Diary of a Dilettante

Just in case you cared, here's a place where you can find out a little bit about everything that I know a little bit about.

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Location: Los Angeles, CA

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Thursday, September 28

TiVo Travails: 2006 Fall TV Season Begins! (Update)

 

Well, I said I'd get back to you with my picks and pans for the new television season. But I have encountered a bit of a problem. I just don't care. I have searched far and wide for new series to get excited about, but I honestly can't find any. So far, I watched the new sit-com "Class" which is mildly amusing but not must-see fare; I glimpsed at M. Night-esque "Heroes" which, well, was too M-Night-esque for my taste, but in a cheap TV kind of way. I did force my husband to watch "Men In Trees" but he has since threatened divorce if I ever subject him to the 'Sex in the Northern Exposure City' skein again. Otherwise, I haven't even been able to get myself to even watch anything else.

(Oops, I lied. I did watch "Studio 60" and sort of like it but sort of don't care. Which is what I can say about all the other stuff out there. WHO CARES?)

With "The Office", "Earl", "Grey's Anatomy", "Lost", "Project Runway" and a few other things out there that I already watch regularly (yes, I watch "Grey's Anatomy" even if it is McCheesy, and "Lost" even if it is McConfusing-for-the-sake-of-being-confusing), do I really want to add anything else to my schedule? I am having far more fun blogging about yogurt and discovering widgets that I think I will be retiring the remote for the season and focusing on other activities.

Come to think of it, there may be an even more reasonable explanation as to why I'm bored by TV. I am officially outside of the all important 18-34 youth demographic that advertisers salivate at, and that network programming is geared toward, by and large. Maybe, just maybe, I am not interested in TV because TV is no longer interested in me.

I might just have to consider a 'book of the month' column, transitioning to an old person appropriately touting old media.

Tuesday, September 26

Pinkberry vs. gelatoDay: a modern day David and Goliath battle for Yogurt supremacy

 

I know, the whole 'yogurt' craze in Los Angeles is getting a little/lot tiresome. But I can't resist sharing with you the flyer that was placed on my car this weekend advertising gelatoDay, a joint very close to Larchmont Village that has the edge on the Larchmont Boulevard Pinkberry Franchise since it is actually OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

Now, gelatoDay's product might not be the greatest (but it's certainly passable) and its portions may be small on the small end of the spectrum (but who really needs a vat of yogurt when a few ounces will do?). However, gelatoDay's marketing rocks. Its shaky grasp on the English language, and sheer boldness make me really want to root for the place. It's not some Starbucks-style corporate juggernaut, it's classic mom and pop, word of mouth, grass roots style stuff. And here it is in all its glory:

FRONT:

BACK:I have to give props to anybody who uses the descriptor "sweet and sour" to describe a food product that isn't a poultry dish on a Chinese take-out menu; or that touts "constipation" as one of its unique benefits (does the yogurt relieve or cause constipation? The flyer is unclear).

Also, to creatively target the large but underserved market concerned with both colon health/yeast infections and also seeking yummy dessert products is simply genius! I am equally intrigued by the term "grow food".

In any case, while the folks at Pinkberry are carefully developing their style sheet, decor guidelines and grammatically correct shelf-talkers and marketing materials that the 1000 franchise applicants will be forced to use in each of their branches, the yogurt-preneurs of gelatoDay brashly move forward with a charming innocence -- and tendency for malapropisms (or just bad translation) -- that is winning me over. Bigtime.



Thursday, September 21

Wine of the Week

 

2003 Chateau de Segries Lirac Reservee

I'm trying to branch out, to try wines from different regions and villages than I have in the past, and to be honest with you I've done things ass-backwards and am now arriving in France after having tasted a lot from the New World. The folks at Du Vin in West Hollywood suggested that this Lirac (the Rhone village where the wine is produced) would be a nice sipping wine, good to drink on its own and aside from a meal. So I bought it, and finally opened it up last night.

