Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

The 35th annual Taste of the Town Santa Barbara, benefiting the Arthritis Foundation, was held again in the beautiful setting of Riviera Park Gardens overlooking the city. Tina Takaya and Richard Yates, co-owners of Opal Restaurant & Bar again retured to co-chair the annual event.

The area’s signature culinary event benefiting the Arthritis Foundation, featured tastings from 80 of the finest local restaurants and Central Coast wineries, breweries and distillers Noon to 3 p.m. at the Riviera Park Gardens, and was one amazing meeting of supporters of the Arthritis Foundation, who also loved savoring fine wine and food samples, while enjoying a silent auction, and live music.

The 2016 Youth Honoree was Erin Mahan, a senior at Dos Pueblos High School with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a form of arthritis that affects the spine and other joints. Mahan exuded enthusiasm when talking about her experience at Camp Experanza this summer,“it was a truly amazing experience. I met so many strong kids and teens going through similar challenges and I made lifelong friends.” The Medical Honorees were Dr. William Gallivan and his wife Karen Gallivan, RN, who work together in their Santa Barbara office and have been volunteers with the Arthritis Foundation since 2011. They were co-chairs of the 2013 Santa Barbara Walk to Cure Arthritis. The event co-chairs were board member Amye Leong and John Stampe.

Jerry Jordano, owner Central Coast Home Health congratulates 2016 Youth Honoree Erin Mahan

35^th Anniversary Taste of the Town Arthritis Foundation was a delightful slice of

gourmand heaven for attendees who sampled tastes from a collection of Santa Barbara's finest restaurateurs, and caterers. Wonder sips were poured by Brander Wines, Margerum Wine Company, Melville, Mosby, Pali Wine, Presqu'le, Qupe, Refugio Ranch, Sanford Winery, Sanger

Winery, SB Winery, Silver Wines, Sort This Out Cellars, Thacher Tolosa, Whitcraft Winery, Zaca Mesa, Kessler/Haak, LaFond, Lucs & Lewellen Vineyards, Alexander & Wayne, Alma Rosa,

Arthur Earl, Au Bon Climat, Brewer Clifton, Caribbean Coffee, Carr Vineyards & Winery, Cebada Vineyard, Cutler's Artisan Spirits, Demetria Estate, DV8 Cellars, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Firestone Walker, Gainey Vinyard, Geissinger Winery, Grassini Family Vineyard, island Brewing Company, Jaffurs, Jalopy, Jamie Slone Wines, and Ken Brown Wines. All this was going on as CJ Ward (KEYT3), who also served as emcee at the Connoisseurs' Circle Dinner and Auction, kept things lively.

Three Honorary Lead Chefs for the event included Bacara Resort & Spa’s Executive Chef Vincent Lesage, who recently opened the beautiful new restaurant Angel Oak at Bacara; in addition to Patrice Martineau, Executive Chef at Montage Beverly Hills and Chef Johan Denizot, Executive Chef at the Belmond El Encanto Santa Barbara. Each chef and his team designed a course as part of a spectacular menu for event sponsors and their guests at the unique eighth Connoisseurs’ Circle dinner. It was a true gastronimique dinner followed by a very entertaining auction at Bacara Resort & Spa.

Emcee CJ Ward (KEYT3) and Richard Yager, Event Co-Chair Diego & Tony Arroyo, Los Arroyos Restaurant

.2016 Taste of the Town sponsors included official Automotive Partner, BMW Santa Barbara, wine glass sponsors Montecito Bank & Trust and HUB International Insurance Services, Inc., and event sponsors were First Click, Inc., The Berry Man, Inc., opal Restaurant and Bar, Terry Ryken, Diana MacFarlane, Amye Leong & Bob Price, Jeffery Baldwin & Michal W. Wiesbrock, as well as Central Coast Home Health, Inc.Three Honorary Lead Chefs for the event included Bacara Resort & Spa’s Executive Chef Vincent Lesage, who recently opened the beautiful new restaurant Angel Oak at Bacara; in addition to Patrice Martineau, Executive Chef at Montage Beverly Hills and Chef Johan Denizot, Executive Chef at the Belmond El Encanto Santa Barbara. Each chef and his team designed a course as part of a spectacular menu for event sponsors and their guests at the unique eighth Connoisseurs’ Circle dinner. It was a true gastronimique dinner followed by a very entertaining auction at Bacara Resort & Spa.

