Part 2: 3rd Annual Los Angeles Food & Wine’s Lexus Grand Tasting was the “red carpet” foodie event of the year

Are you hungry and thirsty for more? Let’s keep going…

Melville Vineyards and Winery is owned by Ron Melville, Chad Melville, and Brent Melville in Lompoc, CA. Since 1999, they have been making 100% Estate wine, tending the vineyard and farming the land. The 2011 Estate Pinot Noir Sandy’s is made from grapes picked from the 4-acre Sandy’s block, sandy northeast section of the vineyard. This is a full-bodied, balanced Pinot Noir with a fruity and floral nose, robust oak flavor, and slight black pepper on the backend. This would pair nicely with a rare, peppercorn-encrusted ribeye steak! If you’re wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley, stop by Melville Vineyards and Winery for a tasting, open daily from 11am to 4pm. For more information, please visit their website or call 805.735.7030.

Chef Mark Mollica of La Vecchia Cucina in Santa Monica, CA made Tortiglioni Al Funghi e Tartufo or Tortiglioni Pasta with Mushrooms and White Truffle. Chef Mark had a plexi-container full of white truffles and the scent reminded me of my trip to Milan last year. Truffles are in season in September and the menus in Italy are chocked full of truffle dishes from pizza to pasta. I loved the flavor of this pasta dish, especially with the shavings of white truffle. The Tortiglione pasta was too doughy for me. I think rigatoni or orecchiette would have been better. The corkscrew- or dimpled –shaped pastas would hold the sauce better and texture would match perfectly with the truffles.

John Hamilton, founder of J. Hamilton Wines, was on hand pouring the Private Cuvee flavors – Pomegranate, Peach, and Raspberry. My pick out of the bunch was the Raspberry. Bubbling like an “adult” soda, the crisp raspberry flavor bursts out like sun-kissed, fresh-picked raspberries, not too sweet. This would be great for a summer deck or pool party or elegantly served with a fresh fruit tart with vanilla bean ice cream. For more information, please visit their website.

Chef Ben Ford of Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City, CA served up Lamb Meatballs, Tomato Chutney, Guanciale, & Cilantro Yogurt. This was amazing! It was a bite of the Mediterranean – beautiful ground lamb, bright tomato chutney, lacy guanciale (Italian unsmoked bacon), cilantro yogurt that tasted like tzatziki. Brilliantly executed!

Dragonette Cellars started in 2003 by John Dragonette, Steve Dragonette, and Brandon Sparks-Gills in Los Olivos, CA. John and Brandon drew upon their previous experiences at Fiddlehead Cellars, Trobreck (Barossa Valley, Australia) Sine Qua Non, and Demetria to launch their first vintage in 2005. They are very hands on and pride themselves with crafting ultra-premium wine by buying their fruit by the acre and tend the vineyard to ensure high quality fruit. 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara is a blend of grapes from Grassini Famly Vineyards and Vogelzang Vineyards – medium-bodied, slight pepper notes, tropical fruit aroma. If you’re in the Santa Barbara County, make an appointment for a tasting and visit with the winemakers. For more information, please visit their website or call 805.688.8440.

Chef Brooke Williamson of The Tripel and Chef Nick Roberts of the Hudson House rocked out Pulled Duck with Plums, Pickled Fennel, Seeded Vinaigrette, and Beet Paste. The duck was tender and lovingly executed as a pulled meat. The texture and flavor components kept my mouth happy with the soft tender duck, sweet & tart flavor from the plums, and fresh, crisp flavor from the greens. Very creative execution!

The Perrin and Haas Families own Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, CA. They purchased the property in 1989 and the first vintage was produced in 1997. This is not their first wine venture. The Perrin Family owns Chateau de Beaucastel in the Rhone and Robert Haas founded Vineyard Brand Imports. With their collaboration, Tablas Creek Vineyards produces Southern Rhone inspired California blends. 2012 Patelin de Tablas Rosé has a beautiful pink rose petal color with rose petal nose. It was light and crispy with a slight sour bite at the end. If you are in the Paso Robles Wine Country, stop in for wine tasting or reserve a winery tour. For more information, please visit their website or call 805.237.1231.

There was so much more to be had at this event. Just wish I had more time and room in my stomach for more food & wine. If you didn’t attend this year, definitely make plans attend next year! It’s a blast!

