The Triple Dot Newsletter: Chefs, Cheese and Bunnies

Dear Friends,

How can it possibly be almost March? Well, there certainly has been a LOT happening at Ellipses PR, with new clients, chef announcements and a new office! That’s right, folks, Ellipses PR has set down roots in the vibrant and beautiful city of Oakland. Our new digs are pretty adorable, on the top floor of an old, converted Crasftsman home on Grand Avenue, complete with giant sunny windows, built-in book shelves and planter boxes and, best of all, it’s within walking distance to some of our very favorite Oaktown restaurants - one of which is this month’s very deserving Sweet Spot. So next time you are in the neighborhood, please stop by and say hi!

We are also very excited to announce our newest client, Parallel 37, a contemporary American restaurant located at the top of Nob Hill in The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. Since opening in December 2011, Parallel 37 has drawn inspiration for its food and wine from the many cultures that lie along the geographic latitude of the San Francisco Bay Area. With Chef Michael Rotondo newly at the helm, this theme is expanded upon, with a fun and delicious menu that encourages the guest to forge their own path to create a truly unique dining experience (complete with wine, cocktail and beer pairings). We elaborate about Chef Rotondo below in the Client Wire, but for a visual glimpse into what we’re talking about, check out their Facebook page.

And last but not least, don’t forget to buy tickets to California’s 7th Annual Artisan Cheese Festival, which is rapidly approaching March 22-24. There are still tickets available for several popular events including the Grand Cheese Tasting and Best in Cheese Competition, cheesemaking seminars, a brunch by 2013 James Beard nominee Mark Stark and Sunday’s Grand Marketplace!

Diana G. Haven
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P.S. For the latest news and tips, be sure to follow Ellipses PR on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

San Francisco Welcomes Chef Michael Rotondo
What better time to leave cold and windy Chicago for sunny San Francisco than in the heart of winter, right? We think Parallel 37’s new chef had the right idea,

and not just because we are blown away by his global take on contemporary California cuisine. Originally from Waymouth, Mass., Michael Rotondo most recently spent eight years honing his skills in the famous kitchen at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, Ill., eventually working his way up to chef de cuisine and executive chef. During this tenure in 2008, Chef Rotondo received the “Most Promising Chef” award from Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller after competing for the United States Bocuse d’Or, widely regarded as the epitome of culinary competitions worldwide. Prior to joining Charlie Trotter’s, Chef Rotondo worked at the Five-Star, Five Diamond Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach, Fla., experiencing a unique type of cuisine focusing on flavors from South Florida and Latin America. Chef Rotondo plans to interpret the Parallel 37 restaurant concept with a focus on food and wine found along the 37th parallel, which runs through the San Francisco Bay Area. Being brand new to California and our local offerings, we are excited to witness his fun and unique take on this genre. Follow Parallel 37 and Chef Rotondo on Twitter at @parallel37 and @rotondosf for the latest updates. (Photo: Michelle Walker)

Cheese Appreciation Month at Nick’s Cove

In honor of the thriving local cheesemaking community in and around Tomales Bay, Nick's Cove and Cottages has deemed March as Cheese Appreciation Month. In addition to participating in California’s Artisan Cheese Festival March 22-24 in Petaluma, Nick’s Cove will be offering a special Artisan Cheese, Please! package, as well as a weekly-changing dinner entree featuring a local cheesemaker throughout the month of March. The Artisan Cheese, Please! package not only includes overnight accommodations and a gift basket filled with local cheeses, locally-made crackers from Brickmaiden Bread, homemade Stout Jam and a bottle of Nick’s Cove Merlot, but you can look forward to their signature barbecued oysters delivered to your room upon arrival and continental breakfast for two delivered to your cottage in the morning with the day’s San Francisco Chronicle. The weekly-changing dinner entrées will be featuring Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, DeBernardi Dairy, Nicasio Valley Cheese Company and Bellwether Farms. Check out the lineup and menu here. (Photo: Derrick Story)

La Condesa’s New Chef, Music and Trivia
Up in wine country, La Condesa is spicing up Main Street in St. Helena with revitalized menus by fantastic new Executive Chef Chris Mortenson, killer live music, and weekly “Tacos & Trivia” on Tuesday nights!

Chris Mortenson is a Northern California native with a true passion for Mexican cooking, making him the perfect person to infuse a local, sustainable approach into the modern Mexican menus at La Condesa. He honed his skills with some of the most well-known chefs in the genre. Prior to joining La Condesa in St. Helena, he worked at the original location of La Condesa in Austin, Texas, alongside James Beard Award-nominated Chef Rene Ortiz; served as executive chef at Border Grill in the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas; and owned his own Mexican restaurant, Sonora Grill, in Ogden, Utah. Everything in Mortenson’s repertoire of new offerings is scrumptious, but some of our current ultra-craveable favorites include the Dungeness Crab Huarache; Painted Hills Tri-Tip; and oak-grilled Mary’s Chicken Rojo.