Grilled Prime New York Steak with Melville Pinot Noir - Late Harvest Melon Terrine with Melville Syrah

2016 Taste of the Town sponsors included official Automotive Partner, BMW Santa Barbara, wine glass sponsors Montecito Bank & Trust and HUB International Insurance Services, Inc., and event sponsors were First Click, Inc., The Berry Man, Inc., opal Restaurant and Bar, Terry Ryken, Diana MacFarlane, Amye Leong & Bob Price, Jeffery Baldwin & Michal W. Wiesbrock, as well as Central Coast Home Health, Inc.

CHEF VINCENT LESAGE, Bacara Resort & Spa At the age of 30, Chef Vincent Lesage's impressive career already includes Michelin three-star restaurants in Paris as well as experience at some of the world’s most luxurious hotels. Born and raised in Paris at the center of the food universe, Lesage was surrounded by the rich flavors and techniques that define French gastronomy. After graduating from the Institut Paul Bocuse in Écully, France, Lesage trained at some of the world’s most celebrated establishments including The Ritz Paris, the Michelin three-star restaurant L’Astrance, and Michelin three-star restaurant Bras. Most recently, Lesage served as the Executive Chef of Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach. Since 2015 as Executive Chef of Bacara’s renowned culinary program, Lesage oversees the resort’s six dining experiences including a new signature restaurant Angel Oak.

CHEF PATRICE MARTINEAU, Montage Beverly Hills Award-winning chef Patrice Martineau was recently named Executive Chef at Montage Beverly Hills. Martineau was classically trained in some of France’s most acclaimed restaurants. He began his career in his hometown of Champagne, France at two legendary restaurants, Le Chateaubriand and Le Valentino. Chef Martineau later moved to Burgundy as Chef de Partie at the region’s world-renowned Michelin two-star Abbaye de Saint Michel and Michelin three-star La Côte Saint-Jacques. Chef Martineau later moved to New York and served as Chef de Cuisine at Daniel Boulud’s iconic New York eatery, Daniel. He acted as Boulud’s second-in-command at Daniel for six years amidst Manhattan’s highly competitive and robust culinary landscape. Martineau was then tapped to assume the role of Executive Chef at London’s Savoy Hotel, before joining the pre-opening team as Chef de Cuisine at The Peninsula Tokyo’s Peter Restaurant. Most recently, Chef Martineau served as Executive Chef at the Belmond El Encanto Hotel and the Viceroy Palm Springs.

CHEF JOHAN DENIZOT, Belmond El Encanto Johan Denizot is the Executive Chef of Belmond El Encanto, recently joining the resort from Bacara Resort & Spa. Situated on seven acres of lush gardens with sweeping ocean views, Belmond El Encanto is known for its California coastal cuisine, highlighting the local bounty of the resort’s surroundings, and expertly prepared at The Dining Room and Terrace. French born, raised, and trained, Denizot garnered nearly a decade of culinary experience before beginning his successful career in the United States, where he launched the pastry and bakery program at Annabelle’s Bar & Bistro in San Francisco. Denizot went on to implement creative menus at Root 246 in Solvang and most recently Miro at Bacara, where he was instrumental in the restaurant earning its Forbes four-star rating. Fluent in French, English, and Spanish, Denizot received his Certificate of Professional Studies in the Culinary Fields at the Restaurant Formation School in Pontarlier, France, and then received his Certificate of Professional Aptitude at CFA Hilaire de Chardonnet in Besançon, France. Ron Melville, Melville Winery was named the 2016 honorary lead winery.

