Is it wrong to want to live in a restaurant? I can see a lot of practical sides to this wish. No grocery shopping, no dish washing, no planning meals for the week. Heaven.

After eating at Trio restaurant in Palm Springs, I have design envy. Located in a former bank building, this restaurant plays established modern cool to its advantage. The restaurant has a gravitas that is provided by the building’s history as a bank. Heavy natural materials in bank-speak say, “We have been around for a long time and …

The popping of a champagne cork is one of the best sounds in the world.  Like the symphony tuning their instruments before the concert starts or the opening of the Jackson Five song ABC, the sound of a champagne cork signals the potential of something good and all the best elements of anticipation.  Chicago is a city that understands and is the home to Pops for Champagne – a champagne bar that will knock your shoes off.
 
The interior is a beautiful open space with floor to ceiling windows so that diners …

I became impatient with chemistry class in high school. It always seemed like there was an over emphasis on diagrams and tables and not enough skill teaching about explosives or even how to make an amazing espresso. Chemistry is all around us, and I often feel like the child who slipped through the cracks. Alchemy restaurant in South Park is helping me make up for lost time. The art and science of food and drink are happening in this creativity lab and all are welcome (Bunsen burner not needed).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The menu …

If you are digging the Mad Men style – the glamour, panache, and confident-cool, you can find yourself all dressed up with no place to go.  To be sure, finding the right outfit can be a far cry easier from finding a place with enough style to meet you more than half-way.  For those in San Diego this isn’t such a dilemma. 
When the mood strikes, look no further than The Wellington in Mission Hills.  You will be met by a stellar menu that mixes classic dishes, such as the signature …

Having dinner at DINK’s in Palm Springs reminded me of two forgotten life experiences: the last house party I went to in France and the first time I was kicked out of the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. DINK’s is a restaurant and cocktail lounge that is Palm Springs appropriate – generous outdoor seating, mid-century modern design overtones, private booths inside, and an extensive cocktail menu.
Why did DINK’s remind me of these two things? Both of these memories shared a certain amount of contained chaos. The party in …

Palm Springs is as slick as it gets when it comes to weekend get-aways in Southern California. This oasis of cool in the desert will quench your thirst for relaxation, fun, and all things hip.
Your To Do list must include a stop at The Citron restaurant at the Viceroy Hotel. Put it at the top of your list and make an extra effort to get it checked off early during your stay. The Viceroy makes good use of a black, white, and yellow color scheme. In the evening, this gives …

Going to the Vela restaurant at the bayside Hilton filled my mind with questions. After stopping there for a weekend breakfast, I wanted to know: Did the interior designer get sleepy after the first few days of work and only complete the entry? I haven’t been able to shake from my mind the feeling I had as a child when I learned that the little houses and castles at the miniature golf course were not the actual homes of my favorite fairy tale characters. The Vela has a fabulous entrance …

Fall always seems to me like a temporary guest of a season. Perhaps it is because her stay seems interrupted by faux-winter – the holiday marketing season – and my own attempts to stretch Summer to the maximum length her elasticity will allow. It isn’t because I dislike Fall. I think it is because I dislike change, and I cling to Summer to avoid it. Then, once in Fall, and beginning to enjoy her company, the marketing version of Winter – a fifth season of gift peddling comes crashing in before …

In fashion and design, stripping away the extras and reducing something to its barest point is an art.  Adding in elements that provide contrast, pop, and visual surprises takes style, confidence in your design, and a sense of creativity and identity.  These principles are no different with food.  With most food, you have options.  You can do your own cooking or you can find restaurants that focus on flavor and quality.  But one crucial area where you cannot be as independent is chocolate. This holy-holy of foods is not something …

One resource everyone needs in their back pocket is a Place for Important Conversations.    In the movies, it seems that dark restaurants with a well stocked bar, quiet corners, staff who know how to provide great service while leaving you alone, and menu items you can take time over sit on every corner.  In real life, finding this location is a little trickier.  And yet, it is something that every one needs in their little electronic black book of resources.  You need one of those places where the setting adds …