year, for about 3,000 years now, people come together to celebrate, dance and eat — among other traditional foods — moon cakes, which are dense pastries filled with red bean, lotus seeds and salty egg yolk.
The annual holiday occurs on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which this year is Oct. 3. San Francisco’s Chinatown is ahead of the game, having already celebrated the popular cultural event this month. This coming weekend, you can partake of the festivities in Chicago or San Jose (both on Sept. 27), among other places.
But for the Los Angeles celebration, you’ve got a little more time to ready your taste buds. The free, annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. at Central Plaza in Chinatown. Read the rest of this entry »
Island fun in L.A.: ‘Day of Hawaii Smiles’ hits the Grove, Sept. 12 and 19
September 11, 2009 11:44am
If an island getaway is more fantasy than reality right now, you’re in luck this weekend and the next. Among the goings-on related to a current Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau campaign is “A Day of Hawaii Smiles,” here in Los Angeles.
Taking place on two different Saturdays, this festival will give Hawaii-philes and the simply curious a taste — literally and figuratively — of the aloha spirit.
Happening at the Grove, the free festival will offer fun for the family with arts and crafts, food demonstrations and tastings, and Hawaiian music and hula lessons by the Polynesian Cultural Center. Get your photo taken at the “Big Wave” photo station. And shop for Hawaii-made goods or even a vacation.
Each festival day will include a free outdoor film screening in the Park area of the Grove. The scheduled time is 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., though the film won’t start until after sunset. On Saturday, Sept. 12, it’ll be “South Pacific,” the 1958 film adapted from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name. Up on Sept. 19 is “Lilo & Stitch,” the popular 2002 Disney animation set in Kauai. Read the rest of this entry »
Pinkberry freshens up LAX food offerings
September 10, 2009 2:30pm
More good news for LAX fliers who struggle to find decent eats between flights: Pinkberry, the oh-so-hip chain of frozen yogurt shops that originated in Southern California, has set up business in Terminal 1, home to Southwest Airlines and US Airways. You’ll find it on the passenger gate level past security.
Known for its minimalist decor and tart treats, Pinkberry, which runs more than 40 outlets in California alone, often draws long lines outside its stores, especially during summer. You can top off your dessert with blueberries, coconut flakes and other treats.
Although it gets a formal inauguration today, Sept. 10, the shop actually opened its doors last week. Earlier, officials announced that Pink’s Hot Dogs, a longtime Los Angeles landmark also known for drawing huge crowds, would open shop at LAX.
Happy Hour links: Santa Monica Pier centennial fireworks reminder; personal advice for the Bahamas; important iPhone travel tips
September 4, 2009 5:05pm
> I’d have to say that Ben & Jerry’s is worth paying $2 for on a flight. Thank you Delta. Scott McCartney over at the Wall Street Journal’s airline blog Middle Seat catches up on the decent food options being served to coach passengers.
> A reminder that there will be a big fireworks show on Sept. 9 to celebrate the Santa Monica Pier’s 100th birthday. Here’s a photo gallery of the local icon.
> I wish there was a travel website all about the people you should know in cities around the world. Mollie Chen’s post over at Concierge.com is a great start: Five People to Know in the Bahamas.
> Are you hungry? Enjoy the food art pics of Insane Sandwiches over on the Happy Hotelier blog.
> Have iPhone will travel? Karen Torme Olson offers some important travel tips she wish someone had given her before she hit the road with her beloved smart phone.
—Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
(Photo: Santa Monica Pier: Saturday afternoons nearly always draw crowds during the summer; Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times / Aug. 8, 2009)
Temecula: Wine-tasting, massages and breakfast in bed at South Coast Winery
September 4, 2009 8:50am
Forget the long trek to Napa, and the crowds there too. Southern California’s very own Temecula Valley, about a 90-minute drive southeast of downtown Los Angeles, has over 20 wineries, according to the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Assn. One of them, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, is offering a special midweek package for oenophiles who, along with wine-tasting, could use some pampering as well as relaxing views.
Deal: Take advantage of the “Ultimate All-VIN-clusive Vineyard Getaway” and you’ll be put up in a “villa” overlooking a vineyard or citrus grove. The package also features a bottle of South Coast Winery wine; a welcome gift; a couples’ massage of 50 minutes (South Coast Classic Massage) at the onsite spa; a Vintner’s Breakfast in Bed for two (which can be partaken in the restaurant, if you’re not the sort to lie in); unlimited wine-tasting privileges; and a $50 gift card for the resort and spa. Rates start at $124 per person (pre-tax).
With the wine-tasting privileges, note that each time you come in (and you can come and go as often as you wish), you’ll be offered five tastes. Read the rest of this entry »
