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Grilled tuna burger

M Cafe de Chaya, the macrobiotic mini chain that’s part of the Chaya Restaurant Group, is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month with different $5 specials each week at all three of its locations.

Week of June 7 — Falafel Wrap & M Chopped Salad (Grab & Go only)
Week of June 14 — 2 Salad Combo & Tofu Bento (Grab & Go only)
Week of June 21 — Breakfast Enchilada (breakfast hours only) and Double Chocolate Fudge Cake

What’s macrobiotic food? It’s food made from minimally processed, natural whole foods that are in-season. Fish is OK, but not poultry, red meat, eggs or dairy. I’ve been to M Cafe a few times, and it’s actually pretty tasty, despite its nearly vegan-like description. I have a few recommendations, none of which are part of the $5 specials. But no matter — you can always go back, and for certain items, it would be worth it.

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Once in a while, you get some great products in an event gift bag, and you just have to write about it. Such was the case with the Star Chefs gift bag, which included a couple of really cool eco-friendly products that I’ve been obsessing over ever since.

Further: This company makes soap, lotion and candles out of the glycerin derived from distilled biofuel. According to the company’s website, Further co-owner and founder Marshall Dostal found himself with gallons of glycerin left over from making biofuel out of used vegetable oil he picked up from L.A. restaurants. His wife and business partner, Megan, saw all this glycerin and said, “You need to get this sh*t out of our house!” (OK, I have no idea if that part is true, but that’s my interpretation of the website’s “walked into the garage and became alarmed at what her husband had accumulated.”) And so Further was born.

I got a bottle of the hand soap and was immediately excited. Ever since my fiance, Rory, started working on his documentary Toxic Soup, which describes the ill effects of chemicals in almost everything we use, own, eat, etc., we have been more conscious about the stuff we put on and in our bodies. Since Further is made in an eco-friendly manner from something that would have been thrown away, is biodegradable, was not tested on animals and doesn’t contain chemicals (the scent comes from essential oils), I realize I had hit the green jackpot! The scent is great, too — made from bergamot, olive and exotic grasses, it’s unisex and not overwhelming. The only thing I wish were different about it is the price: soap and lotion retail for $12.50 each, and the candle goes for $24. Being green isn’t cheap, but this stuff would make great gifts.

VerTerra: This company makes disposable dishware out of fallen leaves from trees in south Asia. According to the company, these leaves would be burned usually, so this is another waste-turned-useful product. The leaves then have steam, heat and pressure applied to them to make them into plates and bowls without any glue. Considering how well these products hold liquids, I was shocked to learn that there was no glue holding them together. VerTerra naturally composts in two months, so you can toss them guilt-free. And they’re pretty cool-looking, too!

First & Hope, the gorgeous supper club in the not-so-gorgeous strip mall at the corner of 1st and Hope streets (clever, huh?) in downtown Los Angeles, certainly has lots of style. From the mood-changing lighting in the sleek dining room to the servers outfitted by “Mad Men” assistant costume designer Allison Leach, the restaurant screams class. I just wish the food spoke as loudly to me — in a good way.

I had visited First & Hope once before during its preview night when the atmosphere was close to mayhem. It was very crowded, and while the servers did their best, it was hard to get a good idea of what the food and drink should have been like.

So when presented with an invitation to have dinner at the restaurant under normal circumstances, I decided I would give the place another chance. I would have a proper meal and make a better-informed decision about First & Hope’s merits.

And I’ve made my decision: I would only come back here for one, maybe two, dishes.

You see, the menu sounds good; it reads like a food blogger’s wet dream, with foie gras, bacon and pork rinds littered all over its comfort food-centric offerings. But First & Hope leaves much to be desired in execution.

First, the cocktails. Nearly every one contains some kind of bubbly, no doubt an homage to the vintage style. I get it, but I thought the drinks were just OK, which was pretty much my summation after the preview party, too. I had an Elle for Leather, made with Famous Grouse scotch, vanilla syrup, “a touch of effervescence” and garnished with a vanilla pod. It smelled amazing due to the vanilla pod but tasted light on the scotch.

