Hawaii is beautiful and everyone ogles over the beaches and endless sunshine, however, my favorite part of Hawaii is the food. Authentic Hawaiian food is hard to come by and over the years has evolved and adapted, so it can be difficult to get a taste of the true culture. Instead of showing up at a native Hawaiian’s home for dinner...
Top Elegant Eats of 2015 - Photo Series
Over the past year, Mark and I have had the opportunity to eat at some pretty amazing places. From the top California restaurants to fine dining in New York City, we ate it all. Through multiple courses, many tasting menus, and never ending wine and appetizers, we always found the best and most delicious dishes.
Not every restaurant made the cut for 2015, but these 12 restaurants were particularly spectacular for the ambience, food and service. And having the perfect date was another bonus! Enjoy.
Nobu - Malibu, Ca
1) Kai at Wild Horse Pass / Arizona
Kai is the top restaurant in Arizona. In culinary school, Kai was talked about as a culinary wonderland and anyone who had ever worked there was almost godlike. And of course, I was dying to go there. So for our 1 year anniversary, Mark took me to the holy grail of food. We were given a unique menu with hand drawn artwork from the native Pima tribe. Our server then told us about the history of the ingredients, their spiritual meaning, and the importance of tradition when creating a native Pima tribe inspired menu. This 13 course tasting menu (with wine pairing) was flawless with absolutely impeccable service!
2) Nobu / Malibu, Ca
Known for it's Japanese cuisine and delicate sushi dishes, Nobu is perfectly perched on the endless Malibu cliffs. While staying the weekend in Beverly Hills, Mark surprised me with a reservation (made over a month in advance) for lunch, right before we headed back to the airport. We ordered up a storm and tried Nobu's signature dishes, like the miso black cod. The scallop on a potato chip with shaved truffle on top is fantastic and the dessert platter was a dream. There is no other sushi experience like this!
For Valentines day, we signed up for the 7 course tasting with wine pairing .. which turned into over 19 courses, lasting over 3 and a half hours! The menu was set, however the off-menu dishes kept coming and little tastings seemed to appear out of nowhere. But hey, I am not complaining. One of the best dishes of the night was the black truffle lobster salad. This dish was melt in your mouth with silky raw lobster and truffle shaved on top like parmesan slices; it was a dream.
4) Outstanding In The Field - Coachella Music Festival, Ca
While at the Coachella Music Festival, I got to experience Outstanding In The Field. This pop-up restaurant has no walls and sets up long, white linen family-style tables in unusual and exciting places. Always using local ingredients, a featured chef will create a multi course menu and guests dine on a beach, in a vineyard, or, in our case, at Coachella. Each family-style dish was fantastic, the company was entertaining and we were perfectly secluded from the music festival chaos. I can't wait to get tickets to their next location!
5) Nikki Beach at River Horse - Sundance Film Festival, Park City, UT
As a last minute trip, we touched down in Salt Lake City to attend the Sundance Film festival. The snow was gorgeous and we stayed in a huge cabin with a few people from Mark's company. We found this fantastic restaurant called the River Horse, which was taken over by Nikki Beach, a party company for film festivals. The appetizers were delicious but the most memorable part of the meal was the entree. I ordered the wild game trio with buffalo, elk and venison! Medium rare of course. This was the first time I have tasted wild game and I absolutely loved it. Each flavor was so unique and it only seemed right to try these unique meats while snow was on the ground with gorgeous white capped mountains all around.
I was so excited to go to Wolfgang Puck's very first restaurant! I felt like a kid in a candy shop, ordering everything with my eyes wide open. One of the most inventive dishes was an appetizer spread served inside of a hollowed bone. Everything was impeccable, my dover sole had a foam sauce and the bananas foster was prepared table side.
7) Garden Court, Palace Hotel - San Francisco, Ca
The Palace hotel is an elegant hotel on Market street in San Francisco. The Garden Court is located right in the marbled grand hotel lobby and you eat below the intricate glass ceiling. I felt like royalty eating at the garden court and I will absolutely be coming back again.