While I agree with them that it's a nice sipping wine, I found it to be more substantial than they had implied. It was defnitely lighter in body, but composed most likely of Grenache and Syrah, with possibly a little Mouvedre thrown in, the wine had an earthy texture and some strong berry aromas. The tannins were soft, just noticeale enough to give the wine some structure without coating my mouth. There was also a smokiness to the wine that I thought was a tad unpleasant at first, but then seemed to actually complement the food we were eating. I think on its own, I would have recoiled at the tar-like quality, but in this case it turned out to be a welcome layer of complexity.

For those of you who care, the village of Lirac is just across the river from Chateauneuf-de-Pape. I can't really compare this to its famed neighbor since I have yet to delve into those revered 13 grape blends. But at around $13 a bottle, this is an approachable wine that was a nice step away from the huge California Syrahs and Australian GSMs that I'm more familiar with.

The more experienced tasters at Gang of Pour have their own opinion, which I am reprinting here for your perusal. Their blurb was written over a year ago, and as a result the wine probably needs less air these days (we decanted, but poured less than a half hour later):

"2003 Château de Segries Lirac Reservee, 13.5% alc.: Dark garnet, with a smoky tinge, and not giving much at all on the nose at first, but this is a wine that needs time to open and show what it has. With a few hours of air, what at first seemed a somewhat dull, clunky wine evolves to exhibit some real depth, with earthy dark plum, blackberry and black currant flavors and aromas that are accented with a little tobacco and underbrush. Medium tannins will take this at least a few years down the road, and bottle age should allow this to develop nicely."

You can find this wine at the aforementioned Du Vin (where it costs about $13.00) or at Wine House, for a mere $9.99. I was not able to locate (care of Wine Searcher) any east coast outlets carrying the wine, but that doesn't mean they don't exist...

Wednesday, September 20

Wine 101: My education continues care of Laguna Culinary Arts

 

I am happy to announce that I will soon be able to speak about wine with an authority that has some basis in actual experience and education, as yesterday I enrolled in an eight week course to get my intermediate certificate from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust of the United Kingdom. If it's British, it must be legit, right?

Anyhow, the course is being taught by a Master Sommelier (and high level executive of the Henry Wine Group, the distributor that handles Jorge Ordonez selections) at Laguna Culinary Arts, if anybody should want to join me in my endeavors. Here are the details:

Level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wines, Spirits and Other Alcoholic Beverages
Instructor: Peter Neptune, Master Sommelier
Dates: Saturdays, beginning October 7 through December 16, 9:30am-12noon.
This class will skip some Saturdays – dates will be determined by the instructor.
$550 per person for 8 weeks

Call 949-494-0745 to enroll

For non-Los Angeles/Southern California based budding oenophiles, there are courses offered in Vancouver, Toronto, Napa (at COPIA), Denver, Cleveland, New York and other cities. Click here for a complete listing.

The Ivy Pinkerton Files: The Return of Ivy!

 

From New York, Ivy reports:

I’ve been on hiatus. I thought I had come down with a rare summer depression but then pinpointed the cause of my posting inactivity to
this. Dear readers, you will remember Rochas as being a source of inspiration to me, and now, I have found myself floating, uninspired, amongst a tedious crop of tired 80s leggings, layering, and chunky tops instead. Ho hum.

Until I saw these. And these. In this season of design regurgitation, the chunky, funkified space-age shoe from Balanciaga or Marc Jacobs makes my heart pitter patter! It calls to mind the best of the 80s, which means innovation, such as vintage Comme des Garcons. And I feel like I can now applaud the return of the inverted 80’s triangle silhouette (skinny bottom, big top) as long as it sits atop this inventive, modern, badass pedestal.

--IP

Monday, September 18

New Yorkers can keep reading my blog because now you have your very own Pinkberry too!

 

Just click on the title of this post for details. And somebody please let me know if and when the NYC-PB actually opens, since the 2nd outlet in LA has yet to materialize.

Link

Sunday, September 17

TiVo Travails: 2006 Fall TV Season Begins!

