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Art of Tea sampler. Photo from Art of Tea.

Need a holiday gift guide for that foodie in your life? Check out some of my personal picks:

Art of Tea sampler sets: For just $25, you can gift someone four small tins of hand-blended organic teas. The Holiday Tea Sampler, with Winter White Chai, Pumpkin Pie, Butterscotch and Dark Chocolate Peppermint flavors, is a favorite and seasonally appropriate. Use code “hellohandmade” for 15 percent off (good through March 31, 2016). Order by midnight tonight, Dec. 11, to guarantee delivery by Christmas!

Ocha Teapot: The handy (and cute) personal Ocha Teapot brews the tea and dispenses just the right amount into your cup. Just place over a cup when ready and watch the tea flow! Great for people who like to control the amount of tea in their cups or for sharing with others. I first encountered this at Max Brenner in Las Vegas and thought it was so cool. Teapots are 30 percent off right now for the holidays.

Big Sur Bakery stollen. Photo from Big Sur Bakery.

Big Sur Bakery stollen loaf: This holiday bread loaf, with layers of butter, almond paste, rummed raisins and house-candied citrus zest, all coated with granulated sugar is an elevated take on the traditional German stollen bread. Big Sur Bakery’s stollen would be a treat for anyone who appreciates artisan foods.

My Fat Dad by Dawn Lerman: Author Dawn Lerman, who has written for the New York Times’ Well blog, tells the story of growing up with a parent who struggled with his weight in her book, My Fat Dad: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Family, with Recipes. Part memoir, part cookbook, My Fat Dad offers insight into how our parents affect the trajectory of our lives, as Lerman’s father’s near-constant diets and yo-yoing weight prompted her love of food and cooking, as well as healthy eating. At the end of each chapter, Lerman gives us recipes for some of the dishes mentioned, many of which come from her beloved grandmother. An easy read with lots of heart.

Hanjip banchan

Stephane Bombet is on a roll. First, he opened Terrine. Then, he opened Viviane. Just a week later, he opened Hanjip restaurant, an elevated Korean barbecue experience in Culver City.

Bombet and Chef Chris Oh of Seoul Sausage fame are offering top-notch meat, seafood, sides and banchan right in the heart of downtown Culver City, giving the Westside a new KBBQ option. But Hanjip restaurant is definitely not your run-of-the-mill Korean barbecue joint.

In addition to the marinated and non-marinated beef and pork, there’s also beef tongue (which I didn’t think I’d like but ended up loving), lamb, baby octopus, hamachi collar and gigantic Carabineros prawns. Oh, the prawns. Huge, sweet, tender. And expensive at $88 for a plate of three, but hey, it’s the holidays!

Carabineros prawns

Also in the pricey column is the Tomahawk chop topped with foie gras butter. At $120, you’re definitely splurging. But what a splurge it is. So much meat, so much umami.

Tomahawk chop

Hanjip also offers some great side dishes, from the traditional seafood pancake and kimchi fried rice served in a tin box (shake it up to get that eggy goodness all over) to the fancy uni steamed egg and bone marrow cheesy corn. The banchan offerings aren’t as extensive as other KBBQ joints, but the selection here is well-edited and includes the addictive pepper-and-garlic-sauce-lathered dried squid dish ojingeochae-muchim. I could eat that all day.

Kimchi fried rice

Uni steamed egg

Bone marrow corn cheese

As a Westside restaurant that caters to a more mixed clientele, Hanjip’s interior is a bit flashy and a bit funky, perfectly reflecting Bombet’s and Oh’s personalities. The only thing about this place that weirded me out was how the server cooked all the meat for us, which meant there was someone leaning over our table for the better part of our meal. Maybe Hanjip restaurant feels this is necessary for the guests who aren’t used to this kind of dining experience, or maybe this is meant to be part of the elevated offerings, but I could do with less of this babysitting. Let me at the meat!

Note: This meal was hosted.

Rancho Bernardo Inn

Tucked away in a northern San Diego County suburb, Rancho Bernardo Inn is a hidden gem. Wind your way through a sleepy upper middle class neighborhood, and at the end you’ll find a resort complete with a golf course, spa and plenty of dining options. The vibe is perfectly Southern Californian with its laid-back elegance and beautifully manicured grounds (21 fountains!) — perfect for a weekend getaway.

