I’ve always been inspired by Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. He drives around the Provencal countryside eating epic meals and describing the hilarious locals, many of whom are grumpy and backwards. But no matter how many holes are in their socks or much they hate Parisians, one mustn’t ever call them rednecks. Mais non! It’s the South of France, and they still have a nose for great wine, hunt for truffles and were farming organically before organic farming was cool.
So we rented a villa in the hilly village of Mougins, outside of Nice. When hiking, it offered sweeping views of the Mediterranean. We had a local boulengerie and patisserie, and daily we’d grab cafe au lait, croissants and quiche. We explored surrounding villages and stopped in bigger towns, such as Cannes and Nice.
But the focus of our trip was relaxation, and our villa gave the restorative feel we needed. The old stone house was shaded by giant olive trees. I uncovered a stone slab table in the yard – perfect for writing. There was a zipline, a hammock, avocado and lemon trees and a horse across the way. The semi-arid and sunny weather mirrored the paradise of Southern California. We didn’t want to leave.
Until we return, and return we will, we can always read A Year in Provence, Encore Provence and Toujours Provence. Over and over. Readers, I warn you. Don’t even think of opening these books while hungry!
Embassies from around the world dot the landscape in Washington, D.C. and the streets are filled with reckless foreign diplomats. You can spot their special license plates, which allow them to drive like maniacs since they’re granted immunity. D.C. was a true mixing bowl, where the Italians weren’t the Jersey Shore type, but the type who spoke Italian and made their own limoncello.
My childhood in the Washington suburbs was multi-cultural, but not in that forced, PC way that makes everyone nervous. My school featured students from France to India, Vietnam to Ireland. To celebrate this mash-up, Beech Tree Elementary hosted International Dinners, where families cooked food from their native country to share. Stations would be set up with homemade flags, dollops of food were shared and adventurous eaters would mill about.
The event brought families together in an organic way. It inspired me to host an International Dinner Party of my own!
Chocolate from around the world
How to do it:
1) The hardest part? Cooking food from around the world. The most fun part? Cooking food from around the world!
The spread featured homemade duck pate and Korean kimchi and rice with seaweed!
2) Make signs for all the foods – it will encourage guests to try somehing unfamiliar. A charming accent? Label everything on airmail envelopes!
3) Feature beer and wine from around the world!
4) Ask guests to arrive dressed in native garb – clothing from their country. Many of my friends didn’t have such clothes, but they improvised. My friend Tess wore a custom dress she had made in Vietnam. A man of French descent wore a fake moustache and an English friend wore tartan and wellies! But hands down, the best costume went to Kim Burke-Connors, who celebrated her Russian roots with a babushka scarf, a basket of potatoes, a bottle of vodka and austerity!
5) Buy a basket and fill it with international foods such as Italian pasta, German mustard and soy sauce. One guest will get to go home with this prize. How do you determine the winner? World trivia, based on geograhy, customs and food! At our party, competition was tight, with a lot of tension between the last two finalists.
6) Give guests a small parting gift, such as Swiss chocolate or a small bottle of Irish whiskey. Guests will love being treated to a night around the world without leaving town. Enjoy!
International dessert bar, with sugared mangoes from the Phillippines, Scottish shortbread, American s’mores and much more!A deviled egg bar is a fun represention of the USA – Nora Ephron used to say that people love to play with their food!
The Sewards of Richmond, Virginia decided to make their one year-old’s birthday party exactly as it should be – a party for the parents! They survived a year of sleep deprivation among other atrocities, and it was time to let loose.
Our hosts, Jake and Kristin Seward, left.
The invitations could not have come at a better time; many in their circle were itching with cabin fever, as the snowy weather kept them home-bound with their even more listless children.
Revelers stepped in from the cold in snow boots and were welcomed by a warm glow. Candles were lit throughout the house. Stringed lights hung over tiny nooks, encouraging party-goers to indulge in adult conversation. There were stations for cocktails, wine, liqueurs and a fine whiskey awaited those in-the-know in the kitchen.
The Sewards knew the tried and true tricks of all skilled hosts. They were at ease, drinks in hand. They placed little food and drink stations around the home. This kept guests circulating and discovering treats throughout the house.
Tabletops in every room offered diversions.
My favorite station was the dessert drink station. A pot of fresh coffee sat beside bottles of Frangelico, Bailey’s Irish Cream, whipped cream and sweets. Some guests stirred in chocolate candy to make their drinks richer, while others dipped in their Biscotti. It was heaven.
Most impressive spread – the dessert cocktail bar!
