04/18 Jonathan Mitchell, Locanda del Lago, Michael Zislis, Shade Hotel, Michael Silacci, Opus One Wines

Jonathan Mitchell - General Manager of Locanda del Lago in Santa Monica

When Lago opened in April 1991, the upscale Italian restaurant quickly established a reputation as having perhaps the only menu in Los Angeles to focus on the cuisine of Bellagio on Lake Como in Northern Italy.  Today, celebrating its 20th anniversary, Lago maintains that unique identity and attracts an eclectic crowd of foodies, celebrities, locals and travelers.  With its warm, inviting interior, expansive windows and a sidewalk patio overlooking Santa Monica's colorful Third Street Promenade, the restaurant is consistently lauded for imaginative Italian cuisine spotlighting seasonal flavors and the freshest local ingredients.  Co-owner West Hooker, who was born in Milan and has lived and worked in Bellagio, presides over the popular restaurant with General Manager Megan Sheehy, who has been with Lago since 1996.   

Plaudits from the press include this comment from one critic:  "Lago is a warm and welcome respite.  As exotic as it is delicious, the food is among the city's very best."  Another described Lago as "Casually classy... the authenticity of the place is clearly one of its assets."  The Los Angeles Times insists that the Antipasto Bar "… is one of our favorites," and the Hollywood Reporter refers to Lago as a "chic, authentic Italian bistro."  Metromix raves, "With the warmth of an old Italian inn and the cool factor of a Santa Monica hot spot, you'll never even know you're on the Third Street Promenade.  Lago has a loyal base of regulars because the customers are treated like kings, and the bustling restaurant is run with astounding ease."  Frommer's promises, "There’s no better place to people-watch than at the outdoor patio," and Gourmet Magazine advised, "Italy meets the Pacific -- authentic cuisine of Milano, Como and Stresa served up in the most California of settings.  Don't miss the Ossobuco alla Milanese."

Lago is dedicated to providing the ultimate dining experience with exceptional selections coupled with meticulous, friendly service.  Chef Maggioni offers the most flavorful ingredients available in conjunction with traditional and innovative recipes, and menus feature produce and other foods from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market (right outside Lago's front door).  Every Wednesday and Saturday, Chef Maggioni seeks the freshest, organic, most flavorsome selections available from Windsor Farms, Harry's Berries, Weiser Farms, Garcia Farms, Coleman Farms, JJ Loned Daughter Ranch, and Lilly's Eggs, while Scarborough Farms delivers fresh organic goods on non-market days.  All pastas, focaccia bread, desserts and gelato are made fresh daily at the restaurant.  The wine list, featuring nearly 400 selections from Italy and California including verticals, half bottles and large format bottles, has received an "Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator magazine every year since 1995, and Luigi Veronelli's The Best Italian Restaurants applauded its "vast and intelligent selection."
www.lagosantamonica.com


Michael Zislis - Shade Hotel & Michael Silacci - Winemaker of Opus One Wines 

Every year, hundreds of wine enthusiasts descend on Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach, when the boutique property hosts California’s top winemakers at its “Ultimate Wine Festival.”

Ultimate Wine Festival goers will enjoy a generous selection of elegantly presented, tray-passed hors d’oeuvres, along with wine tastings of the latest vintages from the various wineries and mingling with winemakers and other wine industry personalities from 4 to 7 p.m. for $125 per person, general admission. Also available, at $200 per person, are admission tickets that include a Reserve Magnum Tasting that will be held just ahead of the Festival, between 3-4 p.m. As the festival is expected to sell out, interested festival goers are advised to purchase tickets in advance.

Participating wineries are (in alpha order here): Alpha Omega; B Wise; Byron; Cade; Cambria; Cardinale; Ceja; Chappellet; DeLoach; Duckhorn; E&J Gallo; En Route; Faust; Flowers; Franciscan; Grgich Hills; Hewitt; Justin; La Sirena; Lokoya; Lobo; Louis M. Martini; Mario Bazen; Mira; Mt. Brave; Mumm Napa; Murphy-Goode; Nickel & Nickel; Opus One; Paruduxx; PlumpJack; Pride Mountain; Provenance; Quintessa; Raymond; Reynolds; Rocca; Rombauer; Round Pond; Seghesio; Silver Oak; Simi; Stanton; Terra Valentine; The Prisoner; Titus; Tobin James; Trefethen; Trinchero; Twomey; V12 Vineyards; and Villa Creek.

