American

  • It’s Open! Malibu Farm Newport Beach Defines California Coastal Cuisine

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Private-chef-turned-restaurateur Helene Henderson’Malibu Farm in Newport Beach is officially open!   White-washed and sunny as the original in Malibu, a brick sidewalk leads the easy path to the indoor-outdoor restaurant, ice cream shop and store.  It fits so snugly into a newly remodeled, carefully c...

  • “Must Try” PREUX & PROPER DTLA: Chef Sammy Monsour Cures My Heart

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Preux & Proper’s is in a sweet two-floor version of the iconic (22 stories) New York flat-iron high-rise built in 1902.   This DTLA location may be an odd match-up for New Orleans cuisine, but founder-owner Joshua Kopel, partner-Chef Sammy Monsour beautifully realize Kopel’s mission to R...

  • SWEET LAUREL Brings Sweet Luxury to Limited Diets

    (Roberta Deen) Laurel Gallucci and Claire Thomas’ book, SWEET LAUREL, Recipes for Whole Food, Grain-Free Desserts is a guide to overcoming adversity and limitations in the home kitchen. These two friends have written the perfect “make lemonade” cookbook.   Like many things, SWEET LAUREL, the bakery, was b...

  • Farmhouse Builds “Field of Dreams” Must-Try Restaurant

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) The FARMHOUSE boasts an Executive Farmer, Nathan Peitso in a partnering with remarkable Australian-bred Chef Craig Hopson to make farm-fresh ingredients into such instant classics.  I have already been recommending everyone I know to this  “new and improved” shopping center restaurant incarnat...

  • South City Fried Chicken: the Best of Americana

      (Gerry Furth-Sides, photos courtesy South City Fried Chicken except noted).  We love everything about the phenomenally talented and hospitable team at Preux & Proper, so we were eager to try sibling South City Fried Chicken, an easy walk of a block or so apart on Spring Street DTLA. The FOOD HALL has a daunting n...

  • “So Much To Celebrate” with Katie Jacobs

      (Roberta Deen) Katie Jacobs’ new cookbook “So Much to Celebrate”,  subtitled “Entertaining The Ones You Love The Whole Year Through”, is as refreshing and welcome as an evening breeze on a Southern veranda. It is well worth seeking out. Katie more than achieved her goal  to “create a...

  • International Imports Become All-American Staples

      (Gerry Furth-sides, photos courtesy of Applegate, French’s Mustard and Mimi’s Cafe).  Three food imports for the table have become American staples, perfect for the Fourth July holiday and all year, Applegate, the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand under the historic Hormel umbrella, is the C...

  • Five-To-Try and Why SIMPLE MILLS GLUTEN-FREE MIXES

    (Roberta Deen, food stylist, photographer) Simple Mills is a thriving young company founded by Katlin Smith. She holds the firm belief that clean “intentional ingredients” can be combined to create wholesome baked goods, easily used by home cooks. Each of the Simple Mills mixes is printed with clear instructions and ...

  • High American Energy at the European-Style Lazy Dog Restaurant

    (Gerry Furth-Sides, All photos courtesy of Lazy Dog Cafes).  The first time I saw Paris, the first memorable evening in fact, I watched a chic couple finish supper at (at 11 PM!) and before leaving, scoop out a basket with a puppy in it from under the table.   To complete the picture they also […]...

  • 35th Annual Strawberry Festival, Ventura May 19, 20

      (Gerry Furth-Sides, photos courtesy of the Strawberry Festival) Strawberry tacos, strawberry pizza, berry kabobs are only a few of the more unique strawberry offerings at the California Strawberry Festival 35th Anniversary Celebration, May 19 and 20, at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard. This strawberry celebra...