Of course, no one lost sight of why we were there. Olive, their daughter who turned one, was fast asleep upstairs but celebrated in the details below. A mini olive bar stuffed with different cheeses glistened below a sign that read “Olive You” – the popular hashtag used by Olive’s mother, photographer Kristin Seward.
The Nor’Easter Champagne cocktail
Other treats were the Winter Champagne Cocktails with rosemary and orange peel. The Tuscan-inspired spread with giardiniera, crusty breads brushed with high-quality olive oil and a collection of European cheeses. But the best part was the company, with conversation that made the hours whir by in what felt like minutes.
great company
As everyone stepped into the snowy night, they didn’t feel a thing. We were toasty inside and out as we trudged through the snow under clear, starry skies.
The word “socialite” is thrown around too loosely, just like the term “genius.” I have a slight obsession with socialites – the classic ones. I don’t favor the nouveaux riche girls – gold-digging, ostentatious and all too willing to use a sex tape to bolster them to very temporary tabloid fame.
At least socialites back in the day had a tougher time breaking into a man’s world. And those glass ceilings gave a lot of them gumption; one of the reasons why so many gay men adore them.
Take Millicent Rogers. An heiress to the Standard Oil fortune, she’s regarded as a fashion icon and art collector. All of these things are true. But she was also a pioneer. With art, she didn’t collect just the standard European classics. She was an early champion of Southwestern-style art and jewelry. In fact, she’s credited for bringing international attention to this style.
Most New Yorkers retreated to Palm Beach or Italy to get away from the city, but Millicent retired to Taos, New Mexico. Back in the 1940’s, Taos was but a small artist colony. It wasn’t yet the spiritual stomping ground for Julia Roberts and Dennis Hopper. She was ahead of her time. So ahead of her time, that she was one of the first celebrity activists for Native American civil rights.
But the thing I am most impressed by, is that she wasn’t a whiner. Her heart was bigger than the average heart. I’m not talking about kindness. At her autopsy, her heart was discovered to be four times the size of a regular human heart. She had rheumatic fever as a child, and doctors said she wouldn’t live past ten. While they were wrong, she suffered poor health the rest of her life. This included heart attacks, bouts of double pneumonia and by the time she was 40, she was mostly crippled in her left arm. She died following surgery for an aneurism.
That didn’t stop her from marrying three times, and having romantic trysts with the likes of Clark Gable and the Prince of Wales. She raised three children. She lobbied for civil rights in Washington. She was a hot item on the New York social scene and photographs of her were often featured in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
She never dwelled on her ill heath, failed marriages and she certainly never tried blending in with the pack. Every time she veered off the reservation, she did something great she was remembered for.
Before we embarked on our Mediterranean cruise, we arrived in Barcelona early to explore a bit.
It was a sensual place – summer downpours that made the Gothic architecture slick and glittery under city lights. An azure sea that dotted our paella with its fresh offerings. And everywhere you went, locals were at leisure. At 10 pm you’d find them languid at sidewalk cafes. They’re laughing with their children, sipping sangria and enjoying a long dinner followed by a cigarette.
One of the many courses in our “menu del dia” lunch
Whether you’ve been to Spain or not, you’ve likely enjoyed tapas at a restaurant. Eaters beware; Spain knows you enjoy tapas, and restauranteurs will charge an arm and a leg for the tiny plates. Darlings, put your menus down.
Papas Bravas and more at Cal Ramon Braseria
Be savvy and do what the locals do. Order the menu del dia (daily special). You will be brought course after course of their freshest food and drinks, as the menu changes daily. You’ll enjoy just as much variety for a fraction of the price. In fact, you will never be able to finish it!
La Rambla prepares for an intense thunderstorm
All tourists in Barcelona visit Via Rambla, the main strip of commerce that ends at the sea. While there’s plenty of shopping to do, I recommend ducking into the farmer’s markets. See the locals haggling and squeezing melons, enjoy street food from the vendors and buy gifts that are more authentic and reasonably priced than what you’ll find at a souvenir shop. I much prefer handmade Spanish chocolates or a tiny box of saffron to a porcelain bell with the word “Barcelona” on it.
Exotic treats at the La Rambla Farmer’s Market
Of course, don’t forget to eat Papas Bravas (spicy potatoes) and drink sangria. In Spain, they like to add a kick to it and always add Sprite. In fact, when you order the menu del dia at any restaurant, it automatically comes with red wine and a Sprite, which is meant to be mixed.
La Sagrada Familia – spooky and dream-like
La Sagrada Familia is spooky and ominous, a must-see. And while in the neighborhood, don’t miss Cal Ramon Braseria. The spunky owner is free in-house entertainment and his generous menu del dia will not disappoint.