04/17 Chef Andrew Zimmern, Travel Channel, Bizarre Foods, Kyle Branche, The Gardenia Room, Chef Suzanne Landry, The Passionate Vegetable

Chef and TV Personality Andrew Zimmern - Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods"

Attention Food Lovers:  IT’S BACK! Voting for the second annual The Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards has returned. Once again, the public has the opportunity to vote for favorites in the world of food…from celebrity chefs to the best food city. Based on popular vote, the most deserving will win.  The nominees for each of the categories have been selected by an expert panel of food personalities led by James Beard Award-winning television host and chef Andrew Zimmern. The nominees will be featured on General Mills’ Tablespoon.com website for the people to cast their votes throughout the month of April. The Munchies award categories include:

•        BEST FOOD REALITY TV SHOW
•        BEST FOOD TV PERSONALITY
•        BEST FOOD BLOG
•        BEST FOOD CITY
•        BEST LATE NIGHT FOOD
•        and 15 more!

More About Andrew Zimmern: Andrew Zimmern is a James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer, teacher and is regarded as one of the most versatile and knowledgeable personalities in the food world. As the creator, host and co-executive producer of Travel Channel's hit series, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, he travels the globe, exploring food in its own terroir. He also hosts Bizarre Foods America, every Monday, at 9|8c. In May 2012, Zimmern won the prestigious James Beard award for the ‘Best Television Show on Location.’ He previously won the Beard Award for ‘Outstanding Television Food Personality.’ Zimmern is also a contributing editor at Food & Wine Magazine.   

Bartender Kyle Branche - The Gardenia Room

Kyle Branche is a 30-year veteran professional and private bartender in Los Angeles. His wide variety of bar experiences in the City of Angels is second to none, having worked in many bars, nightclubs, private clubs, restaurants, hotels, concert venues, and is currently more off the grid today working a busy, yet more flexible schedule as a private on-call bartender with a variety of services, caterers, event planners, brand-sponsored events and private clientele working the party circuit throughout the spread out metropolis. while still holding position in the bar at The Gardenia Room in Hollywood for 23 years.

Kyle was a contributing writer and columnist in the leading beverage magazines from 2002-2012, with 75 published pieces, including the monthly cocktail column "Liquid Kitchen" with Patterson’s Beverage Journal (now The Tasting Panel), feature cover stories, contributing articles, and one online multimedia super feature story on Cognac with Sante Magazine, titled "The Sleeping Spirit". Aside form creating 60+ signature cocktails, his bar line Cocktail Art Productions has produced 18 titles including seven books, two DVD’s, an audio CD Book, cocktail recipe cards, calendars, and postcards.

As a culinary artist, he started his cocktail photography series in 2007. His custom Zazzle store (zazzle.com/KBranche) uses 70 drink images from this series on a variety of everyday products and specialty items, including USPS-approved Cocktail Postage Stamps, Coffee Mugs, Greeting Cards, Men’s and Women’s T-Shirts and Hoodies, iPod Cases, iPad Cases, iPhone cases, Mousepads, Postcards, Hats, Aprons, Necklaces, Prints and Posters, all just for a fun and creative artistic outlet. Kyle also created and designed a board game called “Cocktail Hotel.”

He’s also co-produced and co-hosted the cocktail shows “Liquid Kitchen” and “Beverage Road,” has written a treatment for a one-hour dramatic television series titled “Life Behind Bars,” played the character of “Clive, the Bartender from the Dead” in the short film "The Hounds of Bakersfield," and the part of "Lyle the Bartender" in the upcoming feature film "Frozen Tundra." Other on-camera work includes his two Cocktail Art DVD’s of “live and close-up” specialty and classic drink preparations.

