Known as the Buick Discovery Tour, the event was well attended by foodies and car lovers alike. There may have been some disagreement between the two camps on what the highlight of the event was – the superstar chefs or the cars – but everyone still enjoyed themselves.

For the car lovers, the draw was the chance to get behind the wheel of one of Buick’s latest creations. Among the stunning vehicles that looked like works of art next to the equally beautiful St. Regis were the LaCrosse, the Enclave, and – the one I got to drive – the Buick Regal.

Along with stretching the legs of a brand spanking new car on Pacific Coast Highway, the foodies were excited about tasting food prepared by celebrity chefs Ben Roche of Moto in Chicago and Josiah Citrin chef/owner of Mélisse in Santa Monica.

The big name on the ticket, though was celebrity chef, Ming Tsai. He headlined the event with a demonstration on his now classic east-meets-west recipes and techniques. You may know him from his various apperanaces on Food Network and his current show, Simply Ming on PBS.

First up from Chef Ming was chicken chow mein. It featured thick, hearty noodles with green peppers, carrots, and a blanched chicken.

Chef Min Tsai's Chicken Chow Mein.

Next up was a sweet and sour pork served over rice. The treat with this one was its exclusivity: only six servings were prepared by Chef Ming himself. Everyone got to try the chicken chow mein but only a few lucky folks from the audience would get a chance to try the pork. To get in, audience members had to answer a question with facts from the Buick test drive and cooking demonstrations earlier in the day.

I was so fortunate to get the chance to answer a question and got it right! I slooooowly answered the question – recite the six S’s of wine tasting – to make sure I got it right: See, Swirl, Smell, Sip, Savor, and Spit…or Swallow!

Having answered the question correctly, I scored a bowl of the prized sweet and sour pork from Chef Ming himself. Of course, I had to take a picture.

Chef Ming Tsai hands me a dish of his Sweet and Sour Pork.

Buick is continuing their Discovery test drive events and partnership with Food+Wine magazine. They’ll be coming to SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills this weekend (January 21-22). While the same chefs might not be cooking, I’m sure the food will be just as delicious. Oh, and the cars will be there to drive too!

* I was invited to this event by representatives of Buick. Buick Discovery Tour events are free and open to the public. However, registration via their website or at the event is required to attend and participate.

The result is an open air dining and shopping destination that fits perfectly with LA vibe and style.

Santa Monica Place Courtyard by Kevin Labianco on Flickr. That is NOT a water slide on the right.

While the big B-Day celebration was last weekend, the restaurants are keeping the party going through August 14^th with a special event, The Taste of Santa Monica Place, featuring prix-fixe menus with $20 lunches and $30 dinners.

This includes ten featured restaurants on location including one that I sampled, True Food Kitchen (review coming soon!).  Check out the Santa Monica Place website for all of the participating restaurants and details.

If you just want to swing by and grab a drink or a quick bite after work, they’re lining up an event to fit that need as well.  The Summer SunSet Series is a collection of happy hours taking place on Wednesdays in August…as in TODAY if you are reading this on 8/10.

From 4 – 7 PM, you can enjoy happy hour at the restaurants on the third-level dining deck while grooving to the sounds of music played by KCRW DJs.  Sounds like a nice way to take in the sun setting over the Pacific!

OH, and take note: if you dine at one of the restaurants, you get three hours of free valet parking! Just park at any one of the three valet parking stations on Broadway, 4th Street, or 2nd Street.

The Taste of Santa Monica Place
http://www.santamonicaplace.com/Events/Details/39772

395 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, CA 90401

The event started on Tuesday, March 1 and runs until March 8.  This provides South Bay residents with the perfect excuse to visit another great Los Angeles neighborhood.

Follow this link for a list of the participating restaurants along with their menus and this link for a handy calendar.

Before you groan about taking the 110 Freeway all the way to Pasadena, read these tips on beating the traffic and making the most of this event.

1. Carpool – Don’t even think about driving by yourself!  Life is so much more fun in the carpool lane.  Get a group of friends together, pick a designated driver, and then hit the road.  You’ll save some cash on fuel, avoid suffering from road rage, and get home safely.
2. Go on the weekend — Many of the 19 locations participating are offering their discounts and specials on Saturday and Sunday.  This calendar shows what day and time each location is offering specials.
3. Go late — A few of the locations are open on the weekends AND they’re open late.  Get your after hours tapas at Bar Celona, Italian seafood at Villa Sorriso, and “fun food” at IX Tapa Cantina.  These locations have specials from 4 PM to close Sunday through Thursday during happy hour week.
   

   Inside Bar Celona.