Rancho Bernardo Inn has an 18-hole golf course, a spa, three pools and four eateries. It’s an intimate property, just big enough to make you feel as if you’ve escaped from the real world for a while.

I was recently invited to stay at Rancho Bernardo Inn as its #INNfluencer of the month. I was treated to a day at the spa, and my husband and I enjoyed dinner at the resort’s fine dining restaurant, AVANT. We stayed with the resort’s Spa + AVANT Package, which includes a 50-minute hydrating facial or organic signature massage and two-course dinner at AVANT with a glass of on-tap wine or beer for $175 per person.

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Photo courtesy of Viviane

When I first heard that a new restaurant was taking over Oliverio at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills, I was kind of bummed. I could always find a solid meal there in a sleek setting without having to endure a “scene.”

So when I heard that local French restauranteurs Stephane Bombet and Francois Renaud were taking over the space to open Viviane, I was both excited and sad. On the one hand, Bombet and Renaud have a good track record with Terrine, and Bombet and Chef Michael Hung found success together at Faith & Flower. On the other hand, I have great memories from Oliverio, including having my bridal brunch there.

After having dinner at Viviane soon after its official opening, I’m intrigued enough to want to return. The menu focuses on contemporary takes on the classics in both food and drink. Chef Michael Hung offers seasonal, elevated versions of well-known dishes such as linguine and clams, steak tartare, and chicken and dumplings. And barman Ryan Wainwright, he of The Tasting Kitchen and Terrine fame who designed Viviane’s cocktail menu, has variations on the Manhattan, Cosmopolitan and even Long Island Iced Tea.

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Rooftop Film Club

UK import Rooftop Film Club is screening a bunch of Halloween-appropriate movies for its last week this season. Set atop the roof of The Montalban theater in Hollywood, Rooftop Film Club offers a classier outdoor film experience than your typical picnic-style one so you can enjoy Halloween week in style.

Here’s the schedule:

~Tuesday, Oct. 27: The Thing
~Wednesday, Oct. 28: A Nightmare on Elm Street
~Thursday, Oct. 29: Psycho
~Friday, Oct. 30: Friday the 13th
~Saturday, Oct. 31: Beetlejuice

Tickets are $15, and all screenings start at 8 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). Get there early to save a seat — yes, there are actual seats — and grab a drink from the bar and a burger from Silver Lake’s own Haché LA (there’s frozen custard, too). If you get cold, there are blankets for you to use, and you’ll listen to the movie through your own personal headset, so you can block out most of the noise around you.

Hache LA’s Karma Burger

Want even more fun? Sip on one of guest barman Brady Weise’s themed cocktails, which feature different combinations made with beer, wine and vermouth, as the Club lacks a liquor license. No matter: The Hockey Mask, made for the screening of Friday the 13th, with Chenin Blanc, lemonade, dry vermouth and fresh seasonal fruit still sounds perfectly appropriate for an outdoor movie.

A screening with Rooftop Film Club is one of the more fun outdoor film experiences I’ve had in Los Angeles. Seating is limited, so there aren’t hordes of people to contend with, and the ambiance on a Hollywood rooftop can’t be beat. It’s sure to make for a fun, low-key Halloween (my favorite kind).

Rooftop Film Club

Note: Seats to a screening were hosted.

Market Table plate with feijoada

Until recently, I hadn’t eaten at Fogo de Chao, the upscale Brazilian churrasco chain that offers unlimited grilled meats. Why? Because I didn’t think I would ever get my money’s worth. I can’t eat a lot of meat at once, so I thought Fogo de Chao was just not a place I would ever go.

Then, Fogo de Chao in downtown Los Angeles introduced a $15 Gaucho Lunch, which includes unlimited trips to the Market Table and feijoada bar. While the Market Table includes cheeses, charcuterie, seasonal salads, fruits and vegetables, and the feijoada bar gives you the Portuguese bean, beef and pork stew that you’d expect, you might want to supplement that with some meat (but not too much, right?). For an additional charge, you can get your choice of one meat. And they’re all tasty, even the chicken (especially the chicken). If you want all the meats, it’s $36.95 at lunch, so these lunch specials really are a deal.

