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Clinique Moisture Surge

I’m a big fan of Clinique products. I use a lot of them, especially for skin care. While I’ve been loyal to Clinique’s Superdefense moisturizer for years, which has an impressive SPF 25 while managing not to be greasy, but I’ve been cheating lately. When my wedding make up artist told me that moisturizers with sunscreen reflect light in photos and that I should find one sans sunscreen to wear on my big day, I began exploring Clinique’s entire line. I thought the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion might work, but it was a bit too greasy for my oily skin. Then I tried the gel version, but that didn’t seem right, either. That’s when I discovered Moisture Surge, which is a creamy gel that offers full coverage without leaving a grease slick behind. It’s rare to find a moisturizer that actually moisturizes and leaves a matte finish. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a great all-purpose moisturizer and especially for brides-to-be!

I recently told you about my stay at the Aria Hotel & Casino and what the property has to offer. Now for the important part — the food!

Our first meal was a 10:00 p.m. dinner at Sirio Ristorante, Aria’s upscale Italian concept. We were obviously tired at this point, having just driven in from Los Angeles, but we were more than ready to have dinner. Here are the meal’s highlights.

My favorites included the veal carpaccio, something I normally wouldn’t have touched with a 10 foot pole, and the hand-rolled spaghetti with the three-meat ragu. Both had great flavor and texture, especially the spaghetti, which reminded me of Chinese noodles (the historical cultural exchange between the East and West was not lost on me here). The decadent specials of the night — lobster bisque and truffle risotto — were also tasty and did not skimp on the luxurious ingredients. My favorite course here was dessert, in which everything was good: you can’t go wrong with the melon panna cotta, semifreddo with Gran Marnier foam or the chocolate arancini.

Unfortunately, the cocktails were mostly forgettable. Also, steer away from the unremarkable cheese pasta pockets and the tuna tartare maksed by too much avocado.

Nothing here was bad, but some items just didn’t “wow” me. Stayed tuned for more food from the Aria that was definitely more exciting.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Spanish olive oils

Now this is something you don’t hear about every day — an olive oil tasting.

Olive Oil from Spain, a promotional campaign organized and funded by various Spanish olive oil and trade agencies, recently hosted such a tasting at Chef John Sedlar’s Playa. Led by olive oil expert Alfonso Fernandez Lopez, the tasting was similar to what you would expect at a wine tasting, but olive oil has specific attributes that require attention in properly analyzing the oil.

1. For the best tasting experience, don’t eat bread with the olive oil.
2. To release the oil’s smell, warm up the glass with your hands. If possible, use a dark colored glass so you can’t see the color of the oil.
3. Smell for a “green” or “ripe” scent. Oils with a fruity aroma are best used uncooked, for finishing. Bitter oils should not be used with bitter greens.
4. To taste the oil, suck it into your mouth quickly through your teeth, mixing air into the oil.

We tasted four Spanish varietals:

• Arbequina: smells fruity, like banana. Ripe, sweet. Good for finishing but too delicate for cooking.
• Cornicabra: smells like ripe banana, apples. Medium-strength smell.
• Hojiblanca: stronger smelling, like lettuce.
• Picual: intense smell, like arugula or green tomato. Bitter, astringent.

Alfonso Fernandez Lopez. Warm up that oil!

Even though I found all the oils to be “peppery” upon swallowing, i.e., it burns!, I enjoyed this unique tasting. I now know a little more about olive oil and how to use it properly, so that’s always a plus. And it didn’t hurt that we were treated to a lovely meal by Chef Sedlar afterward!

Note: This tasting and meal were hosted.

If you’ve been following my Twitter and Facebook page feeds, then you already know that I recently spent a weekend in Las Vegas with Lindsay of LAist, Esther of estarLA and Caroline of Caroline on Crack, and that we stayed at the Aria Hotel & Casino. The property was a breath of fresh air in many ways, and not just because of the vanilla scent that’s pumped in. Aria seems to attract a more mature, yet still hip, clientele, which makes getting around a lot more pleasant than it is at many other hotels in the area (i.e., the douchey factor is a lot lower). The decor is modern but low-key (The Cosmopolitan it is not), but there’s still a nightclub and a daytime pool club for partying types. All this made for a relaxing and fun stay.

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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.

Hayden Harnett Barnard Crossbody

I’m currently coveting this pretty, pretty bag — Hayden Harnett‘s Barnard Crossbody. It’s a nice size (oftentimes crossbody bags are too small to be practical), the strap is adjustable so it can be worn as a shoulder bag or as a crossbody, and the navy color is pretty. Even the lining is cool! Oh, and the materials are locally sourced. One bad thing — it costs $450. Why?! Why do the purse gods hate me so?? Oh, well. I guess you can’t have every pretty, perfectly sized bag. SIGH.

