GAYOT's Blog

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The W Los Angeles in Westwood was abuzz with celebrities and American Cancer Society VIPs the night of May 26 in celebration of the hotel’s tenth anniversary. As “The Official Sponsor of Birthdays,” the American Cancer Society (ACS) held a special fundraising silent auction to benefit the fight against cancer and “create a world with more birthdays.” Floating luminaries were provided in exchange for donations to help raise money and as a tribute to those lost to—or still fighting—cancer.

 

The co-hosts of the event were Amber Heard of “The Rum Diary” and “30 Seconds to Mars” front man Jared Leto, who tweeted remotely for the cause due to a scheduling conflict. Also in attendance were television and movie stars such as Mariana Klaveno and Nelsan Ellis of HBO’s “True Blood,” Edi Gathegi of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” and Laura Harring of “Gossip Girl.”

Continue reading “Happy Birthday to W” »

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by Sophie Gayot

 

This is what the 37th Governor of California, Gray Davis, said last night at the first Speaker Series event at the Carroll & Co store on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. The “we” he was referring to is the Golden State.

 

 

 The Speaker Series, hosted by Frank Mottek from the KNX AM1070 Business Hour, benefits the CONCERN Foundation for Cancer Research. Over the past 42 years, the foundation has raised over 42 million dollars to finance research to fight this deadly disease. Derek Alpert, the foundation’s president, was happy to report that 95 cents of every dollar collected actually goes back out. The highlight of the financing campaign is the Block Party held every year at the Paramount Studios back lot on Melrose, where more than 70 restaurants and wineries come together to showcase the best of what they have to offer. Derek’s goal this year is to raise about $2 million at the fundraiser, which will take place July 10.

 

Note: Carroll & Co., the elegant menswear store, will donate 10% of each sale when shoppers mention the CONCERN Foundation through Sunday. And Porta Via, the restaurant across the street that provided hors d’oeuvres and wine for the Series, will be giving 20%.

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by Sophie Gayot

 

Last night, I heard some important restaurant news while attending the 15th annual fundraiser for UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Pretty Woman’s favorite hotel. There was a lot of good food from, Church & State, Lazy Ox Canteen, Patina, Rivera and Bottega Louie and fine wines from the Stags Leap District, a non-profit organization of Cabernet Sauvignon vintners and growers from Napa.

 

 

I arrived too late to try Patina’s Tony Esnault’s foie gras, but I still enjoyed some from Bottega Louie. I got to meet Church & State’s new chef, Joshua Smith, and reconnected with Lazy Ox Canteen’s Josef Centeno (who was kind enough to appear at my first radio show on KNX with Frank Mottek back in 2005). The breaking news came from Matthew Washton, the general manager of Rivera: the restaurant has taken over Grace restaurant and will open sometime this October as a more casual and less expensive version of Rivera.

  Continue reading “Goodbye to Grace” »

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by Sophie Gayot

 

How popular is Susan Feniger? So many people showed up at her latest venture STREET last night to watch her appearance on the TV show Top Chef Masters that the LAPD had to dispatch a traffic officer to Highland Avenue to handle the crush.  STREET private parking behind the restaurant was transformed into a party playground to handle the more than three hundred guests. Luckily, the walls of the parking are decorated with the same graffiti art as the inside.

 

We got to taste Feniger’s street food for the modest sum of $25, with half of the proceeds benefiting the Scleroderma Research Foundation. For me, the winning dish was the pork slider. Made with braised pork in licorice, sweet soy and oyster sauce, pickled carrots, daikon radish and cilantro, it also had a secret ingredient: kefir lime aioli that brought a smart touch.

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by Sophie Gayot

A few days ago, chef Steven Fretz and general manager Jacob Shure of restaurant XIV in West Hollywood opened their kitchen and bar to launch the Los Angeles portion of the Perfect Pairings campaign.

Perfect Pairings, founded by Kevin Mark Lodie, is a program benefiting local Meals-on-Wheels programs like St. Vincent Meals on Wheels that deliver food and other vital services to thousands of people in need every day.

Continue reading “Make a Perfect Pairing in LA” »

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So I was especially pleased to find executive chef Jorge Chicas serving it at the second Los Angeles March of Dimes Annual Chefs Event.

Over 300 guests gathered last week on the private patio at the SLS to taste food and wine from more than 25 restaurants and wineries.

Continue reading “Cotton Candy Foie Gras for a Cause” »

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By Sophie Gayot

 

 

Fresh off the plane from Paris, I had only a few minutes to change before heading to Spago Beverly Hills for the 10th Annual Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner, held last night. Benefiting Meals-on-Wheels Programs of Los Angeles, it is one of the most prestigious charity dinners in the country.

 

Wolfgang Puck, Lee Hefter & Barbara Lazaroff, along with chef de cuisine Thomas Boyce and executive pastry chef Sherry Yard, welcomed six very fine chefs into their kitchen to prepare an elegant six-course dinner.

 

 

 

Continue reading “An Exceptional Evening at Spago Beverly Hills” »

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By Tara de Lis

 

 

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