 

I am going to take this evening to examine the Fall television schedule, and come back at you with a rundown of what I hope and expect from the exciting array of network and cable offerings (finally, a post about something other than wine or yogurt). At the very least, fall TV should prove more exciting than the summer's smorgasbord of reality schlock whose highlight was surely former Tap Dance Kid Alfonso Ribeiro on Celebrity Duets. Or not.

Anyhow, I haven't had time to 'study' the grid yet, so 'stay tuned' for the Dabbler's picks and pans.

One pre-season glimmer of hope was last week's premiere of Nip/Tuck, which never fails to disappoint with its over-the-top stunt casting (I can't wait for Alanis Morisette to play the lesbian lover of Roma Maffia's anesthesiologist) and its utter inability to understand the notion of 'subtext'.

Creator Ryan Murphy spells everything right out -- even more this year than before -- with Dr. Troy wondering in the opener (after the notion is suggested to him by a Tranny-esque Brooke Sheilds) if he might actually be in love with his longtime 'partner' Sean. But my bet for a must-see plotline is mullet-haired Matt's supposed trip down Scientology Lane, which could provide a few gems. Ultimately this is a show to TiVo, but to watch cautiously, with one thumb on the fast-forward button, at all times.

(By the way, did anybody see the ad for Murphy's film RUNNING WITH SCISSORS? Can anybody say 'ROYAL TENENBAUMS'?)

Friday, September 15

You too can open your own 'Natural' Yogurt shop -- watch out Pinkberry!

 

Apparently all it takes is a few thousand dollars and a storefront, as well as enough credit to buy some chairs at Design Within Reach, Kartell or IKEA, and you, too, can open your very own Pinkberry clone.

Since Pinkberry is taking its time, I invite any willing competitors to jump on the bandwagon and rent a space to open up shop. Once you've found the perfect location (let's say a mini-mall near Vine and Melrose, perchance, at a rate of a couple bucks per square feet), here's all you need to know:

First, go to Taylor Equipment and buy your very own soft serve machine, from which you'll dispense the stuff. Or buy it from Orange County distributor Specialized Services. If you're in a real hurry check out Surfas Restaurant Supply in Culver City where they can get you one of these machines in 3 days assuming you're LA-based. (As soon as I have some costs on the machine, I'll post them here. But I'm guessing they won't be astronomical.)

Next, get your yogurt ingredients. You can actually get something pre-mixed called YoCream, in either non-fat plain or premium natural flavors. This comes in liquid form and uses active yogurt cultures. I'm making the assumption that this is what some of Pinkberry's competitors might be using, or at the very least a noble equivalent. At only $23.63 per 6.5 gallon cartons, through Southwest Traders Distribution, you'll be swimming in yogurt (considering their $300 minimum order, you'll be receiving approximately 85 gallons) for quite some time. Southwest Traders can be reached at 951-699-7800.







Another cost: seating. The chair on the left, from DWR, is on sale for about $50. The ones in the middle and on the right, also from DWR, $100 minus a 15% discount for buying more than one. Since your space is sure to be small, you'll only need a half dozen, max.

And while I haven't been able to find the exact costs of getting a restaurant permit from the LA County Health Department, it appears to be nominal.

With relatively low start-up costs, and at pennies per serving of the product (before toppings), this tells you just how much money the folks at Pinkberry are making -- and why everybody is copying them. That's not to mention that it took me under an hour to gather all this information, I can think of about a half dozen decent locations, and all the products needed appear to be available for delivery in under a week with a few double-clicks of the mouse.

In total, you should be up and running with start-up costs hovering in the $5000 range (let's say $10,000, max), which is nothing in the restaurant world. Hmmmm, maybe I should do this. I can see it now: Coming soon! The one and only Dabblerlicious Natural Yogurt Supreme, somewhere near Sunset and Vine...

Link

Monday, September 11

Wine of the Week: Second Label Alert! DuMol Pinot Noir Bargain...

 

I was recently in Sonoma, and I found out about a supposedly great second label Pinot Noir from DuMol, available at only a few restaurants and one retailer, the Wine Shop in Healdsburg. I can't say who told me so or even verify the information as I was sworn to secrecy (see how good I am at that?).

