Places

  • “Eureka!” to Greek-owned Bareburger Restaurants in Santa Monica

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) A “variety of proteins and buns” and “Certified Organic ingredients” head up the aggressive marketing hype at new Santa Monica resident, Bareburger, the upstart, Greek-owned New York  outfit that triumphed from the start in a down-economy. Can its most recent outpost replace the ...

  • Authentic SHUHARI Matcha Café comes to California

    The first and only authentic Japanese green tea café, SHUHARI Matcha Café comes to the heart of Venice backed by Maeda-en USA, a green tea distributor founded by green tea aficionado Taku H. Maeda in 1984, as well as the Cool Japan Fund, a public-private fund that supports the development of overseas demand for Japanese [&hell...

  • BRIT WEEK 2016 Features Former Royal Chef

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Actor Lesley Nicol, who became the most beloved character, as Mrs. Patmore the cook, on the Downton Abbey television series, alone proved more than enough reason to accept an invitation to a preview tasting for the 10th Anniversary, week-long BRIT WEEK extravaganza of cultural events all over Los Angeles ...

  • This (whole) Piggy Stars in Hyper COCHON555 Fundraiser

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Ambitious fundraiser, Cochon 555 (“5 chefs, 5 pigs, 5 winemakers”), trumpets itself as a national ten-city tour as “North America’s most talked about culinary competition.” The one-of-a-kind stand-up tasting reception features five local celebrity chefs cooking five heritage b...

  • Syrian SUCRE Sweets Parisian Ice Cream & Bakeshop

    SUCRE Sweets Parisian Ice Cream & Bakeshop with its treasures of Syrian-influenced pastries sits demurely through the archway from Souk Shawarma, it’s savory “big brother” next door.  And well it should — owner-pastry chef, Lauren is the younger sister of chef-owner, Andrew Faour, who partners with...

  • Baja Streetfare Inspires SOL COCINA

        (Gerry Furth-Sides)  The best indication of SOL COCINA’s  personality  was already seen on opening nights when the restaurant pulled out all the stops  — like offering a tray of tequila drinks as a guests greeting even before they stepped in the door.  The third location of this Arizona based co...

  • Brand New Masters of Taste Features Global Cuisine

    Birch Chef, Brendon Collins (Gerry Furth-Sides) When people ask me for favorite restaurants of mine to try I recommend going to an events and try a lot at one time!  For everyone looking to sample a number of gourmet global dishes from a variety of   unique restaurants in the Pasadena area, as well as new restaurants to [&h...

  • Tuk Tuk Thai Continues a Los Angeles Legacy

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) All the fun – and the theatrics–  of a sensual and rich ancient Thai heritage founded in a country of abundant natural resources shine and contrast in Katy Noochlaor’s Tuk Tuk Thai Restaurant. The feeling is substantial and lush, yet the whimsy that runs through all Thai life (everyone, but eve...

  • Inotheke Refines Cypriot Greek Home Cooking

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Ask almost any Greek where to find the Greek cuisine, and they will almost invariable answer, “at home.”  Carlos Tomazos is no exception although he prefers to share what he – or his mother when he was growing up on the island of Cyprus – prepared at home in his new contemporary, c...

  • Chicago Celebrates Mardi Gras with Polish “Paczki”

    Delightful Pastries company, known as Chicago’s largest producer of authentic Polish paczki, offers a different menu annually for Mardi Gras,  on Tuesday, February 9 this year. The family-owned and operated bakery and café will begin to churn out thousands of housemade paczki per day to prepare f...