Take Your Cues from the Martha Stewart Café

Take Your Cues from the Martha Stewart Café

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

Update: The Martha Stewart Living headquarters changed locations 8/2019.

Not all coffee and tea is the same.  After you discover the flavors you prefer and which brands are better than others you will want to bypass many coffeehouses and bistros.  Confused?  Not to worry.  Here is where my expert knowledge of cooking, restaurants, and trusted expertise comes in handy.  Many readers rely on Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven as a source for how-to and where-to regarding cookery, culture, and community.  Let an enjoyable experience with Martha Stewart Coffee become one of your new favorites.  

The Martha Stewart Café provides a wonderful assortment of coffee, tea, and baked goods.  Martha’s Blend ground coffee is a medium-roast sourced from beans across the globe, including Kenya, Guatemala, and Indonesia.  The warm, chocolate aroma and flavor of this bold and well composed coffee is an elevated flavor in contrast to many others.  Kobrick Coffee, Jersey City, New Jersey, curate the coffee beans and provide sustainable products.  

“Welcome to the Martha Stewart Café, a dream of mine that has finally become a reality!  Inspired by the wonderful coffee shops I’ve visited all around the world, it’s a place where I can share my favorite handcrafted coffees, teas, and bakery treats with customers who will enjoy them as I do. I hope you’ll make the Martha Stewart Café a part of your daily routine…”.

Pastries and goodies such as croissants, pain au chocolate, granola, candied nuts, muffins, and cookies are also served at the café by Bisous Bisous, Rush Patisserie, and Empire Baking Company.  The chocolate chip twist croissant is a nod to European cookery, light, and a perfect pairing with a hot cup of coffee or cappuccino (an Italian coffee created with hot milk and steamed milk foam).  

The barista and cashier were friendly and knowledgable about menu items.  We had a sociable time discussing ingredients, blends, and pastry recommendations.  The flagship is in New York City at the Starrett-Lehigh building within the Chelsea neighborhood.  A historic building that was a collaboration between the Starrett real estate company and Lehigh Valley railroad.  The second location is located in downtown Sacramento, California.  Dallas is the location of the third café.

My Recommendations

1.  The café is located at 13350 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75240.  This store is housed within the Macy’s department store at the Galleria Dallas.  The shopping mall is a drivable distance from downtown Dallas, Dallas Love Field Airport, and suburbs such as Waxahachie, Parker, Highland Park, et cetera.  There are several covered parking garages, valet parking, and access from the rail and bus system.

2.  Dining space is available within the café with square tables and chairs.  Enjoy your coffee, tea, pastry, or other items at one of the tables or take items to go.  Peak times occur on weekends and during holidays.  Check store hours.

3.  The Martha Stewart Café has a respectable number of desirable menu items.  The following were my favorites. 

Martha’s Blend Coffee

Cappuccino

Chocolate Chip Twist Croissant

See more...

Martha Stewart Café: Martha’s Blend Coffee Review

Cappuccino--A Must at the Martha Stewart Café New York City

 

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Credit:  marthastewartcafe. com, twitter .com /ms_living/status/781999622189355008

Hash House A Go Go: “Twisted Farm Food”

Hash House A Go Go: “Twisted Farm Food”

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

Buttermilk biscuits. Fried chicken.  Smoked bacon.  Served on plates the size of the state of Indiana.  Hash House A Go Go is the creation of executive chef Craig “Andy” Beardslee and former musician and San Diego restaurateur Johnny Rivera.  The menu marries the heart the Midwest with mad flare.    

“Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Hash House A Go Go puts a unique spin on each meal of the day.  We keep food fun while pulling from the experiences of farm fresh agriculture, livestock and old recipes with a twist.  Casual by day, we serve up flapjacks and farm benedicts for breakfast.  Lunch offers our famous Hash House stuffed burgers among many other great farm fresh classics.   For dinner, we offer upscale dining in a relaxed atmosphere.  Dinner dishes range from homemade chicken pot pie to braised slow-cooked barbecue pork ribs to a 14 oz. New York steak.”

Critics, such as Martha Stewart, Las Vegas Weekly, and The New York Post, have enjoyed dining at Hash House A Go Go.  The original location is in San Diego, California.  Other locations include Las Vegas, Nevada, Chicago, Illinois, Orlando, Florida, Mohegan Sun, Connecticut, Reno, Nevada, and Plano, Texas.

Recommendations

1.  Hash House A Go Go at The LINQ is located at 3535 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada.  This is a walkable distance from other hotels and casinos, such as The Cosmopolitan.  From further distances use a taxi or car service.  

