By Barrie Lynn – The Cheese Impresario My passion for cheese came to me through being struck by Cupid’s Arrow. As a former advertising executive, I entertained my clients regularly. I took a client to a fundraiser for Slow Food, it was a cheese tasting. I tasted a cheese made by a small Wisconsin cheesemaker...Read More
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 region of Tuscany. Through the generations the techniques, recipes and “secrets” to the incredibly high-quality products...Read More
A foodie haven has opened it’s doors in Santa Barbara, the new Public Market located on the corner of Victoria and Chapala. For those of you familiar with the Ferry Building in San Francisco, this is like a mini version of it. There are a host of purveyors ranging from freshly made pastas to locally...Read More
Wine tasting is just a great part of life. And going up to the Santa Ynez area is a great way to spend the day or a weekend tasting and enjoying the gorgeous countryside. Each time I go up there I take the time to explore a different series of wineries. There are many to...Read More
It was an evening to be remembered. A couple of years ago I was asked by my friend Jeff Silverman and his wife Stefanie to create an Italian evening cooking class and demonstration fundraiser for Wilbur elementary school. As we considered the evening we had to come up with a menu that would work both...Read More
It was a gorgeous clear day when I arrived at Pier 3 in Avila Beach, CA. I walked down the long pier past the pelicans and some other vendors to the end where I found the Old Port Fisheries Company. I found Mike, whom I had been corresponding with via email and asked him to...Read More
One of my favorite things to do is to go to a restaurant and let the chef create a tasting menu for us. It’s one of the perks of being in the biz and/or knowing the chef at a particular restaurant. For me, it’s an opportunity to see what the chef can really do, how...Read More
When one thinks about Rioja Alavesa, we think about red Rioja wine. And indeed this was true until recently. The Rioja region is one of the oldest and best known for wine in Spain. The earliest known record dates back to 873 A.D. In decades past, wines were designed to age long term 15 to...Read More
Small plates are all the rage here in LA and Bow & Truss in NoHo has made it their specialty. The name is derived from the restaurant’s bow & truss ceiling and is owned by Knitting Factory Entertainment, who also brought us The Federal Bar. The menu, created by Executive Chef Aaron Grissom, is based...Read More
