Have you ever really dove head first into the City of Angels? I don’t mean the cool obscure clubs or the sophisticated plethora of gatherings. I mean just gone off, explored, walked into a gallery, Museum, restaurant, wine bar, clothing store, oddity find, or simply plodded along, pulled up a chair in the middle of a crowded spot and just people watched? Well then, then this is your invitation to do precisely that.
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Church & State DTLA is one of the better restaurants in the Downtown Corridor but previous chefs, Chef Fata and Chef Kevin have a new vision…
Carb & Nation is a food truck selling chef inspired sandwiches and craft sodas. Time spent working in some of the country’s top restaurants from New York to Los Angeles Chef Fata and Chef Kevin have elevated sandwich and soda combinations from traditional to new and exciting. What started out as a conversation on how to put together the perfect burger quickly …
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SO – I am THRILLED to announce that starting next week we will be publishing on a WEEKLY basis. EVERY THURSDAY by 10am EST a new WEEKLY ISSUE will be available online. You can expect to see all the stories, guides, interviews, and event announcements to take you through the weekend and the following week.
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We’ve all heard the term excitedly expressed, TACO TUESDAY! *Which usually means, affordable tacos and beer. Yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to admit it is a bonus to get at least one day a week where incredible food isn’t going to raid your bank account.
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Waterfront Beach Resort Brunch Sushi, cake pops,…
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Wine Corks vs. Screw Caps That…
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SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN – Juan Mari Azrak and Elena Azrak Espina work in tandem. A Father and Daughter duo, their cuisine has taken Spanish fare to an entirely new level. First introduced to them through research, it is their passion, their quest, their innate desire to bring new life to cuisine that cultivates authenticity, fresh high-quality ingredients, and an ever evolving willingness to surprise that endeared me to want to share them with you.
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We begin our evening with Veuve Clicquot … that beautiful yellow label that introduces you to a world of crisp bubbly delight and fresh bread served with their version of “salsa verde” consisting of garlic, serrano peppers, cilantro, parsley, capers, anchovies, and olive oil. (The bread and salsa verde burst with flavor.)
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Newport Coast is a city that travelers from all around the globe flock to for it’s gorgeous pristine beaches and high brow lifestyle. And while there are beautiful and gorgeous new developments, the real charm of the city lies in the architectural gems and authentic finds. One such find is “A Restaurant” located on the Coast Highway. As you pull in to the valet and enter through the main door, you are immediately taken back to another place in time.
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When fare becomes poetry: Two weeks of divine tastings …
Above is how I started my journey. The beautiful Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica.
While we gear up for a multitude of tastings and posts, I figured I’d give you a little visual stimulation of just what I’ve been eating:
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Shall We Start With An Aphrodisiac? written…
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TEMECULA, CA – Temecula has become Southern California’s winery go-to and rightfully so. With a plenitude of land, vegetation and temperate climate, it’s no wonder there is an accelerated movement in both farm-to-table as well as wineries popping up all the time. Among them of course is the revered Winery, Resort, and Day Spa, South Coast Winery and the notable Chef Jason Rivas.
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As the notice came in that the Austin Food & Wine Festival was kicking off, ATOD Magazine had the distinct privilege of being among those to get a preview at the Kickoff Luncheon for the 2014 line-up at Austin’s Contigo on Tuesday, January 21. With chefs, Tim Love, Mike Lata, Chris Shepherd and Andrew Wiseheart preparing and serving a collaborative, family-style meal, we felt it best fitting to send in our photographer to show you rather than tell you.
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ORANGE COUNTY, CA – When I first look at the outside of Ruby’s Streamliner Diner in Orange, there isn’t anything wonderfully distinctive about it—and to many travelers, the same sentiment could be assumed of Orange County itself. Thanks to reality television, the OC is viewed by outsiders as a cultural wasteland; a place where plasticized housewives claw and snarl at each other over designer handbags. However, there is an extensive arts and cultural scene growing faster than weeds through cracks in the pavement …
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Restaurant 1833 – Passion and History by…
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ORANGE COUNTY, CA – As I approach the Antonello Ristorante entrance, the warm, humid temperatures and blustering Santa Ana winds are painting beads of sweat across my face. My guest and photographer for the night is snapping photos—his striped tie fluttering in the breeze on a warm Southern California evening. It is both our first time dining here at Antonello Ristorante, a highly-acclaimed Italian restaurant and landmark of Orange County for the past three decades, boasting an authentic menu and impressive wine list that captures Old World sensibilities.
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In order to survive the fickle world of creativity, one must push themselves to tear down boundaries, be courageous enough to expect nothing but the best, be bold enough to take risks, be profoundly aware of the value of service and quality, and always be open to growth.
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Part 1. Experience Los Angeles Finding a…
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In Review: ATOD Magazine™ 2013 Annual Movember…
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Christopher Hill is known for creating easy-to-make incredibly tasty, impress-any-girl kind of meals. So this year, I asked him to throw his hat into the ring and offer readers some more holiday recipes. For those haven’t noticed, all of the #Recipes we’ve posted this season are totally non-traditional. First, Recipe No. 1 by Chef Jason Hook was a gourmet take on sweet potatoes that looks and tastes like art. Second, Recipe No. 2 by Ally’s Kitchen Alice D’Antoni Phillips offering us a scrumptious course taking the concept of bluchetta to an all new high. And now, well, Recipe No. 3 is ALL about Southern Comfort and rich flavors.
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The Lafayette Hotel is on its way…
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The moment you pull in to the parking lot, raw ornate panels of wood adorn the entry, a branched fish hangs happily to the left of the main door and a patio with ease and warmth lines the sidewalk. As you enter inside, to your right are two Moroccan style chairs designed in bright colors directly across from the tiled fireplace emitting just the right amount of heat. With glass orbs listlessly leaning to light the way, a subtle and secret disco ball looms above it all. Soon you find your legs walking through the restaurant, the wooden floors cushioning your steps, your eyes bewildered and overcome with a tranquility that doesn’t in any way obstruct the anticipation of a hearty prospect of fare.
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I noticed a small touch: a glass of Szigeti Sparkling Gruner Veltliner was waiting at my place setting. Opening a dinner with a nice glass of bubbles does wonders to not only clean the palate, but it allows one to relax before the Amuse Bouche, our first course. We were presented with an extremely interesting, but amazing, choice for the Amuse Bouche: a green chile Mexican chocolate milk with a crispy tortilla lavash topped with age cheddar cheese foam. The warm chocolate milk with a slight hint of acidity perked the taste buds, while the quesadilla soothed them, as if foreshadowing the flavors to come; at the same time, telling the taste buds, “Relax. There is plenty more where that came from.”
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I have watched as Chef Alice d’Antoni Phillips (aka Ally) takes readers and fans through the grocery store, her culinary explorations around the world, and the many beautiful recipes she shares through her Facebook Page and Website. Her charisma and genuine enthusiasm for cooking and sharing color and life of food is contagious.
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As we try to make room on the table and rearrange our plates in order from lunch to dinner, we decide that our first conquest on the lunch menu will be the Winter Arugula Salad—a peak of arugula drizzled with Champagne vinaigrette and topped with creamy goat cheese crumbles, roasted golden beets, pickled leeks, shaved roasted fennel, crunchy noodles, and crisp gala apples. The salad is simple—but not to a fault. The Champagne dressing and goat cheese meld together delightfully and the added crunch of the Asian noodles, bell peppers and apple frolic with the taste buds, never feeling overwrought by an overuse of contrasting flavors and textures.
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