Tag: Beverly Hills

Los Angeles – 3rd Full Day in Town

Greetings and salutations from a sweltering Los Angeles. As I write to you, it’s a sultry 92 degrees. AAC CPA and I are ensconced in a lovely poolside cabana at the luxurious L’Ermitage in the 90210 zip code. We just finished a delicious brunch at the hotel’s restaurant, Avec Nous, with our great friends, Amy and Julie, and it was great to to see them and catch up.

Avec Nous
Avec Nous at L’Ermitage

Last night we Ubered over to the Tower Bar in the Tower Arms Hotel up on the Strip. We’ve dined there many times over the years and have always been impressed by the swank factor. The place is gorgeous and very sophisticated, the bartenders and wait staff (all of whom do their jobs extremely well) could well have been sent over by Central Casting. And legendary maître d’ Dimiti Dimitrov has always run a tight ship.

Having said that – and while it was a mixed pleasure to return – I have to admit some surprise and disappointment at the lack of dress code in evidence last night. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not one who believes that you have to dress in white tie and tails to go out on a Saturday night. But the preponderance of sloppy t-shirts worn by diners of the male persuasion was just a bit of a shock. Whenever we’ve dined at Tower Bar in the past, the attire was nothing less than casual chic – and this place has been the epitome of chic for as long as I can remember.

The cocktails and dinner were as delightful as ever and our waiter, Ronnie, was perfect: there whenever you needed him, but allowing us to have an intimate dinner a deux.

So, would I recommend that you try out the Tower Bar next time you’re in town? Truth be told, the food is very tasty but, at that price point, there are other places that are just as good. We had looked forward to the whole experience: an elegant, swellagent evening up on the Strip, and our balloon was a bit deflated, sad to say.

Moving on:

Before meeting up with Amy and Julie, we decided to go for a little morning constitutional before it got too hot. Heading west on Burton Way, we ran into a Farmer’s Market just a few blocks from the hotel and decided to walk through to see how they do it out here. We loved it.

In addition to the multitudes of vegetable and fruit stands, there were several bread stands, one stand that specialized in dog food, and a small coterie of goats and turtles in yet another area.

While strolling through, we were beckoned by a very welcoming presence at a stand dedicated solely to balsamic vinegar. The welcoming presence, it turns out, is Chris-Ann, and she gave us a taste of many varieties of her wares: it was mind-blowing. I think my favorite may have been the chocolate flavored balsamic vinegar (to drizzle over your strawberries for a sumptuous dessert). We chatted with Chris-Ann for a good while and really enjoyed both the conversation and the samples.

Chris-Ann
The Gourmet Blends stand, overseen by the friendly Chris-Ann

Had we lived here, we would have walked away with a few bottles. As luck would have it, you (and we) can order the stuff online. Check it out for yourselves.

CULINARY TIP: Gourmet Blends

I know that you know that we’re back, yet again, at our favorite LA hotel, L’Ermitage, and I believe I posted a picture the other day. But that pic was a cheat, not our room. So I thought you might be interested to see our actual digs:

Erm - 01
Our bedroom and sitting area
Erm - 05
Dressing area – how about all those mirrors?
Erm - 02
Bathroom – part one
Erm - 03
Bathroom – part two

Yeah, this place is really cool beans. You might consider giving it a try next time you’re in town.

TRAVEL TIP: L’Ermitage

And now, gentle readers, it’s time for me to cool down. Then we have to think about packing before heading out for our last dinner in town: El Comprade. 

Tomorrow: Yountville and the wine country!

And Then There’s Maude

So, we completed our first full day in town with a splendid dinner at one of the hottest restaurants in town – Curtis Stone’s Maude.

Maude Biz Card.jpg
Maude’s business card

The first thing you need to know about Maude is that – unless you plan extremely well in advance, and are extremely lucky, or are related to Chef – your chances of getting in are going to be very challenging. That’s because the footprint of the restaurant is relatively tiny with less than 10 tables, and the online reservation system only opens up about a month in advance and tends to sell out within hours. In our case, we threw ourselves upon the mercy of Christine (a member of the concierge team at L’Ermitage), and she did us proud. As we’re in town for only 4 days, not only did she get us our desired date but, also, our desired time of 8:00 PM. Thank you, Christine!!