Check out my full review of the Garden Court and my delicious, unique breakfast entree.
8) The Sea Grill - Rockefeller Center / New York, New York
Located in the famous Rockefeller Center, in a sunken courtyard there are two nice, white table cloth restaurants with views of the skyscrapers above. We decided to have dinner at the Sea Grill and sat outside with the gorgeous Rockefeller building as our backdrop. The food was so fresh; the tuna tartare was silky, crab cakes flakey, with rich lobster rolls. The halibut entree was so moist with a quick sear for the perfect crunch. And of course, we had to end the meal with a french press and the Sea Grill key lime pie. Not only was the food fantastic, but the views were absolutely breath taking with a incredible sense of calm while dinning in the middle of one of the biggest tourist attractions in New York.
9) Gallaghers Steakhouse / New York, New York
Before our evening Broadway Show, Chicago (with Brandy!), we caught a quick dinner at Gallaghers Steakhouse, recommended by the concierge of our hotel. The first striking thing about this particular restaurant is the dry age room where prime steaks are displayed like artwork in rows on shelves in the front window. Except this artwork is edible, and can be yours. I have never seen anything like this before and loved using the aging steaks as a centerpiece for a classic old school steakhouse. The service was impeccable, recommending the perfect wine and sides, while also ensuring we made it just in time for our show.
10) SkyCity at the Space Needle / Seattle, Wa
The SkyCity restaurant is one of the most unique places to dine with breath taking views! The restaurant slowly spins so you get gorgeous views of Seattle and the bay below. As we dined, sea planes flew right by the windows and landed below on the water. It was incredible! Having dinner at SkyCity also means you get a free ticket to the space needle viewing center, which is just a floor above the restaurant. We arrived at the space needle about 30 minutes before our reservation and got to enjoy a drink at the viewing center before dinner, it was the perfect pre dinner entertainment.
Check out my adventures in Seattle's Pike Public Market here!
11) The Slanted Door / San Francisco, Ca
While walking through the San Francisco Ferry Building (one of my favorite places in SF), Mark and I stumbled upon this amazing Vietnamese restaurant. We walked around to the back side of the Ferry Building along the water and found a table for two open on the patio. Not knowing anything about the restaurant, except that it had an awesome view, we asked the hostess for the open table we spotted outside. We told the waiter to add some of his favorite dishes to our appetizer round and were guided by big recommendations for entrees. The food was out of this world! I was so impressed with the deep flavors, perfect tenderness of the shrimp, and vibrant colors. After our delicious meal, we found out this restaurant has a cookbook, typically has a long wait list, and is highly recommended by a few of our local friends as one of the best places in SF to eat. I felt so lucky to have run into this fantastic restaurant and popped in on a whim! I love spontaneous surprises.
12) The Pink Door / Seattle, Wa
Tucked away in an alley, behind Pike Market and away from the tourists there is a restaurant with no name, just a painted pink door. Which is also the name of the restaurant. How cute? Recommended by a local guy working with Mark, we decided to check out The Pink Door. The ambience was elegant eclectic and the food was phenomenal. The appetizers were seasonal and fresh, the pasta was hand-made and the wine list was perfect company to our meal. We ended up spending hours at the restaurant chatting about food, wine, and Seattle. The meal was so perfectly rustic with the simplicity of the dishes really highlighting each ingredient. I loved this restaurant and I would defiantly go again!
Check out my adventures in Seattle's Pike Public Market here!
Maui's Road Side Fruit Stand
There is always something to see when driving through the little towns of Maui. Every year my family and I stop in Kihei at a local craft fair and fruit stand to pick up souvenirs, trinkets and fresh fruit. Each booth seems to be held up by wood poles, has a draped cloth roof, and displays recycled wood planks for shelves. I love looking at the hand carved bowls, hand strung necklaces, and gorgeous flowered sarongs.
