The Sunset Marquis’ New Cavatina Restaurant

Crunchy Egg with Mushrooms, Sweetbreads, and Crushed Cashews… WHAT? Yes!

Between Beverly Hills and the beaches, and mere steps from the world famous Sunset Strip, The Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood, CA has been an institution since before I happened upon their scene. With over 150 luxe suites and villas intertwined within a 3.5-acre oasis of gardens and private retreats, since opening its doors in 1963, the hotel has served as a home-away-from-home to rock legends, filmmakers, writers, actors and discerning guests from around the world. The 2008 expansion introduced several new amenities too, and now features indoor and al fresco dining in its world-class restaurant, two heated outdoor pools, the iconic BAR 1200, and a full-service spa that’s open to local and out of town guests. Additional guest amenities include Nightbird Recording Studios, home to many Grammy winning artists, and Morrison Hotel Gallery, featuring a collection of some of the most renowned celebrity photography, of which more than $1 million worth lines the walls and corridors of Sunset Marquis.

Yellowtail Crudo with Uni and Caviar

Now they have Cavatina, which officially opened about two weeks ago and features interesting, yet uncomplicated dishes prepared by renowned Chef/Restauranteur Michael Schlow. As a huge fan of the Sunset Marquis, Schlow was enlisted to create the restaurant’s vision. “It is one of my favorite hotels in the world and… getting to cook with all of the beautiful products California has to offer, is a dream come true. We want to cook the foods and products that are local, then present them with a fresh and full flavored approach. Mother Nature has done most of the work, all we need to do is add a little acid, salt, and chiles, to make the food sing.”

Duck and Green Chile Hash with Poached Eggs and Chipotle Hollandaise

PS. Schlow, a decorated chef and restauranteur whose accolades include The James Beard Award of Excellence For Best Chef, Food & Wine’s Best New Chef in America, and Sante Magazine’s Best Chef in America, is considered to be one of the most respected culinary professionals in the U.S.

Michael Schlow

Dinner will set the bar high with a menu that is broken into four categories, offering guests snacks, a crudo section, small-plates, and entrees. Highlights include Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Lobster and Caviar; Beef Tongue with Lentils, Rosemary, and Salsa Verde; Crunchy Olives with Cabrales and Speck Powder; and Simply Prepared Mediterranean Sea Bass with Shaved Vegetables.

For lunch, Schlow and his team will prepare fresh, delicious salads, fantastic sandwiches, simple fish dishes, and Schlow’s award-winning burger. Cavatina will offer breakfast seven days a week, and will continue the hotel’s tradition of a fabulous brunch on Sundays as well as provide room service to the hotel and poolside dining.

So book your room, bring your geetar, and have some yellowtail crudo, will ya?

http://www.sunsetmarquis.com/category/restaurant

Experience Raw: LA’s Latest Healthy Gourmand

For those in Los Angeles, we were introduced to a great company called Experience Raw, founded by  raw food chef, Kirsten Gum. Passionate about health, organic food, and conscious living, she started her business because she was determined to experience life fully and wanted to help others get there too. Kirsten credits her zest for adventure and endless amounts of energy to her daily food choices, personally experiencing the healing powers of raw foods and conscious cuisine.As the creator and owner of Experience Raw, a full-service transformational eating and lifestyle business, she’s made it her mission to enrich lives through conscious cuisine. Kirsten believes that when we connect with our food, we connect to our bodies, our souls and the Earth.

Not only is she a certified gourmet raw food chef and instructor, she’s also an outdoor enthusiast, a yogi, a cyclist, a world traveler and an internationally recognized journalist and television host. You may even recognize her from the Travel Channel show, Treasure Hunter, where she got down and dirty to search the globe for Mother Nature’s gemstones. Here are some of the amazing offerings that I’m sure to check out when I’m back in Los Angeles!

Private Raw Food Services
From one-on-one raw food instruction to health-conscious shopping trips and pantry revamps, Experience Raw will help put you on the road to wellness.

Personal Chef Services
Experience Raw now offers exclusive any time any where services for those with time restraints, busy schedules and special needs.

Traveling Chef Incentive Program
Bring Experience Raw to your own community — anywhere in the world — by becoming an ER Ambassador. You’ll become part of their team and build and strengthen the raw community. Oh, and you’ll earn a little cash to boot!

Cleanse Support: Liquid Delivery
They want you to succeed. No matter what type or style or intensity of cleanse you’ve decided on, Experience Raw serves the local Los Angeles area with fresh juices, smoothies, tonics and teas, right to your doorstep.

Catering
Experience Raw is a full-service operation! No job is too small (privates) or too big (large groups).

Online Transitional Support
Let them become your best supporter and inspiration with daily check-ins via email or Skype, meal plans, shopping lists and anything else you need to succeed.

Recipe & Product Development
In the ever-changing world of all-natural products, adding some new twists and dishes to your arsenal of marketing can be a great way to generate business. Original recipe creation, photos and videos can offer your customer a new way to look at your brand.

Menu Consultation & Creation
Offering conscious cuisine is more mainstream than ever as society tries to clean up its eating habits. Success for your business comes when you can provide specialized treatment for your customers’ health needs.

And… they have several classes in Santa Monica STARTING NEXT WEEK so get on it, my beautiful Angelenos!

