Great Chefs of LA Go Green

Here's another upcoming event to keep in mind! It's certainly one that I would looo~ve to go to! With chefs from Grace, Josie, and Animal, this is bound to be an event your tastebuds would remember.

Tickets ain't cheap at $150, but it does benefit the National Kidney Foundation of So Cal. AND it also promotes eco-friendly products and organic foodstuffs. Good causes indeed!

Here are some facts from the Press Release:

WHAT:
The 22nd Annual Great Chefs of Los Angeles brings together the city's most celebrated chefs, tastemakers and vintners for an afternoon of great food, wine, music and auctions to benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. This year’s "Go Green, Go Organic" theme promotes eco-friendly and recyclable products as well as conscious living and sustainability, and emphasizes organic foodstuffs throughout the event.

WHO:
Honorary Chairs and George and Ann Lopez host the afternoon’s festivities. Host Chef Govind Armstrong of 8 oz. and Table 8 and Chef of Honor Gino Angelini of Angelini Osteria and La Terza lead a stellar lineup of top toques from around town, with entertainment provided by DJ Mike Palmieri.

Featured chefs and tastemakers include:
• Tim Goodell, 25 Degrees
• Andrew Steiner, Andrew’s Cheese Shop
• Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo, Animal
• Simon Dolinky, Blvd 16 at Hotel Palomar
• Raymond Alvarez, Border Grill
• Calogero Drago, Celestino Ristorante & Panzanella
• Celestino Drago, Enoteca Drago, Il Pastaio & Drago Ristorante
• Jason Travi, Fraiche
• Neal Fraser, Grace
• Manuel D. Medina, West at Hotel Angeleno
• Josie Le Balch, Josie Restaurant
• Frank Leon, La Loggia Ristorante
• Tom Fraker, Melissa's Produce
• Henri Abergel, Mistral
• Joachim Weritz, Moonshadows
• Alberto Morello, Olio e Limone
• Giacomino Drago, Piccolo Paradiso & Il Pastaio
• Ann Hickey, Plush Puff Gourmet Marshmallows
• Joni Fay Hill & Denise Daclan, Saltistry
• Tanino Drago, Tanino Ristorante & Panzanella
• Brian Moyers, The Blvd at Beverly Wilshire
• Nicola Mastronardi, Vicenti Ristorante

Wines will be provided by:
• August Ridge
• Banfi Vintners
• Bernardus Winery
• Buttonwood Farm Winery
• Chalone Vineyard
• Cobblestone Vineyards
• Duckhorn Vineyards
• FIFTYROW
• Frank Family Vineyards
• Frog's Leap Winery Goldeneye
• Grgich Hills Estate
• Jaffe Estate Wine
• Laetitia Vineyard and Winery
• L'Aventure
• Vintage Point
• Paraduxx

WHEN:
Sunday, November 9, 2008
12 to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE:
CBS Studio Center
4024 Radford Dr.
Studio City, CA 91604

TICKETS:
$150 per person
To purchase, visit www.kidneysocal.org.

LA's Best Desserts

Desserts, if done very well, can be the climaxes of my meal. Below are my favorite desserts in Los Angeles, along with links to the original post. Enjoy!
(The orderings vary with mood ...)

1. Passion Fruit Parfait, from Melisse


2. Soy Custard with Tapioca and Mango, from Phoenix Inn Food Boutique


3. Spring Bouquet cake, from Jin Patisserie


4. Coconut Panna Cotta, guava soup, roasted pineapples from Scarpetta.

Brunch and Mochas at LA Mill

After hearing so much about LA Mill, I finally made an excuse to have brunch there. I was going to the German Beer Tasting at Loft218 that afternoon and LA Mill was only 6 miles away, so I convinced rumdood (pretty easily, I think) that this was the best bet for lunch.

I'm not a coffee connoisseur and do not even normally drink coffee, so my main attraction to LA Mill is the Cimarusti-designed menu. However, I thought I would order some sort of coffee based drink anyway and when I saw "Valrhona Mocha" on the menu, my choice was easily made. Put Valrhona in front of anything and I'll probably order it ...
Not a coffee connoisseur but I can say I did enjoy this cup of mocha. Not sweet, but smooth and very enjoyable. Not bitter and doesn't leave a bad lingering aftertaste either.

Eggs being my staple brunch food, I had to skip the paninis for today and went for the Soft Scramble with Dungeness Crab:
The eggs scramble preparation was absolutely perfect for me. Very soft and moist. The sprinklings of green onions gave great pizzazz to the flavor of the dish as a whole. The dungeness crab was nice and fresh although I would've liked a little more :)
The dish itself is relatively small. A nice, light breakfast. Which is probably good for me for a change, but at $14 was not entirely a bargain.

There was nothing particularly interesting on the dessert menu that day. Having had an enjoyable lunch, I definitely want to go back for dinner AND dessert on another day.


LA Mill Coffee Boutique
1636 Silver Lake Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Ph. 323.663.4441
www.lamillcoffee.com