Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

16 Dec 2011

White Truffle Dinner at Valentino Ristorante – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

Filed Under:

It used to be that citrus fruits were my favorite wintertime bounty, but that was before I tasted my first white truffle. Only available October through December and priced in the neighborhood of $300 an ounce, this precious tuber is the ultimate indulgence during the cooler months of the year.

I was recently invited to an incredible dinner at Valentino Ristorante featuring an abundance of white truffles. In celebration of Piero Selvaggio‘s 40 years of successful restauranteering in Los Angeles, the finest Italian white truffles were flown in for the event, as well as wines from Beni di Batasiolo, the world’s leading producer of Barolo. Needless to say, it was an enchanting evening of food and wine.

I was greeted by an army of glasses as I sat down at the table. Stefano Poggi, the export manager at Beni di Batasiolo, was on hand this evening to pair each of chefs Luicano Pellegrini and Nico Chessa’s creations with a handsome wine. The carefully marked placemats upon which the wines rested kept diners properly organized throughout the meal.

(more…)

Now Closed

14 Dec 2011

Drago Ristorante – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

Filed Under:

6 Comments

Promises of handmade pasta and creamy risotto motivated me to make the drive to Drago Ristorante in Santa Monica for a weeknight dinner. Well that, and my friend Diana. She’s the restaurant’s PR guru, and she assured me that I’d adore this restaurant with all of my carb-loving heart.

Opened in 1991, Drago Ristorante is the oldest of Chef Celestino Drago’s Italian restaurants that are currently open in Los Angeles. His other restaurants include Enoteca Drago and Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills and Drago Centro downtown.

Diana reserved a secluded table adjacent to the main dining room for our small group. We were joined this evening by Darin of Darin Dines and Christina of Where Los Angeles.

Chef de Cucina Evan Gotanda, a graduate of the California School of the Culinary Arts, as well as the kitchens of Bastide and Patina, treated us to a custom tasting this evening. Most of the dishes that we sampled can be found on the regular cena menu.

Dinner began with bread from Chef Drago’s Dolce Forno Bakery in Culver City. The bakery provides all of his restaurants with freshly baked breads, pastries, and desserts daily. I played it safe with just a small nibble of the olive bread because I wasn’t sure what Chef Gotanda had in the works.

(more…)

Eat My Blog

12 Dec 2011

Eat My Blog Winter 2011: Sweet Sunny Success!

Filed Under:

14 Comments

It was a scorcher this past Saturday at the fourth Eat My Blog charity bake sale. Even though the weather conditions were chocolate-meltingly hot, the turnout was terrific and we raised $4,323.86 for the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. It’s really incredible to think that our baked goods have yielded more than $16,000 over the years. That equates to $80,000 worth of food to assist families in our community that need a little boost. Hip, hip hooray!

We moved the party to the east side this time around, setting up shop at Pita Jungle in Old Town Pasadena. The neighborhood proved to be a great fit for our kind of wholesome food and fun.

On the donation front, we had the biggest turnout ever. With over 50 bloggers baking their hearts out and 20 restaurants doing what they do best, the tables at Pita Jungle were lined with an impressive array of delicious and creative treats. Additionally, Crystal Geyser donated water and iced tea, while Intelligentsia provided coffee vouchers.

We were also very fortunate to have Wesley Wong donate his time to capture some beautiful snapshots throughout the day. Here are some highlights of the sweets and savories that made Eat My Blog an incredible success…

Clockwise from top left—macarons from XT Patisserie, cake pops from The Catty Critic and Rock My Palate, chocolate dipped pecan pies from Sarah the Bear, and malted milk cookie tarts from Nosh with Me.

(more…)