Elle for Leather. There's a blue tint because of the mood lighting.

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Hello, ladies! Courtesy of Balblair.

Balblair, a Highland single malt scotch whisky, recently held its U.S. launch at the Edison in downtown Los Angeles. I attended the party, along with Tara of When Tara Met Blog, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, Esther of e*starLA and others, where we sipped on Balblair 1991 and 1997 accompanied by small bites such as bruschetta and chocolates, which went surprisingly well with the scotch. I preferred the 1991, which was smoother than the 1997, which was spicier.

What sets Balblair apart from other scotches I’ve tasted, including Macallan, Highland Park and Dalmore (check out Thirsty in L.A.‘s very thorough post on the Dalmore tasting at the Varnish), is the use of vintages, i.e., years, in naming, just like wines do. Most scotches use the number of years the liquor has been aged in their naming conventions. Balblair’s bottle design is also very contemporary, something you don’t necessarily expect from a scotch. Considering how many times I’ve heard that scotch isn’t just for old men anymore, it’s refreshing to see a company actually reflect that in its packaging.

Courtesy of Balblair

Balblair isn’t cheap, either — the 1991 retails for $129.99 per bottle, and the 1997 goes for $64.99. Wow. Balblair isn’t messing around. While I enjoyed the 1991, I don’t think I would pay $130 for a bottle of it. [Note: There are few things I would pay $130 a bottle for, mostly because I don’t have that kind of cash!] Taste it for yourself and let me know how you like it: Balblair is available locally at the Edison, Checkers and Thirsty Crow.

Café Pierre, a French restaurant in Manhattan Beach, is holding its next monthly winemaker social on June 3 with Fred Brander of Brander Vineyard. Brander will be on hand to pour wines and discuss things that wine people discuss. (Can you tell I’m not a wine person?). Wines will include:

2009 Cuvee Natalie (sauvignon blanc blend)
2009 Cuvee Nicolas (sauvignon blanc/semillon)
2007 Bouchet (bordeaux-style blend)
2008 Colson Canyon Syrah

Café Pierre’s Chef Remi Lauvand will also prepare some appetizers to go along with the wine. (Read about Lauvand’s food in a previous post.) All this for the price of $20. Reservations are recommended but not required.

And if you can’t make it to this event, the winemaker socials take place the first Thursday of each month, with La Fenetre Wines on July 1.

Café Pierre
317 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
June 3, 2010, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

BoConcept's ottoman bed. From Apartment Therapy.

This Memorial Day weekend, BoConcept, the urban design home furnishings store, is having a tax-free sale on all purchases from May 28 to May 31. And through June 15, the brand’s functional furniture, including sleeper sofas, extendable dining tables, functional coffee tables and more, is on sale. This ottoman (regularly $499; on sale for $429) actually folds out into a single bed — ingenious!

BoConcept has stores in Santa Monica and San Diego, as well as two locations in San Francisco. There are stores all over the country, so check the website for details.

Tucked away in a corner of the Mercado La Paloma just east of USC, Mo-Chica is nothing to look at, really. It looks like just one of the less than 10 stand-like businesses in a warehouse-like space. But if you look closer, you’ll see it’s a unique space that serves Peruvian-Japanese cuisine, perhaps best demonstrated by its take on ceviche.

Mo-Chica’s ceviche is pretty amazing, mostly because it has gotten me to like ceviche at all. This version has a ton of vinegar, chile and citrus, and a nice balance in texture with the inclusion of crunchy popped corn and huge fresh Peruvian corn kernels. The seaweed and sliced red onion are a nice touch, too.

Ceviche

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I recently blogged about the new happy hour at Oliverio restaurant at the Avalon Hotel, and now that I’ve actually tried it, I can honestly say that it’s one of my new favorites. Every dish that I tried was excellent, and the cocktail I had was nice, too.

As you may remember, Oliverio’s Salute! extended happy hour is on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with everything on the bar/poolside and cocktail menus half-off. (If you ask nicely, you can get these prices on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., too.) For a top price of $11, Chef Mirko Paderno offers an amazing menu in taste and value.