4. Be entertained — Don’t just go for the drinks, go for the show, too! POP Champagne & Dessert Bar is presenting free live music on Sunday, March 6, from 6 – 9 PM.  For something on the silver screen, check out the signature drinks at the totally upscale Gold Class Cinemas; they’re offering happy hour from 6 –  8 PM every day during the event.

I hope you enjoy Pasadena’s first Happy Hour Week!

Photo courtesy of Meltwater.

The scenic interior of the island is getting more exposure, though, thanks to volunteer vacations being offered by the Catalina Island Conservancy.

Vacation packages offered by the Conservancy serve more than one purpose, creating a win-win situation for the non-profit organization and adventurous visitors.

First, the Conservancy receives the help it needs to fulfill its daunting mission: restoring and preserving more than 40,000 acres of Catalina Island.  And second, volunteering vacationers get a rare opportunity to experience the beauty of Catalina Island’s interior while also lending a much appreciated hand.

One of their most popular arrangements is the Villa Volunteer Package with the Villa Portofino Hotel.  The package includes:

• Boat Transportation from San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach or Dana Point
• Taxi Transfers from the port to the hotel
• Accommodations at the Villa Portofino Hotel
• Continental Breakfast
• Shuttle To and From the James H. Ackerman Native Plant Nursery
• Lunch at the DC3 Restaurant at the Airport In The Sky

Recently, I was invited by the Conservancy to visit Catalina Island to learn more about their volunteer programs and conservation efforts.  Here are some highlights from that trip.

The trip started with a ride from Long Beach to Avalon via the Catalina Express.  The high speed catamaran Jet Cat Express makes the 22 mile trip in just about one hour.  During the trip, refreshments and satellite television are available on two decks.

The Jet Cat Express, one of the Catalina Express fleet's high speed catamarans.

Once in Avalon, I made my way to the comfortable Villa Portofino Hotel.  Locally known as The Portofino, the cozy hotel partners with the Conservancy to house volunteering visitors.  With plush beds, fireplaces, and deep tubs — perfect for soaking after a long day in the sun — staying at the Portofino is far from roughing it!

The Villa Portofino Hotel in Avalon, CA.

After a peaceful night at The Portofino, the tour started with a ride from Avalon into the interior of the island.  I traveled with representatives from the Conservancy and other writers visiting the island.  The views were amazing!

A View of Avalon from the interior of Catalina Island.

Traveling into the interior of the island, we stopped to meet volunteers tending to plants native to the island — including a growth of Catalina Mahogany, the rarest tree in North America — and more volunteers repairing fences.  These volunteers were long term contributors to the Conservancy, either has full time employees or students volunteering for a few months through AmeriCorps.

Listening to them describe the rare plants and animals — some of them only found on Catalina — was captivating.

Moving even further into the island, we reached the Ackerman Native Plant Nursery. The Conservancy uses this facility to grow plants native to the island before planting them in the wild.  Visitors choosing the Villa Volunteer package spend most of their time here.

The James A. Ackerman Native Plant Nursery.

Quoting the Conservancy’s website, “Volunteers receive training in the horticulture and ecology of Catalina’s varied flora and tasks are tailored to all ability levels.  Volunteers are welcome every Thursday year-round from 7:30am – 12:00pm. Typical projects include seed germination, seed collection, plant propagation, weeding, light construction, and nursery maintenance.”

Leaving the Nursery, our trip continued across the wide open expanse of the island’s interior.  We continued across plains, down into valleys, and up over peaks that provided views of the Pacific Ocean and the mainland off in the distance.

One of the real treats was the view of Cottonwood Beach, an almost mystical view that goes unseen during the typical visit to Catalina.

Our midday stop was the perfect location for lunch:  the DC3 Gifts & Grill located at Airport in the Sky.  At an elevation of 1600 feet, the cafe and airport rest on one of the highest peaks on the island.

Outside the Airport in the Sky and DC3 Gifts & Grill.

Known for their buffalo burgers, the DC3 Grill is frequented by pilots that fly into the airport just to sample their cuisine.

The buffalo burger from DC3 Grill & Cafe at Catalina Island's Airport in the Sky.

Oddly enough, as we made our way back into the city, we came across one of Catalina’s animal inhabitants: a wild, free roaming bison.  Fortunately for us — and for him — the native animals aren’t farmed for the buffalo burgers at DC3.

One of Catalina Island's Wild Bison.

Having made the trek around the island, chatting with the volunteers along the way, visiting the nurseries, and seeing Catalina’s wildlife first hand, I had a new appreciation for the natural beauty of Catalina Island’s vast interior.

