Gingerbread house at Fairmont San Francisco

Looking for some holiday cheer? The historic Fairmont San Francisco hotel once again has its larger-than-life gingerbread house on display in its lobby. If you’re in SF sometime before Jan. 1, then this is a must-see. Just try not to eat the house, mmmkay?

Foie Gras Creme Brulee at Sage Restaurant

If the idea of cooking a huge meal this Thanksgiving freaks you out, then go out to eat! Here are some local (and not-so-local) options:

Akasha: For $65.00 per person ($35.00 for children 12 and under), this Culver City farm-fresh and vegan-friendly eatery offers a bevy of choices, including a roasted cauliflower bisque with white truffle sea salt, a fuyu persimmon (my favorite!) and pomegranate salad, crab-stuffed Idaho trout, peppercorn and hemp crusted tofu, and turkey with all the fixings, of course. You’ll also have your choice of sides, including orange candied yams, brussels sprouts, green bean casserole, creamed spinach, cheddar-gruyere macaroni and cheese, and stone ground cornbread and turkey andouille sausage stuffing. Oh, and there’s a pie buffet for dessert featuring organic and vegan pumpkin pie, maple pecan and chocolate pie, coconut custard pie, peanut butter pie, pumpkin cheesecake with whiskey caramel, and much, much more.

Saint Amour: This new Culver City favorite is offering Maine lobster and roasted chestnut bisque, an autumn harvest salad, Mary’s Organic Farm turkey with traditional garnishes, and a variety of desserts for $65.00 per person ($30 for kids under 12). You can substitute an entrée from the restaurant’s regular menu, too, including mushroom pot pie, New York steak or loup de mer.

CAFE del REY: This Marina del Rey restaurant is offering a three-course, prix-fixe holiday menu for $55 per person with a cauliflower and apple soup, housemade veal and pork sausage, free-range turkey breast with duck sausage stuffing, Maine scallops, a vegetarian beet risotto, and a sweet potato cheesecake. Kids get their own menu at $18 with a a choice of roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and green beans, cheese pizza, or penne pasta with marinara sauce, as well as a mini chocolate cream pie paired with hot chocolate.

Sage: Going to Vegas? Then you’ll want to spend Thanksgiving at this ultra-satisfying restaurant at the Aria Hotel (my full review to come soon). For $83 per person, Sage’s prix fixe menu features your choice of a roasted pumpkin soup, pear and brussels sprout salad, or the unique and decadent foie gras crème brulée to start; mains of roasted organic turkey, day boat scallops or braised veal cheeks (all with seasonal side dishes); and for dessert a pumpkin mascarpone tart or a bourbon caramel bar.

From SallyKitt via Flickr

Monsieur Marcel, the gourmet market at The Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax, is hosting a series of wine tastings this fall. It costs $30 to $35 to reserve a spot, and in turn, you’ll receive a gift certificate for the full amount of the tasting that you can then use toward the purchase of any of the market’s imported wines. Here’s the lineup:

Tuesday, October 18
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
South of France with a white, rosé and three reds from lesser-known regions
$30

Tuesday, October 25
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Four Côtes du Rhône red wines, including a Chateauneuf-du-Pape
$30

Tuesday, November 1
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Champagne and vin mousseux: two sparkling wines and three bottles from the Champagne region
$35

Reservations are required to secure a space in each tasting. Call (323) 939-7792 to get your spot.

Courtesy of Malibu Country Mart

Malibu Country Mart is hosting its first-ever Fashion’s Night Out event September 8, and it will be hosted by none other than celebrity stylist Taylor Jacobson, formerly of “The Rachel Zoe Project.” You’ll have fun with a fashion show curated by Jacobson followed by a Q&A session, complimentary food and drinks, a $500 gift bag giveaway, as well as discounts and activities at many of the shopping center’s stores.

The fashion show, which starts at 7:30 p.m., will feature looks from the mart’s retailers, including Earnest Sewn, Madison, John Varvatos, Planet Blue and the newly opened Rubin & Chapelle. Immediately following the show, Jacobson will take questions from the audience and the mart’s social media sites via Twitter (@MalibuCntryMart) or Facebook. You can also enter to win at the mart’s Facebook page a Fall Goodie Bag valued at $500 filled with Jacobson’s top seasonal picks from retailers at the center.

And with all this fashioning, you’re bound to get hungry, so the Malibu Country Mart will have complimentary Italian appetizers from Tra di Noi, ice cream from Coolhaus, and wine and liquor bars.