Maude - AAC
AAC CPA arrives at Maude

Maude Dining Room
The action in the dining room on a Friday night

Maude serves a multi-course menu which is built around one “star” ingredient and changes monthly. Already this year, Chef has created menus around carrots, potatoes, pistachios, radishes, garlic and, for this month, it’s cherries. Menu prices have been between $125 – $150 per person and are paid in full (plus 18% gratuity) at the time of booking. Beer and wine are offered with dinner and, if you like, you can choose either a “classic” or “reserve” wine pairing at, respectively $115 and $150 per person. Because we are such cheap dates, AAC CPA and I elected to share the premium pairing. It actually worked out great on all counts.

Once you are seated and asked if there are any dietary issues of concern, then the fun begins. The menu is not presented to you until the end of the evening so as not to ruin the element of surprise. Even looking at the menu during the Uber ride back to the hotel, it does not do justice to the experience. The wait staff is excellent and very welcoming and your fellow diners are convivial. Everyone seems happy to be there and to be sharing the experience.

I would have liked to say that I can faithfully recollect everything we ate, but that would be a bald-faced lie. I did take a lot of pictures of the various courses, which I’m happy to share with you, but I don’t recall now all the preparations and ingredients, but I’ll do my best. Mega apologies to Chef and his team. At the very least, you can enjoy seeing the food and the presentation.

Maude Cherries & Fois Gras
Cherries and fois gras sitting on a light cracker

Maude Jicama
Jicama, lovage, elderflowers, cherries

Maude Omasum
Omasum (a/k/a tripe), porcini, anise, cherries 

(NOTE: So glad we didn’t know what we eating before we ate it – suffice it to say that each bite was a singular sensation.)

Maude Marcona Almond Soup
Marcona almond soup with cherries

Maude Sturgeon
Sturgeon, which was somehow smoky, in a cherry glaze

Maude Abalone
Abalone with beans, miso and basil and, of course, cherries 

Maude Squab
Squab with beets, nasturtium and poached cherries

Maude Parfait
Served with the squab, puff pastry atop something really good!!

Maude Clafoutis
Following the cheese course, clafoutis with cherries

Maude Petit Fours
Followed by petits four

Maude Scones
Still hungry? Cherry scones to take with us.

One of the best parts of the experience is that, although we ate something like 10 courses (I forgot to include pix of the pasta and cheese courses), by the end of the almost 3-hour meal, we were comfortable and entirely satisfied. The progression and size of each course wasn’t excessive but was entirely sufficient. It’s my favorite kind of dining experience: you get to try a lot of things and not feel as if you have to be carried from the table.

So, if you’re planning to be in Los Angeles – or if you live here – check out Maude and try your luck at scoring a reservation. For most of us, you’ll be saving it for a special experience, but you’ll have a very memorable evening.

CULINARY TIP: Maude

Los Angeles – 1st Full Day in Town

Greetings, gentle readers, from the City of Angels. We arrived yesterday afternoon and, so far, are having a wonderful time.

Our trip in from the airport yesterday afternoon was uneventful, except that one can no longer travel on the freeway, as they have all turned into parking lots. But we know how to get around and where all the shortcuts are. Of course, so did our taxi driver, so all was well.

We’ve stayed at L’Ermitage annually, probably going back at least 10 – 12 years. It’s always a pleasure to return here, almost like our southern California home: perfect location, comfortable surroundings, great staff.

The hotel had a major renovation last year so, after we settled in, we went snooping around. Almost every element of the hotel has been rethought. The guest rooms have been totally redone from scratch and are both practical and gorgeous.

Here are a few pix of our room:

L'Ermitage Room
Our bedroom and sitting area

L'Ermitage Dressing Room
The dressing room and closet area
L'Ermitage Bathroom
The bathroom

Yes, we’re very comfortable here.

Downstairs, there’s a new restaurant, Avec Nous, where we take our breakfasts which, thanks to the AmEx FHR program, are included (or, at least, we get a $60 per day credit). Thanks, AmEx! Thanks, Veronica!!

Avec Nous
Avec Nous, L’Ermitage’s new restaurant

Avec Nous Bar
The fancy bar at Avec Nous

We’re also very fond of the rooftop pool and cabanas at the hotel. It’s usually pretty quiet and they’ve installed a bar adjacent to the pool so, should you become thirsty, you’ll find instant gratification. Also, there’s a food menu, should you feel peckish. 