ABOUT THE ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION The Arthritis Foundation is the Champion of Yes. Leading the fight for the arthritis community, the Foundation helps conquer everyday battles through life-changing information and resources, access to optimal care, advancements in science and community connections. The Arthritis Foundation’s goal is to chart a winning course, guiding families in developing personalized plans for living a full life – and making each day another stride toward a cure. The Foundation also publishes Arthritis Today, the award-winning magazine that reaches 4 million readers. www.arthritis.org

Celebrating Italian Culture - three days of music, food, wine, dancing and games

The 15^th Annual Galbani® Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro, Los Angeles takes over Hollywood from September 23-25 with their annual street festival, celebrating everything that it means to be Italian. The savory smells of Italian sausage and peppers, meatballs simmering in homemade sauce, baked clams on the half shell, warm cheese on perfectly crusted pizza and sugar-powdered zeppole fill the streets of Hollywood while patrons enjoy cold glasses of sangria and listen to the sweet sounds of opera, jazz and big band late into the night!

Inspired by the 80+ year old New York City tradition, the Feast celebrates Italian culture, entertainment and cuisine by featuring great food, music, genealogy research, free kid’s corner & petting zoo, pony rides, bocce, bingo, games and more. Over thirty hours of live music and performances are scheduled throughout the weekend on the Galbani Cheese Main Stage and special guest, Galbani Cheese’s very own Chef Marco, will demonstrate cooking Italian recipes on Saturday, September 24^th at 6pm and host a “Galbani Cheese Building Contest for Charity” at 7pm. A “Gravy-Sauce Cooking Competition,” open to all levels of chefs, is a two-day contest full of favorite family recipes and stories for all to enjoy.

“For fifteen years we have been bringing Italian culture to the heart of Hollywood,” said Frankie Competelli, Festival President. “We have welcomed thousands of Angelenos, celebrated tradition, family, and great food with the community and everyone leaves happy and with a little red sauce on their shirts!”

St. Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples Italy, worked tirelessly to help people in need and is the inspiration for the Feast created in his name. The Mass & Procession of St. Gennaro on Hollywood Blvd. begins at 11am on Saturday, September 24^th, presided by Monsignors Montoya and Cacciapuoti.

The festival commences on Friday, September 23^rd and lends support to local charities throughout the weekend, including a “Will You Marrow Me?” donor campaign for Be the Match registry, which recruits marrow donors to save lives of blood cancer patients. A local Blood Drive will be hosted on-site from 11am-5pm on Sunday September 27^th. The Feast will also be the last stop on the Youth Cancer Baseball Tour, which takes families of children fighting cancer to Major League Baseball games. The Uncle Frank Helping Hand Foundation, established in honor of Jimmy Kimmel’s real uncle and regular cast member on Jimmy Kimmel Live! began hosting the baseball tour upon the year of his passing in 2011. “My dad (Uncle Frank) was always helping others and lending a hand to those in need. The idea that he is helping families have a fun day together would mean the world to him,” said Ann Potenza, Festival Director. “The support from the community to make this happen is overwhelming and greatly appreciated.”

“Galbani Cheese is proud to be back as the title sponsor for the 15^th annual Feast,” said Jessica Ruth, spokesperson for Galbani Cheese. “We love being a part of this event, as it brings together friends and family as they celebrate Italian food and culture.”

All weekend long, festival patrons are invited to enjoy complimentary Galbani Cheese samples and photo souvenirs from the Galbani photo booth. Festival photos can be shared at #GalbaniItalianFest.

The festival venue is conveniently located across the street from the Hollywood and Highland complex and Metro Red Line, at 1651 N. Highland Ave, one block south of Hollywood Blvd. The Feast will be held September 23-25, 2016 (Fri 5pm-Midnight, Sat 11am-Midnight, Sun 11am-10pm). General admission is $5 and kids under 12 are Free.

This year, the Feast is affiliated with Christ the King Church, Midnight Mission, PAL (Police Activities League), Uncle Frank Helping Hand Foundation, Be the Match registry and local blood drives. The Feast also extends support to various Italian American organizations. For more information about the Galbani® Italian Feast of San Gennaro, Los Angeles, please visit www.feastofla.com.

The Feast of San Gennaro LA was originally created in 2002 under the auspices of The San Gennaro Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit created by celebrity Jimmy Kimmel, producer Douglas DeLuca and restaurateur Frankie Competelli, along with some of Los Angeles’ most prominent Italian-American citizens. Although the Foundation closed its doors in 2014, its mission, to emulate St. Gennaro, patron saint of Naples who worked tirelessly to help people in need, continues to this day by partnering with various local charities that help underprivileged children and homeless in LA, as well as to provide entertainment and cultural enrichment to the community through its cultural outreach program.