For more information on the Villa Volunteer Package and other volunteer options including beach clean up on the windward side, invasive weed removal, and “fencewalking” exclosures — that is, tending to fences that keep bison and non-native mule deer out of recently burned areas — visit the Catalina Island Conservancy website.

Presented by TOURific Escapes, the four hour tour serves up six tastings at some of Hollywood’s popular restaurants and a few hidden gems.  Along with the tastes, the tour includes an insiders view of Hollywood landmarks that many tourists will never see.

In December, I was invited by Trish and Matt — the proprietors of TOURific Escapes — to join them for a sample of their Hollywood Sites and Bites tour.

The tour started in the heart of Hollywood at the historic Roosevelt Hotel.  At the Roosevelt, Trish — who serves as the tour guide and possesses a wealth of history on the Roosevelt and other Hollywood landmarks — acquainted me with the group I joined that day: a family visiting Los Angeles on vacation from Australia.

My "adoptive" family poses with Shrek outside Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum

From there we made the short walk over to the Hollywood and Highland complex for more sites and our first bite.  Obligatory stops were made at Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Grumman’s Chinese Theater, and the Kodak Theater — each with fun facts and historic commentary provided by Trish.

Inspired by the old saying “Eat Dessert First”, out first bite was at Crumbs Bake Shop for coffe and a cupcake sampler.

After satisfying our collective sweet tooth, we followed Trish through the Hollywood and Highland complex to a point providing an unprecedented view of the Hollywood Sign.  Most folks would never see the well known sight from this secret but publicly accessible location.

An unobstructed -- and secluded -- view of the Hollywood Sign.

After snapping some pictures, we boarded the TOURific Escapes van for a comfortable ride to the rest of the stops on the tour.

Our chariot awaits! The comfy TOURific Escapes tour bus.

The remaining stops — which I’m purposefully not revealing in this review — were just as pleasing as the first ones.  The history and facts shared by Trish were new to me and kept my attention.  The samples were completely satisfying and included savory dishes, beverages, and sweets.

Overall, the tour was very much like a fun and interesting history lesson spread out over a four hour progressive dinner.

But please don’t take my word for it.  Check out their reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp.  At the time I am writing this, they are sporting 5 stars on both services with 43 review on Trip Advisor and 9 reviews on Yelp.

At $99 for adults and $70 for kids, I will admit that the trip may seem expensive.  At the moment, there is a special running for %15 off all tours presented by TOURifc.  Either way, if you take the tour, you may very well consider the experience to be priceless.

TOURific Escapes
(424) 248-8687
tourificescapes.com

Meeting on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month through May, this event gives connesieurs and newbies alike the chance to sample beers they might not find anywhere else.

To wrap up the series on May 11, The Yard will be raffling samples of Narke’s Stormaktsporter, a very rare Swedish porter.

To compliment each tasting, Top Chef competitor Chef Chris “CJ” Jacobsen will prepare a dish inspired by the brews on tap that night.

Chef CJ puts the finishing touches on a savory dish at The Yard.

Prices will vary based on the beers being offered.  Check their website or call ahead for more info!

The Yard — theyardsm.com
119 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.395.6037

Beer Freek Schedule

Feb 23
Bell’s Hopslam IPA mini kegs
Three Floyd’s Dreadnaught IPA
Alpine Expo
Cask Ale – 24th Street Pale or their IPA

Mar 9
Hair of the Dog w/Doggie Bites
Doggie Claws – w/ Rabbit Stew Croquette, coriander chutney
Matt – w/grilled Pork sate, apple brandy, soy sauce
Cherry Adam of the Woods – w/macerated berry tart

Mar 23
Bruery Black Tuesday/Chocolate Rain
More Bruery specialties TBA

April 13
Sour Freek – TBA
Will include: Cantillon, New Glarus, Russian River, Lost Abbey

April 27
Belgian Freek
Westvleteren 8
Unibroue
More Belgians TBA

May 11
Narke Stormaktsporter
Portsmouth Brewery’s Kate the Great
Three Floyd’s Dark Lord 09
Olde Rabbit’s Foote

On this particular occasion, I was invited to review Joe’s new offerings for the Fall season.  I was joined by several other bloggers including Bianca from South Bay Rants ‘n’ Raves, Chef Austin Szu from Living to Eat, and Minty from The Minty.  Our host was the effervescent Andee of LA Easy Meals.

Our multi-course menu review was like a whirlwind of gourmet samplings from amuse bouche to dessert.  The steady progression of dishes featured fresh, seasonal ingredients that made each selection shine.  My favorites were among the simplest dishes including meats and vegetables from a charcuterie platter and a light sushi like sampling of fluke seasoned with lime and radish.

