FOOD FASHIONISTA

Saks Fifth Avenue & St Vincent Meals on Wheels - Beverly Hills

Last night, legendary retailer Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills, teamed up with St. Vincent Meals on Wheels and Miss Lilly’s Trading Company for a festive gathering filled with food, friends and a store full of the most exquisite beauty and fashion. The evening started off with a celebratory VIP reception featuring culinary temptations prepared by several Los Angeles chefs including Mark Gold of Eva, Alex Becker of Nobu, and Michael Fiorelli of mar’sel at Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes. They, along with nearly 40 other L.A. chefs are featured in the recently released Cart For A Cause Cookbook, whose sales benefit St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. 

                   Cart for a Cause Cookbook - the perfect gift!

    Lettuce Wraps by Chef Alex Becker of Nobu, West Hollywood

I was honored to be an official Saks Fifth Avenue guest blogger, and although I was completely in my happy place...shopping couture, sipping cocktails, sharing conversation and sampling cuisine, what made the evening all the more sweet and special, was that it was to support two extremely important causes that I greatly believe in. During the event, Saks donated a portion of its proceeds to St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, the country’s largest, privately funded senior nutrition program, as well as to Miss Lilly’s Trading Company for their pet program, which provides much-needed food for seniors’ pets.

                 FENDI Python Peep Toes at SAKS

Pisco Porton w/Serrano Chili, Grand Marnier, Star Anise, Pineapple

                         Chef Mark Gold's Tofu with Caviar

Guests were treated to hypnotic, hip-shaking DJ beats and specialty holiday cocktails by Pisco Portón, alongside a coterie of fanciful “specialists,” including a lipstick reader, glitter tattoo artist, a renowned psychic and more.  Miss Lilly’s Trading Company also offered their beautiful cookie gift tins as well as their exclusive polo and tennis shirts, just for this special evening. Junk Food Clothing was also in attendance with the first ever QR code t-shirt which supports feeding with fashion.

       Christina Rushing (Saks), Chef Mark Gold, Mika Takeuchi

                              Bonnie Star Jewely at SAKS

“We’re passionate about supporting St. Vincent Meals on Wheels and the vital work they do on behalf of the hungry and homebound in our community. The partnership between Saks and St. Vincent Meals on Wheels underscores the message that during this celebratory time of year, people have the opportunity to be generous while enjoying their holiday shopping, stated Saks Fifth Avenue Vice President, General Manager John Cruz.

                        Foie Gras Macarons by Chef Michael Fiorelli

                      Fashion for a Great Cause - The Best!

                      Jimmy Choo iPad Case at SAKS - Drool!

“We are delighted to partner again with Saks to address senior hunger, proving once more that Fashion Feeds. We're also very grateful for the support of the Cart For A Cause Cookbook chefs during this season of giving and celebration and thrilled to have some of them join us at Saks,” noted St. Vincent Meals on Wheels Foundation Executive Director Daryl Twerdahl.

I say cheers and a very happy holiday season to that!

Even if you couldn't be there in person, you could still join the conversation, by supporting your local Meals on Wheels, or by purchasing a Cart for a Cause Cookbook.

 

For more Saks Fifth Avenue, St. Vincent Meals on Wheels event photos (which I'll be adding later today), visit our Food Fashionista Facebook Page.

 

More info on the generous people involved:

St. Vincent Meals On Wheels, the largest privately-funded organization of its kind in the country, serves over 4,700 meals a day, 365 days a year. The meals are prepared daily in the 16,000 square foot, state-of-the-art kitchen located at the Saint Vincent Medical Center Campus.  Annually, over 1.1 million meals are prepared and delivered to people in Los Angeles, including homebound senior citizens, disabled and terminally ill patients and homeless adults and children.

Miss Lilly’s Trading Company merges founder Bebe Flynn’s passions for baking, animal rights advocacy and entrepreneurism.  Bebe learned while volunteering with St. Vincent Meals on Wheels that 80% of seniors who own pets share their meals with them, often feeding their pets before themselves.  A portion of Miss Lilly's proceeds provides seniors with food for their pets. Miss Lilly herself is a King Charles Spaniel mix, whom Bebe rescued and loves so much that she decided to name her company after her. In addition to Saks Fifth Avenue, Miss Lilly’s cookies are available at Whole Foods and Bristol Farms, among other upscale retailers. Miss Lilly's also sponsors polo teams and their polo and tennis shirts will be on sale at SAKS in limited quantities. 

Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the world's preeminent specialty retailers, is renowned for its superlative American and international designer collections, its expertly edited assortment of handbags, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics and gifts, and the first-rate fashion expertise and exemplary client service of its Associates.  Today, Saks operates 46 full-line stores in 22 states, 5 licensed stores in the Middle East and 2 licensed stores in Mexico City, 57 Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH stores and saks.com, the company's online store.

Cleo Restaurant at The Redbury Hotel - Hollywood & Vine

Sorry I've been a bit MIA lately, but as expected for a retailer, it's one of the busiest, no sleep kind of months. I did gleefully get to finally escape for a bit last night to Cleo Restaurant at SBE's Redbury Hotel. The chic (but unpretentious) spot in Hollywood is host to one of my favorite made-to-order pita breads which I just can't get enough of. Pair with Babaganoush and Lebaneh and you are good to go. Well, at least for the starter. Everything on the food menu is ideal to share, and it's reminiscent of experiencing a comforting Mediterranean feast in the midst of hip Hollywood. I like it.

     Lebaneh and Feta with Cleo's Flatbread - an obsession.

These Brussels Sprouts aren't the ones from your childhood

A few other must haves are the Brussels Sprouts with capers, almonds and red wine vinaigrette and the Mushrooms with hazelnuts, dates, and puffed wild rice - absolutely to die for! We also enjoyed the Chicken Tagine, along with the Mushroom Flatbread (pictured above) and a couple orders of the refreshing Greek Salad. Pair with a glass of vino or one of their signature cocktails, and you'll be a satisfied believer that appetizing and affordable cuisine with a Hollywood vibe actually can and does exist.

   because sometimes you just want to stare at the ceiling...

 

Cleo is the smart L.A. choice for that night on the town -unique, stylish, and most of all...flavorfully delicious.

 

Cleo at The Redbury

1717 VINE STREET 

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90028 

TEL 323.962.1711

2011 San Francisco Cocktail Week Kicks Off

 
San Francisco's own Reza Esmaili in a seersucker jacket (above) curated the cocktails at the opening SF Cocktail Week launch party. Here he is holding a "Mayan Decadence" with Chinaco Anejo, D'aristi Xtabentun, Aztec Chocolate, and Xocolat Mole Bitters.

Check back soon for more photos and recap of the 2011 SF Cocktail Week Opening party here on Food Fashionista.

You can also follow us on twitter @FoodFashionista for updates.

To purchase TIX to SF Cocktail Week 2011 visit HERE

San Francisco Cocktail Week Returns 9/19- 9/25 - Get your drink on SF!

 
 

We are now just a few days away from the much-anticipated Fifth Annual San Francisco Cocktail Week taking place during September 19-25, 2011. Last year was literally one of the best and booziest weeks in S.F. with non-stop seminars, cocktail parties, culinary events, and festival galas throughout the seven-day celebration. Hard to imagine, but it looks like this year is going to be even more memorable (well depending on how much liquor you consume) and intoxicatingly epic. With the addition of the Cocktail Dinners at some of S.F.'s favorite restaurants, attendees will be fortunate enough to experience the pairing of drinks and dining with some of the city's top mixologists and chefs. If you appreciate a truly memorable liquid libation and all things cocktilian, this week was created for you.

 
  Cocktails at last year's Boothby Center for Beverage Arts Launch

 

THE TASTE - Food Noir Downtown L.A.

For my last recap of THE TASTE, I'm sharing pics of the film-inspired Food Noir which took place in Downtown Los Angeles. A number of local restaurants such as Takami, Rivera, and The Raymond served up alcohol-absorbing bites while the jovial crowd, including chef Michael Voltaggio enjoyed a clear, near-perfect L.A. evening adjacent to the bright, colorful, neon lights of the historic Orpheum Theatre. 

Broadway, between 8th and 9th streets were blocked off, and the cocktails flowed for the block party of the Summer. Here are some photos:

 
                 L.A.'s top mixologists were mixing it up

 
                      DTLA + THE TASTE = Happy Angelenos

 

                Notice the Ice Cubes from Cole's & The Varnish

                          Dengue Fever performs for the crowd
 
        Inside the Orpheum Theatre (tiffany rose photo)

 
                                     Caña Rum Bar

 
                         Never a dull moment at Pinches Tacos

 
   Mixologist Joel Black was serving up Moonshine Sours 
 
                 Seven Grand concocting a Ward 8

  

-For more Food Noir and THE TASTE photos, visit our Facebook Page

 