Originally from the historic village of Sackets Harbor, off the edge of Lake Ontario in the Southern part of upstate New York in the Thousand Islands region near Cape Vincent where he was raised on his Grandparents' dairy farm up until the age of seven. From there he moved out West to Arizona,

While in Phoenix as a rack jobber in the music business, where he received sales display awards from Columbia Recording Artists, Journey and Willie Nelson, and then as a manager of a computer warehouse, he also moonlighted on the weekends as a barback at an establishment nearby where he lived. He then got hired at a brand new Embassy Suites Hotel, eventually transferring to Los Angeles and the bigger bar scene in 1985.


Chef and Educator Suzanne Landry - The Passionate Vegetable

 New Cookbook Brings the Fresh Harvest of Health from the Field to the Table “The Passionate Vegetable” by chef and educator Suzanne Landry reveals the pure simplicity and bountiful flavor of fresh vegetables with recipes that are easy and delicious. From the first tender pea shoots in spring to the last brilliant orange pumpkins in autumn, vegetables are the cook’s harbinger of the changing seasons.

Vegetables are often thought of as sides that complement a main dish of meat, fish or poultry. While this is a great way to showcase the garden’s gems, one chef is celebrating vegetables in all their starring roles — breakfast, salads, sides and entrees. The Passionate Vegetable, by fresh food chef and educator, Suzanne Landry, is full of delicious recipes that fit any type of eating style, from vegan and vegetarian, to recipes that include meat. Everyone knows that eating a variety of vegetables every day is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals needed for optimal health. Having taught natural foods cooking classes for over 30 years, Suzanne believes in encouraging and educating people to eat more vegetables and high-fiber whole grains and beans and less meat protein. 

Focusing on the connection between food and healing, Suzanne has created fresh and flavorful dishes that allow home cooks to make the most of seasonal produce from local farmers markets, stands, and gardens and cook tasty, yet healthy, well-balanced meals. More than a cookbook, The Passionate Vegetable reveals the pure simplicity and great flavor of fresh, seasonal vegetables with recipes that are easy to prepare. 

04/16 RICK MAYNARD, KFC, MONTY PAULSEN, PAT PAULSEN VINEYARDS

RICK MAYNARD - COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR OF KFC

“No mess. No fuss. No bones about it.” That’s the new mantra at Kentucky Fried Chicken corporate headquarters these days, according to Jason Marker, KFC’s chief marketing officer in the U.S. “It’s just a very simple expression of where we’re going.” Indeed, on Sunday, KFC rolled out Original Recipe boneless chicken in all 4,500 of its U.S. locations.

But this modest innovation may not be just another new offering in a long line of new offerings. Executives at the 61-year-old franchise – long associated with family-sized buckets of traditional fried chicken — are so convinced that boneless chicken is the next big thing that they are starting to envision a KFC that doesn’t have on-the-bone chicken on its menu at all. (MORE: The Real Significance of the Bitcoin Boom (and Bust))

Marker acknowledges that the chain’s customer base is aging, and that off-the-bone chicken is critical if the brand is to stay relevant and contemporary. “We joke a lot that young people today barely know that chicken has bones in it because of all the forms and formats that we eat it in,” he says. “We’ve got to make sure we meet the needs of those people.” In short, they’re trying to cater to the McNugget Generation.

Back in the 1970s, when most of us still ate chicken that looked like chicken, the industry’s processors were already working on ways to squeeze profit out of their product. Chicken historically offered meager profit margins — around 2%, says Steve Striffler, a University of New Orleans professor and author of Chicken: The Dangerous Transformation of America’s Favorite Food. For decades the only way processors could increase those margins was through mergers or acquisitions. But by the ‘70s, Tyson and other industry giants realized they needed to do more with the chicken itself.



Monty Paulsen - Winemaker at Pat Paulsen Vineyards

Founded by Sonoma County vintner Pat Paulsen and his wife Jane in 1976, Pat Paulsen Vineyards garnered tremendous praise and a wide following, establishing itself as one of the first successful and well-respected of what later has come to be known as “celebrity-owned” wineries. The flagship wine, an Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Paulsen Estate Vineyard earned many gold medals throughout the years, taking “Best of Show” awards at prestigious competitions.

