Culture, Food and Fashion in Culver City: 2nd Saturday Has Arrived

Culver City Arts District has been an established understated hub for the art world for a while but its burgeoning status as a foodie destination is a more recent development. Up until recent years this forgotten stretch of Culver City was defined by the historic Helms Bakery District and In-N-Out. Surfas, Father's Office and Let's Be Frank are pioneers of the foodie scene and have recently been joined by other notable establishments hoping to make a mark. This more recently gentrified area of Culver City has boundaries that stretch from the north by Venice Boulevard, to the south by Washington Boulevard, to the west by Helms and to the east by La Cienega.  Click here for map of the area and local galleries.

A great way to explore or rediscover this area is through it's art galleries, shops and food scene. The Culver City Arts District 2nd Saturday is a new monthly event highlighting all three. The first 2nd Saturday kicks off this Saturday, April 13, 2013. Food trucks, galleries, retail stores and restaurants will be open from 12 noon until as late as 9 pm. If you can't make it this weekend, try again next month. Some of the featured participants include:

Bar and Garden
Cognoscenti Coffee
Coolhaus
Gramercy York
Honor Fraser
Koplin Del Rio Gallery
Le Basse Projects
Maxwell Alexander Gallery
Minnie T's
Muddy Leak
Thinkspace

Food Goodness Sakes

So as if there were not enough reasons to love Mike D of the Beastie Boys he has messed around and upped the quotient by enhancing his food game with a good cause. He and his friend/restauranteur Robert McKinley launched a food truck called the Rockaway Plate Lunch. The truck serves hot meals for free to distressed and underserved communities. Yasha Wallin of Good.is did a great profile piece on this initiative. Check the rhyme at the end of the article. It's a foodie classic. What! Thought you knew!

Photo courtesy of Rockaway Plate Lunch

Foodie Alert:

I came across this posting for an in-store demo to be conducted by Jason Neroni while I was on one of my foodie wanderlust adventures at Disneyland, I mean Surfas. 

In an era studded with celebrity chefs who tantrum worse than rock stars, Chef Jason Neroni is making himself available for cooking demonstrations. I guess I should not be surprised given that he is the same chef who in spite of training in pristine establishments like Spago and winning Eater LA's 2012 Chef of the Year admitted to having "a soft spot" for Hot Dog on a Stick. Got to love a man who keeps is real...especially in Hipsterville (sorry Venice, you've changed...ech)!

Foodie Quotes

"Thighs are the new breast."
-Al Roker (Today's Kitchen "What's For Dinner" segment featuring pan roasted chicken thighs)

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!

Bienvenidos mi gente. It is National Margarita Day on Friday, February 22nd!

For those of us who are lovers of the agave gift of tequila, everyday is a fiesta and today is saucy as usual. But for those with gluttonous tendencies and more restraint today is a good reason to indulge in a little slippy-sippy during the work week.

A great local place with a delicious food, a nice tequila arsenal with a  balanced approach to margarita mixing is Tortilla Republic located in West Hollywood, CA. Or if your lucky enough to be in Hawaii check out the location in Poipu, Kauai. For all of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans, this restaurant is located next to Lisa Vanderpump's Sur Restaurant and Bar...and yes Ken and Lisa are seen their often.

For those staying at home my personal margarita recipe (warning: strictly for grown folks only) is a double (or triple if your feeling it) shot of tequila, juice of half a lime and a splash of liqueur (St. Germain or Grand Marnier).

Also on deck for today's celebration if you are looking for something a little different a friend of mine produces a naturally pink tequila branded under the name Luna Rosa. It is as strong as the pink is pretty.

¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro! ¡Salud!

Tea for me. Tea for you. A tea you must do!

After surviving yet another nightmare experience with the world's most miserable postal worker at my local post office, I was in need of something soothing and thirst quenching. I opted to patronize the coffee shop directly next door. It was cold so I wanted something hot. I was going to go for my usual green, black, mate or rooibos tea and then I saw it. It was displayed without the reverence it deserves. It was tropical. It was delicious and so so so so so soooooo smooth. Another bonus is that it satisfied my craving for a candybar without the calorie and sugar overload. My friends allow me to introduce you to The Art of Tea's White Coconut Creme Tea. This tea is just as beautiful as it tastes. The coconut taste is very subtle so don't let the flavor profile scare you away. 

The Art of Tea is a Los Angeles based tea importer and wholesaler. They specialize in hand blended and custom crafted teas. Their teas are composed of personally selected organic teas and botanicals. The founder of the company is a Master Tea Blender who studied preventative medicine at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico. Some other tea flavors from the Art of Tea that I am dying to try out include Apple Pie, Coconut Cacao Puerh, Coconut Lime Verbena, Butterscotch, Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Monkey.

Seasons Eatings

The holidays are amongst us. It's time to wine, dine and embrace these indulgent times. So break out the old wallet, think hard, dig deep and spread some holiday cheer with every gift you give. Here are a few ideas for the foodies who have been nice.

Hurom Slow Juicer (Extracts juice from fruit, veggies, greens, beans and nuts)

New York Times The Essential Cookbook

Levain Bakery Cookies

Murray's Cheese Gifts

Southern Candymakers (Pralines and Tortues)

eCreamery (Customized Ice Cream)

Growums (Grow-and-Eat Gardens for Kids)

Luxe Food Gift: La Madeline au Truffe ("The Most Expensive Chocolate in the World")