Photo by Brian Goodman

The Spice Table in downtown Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo is a welcome distraction from the neighborhood’s Japanese food. The restaurant at the corner of 1st Street and Central Avenue combines Singaporean and Vietnamese flavors, the culinary heritages of chef and owner Bryant Ng and his wife Kim, respectively. Ng, a former Mozza chef de cuisine, serves Southeast Asian-inspired sandwiches by day and all kinds of grilled satays, fried vegetables, noodles and more by night.

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Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings at Delphine

When I think of the W Hotel Hollywood, the last thing I think of is a plate of chicken wings. But now, thanks to Delphine‘s Tuesday Wing Nite, chicken wings and a swanky hotel aren’t mutually exclusive.

Choose from a variety of flavors, including Thai Red Curry, Ranch Country and (the ultra rich, very L.A.) Truffle Cheese. Or go for my favorites, the Honey Sriracha and the Spiced Honey — both are delightfully sweet and a little spicy. The spiced honey itself — clover honey infused with cardamom, clove, cinnamon and other spices with a splash of vinegar — is to die for. I wanted to bathe in it, it was so good!

The wings cost $4.50 for two to four wings, depending on the flavor. There are also side dishes for $3, including a pretty potato salad and a tasty cole slaw. I wasn’t a big fan of the special cocktails, the Honey Bee and the Early Tea, but they’re available for wing-eating pairings.

Delphine Executive Chef Sascha Lyon, formerly of New York’s Balthazar and Pastis, is a cool guy, and if the other food on the regular menu is as good as some of these wings, then I’ll have to make a trip back.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Selvatica Pesto Pizza at Urbano Pizza Bar

What goes nicely with beer and other libations? Pizza, of course!

Urbano Pizza Bar, conveniently located next to Library Bar at 6th and Hope streets, offers a great food option. With pizza crust that’s perfectly chewy and crisp at the same time, as well as good side dishes and respectable beer and wine lists, Urbano is a new go-to for downtown revelers.

Chef Brad Winnaman, best known for his baking skills with stints at La Brea Bakery and Campanile, has created a menu focused on Neapolitan-style pizza and some stand-out bread, which obviously includes the crust and extends to grilled bread topped with crushed tomato sauce and/or hearty meatballs. Winnaman has had help from Top Chef alum and The Gorbals chef Ilan Hall, who was on-hand the night we visited.

Urbano Pizza Bar

Ilan Hall

Our favorite pizzas included the seasonal Scimmietta made with pureed pumpkin spread across the crust topped with applewood-smoked bacon, scallions and goat cheese, as well as the Selvatica (shown above) made with basil pesto, slow-roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, fresh basil leaves and burrata. While the Selvatica was more traditional in flavor, the Scimmietta was a nice departure from the norm.

We were also impressed with the side dishes, especially the Mozzarella Trio and charred corn with balsamic butter. The Mozzarella Trio includes burrata with roasted tomato and basil pesto, smoked mozzarella with grilled radicchio and crushed tomato, and mozzarella with cherry tomato and basil oil. All were complementary combinations. And the charred corn took on a whole new dimension of flavor with the balsamic butter, which melted all over the corn and created a savory, creamy, smoky concoction.

Mozzarella Trio

Charred Corn with Balsamic Butter

Hall plans to continue helping out with the menu for a while longer, but rest assured Winnaman’s delicious bread will be a staple at Urbano. Paired with a glass of California central coast wine or a pint of locally brewed beer, such as the Craftsman 1903 Pale Lager, you’ll have a tasty meal.

Note: This was originally posted on LAist. This meal was hosted.

The Poutine Truck

For lovers of french fries doused in gravy and topped with cheese curds, there’s a gourmet food truck just for you — The Poutine Truck, purveyors of that north-of-the-border delicacy that French Canadians hold so dear to their hearts.

Owned by Hollywood makeup artist James MacKinnon with a menu created by Chef Debbie Lee (Ahn-Joo Truck, Food Network Star), The Poutine Truck offers a focused menu featuring hand-cut Kennebec potatoes fried fresh to order topped with a variety of gravies and meats. Diners can choose from a traditional brown onion gravy, or a chicken or vegetable broth veloute. There are also plain, garlic herb and firehouse cheese curds, as well as thyme- and garlic-rubbed steak, Dijon chicken breast and apple-smoked bacon to pick from.

Steak & Frites

Poulet & Frites

Lardon & Frites

And to top it all off, you can order some fried cheese curds, which are served with an herb aioli.

Fried Cheese Curds

I’m neither French Canadian nor Midwestern, so while I had heard about both poutine and cheese curds, I hadn’t experienced either until this day. And after four courses of gravy- and meat-covered French fries, I was so full I couldn’t really tell what was going on anymore! I did like the brown onion and veggie gravies best, though. I’m not as big a fan of the squeaky cheese curds, but I’m sure Midwesterners would disagree with me. I’m sure poutine would make a great post-drinking snack, though!

Further Reading:

Would You Like Fries With That? Meet The Poutine Truck by LAist

Note: This meal was hosted.