The Wall-Las Memorias Project:Home Plate Restaurant Rewards

On September 17, at Cicada restaurant in beautiful downtown Los Angeles, I attended the Home Plate Restaurant Awards and fundraiser for The Wall - Las Memorias Project, which is dedicated to promoting wellness and preventing illness among Latino populations affected by HIV/AIDS by using the inspiration of The AIDS Monument as a catalyst for social change.

"The AIDS Monument was a vision of Richard Zaldivar, a local community activist. As the AIDS epidemic impacted families, Zaldivar believed that a public symbol would create a focal point for discussion and healing."

Richard gave a moving speech about the plight of AIDS impacted families before giving the night over to song and dance.


The night had begun with a friendly competition between Cicada Restaurant, Yxta, Frida Mexican Cuisine,Guelaguetza, Cemitas & Clayudas, Attila the Flan, and La Serenata de Garibaldi.

Yxta offered some small bites as each contender tried to hit one out of the park.


The crowd was filled with many local Latino businessmen and politicians, as well as lively Angelinos ready to support a worthy cause while enjoying some of the city's fine restaurants.


CBS anchor, Laura Diaz, gave a fitting introduction to the evening's purpose and was a great leadoff to Zaldivar's clean-up hitting speech.This event was a part of the 9th Annual Strike Out AIDS, which convened on September 18th at Dodger Stadium. A night of baseball and AIDS awareness.


Nevarez Vineyards and Alex Sotelo Cellars provided wines to pair with our mini food crawl.


I pretty much hit every spot;it was the responsible thing to do since I had to vote along with the other attendees on the best restaurant that night in three separate categories.

I was lucky enough to get the last cemita at Bricia Lopez's Cemitas y Clayudas , a cemita of Oaxacan string cheese.


Guelaguetza, the winner of two of three categories that night served one of their famous Oaxacan tamales, drenched in mole negro.


The alta cocina restaurant, Frida, went street and had three tacos de guisado(stews). The chicharron was impressive, and the carnitas a smack of savory goodness. Frida took the other honor left by Guelaguetza.


My favorites of the evening were Frida's taco of chicharron and the tamale with mole by Guelaguetza. Another standout was the fresh Pal Cabron's cemita of string cheese, nothing like a good Oaxacan cheese with fresh baked bread.

Following the eats and passionate words from Laura Diaz and Richard Zaldivar, a local group of Latino pop singers pumped up the crowd.


No one was in a rush to leave. Cicada restaurant was a lovely location for this event and the food was great. Thanks to Bricia Lopez for inviting me to this event and please check out The Wall-Las Memorias to learn more about their valiant effort in the fight against AIDS.

The 7th Annual Malibu Wine Classic 2009

The biggest surprise this year at the 7th Annual Malibu Wine Classic was the strong presence of Malibu wineries, both in sum and essence. It's no longer a small band of producers like Rosenthal, the Malibu Vineyard, and Saddlerock.

Along for the ride were wineries from Santa Barbara County, and local restaurants from the neighborhood pizzeria to the posh Sunday brunch establishments, but the real story here were the wines.

Even Farah Griffin, Miss Malibu Teen USA 2010, and grandaughter of the late Merv Griffin wasn't here just for prestige. Her family produces malbec and chardonnay for Malibu's Griffin Vineyard. Could this beauty queen have a future as an oenologist?

While some buzzed about Tori Spelling sightings, I was more excited about seeing Muriel Hemingway, of Personal Best and Star 80 fame, among so many other movies and television appearances. Muriel was working the booth for Fortun Foods finishing sauces, her new career as a cookbook author and advocate for holistic living showed that the Malibu Wine Classic is about the food and wine, not Hollywood.


So, grab your glass and and a date, it's time to mix and mingle.


Although I was initially taken in by the habitation of Santa Barbara County wines, I seized on the opportunity to see what Malibu had to offer, and some of the other wineries I've bypassed on my many trips to Santa Ynez.

Summerland winery didn't disappoint. I enjoyed a fine pinot and chardonnay, the Trio, a blend of Syrah,Grenache, and Mourvedre made for a delicious rhone style wine.


The Malibu wineries have done well with natural chardonnays aged in stainless steel to bring forth crisp and fruity unoaked wines. It was a clean break from the usual California Chardonnays so reliant on malolactic fermentation. There were some nice young pinots as well.

I was able to sample Malibu wines from Drake, Griffin, the Malibu Vineyard, Malibu Sanity,Casa Dumetz, and Hoyt wineries. I was caught off guard by how nice the wines were.


