By G. Stassi. It’s 4am. I am now enjoying my coffee, biscotti, and my five of my cats are sitting on the table staring at me even after they’ve eaten — it’s all mental telepathy with those guys. I’m starting
By G. Stassi. Santa Barbara is a stimulating environment that somehow manages to keep a cool, calm demeanor but there’s no denying that it is truly a cultural gem. It’s rich in art of every genre from culinary to
By Roberta Rinaldi, Beverly Hills Examiner Wine Writer. For Labor Day, pack your corkscrew, some sun screen and head to Avila Beach, a picturesque getaway with a special draw for wine lovers. Sheltered in a cove between the Santa Lucia
“We should look for someone to eat and dink with before looking for something to eat and drink, for dining alone is leading the life of a lion or wolf.” -Epicurus (Greek philosopher, BC 341-270) By G. Stassi. This quote
By Roberta Rinaldi, Beverly Hills Examiner Wine Writer. There’s still time to impress the oenophiles on your holiday gift list with 2013’s most coveted wine toy: the Coravin 1000 Wine Access System. The latest in technology, it allows you to
By Roberta Rinaldi, Beverly Hills Examiner Wine Writer. It’s time for this year‘s last and most important task, picking the bubbly for New Year’s Eve. While Champagne’s appeal is undeniable, there are some luscious, quirky, little Italian sparklers well worth
By Roberta Rinaldi, Beverly Hills Examiner Wine Writer. Vino California began its week-long paean to Italian wine Tuesday with the trade seminar: Call to Calabria: Discovering Wines From the Toe of Italy’s Peninsula. Attendees were guided through a tasting by
By G. Stassi. So every time this friend and I go on a road trip we end up somewhere very unusual but always seem to order and share a split of Qupe Syrah. Her itineraries are excellent and adventurous and
By G. Stassi. The charm of the Central Coast never ceases to amaze me. I love it when it’s fogged in; when its sun drenched; when it’s hopping at the Fourth of July; and when it’s raining down on
Bartending has progressed far beyond just creating popular drinks. It has evolved into a craft of mixing and reinventing old and new exotic cocktails. Today’s modern Mixologists push the overall limits of creativity of yesterday’s bartenders. A few weeks ago
“Who needs nunchucks when you have $100 lobster egg rolls as weapons of mass consumption” Don’t be fooled by imitations, there is only one Chef Jack Lee. Call him what you want, he answers to Captain Jack or even Kangaroo
It was Thanksgiving morning when I decided to open my first package of RJ Balsons bacon. This is not merely any British Bacon, it is a piece of history, dating back to the time of King Henry the VIII. I
I heard about the opportunity to create a recipe for New Belgium Brewing through FoodBuzz.So I figured I’d sign up and see if I was one of the lucky ones that would be chosen. I got the email and then
As you wind your way down Foxen Canyon road aka the Foxen Trail, you can’t help to think about the wonderful scenery that the road bisects. On either side ancient oak trees grow in pastures, some with grazing cattle others
Antica Macelleria Falorni is the oldest butcher shop in Italy. In 1729 Gio Batta founded the Macelleria Falorni Butchers in Greve Italy. In 1840 the word Antica which means ancient was added and still hangs today. It’s in the Chianti