When in Spain, try the paellaAt Montjuic Castle – a historical site with views of the MediterraneanRamon in the 70sRamon today
If you’re in the San Gabriel Valley, you cannot skip dim sum!
Every bon vivant knows that to truly appreciate food, you need a mix of the high and low. Beef Wellington is to die for, but so are street tacos.
Luckily, I’m able to write about food, and currently live in a city that takes it so seriously, they host an annual awards ceremony for chefs and restauranteurs.
Coffee tastes better with old friends. With over 10 types of mochas, Oriental carpets and dark atmosphere, The Library is the best coffee shop in Long Beach.
But I often become homesick for my old stomping grounds – Los Angeles, California. Recently, I took a trip back to see old friends, and it inadvertently became a food tour. If a friend invited me over for cocktails, I’d suck air through my teeth and ask, “Actually, can we meet at Los Tacos? I’ve been craving their bean and cheese burrito.” This trip made me really think about where I wanted to spend my limited time, restaurants included. They’re rated first on taste, then price. I’ve eaten through a lot of second-rate establishments to provide this list, so take heed and bon appetit!
These guys are fusion without trying to be. China’s “Wild West” had been previously conquered by Middle Eastern countries, resulting in a heavenly mash-up of All Things Good. Their savory meat pie is addictive, their hand-pulled noodles are chewy and so thick they need to be cut with scissors, which is great because the texture helps drag out those sweet moments. Perhaps most exciting are their lamb ribs – deep-fried and dusted with cumin and powdered chiles. Once quiet and only known to Chinese immigrants in the San Gabriel Valley, the well-deserved hype for this place is steamrolling.
Once obscure, now in-demand halal Chinese food in the SGV – get there early!
When you walk in, the unmistakable Italian deli aroma hits you. With chewy, heavenly bread that can hold together a monster of a sandwich, Bay Cities delivers top notch meats and cheeses with all the trimmings. I always go for the classic Godmother. And yes, there will be a line.
Bay Cities is in Santa Monica, and I promise you the sandwich tastes much better if you enjoy it at the beach.
This California Craftsman home-turned-coffee house is a charmer. You can roam all the different rooms and sit anywhere you’d like. There’s always a Scrabble game going on. Local art hangs on the walls, making it a gallery as well. And the white chocolate mocha is fantastic. Recently, Armenians bought the place and turned the patio into a hookah bar, adding another dimension to the offerings, which include an open mic night, poetry readings, etc.
This place needs no introduction – it’s always rated the #1 Vietnamese restaurant in L.A. Plus, the L.A. Weekly/L.A. Times Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold has raved about it. Luckily I once lived walking distance from Golden Deli, and would feast on their pho when it was cold and their vermicelli salad when it was warm.
I remember this restaurant from 80’s movies as being the place to be (pre-Spago), and it’s been standing since 1974 for good reason. Every single dish is impeccable. None of the fried, sugar-glazed take-out junk and not the obscure stuff – just authentic, mind-blowing Chinese food. Of note: Mr. Chow himself used to be married to Vogue’s Grace Coddington!
Both have much to offer as far as great coffee, but the back room at the Bourgeois Pig still has more ambiance than any Anthropologie Illuminati can imagine. Part harem, part Enchanted Forest, words do it no justice. Here’s a photo.
Reader, never take all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ for granted. Ever! I live in a town where there’s no competition driving prices down. All-you-can-eat does not exist, and what’s worse, BBQ for two easily costs $75. The original Castle on Western Ave was seeing ridiculous lines (thanks to all-you-can-eat for only $9.99!) so they opened a big, shiny Castle II – a mecca of meat and endless sides. I had plenty of friends who wanted to see me. Here, specifically. Get the brisket, burn it a little, and you’re welcome.
1) Instead of being sad that Christmas is over, remember your actual Christmas. Not the one that Frank Sinatra sings about, but the one with your drunk aunt and the watery dollar store lotion your co-worker re-gifted you.
I don’t know about you, but I spend Christmas with these people.
2) Don’t focus on the shorter days – focus on the longer nights! Slip into your PJs moments after walking in the door. Spike your hot cocoa with some Kahlua and settle in for a night of Netflix.
3) Winter is the least expensive time of year to fly off to a sunny locale. And honestly, who’d want to pay peak season rates to leave a warm and sunny place, just to arrive in another warm and sunny place? Going in winter also earns you social media bragging points. Don’t overdo it – everyone hates that guy. Not jealousy, actual hate.
4) The stores have already shamelessly stocked their shelves with Valentine’s Day tackiness. Forget the crowded restaurants with the overpriced prix fixe menus, which is an old restaurant trick to push out a surplus of expiring food. Instead, send those you care about a nostalgic surprise; a children’s Valentine’s Day card in the mail, complete with candy hearts. And on February 15th, snatch up some high-end chocolates on discount. Godiva will be dying to purge their heart-shaped candy boxes.