Charcuterie platter of pork, rabbit, duck, proscuitto, and chorizo.

Eastern fluke crudi sashimi, with finger lime, radish, and salted grape.

With a definite emphasis on seafood, the entrees included perfectly seared scallops and grilled Fijiian escolar with octopus.  Turf options included Jidori chicken and a succulent lamb sirloin.

Of course, all great meals end in dessert and this one was no exception.  My favorite of the three we sampled was a mascarpone cheesecake served with fig, candied pistachio, honey-cinnamon sauce, and vanilla ice cream.  Competition in the dessert category was tough!  The other options were a pumpkin creme carmel and warm baked apple with cranberry caramel sauce.

Mascarpone cheesecake served with fig, candied pistachio, honey-cinnamon sauce, and vanilla ice cream.

Chef Joe and his Chef de Cuisine Kris Tominaga.

Along with the well prepared entrees, a highlight of the meal was listening to Chef Joe and his Chef de Cuisine Kris Tominaga introduce each dish.  The love and care they took in preparing each dish was all too obvious.

Based on my past visits, I had Joe’s Restaurant locked in as a brunch destination.  And don’t get me wrong, the brunch menu can stand on its own!  This visit opened my eyes to the varied optioned on the dinner menu.  With a focus on seasonal offerings, a visit to Joe’s for each season of the year might be a prudent goal.

For other takes on this meal and the experience of dining at Joe’s Restaurant, make sure you follow these links to reviews by other note worthy bloggers!

The Minty — Joe’s Restaurant in Venice

I’m Living to Eat — Joe’s Restaurant

South Bay Rants n Raves — Joe’s Restaurant Tasting Menu

Joe’s Restaurant

Website: http://www.facebook.com/ChairmanBao

Twitter: @ChairmanTruck

The Truck:

The Food:

Spiced duck confit with mango salad on a steamed bun.

I serendipitously came across the brightly colored Chairman Bao truck in the middle of a San Francisco China Town walk with Chrystal and Amir of The Duo Dishes and Kashia of Fro and a Fork.  We’d been climbing hill after forsaken hill and were hungry but didn’t know what to get.  All doubt was removed with the sight of and tractor-beam-like scents from the truck.

Checking out their menu, I was immediately curious about the buns — or should I say bao — and the succulent ingredients they had on hand to stuff them with: Spiced duck confit with mango salad, pork belly with pickled daikon, garlic tofu with miso greens…the list of ingredients had my mouth watering.

After a few moments of indecision, I opted for the pork belly while others in the group tried the braised pork and the duck confit.  The meats were served on pillow soft Chinese style buns that were moist and nicely paired with the savory ingredients.

Given our appetites and the finger-licking-good flavor of the stuffed buns, they tasty snacks were quickly consumed.  After snapping some pictures with the truck we returned to our walk with new energy.

Amir Orders from the window at the Chairman Bao Truck.

I’m so glad that we stopped to visit with the Chairman during our tour of China Town.  My only regret is that I’ll have to wait until my next trip to San Francisco to grab another on of their buns!

We’re fans of the TV show The Amazing Race, the show where contestants race all over the world solving puzzles and doing stunts to win prizes.  Nicole decided she wanted to try something similar and signed us up for The Amazing Los Angeles Race.  Same concept except this race is based right here in LA.  We picked a couple team mates based on their skills and their potential for victory.  We were in it to win it!

We enlisted Kelvin — a math major — for his numerical-analytical-puzzle-solving skills, and Margaret for her native-Angeleno-ness.  We know LA well but we’re transplants and figured we might need someone with a bit more LA experience.

After picking up some “designer” shirts from The Alley in LA’s fashion district we named our team: The Autobots.

I can summarize our LA Race experience by saying we had an absolute great time!  I’m not going to reveal any details (can’t make it easy for you if you try!) but I will say that I enjoyed seeing parts of LA that I hadn’t before and getting a new appreciation for our public transportation system.

We worked hard to solve our puzzles and even broke out sweating as we dashed from one location to the next.  The other teams put up a good fight….but we came out on top.  AUTOBOTS FOR THE WIN!!!!!

Autobots for the win!

During the awards ceremony (ha!), we toasted with beers provided by the folks who put on the race.  Then we headed out for our own celebratory feast.  We ended up at The Original Thai Barbecue in Culver City, one of Nicole’s favorite places to get Thai food.

Margaret scored the Crispy Turkey, a fried turkey leg served with a sweet sauce.

