Dining

Bully’s Del Mar

Bully’s 1404 Camino Del Mar (Hwy 101) Del Mar CA 92014 1-858-755-1660   Sept. 3, 2016   Open since 1967, Bully’s is one of those hometown classics before cuisine got all fancy. I grew up with such a place in my hometown called Skips and another not far away called Heston’s back in the day, […]

· Kevin
Dining

La Sirena – New York

Dinner for our night in New York before once again boarding the Queen Mary 2 (see our last trip) was at La Sirena, a Mario Batali venture just in its 5th month. It’s a large, open space, so different than the current trend toward ‘micro’ restaurants. Of course, it’s a gamble to produce the high quality dishes […]

· Kevin
QM2 2016

New York – Viceroy Hotel

Opened in 2013, the Observer (Kim Velsey, 10-10-2013) described the Viceroy as “Soho with a killer view of Central Park, new construction with a mid-century aesthetic, masonry with a soaring glass facade.” And that pretty much captures it. The chic vibe extends from the moment you approach the doorway where you are greeted with ‘Welcome […]

· Kevin
Food

Easy Asian-Inspired Pickled Cucumbers

I’m a lover of pickled vegetables. All pickling starts with the same process: create a brine, cut vegetables in the shape you want, pack into jars or containers and wait a few hours or a few days. Oddly, I’m not a fan of olives, which are also brined, but that is another story. The balancing […]

· Kevin
Dining

Lawry’s The Prime Rib – Beverly Hills

May 21, 2016 Seven family members descended upon this Beverly Hills steak house. We had ourselves, Steven’s parents, his aunt and two of his cousins. Lawry’s The Prime Rib Beverly Hills describes itself as an ‘occasion’ restaurant, and that it is. From the uniformed efficiency that greets you when you drop off your car with the valet, […]

· Kevin
Drinks

An Oregon Beaujolais from Stoller

Trying out Stoller’s newest, very limited release to club members; their 2015 Beaujolais-style Pinot Noir with Vietnamese beef stir fry. We’ll let you know how it goes, but the wine by itself is very drinkable as it is. I tasted the marinade for the beef, which is full of Szechuan peppercorns, and the wine…and believe […]

· Kevin
Food

Corky’s Egg Casserole

Your family probably has a version of this egg casserole. I first came across this treat from my almost-cousin Jerry’s Mom, Corky (Jerry’s aunt was married to my Dad’s brother). I and a couple of friends of Jerry’s went over to his house one weekend and Corky made us the cheese, bread, egg and sausage […]

· Kevin
Food

Duck Fat Saturday Dinner

What to do with a quart of Duck Fat without really trying. For this Saturday dinner we needed something pretty easy – meaning something we’ve already cooked before with success. I was at a conference most of the day and Steven had rowing practice then errands to run. Before he left, Steven had set out […]

· Kevin
Dining

East Anchor Seafood – Madrona

Chef Brian Clevenger, of Vendemmia, has opened East Anchor Seafood, a new, modernist inspired cross between a bodega and a fish mongers hangout with his girlfriend-partner Kayley. Reported late last year in the Seattle Met as opening before the holiday, it seems that East Anchor needed a few more months to feel ready to go.  Tuesday, […]

· Kevin
Drinks

Vancouver International Wine Festival – Taste Italia!

Taste Italia! Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016             Noon-2pm – Taste Italia! As the Italian’s say, a meal isn’t a meal without wine. Nothing could be closer to the truth than this. This event is was a must for the festival. Today’s Taste Italia! lunch, as you can imagine, is a celebration of the wines of Italy […]

· Kevin
Drinks

Vancouver International Wine Festival 2016

It was a busy week for wine lovers in Vancouver, BC and we were quite happy to join in the fun…at least for the final weekend of festivities. We were turned-on to the Vancouver wine festival about a year ago by our columnist and friend, Pam Miller. She’s been attending these, along with a group […]

· Kevin
Food

Sunday morning Eggs Benedict in 15

Sometimes you have an idea for breakfast the night before that just must be made. Getting up my typical 2 hours before Steven does, gave me plenty of time to reconsider eggs Benedict, but thankfully I wasn’t dissuaded from my path by my own better judgement. Plus, I just can’t see spending the $16+ each […]

· Kevin