Salt Restaurant Marina del Rey

Top Five Cinco de Mayo (x Two) Cocktails in LA

Comments Off on Top Five Cinco de Mayo (x Two) Cocktails in LA

(Gerry Furth-Sides) “Taco ’bout a party!” this Cinco de Mayo. The absolutely stunning waterfront views and super-friendly, professional staff at SALT Restaurant & Bar at the Marina Del Rey Hotel.  will make you feel like you are on the Mexican Riviera.   SALT’s brand-new cocktails include the new Agua de Vida made with house Herradura Double Barrel Reposado Tequila from Mexico. their classic also remains a favorite, the SALT Margarita.

The new Agua de Vida at SALT (photo courtesy of the restaurant)

Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos with black beans & avocado, carrot and cabbage slaw, pineapple and roasted jalapeño salsa are created especially for Cinco de Mayo at SALT. //localfoodeater.com/turning-summer-salts/

 

The most lavish Cinco de Mayo celebration (possibly in the world) can be found at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. The upscale steakhouse is partnering with Tequila Herradura, an ultra-premium 100 percent agave tequila, and Baccarat, the world-renowned fine crystal manufacturer and offering a $100 Prime Margarita from May 4-6.

The $100 Margarita at Fleming’s Steakhouse with a Baccarat glass to take home (Photo courtesy of Fleming’s Steakhouse).

The $100 Margarita is handcrafted with ultimate premium liquors, including Tequila Herradura Selección Suprema and Grand Marnier Centenaire. Served in Baccarat’s uniquely designed Diamant Highball, guests will take home the glass in Baccarat’s iconic red box.   Enjoyed by royalty since 1764, Baccarat is often called the “Crystal of the Kings.” Crafted in iconic Baccarat style by fFamed craftsman Thomas Bastide, the clear crystal Diamant Highball is accented with silhouettes and pointed diamond cuts.

Tequila Herradura’s Selección Suprema is the world’s first-ever extra-añejo tequila expression. Aged for 49 months, and first introduced by Casa Herradura in 1995,  it has garnered international awards for its finelyt cooked agave, highlighted by notes of rich vanilla and dried fruit –ideal for pairing with Fleming’s signature dishes.

Casita Del Campo in Silverlake has no rival when it comes to having the most fun at any time.  To make Cinco de Mayo more special, they created a   Pomegranate Margarita comprised of tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice, a splash of Triple sec, pomegranate juice, and fresh pomegranate garnish.

Pomegranate Margarita, Margarita selection (Photo Courtesy of Casita Del Campo)

Casita Del Campo will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, May 5th, 2018 from 11:00 am to 2:00 am; 1920 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027; 323.662.4255;www.CasitaDelCampo.net

 This Cinco de Mayo, CHAYA Downtown gets the party started a day early this year. On Friday, May 4.   Head Barman Marco Currasco has created the TAKA cocktail comprised of Codigo tequila, Yuzu Sake, muddled ruby red grapefruit, lime juice, and grapefruit soda.

                    TAKA Cocktail (Photo by acuna-hansen) 

CHAYA Downtown will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo, Friday, May 4th, 2018 from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm, and will be CLOSED Saturday May 5th, 2018; 525 South Flower Street, CA, 90071; 213.236.9577; www.TheCHAYA.com

 

At CHAYA Venice this Cinco de Mayo, Feisser Stone has created  the Margarita On Main Street, comprised of El Jimador Tequila Blanco, yuzu cucumber juice and agave, garnished with a cucumber flag and tajin salted rim. So, head to CHAYA.

Margarita On Main Street Cocktail (Photo by Feisser Stone)

 CHAYA Venice opens for Dinner on Cinco de Mayo, Saturday, May 5th, 2018 from 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm; 110 Navy Street, Venice, CA, 90291; 310.396.1179;www.TheCHAYA.com

  For a Cinco de Mayo feast, Executive Chef Tony Esnault at Church & State has created a magnificent dinner .  The special cocktail to go with it is the Sancho Panza created by Yassmin Sarmadi, made with tequila, Ancho Reyes, simple syrup.

Sancho Panza Cocktail (Photography by Emi Rose)

 Church & State will be open for Dinner on Cinco de Mayo, Saturday, May 5th, 2018 from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm; 1850 Industrial Street, Suite #100, Los Angeles, CA, 90021; 213.405.1434; www.ChurchandStateBistro.com

 The gifted and versatile Head Barman Pete Capella at the FLATS.has created a cocktail with a kick to match the Artisanal Flatbread Pizza menu.  The Abre Los Ojos matches Silver Tequila, Groundworks Cold Brew coffee, orgeat and  orange bitters, all garnished with a few espresso beans.

