There’s a new lord in Huntington Beach and he cares, I mean really cares, about local sourcing, local products, supporting and giving back to the community, and wholesome, sustainable food! His name is Whole Foods and he’ll sweep you off your feet with his soulful sincerity and commitment to a higher calling!

I was fortunate to be granted a private audience with the honorable Whole Foods before the public opening and this is what I found. (If you’ve been blessed with Whole Foods in your kingdom, then forgive my fervor.)

The first national grocer to provide a science-based sustainability rating system for wild-caught seafood developed in partnership with Blue Ocean Institute.

Color-coded Green, Yellow, and Red to make it easy for shoppers to make informed choices at the seafood counter. Red choices represent low abundance where fishing methods seriously harms other wildlife or natural habitats. Why stock them at all, you might ask. They are stocked to increase awareness and ease shoppers into making better choices.

A commitment to local sourcing and products:

Top – Stehly Farms Organics of Valley Center, CA and Carlsbad Aquafarm (Carlsbad)

Bottom: Portola Handcrafted Coffee Roasters (Irvine) and Gringo Bandito (Huntington Beach)

A strong focus on the flavors and tastes of the local surfing culture and Vietnamese communities.

You can enjoy a pizza slice and a cold beer on tap at Beach Bar 405 while watching the surf report or choose from a selection of Vietnamese entree dishes and pho along with wine made from grapes from Vietnam to take home.

A 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating system so shoppers know how their meat purchases were raised.

They had me at cheese! Cheese and more cheese! A full selection of cheeses sourced locally and from around the world.

Organic breads made daily and artisan and organic chocolates galore!

Of course, there is the full array of locally grown and organic produce, including products from Orange County Produce, featuring in-season and unique, ethnic selections such as baby bok choy, baby celery and greens for Asian cooking grown at Yasutomi Farm and a large selection of fresh squeezed citrus and veggie juices.

There are Whole Foods stores in many US cities, Canada, and the UK. Find a store in your area or possibly there’s a store in development close to you.

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© Priscilla for She's Cookin' | from the heart, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carlsbad Aquafarm, Gringo Bandito, Huntington Beach, local sourcing, Portola Coffee, Stehly Farms Organics, sustainable seafood, Whole Foods Market

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Here’s a quick quiz for you:

1. Do you like barbecue?

2.. Do you like the blues?

3. Are you looking for a fun and affordable evening of entertainment for the entire family?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above, then why not head to Huntington Beach and the gorgeous ocean-front  Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa for their special summer Blues & BBQ concert series where you can enjoy ocean breezes, a fantastic BBQ Buffet, tasty margaritas and umbrella drinks, a glorious sunset, and dancing to the blues under the night sky!

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ve been missing:

(hover over the pictures for captions)

Every Saturday from July 3 – September 4, 2010.
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Cost: $21.95 adults; $12.95 children age 5-12.
Parking: Valet* – or you can park at the beach and walk over the bridge.

The Southern style picnic feast includes:

pork ribs, brisket, barbecued chicken and hot dogs
corn on the cob
coleslaw and salads
macaroni and cheese
fresh baked bread and sweet corn bread
home-cooked grits
fruit cobbler
assorted desserts and cookies
sliced watermelon

Entertainment by some of the hottest blues performers in Southern California from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. on the outdoor stage. It’s a relaxing and fun-filled evening that everyone will remember! Here’s a quick clip of the band that was playing when I was there last Saturday:

Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa
21500 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(714) 845-4775

*Up to 3 hours of parking is validated with purchase of food or drink (subject to change – call for details).

I was not compensated for this post, but did enjoy celebrating my birthday here two summers ago and like to share fun, family-friendly things to do with my readers. Oh, and I always enjoy good food, a refreshing cocktail, and kick-*#% live music.

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© Priscilla for She's Cookin' | from the heart, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blues & BBQ, Huntington Beach, Hyatt Regency Resort

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Last week  was Orange County Restaurant Week so there wasn’t much cooking going on in the She’s Cookin’ Kitchen.  OC Restaurant Week gives local foodies a chance to enjoy specially priced prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner at over 100 participating restaurants. The specialty menus usually consisted of three courses at lunch for $10, $15 or $20 depending on the restaurant and four courses at dinner for $20 or $30.

I live in Huntington Beach and restaurant week gave me the chance to check out  two local restaurants.  The first was Zimzala at the Shorebreak Hotel in the exciting new downtown development called The Strand. The Shorebreak is a Joie de Vivre hotel and is described on their website as:  ”The ultimate Southern California beach experience with a contemporary twist. Shorebreak Hotel, in Huntington Beach, combines the relaxed, sun-drenched spirit of an Orange County coastline hotel with edgy modern accents”.  I loved the mid-century modern, meets contemporary beach aesthetic.

It was a Monday so the hotel wasn’t busy and I was able to chat with the ladies at the front desk and Megan, the sales manager.  I loved the vibe and immediately thought that it would be a cool place to have a graduation dinner celebration for my daughter in June.  My lunch date, Marcie aka Suburban Mama and her son Milo arrived and we were seated.  All the staff was extremely friendly in that low-key beachy way

The lunch was three courses beginning with an ultra rich cream of celery soup and ending with a decadent dessert of chocolate ganache served with thin slices of grilled sourdough bread brushed with olive oil and sea salt – the contrast of the sweet and salty did a dance on your taste buds.  There were three choices for the entree and we both selected the grilled cheese on toasted brioche with monterey jack cheese, applewood -smoked bacon, avocado and tomato served with thin french fries.  Everything was delicious, presented elegantly and with attention to detail.  In fact, I was blown away by the tea “service” that accompanied my ice tea – served with lemon, raw sugar, regular sugar, artificial sweeteners served in a petite silver pot, and a flacon of simple syrup! I felt remiss in not using any of it!

I’ll definitely be returning to Zimzala with my husband and highly recommend it for the coastal Mediterranean food, ambiance, and proximity to the beach where you can enjoy a walk aprés dining and revel in the beauty of beach life. Check out their menus here.

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Post tags: Huntington Beach, Joie de Vivre hotels, Orange County Restaurant Week, Shorebreak Hotel, Zimzala

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Interviewed Chef Priscilla Willis of The Californian who is putting her signature on the menu with dishes such as Thai Shrimp Red Curry.

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Post tags: Chef Priscilla Willis, Huntington Beach, Hyatt, This week's obsession....

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