2.  Peak times occur during week days and nights, especially weekend nights and after shows within the casinos.  Make reservations to ensure a table.  Hash House A Go Go is a top spot to dine after a late night in Vegas.

3.  Share a meal.  Not joke.  The menu items at HHAGG are beyond generous in size.  The vast majority of people do not finish their meals.  Go hungry, choose an item to share with a friend or family member, and be prepared to take a box of leftovers to your hotel room if it has a refrigerator.  

4.  The menu at HHAGG has many tempting choices, including waffles, house hashes, farm scrambles, pancakes the size of the table, and meatloaf.  The following were my favorites.

Andy's Crispy Sage Fried Chicken Salad:  mixed greens, green apple, blue cheese, caramelized pecans, tomato, sage fried chicken breast and clover honey mango vinaigrette.  This ample size salad and biscuit is plenty for a very famished person.  Order the dressing on the side.

THE BASIC: Two egg breakfast any style, potatoes, fruit and biscuit or toast.  Add 

Sausage, Smoked Bacon, or Ham.  This is a substantial meal, satisfying, and perhaps one of the few dishes made for one person to eat.

5.  Many dishes are accompanied by a sprig of fresh rosemary.  A few rosemary leaves in your water makes for a fragrant and flavorful drink in the desert climate.  Also, it is a good idea to save the rosemary for a cocktail or cup of tea later back at your hotel room.

 

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Credits: hashhouseagogo.com and facebook.com/HashHouseAGoGo/

A Kitchen Chat with Chef Elizabeth Falkner: Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies

A Kitchen Chat with Chef Elizabeth Falkner: 

Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

Chef Elizabeth Falkner, of Citizen Cake and Orson, held a live talk in her New York kitchen as she prepared cookies for Christmas.  Falkner chose the recipe for Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies from a viewer submission.  The recipe is simple enough to make in mass quantities during holiday time.  Something we all can appreciate.    

“My Grandmother's Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies (recipe goes back over 100 years). 

2 1/2 c. flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 t. salt, 1/2 c butter, 3/4 c sugar, 1/4 c milk, 1 egg, 2 t vanilla. Make cookie dough by regular method.  Chill.  Roll into long rolls, about 1/2" in diameter.  Cut into 1" pieces.  Dip in egg wash and roll in sesame seeds.  Bake on greased sheet pan or parchment, 425° (Fahrenheit or 218.3° Celsius) for 7 minutes.  I love these because they're not real sweet and taste like home.”--  Sandina Clayton.

*Falkner utilized vanilla paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

I asked Chef Elizabeth Falkner, “If you made these cookies into sandwich cookies, what would you layer in between?”  

She liked the idea and recommended it may be fun to use sesame paste or black tahini mixed with powdered sugar and a little bit of sesame oil.  Another ingredient to sandwich between the cookies is green tea ice cream.

“Falkner is a huge fan of cooking competitions and has appeared on more than thirty television competition shows either as a competitor or a judge.  Most people remember her battles to the final in Food Network's, ‘Next Iron Chef-Super Chefs’, where she was the runner up.  She also appeared on ‘Iron Chef America’, ‘Food Network Challenge’, ‘Kitchen Inferno’, ‘All-Star Academy’, ‘Cutthroat Kitchen-Superstar Sabotage’, ‘Chopped Allstars’, as well the first season of Bravo’s, ‘Top Chef Masters’ and Cooking Channel’s, ‘Donut Showdown’, as a reoccurring judge.  Falkner is a multiple award winning chef and James Beard Nominee.  For more than twenty years, she wowed the San Francisco/Bay Area with her restaurants and patisserie, Citizen Cake and Orson.”

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Credits: elizabethfalkner.com and facebook.com/ChefElizabethFalkner/videos/1171901829506678

Rooster and the Pig Restaurant Review

Rooster and the Pig Restaurant Review

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

It is always excellent to stumble upon a new restaurant, especially when the menu offers items that are thoughtfully crafted with good flavor and creativity.  I learned of Rooster and the Pig through reading an article in a food magazine.  The article was published right before my trip to the area.  Perfect timing.  

The name, Rooster and the Pig, refers to the animal characteristics of the rooster’s confidence and pig’s content nature.  A good pairing of ideas and influences for Vietnamese cuisine.  Rooster and the Pig offers “French technique, Asian heritage, and bi-coastal gallivanting.  Dishes are portioned to encourage ordering a variety of items for the table to share.  Selections may change daily based on availability and the desire to showcase carefully sourced products at their peak.”

Recommendations

1.  Call ahead for hours.  Peak times occur during weekdays and nights, especially weekend nights.  You may wish to visit for lunch as soon as they open on a weekend.  Make sure to make reservations.