The side dishes are not to be missed, either. The fried polenta, caramelized bananas and pao de queijo cheese rolls are my favorite. And don’t forget dessert. The Papaya Cream, a simple-yet-delicious combination of papaya fruit blended with vanilla ice cream topped with creme de cassis blackcurrant liqueur, is like a milkshake without the milk…and with booze. The Caramelized Pineapple with vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle is another unique dessert.

Potatoes, bananas and fried polenta

Caramelized Pineapple

Bottom line: there are a lot of options at Fogo de Chao, and they don’t all have to break the bank. (Not all locations offer the Gaucho Lunch, so check before you go.)

Note: This meal was hosted.

Steakhouse The Arthur J rounds out Chef David LeFevre’s mini restaurant row in Manhattan Beach, adding a meat-focused eatery to seafood restaurant Fishing With Dynamite and small plates place MB Post. What makes The Arthur J special is not just its quality meats but its take on additions and sides. LeFevre has created a fun spin on the classic steakhouse while maintaining its elegance.

That mentality extends to The Arthur J’s cocktail list, too. My favorite is The Long Goodbye made with Oxley gin, lime, tumeric, honey, carrot and cardamom. Based on the ingredients, I didn’t think I would like this. But one sip — and one look at its vibrant color — changed my mind completely. It’s sweet and savory, giving a nice balance for someone who can’t decide what kind of drink to order (which is often me).

The Long Goodbye

And then we turn to the menu. Yes, the Parker House rolls with deviled ham spread are delicious. Get them. And the Emmental popovers with strawberry preserves are the stuff of dreams. Get them, too. Get all the bread.

Parker House rolls

Emmental popovers

However, I didn’t love the roasted bone marrow toast. I think it was the focaccia bread that threw me off; the oiliness was too much paired with the already rich marrow. For a lighter starter, the hamachi tartare offers sweet and spicy notes, but in the end it’s just a nice raw fish-and-avocado dish and nothing groundbreaking.

Bone marrow toast

But nevermind that. You could order the bone-in ribeye Tomahawk chop for two (or three or four, since it’s so large) or the Japanese Wagyu ribeye cap and be happy. But you’ll be happier when you start adding sauces and toppings.

The Sauces & Butters menu has all the usual suspects plus chimichurri, Vietnamese caramel, black truffle butter, yuzu koshu butter and foie maple butter. The toppings menu includes a sunny side up egg, lump blue crab, foie gras and a steamed half lobster.

Foie-topped steak

If you get one side, get the potato gratin. Lefevre’s version is like nothing I’ve had before: a brick of layered potato, cheese and sauce that could stand on its own as a meal.

Potato gratin

Desserts at The Arthur J are legit, too. The kitchen turns out solid versions of classics such as cheesecake and a chocolate bar, but it’s the strawberry shortcake that stood out for me. Not only do you get the fruit with the cream and a sugar-dusted biscuit, but the dessert comes with strawberry sorbet to boot, providing another dimension to an otherwise standard dish.

Strawberry shortcake

Note: This meal was hosted.

Little Next Door’s peach Country Crouton

Though we’re nearing the end of summer, it doesn’t mean summer menus are done just yet. French brasserie Little Next Door on West Third Street is still serving peaches, corn, eggplant and other warm-weather foods on its current dinner menu.

Here are my favorite dishes from Little Next Door’s summer menu.

The Country Crouton with burrata cheese, white balsamic vinegar, grilled peaches and candied walnuts on crusty bread. The delicate smoothness of the burrata and peaches pairs nicely with the tangy balsamic and crunchy nuts.

The Summer Ravioli made with corn pudding, chanterelle mushrooms, chive blossoms and butter nage is summer personified. Sure, you can find a corn ravioli on lots of summer menus across Los Angeles, but that’s because corn is delicious and should be consumed whenever possible, especially when it’s in season.

Summer corn ravioli

Spring for the classic Steak Frites, a large portion of marinated skirt steak with a green peppercorn reduction and shoestring French fries on the side.