L'Ermitage Rooftop Pool
L’Ermitage’s rooftop pool and cabanas at sunset – nice, right?

Anyhoo, after we finished our tour of the new and improved L’Ermitage, it was time to settle down for awhile, a/k/a passing out for an hour or so. It had been a long day and we were looking forward to our first dinner in LA.

Following a refreshing nap, we were ready to clean up and head out. Thanks to the amazing concierge team at the hotel, we were taken in the hotel town car to Sotto, over on West Pico. This place does some serious southern Italian food. It’s located in a so-so area and it’s underneath something else, so it’s not unlike eating in someone’s ground level apartment, only much better.

Sotto - AAC
AAC CPA arrives at Sotto

We were cordially welcomed and escorted to our table. Our waiter, Angela, took incredibly good care of us. Because I’d checked it out beforehand, we knew that we wanted to start with the Chickpea Panella, sort of mashed-up chickpeas and then deep-fried and topped with shavings of pecorino cheese. It was the perfect compliment to the icy cold Negronis we had requested.

Following, we had a 1st course of charred broccolini and spicy pork meatballs which was served over a salad of mixed greens and salata ricotta.

Charred Broccolini
Charred broccolini
Sotto - Pork Meatballs
Spicy pork meatballs

We then decided to share a primi, in this case a delicious paccheri (a tube pasta) in a sweet and spicy pork ragu with rapini and – get this – fennel pollen. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the flavors were intense.

About this time, we started in on a glass of the most ruby red Montalpulciano, which was a perfect compliment to the pasta and the next course: the guanciale pizza, made with house-cured pork cheek and ricotta and cooked to perfection in Sotto’s wood-burning oven.

Sotto - Pizza
Guanciale Pizza

We had hoped to save room for some made-at-the-last-minute cannoli, but we just couldn’t – you know what I mean. So, our wonderful waiter, Angela, brought us a little box, which was filled with complimentary cannoli, for a late-night snack. How great is that?

Remember how I said that we opted not to rent a car for the first time ever in LA? Yes, friends, we decided to go all 21st century and just Uber our way around town. And it worked pretty darn well, although we almost got into the wrong Uber at the restaurant, which was waiting for someone else. It all worked out in the end however, and we returned to L’Ermitage and literally fell into bed. It had been one long day.

This morning, we were up at a reasonable hour, made ourselves presentable, went down to breakfast and, once again, hopped into the hotel town car, this time bound for LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) to see a special exhibition: Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium. For those of you too young to remember (and you know who you are), Mapplethorpe was an extremely talented and even more extremely controversial artist in the 1970’s and 80’s. Even after he died of AIDS in the late 1980’s, controversy raged around him. If you don’t believe me, just google Jesse Helms and Robert Mapplethorpe and see what pops up. It’s utterly fascinating.

LACMA
Banners proclaiming the Mapplethorpe exhibit at LACMA
LACMA - AAC
AAC CPA goes to LACMA and checks out the street lamp exhibit

The Mapplethorpe exhibition is at LACMA through July 31st, and we’d highly recommend it. PS. It’s not for the young ones.

CULTURE TIP: Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium

By coincidence, HBO has been broadcasting a documentary about Mapplethorpe, entitled “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures”, which I encourage you to check out. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s extremely rewarding.

CULTURE TIP: Maplethorpe: Look at the Pictures

After all that culture, we were ready for some lowdown activities, so we got ourselves over to The Grove, most particularly so that we could drop into See’s Candies, which is an obsession of ours’. If you’re never sampled See’s, you’re really missing out. It’s like an old-fashioned candy shoppe, and the first thing that happens when you walk in is that they give you a free sample which, as they say, gets the juices flowing. We walked out with over 2 pounds of the stuff.

Although See’s is based throughout California, it’s also available online. If you’re a chocoholic, please check it out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you: this stuff is ADDICTIVE!

FUN TIP: See’s Candies

Then it was time to Uber back to the hotel, change into casual attire, and hit the roof deck pool and cabana. There was an available cabana in the shade, so we snuggled in, ordered a turkey panini, and now we’re just lazing about as I write this blog entry to you.

AAC - Cabana
AAC CPA devours the New York Times from his rooftop cabana

Tonight we’re having a very special culinary experience at Maude. I’ll close for now, but report back to you very soon all about it – it’s going to be the cherries, I’m sure.