Let’s get to the food and drink, shall we?

I started out with a Lombardia cocktail made with bourbon, apple, cinnamon and orange ($7 at happy hour). The apple, orange and cinnamon made this a comforting drink, and well let’s be honest, so did the bourbon. It bordered on being too sweet for my taste, but I still enjoyed it. On a previous visit, when the space was Blue on Blue, I had the Elixir made with cucumber-dill infused vodka, sweetened lime and white cranberry, which I also liked. I’m a sucker for cucumber in my cocktails.

Lombardia

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Fluxus Ursa dress

Shopping happy hour at Fluxus: The Larchmont Village store location of this drape-y clothing brand is launching a weekly shopping event with discounts on select merchandise and complimentary drinks every Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Starts today!

Fluxus
202 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Enza Costa Rogue sample sale: Cash-only sale of luxe basics and knitwear from $10 to $23 on Thursday, May 20, and Friday, May 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Enza Costa Rogue
2635 Nevin Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90011

Refinery 29 East West Tag sale at Space 15 Twenty: Fashion website Refinery 29 and Urban Outfitters are hosting a sale with 50 percent to 75 percent off designer items from Helmut Lang, Band of Outsiders, What Comes Around Goes Around and others. It’s happening all weekend: Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:oo a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Urban Outfitters at Space 15 Twenty
1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Rebecca Minkoff sample sale: Can’t get enough handbags? Well, Rebecca Minkoff is back in Los Angeles with samples! Go Friday or Saturday between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. or Sunday between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Confederacy
4661 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

From Palate, by Clare Crespo.

Palate art show at Scion gallery: Art inspired by food. Art that looks like food. Check out Palate featuring artists Clare Crespo, Jeph Gurecka, Scott Hove, Tamara Kostianovsky, Alan Macdonald, James Reynolds, Martha Rich and Jeff Vespa “exploring the idea of food as muse and medium.” The opening night reception on Saturday, May 22, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. has free admission, free valet parking and an open bar. It’s the trifecta of L.A. events! There will also be a raffle to win a free cooking class from EATZ. The exhibit will run through June 12.

Scion Installation Space
3521 Helms Ave.
Culver City, CA 90232

The Clarence Hotel in Dublin, Ireland

Ovation Global DMC (that’s “Destination Management Company”), an Ireland-based travel company, has introduced a new customized travel series called Designer Destinations, which focuses on hip locations and activities, making some of the oldest cities in Europe feel new again. You can choose the length of your tour, which cool hotel you’d like to stay at, and which stops you’d like to make — and everything (meals, transportation between sites, admission fees, etc.) is included in your price, except for airfare.

For example, the Designer Dublin tour can include three days filled with educational, fun and trendy stops. Ovation will arrange to have you picked up from the airport and taken to your hotel of choice, which could be either The Morgan, The Morrison or The Clarence, owned by U2’s Bono and The Edge. You’ll tour some of the most famous sites of Ireland’s literary and musical icons, including the birthplace of James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, the Dirty Old Town area and the U2 Wall. There’s also a sample day that could possibly be my perfect ShopEatSleep day: A morning visit to the Powerscourt Design Centre to meet up-and-coming Irish fashion designers, followed by a manicure and a master styling class OR trips to the Jameson whiskey distillery and the Guinness Storehouse, to compete in a pull-your-own-pint competition. Lastly, get a cooking lesson from The Morrison’s head chef Richie Wilson. I may have to go back to Dublin just for this day!

These Designer trips are actually created for large groups (Ovation specializes in corporate team- and morale-building trips, which it calls “incentive” trips), but if you wanted to do something like this with just a few friends, Ovation would be willing to work with you, but the price per person most likely would be higher. For reference, a three-day Designer Dublin trip costs about €850 ($1,079) per person based on a group of 40 sharing hotel rooms.

If Ireland isn’t your thing, there are also Designer Brussels and Designer Hong Kong trips available.

Full disclosure: Ovation Managing Director Patrick Delaney is my future uncle-in-law.