Pizzeria Bianco

Many of you have been asking me about my experience at Pizza Bianco since you saw me digitally hyperventilating via Twitter and Facebook. Here’s the scoop: I read about Pizzeria Bianco (a local pizza joint in Phoenix) years ago. It’s been voted Best Pizza by everyone from Food and Wine Magazine to Food Network. It’s been on TV shows and blogs and newspapers and for years I’ve been cursing my lack of proximity to this mythical pizza mecca.

So Adorable

This last week I happened to be speaking a conference in Phoenix and my very first thought was

“Oh my Lord I can finally eat that pizza!”

Vino Vino Vino

I was lucky enough to have my friend Jenn (a local) as a guide and here’s what you should know before you make the sojourn. Bianco (as the locals call it) doesn’t take reservation and people start lining up at 3:30pm for their 5pm opening. If you don’t get there by 4pm there’s a chance you wont eat until 8pm. So I suggest you arrive by 4 and grab a bottle of wine from Bianco’s bar next door (it looks like a little house). I loved sitting on the bench and chatting with my fellow pizza-lovers. The line, I think is part of the whole ambiance of the place.

Pizza Pizza

Arugula and Goat Cheese

As for the pizza, it was really really good. Was it life changing? Was it better than Pizzeria Mozza or Pizza Bianca here in LA? Well, honestly, no I don’t think it is. I’m so glad I finally got to try it and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone in the area. The place is adorable, the wine selection fantastic and the staff (like everyone else I met in Phoenix) are SO nice. It’s a great place for dinner, but best pizza on planet earth? Sorry AZ, not this time.

The Remnants of a Lovely Evening

But when I do, I prefer Dos Equis

This weekend I went on a 3 day cruise to Ensenada Mexico to celebrate my birthday. I hadn’t ever been on a cruise before but spending the weekend adrift on the open seas with a seafood buffet seemed like a great way to kick off my 28th year.

What you discover quickly upon the boat is that basically, all bets are off. Whatever typical routine you might stick to, whatever diet and exercise program you’ve formerly practiced are obliterated the second you realize you have 24 hour access to frozen yogurt. By the third day, I’m sorry to admit, that I (along with about 1,000 cruisers) were literally wearing bathrobes (over bathing suits, but still) into the restaurant for lunch. I’d lost all sense of pride and was working my way up to a 3,000 calorie a day diet. It was like Lord of the Flies, while trapped on that boat who knows what could have happened!

So I was really happy when we docked in Ensenada and we were able to leave the ship for some fresh air and unprocessed food!

Mariscos!

What’s interesting to me is that my group was one of very few who dared to eat the local street food that Mexico is famous for. Sure, they’ll eat the processed cheese whiz on the boat or three sampler platters at Papas and Beer (or worse yet, hit up the Starbucks when there were so many other great options!) because those feel “safe”. But stand in line at a little cart (behind 20 other locals who clearly know what’s good in town) for fresh oysters or ceviche that was still swimming in that ocean just a few hours ago and their terrified they’ll get sick.

Fish Tacos and Asada

Not only did we NOT get sick, but we were treated to some of the best, freshest food we’d had all weekend! Beyond that, the sweet Mexican families who owned these little stands (or the bar where we spent most of the afternoon) were the most hospitable and kind servers on our trip… far friendlier than the grouchy cruise staff. The battered fish tacos, the asada, the steak, the dizzying array of fresh salsas were beyond delicious!

Muy Delicioso!

The Girls Enjoy the Local Fare

I’m not sure if I’ll cruise again. I had a great time but I don’t think I have the self control to handle myself when surrounded by fried this and cheese-covered that. It was a good reminder though, about what most of America still thinks of as “good” food. I hope if you ever find yourself in a similar situation you wont be afraid to try something new, to really experience the local cuisine… and most importantly, you’ll resist the urge to wear your robe to dinner!

Cruise Wear

Filled with Joy!

Last night was one of the top 5 greatest travel memories I’ve made in my life. This is saying a lot actually because I’m been fortunate to visit some really amazing places and eat some really great food but Beijing will forever  be on the top of my list. It speaks highly of Beijing too because it’s about 13 degrees outside, but inside it’s warm and vibrant AND there are acrobats!! No, I’m not hallucinating from the jet lag, read on!

Duck Tales

Sliced Duck

Last night one of Dave’s colleagues here in Beijing took us to a restaurant called Quanjude Beijing Shichahai. This gem which is located on the 3rd floor of a squat building (as most things are here in China) is a famous Peking Duck place that’s been around since the Qing Dynasty (that’s over 140 years for non-history buffs). Imagine a large banquet room with tables of every shape and size covered with thick brocade tablecloths and visitors from every country imaginable hovered over them scooping up delectable from various plates. In the center of the room was a big stage where “famous local acts” of every kind (from vase juggling, to singing, to magic) entertained and wowed us throughout the night!