But if anybody wants to try a Russian River Valley Pinot from a top notch producer and pay less than half the cost of the first label's price point, then check out the '04 Maranet Pinot Noir. I have yet to taste it, but I can't wait to open up my $30 bottle and see how it drinks.

To order, call the Wine Shop in Healdsburg at 707-433-8333. More recommendations to come soon from my Sonoma travels.

Wednesday, September 6

Chris Jordan: 'In Katrina's Wake' photography opening at Kopeikin Gallery

 

For those interested in art, in social issues, in the rapid decline of the American empire, and in pretty (though sad) photographs -- oh, and free cheap booze -- check out the opening this Saturday evening at the Paul Kopeikin Gallery, located at the 6150 Wilshire Blvd. gallery complex.

Photographer Chris Jordan's previous work dealt with manmade landscapes composed of urban detritus and the vestiges of mass consumption, with haunting images of unimaginably large piles of discarded cell phones, crushed cars, recycling yards filled for infinite distances with broken glass; objects we probably throw away on a daily basis without a thought or care.

In his latest show, however, we see something different: photographs of the remnants of homes, of belongings, of things left behind unwillingly by the victims of hurricane Katrina, not because they were trading up, but because they had no choice. In their state of decomposition and abandonment, these weathered objects and places tell the story of the have-nots, of people who can't simply consume and discard, but who might have had very little to begin with before the tragedy of losing not just their possessions or heirlooms, but their entire communities.

It would be nice to think that a few years from now we might see another set of photographs, from Jordan or others, showing a rebirth of New Orleans -- not in a Disney/42nd Street/ersatz kind of way, but in those small details Jordan captures so strikingly -- just as we're sure to see images of Lower Manhattan coming back to life (replete with a Starbucks and Banana Republic on every other block, and the requisite bronze statues commemorating firefighters or Giuliani). But since investment banks and the NYSE were not the main residents of the Lower Ninth Ward or Jefferson Parish, among other Leftie reasons I will refrain from spouting here, I suspect that things might look like they do in Jordan's images for quite some time.






In Katrina's Wake: Photography by Chris Jordan
Paul Kopeikin Gallery
6150 Wilshire Blvd.
September 9th, 2006, 8PM

Link

Project Manager Olive Survives!

 

I realize that I've been primarily posting on food and wine, possibly in an attempt to ingratiate myself to the foodblogging community and boost some traffic to my site. This has made me somewhat of a specialist, rather than the dilettante I pronounce myself to otherwise be. I promise more scattered, haphazard entries in the near future that will have nothing to do with food or wine.

In the meantime, I thought some of you folks who followed the progress of the Garage Project would like to know that Olive, the Project Manager, after a scuffle with another neighborhood contractor, is just about back to her feisty self. I will refrain from posting 'before' pictures, since they are none too pretty. But here's an 'after' to show you how well she's healed. Hooray! She'll be back to work soon and I can stop paying her worker's comp.

Scooped by Robert Parker: Jorge Ordonez rocks!

 

I had been planning a follow-up to my ten dollar wine entry from last month, to tout the greatness of importer Jorge Ordonez, who seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to choosing wines from Spain worthy of consumption. Many of the bargains I mentioned were his selections, though he finds gems at all price points for those willing to (over)pay.

Unfortunately, Robert Parker seems to have beaten me to the punch, imagine that, with an article on Ordonez in the most recent issue of the venerable Wine Advocate (#166). So instead of being a tastemaker I will look like a copycat. Oh well. I guess I'll have to find some other way to get my big break into the highly lucrative and not at all competitive field of wine journalism.

In any case, here are some selections from Ordonez that I think you should check out. I will refrain from posting WA scores or Parker's tasting notes, since I wholeheartedly believe that anything you see at a wine shop that has the 'Jorge Ordonez' symbol on the back label, as shown here, is at the very least worth a try. By the way, all of my recommendations are red wines, so sorry to you white drinkers.


