Monday, November 17, 2014
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Ticket Giveaway! LA Weekly's Sips and Sweets on December 7
Think holiday shopping is stressful? Then you should go to LA Weekly's Sips and Sweets presented by Keurig, where you can shop through LA's artisanal vendors while eating sweets and cocktails prepared by LA's finest.
Oh, and you can even go for free if you win the ticket giveaway below. Lucky you.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:56 AM 9 comments
Labels: contest, event, food event, giveaway, holiday shopping, la weekly, pastries, shopping event, sips and sweets, sweets, ticket giveaway
Thursday, November 13, 2014
B&G Oysters (Boston, MA)
There's no lack of oysters in Boston, but B and G Oysters in the South End from prolific restaurateur Barbara Lynch is one of the best places to get some.
The oysters here are market price, but you can fill your stomach with the rest of their seafood-focused menu, like a tuna tartare bourride with citrus, soft yolk, chicharron crumble ($16)
But don't miss the Fried oysters with housemade tartar sauce ($15)
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:29 AM 0 comments
Labels: b and g oysters, barbara lynch, boston, boston restaurants, fried oyster, oyster, oyster bar, seafood, south end
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Lunch Prix Fixe at Mario Batali's Del Posto (New York, NY)
One of the things I love about New York is the lunch prix fixes, allowing you to try some of the city's best restaurants for a lot less money. When I went with my mom and my aunt last time, we tried Del Posto's lunch: $49 for three courses (with an option to add pasta for $10). With three of us, we got to try a lot of things!
The lunch started with some complimentary finger sandwiches and Cauliflower soup
Bread service
The menu at Del Posto is seasonal, of course, though you might still find some mainstays like this
Vitello Tonnato (olive crostone, caper shoots, lime cells, lemon basil)
Vitello tonnato is a Piedmontese dish of veal slices served in a creamy tuna sauce.
Cotechino (stewed pistachios, chopped Preboggion - that's just mixed green leafy vegetables)
Cotechino is a pork sausage, but the distinction is that this pork sausage is typically made by boiling over low heat for a few hours. It gives a softer flavor than many other charcuterie.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:28 AM 0 comments
Labels: bastianich, chelsea, del posto, italian, lunch, manhattan, mario batali, new york, NYC, pasta, power lunch, prix fixe, travel
Monday, November 10, 2014
Kali Dining: An Underground Dinner with Chef Kevin Meehan
When I saw foie gras on Kevin Meehan's Kali Dining menu, I knew I had to go before I moved away. Kali Dining is an underground dinner party that takes place at different locations throughout the year. The menu is set (at $65 when I attended) and this time it was in a beautiful home in Marina del Rey.
We got there and mingled while watching chef Kevin Meehan and his team at work. The dinner is BYOB and there were plenty of wines to go around. The dinner party was pretty small, no more than 20. Meehan makes a great host too, chatting and joking with everyone.
We started with the long-awaited amuse bouche of foie gras truffle
Next amuse: Egg yolk poached in ash oil
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:31 AM 0 comments
Labels: foie gras, kali dining, kevin meehan, supper club, truffles, underground dinner
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Where to Dine in Mammoth: Rafters at Sierra Nevada Resort
Now that snow season is upon us .... Where do you eat when you go to Mammoth? For many people, the answer is probably back at their condos. The thing is, there isn't much by way of dining out in Mammoth, and while I've gone out there a few times now, I haven't tried many places noteworthy. The Sierra Nevada Resorts is looking to change things.
There are three different restaurants at Sierra Nevada Resort, and we tried the one called Rafters, which serves modern American cuisine and a large wine list.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:52 AM 0 comments
Labels: lamb shank, mammoth, mammoth lakes, mammoth mountain, Rafters, Sierra Nevada lodge, sierra nevada resort, ski, snowboard, southern california, steak, travel, wine
Friday, November 7, 2014
Blue C Sushi's Conveyor Belt Empire
As usual, the items on the conveyor belt are color coded, each color referring to a price point. You can find the more popular nigiri sushi like salmon and tuna, along with fusion rolls like the
If you don't want to grab sushi from the conveyor belt or don't see the item you want, you can always order them from the sushi chefs or servers. I had quite a few of the freshly made nigiri sushi that they made directly, including Madai (seabream) with shiso and lemon, albacore, and Seared black cod with yuzu.