 

 

 

California, Here I Come!

Yes, fellow travelers, it’s time to hit the road again. After a 2½ hour delay on the ground, AAC CPA and I are midway between the right and left coasts, winging our way via American Airlines to sunny Los Angeles.

There was no real explanation about why we were so delayed at JFK this morning. There was, apparently, a huge buildup of planes that were unable to take off. Yes, it was raining, just a bit, but is that any excuse? Geez, Louise.

AAC
AAC CPA settles into AA #1 bound for Los Angeles

So, we finally took off, libations were served (Bloody Mary’s, Tito’s on the side, please) which, for some inexplicable reason, were accompanied by biscotti. Where are my warm nuts??

Then there was a bruschetta omelet, accompanied by sausage, fresh melon and a biscuit. I was hungry, and it was tasty (enough).

Now I want to tell you about our itinerary for the next 11 days. We’ll be in Los Angeles – a much maligned town, if you ask me – for the next 4 days. Then we’re flying up to San Francisco and motoring to the wine country – Yountville (in the Napa valley), to be precise. After a few days in that paradise, we’re spending a long weekend in San Francisco. We’ve made this trip many times – it’s our annual west coast swing – and we couldn’t enjoy it more.

So what will we do for fun? There will certainly be a lot of eating; in fact, our dance card is filled every night with some very interesting dining establishments. I’ll tell you about them as we go along, but I’ll give you a little preview of our dinner tomorrow night:

We’re going to a place called Maude (“and then there’s Maude!”), which is this very hot restaurant in Beverly Hills. Helmed by chef Curtis Stone (“Top Chef” and “Around the World in 80 Plates”), the restaurant features a set multi-course menu that changes monthly. Each menu features one “star” ingredient: for June, it’s cherries. From what I’ve heard, we’re going to have a pretty fine experience.

Curtis Stone
Curtis Stone

DINING TIP: Maude

There will also be some culture on this trip. For instance, tomorrow morning, we’re going to LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) to see one of two Mapplethorpe exhibitions which are currently on view in the Los Angeles area. (The other is at the Getty.) As Mapplethorpe’s art was somewhat divided into two camps – as I imagine the exhibitions will likewise be – it’ll be interesting to find out which one we’re going to get. Stay tuned.

Mapplethorpe-01
Mapplethorpe by Mapplethorpe

CULTURE TIP: Mapplethorpe at LACMA

We’ll be staying at our favorite local hotel, L’Ermitage, located on Burton Way in Beverly Hills – just a few short blocks from Rodeo Drive, in fact. When we were last there – almost exactly a year ago – the place was in the midst of a major renovation, which was completed some months ago. At that time, we were shown a model of the new guest rooms, and the hotel has stepped up its game in providing a luxe experience for its lodgers.

L'Ermitage

TRAVEL TIP: L’Ermitage

We’ve also made a pretty dramatic decision regarding our LA sojourn: for the 1st time ever, we’re not renting a car but, rather “Ubering” our way around town. We’ve had friends who say it’s the only way to go. Between car rental fees, valet parking and hotel parking charges, this has got to be a good deal, right?

So that’s our little trip in a nutshell. Now it’s time to watch a flick, so I’ll stop here. I’ll be back soon with reports on our travels. Keep an eye on this space and have a lovely day.

2015 Wrap-Up, Part I – Travel

 

At this time of year, everyone seems to be publishing “best-of” lists. As I’ve been blogging for barely 3 months, I thought I’d challenge myself to post 3 of these lists: one each for travel, cuisine, and culture.

Today is for travel and I’ve narrowed the scope of this post to four places I’ve slept during the past year that I would recommend to you.

In alphabetical order:

L’Ermitage – Beverly Hills, CA

L'Ermitage - 01Entrance to L’Ermitage

We’ve been staying at this property for years. Back in the day – the early 80’s, to be precise – L’Ermitage was one of the very first “all-suite” hotels. I remember staying there in June 1982 and being wowed by the concept – all that space for lil’ ol’ me. The property was completely renovated and upgraded about 15 years ago to maintain its edge.

L'Ermitage - 02L’Ermitage Pool and Cabañas at Dusk

We were last there this past June and the hotel was in the midst of a major makeover. Because of our longstanding relationship with the hotel, we were given a sneak preview of the new rooms, and they’re extremely beautiful and up to the minute in terms of amenities and technology.

