Latest Posts

  • “Made Up” National Cuban Sandwich Day August 23

    National Cuban Sandwich Day is coming up on August 23 celebrating the many varieties of the traditional pressed treat.  Did you know that in the classic, cuban bread must be split with a palm frond? The multi-textured, highly flavored meal may be officially honored in Tampa, Florida’s Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa bu...

  • Cocina Condesa Elevates Mexican Street Fare in Studio City

    (Gerry Furth-Sides wth Chef  Roberta Deen) The inviting, open air front of Cocina Condesa sports a whimsical street-cart  sign advertising “Street Food and a Mezcalaria.”  The sophisticated, rustic new restaurant fulfills its promise in every way. A warm, professional Latin sensibility in the waitstaff matches...

  • International Food at Mandalay Beach Hotel & Resort

      Embassy Suites Mandalay Bay Hotel & Resort (Gerry Furth-Sides) The former agricultural center of the west coast is home to the  all grown up Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel & Resort still inspires the nostalgia and longing of Kipling’s soldier for the old Mandalay, in this case updating  ...

  • Award-Winning Hospitality, Secret Sourced Ingredients at Taste of India in Sherman Oaks

    Refined hospitality, fresh ingredients and a California-friendly  Indian menu has made Taste of India in Sherman Oaks  the place for dates, families and out-of-town visitors since it opened 15 years ago (plus the restaurant has a catering division and a private party room).  And they have a secret source for the best produ...

  • Family Affair at Mahan Indian in Alhambra

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Mahan (pronounced Mah-hahn) Indian Restaurant aptly the magical name, “Alhambra” as its address.  The spare, long, dusky double-long interior with the buffet layout and bar in one corner, ample space between tables and a tidy feeling reflects both the fine dining background of Delhi born and bred owner,...

  • The Pasadena RAYMOND Makes American Regional History

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Executive Chef Tim Guiltinan introduces his “New Summer Menu” with imaginative ethnic twists at the The Raymond 1886, Pasadena’s  historic Craftsman cottage on South Fair Oaks Avenue.  The nostalgic building, at one time a caretaker’s cottage for the grand Raymond Hotel in the late 180...

  • Ethnic Stars at Angeleno Magazine’s Live & Dine LA 2016

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Ethnic chefs stood out this year even among the  curated “best of the new best” showcase at the 2016 Angeleno Magazine’s Live & Dine LA event the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows.  It seems that “Inventive dishes from the city’s finest chefs” this year mean inspired and elevating cl...

  • New Zafran Pot Stirs Up Top Indian Fare in Culver City

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Modest little  Zafran Pot has long outgrown its title of the “baby on the block of stars” (Venice Boulevard at Motor).  The are has been celebrated for authentic regional Indian food for decades with Mayura and Annapurna Cuisine nearby .  Owner-Chef Sneh Lata Gumidelli ‘s exceptional H...

  • Hyderabadi Biryani Best at Biryani Bowl, Fremont

    We were lucky enough to join a festive full house at Biryani Bowl in Fremont, California for week-end specials of the best world-famous “dum biryani.” the Hyderabad style means unbroken long grain basmati rice with seasoned, marinated chicken or Halal goat or egg … slow-cooked in a specially seal...

  • No-Price Chefs Table at Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain Resort, China

    In order to make their new Chef’s Table more “palatable,” Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain Resort in the heart of China, recently introduced a unique concept for menu pricing in their Farm2Fork restaurant by asking guests to pay what they feel is appropriate for food and service when dining there. The Chef’s ...