On Sunday, April 7th, I hit one of my favorite food and wine events of the year – Masters of Taste 2019 at the iconic Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena! I managed to be first in line this year, arriving almost an hour before the flood gates opened because I didn’t want to miss a moment taking in the gourmet afternoon I knew I was … Continue reading A Rose Bowl That Never Tasted So Good!
Nozawa Bar has been one of my sushi fantasies for a long time, the place you go for a 20+ course carefully selected sushi and seafood Japanese tasting menu for your birthday or special occasion. I had heard tales of this secret place since it opened in April 2013. After waiting many years in LA to experience this tradition-based omakase sushi meal, 2019 was going … Continue reading The ultimate sushi experience at Nozawa Bar
This article was first published on MoneyInc, March 2019. On February 26, 2019, the Grand Canyon celebrated 100 years since its designation as a national park, thanks to President Theodore Roosevelt. There’s no better time to connect with the outdoors by exploring this UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1903, President Roosevelt stood over the gorge and declared, “Let this great wonder of nature remain as … Continue reading All Aboard to the Grand Canyon
This article was first published on MoneyInc, April 2019. Twenty-five years later I returned to the Phoenix area, but this time it was not to live with the Apache Indians and volunteer on their reservation in San Carlos. I was headed to Gilbert, Arizona, a thriving suburb 30 minutes outside of Phoenix that was once the hay shipping capital of the world thanks to the … Continue reading Gilbert, Arizona is Phoenix’s coolest suburb
Escape Rooms are popular in LA. Players solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints, and physical adventure to escape before time runs out. The idea of being trapped in a room kind of freaks me out, so I have never done one. But 49 Boxes at Black Rabbit Rose seemed like a different teambuilding challenge, without the “escape” component, one where I … Continue reading 49 Boxes reveals the mysteries at Black Rabbit Rose
A chic, sophisticated new addition has popped up on La Brea – KASS Wine Bar + Restaurant – courtesy of Michelin starred and world-renowned Chef Christophe Émé, who is offering an approachable French dinner menu and unparalleled wine list. A 40-seat dining room with an open kitchen to watch the culinary team work their artistic magic sits adjacent to a classy intimate bar stripped of pretention. Enter into … Continue reading KASS Wine Bar and Restaurant brings France to La Brea
From the founder of Drybar comes SQUEEZE in Studio City, a stress-free way to easily book, pay and tip for a massage on an app. Upon arrival (after parking in back), it feels like you have stepped into a happy blue cloud with cute slogans everywhere you turn. Thus, the name. You may feel as if you have been SQUEEZE’d. The best features include being … Continue reading Squeeze, a way better massage experience
Sunsets and movies. It’s what Los Angeles does best. But for years, movie watchers were condemned to darkened rooms lit only by the screen and a few obnoxious cell phones. It wasn’t always so. There was a time when people watched films from their cars, enjoying to some extent being out of doors on warm evenings. Drive-ins are all but gone now but a new … Continue reading Up on the Roof, catch a Movie
There’s an entirely new reason to visit Laguna Beach, the quaint seaside town in Orange County. Not the secret coves, numerous art galleries, or tantalizing surf, not even the Pageant of the Masters, where art comes to life in the summertime. Not the fact that everything just feels cleaner in Laguna Beach. Let’s face it. Laguna Beach viewed on The Hills is why most people … Continue reading Blazing around Laguna Beach
For years now, I’ve been offering my opinions about favorite libations, which has turned into a substantial catalog of cocktails, wines, and beers from various bartenders, vintners, and brewers, respectively. If the list is remarkable for anything it’s probably in the exclusion of other liquids. Sure, I’ve written about water tastings in the past, but more as an update in the latest restaurant trends as … Continue reading Water, Water Everywhere, But Which One to Drink?
