Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/739845
three-bedroom beach villa. On-premise amenities include a spa, pool, shops and plenty of recreational activities. And then there's the polished restau- rant—The Studio—where executive chef Craig Strong holds court. Our food-and- wine-pairing menu began with a glass of 2008 Weingut, Bründlmayer Käferberg, fol- lowed by an appetizer of prosciutto green beans, mushroom purée and crispy shallots in a honey vinaigrette; a serving of Hudson Valley foie gras in a savoury Shitaki sauce; and, in my case, a roasted veal ribeye served with potato purée, charred lemon purée and crispy purple potatoes. Each serving was beautifully paired with a wine personally selected by sommelier Jesse Rodriguez. The meal finished with a medley of desserts. While the meal was impressive, what caught my attention was the profession- alism and knowledge of Jesse and our server who calmly explained each wine selection and dish in an almost Zen-like manner. I simply had to talk to Chef Strong who graciously invited me to tour his glistening kitchen where everyone appeared to work quietly in perfect har- mony. I couldn't help but share my observations with him. "The heart and soul of a restaurant is in the kitchen and it spills over into the restaurant to the guest. It's truly about everyone working together in harmony to create a collabora- tive, inclusive partnership," he explained. When I asked where he took his inspira- tion from, he humbly replied, "I have a very good staff. One sous chef has been here for 13 years. My motto is: 'Let's have fun!' I don't have to come up with every idea; I just have to implement the good ones. Also, I believe sauces make the dif- ference. That's what makes a dish sing." Needless to say, my spirit sang all the way back to my posh suite. HOLLYWOOD CALLS It would be silly to come all this way and not take in the sights of West Hollywood. Besides, who can resist potential celebrity spottings? But first, an hour-long facial at the tiny, unassuming Ole Henriksen Face/Body Spa was in order. Feeling shiny and new, we headed over to the Design District to browse through expensive boutiques, including the Elder Statesman for cashmere and Balenciaga for high-end ladies wear and shoes. Our hotel was the nearby all-suite London West Hollywood—an excellent choice. My suite, the 67-square-metre London room, was the smallest available and the 130-square-metre one-bedroom Gate Suites featuring wraparound balconies and kitchens are palatial. Need more space? One- and two-bedroom suites connect to one-bedroom suites to create a three-bed- room, 2.5-bath suite. Then, there's always the 1,022-square-metre penthouse. Later we dined at the VANDER PUMP on Santa Monica Blvd., a common setting for the housewives' antics on both The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Van- derpump Rules. Then, it was a quick Uber ride to the Saban Theatre for entertain- ment before heading back to my luxurious hotel suite for a relaxing bath and a good night's rest. Could I get used to this? Of course! FALL/ WINTER 2016 DREAMSCAPES 35 DS T R A V E L P L A N N E R Air Canada (aircanada.com) operates daily non-stop service from Toronto and Vancouver to San Diego and Los Angeles. For more information, visit: San Diego Tourism Authority: sandiego.org Visit Laguna Beach: visitlagunabeach.com Visit West Hollywood: visitwesthollywood.com George's at the Cove: georgesatthecove.com La Jolla Wine Tours: lajollawinetours.com Murals of La Jolla: muralsoflajolla.com Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego: mcasd.org The Lodge at Torrey Pines: lodgetorreypines.com The Marine Room: marineroom.com Montage Laguna Beach: montagehotels.com/LagunaBeach Ole Henriksen Face/Body Spa: olehenriksen.com Saban Theatre: sabantheatre.org The London West Hollywood: thelondonwesthollywood.com VANDER PUMP: pumprestaurant.com