Category Archives: Chefs

A Visit to Paso Robles, Part I: The Ava Hotel

Posted on by Leave a comment
Shrimp and beef souvlaki at EMRE restaurant in the new Ava Hotel.
Shrimp and beef souvlaki at EMRE restaurant in the new Ava Hotel.

Paso Robles, CA — When you live in the Bay Area, it’s almost automatic that a visit to Wine Country typically means a jaunt to the Napa or Sonoma regions.

Paso Robles Wine Country, on the other hand, may be in the opposite direction. Yet it really isn’t that much farther away in driving distance, especially if you live in Silicon Valley. Even better, it possesses a charm all its own.

I was reminded of that earlier this month when I was invited as a guest of the newly opened The Ava Hotel in Paso Robles. It’s part of the upscale Curio Collection by Hilton.

The pool by the rooftop bar-lounge at The Ava.
The pool by the rooftop bar-lounge at The Ava.
A two-sided fireplace warms things up inside and outside.
A two-sided fireplace warms things up inside and outside.

The location can’t be beat. The Ava is just steps from downtown Paso Robles, which reminds me a lot of Sonoma, with its boutiques, tasting rooms, and restaurants surrounding a central public square.

Read more

What to Read

Posted on by 2 comments

“Care and Feeding: A Memoir”

Do you fantasize about being an assistant to a celebrity chef?

Read “Care and Feeding: A Memoir” (Ecco), of which I received a review copy, by Laurie Woolever and you will probably have second thoughts.

Woolever is a writer and editor who has written about food and travel for the New York Times, Food & Wine and GQ. She also was an assistant to the late-great Anthony Bourdain and to the now irreputable chef Mario Batali.

No surprise, Bourdain comes off as a thoughtful and professional boss while Batali’s antics are as lecherous and unseemly as you imagine.

But when it comes to telling all, Woolever doesn’t spare herself, either. Indeed, her writing is raw and unflinching as she describes this period in her life, where drugs, booze, and extramarital affairs nearly did her in.

Thankfully, as the title implies, she finally learns the importance of taking care of herself first, and in so doing, emerges as the respected and successful writer she was meant to be.

“I’m Not Trying To Be Difficult: Stories From the Restaurant Trenches”

He is one of the most storied restaurateurs in the country, having opened such iconic New York establishments as Tribeca Grill, Nobu New York City, Nobu Next Door, Batard, and Montrachet.

Read more

Tea Time with Hojicha Shortbread

Posted on by Leave a comment
Buttery, crisp shortbread flavored with roasted Japanese green tea.
Buttery, crisp shortbread flavored with roasted Japanese green tea.

Move over, matcha.

The new “It” Japanese tea in town is hojicha.

With its rather homely, dirt color, it may lack the splashy, attention-grabbing vivid green hue of matcha. But like a brooding, slightly mysterious friend, it can take a little time to reveal just how appealing and intriguing it can be.

This low caffeine, Japanese green tea is pan-roasted over charcoal to create its characteristic smoky, toasty and nutty quality that has hints of coffee and caramel.

It stars magnificently in “Hojicha Shortbread,” which bakes up with an unusual top.

The recipes is from the new cookbook, “Baking & the Meaning of Life” (Abrams), of which I received a review copy.

Read more

Jose Andres’ Zaytinya Finally Opens in Palo Alto

Posted on by Leave a comment
Chef Jose Andres opens his first restaurant in the Bay Area.
Chef Jose Andres opens his first restaurant in the Bay Area.

It’s a big deal whenever a world-renowned chef opens a new restaurant. But even more so when it’s Jose Andres, recipient of two Michelin stars and two James Beard Awards, who was twice named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.” He not only operates 40 restaurants globally, but founded World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit humanitarian organization that is so often first on the ground at major disasters around the world to help feed those in desperate need.

It’s been a long time coming, but Andres has finally opened his first restaurant in the Bay Area. Zaytinya took two years to debut from conception through construction, and was nearly derailed by a short-lived ban by Palo Alto on gas stoves in new construction.

Last week, it opened in the former Macy’s Men’s store site at Stanford Shopping Center to great fanfare to serve Greek, Turkish and Lebanese fare. It is the sixth location of Zaytinya in the country.

Opened in the former Macy's store.
Opened in the former Macy’s store.
Outdoor dining for the warmer months.
Outdoor dining for the warmer months.
Neon at the bar.
Neon at the bar.

Although Andres wasn’t there for the opening, his presence was on display in the form of a monogrammed chef’s jacket hanging at the host stand. He also had veteran staff on hand from his other restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas to ensure seamless service, as I found when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant last Tuesday.

Read more

In Love with Long Beans Amatriciana

Posted on by 2 comments
Skip the bucatini and use Chinese long beans in this fun amatriciana dish.
Skip the bucatini and use Chinese long beans in this fun amatriciana dish.

The dress that droops like a sad sack on the hanger but is transformative when slipped on. That plain cookie you reached for last that is surprisingly the most scrumptious of the bunch. And that quiet, nerdy guy you initially dismissed who turns out to be the love of your life.

Yes, looks can be deceiving.

“Long Beans Amatriciana” is proof of that.

Using Chinese long beans, otherwise known as yard beans or snake beans, in place of bucatini might seem virtuous and the ultimate no-carb, gluten-free hack. But in the hands of Chef Jeremy Fox, it is decidedly decadent, loaded with crispy guanciale, and finished with butter.

And wow, is it ever dangerously delicious.

This clever recipe is from his newest cookbook, “On Meat” (Phaidon), of which I received a review copy. It was written with his wife, Rachael Sheridan, a writer and actress.

Read more
« Older Entries