Coolhaus keeps it real with modernist designed, artisan ice creams

It all started back in the fall of 2008. Natasha Case and Freya Estreller started baking cookies and making ice cream in Freya’s mom’s kitchen. They named the flavor combinations after architects and architectural movements – farchitecture – food + architecture. Their concept was perfect for an ice cream truck, a modernistic approach to the “Good Humor” man. With gourmet food trucks on the rise, they found a postal truck on Craigslist. In April 2009, they launched their product at the Coachella Valley Music Festival and the rest is history. Since then, they have a fleet of 4 trucks in Los Angeles, 2 trucks and 1 cart in New York, 2 trucks in Austin, 2 trucks in Miami, ice cream sandwiches sold at Southern California Whole Foods Markets, and storefronts in Culver City and newly opened Pasadena. The one of the greatest milestones is teaming up with Dexter, Showtime series, to celebrate its final season, with the “Killer Combo”.

The name “Coolhaus” comes from:

• Bauhaus, an influential modernist design movement of the 1920’s and 30’s
• Rem Koolhaas, the famous Dutch architect and theorist, who challenged the mantra “Form follows function”
• “Cool house” what you’re eating, an ice cream sandwich deconstructed into a cookie roof and floor slab with ice cream walls

Every Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich is all-natural, handmade, and organic whenever possible. Their dairy is sustainably produced and artificial growth hormone-free. They also use seasonal farmers’ market fresh ingredients. Every ice cream sandwich is wrapped in a customizable, edible wrapper that is all-natural and calorie-free. Yes, you can save all the calories for the ice cream and cookies!

Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Chocolate Guinness Ice Cream sounds weird, but it is oh so good. The Guinness actually brings out more of the chocolate flavor. The ice cream itself is premium. You can feel the butterfat coating your tongue like a velvet blanket. It tastes rich but it actually not a very heavy ice cream. The cookie itself was a great combination with the sweet chocolate and salty pretzel. The cookie was a little too hard to eat as a sandwich but it was great as a dipper. Thumbs up, way up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/coolhaus-keeps-it-real-with-modernist-designed-artisan-ice-creams

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

The Buttermilk Truck goes nationwide with their famous Red Velvet Pancake Mix

Ever since I first saw The Buttermilk Truck at the OC Foodie Fest in 2010, I have been enamored with their food. Their claim to fame is their Red Velvet Pancakes. People, myself included, will wait hours to taste these wonderful red pillows of pancake heaven.

On June 11, 2013, the launch party at Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica started the Red Velvet Pancake Mix out with a bang. Hosted in their Penthouse Suite, guests could view the beautiful beaches of Santa Monica with sweet, fresh scent of the sea. It was a beautiful Sunset Soiree. This is the perfect place for private events with a bar area, private bathroom and indoor lounge areas. Outside there is a long patio with comfy lounge patio furniture and high boys so you could see the ocean. Toward the back of the patio, you have the perfect view of the famous Santa Monica Pier. Below, you can see their spacious and decorative Courtyard complete with pool and private cabanas. The hotel was built in 1939, designed with Art Deco elegance and reminds you of old Hollywood glamour. The catering department can make your party a success with perfectly paired appetizers and drinks. On this evening, they served a bunch of items that could be eaten for breakfast but also presented as fanciful hors d'oeuvres. The Dining Room features The Buttermilk Truck’s Red Velvet Pancakes on the brunch menu. Next to the Penthouse Suite, Hotel Shangri-La also has a rooftop bar, Suite 700, showcasing beautiful sunsets and world-class mixology.

