So, dineLA is over, it’s time for Orange County’s very own restaurant week.

Here’s a link to where we go and check out what’s happening:
Open Table Orange County Restaurant Week

But if you really want to see the official webpage:
http://orangecountyrestaurantweek.com/

I think it’s a dinky website design, but who am I to criticize? Any how, go out and have fun. We’ll try to post updates soon, becuase we’re definitely behind.

It’s that time again!  You can mozy on over to dineLA’s website and checkout the list of participating restaurants.

Just click on the dineLA 2010 image for more info.

Today begins Thomas Keller’s book tour promoting his latest release: ad hoc at home (complete with lower-case lettering to make it more effortless and chic).  There are only nine stops in the next four weeks, most of them either on the northeast coast or in California (with one stop in Illinois and two in Texas along the way).

With the highly anticipated opening of Bouchon in Beverly Hills this month, Keller will be a very busy man.  Lucky for local fans, he will be coming to Williams-Sonoma at South Coast Plaza to introduce and sign ad hoc.

The South Coast Plaza signing will occur on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 11:00AM (3333 South Bristol Street Costa Mesa, CA 92626).  Williams-Sonoma South Coast Plaza is located in the main mall between Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.   This event will be free and open to the public, but will likely fill up fast.

For your convenience, the California appearances are listed below:

Williams-Sonoma Santa Monica
Monday, November 9, 2009 at 12:00pm
1600 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 586-1018

Williams-Sonoma South Coast Plaza
Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 11:00am
3333 South Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 751-1166

Williams-Sonoma Palo Alto
Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 11:30am
180 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 321-3486

*Please note that Thomas will only be signing copies of ad hoc at home purchased at Williams-Sonoma (ie proofs of purchase will be required)! =0/
*Click here for more information and a full schedule of the Williams-Sonoma ad hoc tour

On Tuesday, October 20th, Wally’s on Westwood will be hosting a Salon-Delamotte champagne tasting for only $20 dollars!  Salon Director Didier Depond will be there to pop open the newest version – a 1997 vintage that has barely been tasted in the US.   Get him to answer all your sparkling wine questions.  Remember – the holidays are just around the corner!

A wide range of highly-regarded Delamotte Champagnes will also be available to taste (including the 1999 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs, Delamotte Rosé, Delamotte Brut, and even a Delamotte Blanc de Blanc from 1985!).

The tasting runs from 6:30 to 8pm at Wally’s Wine & Spirits (2107 Westwood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90025).   Click here or call (310) 475-0606 for more information.  If you’d like to learn more about Salon-Delamotte champagnes (or just want to get revved up), check out this video I’ve embedded below!

On Sunday, October 11th, from 6 – 9 pm, Joe’s in Venice will host the first in a series of Los Angeles bartending competitions. The series, dubbed “Raising the Bar” will feature mixologists from six top L.A. restaurants doing what they do best – all in the spirit of friendly competition!

For this first competition, the judging panel will include the owners of each competing restaurant, Sophie Gayot of Gayot Guide, and Restaurant Critic Betty Hallock of the L.A. Times.

There is no cover charge for the audience, though Joe’s is notoriously intimate (read: small) – so RSVP and get there early! The competing cocktails will be sold at $10 per drink. The popular bar menu will also be available for purchase.

*Image courtesy of Bacardi
*Please contact Claudia at (310) 392-5655 for more information and to reserve your spot
*Click here to read my review of Joe’s

Autumn is here, and that means the harvest moon festival is, too!  If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, check out the 12th Annual Asian Moon Festival and Asian Food Expo at Puente Hills Mall.  Free admission, dragon dancers, and tons of Asian delicacies to entice your tastebuds!

There is no formal website for this event.  I have copied the text from the marketing release below.

“Both events will be held on October 3rd and 4th at the Puente Hills Mall (City of Industry) from 10AM to 6PM. The Moon Festival is the important holiday for Chinese people. An expanding component of the Moon Festival is its growing development of an assortment of exhibitions currently including Moon Cake Expo, flowers, sculptures, jewelry, and horticulture. There is a wide selection of carnival games and rides that are suited for all ages.

The Asian Food Expo is offering everyone the opportunity to taste treasures from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. There will also be savory items such as Chinese egg rolls, Taiwanese sausages, Japanese sushi, Korean BBQ and Thai noodles. The celebration will leave all participants feeling satisfied with the endless range of entertainment, shopping, and food.”

*Contact: Yes Marketing Group

Gourmet Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Ruth Reichl, will be in Santa Monica tonight promoting the publication’s newest book, Gourmet Today.  Those of you who subscribe to the magazine may remember that last month’s issue was a cover to cover “tasting” of the book.  Well, it is on shelves now and is looking as beautiful as ever.

Reichl will be meeting readers and signing copies tonight at Williams Sonoma (1600 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA) from 6 to 8pm.  Check her out if you are in the area.  The book, I believe, deserves at least a few minutes of your time – talk about eye candy ga-lore!

For more of an idea of what Gourmet Today is about, check out the video below of Executive Editor, John “Doc” Willoughby, demonstrating one of the book’s 1,000 recipes – Lemon Pudding Cake.  Yum!

*For more information on Ruth Reichl’s Gourmet Today book tour, click here
*Click here to purchase Gourmet Today online