Madai with shiso and lemon |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:45 AM 0 comments
Labels: blue c, blue c sushi, california, conveyor belt, fashion island, hollywood, kaiten sushi, newport beach, sushi
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Late Night Happy Hour at Fleming's Steakhouse
If you've shied away from dining at a steakhouse because of the price, head over to Fleming's Steakhouse for their "late night happy hour", which isn't all that late. Called "8 for $9 til 10", you can get 8 items for $9 each from 8-10pm. They also have a "5 for $6 til 7" which may be an even better deal, but the offerings are better for the later night menu.
The same deal is available at all Fleming's locations nationwide. Even better, at most Fleming's locations you also get happy hour prices on some drinks (8 wines and cocktails) including a flight of single malt scotches for $9! Alas, Boston doesn't allow alcohol happy hour (poor me) so I can only show you the food offerings.
First of all, even though you're only there for the cheaper food at happy hour, they still serve you the housemade bread - served with tomato basil butter and Chardonnay-infused gorgonzola sauce.
The $9 items that are offered are the same full size that you'd get from the regular menu and includes things like the Filet Mignon Flatbread (danish blue and monterey jack cheese, red onion confit).
The filet mignon was unusually tender for toppings you'd find on a flatbread. This is a steakhouse and it's filet mignon after all! This was probably my favorite of the things I tried.
For the $6 flatbread during the earlier happy hour, you get mushroom and artichoke instead of filet mignon.
I didn't have the stomach room to try everything and had to skip the prime burger, which I am sure would make a great affordable dinner if you get off work late one day!
Instead, that evening I tried the lobster lettuce wraps (North Atlantic lobster, crumbled bacon, crisped onion strings, orange-fennel slaw, tarragon dressing)
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:19 AM 0 comments
Labels: backbay, bar, boston, cheap, deals, flatbread, Flemings, happy hour, late night, steakhouse, wine
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Boston: Where to Drink in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA
One thing I like better at MIT compared to Caltech is that there are more good bars I can walk to. Granted, I walk farther here than I did in Pasadena ... But anyway, here are my top three cocktail bars near MIT / Kendall Square!
1 Kendall Square b300
Cambridge, MA 02139
West Bridge isn't only one of the best restaurants in town, but also has a solid cocktail program. While the menu is relatively small and only a few items rotate every season, you can always find something interesting with fresh and unusual ingredients, like the Amarillo by Morning made with hay-infused bourbon, hickory, benedictine, and sarsaparilla. In most of the cocktails you'll find a touch of fresh produce, like cucumber or beet infusions. Cocktails are $11 each.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:03 AM 0 comments
Labels: bar, cambridge, cocktail, cocktail bars, commonwealth, craft cocktail, craigie on main, Kendall, Kendall square, MIT, west bridge
Monday, November 3, 2014
Certified Angus Beef and Wine at Bogle Winery
Not a bad setting for lunch, eh? |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:09 AM 0 comments
Labels: angus beef, beef, bogle, sacramento, sacramento delta, vineyard, wine pairing, winery
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Chef Jose Andres' Barmini (Washington, DC)
Chef Jose Andres not only has a group of some of the best restaurants in Washington, DC, but also one of the best cocktail bars in the city. Barmini is a small, beautiful bar right next to Minibar. You have to be seated and most of it is reservation-only but they do allow walk-ins if there are seats available.
The drinks here are more expensive than usual, but everyone that comes in gets a free welcome cocktail. The night I was there, the welcome drink was a 19th Century Cocktail: bourbon, lemon, creme de cacao, lillet rouge
There are quirky details that I love here, like this suspended chair, and other things you'd see later.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: bar, barmini, cocktail, D.C., dc, drinks, foie gras waffle, jose andres, washington, Washington dc bars
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Backyard Farms Tomato Lunch at Nebo (Boston, MA)
I recently had the opportunity to try out Nebo at a lunch with Backyard Farms. Backyard Farms is a tomato farm in Central Maine. Their 42 acres grow 4 tomato varieties that supple Whole Foods and some restaurants in the area. It's one of the few farms in New England that grow year round (most are just in winter - not something I thought about much while in California) and they recently won Best Products Supplier in North Atlantic Region from Whole Foods.
They're launching a new varietal called Somerset Pink that has been in the making for 2 years. It's tough to grow tomatoes! The somerset pink is like a beefsteak tomato so the texture is robust for salads and sandwiches, but it has a higher sugar content than most other beefsteak tomatoes.
Our lunch at Nebo started with a plate of Backyard Farms Somerset Pink tomato with burrata, saba, EVOO
The restaurant is started by 2 Italian sisters who hail from Boston's North End. Before opening the restaurant, they were running a hair salon. But one day, one of them decided she wants to open a restaurant serving their mother's style of cooking. They have some great stories about the North End to tell!