 

        

 

 

THE TASTE - Street Eats, Hollywood

 

Fabio Viviani, Jet Tila, Marcel Vigneron, Sang Yoon, Kajsa Alger and plenty more were in attendance as fellow chef Susan Feniger hosted THE TASTE's Street Eats party at The Studios at Paramount. Food Trucks and booths lined the streets and it was here that I finally got to try the cheesy goodness of the Grilled Cheese Truck. Perhaps tried is an understatement. I probably consumed like five of them with additional fillings including shredded short rib and macaroni and cheese. Coolhaus sweetened up the celebration with their ice cream sandwiches, along with Créme Caramel LA and their, you guessed it...creamy créme caramels.

 
         Short Rib Grilled Cheese from The Grilled Cheese Truck

 
             Everybody wanted a Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich

 
                        Créme Caramel LA's creme caramel

Sommelier Jesse Rodriguez (Addison Restaurant, Grand Del Mar) and Michael Shearin (Drago Centro) gave us useful, professional tips in their "Navigating a Wine List" seminar. While in the same tent prior, a panel discussing "Food City: The New Language of L.A." moderated by Betty Hallock drew a packed crowd curious to hear all that chefs Roy Choi (Kogi), Jet Tila (Wazuzu), Sang Yoon (Father's Office) and Mario Alberto (Chimu) had to share.

 
                   Street Eats panel discussion at THE TASTE 
                       Palate Food & Wine's Lamb Flatbread

        Mika Takeuchi, Joann Cianciulli, Jet Tila, Sang Yoon, Caryl Chinn

 
                          No shortage of carbs at Street Eats

The Chew hosted a food truck-inspired photo booth, which was deliciously entertaining with snaps getting even more incriminating as the night went on (aka more liquor consumed). A favorite find of Street Eats was Pitfire Artisan Pizza who brought their own wood burning oven to the festival. Their pizza was so good, that I've visited their restaurant in NoHo twice since the event. And to think I was going to detox after this four day culinary extravaganza. Umm, not so much.  

 
             Marcel Vigneron, Robert Montano, Haru Kishi

 
                         Pitfire's Heirloom Tomato Pizza

 
                        Food truck photo booth shenanigans

 

Guelaguetza's Tamales Oaxaquenos w/ black mole & chicken breast in banana leaf

 

-For more Street Eats and THE TASTE photos, visit our Facebook Page

-Check back for more photos and features of THE TASTE weekend!

THE TASTE Los Angeles - Taco Tequila Tryst

  

Leave it to Kogi's Roy Choi, aka the "godfather of the food truck movement" to host an evening of tacos, tequila, and tunes to create an authentic street party at The Studios at Paramount. From red snapper tacos at Loteria Grill, Baja fish tacos at BajaMar, chicken mole tacos at Pinches, and carnitas tacos from Sofiy's Catering, this was the real Hollywood deal. Hornitos supplied partygoers with "to kill ya", oops, I mean tequila galore and horn-shaped shot glasses. For those craving a "healthier" margarita, Skinny Girl was in the house, or rather on the streets. Musician Diego Garcia wowed the crowd and provided good low-cal eye candy for those ladies too full for dessert. Spotted at THE TASTE's Taco Tequila Tryst festivities were chef Steven Fretz, StreetGourmetLA's Bill Esparza, and Food Network's Alex Guarnaschelli.

 

                     Pink Taco's Shrimp Ceviche Tacos

                              The line at Kogi BBQ Truck

                  Red Snapper Taco from Loteria Grill

                              Roy Choi & Food Fashionista

 

                           Pinches Colorful Tacos

 
                                       Diego Rivera     photo credit: tiffany rose

 

              Taberna Mexicana's Slow-roasted cochinita pibil taco

                                                                         photo credit: tiffany rose

 

                           Get ready to get tipsy at Hornitos

 
                  Tofu Tacos with Sriracha at Kogi BBQ

 
              THE TASTE at The Studios at Paramount

 
-For more Taco Tequila Tryst and THE TASTE photos, visit our Facebook Page

-Check back for more photos and features of THE TASTE weekend!