A stage added to the front of the restaurant allows local artists Like Chris Vorland and Sean Garvey to play live music every Friday and Saturday night. Also, on Tuesdays, La Condesa is now the home of a wildly popular “Tacos and Trivia" night, which all comes together to make the vibrant farm-to-table Mexican restaurant the most happening spot in Napa Valley right now. (Photo: Kristen Loken)

Whale-spotting, a Celtic concert, and Bunny Camp at Little River Inn
Don’t let the quaint name fool you - Little River Inn knows how to go big on events, and they have an action-packed March planned! Visitors to this family-owned and operated boutique resort on the Mendocino coast can look forward to a Taste of Little River in celebration of the Mendocino Coast Whale Festival, a Saint Patty's Day Celtic concert, and the ever-adorable Easter weekend fundraiser Bunny Camp.

This year the Mendocino Coast Whale Festival celebrates its 31st year, and in honor of our marine-dwelling friends, Little River Inn is offering a special “Whale Rate” from March 6-11 where guests who pay for two nights will receive a third night free. The Inn will also host the festival’s premier event, Taste of Little River, on Saturday, March 9, which showcases the area’s best food and wine. This tasting event will offer samples from such local establishments as Glendeven Inn, Wild Fish, and Little River Inn’s own restaurant, as well as local wineries including Handley Cellars, Graziano, and Husch Vineyards.

We can’t think of a better place to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day than at Ole's Whale Watch Bar, which will be poppin' off Celtic-style with a traditional Irish concert by popular local group Coast Celtic Band!

And last but not least, on Saturday, March 30, Little River Inn will host the annual Bunny Camp fundraiser which benefits S.O.S - Networking for Mendocino Coast Companion Animals. Along with helping animals find homes, Bunny Camp is an entire day of family fun with face painting, balloon animals, an Easter Egg Hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

It’s not often that we dream of egg salad, but ever since our recent lunch outing to Grand Lake Kitchen in Oakland, we can’t stop thinking about the Oyako Egg Salad Sandwich. Not only is the spot adorable, with outside tables looking out at Lake Merritt, but the food is inventive and delicious. The rich and velvety egg mixture that comes piled high atop crisp, thick cut rye bread is ingeniously topped with fried chicken skin, which adds unique texture and flavor components that are so far unmatched by any other egg salad sandwich we’ve tried. This open-faced sandwich is so decadent it comes with a steak knife, but if you’re anything like us you’ll wolf it down with your fingers! We also tried the Cubano, which features perfectly salty pork between two buttery slices of baguette. House-made pickles add just the right amount of tang - both the sliced ones inside the sandwich and the pickled okra and dilly beans that come on the side. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for dinner!

Avo’s Fisherman’s Stew from the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is one of those items that will never be taken off of the menu because, well, it’s just THAT good. Healthy, comforting and warm, it’s best when enjoyed on their heated, award-winning dog-friendly patio overlooking the bay, but we’re sure it’ll be just as good in the comfort of your own home. Serves two. (Photo: Chris Andre)

Ingredients:

½ tsp of oil
¼ tsp chopped garlic
2 oz linguiça sausage
2 oz green onion
2 oz red onion
2 oz diced tomato
2 oz fennel
1 tsp cilantro
1 tsp basil
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz white wine
2 oz mahi mahi
2 oz salmon
4 clams
4 mussels
4 prawns, peeled with tails on
4 oz chicken stock
2 oz butter
pinch of chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Sauté the garlic, linguiça sausage and onion for 30 seconds over medium-high heat. Add all the other vegetables and herbs, and cook for one minute. Add lemon juice and white wine, mahi mahi and salmon, cook for one minute. Add clams, mussels and prawns, chicken stock, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for two minutes and finish with butter.

Serve with two slices of crusty garlic bread and enjoy!

Just in case you haven’t seen this, um, homage to Guy Fieri, someone bought this domain name and decided to do something amazing with it: http://guysamericankitchenandbar.com/

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Interested in seeing how we can positively impact your bottom line? Drop us a line here. Mention The Triple Dot and receive a complimentary one-hour consultation.

Ellipses Public Relations is a boutique firm based in Oakland specializing in food, beverage and hospitality publicity, social media and special events. We believe in personalized service, targeted media campaigns and building long-term relationships with our clients that help them achieve their goals. www.ellipsespr.com

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