Restaurant Review
19 Mar 2023

Antico Nuovo – Los Angeles

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Antico Nuevo - Los Angeles

One of my favorite meals in recent memory was at chef Chad Colby’s Antico Nuovo. Now in its third iteration (the original Antico opened in 2019 and pivoted into a focaccia pizza takeout operation during the peak pandemic), the restaurant is firing on all cylinders and as vital as ever.

Antico Nuevo - Los Angeles

The best seat in the house is at the bar which offers full views of the open kitchen. Even with all the action surrounding us, from roasting squabs to plating pastas and glowing embers, it was easy to tune out the noise and focus on the conversation or dishes when needed.

Antico Nuevo - Los Angeles

Diana and I sipped a big, bold Barolo while making some very tough decisions about what to order — the entire menu sounded delectable.

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Restaurant Review
10 Mar 2023

44 Hours in the Santa Ynez Valley: Lovely Lodging, Stellar Seafood, and a Whole Lot of Meat

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The Inn at Mattei's Tavern - Auberge Resorts Collection

Back in February, The Astronomer, June, and I spent a weekend in the glorious Santa Ynez Valley. The region’s hillsides are incredibly lush at this time of year and beckoned me back even though I was just in the area last fall. A Friday through Sunday trip is never enough, but it scratches the itch well enough.

The Inn at Mattei's Tavern - Auberge Resorts Collection

We stayed at the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos for the weekend. The historic site, which served as a stagecoach stop in the late 1800s and a Prohibition-era hang in the early 1900s, is newly renovated and reimagined by Auberge Resorts Collection. We were lucky enough to be one of the first guests.

The Inn at Mattei's Tavern - Auberge Resorts Collection

The two-bedroom “Oak” cottage had a magical way about it. Even though it was practically new, the space managed to feel comfortable and lived in. It must be the well-preserved bones of the place.

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Beverly Hills
25 Feb 2023

Chef Kwame Onwuachi x Chef Mattia Agazzi at Gucci Osteria Beverly Hills

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Gucci Osteria x Kwame Onwuachi | February 24, 2023

Even though culinary collaborations are fairly common these days, an unexpected meeting of the minds can still garner a lot of excitement. Last Wednesday evening, chef Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana in New York City made the trip to Gucci Osteria in Beverly Hills to collaborate on a menu with chef Mattia Agazzi in honor of Black History Month. The awesomely creative dinner left me and my date for the evening inspired and impressed.

Gucci Osteria x Kwame Onwuachi | February 24, 2023

The six-course tasting menu brought together chef Onwuachi’s New York-Afro-Caribbean cuisine with chef Mattia’s California-Italian cooking. It was really special to see how the dishes I’d experienced earlier at Gucci Osteria were reimagined with another chef in the kitchen.

Gucci Osteria x Kwame Onwuachi | February 24, 2023

To start, an amuse bouche that consisted of a Parmesan wafer with an apricot compote and shaved Parmesan on top.

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