Just back from London...an amazing time with beautiful people. Wish I could have been around in this time.....
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival Part 2: 3 nights of after parties!
Sooooooo after the red carpet main event, I was invited to the after party: Pigs, Pins & Pinot at Lucky Strike Lanes. The menu focused on pig in many forms and I was happy to indulge. I even watched Todd English dance on the tables (see video below). Best ever? Warm bacon cookies. Holy hell......
Night two was the best of the after parties..."HEAT: LA's spiciest after party" was spicy foods of all kinds. Every single plate was delicious. I mean, sooo good. Not a miss in the bunch. I also got pretty hammered on the white wines that paired really well with the spicy food. We were somehow let in to the VIP room where only a few other people were so the waiters kept coming by with their trays and we kept eating (and drinking). Check it out.....
The third afterparty was DECADENCE: hosted by Sherry Yard. This all dessert party was like watching an episode of Top Chef: Just Desserts. Head Chef Johnny Iuzzini and I flirted while I indulged in his chocolate & yellow curry dessert. Last years winner Yigit Pura was there looking hip in his suspenders along with other contestants from last and this season. Sherry Yard was in a great mood, dancing and bequeathing party goers with glow necklaces. Did I mention QuestLove from the Roots was the DJ for the night?!!! The desserts gave us a sugar high and the wine gave us a buzz. We danced, we drank, we ate and we ate some more.....So much fun.
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| Bacon wrapped bacon |
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| Pork Belly from Chef Garcia |
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| Ryan enjoying his pig with parsnip puree |
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| !!!! |
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| Chef Todd English dancing on tables |
Night two was the best of the after parties..."HEAT: LA's spiciest after party" was spicy foods of all kinds. Every single plate was delicious. I mean, sooo good. Not a miss in the bunch. I also got pretty hammered on the white wines that paired really well with the spicy food. We were somehow let in to the VIP room where only a few other people were so the waiters kept coming by with their trays and we kept eating (and drinking). Check it out.....
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| Yellowtail sashimi with ahi chunks in spicy ponzu |
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| Crab soup. I had 4 of these. |
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| Tofu with Habanero sphere....drooling. |
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| looks "eh" but the flavor of this spicy chicken liver pate was addictive |
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| THE BEST of the night! These meatballs were off the charts...the avacado mousse, the crumbly queso, the warm tortilla that housed it.....I could've had 10....I probably did. |
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| Spicy glazed cod |
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| The waiter that became our best friend |
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| wine is delicious |
The third afterparty was DECADENCE: hosted by Sherry Yard. This all dessert party was like watching an episode of Top Chef: Just Desserts. Head Chef Johnny Iuzzini and I flirted while I indulged in his chocolate & yellow curry dessert. Last years winner Yigit Pura was there looking hip in his suspenders along with other contestants from last and this season. Sherry Yard was in a great mood, dancing and bequeathing party goers with glow necklaces. Did I mention QuestLove from the Roots was the DJ for the night?!!! The desserts gave us a sugar high and the wine gave us a buzz. We danced, we drank, we ate and we ate some more.....So much fun.
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| Too bad I was talking while the pic was snapped...with Johnny Iuzinni |
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| Duff Goldman's Ace of Cakes |
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| Top Chef Just Dessert's Zac Young made one of the best of the night; see below |
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| Zac's fried apple bread pudding with caramel sauce....seriously? |
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| Top Chef Just Desserts winner Yigit and his yummy little cakes with tropical sorbet |
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| Ryan getting cozy with Sherry Yard |
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| Sherry's yummy cake pop |
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| Cider milkshake |
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| I love a smoking dessert |
Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival Part 1
I had the opportunity to go to 3 nights of the LA Food & Wine Fest courtesy of Eater LA. I entered the "poem" contest and actually won (see below)! Woohoo! My prizes were tickets to the red carpet arrival event, featuring over 100 wines and food from about 25 celebrated chefs, tickets to the after party at Lucky Strike: "Pigs, Pins & Pinot", tickets to "Heat", the second day after party, and "Decadence" on the third night hosted by Wolfgang Puck's pastry queen extraordinaire, Sherry Yard. I met some of my chef idols and took pics of me grinning like a idiot next to Morimoto.
Thanks, EaterLa! I had a blast!
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| Red Carpet Arrivals |
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| Food & Wine's best new chef award winner Ricardo Zarate!! He made an amazing alpaca crostini. If you haven't been to his restaurants, Picca or Mo Chica, you MUST! I knew 4 years ago when we worked together at a little Japanese restaurant he would be great. Congrats, Ricardo! |
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| Daniel Boulud and his amazing charcuterie |
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| yes, some of those has been bitten into already. I have a hard time waiting.... |
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| Iron Chef Morimoto needs no introduction |
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| Chris Cosentino & Michael Cimarusti laughing as they make comments about "sandwiching me" Oooooh chef humor. |
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| Such a gentleman, Hubert Keller.... |
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| In HEAVEN. My entry: Ode to LA Food & Wine In a town known for being scandalous, We go by the name Los Angeles. In La, we got all kind of spots, Son of a Gun, Mozza are the ones that's hot Fresh produce, root veg, gotta love the yam Gjelina's vegetables make me say, "hot damn!" We eat food produced by the local farms, Jitlada's in my mouth setting off alarms. Beef, fish and pork of any cut Tail, tongue, the shoulder and of course the butt. Good wine to us is just like a ballad Pair a nice white wine with a quinoa salad. In LA, we know the way to eat Sippin wine til we buzzed falling off the seat. Friends saying, "Too much and you get sick, yo". That's ok, spend my day watching Colicchio. So many great choices for one lil chica, Down a frothy pisco over at Picca. Hot chefs, good food yeah we know the deal, Los Angeles will host my very last meal. |
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