SAN FRANCISCO WINE COMPETITION RECENTLY AWARDED PAT PAULSEN VINEYARDS NINE MEDALS! We are delighted to have five silver medals for our Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Alexander Valley Merlot, Red Reserve ParthenOgenesis and North Coast Syrah. PPV Spring Cabernet and Jesse's Vineyard Zinfandel, Heritage Selection Odyssey and MioVigneto white desert wine took home Bronze medals. Congrats to Monty and our guest vintner Dwight Busalacchi (MioVigneto) and Stephanie Jackson (Jesse's Vineyard Zinfandel) who we have collaborated with this past year. More wine, more time, more magic!

04/15 Bill Kurtis, Caroline Klinge, LoSalt, Gary Owens

BILL KURTIS - TALL GRASS BEEF


Founded in 2005 by broadcast journalist Bill Kurtis, Tallgrass Beef Company is the industry leader in the production of grass-fed, grass-finished beef in the United States. After purchasing his 10,000 acre ranch near the town of Sedan, Kansas, Kurtis was compelled to find a sustainable method of raising cattle that was not only good for the environment, but also the animals themselves and the American food consumer. This was the genesis of Tallgrass Beef Company.

Today Tallgrass Beef Company is comprised of a network of family farmers and ranchers across the United States that produce grass-fed, grass-finished cattle according to a strict set of protocols. These stringent standards ensure that food consumers are buying the safest, healthiest, most nutritious beef possible. Tallgrass Beef is a favorite among consumers seeking a healthy, humane source of beef.

In addition to being available for purchase by consumers online, Tallgrass Beef became the first grass-fed, grass-finished product served in many of Chicago's finest restaurants, with a roster of clients featuring James Beard Award Winning chefs Rick Bayless (owner of Chicago's Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and XOCO restaurants), Charlie Trotter, George Bumbaris and Sarah Stegner. Harry Carays, Praire Grass Café, Frontera Grill, and Topolobombo serve Tallgrass. The brand has expanded to the west coast where Tallgrass Beef is available in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Tallgrass Beef products are also available in select grocery stores, including Sunset Foods and Fox and Obel in Chicago; Fairway Markets in New York; and Sendik's Markets in Milwaukee.

Much like the cattlemen of the old west, Bill Kurtis started Tallgrass Beef with a vision of a healthy, sustainable, delicious beef source for the American consumer. With a steady annual growth rate and a loyal customer following, Tallgrass Beef Company provides customers with a sustainable alternative to traditionally raised and processed beef.



Caroline Klinge - Sales & Marketing Manager of  LoSalt

 

With a background in biochemistry, food science, and catering, Caroline Klinge is the consumer spokesperson for LoSalt®. A reduced sodium salt alternative that contains 66% less sodium than table salt, LoSalt is manufactured at Caroline’s family company Klinge Foods Ltd in Glasgow, Scotland.

Consumers of all ages are making the healthy and happy switch by choosing LoSalt, a blend of two naturally occurring mineral salts – Potassium Chloride and Sodium Chloride – that form an alternative that retains the look and taste of conventional table salt. LoSalt contains 66% less sodium than regular table, sea, and rock salts and its great taste makes it an ideal salt alternative for all types of cooking and use on the table. As with regular salt, it should be used sparingly in cooking and baking.

Since launching in the US in 2009, LoSalt sales have grown rapidly and it is now sold in over 4,500 stores across the U.S.  at supermarkets and natural food retailers including Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Tom Thumb, Randall’s, Whole Foods Market, H-E-B, Basha’s, Shoppers Warehouse, Farm Fresh, BI-LO, Shaw’s, Shop Rite, and in the natural foods aisle of Kroger stores (including Ralphs, QFC, Fred Meyer, Smiths and Fry’s). www.losalt.com


GARY OWENS - RADIO PERSONALITY 

Gary Owens (born May 10, 1936) is an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens is equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is frequently heard in television, radio, and commercials. He is best known, aside from being the announcer on Laugh-In, for providing the voice of the Space Ghost on Space Ghost. He also played himself in a cameo appearance on Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 1998. Likewise, Owens provided the voice of Roger Ramjet on The Roger Ramjet Cartoons. He is currently the primary voice of the over-the-air digital network Antenna TV.

