There’s a new martini in Beverly Hills that’s creating plenty of buzz among the cocktail crowd. The Kauffman Martini at Nic’s Beverly Hills is touted as being the most expensive martini in Los Angeles. Restaurateur and vodkateur Larry Nicola has created the martini using Vodka Kauffman served in its purest form – no fancy fusions,…
There are dozens of city dining guides for restaurants. The best-known is Zagat’s for major cities. Now, Hungry? is publishing city guides for Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and now, San Francisco. I’m proud to be a contributor to the latter for a number of restaurants in Marin County, north of the Golden Gate…
I love ridin’ the rails. And now Amtrak has introduced “luxurious” rail rides with The GrandLuxe Limited. Formerly known as the American Orient Express, it’s a premier, separate, seven-car train attached to regularly scheduled Amtrak trains. It comes complete with private dining, lounge and sleeping cars.
Like a lot of people, I often rely on the advice and suggestions of family and friends. So when Eric Lindsay of Los Angeles e-mailed me about his recent stay with his wife at the Viceroy Santa Monica, I asked him to send me a review. Eric is an accomplished musician and composer, and he…
Two summers ago I was in Chicago during a heat wave. Trying to escape the inferno, I ducked into Borders Books and Music on State Street. They were having a drawing for $25 tickets for the musical WICKED. I put my name in, got lucky, and not only did I escape the searing heat but…
Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Michelin pulled out all stops today when they announced that not one, but TWO new cities in North America will join New York and San Francisco in their exclusive guide series. And what do these cities have in common? Stars! There are more movie stars living in…
I worked as a soda jerk at a Swensen’s Ice Cream during my college days in San Francisco, Ironically, my wife scooped at Baskin-Robbins in LA. It was a match made in frozen treat heaven. But if you really want to see some high-tech surroundings, pop into a Pinkberry store in California or New York….
My best friend , who ( sometimes) doubles as my older sis, had been whining all month,”It’s freezing here.” (She lives in NYC.) My skin’s so cracked from the snow that I look like the Two Thousand Year Old Man… I so need a break!” (You get the drift.) So being an incredibly generous, MUCH…
Skirball—Don’t you just love that name? Though it sounds like the ultimate insult young boys sling at each other, “Your mother is a Big, Fat Skirball,” the Skirball Cultural Center in L.A. has established itself as one of the world’s most dynamic Jewish cultural institutions, and was hailed by The New York Times as “a…
The next new thing in LA is not a holiday movie or second season TV show. It’s frozen yogurt that’s so good, it’s “the taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets.” Pinkberry is blooming with one locale in New York and five in Los Angeles with just two flavors: green tea (not so popular) and plain…
I love a good walking town. There’s nothing more exhilirating than strapping on some comfy shoes and heading out to discover a new city — or reacquaint yourself with an old one. The American Automobile Association (AAA) has come up with North America’s Top Ten Most Walkable Cities. The AAA listing is based on information…