Drake Vineyard, Malibu


Malibu Sanity, Malibu

Santa Barbara was well represented by notable wineries such as Alma Rosa, Consilience,Scott Cellars, Foley, the elegant sauvignon blancs of Fiddlehead, and Ken Brown.





Alma Rosa

Ken Volk from Monterrey County brought another dimension to this celebration on undiscovered California Wines.Ojai was represented by Old Creek Ranch Winery.

All wineries present made for a superb gathering. Among those counted were AJB, Anglim, Blair Fox, Brander, Bridlewood, Buttonwood, Calcareous, Cantara, Carr, Cass, Ciello, Clesi, Clos Selene, Cordon/Santa Maria Winery, Core, Curran, Demetria, Derby Wine Estates, DiBruno, Dragonette, Gioia, , Herman Story, Jaffers, Kaena, Laetitia, L'Aventure, Linne Calodo, Lone Madrone, Lucas & Lewellen, Malibu Solstice, Rancho Ventavo, Robert Hall, Rosenthal Malibu Estate, Sans Liege, Sextant, Sierra Madre, Scott Cellars, Silver, Stolpman, Strange Wines, Stafford, Sweeney Canyon, Tablas Creek, Tantarra, Tercero, Terry Hoage Vineyards, Vihuela Winery, Villa Creek, Vina Robles, Vino V Wines,and Westerly


The food took a backseat to the outstanding wines but there were plenty of eats and a few standouts.

STK made a sweet and savory short rib well suited for the event's fruity wines. And, they kept serving long after most booths had called it a day.


The kumamoto oysters at the Water Grill booth were a hit and didn't last. I scurried off to find a nice Malibu white wine to pair with this tender bite



The Sunset impressed with the Valdivia Ranch cherry tomato with prosciutto, goat cheese, and a clever shot of dressing as a chaser.

Other restaurants included Monsieur Marcel, Casa Escobar Malibu, Charlie's Malibu, Joe’s Pizza of Bleeker Street, The Four Seasons Hotel, Moonshadows, SaddlePeak Lodge, Beachcomber Cafe/Malibu Pier Club, an Spumoni.





Any event in Malibu wouldn't be complete without a babe or two.



The Malibu Wine Classic was a material event. A place to get to know the diverse wine regions of California off the beaten path, with special attention to the local Malibu wine scene.Quality wines,welcoming booths, and winemakers eager to get to know their consumers.

It's an affordable event, for a noble cause. Proceeds for the event go to Childhelp, a non-profit dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect.

The Malibu Wine Classic should be on your calendar for next summer, a great way to spend a summer day with a date or friends.Meet your winemakers, chefs and enjoy the vibrant local crowd.

I'd like to thank Emily Olsen of One Group for inviting me to this fabulous event.




See you in 2010!
Malibu Wine Classic

The 4th Annual East LA Meets Napa:Alta Med raises LA's temperature with latin wine and flavor.

Salsa is the reason!


A couple of Latinas enjoying wine, East LA meets Napa realized!

On Friday July 10, 2009, Alta Med hosted its 4th annual East La Meets Napa.42 tasting booths featuring a variety of restaurants from East LA and throughout the City of Angels, and Latino-owned or operated wineries from Napa.Union Station was the perfect place for this event.

This was my first time and I was blown away. It was a party, sizzling with Latinos and non-Latinos alike. The beautiful crowd danced to a live salsa band, mixed and mingled, and indulged in the many tastes of East LA. From the legendary restaurants serving East LA Mexican like El Tepeyac,Teresita's, Birrieria Chalio, and La Parrilla; to authentic offerings from Guelaguetza, La Casita, and Moles La Tia;the local stylings of Cook's Tortas and Homegirl Cafe; to the Nuevo Latino kitchen's of Phlight, Seta, and Rivera, it was a truely definitive Los Angeles experience.




The earthy birria at Chalio.

At the premier for the event I heard Castulo de la Rocha, AltaMed president and CEO, speak of AltaMed's mission to help bring health care to the underpriviledged in Los Angeles. He spoke briefly, and then grabbed a glass of wine and toasted to our health. This event supports a worthy cause, but once you arrive, you can dance the night away, eat like a king,enjoy some excellent wines, and know that you've arrived to a celebration. You're in the door, you've supported the cause, now let's eat and drink!


Los Angeles knows how to party.