               

THE TASTE Los Angeles - Secrets from the Kitchen & Cellar

Couldn't think of a better way to spend a Labor Day Saturday in L.A. than THE TASTE's Secrets from the Kitchen & Cellar event presented by Infiniti. The weather was spectacular and the selection of cuisine, libations, panel discussions, and cooking demos were on fire. Yes, I said it...they were hot! Popular events included "An Interview with Chef Ludo and Krissy Lefebvre led by L.A. Times Food Editor Russ Parsons, along with a discussion on "Twitter and Tasting" by renowned food critic Jonathan Gold with chefs Michael Voltaggio, Walter Manzke, and Craig Thornton. Wine seminars included a talk on "Paso Robles Pioneers" and the useful "How to Taste Like a Master Sommelier".

Scott Conant of Scarpetta had the crowd entertained while the Drago brothers (Celestino and Giacomino) kept the assembly of food lovers enthralled with their beet risotto cooking demo. Wineries such as Charles Krug, Justin Vineyards, and Bernardus along with Fiji water helped us beat the heat with hydration to keep the appetite running for a second, third, fourth...and fifteenth helping of favorite bites from many of L.A.'s most beloved and recently introduced restaurants. This was definitely a great day to celebrate the professional kitchens of Los Angeles. Kudos to host L.A. Times and Food & Wine for a job well done.

 
                  Infiniti Chocolates by LA's own Compartes

 
                           Rock Sugar's Pork Belly Bun

 
      Ricardo Zarate and Stephane Bombet of Picca & Mo-Chica

 
Picca/Mo-Chica's Lettuce wrap with beef, quinoa risotto, rocoto sauce

 
           Scott Conant's Cooking Demo at THE TASTE, Beverly Hills

                 with Aarti Sequeira of Food Network's Aarti Party

 
              Chaya Brasserie's Watermelon with Basil Oil

   Haru Kishi (Chaya Brasserie)'s Seaweed Salad w/Chicken

         These TASTE fans were the popular cool-off accessory

 
       Claire Robinson of Food Network's "5 Ingredient Fix" 

 
                Fresh Peach Cocktails...Oh, Yes Please!
         
                                  Chef Celestino Drago

 
Il Pastaio's Baked Spaghetti w/Eggplant, Mozzarella, Tomato Basil Sauce

 
             Krissy and Ludo Lefebrvre with Russ Parsons (center)

 
                                Mr. Chow's Walnut Shrimp

 
                       Kerrygold's Aged Cheddar Cheese

 
Mezze's refreshing Cocktails & Ginger Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

 
                     No shortage of vino at The TASTE


         The weather wasn't the only thing was hot that day

 
          It was a day of fun (and food) for the entire family

 

-More photos from The TASTE's Secrets from the Kitchen & Cellar, will be added to our Food Fashionista Facebook page.

-Check back for more photos and features of The TASTE weekend!

 

Infiniti & Lefebvre photos by: Tiffany Rose. All others by Food Fashionista

THE TASTE Los Angeles - Burgers & Beer and Art of Mixing

 
We are thrilled to have contributing guest author, Kyra Davis of the Sophie Katz Series share her experience from opening night of THE TASTE.

 

 

When I first heard of Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine magazine’s THE TASTE I didn’t know what to expect. I knew it kicked off with their Burgers & Beer event and...well, really, how can you go wrong with an event named after the two things that have made this country great? But the name was actually a bit misleading. It probably should have been called, Burgers & Beer & Every Other Wonderful Thing You Would Ever Want To Devour Extravaganza. From foie gras to fine cheeses to wine to decadent chocolates and assorted baked goods, the Burgers & Beer event was enough to make you think you had died and gone to culinary heaven. The only clue that you might not have reached an ethereal plane is that your human body simply doesn’t have the ability to eat everything being offered. Seriously, by the end of that event my eyes were still lusting after Wilshire Restaurant’s Roasted Pork Slider (complete with apple chutney, arugula, Dijon and aioli) and STK’s BBQ short rib sliders (served with sour cream, chives, roasted corn salad and their house made BBQ sauce). And although I knew that, in order to save room, I should only have had one taste of Waterloo & City’s chicken liver foie gras, stopping at one bite proved to be a fairly impossible task. The drinks from Cupcake Wine, Justin Vineyards and Peroni helped me forget about how far off my normal diet plan I had gone.