But my favorite booth is the tropical fruit stand. All locally grown exotic fruits ready for...
Green Tea Waffles with Tempura Chicken - San Francisco, Ca
Palace Hotel / San Francisco, Ca
Breakfast at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco is quite an experience. This historic hotel is classic old San Francisco, with a breathtaking grand entrance, sweeping marble floors, and a dramatic glass ceiling. While in town for my sister’s High School graduation, Mark and I stayed at the Palace Hotel and had breakfast at the Garden Court every morning.
Everything on the menu was exceptional, like the...
Pike Public Market, Seattle WA
The Pike Place Public Market in Seattle is full of life, vibrant food and local treats. Admiring the market's freshness, I fell in love with its fresh caught seafood, gorgeous flowers and delicate pastries. I found myself wandering between vendors in the crowded and chaotic indoor market, snapping pictures of the photogenic produce.
After slowly perusing through the market, I...
Balboa Island, Ca
This island resembles a doll house wonderland with perfectly manicured yards, private docks and retiree walking clubs. Strolling through the streets feels like you are in...
Korean Culture Shocks - Part 2
A few summers ago I had the opportunity to teach English in South Korea...
Korean Culture Shocks - Part 1
A few summers ago I had the opportunity to teach English in South Korea. While teaching, I was living in the most southern province of Jeollanam-do, running wild through the cities of Mokpo, Wondo, Yeongam, and of course...
Spiced Cold Brew Coffee
I know summer is here when I reach for a light, cold glass instead of a hot and heavy mug for my morning coffee fix. There is nothing like sipping an ice-cold coffee on your way to work or keeping cool and caffeinated in the afternoon. This spiced cold brew coffee recipe takes cold brew up a notch without adding syrups, sweeteners or heavy flavored creamers. And you still get delicious flavors! This simple cold brew recipe adds hints of cinnamon with a little natural earthy date sweetness to keep your summer coffee light, flavorful and healthy.
With temperatures hitting almost 100 here in Arizona, keeping jars of cold brew in the fridge is almost a form of survival. Using the cold brew method of slowly steeping coffee grounds creates a smooth, flavor and my unique cold brew method is easy with a quick clean up. This recipe is so simple and will have you chilled in no time. Check out this recipe below!
Spiced Cold Brew Coffee:
Ingredients:
-3 Tablespoons Ground Coffee
-2 Pitted Dates, finely chopped
-2 Cinnamon Sticks
Equipment:
-Mason Jar
-Kitchen String (about 20 inches long)
-Disposable Coffee Filter
Step 1: Gather and prep your ingredients
Step 2: Add ingredients to the Mason jar and create the cold brew coffee pouch
The idea of cold brew is to slowly let the coffee grounds steep in chilled water for 12-24 hours to infuse the coffee flavor. By filling a coffee filter with coffee grounds and submerging the bag in water, you are essentially making a 'coffee tea bag'. Tie the string around the coffee filter a few times, making sure the string is tight. You also need to leave extra string (like the pictures below) that will hang out the lid of the jar, so you can easily fish out your pouch from the Mason jar after it's done steeping.
Tip: Add more or less coffee grounds in the coffee pouch depending on how strong you want your cold brew coffee.
Step 3: Fill mason jar with cold water, add the coffee pouch, attach the jar lid, and steep for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator
Step 4: Remove dates, cinnamon sticks and coffee pouch. Add your favorite milk
I suggest a splash of almond milk because it compliments the cinnamon and dates more than soy milk or dairy creamer.
Have fun with your cold brew, mix and match flavors and fall in love with new combos.
Eat This to Save the World
My inner-hippy is on a never ending quest for the most eco-friendly ingredients. Nutrition and sustainability go hand-in-hand and the foods that are the most sustainable are usually the most nutritious. Funny how that works.