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-buttermilk-truck-goes-nationwide-with-their-famous-red-velvet-pancake-mix

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

The Annual Los Angeles Times’ The TASTE is your #1 event for Labor Day weekend

THE TASTE will be taking over Paramount Pictures Studios from Friday, August 30, 2013 through Sunday, September 1, 2013. The Los Angeles Times has recently announced the rock star roster of chefs, bartenders and restaurants participating in the annual Labor Day weekend celebration of the Southern California culinary scene. Each of the five unique events will showcase the people, eats and trends at the heart of L.A.’s dining scene along with unlimited tastings and specialty cocktails:

·         Opening Night Presented by Tequila Don Julio
Friday, August 30, 2013 from 7:30pm to 11:30pm
The festivities start on a high note with a special soirée attended by all TASTE event hosts and many of the weekend’s participating chefs and bartenders. All will join the party on the backlot to enjoy a premium collection of tastings, distinctive cocktail and wine offerings as well as live entertainment. Restaurants will include Bagatelle, Bedford and Burns, Candela Taco Bar & Lounge, Carson House, Coco Laurent, Firefly, Fishing With Dynamite, La Sandía, Lotería Grill, Manhattan Beach Post, Pizzeria Mozza, Oliverio at Avalon Hotel, STK, Taberna Arróz Y Vi, and THE Blvd at Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

To see more events and order tickets online, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-annual-los-angeles-times-the-taste-is-your-1-event-for-labor-day-weekend

Mahalo and see you there!

Ecco Domani Moscato toasts to “Here’s Tomorrow”

Northern Italy and Milan are one of the great art centers of world, with high fashion and innovative cuisine. I had the privilege of travelling to Milan last year during a week-long exhibition. It is very fashion-centric, yet very industrial with graffiti laden walls as far as the eye can see. But it was the food and wine that were the most memorable, from the charcuterie and cappuccinos for breakfast to the fantastic seafood, pizza, and pastas for dinner, with everything paired with the perfect glass of wine.  Since its debut in 1996, Ecco Domani Moscato echoes these fine attributes with a beautiful cobalt blue bottle and silver label. Fabrizio Gatto and his team scour Italy’s finest regional grapes to find the best, combine them into blends, and bottle in Trento, Italy.

Historically, Moscato is grown in northern Italy where cool temperatures bring out the best aromatic characteristics of the wine. The small-berried Moscato Bianco grape, also known as Moscato di Canelli, is considered the best and is used as the base of this wine. The fruit is sourced from the Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino and the Colli Euganei in the Veneto. Aromas of peach, apricot and mandarin orange entice the nose, while the slightly off-dry palate has bright acidity, making for a quite refreshing flavor. 

 

To read more, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/ecco-domani-moscato-toasts-to-here-s-tomorrow

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

3rd Annual Los Angeles Food & Wine returns August 22-25, 2013

In downtown Los Angeles, one of the country’s premier cultural destination, world renown culinary experts will come together to showcase the food diversity for a three-night, four-day epicurean extravaganza. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said, “It has been a pleasure to witness the success of this event first hand. The size, scope, and quality of the festival only add to the momentum Los Angeles has experienced as a place where culinary enthusiasts from around the world should visit frequently.”

On Grand Avenue between 1^st and 2^nd Streets, there will be live culinary demonstrations highlighting Jenn-Air Master Class Series and tastings from world-class wineries, marquee events, the LEXUS Grand Tasting, book signings, mixology seminars, activations from returning sponsors including The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Delta, and after parties, all paired with performances from nationally recognizable artists. Guests will enjoy delicious cuisine from over 100 celebrity and world-class chefs, and over 200 wines curated from prestigious wineries as participants stroll along Grand Avenue for an extraordinary experience. “The city of Los Angeles is one of the most prominent destinations in the world for art, travel, entertainment, and cuisine, and is home to the most respected cultural institutions in the world,” says CLM Co-Founder David Bernahl. “There isn’t a better place than Los Angeles to celebrate the gastronomic talents of this city as well as the biggest names in culinary history.” 

To read more, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/article/3rd-annual-los-angeles-food-wine-returns-august-22-25-2013

Mahalo and hope to see you there!

OC Food Diva