Steak Frites

For dessert, I’d recommend two options: the lemon tart if you want something light, and the chocolate and salted caramel pot de creme if you want something rich.

Macarons, lemon tarts and pot de cremes

Summer ends in just a couple of weeks, so head over to the Little Next Door before fall arrives, when stone fruit and corn are nowhere to be found only to be replaced by sadness. (That’s not true; I love persimmons and Brussels sprouts!)

Note: This meal was hosted.

Vernetti salumi platter

Larchmont Village isn’t a Los Angeles neighborhood that I frequent. It’s small and never really held a big draw for me, despite its cute, small-town feel. But now I know about Vernetti restaurant (and having Portland-based ice cream shop Salt & Straw nearby isn’t too shabby, either).

Chef Steve Vernetti and his wife, Joanna, took over the old Girasole space on Larchmont Boulevard a couple of years ago before reopening as Vernetti earlier this year. They’ve done their best to keep a neighborhood feel at the Italian restaurant while making some upgrades, including some gorgeous brass light fixtures and a better restroom situation (customers used to have to walk through the kitchen to use the toilet!).

When it comes to the food, start with some crostini — the deviled egg version with white anchovy is my favorite — and a salumi platter featuring prosciutto, porchetta, bresaola, spicy calabrese salami and house-made giardiniera pickled vegetables.

Crostini: deviled egg (front), ceci bean and roasted beet

Then move on to pasta. The preparations are straightforward and satisfying: pappardelle con funghi (sautéed wild mushrooms, cream, parmigiano), rigatoni spuntature (braised short rib ragu, marrow, crispy greens, roasted tomatoes, breadcrumbs) and linguine alla vongole (manila clams, white wine, garlic, crushed red pepper).

Pasta: mushroom pappardelle (top), rigatoni and linguine

The one savory dish I really didn’t take to was the seared yam and sage polenta cake, which is offered as a side dish. I didn’t understand how it was supposed to complement the other food, and it was kind of boring on its own.

But the desserts made me smile. Panna cotta with strawberry compote, cannoli and tiramisu. All classic and well-executed.

Cannoli

So next time you’re driving through Mid-City, consider stopping at Vernetti restaurant. You’ll get a satisfying meal of classic Italian dishes.

Note: This meal was hosted. 

I haven’t paid much attention to home-delivery meals. I usually associate them with high-priced diets, neither of which I do (high-priced or diets). But then I discovered Freshly, a mail-order meal service that provides healthful food without breaking the bank.

Freshly meals are not explicitly designed for weight loss, though they are made with ingredients that produce high-protein, low-carb meals that are gluten-free to boot.

These were the meals my husband and I tried:

~ Garden Omelette: Huge breakfast for me. Lots of baked egg, but not much you can do when it has been precooked. Kept me full for hours.

Garden Omlette

~ Carnitas Bowl: Tasted just like a burrito without the tortilla. Could have used more beans, but overall it had lots of flavor.
~ Turkey Chili: Hubs added rice to this because that’s how he likes to eat chili, but at least doing so was still gluten-free, right?
~ Chicken Stir Fry: Hubs gave this two thumbs up.
~ Steak Peppercorn: Beef tasted high-quality. Carrots retained nice al dente bite.
~ Lemon Garlic Salmon: Fish and vegetables tasted fresh with bright flavors.

Lemon Garlic Salmon

Everything tasted really fresh. Between my husband and I, we enjoyed every one. These meals are also super filling! I even made two meals out of the salmon dinner. And the meals are really easy to prepare — just pop one in the microwave for a couple of minutes, and you’re ready to go.

The smallest meal plan gets you six meals for $69 per week. That’s $11.50 per meal, including shipping, which is free on the West Coast (more regions to come soon). The price goes down to $10.90 per meal if you sign up for the largest delivery of 21 meals per week, which also includes access to a meal coach. Considering the ingredients, labor and delivery, Freshly is a definite deal.

Curious? Get 50 percent off your first order of a six-pack of Freshly meals with the code SES3FREE. These Freshly meals would be great if you want to stick to a low-carb diet or even for a shorter period of time, such as if you know you’re going to have a busy week. I know I’ll be keeping Freshly in mind.

Note: These six meals were complimentary.