*Hijos de Juan Gil '04 (approx. $13-15 depending on store -- available at Cost Plus, Wine House, Larchmont Wine & Cheese)

*Luzon Jumilla '05 ($6.99 -- available at Larchmont Wine & Cheese)

*Altos de Luzon Jumilla '04 ($11.99 -- soon to be available at Larchmont Wine & Cheese)

*Alto Moncayo Veraton '03 ($19.99 -- available at the Wine House)

*Alto Moncayo, Alto Moncayo '04 ($43.99 -- available at John & Pete's in the past)

*Bodegas Zabrin Garnacha de Fuego '05 ($6.99 -- new project from Juan Gil and Ordonez, not yet released and availability to be determined)

*Agricola de Borja Vina Borgia '05 ($5.49)

Link

Sunday, September 3

Colleen Cuisine: Kiwiberri Grand Opening

 

Colleen Cuisine: Kiwiberri Grand Opening

Link

Saturday, September 2

Pinkberry Yogurt, get your act together, and fast!

 

So what exactly is the hold-up with all those Pinkberry franchises supposedly popping up all over town? To date, only the original Huntley Drive location (the one that 'launched a thousand parking tickets') is operational, and the Larchmont Boulevard shop remains untouched since it was first branded with a 'coming soon' sign nearly six months ago.

Now, we have Cafe Fiore in Little Tokyo (not bad, I tried it recently -- the consistency might actually be better than Pinkberry, but the taste is a little off, not quite the pucker your lips tart, but not too tart, that Pinkberry has mastered). And then there's the Kiwi-Berri shop on 3rd and La Cienega, which I believe has already opened up shop. Can't vouch for their product, but the decor is certainly a pale imitation of the Asia-Pop-Moderne of both Pinkberry and Fiore, which each boast Phillippe Starck furnishings among other recognizable Design Within Reach selections. I think that Kiwi-Berri may have picked up some of their pink pleather barstools from former neighborhood institution Ed Debevic's, in the restaurant equivalent of estate sales. And of course there is sad Cafe Miafe on Larchmont, which no longer has a banner announcing their pathetic natural yogurt product, though I suspect they still offer it to the one or two people who frequent the mostly empty joint (drug front, anyone?).

Drumroll please...we now have "gelatoDay Italian Natural Low-Fat Yogurt", at 5770 Melrose Avenue in the same mini-mall just east of Vine as the Lo-Carb-U store (photos to follow soon). And guess what they sell? Pinkberry-style yogurt. Like Fiore, the consistency is good. Like Kiwi-Berri, the decor is low-rent moderne (though more Barbarella than the latter). Unlike any of them, they only offer one product: plain frozen yogurt. No green tea, no shaved ice. Just plain yogurt with about a dozen choices for toppings. Portions are small. Product is just okay.

But this place has something going for it that Pinkberry (aside from the Huntley drive location) doesn't. You guessed it! It is actually open and doing business. Up and running. Imagine that! No bubblegum pink plywood boards advertising the elusive hope of tart 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt'. gelatoDay is no cocktease, unlike that hard-to-get vixen Pinkberry.

I ask you, what good does it do to have 30 locations leased out and 'under construction' when countless copy-cats are opening up in mini-mall after mini-mall? The market will be saturated with Italian/neo-Asian Yogurt shops before the second Pinkberry franchise has its grand opening.

So, my dear Pinkberry, I beg of you the following:

Concentrate on getting a few locations up and running before you try to conquer the world (or, at least, LA County). I know I once said that you were spreading like bird flu and that this was a good thing, but this statement has turned out to be only a half-truth. Like bird flu, you are causing a frenzy in your word of mouth; you have successfully hyped the hell out of yourself. But (also like bird flu) you have failed to actually arrive in any pandemic way (in the case of the disease this is good; in the case of PB, bad). You have the best product and it would be a shame if the 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt' fad were cycled through by the time you've blown your wad on a year's rent for 30 shops, none of which have opened or have any sort of revenue stream. Stop over-extending yourselves and expand slowly and methodically. Otherwise, I fear for your fate.

Signed,

Your Harried and Hopeless Yogurt Loving Public

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