Summer Culinary Academy, Top Chef: The Tour and Much More
WEB-EXCLUSIVE: Find out what's new in food and dining news.
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The Resort at Pelican Hill has launched a new Summer Culinary Academy program that is open to local residents as well as resort guests. The classes, beginning June 6, 2010 and continuing through late August, will be taught in the luxurious kitchen of a four-bedroom private villa. Taught by the stellar culinary team at the resort, the program includes five different four-course themes for adults and children that rotate weekly. The classes include Authentic Tuscan Cuisine (June 6, July 11, August 15); Healthy Spa Cuisine (June 13, July 18, August 22); Fresh California Cuisine (June 20, July 25, August 29); The Children’s Breakfast Club (June 27, August 1); and the Summer Grill Cooking Class (June 27, August 8). Classes range in price from $60 to $80 per person, and includes lunch and beverages. Guests receive their own Culinary Academy apron, a student certificate and recipes for each dish. Reservations may be made by calling 800.820.6800, or online at pelicanhill.com.
The Palapa Bar at the Island Hotel Newport Beach (949.760.4920, islandhotel.com) has opened for the summer season, and is fine-tuned to offer a relaxing, yet quick, lunch for those in the middle of a workday or for others who can linger a bit longer amid the lush tropical surroundings of the Island’s pool. Large salads include spicy charred ahi tuna and cold-poached New Zealand salmon. Sandwiches range from warm spiced beef on rye to fish tacos with avocado and salsa. Salads and sandwiches are served with complimentary iced tea or lemonade. Prices range from $10 to $12.50.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Fashion Island (949.720.9633, flemingssteakhouse.com) has eight new menu items and they include smaller portion sizes and healthier options. Two new seafood additions are the Tillamook Bay Petrale sole and salmon Nicoise salad. LA-based celebrity chef Jamie Gwen along with James Beard Award-winning chef Jeannie Pierola, have developed two New Classic dishes. Gwen’s porcini-rubbed filet mignon is dusted with finely ground porcini mushrooms and finished with an Italian Gorgonzola cream sauce. Pierola’s contribution is a reinvented steak au poivre. Instead of the traditional rich cognac or sherry cream sauce, she has created a steak sauce using a proprietary blend of 17 ingredients to complement the flavors of seared prime beef and pepper.
Zov’s Bistro in Tustin (714.838.8855, zovs.com) has introduced Lunch & Learn, a monthly event that features guest speakers on a wide range of topics along with lunch. On June 2, at noon, nationally-renowned feng shui expert Louis Audet, will unravel the secrets of creating harmony and balance through this ancient practice. Cost $25. Reservations highly recommended.
Father’s Day is June 20 and Agora Churrascaria (949.222.9910, agorachurrascaria.com) is ready for dads who enjoy their meat and potatoes. The Brazilian steakhouse is popular for its non-stop supply of 16 cuts of meat that are carved tableside by gaucho-dressed servers. A prix fixe dinner, priced at $41 per person, will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Selections from a hot seafood bar and an abundant cold salad bar are also included. Reservations are recommended.
Brasserie Pascal in Fashion Island (949.640.2700) now serves a three-course Sunday Seafood Brunch. An extensive list of appetizers, entrees and desserts include such seafood delights as lobster gazpacho, blackened crab cake, mussels sauvignon blanc, seafood “vol-au-vent,” smoked salmon, and eggs Benedict. Among the desserts are chocolate profiteroles. The complimentary French sparkling wine is bottomless. Pitchers of a classic bloody Mary, made with Grey Goose vodka and serving two to four persons, are priced at $32. Other pitcher beverages include a fresh berry lemonade Tea Time and a Margarita Le Bleu. The Seafood Brunch is $27.95 per person, not including tax and gratuity. An a la carte menu is also available.
Chef Rich Mead may have closed the doors to Sage on the Coast in Crystal Cove, but he is opening a new door at his newest venture, Canyon, in Anaheim Hills at Imperial Highway and the 91 Freeway. Still under construction, the new contemporary eatery, designed by architect Michael Robinson, will feature an open kitchen and socio-friendly bar. A raised garden bed near the kitchen and tended by Schaner Family Farms, will provide Mead with fresh seasonal vegetables, salad greens, herbs, and berries. Sage Eastbluff (949.718.9650, sagerestaurant.com) is still in operation.
Blackmarket Bakery (949.852.4609, blackmarketbakery.com) has a series of cooking classes throughout June. Basic Fondant Décor, June 2; Summer Pasta Workshop, June 8; Italian Baker Workshop: Two Part Class, June 14 and 15; Summer Fruit Desserts, June 29. All classes are held at the bakery from 6-9 p.m. and are $68, except for the Italian Baker Workshop, which is $95.
Antonello Ristorante (antonello.com) in South Coast Plaza Village, is offering Banquet Bonus Bucks. When a private dinner party is booked for 20 or more guests, the host/hostess will receive a $150 Dining Certificate for future visits to Antonello's. For more information, contact Banquet Coordinator Vicenta Canton at 714.751.7153.
As a part of its 21-City Tour, Top Chef: The Tour is coming to the Irvine Spectrum Center on June 17. Visitors of the tour will have the opportunity to meet and greet with Bravo‘s “Top Chef” talent, sample food, receive gourmet cooking tips, hear “Top Chef” show secrets, and receive samples from the tour’s national sponsor, Dial Nutriskin. To sign up for free admission and learn more about the tour, visit bravotv.com/thetour.
On June 25, at 5:30 p.m., Eno-Versity wine classes at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel will focus on the red and white Jewels of Spain. For more information, call 949.240.2000, or visit enowinerooms.com.
On June 19, at 10 a.m., Jeff Kunde of Kunde Family Estate Wines will lead a docent-led Hike & Taste Tour of the family’s vast estate. Guests bring their own sack lunch, water and must wear appropriate footwear. During the four-hour hike through the vineyard, wines are tasted along the way. The tour concludes at the tasting room with a sampling of Kunde Family Estate’s 100% estate grown wines. A portion of the $25 ticket price benefits the Sonoma Ecology Center. For more information, call the Kunde Hospitality Department at 707.833.5501 Ext.334.