Tofu with Seaweed and Fresh Peas

Fresh Peas, Mushrooms, Water Chestnuts and Tomatoes

I had actually never had duck before last night which strikes me as dumb luck that my first ever duck would be the perfectly cooked Peking Duck of an ancient eatery. It was (forgive my dumbing this down) like the most flavorful, salty, crispy chicken I’ve ever had. Mao (our new friend) ordered every dish for us and I made a point of eating everything (even the things that scared me, like the sliced duck eggs or the seaweed wrapped tofu). I did this partly because it would have been rude to turn down food Mao offered us, but also because my momma always told me that you don’t have to LIKE it but you do have to TRY it.

Chicken with Onions and Chilis

Sweet and Sour Perch

All in all we had duck, lamb, perch, tofu, egg flower soup, sliced duck eggs, salad, vegetable stir fry, fried rice, and spicy chicken with onions all shiny with a thick schilack of MSG and hundreds of years of tradition. It was spectacular eating with new friends, which is my very favorite kind of night, and a reminder that even if it looks scary (like the crazy fish picture above) it might just be the best thing you’ve ever had!

How We Stack Up

Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of getting taken out in Hong Kong by a local. The sister of a friend, who until yesterday i’d only met briefly, has lived here in Hong Kong for the last 15 years. She took me to lunch at her favorite restaurant, a dim sum place known, as I recall it, as Happy Veggie Dim Sum.

Steamed Dumplings

Sum Dumplings

This new friend of mine apologized a few times on the way over as our lunch location wasn’t fancy, or a pretty. It was a traditional place where we sat on the floor at a low table and none of the employees spoke english. But if you’re going to visit a new city, don’t you want to go to the kind of joint where only the locals eat?? You do! Believe me, this place was soooo yummy!

Bao Wow Wow

Spinach with Goji Berries

The kicker too is that everything was vegetarian. Now, it wont surprise anyone that I’m a carnivore by nature, but good food is good food. Every single thing we sampled was full of flavor and great texture and I never once missed the meat.

From the steamed dumplings, to the spinach with goji berries, to the mushroom spring rolls that were so fresh they crumbled the second you touched them chopsticks it is by far the best meal I’ve had since coming to Hong Kong. I’m so glad I had a local around to show me this little out of the way place, because otherwise I wouldn’t have known where to go and I certainly wouldn’t have known what to order.

Today we leave for Beijing which brings a whole new region of flavors and ingredients… I’m hoping it can top the feast I had today. Stay tuned to find out!

Spring Rolls

Victoria Harbor

Good Morning readers from a hotel room overlooking Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong!! I flew in Sunday night to meet my husband (who’s here on business) and arrived in HK yesterday morning at 7AM.To be honest, yesterday was sort of a total loss because I was a zombie from the 15 hour flight (in coach!)

I walked around a bit (a little disconcerting because this is one giant overstuffed metropolis) and I was exhausted. After wandering for 45 minutes in what I thought was the direction of the antiques row here in the city I somehow ended up back at the door of my hotel (apparently had been walking in circles). At that point it was late afternoon and high time for a cocktail so I walked myself straight to the lobby bar and had not one but TWO specialty drinks called the “ruby road”. From there it was pretty much down hill in terms of exhaustion level and I had to skip out on dinner with Dave’s team (at a Michelin rated restaurant no less!) to order room service and go to sleep by 7pm. Not my most exciting day of travel but I simply could not keep my eyes open another minute.

Today is a new day though, and much like my week this summer in Europe I promise to blog my culinary journey with you! Today will be filled with dim sum and antique stores and food galore (eating being my one true passion in life). I promise to take lots of photos so tomorrow i have a better food journal for your viewing pleasure in the meantime, my room service breakfast of salmon and a bagel can hold you over until then!

Breakfast Time

Wait to Be Seated

Usually I only share my own culinary creations here on the blog, but I was lucky enough to have brunch and one of my most favorite brunch locations yesterday and I just had to share this beautiful scrumptious food with you!

If you’ve never been to The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs than you’re really missing out. Yes, it’s a little weird. Yes, it’s a bit of a hipster paradise. But I have never visited a place that put some much thought into every single thing their visitors would come in contact with. From the indie music wafting poolside, to the etchings in the cement, to the vintage milk glass that holds the Splenda everything is thoughtful and unique and makes perfect sense even though it really doesn’t make sense at all.

King’s Highway is the restaurant that serves as poolside luncheonette, room service wrangler, late night eats and the perfect brunch to soak up all that the sun and the muddled drinks did to you the day before. They’re known (at least in my circle) for their Chilaquiles but today I was in the mood for rustic home cooking and here’s what I got. Even the photos are enough to feed the soul.

Eggs and Bacon

Poblano Grits with White Cheddar

French Press

Coffee for Two

Fruit Filled Hat Boxes

I found the charming little place five years ago on my first trip to Europe. I had day dreamed about visiting Paris my entire life and worried during the flight over that the city couldn’t possibly live up to the ideals in my head. In truth, it didn’t meet my expectations, it surpassed them. Paris is like a dream. It’s so beautiful, so elegant, so, well, fancy. It makes you want to have better posture, wear nicer clothes and start eating Pâté. The perfect example of this fanciness is Hediard. It sells food, but to call it a grocery store would be an insult. It’s basically the most beautiful chocolatier, delicatessen, wine store, tea house, and fruit stand you’ve ever seen in your life. Everything is packaged beautifully and displayed opulently and I could spend hours there just looking at all their wares. I found out on my last visit that it’s been around since 1854, which only makes it more romantic. I highly encourage you to visit when you’re next in town, and in the meantime, you can buy their products online. I know it wont be quite the same as visiting in person, but maybe a red tin of jasmine tea will hold you over until your next voyage.

