Local travel – Page 3 – Unhealed Wound

Osteria Mozza–A Tongue Thriller

Written by diana on April 2, 2013. Posted in Local travel, Restaurants. 1 Comment on Osteria Mozza–A Tongue Thriller

Burrata de Puglia Last week we had a wonderful gastronomic adventure at Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles on Melrose Avenue (West Hollywood). We selected this restaurant on a friend’s recommendation (see Mia’s food blog, “Dubu Diaries”) and we definitely were not disappointed. We would place this restaurant in the top 20 we have been to around the world! We started with three antipasti, after receiving a complementary amuse bouche (what is the equivalent in Italian?): delicious little spirals of mozzarella packed with basil leaves, sundried tomato and olives drizzled with...

Azuki–The Sushi, Not the Bean

Written by diana on October 6, 2012. Posted in Local travel, Restaurants. 1 Comment on Azuki–The Sushi, Not the Bean

We’ve eaten at just about every high-end sushi restaurant that exists in any town we are in, looking for the Holy Grail of sushi, and some standouts have really been memorable. In San Diego, I believe that Azuki belongs in the same category as the best we’ve been to: for its freshness, creative presentation, and quality of preparation. Located in Banker’s Hill near Balboa Park, Azuki is both a “sushi-ya” restaurant and watering hole. We arrived at the door (beautiful glass with azuki beans inside the panels) just as the Happy Hour was ending but the friendly...

Machka–Istanbul in San Francisco

Written by diana on August 28, 2012. Posted in Local travel, Restaurants. 2 Comments on Machka–Istanbul in San Francisco

A new Mediterranean restaurant opened in San Francisco last month ( at 584 Washington St. in the Financial District) called Machka. The small 32-seat dining room features long communal tables, a few smaller tables, and lots of dark wood paneling, suggesting an old tavern with its exposed brick walls. A beautiful flag with the Tengrian crescent symbol (used for the restaurant’s logo), representing the moon and stars, hangs outside by the front door. Serving dishes that artfully combine Turkish cuisine with the flavors of Spain, Greece and Italy, Machka would be the perfect place for...

Bar Pintxo: In a pinch

Written by diana on August 14, 2012. Posted in Local travel, Restaurants, Unhealed Wound. 1 Comment on Bar Pintxo: In a pinch

Recently on a trip to LA we embarked on a culinary adventure beginning with a cooking demo by Bar Pintxo Chef David Planowski at Surfas, a gourmet kitchen supply store in Culver City. Recently rated as one of the top 10 bars/tapas restaurants by Los Angeles Magazine, we wanted to check it out for ourselves by sampling at the demo. Surfas had about fifty participants with several audience volunteers helping Chef David with an unforgettable gazpacho, including his secrets: squeezing the tomatoes and cucumbers to get maximum juice and the variability of his standard vinaigrette (has to do...

Seagrass Restaurant: Bon Appétit–Mi Cuit

Written by diana on March 18, 2012. Posted in Local travel, Restaurants, Unhealed Wound. 1 Comment on Seagrass Restaurant: Bon Appétit–Mi Cuit

Last weekend we went to Santa Barbara and had a delightful experience participating in the inaugural cooking lesson by Chef Robert Perez, owner of Seagrass (30 East Ortega Street). Trained in France, the Netherlands, and as a sous chef at L’Auberge de Soleil, Perez opened his first restaurant Citronée near Sacramento before moving thirteen years later to Santa Barbara. This intimate family-run restaurant is elegant but not severe, relaxed and informal. The chef’s wife, Marianna, serves as hostess and his son, Ruben, manages and greets guests. Seagrass is rated #1 by Zagat’s,...

“Mud Slide”– A Spa Experience

Written by diana on February 26, 2012. Posted in Local travel. 6 Comments on “Mud Slide”– A Spa Experience

During President’s Weekend I decided to take my daughter, Maya, to Calistoga for a spa decompression treat–a Girls Getaway–that actually was a promotion at the Solage Spa and Resort in Calistoga. Part of the package included a mudslide and complimentary cocktails the day of arrival. After a beautiful drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and through the lower part of wine country, we were greeted at the beautiful Solage with gracious hospitality and the “Mud Slide” treatment. What fun! We were ushered into a stone slab shower and spa bathhouse designed exclusively...