Show 192, October 9, 2016: Anne Marie Panoringan, Contributor, OC Weekly

Anne Marie PanoringanAnne Marie Panoringan of OC Weekly (regular contributor) is well-known to listeners of the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” Anne Marie followed the buzz about a new Downtown Los Angeles restaurant that’s billed as “The West Coast’s Highest Dining Destination” and is situated on the 71st floor of a renovated high-rise. She has now been there twice. Anne Marie will share her first impressions. Is the food (Chef Vartan Abgaryan, ex-Cliff’s Edge) and bar program at 71Above in the US Bank Tower worthy of the view? We’ll find out…

The menu offers “contemporary modern America cuisine that references the ethnic makeup and cultural traditions of the sprawling metropolis.” The pastry chef is Gregory Baumgartner (ex-Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak.) It’s lunch and dinner with Weekend Brunch.

Show 111, February 21, 2015: Artisan Uprising winery, Paso Robles

David and William Vondrasek Specializing in very limited production, ultra premium wines grown in Paso Robles, California, Artisan Uprising was created by brothers David and William Vondrasek after years of making wines solely for their family.

“Originally inspired to try out what we had learned from our grandfather and our (Italian) heritage of making wine each year, we found ourselves making more than the family could drink. Now that we make enough to share, we have held true to our process and mindset of how our wine should be made.”

“This is handcrafted wine two people can make. Unfiltered and un-stripped, our wines present some sediment in the bottle that we believe enhances the overall texture and ability for the wines to develop and age for years to come. Our wines are unique, they are what we like, and while quality of this scale has a broad appeal, it cannot be mass-produced, It is a true Artisan product.”

Current releases (very limited) are a Rose of Merlot, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Sirah. The wines are on the list at the glowingly-reviewed Cliff’s Edge in Silver Lake.

Artisan Uprising wines (current releases) were sampled recently at a special luncheon event of the L.A. Wine Writers at Hotel Angeleno in Brentwood. Their hands-on, executive chef, Laura Scollan (West) created the inspired food pairings. For example the 2014 Rose of Merlot was matched with a Cider-Glazed Scallop with rainbow cauliflower and truffled parsnip puree.

Current releases (very limited) are a Rose of Merlot, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Sirah.

We are joined by the Vondrasek Brothers.