Andy Gavin's Blog, page 120
August 12, 2015
Eating Positano – da Gabrisa
Restaurant:da Gabrisa
Location: Viale Pasitea, 221, 84017 Positano SA, Italy.+39 089 811498
Date: June 26, 2015
Cuisine: Italian
Rating:Fine, but not great
_Our assault on Positano’s restaurants continues. Because of the stairs, we tended to focus for dinner on places not to vertically offset from our own location.
Da Gabrisa is located just up the road (there is only one) in a nearby hotel.
As usual (for Positano) it features a lovely view.
2013 Azienda Agricola Te...
August 10, 2015
Saddle Peaked
Restaurant:Saddle Peak Lodge[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Location:419 Cold Canyon Rd,Calabasas, CA91302 (818) 222-3888
Date: August5, 2015
Cuisine: Modern American
Rating: Greatambianceand terrific game oriented food.
_Ever year, both in the summer and winter, we Hedonists return to Saddle Peak Lodge. It’s pretty much the perfect venue for both a winter or summer food and wine blast, with gorgeous lodge patio, game driven food, and awesome wine service. For those of you who don’t know, Hedonist...
August 9, 2015
Eating Positano – Next2
Restaurant: Next2
Location: Viale Pasitea, 242, Positano SA, Italy.+39 089 812 3516
Date: June 25 & 28, 2015
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Excellentupdated style
_My wine and food buddy Walker recommended we try Next2 while we were in Positano, and as it happened it was just a couple hundred feet from our villa — plus 115 stairs. Next2 as it turned out was not only our favorite Positano restaurant (of the 7 we tried), but a bit more updated and modern in terms of menu and presentation than most.
...
August 8, 2015
Eating Positano – Mediterraneo
Restaurant: Mediterraneo
Location: Viale Pasitea, 236, 84017 Positano SA, Italy.+39 089 811651
Date: June 25, 2015
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Solidneighborhood Italian
_Night two in Positano and yet another… you guessed it… Italian.
The manager of our rental property recommended this one.
Which also abuts the road, although doesn’t actually straddle it this time.
The view.
The menu is big again, and includes a handle pasta key.
2014 Cantina del Taburno Falanghina Sannio Fal...
August 7, 2015
Katana – Stripping it all Down
Restaurant: Katana
Location: 8439 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069.(323) 650-8585
Date: July30, 2015
Cuisine:Japanese American Sushi / Robata
Rating:Best I’ve had here
_I’ve long had mixed feelings about both Katana and IDG (Innovative Dining Group). They bug me a bit for being style over substance, and there is absolutely nothing innovative about them in the food department. But that being said they often run a fairly tight ship. BOA is a pretty solid modern steakhouse.
Back to Katana...
August 5, 2015
Silk Road Journeys – Shaanxi Gourmet
Restaurant: Shaanxi Gourmet
Location: 8518 E Valley Blvd, Rosemead, CA 91770.(626) 288-9886
Date: June 26, 2015
Cuisine:North Western Chinese
Rating:Noodles galore!
_I’ve been wanting to hit up this place for a long time, as I’ve heard good things and I was a fan of this style of food when I was in Xian years ago.
Shaanxi is located in the same mini-mall as Alibaba Foot Spa and a good Taiwanese tea/shave ice place.
The menu.
Cold appetizers from the cabinet: spicy beef and bean curd. The...
August 4, 2015
Eating Positano – Saraceno d’Oro
Restaurant: Sarceno D’Oro
Location: Viale Pasitea, 254, 84017 Positano SA, Italy.+39 089 812050
Date: June 23, 2015
Cuisine: Italian
Rating:Tasty Amalfi Tratoria
_On our first night in Positano we hiked (slightly) down the hill to a recommended local spot.
The name translates as the Golden Saracen (generic term for moorish, implying pirate in this context).
The resteraunt is squeezed on both sides of Positano’s single road, split by the busy traffic.
The menu is fai...
August 3, 2015
Valley Heat
Every summer the Hedonists do a food/wine BBQ at Holly’s house in Tarzana. This year the food is Jamaican.
It was a (very)warm July evening at this lovely part of the velley.
Getting the food going.
Holly’s 11 year-old grandson DJed!
Our chef, Shaun Marsh.
The wine situation (below) was very freeform, so I’ll just post the whites with the appetizers and the reds with the mains.
From my cellar:2001 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. Burghound 92.Ripe and extremely...
August 1, 2015
Eating Senigallia – Madonnina del Pescatore
Restaurant: Madonnina del Pescatore
Location: Via Lungomare, 11, 60017 Marzocca di Senigallia AN, Italy.+39 071 698267
Date: June 21, 2015
Cuisine: Italian (2 Michelin stars)
Rating: Awesome high end
_The second of Senigallia’s Michelin two star duo (not in any particular order) is:
We got to try these with only one night in between for close comparison.
Located a few miles south along the coast,Madonnina is on a slightly quieter stretch of beach than Uliassi — but also enjoys a lovely vie...
July 31, 2015
Eating Senigallia – Taverna Porto
Restaurant: La Taverna del Porto
Location: Via Giosue Carducci, 10, 60019 Senigallia, Italy
Date: June 20, 2015
Cuisine: Italian
Rating:Pricy but tastyall in dining
_Sandwiched between Michelin 2 star meals we asked our hotel for a restaurant recommendation.
They sent us across town to La Taverna del Porto.
It was located on a bustling square — and this being a summer Saturday in a beach town — the piazza was alive with activity.
At the restaurant, there were a few items written on a board...