04/12 RICHARD SCHLESINGER, 48 HOURS, CHEF TYLER STONE, CALIFORNIA WINEMASTERS, STEVE EVANS

48 HOURS – CORRESPONDENT RICHARD SCHLESINGER

48 HOURS "Power and Passion" airs on Saturday, April 13, 2013 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) Summary: On May 9, 2010, 45-year-old real estate agent Angel Downs was found dead in the driveway of her Gulf Shores, Alabama townhouse, having died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.  Her boyfriend, Stephen Nodine, a popular local politician and Baldwin County Commissioner, was charged two weeks later with her murder.

Nodine, who ran in high-profile political circles within the state, had carried on an extramarital affair with Downs for several years.  According to investigators, Downs had a history of severe depression, marked by a suicide attempt in 2006; at the time of her death, a number of drugs were found in her system, ranging from the sleep aid Ambien, to amphetamines, and massive quantities of pain killers.  The gun that killed her was registered in her name; neighbors reported hearing no struggling or commotion – so why the focus on Nodine?  The fallen official gives his account to Richard Schlesinger on this week’s 48 Hours.  


CHEF TYLER STONE  CALIFORNIA WINEMASTERS

Chef Tyler Stone is one of America's rising stars in the next generation of chefs.  From the time he was 4 years old, Tyler has had a full-blown passion for the culinary arts  and has already accomplished much in his short career.   After graduating high school at age eighteen Tyler published his first cookbook, The Kid’s Cooking, which shares his love of food and is available on his website along with his gourmet and cutlery lines.  He has enjoyed numerous TV and radio appearances on local networks and was recently a contestant on Bravo's Top Chef.   He is a culinary writer for a magazine and plans on having his own syndicated TV cooking show.  Tyler is sought out by and has cooked for many notable individuals, organizations, politicians and celebrities and has worked with some of the best chefs in the country.  His inspiration comes from great chefs as well as his family, friends, and local surroundings.  Tyler is "All Things Food".

http://www.ChefTylerStone.com/

http://www.californiawinemasters.org/

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.

04/11 Jamie Deen, Sous Chef Kevin Monahan, Fleming's Steakhouse, Karina Smirnoff, Dancing with the Stars

 
Jamie Deen - Chef and TV personality

Jamie Deen, is a chef, restaurateur, and TV personality. He is widely known as one of the sons of culinary celebrity Paula Deen. With his brother, Bobby, he runs her restaurant, The Lady & Sons, in Savannah, Georgia. He talks with Mike & Paul about Healthy eating and cooking.




Sous Chef Kevin Monahan – Fleming’s Steakhouse 

Fleming’s Steak house in Beverly Hills is having a wine dinner on April 25th with Special Guest, Justin Baldwin. He is the founder of JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery. Please join us for a celebration of handcrafted wines from JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, paired with an exceptional 5-course dinner menu.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25TH, 6:30PM $125 PER GUEST INCLUDING 5 WINE PAIRINGS CALL 310-278-8710 TO RESERVE


Karina Smirnoff - Dancing With the Stars

Karina is one of the favorites with her partner Jacoby Jones on Dancing with the Stars.

In addition to discussing the current season, Karina is going to discuss a non-profit venture she is taking part in. Next month, Karina and the non-profit Bright Future International is hosting a special evening of classical music and dance as young rising stars take center stage with renowned performers from major theaters around the world, notably the Metropolitan Opera, American Ballet Theatre, the New York City Ballet and Martha Graham Dance Company.

Bright Future International is an international 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to funding educational programs, cultural projects and events that foster positive values such as compassion, kindness, and love and encourage people to share these values with others.

04/10 LARRY LIPSON, GARY CANTER, CANTER'S DELI, TERRY DAVIS, FRISSON WINES

LARRY LIPSON - COSTA RICA

LARRY LIPSON REPORTS LIVE FROM COSTA RICA WITH SUGGESTIONS ON FOOD AND WINE BASED ON HIS FIFTY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS FOOD WRITER FOR THE LA TIME. HE AND HIS LOVELY WIFE LILLIANARE LIVE FROM THE LIPSON INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED WINE STUDIES IN COSTA RICA EACH WEEK AT THIS TIME.


