Amaya (La Jolla, CA)

It's been almost a year since Amaya opened their La Jolla location (the first is at The Grand Del Mar). 

The fancy interior may seemed old school and stuffy, but the servers were very friendly and courteous, and the young female wine director walked us through a fun pairing throughout dinner.

Bread Bowl

The menu is quite promising, with a nice variety of seafood (lobster pot pie!) and game meats. We started dinner with an amuse of lobster bisque.

We ordered the half dozen chilled oysters, served with a carrot and ginger granita on top, which complemented the oysters very well. These were paired with an Alto Adige Chardonnay.

She told us that Chablis and oysters is a textural, while this Chardonnay is similar to Chablis but crisp. It brings out notes of apples and oranges.

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Lunch at Wilson Creek Winery (and their Pig Mascot!), Temecula, CA

I'll just admit it straight up. I'm biased. I loved visiting Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula because ... they have Molly Merlot, their pig mascot!

Isn't she adorable with her tutu, though? I don't care as much about taking photos with celebrities or chefs, but I made sure I got one with Molly.

Wilson Creek Winery is one of the larger ones in Temecula Valley.

It's beautiful and well equipped for weddings, with a stage already built for special occasions and perhaps live music concerts.

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10th Anniversary Celebration for Jean Georges' Spice Market (New York, NY)

Jean-Georges' Spice Market recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. It doesn't seem to have been that long since he opened this Southeast Asian spot in Meatpacking district! I sent over a couple of guest writers to cover 10th anniversary party, and you can read about their experience below:

by Michael Judice and Cathryn Hunt

When we received our invitation to a party at the Spice Market we were excited and grateful to attend. We were honored to do our duty in tasting every dish offered, in service of the greater good. The neighborhood isn’t our usual vibe or budget, but we jumped at the chance to taste some good food and decided to approach it with open minds, sharpened senses, and willing palates.

Upon entering the space we were taken aback by the low lighting, and décor that could easily be oversimplified as rustic. Indirectly lit copper pendants accented the rough-hewn exposed wood beams. This gave the space an overall glow of firelight. This feeling of warmth also seemed to radiate from the choice of colors used in the décor.

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