Precious has now joined Galbani cheese – Italy's favorite cheese brand. The Galbani brand is known worldwide for crafting authentic cheeses in the Italian tradition; so when you see the Galbani name, you can count on the same authentic cheese you've come to know and love from Precious cheese, as well as a broader world of Italian cheeses to explore. Galbani and Precious brands are brought to you by Lactalis Retail Dairy, Inc. (“LRDI”), a division of Lactalis American Group, Inc. (“LAG”). With headquarters in Buffalo, NY, LAG is a subsidiary of Parmalat S.p.A., an Italian public entity majority-owned by France-based Groupe Lactalis – the world’s largest producer of premium cheese. LRDI produces a wide array of natural cheese products included among the leading brands of mozzarella, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and snack cheese sold in the United States. A wide variety of specialty cheese are available to retail, foodservice and industrial customers. More information on Galbani cheese may be found at www.galbanicheese.com.

An early evening taste crawl through the delightful community of Healdsburg with Birgitt Vaughan, PR Director for Sonoma County Tourism to visit some great restaurants while perusing the many shops surrounding the historic Healdsburg Square was a great introduction to this charming Sonoma destination.

Our first stop on the taste crawl was MATEO'S Cocina Latina at 214 Healdsburg Avenue. This is a venue with simply wonderful unique cocktails, entrees and appetizers. Mateo's is definitely one place not to miss in Healdsburg. The outdoor back patio is perfect for a fun loving crowd to sample delicious items like Ahi tuna ice cream cones or beet salad with a variety of creative cocktails! 707-433-1520.

CHALKBOARD Healdsburg has a great bar entrance that leads to the dining room with an open kitchen and a cozy outdoor patio. They offer a fantastic collection of unique plates and wines for an evening to remember. Their Red Car Pinot was a great match with yummy sliders and a variety of appetizers. Their open kitchen and great staff make this a warm and cozy place to experience a very creative menu. www.chalkboard.com.

BRAVAS, 420 Center Street, offers delightful and uniqueTapas dishes, and their wine menu is filled with local favorites. The inner dining room of this converted home is charming and the outdoor back patio is a beehive of activity in the evening. A bottle of Endless Crush Rose Pinot with scallops was amazing. The staff were very helpful in explaining the ingredients used in specific dishes. Visit: www.Bravas.com.

A tasting luncheon at PAUL HOBBS Winery proved to be a delightful gourmet surprise. This is one beautiful winery with state-of-the-art wine making equipment, an amazing chef, and a beautiful tasting facility to pair their wonderful wine with outstanding cuisine. Our host Christopher O'Gorman, Marketing & Public Relations Manager gave us the full tour and shared information on the wines he selected to pair with chefs outstanding plates. The lunch pairing was perfect, and the chef provided exceptional plates to enjoy with Hobbs wines, which included Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir, Cross Barn Pinot and more.

According to Paul Hobbs “The wines we are currently producing are the result of years of perseverance, patience and experimentation in our continuing adventure with wine.” Forbes Magazine considers Paul Hobbs the Steve jobs of wine. Visit www.PaulHobbsWiery.com.

Best dining in Healdsburg is VALETTE, 344 Center Street, which is truly a home for gourmands. Justin Valette was the former executive chef at Dry Creek Kitchen, a Charlie Palmer Group venue, where we enjoyed a brilliant dining experience that included treats like scallop en croute with leeks, fennel and caviar Pernod beurre blank, paired with Jordan Chardonnay 2012. His newly opened Valette Restaurant has gotten raves from the real food and wine experts, and that comes as no surprise to me. He is truly an outstanding chef, and this place is culinary heaven for those who know 'what's up' in gastronomique. Valette brings back memories of beginnings of the French Laundry in terms of original and creative plates paired with amazing wines. This restaurant has recently won a ton of prestegous awards both from renowned food writers, as well as wine experts! Visit www.valettehealdsburg.com.