GARY CANTER - OWNER OF CANTER'S DELI

Canter’s Deli has been a Los Angeles landmark since 1931! Canter's Deli offers an authentic deli-style experience unparalleled anywhere on the West Coast. Our endless menu is full of breakfast, lunch and dinner menu items available 24 hours a day. Fresh baked goods are available from our bakery. A full bar and Cocktail Lounge is open 10:30 am-1:40 am
Over the years Canter's has sold over:

2 Million Pounds of Lox
10 Million Pounds of Corned Beef
7 Million Pounds of Pastrami
10 Million Matzo Balls
24 Million Bowls of Chicken Soup


TERRY DAVIS FOUNDER - FRISSON WINES

Aptly named, Frisson means the thrill of excitement and anticipation
St. Helena, CA-- After a lifetime of appreciating fine wines and the travels and fellowship that accompanied, it became time for Terry Davis to fulfill his dream of making highly drinkable wines. “Dreaming about making wine is exciting.

Bringing it to reality can be a bit scary. But when my dream became reality with the release of these wines, it was downright thrilling,” says Davis, founder of Frisson Wines.
Davis first began by sourcing the highest quality grapes from some of Napa and Sonoma’s finest vineyards. He seeks to produce luxurious wines at affordable prices.

The inaugural bottlings of 2009 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon and 2011 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc are the first out of the gate with elegant expressions of their appellations and varieties.  And equally important, they are affordable for the discerning wine drinker.    

Frisson’s 2009 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon has a suggested retail price of $60 a bottle with just over 125 cases produced. The vineyard, from the storied hillside district is a small, eight-acre estate with a soil composition that includes white volcanic ash which is rare in Napa Valley. This imparts a lovely, unique flavor character in the finished wine.

The 2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc has a suggested retail price of $26 with 240 cases produced. The wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel with no oak to mask the refreshing flavors.

Early on, Davis and his wife Pam knew their dream began in the legendary Napa Valley and today are based in Yountville, recognizing that Napa Valley as the hub of the American wine industry. They met their future partner in winemaking at a dinner party—it was fate all laid out!

Davis brought renowned Winemaker Wayne Donaldson into the project on the ground floor, bringing 26 years of international winemaking experience to the table. “I enjoy working with owners like Terry who are as passionate about creating great wine as I am. The challenge and satisfaction for me is making wine in a style that suits his high expectations,” says Wayne. Together their goal is simple: make wine that is exciting to drink! Frisson has already expanded its fruit sources working with the well-regarded Dutton Ranch making a Wente Clone Chardonnay and Beckstoffer’s Georges III Vineyard for a bottling of Cabernet Sauvignon, both from the 2012 vintage.

Davis said, “We’ve been ‘test marketing’ the wine with our friends and family and now have that same quiver of anticipation as we offer our wines to the world.”

04/09 Victoria Kulinich, Gotham Bar and Grill, Portofino, Richard Crespin, Melissa Rycroft

Victoria Kulinich - Sommelier & Manager of Gotham Bar and Grill

Victoria Kulinich has taken on the role of the Sommelier and Manager for the Gotham Bar and Grill in 2012. In this role, she is responsible for managing and representing the wine program that offers over 2,500 selections to the restaurant’s guests. Overseeing both the off¬site storage, and the in¬house cellar inventory, she is responsible for upholding quality and proper ageing conditions. As the Manager, Victoria is excited to offer support, guidance, and leadership to the staff, overseeing the daily operations and financial processes, while ensuring the high level of service standards is met and surpassed. An experienced educator, she is passionate about empowering the staff with knowledge of wine, beer, and spirits, and holds weekly tastings and classes to build and instill confidence in how the wine list’s selections are to be presented.