Crispy Turkey

Kelvin went for the Shrimp Pad Thai, a classic noodle dish with shrimp grilled to perfection.

Shrimp Pad Thai

Nicole shunned all untensils and went for the Thai BBQ Ribs.  Finger licking good!

Thai BBQ Ribs

I went for the signature dish, the Thai BBQ chicken.  I try to get other dishes at Thai BBQ but always come back to this well seasoned and nicely cooked quarter chicken served with fried rice.

Thai BBQ Chicken

At the end of our meal we were completely satisfied.  Our bellies were full and our championship egos were bigger than the Staples Center*.  It was a great birthday celebration for Nicole!

The Amazing LA Race

http://www.amazinglarace.com

You can also get discount tickets from Gold Star!

The Orginal Thai Barbeque
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-thai-bbq-restaurant-culver-city

10036 Venice Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-9711

* Not a clue for the race! LOL

So whether you’re getting up at 6 AM this Friday to watch Brazil play Portugal, or catching up with the late-night replays on Sports Center, there are many places to watch the game and experience some Wolrd Cup cuisine.  Some of the places are partnering with the LA Galaxy to put on viewing parties* with give aways (event tickets and genuine world cup soccer balls!) and apperances by Miss LA Galaxy.  Be sure to bring your vuvuzela!

I suggest starting in Pasadena and working your way south.  You’ve got until July 11!

World Cup Street Food at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena
http://pasadena.langhamhotels.com/restaurants/dining_special_offers.htm#world_cup
1401 South Oak Knoll Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

LA "Dirty Dog" mini Kobe hot dogs...topped with bacon!

• On-going specials through out the tournament including chances for freebies.
• They didn’t pick sides at The Bar in the Langham Hotel of Pasadena.  Instead, they picked the best street foods from several of the participating countries and re-created them with a gourmet spin. They’ve made dishes from South Africa (semi-sweet millet puffs shaped like soccer balls), England (fish & chips fried in duck fat), and my favorite from USA: LA “dirty dogs” — kobe beef hot dogs on pretzel buns w/ Bacon, sweet peppers & onions. Different teams and their foods will be featured each week of the tournament. They’re also giving away some of their items for free. Check their website and follow @LanghamPasadena on twitter for details.

Ye Olde King’s Head British Pub
http://www.yeoldekingshead.com
116 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

• LA Galaxy viewing party on Thursday, June 24; Saturday, July 3; and quarter-finals on Wednesday, July 7
• Get your “England” jerseys out and order a pint at Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica.  They have enough draft beers on tap to keep you unthirtsy for an entire football match and then some.  In traditional pub-fare fashion, the eats are also covered nicely.  Go for the sampler platter.  With a taste of just about everything on the pub fare menu, you’ll have enough to share with the rest of the crowd…or plenty for yourself!

OB’s Pub and Grill
http://obsmb.com/
3610 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

• LA Galaxy viewing party on Friday, 6/25; Saturday, 6/26; Tuesday, 6/29; and quarter-finals on Friday, 7/2
• Right here in the South Bay, OB’s get’s the prize for being open as early as needed for all of your World Cup viewing.  On their website they say, “Come in for every game, no matter how early or late.”  If you’re there at the butt crack of dawn, wake up with a cup of coffee and the Pork Chops & Eggs — two chops served with 3 eggs and a choice of sides. In late? Stay up with a beer and OB’s Meatloaf, served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and steamed veggies .

Alpine Village
http://www.alpinevillagecenter.com/
833 W. Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90502

• LA Galaxy viewing party on Sunday, 6/27; Saturday, 7/3; and semi-finals on Wednesday, 7/7
• Another South Bay spot, Alpine Village will be showing all of the German matches…as well as those of the USA.  They’ll have beer specials and more men in  lederhosen than you can count!

K.C. Branaghan’s
http://www.kcbranaghans.com
5734 East 2nd St, Long Beach, CA 90803

• LA Galaxy viewing party on Thursday, 6/24; Monday, 6/28; Tuesday, 6/29; and semi-finals on Tuesday, 7/6
• You’ll need lots of enery to cheer your team on at 7 AM.  That means eating a breakfast that will stick with your for 90+ minutes of fast paced football action.  At K.C. Branaghan’s, you can get a breakfast that’s bigger than an Irishman’s heart! Their traditional Irish breakfast is served with eggs, banger, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and soda bread.

The final match of the World Cup takes place on Sunday, July 11 at 11:30 AM.  Where will you be watching it?

*http://www.lagalaxy.com/worldcupviewingparties

(Photo courtesy of the Langham Hotel.  I took some, but mine turned out crappy! )