Abres Los Ojos Cocktail at The Flats (Photo by Pete Capella)

The FLATS Restaurant will be open on Cinco de Mayo, Saturday, May 5th, 2018  from 5:00 pm to 12:00 Midnight; 8400 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA, 90211; 310.909.7549; www.TheFLATSRestaurant.com

 For a classic, rustic, spiffy Cinco de Mayo,  The Raymond 1886. 1886 Barmen Jesus Gomez and Ned Kirby have created the Angel of Oaxaca cocktail with mezcal, sherry, pineapple, agave, and lime.

Cameron Masden’s Angel of Oaxaca, “South of The Wall Cocktail” (Photo by Renny Ramirez)

The Raymond 1886 will also feature the South of The Wall created by Head Barman Cameron Masden,  made with tequila, strawberry shrub, curacao, and lime.  It was formerly known as South of The Border!

The Raymond 1886’s “South of the Wall” ,formerly “South of the Border!(photo courtesy of The Raymond 1886)

The Raymond 1886 is open for Brunch on Cinco de Mayo, Saturday May 5th, 2018 from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, and for Dinner from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm. 1886 will be open from 4:00 pm to 2:00 am; 1250 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105; 626.441.3136;www.TheRaymond.com

Best Historic: The Raymond Restaurant and 1886 Bar in Pasadena

 

 

 

New Ethnic Twist to Turkey Tails: SALT Restaurant Confit, Chai Turmeric Tea Brining

Comments Off on New Ethnic Twist to Turkey Tails: SALT Restaurant Confit, Chai Turmeric Tea Brining

Turkey
The new tales of turkey “pope’s noses,” Salt Restaurant French turkey confit and East Indian Chai Turmeric brined turkey all have a substantial, if novel, global twist.

Let’s start with the tale of the tailor “pope’s nose”, actually a gland that attaches the turkey’s feathers to its body. It is filled with oil that the bird uses to preen itself, so about 75 percent of its nutritious calories come from fat.  It’s that same “pope’s nose” that everyone in our family used to try to sneak away before the chicken came to table.

However, whole turkeys gracing just about  90 percent of the holiday tables in the US are missing their “tail” although I’ve found one in the giblet bag about twice in my 22 years of cooking the bird for TV.

But the poultry industry took care of that.  And this tale of the tail shows how this industry influenced one nation’s less favored food to become popular in another nation through clever marketing.

The story goes like this.  Industrial-scale livestock production evolved after World War II  through scientific advances such as antibiotics, growth hormones and, in the case of the turkey, artificial insemination to make the white meat breasts the big standout;  turkey tail went by the wayside.  Nevertheless, when U.S. commercial turkey production increased from 16 million pounds in January 1960 to 500 million pounds (or about 250 million birds) in January 2017, it included a quarter-billion (extraneous) turkey tails.

Turkey

Rather than letting turkey tails go to waste, in the 1950’s the poultry industry started unloading the tails (and chicken backs) to the Pacific islands.   The selling point:  a “way to increase a scarce animal protein source.”

By 2007, the tails had become such a popular social item,  washed down by beer much like chicken wings in America, that the average Samoan was consuming more than 44 pounds of turkey tails yearly, almost triple the amount of turkey Americans consume annually!

American Samoa is a U.S. territory covering seven islands in the South Pacific. (National Park Service) 

The “pope’s noses” also drove up the American Samoan obesity rate to a whopping 75%.  Samoan officials grew so concerned that they banned turkey tail imports in 2007 — a ban the Samoans had lifted in 2013 as a condition of joining the WTO.  To read the full text, visit //col.st/4DGuM.  Will turkey tails make a comeback in the US like short ribs, offals — and lobster in the past?

Turkey leg

Turkey leg confit

SALT Restaurant & Bar at The Marina Del Rey Hotel overlooking the water, open from 11:00 a.m. to midnight on Thanksgiving, offering guests a special holiday menu featuring a French-inspired confit of the thigh.   Mary’s Organic Turkey is served with the confit, a butter poached breast, sweet potato and roasted Brussel sprouts.  SALT also offers an extensively curated wine list.  For details, please see //www.marinadelreyhotel.com/SALT-restaurant-and-bar

Confit comes from the French term, configure, literally meaning “to preserve”.  So a confit defines any type of food cooked slowly over a long period of time as a method of preservation.  To prepare a turkey thigh confit at home, here is Guy Fieri’s recipe: //www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/turkey-leg-confit-with-shallots-and-thyme-3162654

East-Indian inspired Turmeric Chai Tea inspired “Dish It Girl”, Dina Deleasa, to brine turkey in it for a new ethnic spin.   She enhances the tea’s organic blend of robust flavors like spicy ginger and pepper by adding fresh fennel, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Watch Dina prepare Turmeric Chai Tea turkey.  “Bringing the turkey may take a little extra time and effort but it makes for one juicy bird.  Using tea instead of water, helps it become saturated in flavor,” says Chef Dina. I also used some in the bottom of the roasting pan for gravy purposes.”

Cuisines

Authors