 
                                   STK's BBQ'd Shortrib Slider

 

 

                 Cider & Pork Slider from Wilshire Restaurant 

 
                           Foie Gras from Waterloo & City

 
                                     Kobe Burger from Simon LA

 
                      Food Fashionista hearts Burgers

 
                              Green & Black's Organic Chocolate

 
              The Cake Mama's Chocolate & Beer Cupcakes

 

And even if the beer and wine served at the Burgers & Beer event weren’t enough to help me throw caution to the wind the spirits served at the second event of the night, appropriately titled The Art of Mixing, would have done the trick. Anyone who knows me or who has ever read my books knows I have a fondness for vodka and this festival, hosted at the gorgeous Paramount Studios Backlot, was serving some of the most amazing vodka I’ve ever tasted. Beluga Vodka was one of my favorites, served with Lounge Attire Cranberries which are naturally sweet, dark red in color and grown exclusively in the Northwest. Normally I don’t wax poetic about cranberries but honestly, these were the perfect enhancement to the miniature Beluga vodka shots they were serving, making the drink flavorful, slightly sweet and not even a little syrupy.  But there were lots of other drinks to get excited about, including the martinis served by Chopin, the wine served by Herzog Wine Cellars and the Skinny Girl Cocktails (relatively low calorie drinks that I like to pretend make up for everything I tasted at Essential Chocolate Desserts and The Cake Mamas booths).  And the band, Mariachi El Bronx just made everything all the more festive and fun.  

 

 

                                        Beluga Vodka from Russia

 
                                           Mariachi El Bronx           photo credit: tiffany rose
 

                                      The Studios at Paramount Lot
 

                                   Karlsson's Potatoes + Vodka

 
                    Cafe Hoy's Assorted Agua Frescas at Art of Mixing
 
                             Bar Pintxo's Seafood Paella

 

And what’s the perfect finish for a night of total decadence? Shaved ice, flavored perfectly with gin, lemon, blackberry and basil (a flavor combination otherwise known as Bramble). How can you not LOVE that?

 

 

 

All in all it was worth every wonderfully sinful bite.  I can’t wait until the next event.

 

 

                 Kyra Davis on the Red Carpet at The Taste

 

You can learn more about Kyra and her books at KyraDavis.com

You can still purchase tickets for this weekend's events at THE TASTE.

 

Check back for many more upcoming photos and features of THE TASTE.

Win 2 Tickets to Fashion Bites Brunch at THE TASTE - Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills

Congratulations to our randomly selected winner, Tiara Henry who won 2 tickets to this weekend's Fashion Bites Brunch at The TASTE. Thank you to all who entered and please check back for more fabulous giveaways in the near future. Cheers!

 

Greetings Food lovers and Fashionistas! Here's your chance to win a coveted pair (2) of tickets ($300 value) to the ultra-chic and tasty Fashion Bites Brunch this coming Sunday on world-famous Rodeo Drive. The stylish, cuisine-filled happening is part of the Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine's THE TASTE event taking place over the upcoming Labor Day Weekend.

 

 

For your chance to win, follow the simple instructions below:

 

1) Follow us on twitter @FoodFashionista or Facebook page at Food Fashionista (one is fine, both are fantastic)

 

2) Let us know who your ultimate favorite fashion designer/ brand is along with your favorite food by doing one or all (more chances to win) of the following.  

 

- comment on our blog below

-tweet us with hashtag #taste

-comment on our Facebook page with hashtag #taste 

 

Twitter Example: " @foodfashionista @thetasteLA Can't get enough of Azzedine Alaia and Apple pie a la mode. #taste  

Facebook Example: Azzedine Alaia and Apple Pie a la mode are my food and fashion favorites #taste

  

*Contest closes on 9/1 at 4pm. Winner will be chosen randomly and announced Thursday, September 1st at 5pm

 

 

 

Fashion Bites Brunch

 

Presented by Ciroc and Infiniti

Experience unparalleled brunch tastings on the famous Rodeo Drive. Los Angeles’ hottest brunch spots will serve up signature dishes alongside free-flowing Bloody Marys, Bellinis and mimosas. Try a dish from The Farm of Beverly Hills. And from The Blvd at the Beverly Wilshire. Check out the latest from Chef Richard Sandoval’s Zengo. Between bites, shop for some of the most fashionable accessories and clothes in the world on Rodeo Drive. See below for an A-list of L.A.’s restaurants as well as wineries, breweries and distilleries that will be at this event.

Beverly Hills, Rodeo Dr. | 10 am-2 pm | $150
Your all-inclusive ticket offers:
• Unlimited tastings from over 30 of L.A.’s top brunch destinations/chefs
• Unlimited samples from over 30 of your favorite wineries, breweries and spirits
• An opportunity to shop and dine in L.A.’s most famous ZIP

 •Kids 14 and under FREE

Ticket includes unlimited wine, spirits, beer and food tastings. Processing fees and a donation to charity are included as well.