I can't think of an event in recent times that was so Latino centric, but felt purely Los Angeles. To not attend this shindig is to miss a part of LA. This is an annual event to keep in mind.


Congo Room brings spice to LA.



Alive with laughter and conversation, East LA style.


Vaya salsero!


Ramiro Arvizu and the crew at the La Casita booth from Bell, CA.

And, the food.There were so many good options that Javier and I had to really plan our rounds bite by bite. My memorable bites? The mini chiles en nogada at La Casita, the birria at Birrieria Chalio, Seta's shortribs in sage sauce, the profoundly flavored meats at Cook's Tortas, Guelaguetza's mini tamal, the strawberry mole at Moles La Tia, and the nice traditional stew at Teresita's. La Monarcha Bakery had a fine empanada, too.

It's also a great opportunity to say hello to your favorite chefs and learn about new wines. The wines? For me,the big surprise of the night was the Pinot Noir at Ceja. Again and again, I hit their booth for another taste, hell, I was drinking not tasting. J. Lohr, Sequoia Grove, Encanto, Karl Lawrence, and the San Antonio Winery also had nice wines.We were surrounded by abundance, a hot and spicy massage of the senses.


Chiles en nogada and flan, La Casita.


Three moles from the palate of Rocio Camacho of Moles La Tia.


Cook's Tortas choice fillings.


Ceja's pinot noir was a favorite that night.


Guelaguetza's oaxacan tamal paired with a pickled jalapeno and mexican cheese.

The salsa band was fantastic, featuring many friends of mine from my musician life. It was great seeing those guys. The crowd, with many a Latino present, wasn't afraid to get on the floor as soon as the band hit. The crowd was full of spice, laughter, and excitement. It was great to see such a young and vibrant crowd, too. Watching 20 something Latinas enjoy wines with friends while eating tacos de birria was a beautiful thing indeed.

Make your plans now for next year.Taste a bit of Los Angeles in the heart of downtown, and experience the Latino flavor that is part of the unique diversity we enjoy here in our special city.See you at the 5th annual East LA Meets Napa.Bring your dancing shoes.



John Sedlar of Rivera takes a break from the action at Union Station.


Family and friend at Ceja charm the crowd with friendly Napa wines.


A couple dances to the sounds, sights, and delicious home cooking of East LA.

Annual Fund Raiser for:
AltaMed
http://www.altamed.org/default2.asp

See all the pictures

48 Hours in Tijuana, Ensenada, and the Valle de Guadalupe

Bloggers, writers,chefs,and friends await the famous shrimp tacos at El Mazateno, Tijuana.


The sun sets on our Baja adventure at Silvestre, overlooking the Valle de Guadalupe.

Well, I'm officially fried. This weekend I led a talented group of the LA areas best bloggers, acclaimed writers, top chefs and restauranteurs from LA, assisted by dear friends Joanna Robles and Mynor Godoy, in concert with the Crossborder Agency, Cotuco(Tijuana Tourism Board),the Tijuana Canirac(restaurant association),and a few other Mexican tourism agencies.

What started out as a meeting between myself, Jahdiel Vargas(director of Cotuco), and Rodrigo Caballero of the Crossborder Business group was realized in little over a month.I've spent a decade on foot, in taxis, on buses, and by car exploring the places to eat, drink, and live life to the fullest in northern Baja which culminated in this media event.

The objective was simple.Expose these people to the reality not found in the false stories in the news,not found in any guide books, and not reflected in popular myth. Tijuana, Ensenada, and the Valle de Guadalupe are magical places of cuisine, wine, and experience, places that leave me to daydreaming quite often. After 20 dining experiences at restaurants, stands,fondas,taquerias,and wineries, a beer festival, a city tour, a walking tour,multiple Baja wine experiences at restaurants and wineries in the Valle de Guadalupe, I would say this group received a crash course in northern Baja.By the end of the trip, I think I found some new believers.

To Jahdiel Vargas, Maribel Moreno, Melani, and Rodrigo Caballero.Thanks for your faith courage and dedication.Melani! Thanks for the shot.

Mynor Godoy and Joanna Robles.You don't even know how much I appreciate you being a part of this, and how you both made everything run so smooth.You've been so supportive the whole way.Thanks.

Andrea Rademan, your guidance and advice before this trip was a tremendous source calm for me, and your personal assurances helped get me through.Allan was amazing, how did he make it through that first day? Allan, thanks for being with us.