Another big plus is that L’Ermitage has a great location, just a few minutes walk (wait: who walks in Los Angeles??) to Rodeo drive and other Beverly Hills landmarks.

I’d also like to put in a word for the service at the hotel – couldn’t be better. You’ll be very well taken care of at L’Ermitage.

L'Ermitage Cabana LunchA bite of lunch in a poolside cabaña

TRAVEL TIP: L’Ermitage

Glenmere – Chester, NY

Glenmere - 01
A Tuscan mansion in upstate New York?

We discovered this fabulous property just after it opened in 2010. A 75-minute drive from Manhattan, it is the former Tuscan-style mansion built in 1911 by Robert Wilson Goelet on his enormous estate in Sugar Loaf, a hamlet in Chester. The original architects, Carrere & Hastings, also designed the New York Public Library and the Guggenheim Museum.

The estate was sold during World War II and converted into a resort hotel. By the 1960s, however, it had fallen into disrepair.

In 2007, the property was purchased by Alan Stenberg and Daniel DeSimone and over the next several years – and at an estimated cost of $30 million – was transformed into a magnificent luxury 19-room hotel and restaurant. A spa – perhaps unlike any you’ve seen before – was added a couple of years ago.

Glenmere - 02 - Spa

The Spa at Glenmere – Do I believe my eyes?

We returned to Glenmere for a couple of nights last August. If anything, they’ve upped their game. Butler service and a complimentary breakfast are now included. The grounds are magnificent, as is the property itself. If you want to splurge for a special occasion, Glenmere is the place to do it.

Glenmere - AAC arrives

AAC CPA arrives at Glenmere

Glenmere - View

Check out the view from our room

Glenmere - Terrace

AAC CPA relaxes on the terrace on a Wednesday afternoon

TRAVEL TIP: Glenmere Mansion

Peninsula Hotel – Paris, France

Peninsula EntranceEntrance to the Peninsula

We were in Paris last May following our crossing from Miami to Lisbon aboard Crystal Serenity. The Peninsula opened about a year ago and, as with all grand Parisian hotels, it is a masterpiece of design and execution. Located steps away from the Arc de Triomphe, it is an ideal location for a visit to the City of Light.

The rooms are beautifully designed and feature up-to-the-minute technology, including iPads on either side of the bed to control virtually everything in the room (except for AAC CPA, of course). This can result, of course, in dueling remote controls when watching television. (Should anyone have time to watch TV in Paris?)

Peninsula - iPad

Dueling iPads

The bathrooms defy description and I mean that in the best way possible.

Peninsula - 02

Do you believe me now?

There are several dining venues in the hotel, including the elegant rooftop restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which has wonderful food and awesome views of the Eiffel Tower. It is adjacent to a very deco bar, which serves extremely tasty cocktails. In good weather, the bar opens onto a terrace where you can appreciate the territory.

Peninsula - AAC - 01

The outside terrace at the Peninsula

Peninsula - AAC - Cocktails

AAC CPA and I enjoy evening cocktails at L’Oiseau Blanc

TRAVEL TIP: Peninsula Hotel

Hotel Yountville – Yountville, CA

Yountville - AAC - 01

AAC CPA arrives at the Hotel Yountville

Any oenophile worth his or her salt will travel to California to enjoy the wine country. These days, there are so many wine regions out there but, for many, the Napa Valley is the place to go. We’ve stayed in the wine country on several occasions but, last summer, spent a few days in Yountville at the Yountville Hotel and I highly recommend it to you.

Yountville - Balcony

Our private balcony

Besides being a lovely place to stay, it is located on the main drag and within walking distance of all the great Yountville restaurants. (French Laundry, anyone?) And Yountville is an extremely convenient place to stay as you’re within a 30-minute radius of many of the great wineries in the Valley.

Yountville - AAC CoffeeAAC CPA relaxing after breakfast

Oh, and for those of you who like to get in a morning run before debauching yourselves at the myriad of wineries in the vicinity, here’s the view from one of my jogs:

Yountville - Jog

I actually jogged here!

Before checking out of the Hotel Yountville, we had already booked the hotel for a return visit next summer. That’s how much we enjoyed it.

TRAVEL TIP: Hotel Yountville

Next up: 2015 Best of Cuisine!