Did you know that North End is still separated into regions of Italy? The people living on Endicott and Prince Sts are from Naples while those on Waterfront are Sicilian! Italians are known to be very loyal and they still buy from same purveyors in North End that their grandmother used. That also means they have great relationships and can call them in the middle of the night should emergency arise.
Another example is the story of this bread.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 2:20 AM 0 comments
Labels: backyard farms, beefsteak tomato, boston, cocktail tomato, italian, maine, nebo, somerset pink tomato, tomato, tomatoes
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Old Town Pasadena Drinking at PUNCH
While 1886 Bar is one of my favorite bars in the LA area, there wasn't many other options for cocktails in Pasadena. That is, until recently. Now, you can get pretty good drinks at Trattoria Neapolis, though they've gone through some staff changes lately. One of the latest entrants is PUNCH Bar (it's been a while now since they've opened), headed by Robin Chopra and Darwin Manahan, who are also manning the bar at Corazon Y Miel.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:33 AM 0 comments
Labels: bar, cocktail, cocktail bar, drinks, old town, old town pasadena, pasadena, punch, punch bar
Sunday, October 26, 2014
November 10: Wine and Food of Spain at The Bazaar ( + Ticket Giveaway!)
On Monday, November 10, head on over to The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills for a taste of Spain's best wines and food. The event is called Spain's Great Match and will feature more than 200 Spanish wines. The wines will be accompanied by tapas from The Bazaar. We're talking 200+ wines with Chef Jose Andres' lauded food! Last year's bites include a taste of their famed molecular gastronomy techniques
Sounds good? Even better, at the end of this post you can enter a giveaway for 2 FREE TICKETS to this event!
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:36 AM 12 comments
Labels: beverly hills, food, giveaway, jose andres, SLS hotel, Spain, spanish wine, the bazaar, ticket giveaway, wine, wine event
Friday, October 24, 2014
Cooking Made Easy with Plated
Sure, I don't cook much, but I'm partially a biologist and I can follow protocols ... I mean, recipes ... That's why I use services like Plated when I'm not going out. With Plated, they send you exact ingredients and recipes, expecting you to only have olive oil, salt, and pepper in your kitchen. Pretty much what I have!
Plated isn't dirt cheap - each meal costs $12 with subscription or $15 a la carte. I have a subscription and you can just skip the weeks you don't want a delivery (which is 80% of the time for me). If you order more than $50, then delivery is free. But given the price, I have to say the food I've made using Plated have tasted quite good, if I do say so myself! They recently added dessert options, apparently.
Roast chicken with couscous and yogurt |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:55 AM 0 comments
Labels: cooking, cooking kit, home cooking, ingredient delivery, meal kit, plated, recipe delivery
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Lunch at Del Frisco's Grille in Burlington, MA
Coming from LA, this dish is nothing new but still good with fresh tuna and flavorful guacamole.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:09 AM 0 comments
Labels: adult milkshake, burger, burlington, burlington mall, del frisco, del frisco's grille, flatbread, Tuna taco
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Get Free Airport Parking and Make Money with FlightCar
Have you heard of FlightCar? FlightCar is a way to park your car at the airport for free and make some side money, too. How? Well, they rent out your car to travelers. I just tried parking it for the first time and got my first check in the mail, on top getting 4 days of free airport parking!
Here's how it works:
For the Parker
When your car is rented via FlightCar, it is fully insured. You get $0.10 per mile driven for the first 100 miles per day and $0.40/mile over that. If the renter doesn't fill up the gas tank, you'll also get reimbursed for that. You just need to list your car ahead of time and tell them when you will drop it off and pick it up. You'll need to have the registration in the car.
TIP: Come a bit early. When you drop it off, they're supposed to have a black car to take you to the airport, but when I was there the car was busy picking someone up at the airport. Later, they told me they were supposed to call an Uber if this happens. As an apology they sent me a $20 check. I didn't miss my flight so it's all good, but just keep in mind you might want to get there earlier. You're getting free parking and potentially making money, so I think it's worth it.
For the Renter
So I've looked at the rental prices for FlightCar as well. Depending on the timing, yes, sometimes you can get really cheap rentals at these major airports. But if you're coming last minute and the rental prices have gone way up, then FlightCar has always been the cheapest option.