Bonnie Carroll, publisher/editor of Life Bites News, presented Renato Moiso and Dante Sigismondi with a special award for their recent successful Abruzzo Week Celebration crea

ted to inform Santa Barbara patrons on the history, culture, food and wine of Abruzzo, Italy. They were also sent a special letter of thanks from the Italian Government Tourist Board, Italian Travel Promotion Council, and Eurofly Airlines. Sigismondi was presented a sterling silver "Abruzzo" lapel pin from the region for his support; his family sent authentic recipes from the region to be duplicated and served during the Abruzzo Week.

“CIAO BELLA” WHITE LIGHTNING TAKES 4 th AT CHILI COOKOFF
by Bonnie Carroll

For nearly two decades I have devoted my time to interviewing and writing about top chefs around the world, and last month I took all that culinary wisdom and put it to work creating an original chili recipe for competition in the 11 th Annual Beverly Hills Chili Cook Off.

This was my very first cooking competition of any kind, and I arrived at 6:00 a.m. armed with all my knives, recipe ingredients, a big pot and my favorite apron. Only one side of my Bunsen burner stove worked, and it kept going out; I had to relight it seven times during the contest. By 9:00 a.m. my meat and vegetables were all golden brown and in the pot simmering with the additional menu ingredients. The original recipe was the result of an evening adventure with my cookbooks, that included studying the ingredients and preparations of some old cowboy kick-a—recipes, and then creating a recipe from their basic scheme that included choice ingredients from my Italian cookbooks. The end result was “Ciao Bella” chili; a northern Italian inspired concoction that was completely white, and a total contrast to the red hot chili presented by the other nine contestants.

Executive Chef Celestino Drago of the Drago restaurant dynasty, and his daughter Franchesca came by to wish me luck, and a project producer named Derek from the Ellen Degeneres Show filmed me cooking and interviewed me for consideration to appear on a cooking segment with the popular show host. It was fun, I felt like Emeril for fifteen minutes, but I substituted ‘Bam’ with Tuto Bene! Bindu Kundanmal, last years 1 st place winner-- who ultimately became a second time winner in this years competition, was cooking her Indian inspired red hot chili in the space next to me, and we had great fun laughing and sharing food stories.

The sample bowls of my chili to be sent to the judges looked perfect, and I felt obligated to live up to my chef mentors by providing a presentation that was spectacular. My miniature bread sticks, sitting next to sliced tiny red & yellow tomatoes, resting on a basil leaf. were picture perfect, and the fresh Romano cheese was the coup de gratin. Following the judging we gave samples to the show attendees, and I was filled with pride by the people’s choice approval I was given for my hard work. For possibly the first time I really understood how a chef must feel when they peak around the kitchen door to see a food writer gleefully gobbling up their signature entrée.

Thanks to all the dear chefs who have obviously, and possibly through osmosis, peaked my imagination and skills to not only inspire me to create an original and different dish, but to have the bravado to stand by it in the face of stiff competition. To me that is what great cooking is all about; courage and imagination! I love you all, and thank you for your talent and the special gifts you have shared with me over the years. Salute! My recipe below:

A new lease proposal would demolish the restaurant in favor of a different long-term tenant.

Is this the end of Gladstone’s in Malibu? It very much looks like it, as the Daily Breeze is reporting that Los Angeles County seems ready to flip the iconic restaurant property to a new owner with a secured long-term lease.

The news comes as quite a shock to many in the Malibu and Santa Monica areas, as Gladstone’s has been an extremely popular sunset and dinner destination since 1972. Recently though, LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl called the property "seriously deteriorated and outdated" as part of a motion in front of the Board of Supervisors.

In essence, Kuehl and others would like to see the lease on the property extended to a full 40 years (currently it’s only allowed to run for 20 years), which they believe would lure in a new restaurant that would build from scratch on the site. The long-term lease would hopefully make such a build more stable and viable for whichever company steps up to the challenge.

Both Gladstone's and LA County want to move on

According to the Daily Breeze, both the Gladstone’s side and the county’s Department of Beaches and Harbors are keen to move on from their long-running agreement by fall of next year, which means come October 2017 it’s likely that the Gladstone’s you know and love will be no more. It’s not clear who exactly would step up to build and operate a new restaurant on site, though certainly a 40 year guarantee will help to draw some attention to the matter. For now, the proposal to extend the lease terms is winding its way through the county legislative system.