Friday, February 12, 2016

02/12 CHEF DAVID HANDS, CHEF DE CUISINE, BOUCHON BISTRO BEVERLY HILLS, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER, STEVE EVENS

CHEF DAVID HANDS - CHEF DE CUISINE, BOUCHON BISTRO BEVERLY HILLS - OSCAR WEEK BREAKFAST MENU

ABOUT DAVID HANDS:
As chef de cuisine of Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills, David Hands oversees all aspects of cuisine for the classic French bistro. A British expat or Brummie, as he is known to be called in his native West Midlands, David joined the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group at Per Se in 2007. Having come a long way from his first catering job at the Malt Shovel in Barston, it was only four years prior that his career began to accelerate at Country House Hotel, Gidleigh Park in Devon. Under the guidance of two-star Michelin chef Michael Caines, he quickly rose from commis to sous chef.

David was offered the position of chef de partie at Per Se in August of 2007, where he worked for two years.  David opened Bouchon Bistro as sous chef in February 2009, securing the position of executive sous chef just one year later and chef de cuisine in October 2012.

Dedicated to preserving the integrity of traditional French cooking and Chef Thomas Keller’s attention to detail, David is honored by the challenge of guiding Bouchon Bistro through its continuing evolution.

ABOUT BOUCHON BISTRO (BEVERLY HILLS) RESTAURANT:
In November 2009, Chef Thomas Keller returned to Southern California after almost 20 years to bring his renowned Bouchon Bistro cuisine to the city of Beverly Hills.

The restaurant, located just two blocks from the famed Rodeo Drive and situated adjacent to the beautiful Beverly Canon Gardens, offers guests both the grandeur of a soaring interior space designed by the award-winning firm of Adam D. Tihany or the tranquility of an urban oasis with its second floor terrace overlooking the gardens. Like Chef Keller’s earlier incarnations of classic French dining, Bouchon Bistro features a classic mosaic floor, a magnificent pewter bar, antique light fixtures and hand-painted murals by renowned French artist Paulin Paris throughout the restaurant. Bouchon Bistro is also LEED certified, providing third-party verification that its building meets the highest green building and performance measures.

Bouchon’s quintessential bistro fare changes with the seasons but though their presentation may change, some of Chef Keller’s favorite dishes remain as fixtures on the menu throughout the year: roast chicken, steak frites, croque madame, pot de crème and lemon tart as well as an extensive raw bar. In addition to a comprehensive wine list and range of hand-crafted cocktails, Bouchon Bistro presents a unique “Vin de Carafe” program that highlights one-of-a-kind wines from some of southern California’s outstanding wine producers.
In their first review of the restaurant, the Los Angeles Times awarded Bouchon Bistro’s cuisine a three-star rating, and Angeleno Magazine has named Bouchon Bistro as one of LA’s “Top 10 Hot Spots.”

SPECIAL OSCAR WEEK BREAKFAST MENU:
Join us for our special Oscar Week Breakfast, February 14 through March 1, 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

WWW.THOMASKELLER.COM

                                               
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER TALKS ABOUT LOUISIANA’S CULTURE AND HISTORY - 10TH ANNUAL “ONLY IN LOUISIANA” GRAMMY® BRUNCH 

Newly elected Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser joins us to discuss the best festivals, music venues and other things do (and try – i.e. Cajun and Creole cuisine) in Louisiana this year, in addition to Louisianan’s significant contribution to the nation’s musical landscape.

Music fans target Louisiana as a travel destination so they can experience the music where it was born and where it still flourishes. It comes as no surprise that several Louisiana artists are nominated for the 2016 GRAMMY® awards, which is why we are bringing LA to LA for the 10th Annual “Only in Louisiana” GRAMMY® brunch Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Conga Room in Los Angeles.

Google’s annual report shows “What to do in Louisiana?” was one of the top 10 travel searches from the U.S. in 2015.

MORE ABOUT BILLY:
Called the “hardest working man in America” by one national media outlet,  for his work to protect the citizens he represents, Billy Nungesser has worked tirelessly to defend his community and fight to rescue and restore the Gulf Coast in the wake of the Deep Horizon Oil Spill. Another national news organization described him as a true son of Louisiana having grown up in the state’s holy trinity of seafood, oil and politics.

When the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded off the coast, Billy Nungesser did not wait for the federal government and BP to act, he went to work and fought tirelessly to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and forced them to act to protect our communities and environment. He continues to stand up to ensure that victims are compensated and restoration is made.

In 2006, Billy Nungesser was elected President of Plaquemines Parish at a time when the parish was struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. On day one, Billy went to work by challenging and working with FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers to increase public projects that increased investment in infrastructure.

Nungesser also focused his efforts on coastal restoration to protect our wetlands and protect communities from storm surges by developing a master plan and bringing federal, state and private resources together to increase funding. His efforts earned him re-election in 2010 with over 70% of the vote.  He was appointed to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Planning Commission, and received the Disaster Recovery Contractors Association’s Golden Horizon Award.

Prior to serving in elected office, Billy Nungesser was a successful small businessman whose innovative idea of converting used shipping containers into modular living quarters improved the living conditions of our state’s offshore oil drilling workers. Before selling the business Billy built it into a company that helped create over 200 local jobs and continues to dominate the offshore living quarters industry.

In 2002, Louisiana Life Magazine named him one of our states “Top CEOs.” While in business, Billy helped form the Plaquemines Association of Business and Industry. As President of Plaquemines Parish, Billy has used his business sense and discipline to hold the line on taxes and control spending. This has resulted in annual savings to the taxpayers and millions of dollars of surpluses each year in Plaquemines Parish.

Billy has always helped people in need. After riding out Hurricane Katrina at his home, he immediately began rescuing people and animals in South Plaquemines, utilizing his personal equipment and resources. As the recovery continued, he partnered with the United Way to distribute washers and dryers to needy residents who had lost everything in the storm.

Billy Nungesser is an active sportsman and member of the NRA who values our state’s natural resources. Next to his ranch where he raises elk and cattle, he created the Pointe Celeste Therapeutic Riding Center to enable physically and mentally challenged people to share in the therapeutic benefits of enjoying nature through free horseback rides. He has also volunteered his time with countless organizations to help people in need, including serving on the board of the United Way of New Orleans and as a past chair of the Plaquemines Campaign.


STEVE EVANS – THE MOVIE GUY

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.