OMG, So Beautiful

www.wasara.jp
Earth friendly disposable paper ware

Chez Panisse Bread Display

Photo: EnRoute Magazine

What a great idea to display something as basic and universal as artisanal bread and fresh farm butter.

Home Presentation

A number of years ago, I was a caterer and I was always looking for new ways to display food. My friend Seth Kunin from Kunin Wines gave me this barrel top.  I made some modifications so it would sit well on the table.

I am no longer a caterer, but I use this barrel lid to serve appetizers. 

It's perfect for charcuterie and tapas.

Elixirs

NEW Multi Carafe from Arosse by Nuance

The screw off base is an ingenious feature which lets you jazz up the contents with decorations for all occasions, frozen fruit, ice cubes, and other ingredients to flavor your drinks and delight the senses. The carafe is specifically designed to keep everything in place as your pour out your creations.

Tip: Arrange several carafes filled with seasonal ingredients to create a visual impression.

Dish

Love these! Great buffet pieces.

photo: Abigails

Coffee Trend

My husband and I look for just about any excuse to visit San Francisco. It's as Manhattan as the left coast gets, even if the demographic has trended towards a younger populace. We like to stay near the Ferry Building, which has evolved as a hub of all things cuisine, including one of the very best Farmers Markets.

On a recent trip, we spied Blue Bottle Coffee and sampled a cup. Mmmm, mmm, good. The concept, which is spreading like wildfire, is brewing one cup, on the spot from freshly ground, small batch, specialty roasted beans. Call it artisanal micro-roasters.

It's thicker and richer then the typical filter drip coffee. Watch for this trend to take root and grow.

photo: Flickr

My Day on Abbot Kinney

Saturday I drove down to visit with my daughters. After a nostalgic and satisfying breakfast at Du-par's, we headed out to explore Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice, California.

We found the boulevard to be quite stroll-able with plenty of hip & chic store fronts to catch our eyes.

Later in the afternoon, we were ready for a snack and decided to try Lemonade. Not the drink, the cafeteria. It seems as if the Manhattan concept of hit and run lunch is alive and well on the Westside and apparently other LA locations as well.

The decor and merchandising are well executed.

The concept is a modern twist on comfort foods set up as a cafeteria . It's long on style but was short on comfort Saturday. There was a huge line, which attests to their popularity. But what really struck me was the visual presentation. I loved the use of enameled French style pots as servers. Down home but upscale at the same time.

They did a great job capturing that feeling of coming home to a big pot of braise or stew.

Now, IMHO, they just need to make the food tastier. But what do I know? The line was out the door and they are on their third location.

Next stop was an popular antique store called Bountiful. I love the way they arranged the cake stands and covers. I love this kind of merchandising. Layering different versions of the same item together makes a strong and interesting visual statement. This is an easy and well-used technique. Try it.