March 29th:

RAW Thai Dinner Party
6:30-9:30pm

April 3rd: 

Raw Chocolate Truffles
10am-1pm

April 5th:

RAW Med. Dinner Party
6:30-9:30pm

April 6th:

Fermented Foods
6:30-9:30pm

April 7th:

Raw/VEGAN Nut Cheeses
5pm – 8pm

To Register for classes:

www.thegourmandiseschool.com

Hollywood Heartthrob, Patrick Muldoon, Tells Jaunt Magazine His Favorite Hot Spots

Patrick Muldoon

Sexy surfer, hot actor, multitalented musician, Days of Our Lives soap star, and, of course… fan of all things travel and adventure, Patrick Muldoon makes a guest appearance on Jaunt Magazine and we couldn’t be more thrilled. With a mug like his, how can he not make us look good too? To that end, he travels a lot like we do: freewheelin, exotic, and family friendly (as in… he’s even got peeps in Croatia!).  In his early years, Patrick was an avid surfer, who could always be found riding the waves of the beautiful southern California shore. Growing up with a lifeguard as a father in the waterfront district of San Pedro, the ocean has remained Muldoon’s secret pleasure. He attributes his laid-back attitude and calm demeanor to his devotion to the sea and sand.

Muldoon is also well known for his role in STARSHIP TROOPERS with Denise Richards and Neil Patrick Harris, and he played the evil “Richard Hart” on Melrose Place, of course.

Rumored to be dating Denise Richards again, Muldoon will next be seen in the indie horror thriller SPIDERS 3D set for release later this year. In short, since he’s charming, witty, and an absolute character, it makes complete sense why he would tell Jaunt Magazine a bit about himself, where he loves to travel, and why. So, say, “Hiiiiiii, Patrick!”

1.    How did you end up in Hollywood?

I was actually born in a small town called San Pedro, which is located about 20 miles south of Hollywood close to the LA Harbor and I commuted to Loyola High School in Los Angeles.

2.    What do you like or dislike about Hollywood?

I dislike when people tell me that they hate the people here (in LA), yet they are actually one of those people. Hollywood is a place where people immigrate from all over the world to make it into the entertainment business and then when they finally get here, they complain about the business itself.

The thing I love about Hollywood is that “There’s No Business Like Show Business’. You have to love the challenge and if it’s tough going, that just means you have to get better at what you do, and there is always room to grow….If you don’t like it, go home!

The crystal clear waters of Saharun beach on the Croatian island of Dugi otok

3.    What is your favorite travel or surf destination and why?

I love going to see my family in Croatia, specifically the island DUGI-OTOK. There’s no surf there, but the visibility of the water is 50 feet and you can see the bottom of the ocean which is so beautiful. To get to the Croatian island of Dugi Otok, you have to take a ferry from the mainland either SPLIT or ZADAR. My family (my mother is Croatian) is from a village called BRBINJ (on the island of DIGI-OTOK); there are no real restaurants, but during the summer, it is very popular place for yachts to dock. ZADAR is a beautiful coastal city that has a lot of restaurants and a great tourist destination. SPLIT is a great destination in the summer for tourists as well and there are also a lot of boats, shops, and restaurants to visit.

I usually only surf locally here in Los Angeles….there is a break off of SUNSET & PCH, which is my favorite because it’s the least crowded. In addition, if I’m down in the South Bay area I’ll surf ‘Royal Palms.’

Royal Palms San Pedro Surf Spot

4.    Where do you stay when you go there? What’s your favorite restaurant and why?

If I’m visiting Croatia, I’ll stay at my family’s house, or a hotel in SPLIT called The Park Hotel or (Hotel Park) ­– the restaurant is fantastic and the fish is always fresh because it’s pulled out of the Adriatic Sea daily. The restaurant also has outdoor seating available and it’s located right on the beach.

Giorgio Baldi Grilled Shrimp… are perfect after riding the waves

Locally in Los Angeles, after a long day of ‘carving my name into the waves’ I like to visit an Italian restaurant called Giorgio Baldi in the Pacific Palisades…for the best Italian food in the world – but don’t try to walk in with board shorts on,  cause they won’t let you in!

5.    Have you ever had a crazy surf trip or a really romantic fun surf/travel experience?

I once went with a former girlfriend to Kruger National Park and we stayed at the Pondoro Game Lodge for a safari experience. If you ever decide to visit, don’t go off the premises, because you WILL get eaten by lions!

6.    What is your dream for 5 years from now? Where do you want to travel? 

I like the whole George Clooney vibe… make great movies, live in a mansion on Lake Como, Italy and switch up my hot model girlfriends every six months (kidding ;).

Sure you are, Patrick! Meanwhile, we’ll be sure to catch your hotness in SPIDERS 3D since we hate spiders, but we wouldn’t mind watching you for a few hours. And, if, for any reason at all, we don’t get to see you in the theaters, we’ll catch you catching waves at Royal Palms or lounging somewhere seductive off the Croatian coast.

Obikà LA: A Mozzarella Bar!

Obikà's Mozzarella Bar

A Mozzarella Extravaganza!

Now this is a new restaurant to dine for. Obikà Mozzarella Bar opens at the Century City Westfield in September and we’re counting down the days.

There are currently 13 locations in five countries (can you believe?) and this will be Los Angeles’ first! The star of Obikà is that white, creamy madness we can’t live without… also known as Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP (Protected Origin Domination), flown in regularly from Italy’s Paestrum and Agro Pontino regions. Additional mozzarellas will include smoked Affumicata and sweet, creamy Stracciatella di Burrata.

Other usual suspects: salads, cured Italian meats, appetizers, pastas, and desserts. A sleek, contemporary design in a sophisticated, yet casual setting, diners can grab lunch, dinner, or, our personal favourite: “aperitivo hour” – Italy’s counterpart to happy hour, paired with a snack or light dinner accompanied by wine or a cocktail (or three). It was actually a visit to Obikà in Rome that inspired acclaimed Los Angeles Chef Nancy Silverton to develop her own mozzarella bar at Osteria Mozza.“I saw Obikà and said, ‘Perfect – a mozzarella bar,’” she told The New York Times.

Well, now there’s an Obikà in LA!

www.obikala.com