Additionally, Victoria has joined the panel tasting board for Wine $ Spirits Magazine in 2013. In this role, she is entrusted with delivering a judgement during weekly region¬explorative tastings, and contributing to the publication’s decision of recommended selections. Prior, Victoria Kulinich was a Wine Educator for New York Vintners. In this role, she was responsible for teaching daily Wine and Beverage classes, and coordinating educational events, intended to help students achieve a better understanding of not only viticulture, viniculture, and the end product, but also aid in comprehension of personal preference and taste. Previously, Victoria led a Building Bridges to Success Grant for CUNY, and was the Executive Chef Instructor, as well as the Certified Instructor for Food Safety programs such as ServSafe, ManageFirst, and New York City Department of Health. In this role, Victoria was responsible for relaying her culinary arts knowledge to her students, while offering hands¬on training, and theory studies on the safe and proper handling of various foods, with the end goal for students attaining certifications through all three agencies.

Additionally, Victoria has worked as the Dining Room team, as well as the Kitchen Staff member in New York City’s award¬ winning restaurant Eleven Madison Park, and highly -acclaimed Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Currently, Victoria is studying through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust’s Master of Wine Diploma courses, as well as the certifications offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Prior to beginning her career in the Food, Beverage, and Hospitality Industry, Victoria has attained the Grand Diploma at the French Culinary Institute (New York Campus), and studied for the BS/Architecture and Building Construction at the City University of Technology, and was awarded a full¬time scholarship at the New York Institute of Technology.


Portofino Executive Chef – Richard Crespin

BALEEN kitchen, the Oceanfront restaurant at The Portofino Hotel & Marina, was recently awarded a Zagat rating as among the “Top 10 Best Restaurants for Waterside Dining in Los Angeles,” for the second consecutive year. Zagat, the world’s leading provider of consumer survey for restaurants, ranked the restaurant ‘extraordinary to perfect’ in all categories; food, décor, service and cost. Zagat described BALEENkitchen as, “A ‘lovely’, ‘soft’-lit dining room overlooking ‘beautiful’ King Harbor” and that “the marina sets a ‘cozy’ scene for ‘well-prepared,’ seafood- centric dishes."
Heavily focused on seafood, Executive Chef Richard Crespin utilizes quality local ingredients to create authentically Californian cuisine served in a chic, welcoming atmosphere. Weekend guests and diners alike may spice-up their experience with the new ‘Make Your Own – Bloody Mary Bar,’ featuring 40 different satisfying ingredients to make each concoction tailored to specific tastes.
Executive Chef Richard Crespin is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York and has over 19 years of various culinary experience.  He has held leadership roles in New York working as Sous Chef for Jean Georges and also Gordon Ramsay at The London her in LA, as well as Executive Chef at Indochine in Beverly Hills.


ABC's of Being A New Mom with Melissa Rycroft

One week after the most talked about season finale of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” Melissa Rycroft stepped onto the dance floor in heroic fashion on “Dancing with the Stars,” and waltzed her way to a third-place finish on season eight of the hit ABC series. In fall of 2012, Rycroft joined an elite group of celebrities as she was crowned champion of “Dancing with the Stars All Stars.” In June of 2012, Simon and Schuster released Melissa’s autobiography “My Reality” which details the trials and tribulations Melissa experienced in the last several years.  Her latest television project on CMT, “Melissa and Tye” explored the ups and downs of Melissa’s desire to expand her career in Los Angeles while maintaining relationships with her family and friends in Dallas. Rycroft joined ABC News as a special contributor for “Good Morning America” in 2009 and also took on co-hosting duties on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s Rocking New Year’s Eve” in 2010. Rycroft was a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and appeared on two seasons of CMT’s “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.” She was featured among People Magazine’s “100 Most Beautiful People of 2009.” Rycroft has also been named to Maxim’s Hot 100 list.She resides in Dallas, TX and Los Angeles, CA. On February 16, 2011, she gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Ava Grace Strickland.

Television personality Melissa Rycroft is best known for appearing on “The Bachelor” and winning “Dancing with the Stars.” Now a correspondent for the upcoming season of DWTS, she is busy balancing life and work as a mother to two year-old Ava Grace Strickland, but she wouldn’t have it any other way! 

Available for interviews, she can share her personal experiences and stories when it comes to the ABCs of being a new mom – from having a young toddler, to newborn babies and even trying to conceive. 