At work, I am always harassing our sustainability office, constantly picking their brain on how to better grow my herb garden and debating their stance on composting and food waste. Recently, I shifted my focus to sustainable foods, and after finding out some of my favorite healthy ingredients are not so earth-friendly, I freaked and started researching sustainable foods. After double checking my facts with the almighty Sustainability Team, I am excited to share the foods I am going to now include and exclude in my future shopping trips.
Earth Friendly Foods
The shortest and easiest answer is that all foods grown and purchased locally are the most sustainable. The single most impacting factor on a food's carbon footprint is the distance it has to travel, meaning the further the food travels the more harmful it is for the planet. It takes a lot of energy, fuel and resources to transport food on boats and trucks half way around the world. Buying from your local farmer means you are reducing the miles your food has traveled to get to your dinner plate. Eating locally also means you are eating with the seasons and supporting your community! What a nice neighbor you are.
The best way to ensure you are buying local goods is by going to your community farmers market or looking for 'local' stickers at your grocery store. Want to go over the top on your earth saving escapade? Ride your bike to the farmers market, bring your reusable bag, and buy some local produce. And try not to hug a few trees along the way.
Foods that Hurt our Planet
Exotic Super Foods
Believe it or not, exotic and trendy super foods are hurting our environment. Most of the 'hot this minute' foods are shipped from overseas, which is burning fuel in transportation. Those prized goji berries are shipped from China, cacao and Maca are from South America and are transported all across the globe. In some third-world countries, their native super foods become so high in demand that fair-trade is almost impossible and exploitation of farmers happen quicker than Americans can shake our money at it. In some instances, demand is so high that the traditional foods are no longer available to the native people who used to include them in their daily diet.
Make it sustainable: If you still want to hop on the super food craze train, buy local! Do you see the local trend here? Buying American grown quinoa or chia seeds can ensure you are not contributing to the global exploitation of foreign farmers and only a small amount of fossil fuels were burned when transporting local foods.
Lamb
Not only is most lamb exported from Australia, but the food and resources lamb require have a negative environmental impact. Lamb overall produces more CO2 than cows (what?!) but lambs are obviously smaller and yield less meat. This means the CO2 output per pound of lamb is not very sustainable and the raising and transporting of lamb is very detrimental to the environment. Check out the chart below for a visual breakdown of lamb emissions.
Make it sustainable (lamb): Buying local and grass-fed lamb if you have to get your lamb fix.
Make it sustainable (beef): This rule applies to all red meat, including lamb. Beef is known as the environmental ‘earth sucker’ with its high carbon footprint. Typically we see the highest carbon footprint with meat that is grain/corn fed and is shipped all over the U.S. to supply our markets. Buying local, grass fed meat is better for the environment because of the constant cycle of cows eating the grass, then the cow fertilizing the ground helping to grow the grass which will then be eaten again. Studies have shown that grass fed beef produces less emissions than grain fed beef and buying local reduces the amount of fuel it takes to deliver steak to your local supermarket.
Greek Yogurt
It's no secret that Greek yogurt is healthy, with its high protein and low fat content making it a great breakfast sidekick. I use Greek yogurt frequently in my recipes to replace sour cream, but you need to be aware of it's environmental impact. What most people don't realize is how Greek yogurt is made and how much acidic liquid residue is left over and dumped by commercial industries. Greek yogurt comes from regular yogurt which is strained to remove the excess water, making the yogurt more thick. Unfortunately the leftover strained water is extremely toxic and when dumped into streams and removes the oxygen from the water damaging existing wildlife. The yogurt industry is currently finding better ways to use the leftover acidic liquid instead of dumping it by the truck loads into reservoirs. There is even talk of somehow converting the residue directly into energy and electricity using the electricity to power a small town! If this did actually happen, Greek yogurt would turn into an environment saving powerhouse!
Make it sustainable: Skip Greek and stick with regular yogurt.
How are you making healthy choices for the environment?
Credit: The Environmental Working Group