For more information:

Los Angeles Food & Wine

Part 1: 3rd Annual Los Angeles Food & Wine’s Lexus Grand Tasting was the “red carpet” foodie event of the year

In the heart of Los Angeles, LA Center Studios was the host of this year’s Los Angeles Food & Wine’s Lexus Grand Tasting. Like an opening to a blockbuster movie, the entrance was red carpet ready. I was ready for the paparazzi to jump out of from behind a wall. But, really, it was a stunning entry, but that wasn’t even the best of it. To my delight, the Lexus Grand Tasting was actually inside Stage 1 and Stage 2 on the studio lot, which means AIR-CONDITIONING! As we enter between the two stages was a “souvenir stand” with books from your favorite chefs and cooking show icons like Giada de Laurentis and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and commemorative shirts for the event.

As I walked in, I saw the playful Chef Brian Malarkey of Herringbone in San Diego, but better known as one of the judges who joined with Anthony Bourdain, Ludo Lefebvre, and Nigella Lawson on The Taste. He is a very down-to-earth guy and offered me his “taste” of Lamb Tartar. It was scrumptious!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/part-1-los-angeles-food-wine-s-grand-tasting-was-a-red-carpet-foodie-dream

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Crepe de Ville brings the sidewalks of Paris to the streets of Los Angeles

Sylvie Behar and Gene Siemer own Crepe de Ville, a mobile signature crêperie. Feeding studio film crews and special events since July 2011, they are clearly doing something right. Their mobile kitchen is open air and you can watch your order being prepared by Gene, himself, and his 25 years of restaurant experience. Like a well-oiled machine, your order is taken by Sylvie, a native Frenchwoman making the experience even more authentic. The ticket is racked and the crepe goes on the crêperie and a few minutes later, your order is complete.

La “de Ville” is a crepe with banana, raspberry, and Nutella topped with whipped cream. The fold is so fancy, you’d think you were in a 3-Michelin French restaurant. It has all of the components of a great dessert – fruit, chocolate, and cream. C'est magnifique! Thumbs up, way up!

 

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/crepe-de-ville-brings-the-sidewalks-of-paris-to-the-streets-of-los-angeles

 Mahalo,

 OC Food Diva

Tainamite makes Taiwanese/Vietnamese traditional food wonderfully untraditional

Michael Cao and Jennifer Yiu found a love of gourmet food trucking on Tainamite. Tainamite is a combination of Taiwan, Vietnam, and Dynamic. Jennifer is Taiwanese and Mike is Vietnamese. The combination of food cultures is definitely Dynamic. They started in 2009 and are well on their way to success. If you can survive in a food truck for over 2 years, you are set. When you try their food, you’ll know why people keep coming back for more.

Garlic Noodles with Shrimp is pan fried noodles with garlic, butter, and their secret sauce, served with succulent shrimp. The aroma of garlic is apparent the moment that the container is opened. The garlic flavor was just right and added the perfect flavor to the pan fried noodles – almost sweet and savory. The shrimp were expertly prepared with a great snap. The flavor is so addictive! Once you start eating, you can’t stop! Thumbs up, way up!

 

To read more and see slideshow: please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/tainamite-makes-taiwanese-vietnamese-traditional-food-wonderfully-untraditional

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Dom’s Favorite Burgers Blog knows his burgers

 Since he was a teenager, Dominic Gutierrez has been on a quest for find “the best damn burger around.” His media experience started in high school as the feature editor for the school paper, “The Spokesman” and then in college as the blog editor/writer for Saddleback College’s “The Lariat.” He’s a down to earth guy in sharp, smart dressed attire; a modern day Clark Kent of sorts. He loves food and eats roughly 4-5 burgers a week. Now, that’s dedication following the footsteps of George Motz, author of Hamburger America and host of Travel Channel’s “Burgerland”.

On June 19, 2013, Dom’s Favorite Burgers Blog had a launch party at West Elm in South Coast Plaza. I had never been to West Elm before and was in awe of the products that they sell. It’s almost like an IKEA meets Portland meets Small Producer Food Products – funky, modern, laid back, yet out-of the-box. 

Being a culinary writer, I was drawn to all of the small producer food products like sauces, pickles, pastas, and drinks. Free burgers were on hand with condiments sold in the store ranging fom flavored mayos to hot sauces to bbq sauces to pickles. 

We even got to try some specialty soda syrups like ginger (which tasted like a strong ginger ale), cream (cream soda with a bite), and sarsaparilla (somewhat root beer-ish flavor). 

I loved the different condiment combinations, but was a little disappointed that the burgers were cold. It was catered in by Pacific Whey Café. The burger itself wasn’t very exciting on its own, but the bun was nicely glazed and had a soft, yet chewy texture. 

We had a great time and are always glad to meet another local food blogger. Learn where to find the best burgers in Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego and follow Dom on his Burger Journey!

For more information:

Dom’s Favorite Burgers Blog 

Dom offers catering if you want to have the “best burger” experience in the comfort of your own home. Check out his fantastic menu!

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