Dinner party at our L.A. cabin
5) Liven up these drab months for others too, and throw a dinner party. Not only will you be surrounded by good company, but your home will be spruced up, and if your guests were brought up right, you’ll have a couple of extra bottles of something!
6) Just because the forecast resembles the hideous weather from California Dreamin’, doesn’t mean you need to go pasty. Exfoliate that dry winter skin and do a self-tanner at home. Yow will look fantastic naked.
No sun? No problem! Thank you Lancome Flash Bronzer!
7) Learn some new crock pot recipes. Those warm, hearty meals are perfect for this time of year, and will make your house smell of heavenly meat potpourri.
8) Whether or not you made resolutions, there’s no doubt that exercise gets your endorphins up. If it’s cold where you live, take up an indoor activity that you’ll be more likely to do. Yoga Today is offering a free, 14-day trial which will get you two weeks of freebies. And Amazon hosts a plethora of used exercise DVDs that come at a fraction of the price of a live class.
9) Take a cue from Elle Woods and go get a mani pedi! Avoid the Bend and Snap.
10) Instead of waiting for it to warm up, take advantage of the cold weather. If it snows, go sledding. If it’s cold inside, start up a fire and roast some marshmallows. If there’s an ice storm, know that it’s like earth porn for photographers. It’s gorgeous. Grab a camera, be careful and capture the beauty of it. And always remember, we can’t truly appreciate spring without a harsh winter to precede it.
To celebrate this magical time of year, I’ve listed some of my favorite things. It feels good to be reminded of countless little blessings that often go unnoticed. Such as…
watching children open presents
the red cups at Starbucks
Christmas boat parades! This one is themed after the holiday classic,
“Having good chili isn’t enough,” remarked a competitive guest, “You have to have a gimmick – something they’ll remember your chili by.” Indeed, competition is fierce – there are around 15 varieties in the long line of simmering crock pots. Some used unexpected ingredients, such as duck or pineapple. Others had playful names like,”You Never Sausage Chili.”
A charming, autumn-inspired entryway leads guests to the backyard
The Lewis family does a chili cook-off right. There are plenty of fixings on hand to liven up any bowl, such as shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh-baked cornbread and corn chips. To keep kids occupied, there are heaping trays of chicken nuggets and a mulch-bottomed playground. For the adults, there’s an open bar stacked with small-batch moonshine and ice cold kegs of beer.
Guests come hungry and eat small samples. First-timers usually become too full to try each chili.
As guests enjoy the brisk autumn air, they huddle over bowls of spicy chili and stand around a fire, trying hard to find out which guest brought what chili. Both the cooks and the voters remain anonymous to keep it fair, and the winner takes home an actual trophy!
This annual tradition marks the beginning of the holiday season, and the Lewis family invites friends, family and neighbors alike. This coveted invite promises treats beyond chili. Mulled spice wine simmered on the stove. A deer hunter brought venison-stuffed jalapenos. Not to mention the company. Hostess Melanie Lewis can be described as Pinteresting. This mother of three knits gorgeous scarves, bakes chocolate chip cookies from scratch with her children and crafts like Martha. Brett Lewis is the CEO of Create Digital, a digital marketing company that’s ahead of their time and at least five steps ahead of most Richmond agencies.
Hosts Brett and Melanie Lewis. The hostess stays chic in a leather jacket and magenta scarf she knit herself.
As I stood on the deck, I noticed the leaves were aglow of every color and the air smelled of wood smoke. The setting sun cast an orange glow over the guests. Women hugged and men compared their “Movember” starter beards. This scene of camaraderie belied the hellish underpinnings of competition. These guests were having a blast no doubt. But they also came to win.
Playful couple Mandy Blankenship and Charlie Rhodes are to be wed at Veritas Vineyard in a matter of weeks.
Annual tee designed by Rag & BoneMe (left) with Richmond.com Editor-in-Chief Karri PeiferFashion show and appearance by designer Nanette Leporewith 103.7 PLAY’s DJ Melissa ChaseThe best desserts were provided by The JeffersonBourbon tasting by a local distillerywith Summit Media NSM Amy DeVries
I’ve always been inspired by Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. He drives around the Provencal countryside eating epic meals and describing the hilarious locals, many of whom are grumpy and backwards. But no matter how many holes are in their socks or much they hate Parisians, one mustn’t ever call them rednecks. Mais non! It’s the South of France, and they still have a nose for great wine, hunt for truffles and were farming organically before organic farming was cool.
Fayeruz Regan 