Many of the retailers will have in-store events, promotions and sales. Here’s a list:

Canvas: Malibu artists customizing Converse sneakers and specially designed FNO t-shirts, with proceeds going to FNO charity; tequila tasting bar hosted by Karma Tequila
Chrome Hearts: serving chocolates and champagne
Earnest Sewn: 25 percent purchases; with each purchase become eligible to win a $500 gift certificate
Encore: Isabella Fiore trunk show (handbags)
Henry Beguelin: 10 percent off all purchases; 15 percent off purchases of $2,000 or more
John Varvatos: complimentary photo booth
Juicy Couture: Viva La Juicy fragrance sampling; treats; 20 percent off all full-priced items
M. Fredric: enter to win a $100 M. Fredric gift card
Madison: participate in a styling challenge for a chance to win a pair of MOTHER jeans
Madison Gallery: Malibu jewelry designers Nancy Newberg & Irit Ehrlich offer a sneak peak at their newest collections
Malibu Lifestyles Soft & Man: enter drawing to win a $1,000 gift certificate with $200 purchase during FNO
Oliver Peoples: serving champagne
Planet Blue: Stone Cold Fox trunk show
Rubin & Chapelle: 15 percent off all purchases
Tylie Malibu: meet Tylie Malibu designer Lisa Popp; enter to win a Tylie bag; 30 percent off Tylie products
Vince: In collaboration with SUPER, skin care experts providing facials and skin care tips; champagne and cupcakes; for every $350 spent, receive a $100 coupon to use at SUPER, along with a 20 percent discount
Yosemite by James Perse: 10 percent from entire purchase of California Wildlife merchandise donated to the foundation

Malibu Country Mart
3835 Cross Creek Road
Malibu, CA 90265
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Here were some of my favorite bites from this year’s event.

Baja Bites

Sea Urchin Tostada by Sabina Bandera of La Guerrerense

Pacific Oyster Asada w/ chicharron short rib, serrano ponzu butter, lemongrass foam by Javier Plascencia of Mision 19

Local L.A. Tastes

Nayarit Shrimp Ceviche by Mariscos Chente

Peruvian Cau Cau by Chef Ricardo Zarate of Mo-Chica and Picca

Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen by Ramen JINYA

Cheese Pierogies by Steel City Sandwich Truck

Gin y Hendrick's with Hendrick's gin, lime juice, sugar, mint and cucumber espuma by Julian Cox

Sweet Treats

Pandan Donut Holes by Starry Kitchen

Banana Bread Pudding a la Pecan Pie by Chef Dan Moody of Relate

Shaved ice with azuki beans, watermelon and kiwi by IOTA

Hammer Thyme (strawberry, thyme, lemon, ginger) by Ice Ice Shavie

A good time was had by all.

Esther of estarLA.com and LAist.com's Lindsay enjoy a laugh over Singha beers.

Note: My admission was complimentary.

From -Clearlight- (Flickr)

Darlings of Sawtelle Giant Robot and its artier sister store GR2 are having a big sale this weekend. Yes, it’s Carmageddon weekend. Yes, these stores are on the Westside near the dreaded closed stretch of the 405 freeway. All the more reason to drop by on July 16 and 17 for some 40 percent savings on nearly everything in both stores (art from the current Yukinori Dehara exhibit at GR2 will not be discounted, sorry) and an extra 10 percent on sale items. Get T-shirts (Gama-Go!), comics (Fox Bunny Funny!), toys (Uglydolls!), books (Laura Ling and Lisa Ling!) and much more.

And if you get hungry, stop by gr/eats, Giant Robot’s uber-cute and tasty cafe next to GR2, for $5 Chicken Teriyaki or Chicken Katsu Curry bowls. Pair these with some mixed fries (which includes fried banana strips!) or tofu balls for extra yumminess. (This deal offered July 15 and 16 as the cafe is closed on Sundays.)

Giant Robot (AKA GR1)
2015 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 478-1819

GR2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 445-9276

Saturday, July 16, 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 17, 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

gr/eats
2050 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 478-3242

Friday, July 15
Saturday, July 16
12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Note: I used to write and copyedit for Giant Robot magazine.

Fire-roasted tomatoes with burrata and black mint pesto. Fire-roasted sweet potato, honey and serrano chili sauce. Both from the Picca menu by Ricardo Zarate.

Los Angeles’ biggest and most epic food festival, the L.A. Street Food Fest’s Summer Tasting Event, pops back up at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 16. This year’s event will feature a curated selection of street-inspired food from all kinds of vendors, including gourmet food trucks, old-school carts and stands, celebrity chefs, and restaurants, serving up everything from tacos to ice cream sandwiches. You’ll taste favorites from the Naan Stop, Grilled Cheese and Flying Pig trucks, Starry Kitchen and Guelaguetza restaurants, Food & Wine‘s Best New Chef Ricardo Zarate of Mo-Chica and Picca fame (who is creating something special just for this festival), and many, many more. There will also be a group of Baja chefs, including Javier Plascencia and Diego Hernandez, who will be cooking together for the first time. This feat was accomplished by none other than L.A.’s most-knowledgeable Mexican food aficionado, Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet L.A. There will also be ice cream, cocktails, beer and a special tequila tasting tent. It’s too much to list; here’s a list of L.A. Street Food Fest’s participants.