Thanks for reading my European travel diary… if you want to see more pictures of the trip please join our facebook page!

Happy Meal

I have spent the last 7 days eating my way through Barcelona and the French Riviera.

I’ve had soups and stews, and consume, and pate, and cheeses, and baguettes, and shellfish, and desserts in every shape and form. Me and my palette have thoroughly enjoyed Europe and every flavor it had to offer. Though truth be told, this morning, before leaving Nice for Paris I had only one delicacy in mind. After days and days of eating the richest, heaviest (albeit delicious) cuisine I could find, I just wanted a double cheeseburger.

All alone (for fear of being made fun of by my tripmates) I went seeking, and found, a McDonald’s.

Cue Laughter.

Think what you will, but after so long in another country I just wanted something that tasted totally familiar. It was by far the NICEST (no pun intended) McDonald’s I’ve ever seen… but regardless of its fancy dressing and the fact that regular customers greeted the girl taking orders with the standard two-kiss hello, it was a McDonald’s through and through. I ordered a double cheeseburger and a small fry and you know what was so special about it?? Nothing at all. It tasted exactly like EVERY double cheeseburger and fry I’ve ever had from McDonald’s… it was perfectl. 

I know that for someone who touts home cooking and beautiful cuisine it sounds ridiculous to blog about a value meal… but this morning, sitting alone at a french fast food chain, was one of the most satisfying meals I’ve had since arriving.

Cookies

Can we have a moment for the French dessert? I mean, when you sit down at a restaurant here you’re handed the regular menu and an entirely separate novel consisting of any sweet your mind can fathom… paper thin crepe with butter and sugar, creamy gelato, creme brulee fired table side, meringue the size of a small yacht… the list is literally endless (and much to my delight) given an importance on level with the meal it’s self.

Superb Sweets

I just adore the indulgence here, and beyond that I adore its perfect presentation. I love beautiful food.

I love anyone who cares about the way food LOOKS as much as they care about how it tastes. No one gets this more than my French countryman.

Wheel of Fortune

Today, I wandered (yes, I wander a lot here… it’s how I like to visit a new city) so I wandered into the most charming confectionery shop ever. L’Art Gourmand was something out of a dream… I do not exaggerate. Homemade chocolates overflowing vintage barrels, a wagon wheel turned display case holding a dozen different flavors of caramels. Marzipan fruit in every color of the rainbow lining glass shelves, bonbons , candied almonds, truffles dusted with everything from cocoa to coffee. Rapture.

Ooo La La

It was so beautiful that I could not resist buying the little wooden box and filling it with chocolates. I’m taking it with me to Paris in the morning for Dave’s European colleagues to enjoy… it felt like a crime not to share it with someone. I hope that someday, when you find yourself listlessly exploring the streets of the old Village in Nice, you’ll stop by and experience these beautiful sweets for yourself.

L’Art Gourmand – 21 Rue du Marchè Nice

Salad Niçois

It’s not really a question of what have I eaten since arriving in Nice two days ago… the question is, what haven’t I eaten?? All diets and thoughts of calorie counting have long since flown out the window, and with this much creamy butter mixed into everything, it’s no wonder.

Our arrival here was off to a bit of a slow start given that our hotel was far less charming in person than in website… my room however does have a floor to ceiling french window that opens up on to a beautiful gothic church; so I can ignore that everything else in my room (including the bedding, was purchased around the same time the church was built).

We sorted ourselves out at the hotel, and wandered down to find a bite to eat. After sitting down at a restaurant with (what we would soon find out) was home to a cantankerous proprietor who knew no English and hated us for asking (even if it was in her own language). We blindly stared at the menu for 15 minutes before we realized it was a creperie and my companions and I each ordered items that sounded appealing in a language none of us knew. God Bless the Creperie!!!  Whatever the mean old woman put into these crepes made her previous temper seem charming, her French mullet somehow more beautiful. Fresh mushrooms wrapped lovingly in a white wine sauce, and bechemel so perfect and thick I dared not think of exactly how much butter it took to create it. As my friend Paul so asstutely put it (while shoveling a forkful of fromàge into his mouth) “whoever chose to NOT include this place in my Best of Europe book should be shot”.

If the creperie set things in a good direction; then the flaky croissants, tart marmalade’s, perfectly grilled salmon, crisp cuveés, crusty baguettes, rich butter, perfectly made cappuccinos and fromàge in every shape and form have only strengthened our bond with the Coté de Azur region. Even yesterday, laying on the beach when I started to feel mildly guilty about all I had eaten and decided to order a Salad Niçois (named for this city) even then, did I feel that it was just too fresh, too delicious to be healthy. It’s just such a lovely country, and I’m eating my way through it!! Bon Appetit!