Try it with $20 off your first rental (or get it as a payout bonus when you list your car!) using this link: https://flightcar.com/r/OIOH
Flightcar is currently available in Boston Logan, SFO, LAX, and Seattle Tacoma Airport.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:39 AM 0 comments
Labels: airport parking, car rental, flightcar, free parking, free parking bos, free parking lax, free parking sea tac, free parking sfo, make money, rent car, travel, travel tips
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Oktoberfest at Pomona Fairplex
As Oktoberfest beckons, guys and gals rock their lederhosen or dirndl and beeline to Pomona for some brats, beers, and chicken dance. There we will see a traditional Oompah Band playing a selection of foot stomping, thigh slapping German folk tunes to give the festivity a true Hofbrauhaus (Munich historical beer hall) ambiance. Not your cup of tea? Fret not! There are tons of tribute bands playing the tunes of Led Zeppelin, Queen, Black Eyed Peas, and Journey (or Foreigner….aren’t they the same band?).
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:54 AM 0 comments
Labels: beer, bratwurst, event, fairplex, festival, oktoberfest, pomona
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Famed Hollywood Taqueria Calle Tacos To Offer Catering Service
In a time when quick-service and casual dining chains are offering catering service to generate additional revenues, Calle Tacos, Hollywood popular taqueria owned by street-food extraordinaire Dorian and Javier Villasenor, are doing exactly just that. This Hollywood Blvd permanently parked lonchero (food truck) strive to bring your favorite Mexican fare, utilizing decades-old family recipe and fresh ingredients, to your family events and corporate meetings.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:37 AM 0 comments
Labels: calle tacos, catering, hollywood, los angeles, mexican, taco, taqueria
Thursday, October 16, 2014
James Hook Lobster (Boston, MA)
There are plenty of lobster to be had in Boston, but where to have one affordably? Well, the cheapest would be the Chinese restaurants, but if you want them traditional style, then James Hook is one of the best values in town.
I took my aunt and cousins there and ordered whole steamed lobsters (tip: there is a small parking lot where you can park for free!)
A whole steamed 1.5 lb lobster went for $20 here when I came (on July 4). Actually, you pay $22 when you order but they will refund you $2 in cash when you return the crackers (funny story: my aunt misunderstood and tried to return the oyster crackers that came with our chowder!).
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:15 AM 0 comments
Labels: boston, clam chowder, james hook lobster, lobster, lobster roll, waterfront
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
New Chef Shines at Ray's and Stark Bar (Mid City, Los Angeles, CA)
By: guest blogger @btsunoda
It’s been my experience that many museums don’t plan for the food and drink interests of their patrons. While visitors may be wowed by the fine art and sculptures, the food offered doesn’t quite match the experience. I recently visited Ray’s and Stark bar and I’m happy to say that I had a very different experience.
Ray’s and Stark Bar is located at the LA County Museum of Art or LACMA.
They opened in 2011 and feature a Mediterranean-inspired menu includes dishes locally obtained ingredients and offerings from their wood-burning oven. They feature seasonal cocktails, a California-centric wine list, and artisan beers and spirits. While the original chef, Kris Morningstar, former sous chef Viet Pham has taken over and keeping the restaurant going strong.
The restaurant is actually situated outdoors from LACMA, next to the BP Grand Entrance to the museum. It is well protected by the elements, covered to shield diners from direct sunlight and a glass partition to isolate noise from busy Wilshire boulevard. Eames-style chairs gave the interior a retro-styled look.
Executive chef Viet Pham is a graduate of the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena. His mother helped him to become interested in cooking at an early age. Pham became passionate about the farm to table philosophy when he met Philip Tessier from Bouchon. He has worked at Ray’s and Stark Bar as their sous chef since they opened in 2011 and was promoted to executive chef in the spring of 2014.
Collaboration and teamwork are essential ingredients which make Ray’s and Stark and Bar successful. Viet Pham and “Dragon”, the forager, team up to decide what ultimately gets placed on the menu. Pham credited much of the success of the menu to Dragon because of the knack he has for finding the best fruits and vegetables.
The brainchild of Ray’s and Stark Bar’s water menu is Martin Riese, general manager and certified water sommelier. Flipping through the book, it read much like a wine list, only for water. The water menu included each water’s total dissolved solids, sodium, magnesium and calcium. Because water includes local minerals, it varies greatly, much like wine. Read more about the water menu.
First out of the kitchen was their housemade charcuterie which included duck rillette and truffle chicken liver.
I liberally spread the duck rillette and the truffle chicken liver over the toasted baguette slices and enjoyed both immensely.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:30 AM 0 comments
Labels: clams, Lacma, los angeles, mid city, patina group, pizza, pork belly, rays and stark bar, uni spaghetti, viet pham
Popular Posts
Featured Lists
Archive
About Me
- gourmetpigs
- Questions, comments, feedback? Want to advertise on my site? Contact me at gourmetpigs@gmail.com.
All Rights Reserved.