|
|
|
Jimmy Love's has a new chef and meet San Diego’s best server |
|
More than 35 local restaurants are set to serve up some of their favorite dishes to raise money for Mama's Kitchen. "Thoroughly Modern Mama — A Gourmet Speakeasy Extravaganza" takes place on May 8, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla. Guests will feast on gourmet cuisine from restaurants including Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Laurel, Trellises, WineSellar & Brasserie and Santé. Mama's Kitchen is a non-profit meal preparation and delivery service for San Diego men, women and children living with AIDS. More than 600 partygoers are expected to attend this event sponsored by Union Bank of California. Tickets are $75 per person. For more information call (619) 233-6262. *** Jimmy Love's has named a new executive chef. Larry Banares, also known as "Chef Larry" from Channel 10, has been working away in the kitchen for more than a month now. Banares, formerly with Fiddler's Green in Point Loma, has revamped the dinner menu and created many new specials for the Gaslamp Quarter bar and eatery. He replaces Scott Edelson who left to start a catering company. *** Chef Johnathan Pflueger has introduced his new spring menu at the Star of the Sea Room. He is serving California sea urchin along with their decadent equals, Eastern oysters and beluga caviar. Pflueger prepares a bed of iced oysters and covers part with fresh, raw sea urchin and part with caviar, both drizzled in a lemongrass velouté. *** Hornblower Cruises & Events has a new executive chef, David Bowman. Formerly with the Westin at Rancho Mirage, Bowman is replacing Kim Martin who went to work for Pacific Shellfish at The Fishery in Pacific Beach. *** I had the most elegant evening this past month. I attended a wine dinner at the St. James Bar and Restaurant in The Golden Triangle. It was an evening of wines from Farrari-Carano paired with beautiful food courses prepared by chef Alex Tovar. Both the wines and food were excellent, especially the main course of tenderloin of venison with a pink peppercorn, raspberry and red wine reduction that was accompanied with a 1995 Siena, Sonoma County. For info on future events, call the restaurant and ask for maitre d' Robert Rubin. *** Putnam's Restaurant and Bar in La Jolla has introduced its new "Cuisine of the World Summer Menu." Executive chef Christophe Doubert invited me up for a meal last month and we sampled almost everything in sight. This eclectic menu features everything from a "California Quesadilla" to "Baby Back Ribs" with soba noodles to "Sugar Spiced Atlantic Salmon" with hot mustard rice and vegetables. It was a fantastic food fest. Doubert, who has been at Putnam's a bit less than a year, recently announced his engagement to California Produce sales rep Jennifer Longenecker, who must be a pretty good salesperson to wind up not only with the account, but with the chef as well. The wedding date is May 30. Good luck and congratulations to them. *** Joe Terzi, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina's g.m., was recently named ITT Sheraton Corp.'s "General Manager of the Year." Terzi joined Sheraton Corp. in 1972 after holding a number of g.m. posts across the country. He joined the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina in May 1995. *** Hyatt Regency La Jolla has named Allan Farwell as g.m. A 19-year industry veteran, he joined Hyatt in 1990 as resident manager of the Grand Hyatt New York and last served as g.m. of the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Among his many credentials, Farwell attended the Culinary Institute of America and L'Academie de Cuisine (oh, the poor food and beverage director). He replaces Barry Lewin who moved to the Grand Hyatt Atlanta. *** Happy 50th Anniversary to Marie Callender's Restaurants. Fifty years ago Marie Callender opened her first pie shop that was soon to become a piece of Americana. The one-woman show that began in 1948 is now the 156-restaurant, multimillion-dollar business, Marie Callender's Restaurants and Bakery. The business began out of Long Beach, where Marie baked her first pie, and though it has been sold several times, its current owners, Saunders, Karp and Megrue of New York, still headquarter it in Orange County. The Horton Plaza restaurant serves a good lunch and is a great spot to grab dessert after a movie. *** Bellefleur Vineyards in Carlsbad is the recipient of both gold and silver awards in the 1998 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition held earlier this year. President and Winemaker John Culbertson accepted a gold for its 1996 Sauvignon Blanc and a silver for their 1997 Apple Wine. *** Sheraton Grande Torrey Pines' new executive chef is Stephan Desgaches. Growing up in France, he began cooking at the age of 14 and went on to receive his Certificat d' Aptitude Professionnelle de Cuisinier at Francois Tabelais in Dardilly Rhone, France. His training continued as he worked with many of Europe's finest chefs, including world-renowned chef and instructor Roger Verge. I was recently invited to dinner by Desgaches and, ooh-la-la, the kid can cook. I had "Lobster Potstickers," the "Warm Goatcheese Crustini" with mixed greens, endive and walnut vinaigrette and "Pear Lacquered Duck Breast" with roasted pear mashed potatoes. I’m going to get fat, I just know it. *** I eat dinner out so often that I actually have to dust my kitchen at home. I eat at some great places and have some superb service, but nothing can compare to the excellent treatment I had last month at Ruth's Chris Steak House on Harbor Drive. Roxanne Napuunoa is easily the best-trained, most informative, best-spoken, most personable and enjoyable food server I’ve had in years. Congratulations to Ruth's Chris for such an asset to the company. Hey, Roxanne, if you ever want to work the morning shift — I know this great little place... Terryl Gavre spends her entire day thinking about what she is going to have for dinner. Her favorite food is mayonnaise. She is chef/owner of Café 222 Downtown. |
Home | Features | Info | Cover Story | About Us | Back Issues | Search
