3.14 Pi(e) Day III

It’s March 14 again, and that means it’s time for what I’ve officially decided is my favorite holiday of the year… Pi(e) Day! Back by popular demand, we held our 3rd Annual Pi(e) Day Party. To gain entry to this coveted event, you must home-make a pie. Bonus points if you invent a pie (not…

Pina Colada Pie

March 14 is upon us, and that means my favorite holiday… Pi(e) Day! I throw an annual Pi(e) Day Party, with cost of entry being a homemade pie. I tell people they get bonus points if they invent a pie. Not that points count for anything haha, but since I’m asking my guests to do…

Salted Butter Break-Ups

Cookbook Club – Holiday Year in Review The December event seemed like the perfect time to look back on and appreciate all of the fantastic food the Cookbook Club explored over the past year, so rather than selecting a new cookbook we asked everyone to make a recipe from any of the books we’d used…

Sweet Potato Bebinca

Cookbook Club – Friendsgiving Instead of choosing a cookbook for November, we had a Friendsgiving celebration where everyone brought either a favorite Thanksgiving dish or one they’ve been wanting to try. It was a fun and food-filled way to gather together before the busy holiday season really gets going. Go to my Cookbook Club site…

Papaya Cream Pie with Amaretto Blueberry Topping

It’s become something of a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for my cousin Doug and I to see the latest Pixar/Disney movie and invent a pie. Last year, we saw Coco and created an apple persimmon pie with a goat cheese and pistachio topping, but in the Thanksgiving frenzy I failed to document the Guessipe… we’ll have…

Lemon Mousse

Cookbook Club – BraveTart In July, our Cookbook Club actually had two events, because Anthony organized a bonus dessert pool party (I love that people are so excited about the club that they’re now organizing additional gatherings!). We used BraveTart by Stella Parks, which celebrates classic American desserts. Go to my Cookbook Club site to…

Le Comptoir Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #69 Le Comptoir is one of the most intimate experiences on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list. There are only two seatings per night, in which 10 lucky people get to sit at the counter watching Chef Gary Menes prepare and plate the 8-course set menu. He starts with an introduction describing that…

Manuela Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #67 I think Manuela makes Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list as much for its atmosphere as for its food. Located downtown in the Hauser & Wirth building, the restaurant blends into the art galleries with specially commissioned lighting and artwork of its own, and a patio that looks out onto the sculpture…

Rosaline Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #65 Rosaline is the only Peruvian restaurant on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list at the time of this writing. Located in the prime eating area of West Hollywood, the front room has a bar and somewhat of an open kitchen where you can watch the magic happen. The back room is a…

Aburiya Raku Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #64 Aburiya Raku is a West Hollywood branch of the much-talked-about Japanese izakaya restaurant of the same name in Las Vegas. The cozy spot apparently has a very different feel from the Las Vegas original, but the food is just as good and it makes Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list. Aburiya Raku…

Connie and Ted’s Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #63 Connie and Ted’s is the big place with the swooping ceiling on a main stretch of West Hollywood that on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list, he calls a “clam shack”. Inside is an open kitchen and a bar. Outside is a fantastic patio, which unfortunately looks out onto the parking lot…

Drago Centro Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #61 Drago Centro is an Italian restaurant located downtown in City National Plaza. On Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list, he calls it one of “the most commanding restaurants downtown”. The large, glassed-in dining room has a high arched ceiling, an impressive tower of wines behind the bar, and a great view of…