When it comes to baby-making, there is no such thing as the perfect formula. But some say it’s all about the timing, and the timing can be tricky!

04/08 CARLTON CUSE, A&E NETWORK, BATES MOTEL, MICHE BACHER, COOKING WITH FLOWERS

CARLTON CUSE - Executive Producer OF A&E Network' s "Bates Motel

“Bates Motel” serves as a contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film Pyscho, and promises to give viewers an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ psyche unravels through his teenage years. Fans will have access to the dark, twisted backstory of Norman Bates and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is. The series stars Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland), Max Thieriot (Kit Kittredge: An American Girl), Olivia Cooke (Blackout) and Nicola Peltz (The Last Airbender). Season one also co-stars Nestor Carbonell (“Lost,” The Dark Knight Rises) and Mike Vogel (“Pan Am”).

In “Bates Motel,” following the tragic death of her husband, Norma Bates buys a motel on the outskirts of the idyllic coastal town, White Pine Bay, seeking a fresh start. As Norma and Norman get entrenched in their new home, they discover this town isn’t quite what it seems, and the locals aren’t so quick to let them in on their secrets. But the Bates are done being pushed around and will do whatever it takes to survive – and will do whatever it takes to protect their own secrets. Mondays at10PM ET/PT on A&E Network


MICHE BACHER  "COOKING WITH FLOWERS" 

Miche is an herbalist, chef, and owner of the custom confectionery studio Mali B Sweets located in Greenport, NY. Miche really knows her stuff when it comes to cooking with flowers which comes through in her well-organized cookbook, Cooking With Flowers! Bacher discusses:

-How and why she came to cook with flowers.
-The essentials about using flowers in food.
-How to choose and prepare flowers to cook with.
-Ways that flowers can add to desserts, drinks, etc
-The medicinal and cosmetic uses of flowers.

04/05 Richard Blais, Bravo, Top Chef All-Stars, Bob Adler, Deutsch Vineyard, Steve Evans

Richard Blais - Bravo’s “Top Chef All-Stars”

Perhaps most recognizable as the winner of Bravo’s “Top Chef All-Stars,” Richard Blais has played an influential role in hospitality for the last 15 years.

In 2000, Blais relocated to Atlanta to oversee a local seafood concept. His wildly creative approach to cooking and cuisine led to the establishment of Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary company that has consulted on, designed, and operated some of Atlanta’s most popular eateries including multiple outposts of Flip Burger Boutique and HD-1. He recently launched The Spence, a new restaurant concept in Midtown Atlanta, and his debut cookbook Try This at Home was published on February 26, 2013. In Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate, Richard reveals a simplified approach to adventurous cooking by sharing new flavor combinations and textures to reinvent home cooks’ classic dishes. Each of the 125 recipes is straightforward enough to make at home, but for those who want to try using liquid nitrogen or a sous vide machine, Richard offers fun variations to his recipes that add another level of excitement in the kitchen.

Blais has appeared on “TODAY Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Live with Kelly,” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” as well as in numerous publications including The New York Times, InStyle, and Food & Wine magazine.


PROPRIETOR BOB ADLER - DEUTSCH VINEYARD 

In 2004 we began our search for a small Napa vineyard that had the potential to yield the highest quality fruit from the best clone and root stock. The terroir had to be just right and so we knew the quest was going to take a while. In 2006, we received a call from our broker who described a parcel of land located in the “Rutherford Dust” that was soon going to be available. We rushed over and when we realized we had found our spot, we signed a purchase contract.

We asked one of Napa’s best vineyard managers, Jim Barbour, to do whatever was necessary to make the vineyard produce the best grapes and he certainly did exactly that. In 2007, Jim called Vineyard 29’s wine consultant, Phillipe Melka, to come over and sample our grapes. He came over, tasted the juice, and immediately asked for them to be part of Vineyard 29’s wine program. Thus began our great relationship with Vineyard 29 and our introduction to Keith Emerson, Director of Winemaking.

Working with a top vineyard, top vineyard manager, and top winemaker, we were able to realize our dream, which has all been expressed in our first estate wine, the 2008 ADV. We hope you enjoy our wine as much as we have producing it.

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.