Naan Stop truck's samosa, which will be served at the L.A. Street Food Fest

Festival vendor Beachy Cream's Ginger Wipe Out with candied ginger ice cream and molasses spice cookie (left), Key Lime Cowabunga with key lime ice cream and coconut oatmeal cookie.

A portion of every ticket sold will benefit a local cause. This year it’s the Downtown Womens Center, which works to end homelessness among women.

To avoid long lines and overall craziness that has plagued the festival in the past, this year’s event is only offering a set amount of tickets. All tickets will be sold on a pre-sale basis only; tickets will not be available to purchase at the door. A $60 ticket gets you everything — food, drinks, cocktails, beer, music and parking.

For those of your concerned about Carmageddon, AKA the complete shutdown of the 405 freeway from late July 15 to early July 18, the Street Food Fest folks have come up with a whole staycation plan, with a free shuttle to the Gold Line, bicycle parking and hotel deals.

Japan tsunami. From Amazing Photos.

VIVA JAPAN: A Benefit to Support Relief Efforts in Japan will be held Friday, April 1, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Voyeur in West Hollywood. Expect live music from DJ Glenn Red (Afrofunke, Eclectica), Mr. NumberOnederful (Cannibal Flower), Rick Wren (Hang Together) and The Love Connection, as well as live art from Mimi Yoon and Stephen Williams.

Now, I normally don’t post this kinds of things, but when I saw that all proceeds from the event will go to Direct Relief International (DRI), California’s largest international humanitarian nonprofit organization, I though people should know about it. Here’s why:

• Efficiency: 98.8 percent of funding went to program expenses, with 1 percent dedicated to administrative and fundraising.
• In the past 10 years, each dollar spent has provided up to $30 (wholesale) of medical material aid specifically requested by in-country health professionals to care for patients.
• Transparency: Direct Relief provides a map detailing where it delivers its supplies and how much it spends on each kind.
• Proven Track Record: Direct experience with large-scale emergencies in Asia, including the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004. This will help guide them to best plan and execute a recovery strategy.
• Charity Navigator: Direct Relief is a 4-Star Charity, which is labeled as “Exceptional: Exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause.”

There will be a $10 donation entrance fee, and attendees will be allowed to stay in Voyeur when it opens to the public as a club at 11:00 p.m. Proceeds from art sales will also go to support relief efforts in Japan. Do good, people!

View from the upstairs bar at Fig & Olive

A week ago (I know, I know — I’m behind!), the New York-based, olive oil-centric restaurant Fig & Olive opened its flagship West Coast location at the trendy corner of La Cienega Boulevard and Melrose Place. It was a scene, my friends: three nights of people in cocktail attire walking a red carpet complete with a step and repeat, as well as fashion presentations by Cholé and Fendi. All that for a restaurant opening!

To be fair, the restaurant is housed in a pretty awesome space: it’s huge, and features rosemary bushes and an olive tree in the main dining room. There’s even an upstairs space, which houses the Fig Champagne & Cocktail Bar, unique to the L.A. location.

Fig & Olive’s thing is olive oil, which it uses in place of butter in nearly all its dishes. You can even buy bottles of its special infused versions at the restaurant (blood orange-infused olive oil, anyone?). The cuisine is inspired by the Mediterranean, and that means the entire region, including France, Italy and Spain.

The opening gala was divided into three nights, one for each region. I attended the French night, though we were served what must be either signature items or ones that were easy to serve as passed-appetizers, i.e., crostini, i.e., not French.

Mushroom crostini

Fig and prosciutto crostini

There is also a respectable cocktail program designed by Giovanni Martinez of Buffalo Club and Les Deux Estate fame. The best drink I had that night was the Summer in Provence made with Old Tom gin, house-made rosemary and thyme syrup, muddled blackberries and fresh lime juice.

Summer in Provence cocktail

Fig & Olive owner Laurent Halasz has an eye for fashion and plans to partner with fashion houses to put on actual shows. Good idea, bad idea? I can’t decide, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Looks from the spring/summer 2011 Chole collection

It’s always hard to judge the quality of a restaurant by an event like this since it’s nowhere near the actual experience you’d get as a regular customer. The service was friendly and efficient as could be given the large number of people in the space, but I’ll have to go back for a proper meal to really make a decision about the food. From this experience, it was just OK. But the place sure was pretty!

SALT. "Clark" glasses. Courtesy of Dan Deutsch.

It’s that time again — Junior Drake is getting rid of inventory and is having a sale at its warehouse this weekend. Get bags for as low as $39.95. You know the drill: spend $150, get a free gift, enter the raffle to win a handbag and eat free snacks.

740 E. 60th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90001

March 11 and 12, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
March 13, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

SALT. (yes, the period is part of the name) optics is having a trunk show at Dan Deutsch Optical Outlook in West Hollywood this Saturday. Shop the entire line, including the new spring/summer 2011 releases, which will be available for fitting. Enjoy refreshments and a live DJ.

Dan Deutsch Optical Outlook
8555 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069

March 12, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.