2.  The restaurant is located at 356 South Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262.  Public parking is located within the parking lot and on the street.  Make smart use of the nearby parking garage a few minutes walk of the restaurant located between South Palm Canyon Drive, Baristo Road, and South Indian Canyon Drive.

3.  The menu consists of savory and well seasoned dishes.  The small plates make it possible to taste various items and share with others.  Four plates could be shared between two people.  

4.  I have enjoyed the following dishes.  

WONTON WRAPPED MARINATED SHRIMP

JASMINE TEA LEAF, TANGY NAPA CABBAGE, CRISPY SHALLOT, MEDLEY OF SEEDS

CRISPY BEEF, ONION, SCALLIONS, EGG NOODLES

SHRIMP, PERSIMMON, GLASS NOODLE, BASIL, MINT

 

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Credits: instagram.com/roosterandthepig, roosterandth

epig.com, https://www.instagram.com/roosterandthepig/

Nine Facts You Didn't Know About Starbucks

Nine Facts You Didn't Know About Starbucks

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

Even people that are not the regular coffee

drinkers are intrigued by the flavors and

benefits of coffee.  Coffee though is

showing medical promise to limit 

the chances of diabetes, cancers, and 

strokes.  That does not mean we have 

free reign to add all kinds sweeteners, 

cream, and syrups.  Also, remember 

that making coffee at home or work is 

much more cost effective.  

One of my current favorites to brew at 

home is Starbuck's Fair Trade Certified™ 

Dark Italian Roast.

"This coffee gets its distinctive sweetness 
from the way it is roasted: dark, and 
darker still.  Somewhere beyond 
the caramel notes of our Espresso Roast, 
short of the smokiness that identifies our 
French Roast – that is the sweet 
spot held by Italian Roast.  What is 
created after the coffee cools is a sturdy 
and sweet blend, potent and intense."

Purchase your Starbucks Coffee grounds, beans, and accessories on Amazon.

Did you know???

1. Starbucks opened in 1971 in a single store in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market.

2. Starbucks was named after the first mate in Moby Dick.

3. In 1998 Starbucks acquired Tazo, a tea company, began selling coffee in grocery stores, and 

launched Starbucks.com.

4. The founders of Starbucks were English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and 

writer Gordon Bowker.

5. The founders of Starbucks knew Alfred Peet, of Peet's Coffee & Tea, who inspired their 

endeavor.

6. The logo of a Siren is a mythological figure who represents the romance and creativity that 

inspired the founders. 

7.  A Starbuck's Caffè Latte has 190 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 18 grams of carbohydrates.

8.  The Starbuck's Outrageous Oatmeal Cookie has 370 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 57 grams of carbohydrates, 170 milligrams of sodium, and 36 grams of sugar.  

9. The Starbuck's headquarters is located in a former Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog distribution

center in Seattle, Washington.

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Purchase your Starbucks Coffee grounds, beans, and accessories on Amazon.

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Credit: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net and www.starbucks.com

The Laguna Coffee Company Review by Jesse Bluma

The Laguna Coffee Company Review

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

The Laguna Coffee Company offers a large selection that includes coffee, espresso, blended drinks, smoothies, Italian soda, kid's drinks, pastries, breakfast, and sandwiches.  I have not yet tried their food items; I do like their vanilla latte with non-fat milk.  Organic options are also available.  On a warm day you can eat outside in the side courtyard or take a walk with your coffee.  A lot of surfing across the street.  Laguna Coffee Company also takes phone and online orders.  

Parking:  There is a free lot and on-street metered parking.  If parking on the street anywhere in Laguna Beach beware the high curb, it damages car doors and is a stepping hazard.  The lines to order can get long, don't go in needing a STAT order of caffeine.  Homemade coffee is a good way to spend your money, although if you are in the area and want to sample different coffees this is a good spot.

  

"There is something about the Laguna Coffee Company, established in 1991, that causes its owners to treat it more like a passion than a business. Current owners, Paul and Cathy Ackley and Peggy Warner, have been coffee aficionados and customers of Laguna Coffee for years. Purchasing the company in 2006 from Sylvain Touati, French ex-patriot and master roaster, was a natural extension of their love for all things coffee.  We find the best coffees in the world, to satisfy the cultivated palate of our coffee customers and roast the beans in-house. As an independently owned and operated coffee boutique, we provide freshness and quality in our coffees that chain coffee houses can't offer."

http://www.lagunacoffeeco.com/

 

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Credit: lagunacoffeeco.com/, https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheLagunaCoffeeCompany/photos/?ref=page_internal