Blog
Ultimate Foodie Gift For the Holidays!
12.13.10
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the foodie who has it all? How about a 10-day culinary adventure of a lifetime?
Acclaimed chef Mark McDonald of Old VineCafé (named 2009’s ‘Best Restaurant in OC’ by OC Weekly), along with master chef John Nocita from the Italian Culinary Institute, are hosting a gastronomic excursion to Italy, where guests will spend 10 days exploring and eating their way through the southern regions of Calabria and Sicily.
Activities include: making 50 kinds of pasta alongside chefs from the Italian Culinary Institute, dining in some of the region’s best restaurants, touring wineries and sampling olive oil and cured meats produced on-site at local farms.
“Most, if not all culinary travels to Italy are centered on the region of Tuscany, so we’rereally excited to be able to show people a less-discovered region of Italian history, wines and cuisine,” McDonald said. “It’s also where I lived to broaden my culinary training, so this trip is nostalgic for me.”
There are only a few spots left for the culinary tour of Southern Italy, which is slated for March 5-14, 2011. 714.655.6142 or splendorsofsouthitaly@yahoo.
com.
Dining
Turkish Delight in OC!
12.10.10
GG’s Bistro is a favorite Laguna Beach restaurant serving a combination of authentic Turkish and Italian cuisine. So here’s your spot if you’re craving some Mediterranean favorites like hummus, borek filled with Feta, Swiss cheese, and sautéed onion rings; spaghetti Bolognese; fresh panini sandwiches served on focaccia or ciabatta; Alexander gyro kebabs; a variety of shish kebabs and even Turkish tea and coffee.
Choose from breakfast items such as French toast, Turkish toast (grilled cheese panini with Kashkaval cheese, with Turkish sausage), Mediterranean plate, and tasty omelets served with hash browns. At lunch, selections include freshly made soups, salads, appetizers, and hot pita sandwiches; and at dinner choose also from fresh seafood entrees, lamb dishes, pastas and much more.
Leave room for dessert. GG’s specializes in homemade Baklava, crème brulee cheesecake and tiramisu.
Enjoy live jazz Wednesday evenings 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.; and happy hour 4 to 6: 30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. 540 S. Coast Highway, Suite 108 in Laguna Beach. 949.494.9306.
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