Barbara Hansen, and Nancy Zaslazsky, the both of you were amazing forces of nature and were inspirational to us all.You are both true road dogs and food and wine Olympians!!Amazing.

Ramiro Arvizu,your love of cooking and Mexican food are of the truest heart.Your youthfulness, respect for cooking and vitality is why you and Jaime have one of the finest Mexican restaurants in LA.

Jim Farber, Andrea Adleman, and Anna Cearley,It was a pleasure getting to know you and share this experience with you.

From Sue Feniger's and Mary Sue Millikin's kitchens at Ciudad and Border Grill, Doug Rausen berger(general manager), Jeremy Tummel(Ciudad), and Raymond Alvarez(BorderGrill-Santa Monica), you guys are down.Smoking the puro Cubanos on the platform overlooking Benito Molina's zinfandel vines at Silvestre is one of my favorite moments of the trip.Yes Doug, now we can smoke.Thanks brothers.

Javier Cabral,and Abby Abanes, thanks for your friendship and help getting these wonderful bloggers together.I wouldn't have been able to put this together without your influences.Javier,you are brown,gifted,and just killin' it.Un abrazo.Abby, you have done so much for me in the past, and present.I look forward to our future collaborations.Hope you had a fun weekend.

Bricia Lopez,you are a champion foodie.You were still ready to go after that marathon on Friday.You and Barbara.You showed me that even a devout Oaxaquena, born in Oaxaca,from one of the greatest food regions on the planet, could be moved and and enamoured by the cuisine of Baja.Watching you play in the rain and stare off into the vineyards last night spoke volumes.

My bloggers and new friends!
Noah Galuten,I guess you could have done your 100 restaurants in 10 days at this pace?You were all over it, and handled the sheer volume of eats with ease.Man Bites Baja!!

Eddie Lin,I now know why Javier calls you the homie.Hanging with you was as easy as falling off of a log.I look forward to our new friendship.Hope you enjoyed a few extreme foods along the way.Pig brains! Not bad, eh?

Cathy Danh,thanks for all the water and laughs.Your a very special and unique person.I'm so glad you were with us and thanks for all your help.

Pat Saperstein,Beerfest!! It was blast sharing beers with you at the TJ Beer fest.An honor to have you aboard this weekend.

Josh Lurie,you also powered through this journey like it was easy.You are true professional and was with this from beginning to end.Hope to see you soon.

Gourmetpigs, I think we all lived up to the name of your blog this weekend.Ever since talking with you at STK I new that you were one of the people I wanted on this trip.You're ready for anything.

Matt Kang,I know I caught you at a moment, but you showed what you're made of this weekend.I'm very happy that you got on that bus.Thanks for the help on the Emevee situation.You,Barbara,Johanna,Andrea Rademan,and Andrea Adleman pulled me out of a jam.

H.C., representing the OC, it was a pleasure getting to know you more sharing this weekend with you.You are also another prolific eater and a hard core foodie.How did you do this trip and then help organize Blogger Prom?Amazing.

Johanna Jacobsen,thanks for your help in covering that winery for us and for all your hard work this weekend.I look forward to seeing those photos.

It was a tough week leading up to this trip which left me ill, hacking all over everyone.Sorry for those I've passed my cold to in advance.Hope you're able to beat it before it kicks in. And, I must apologize to all for such an ambitious agenda.I wanted so much for this as it has been a labor of love, and I guess a personal duty I felt in helping a part of Mexico I love dearly at a time when it could use a little help.It was a learning experience for me and a first time doing such an event, so I thank all of you throughout the weekend for the encouragement and kind words.Nancy Zaslazsky, you were just too gracious,and your understanding of my every step and misstep gave me peace, both you and Barbara.You all kept me going when I probably should have just drawn the drapes and hid under the covers.

This weekend, a blogger, took on the politicians, bad press stories, and bias in trying to create a new narrative about Tijuana, Ensenada, and the Valle de Guadalupe.But, without you guys and gals, it wouldn't have been possible.And, when I can get down to this post in the coming days, you are the story I will tell.Better than a new food find, a hit review, or racking up the hit counter, it was about people.The citizens of Baja, chefs,waiters, cooks, taqueros, cocteleros, independent business owners, the young minds at Cotuco and Crossborder,and us lovers of food, booze, and travel.I hope that when you've all had a chance to DIGEST this adventure and rest, you will all smile on your experiences this weekend.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart,

Bill
streetgourmetla

P.S.Oh, and I still owe all of you some KFB.Maybe on the way to the wine harvest in August?