Heaven on Earth: The Residences at Seven Canyons, Sedona

Somewhere between heaven and earth, at 4,500 feet elevation is Sedona, Arizona. A few miles northwest of Sedona's strip mall city center on highway 89A, lies the residential and golf oasis called Seven Canyons. I have to admit that Sedona itself was a disappointment from the standpoint of urban planning. Take away the breathtaking backdrop of the magnificent Red Rocks perched above the city, you have a typical suburban main street of commercial driveways and parking lots. I'm sure there are some charming retail stores tucked away beyond the rows of parked cars, but it is just so difficult to get past through the asphalt jungle which defines this city. 

So to say that Seven Canyons is an oasis is not exactly an exaggeration. This small residential community of about 31 homes is simply magnificent. The developers did not spare any detail; from the stone masonry, to the wood craftsmanship, to the exterior dining and grill area, to the expansive bathrooms and outdoor showers, down to the Acca Kappa bathroom amenities and illy Francis Francis espresso maker. Need I say more. And yes, the thread count on the sheets that's too ridiculous to even mention. 

Very good friends of ours invited us, along with three other guests, for a long weekend retreat to help celebrate their milestone birthdays. It was real treat even for this globetrotting hotelier. I've stayed in too many villas where opulence overshadows comfort. Not here. We felt so at home even though our abode in Michigan pales in comparison. Perhaps, it isn't exactly just the design of the place that makes it cozy, but the company you're with. And on this weekend, the company of close friends and wonderful new acquaintances made all the difference. To those who were with us in Seven Canyons, thank you.

Fountain in the front garden

Guest bedroom

Guest bathroom

Acca Kappa amenities

Master bedroom

Master bath

Outdoor shower

Outdoor great room

Bedroom lamp

Hot tub with the Red Rock in the background

Guest tub

Kitchen with Viking appliances

Beautiful light coming through the shower window

Living area

Nap nook outside of master bedroom

Outdoor dining, grill and fireplace

View from the living room

Wood beams at entrance

Iron detail

Avocado chair in the guest bedroom

Daybed

The Best Fast Food Burger in the World!

The In-N-Out Double-Double: 2 100% pure beef patties, hand-heafed

lettuce, 2 slices of American cheese, sauteed onions, stacked high on a

freshly baked bun. The best fast food burger. Hands down!

A West coast trip wouldn't be complete without indulging myself in the best fast food burger in the world - In-N-Out! There was the trip to Napa Valley where my wife and I found ourselves craving In-N-Out, and for some miraculous intervention, we discovered one located past a Napa river bridge near downtown Napa. But my favorite was the time when several of my colleagues and I went on an INO late night run in Las Vegas just two hours after our nine-course meal at Joel Robuchon at the MGM. Joel Robuchon's was terrific, but INO was memorable.

I first discovered INO when I was living in California in the 80's and I've been a loyalist since. You might not know this but INO started the first drive thru in the US in 1948. Yes, that's true. Little has changed since 1948. There are still 5 items on the menu - Double-Double, Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Fries and Shakes & Drinks. That's it. No breakfast burritos or trendy wraps. Why mess with perfection?

So after arriving in Phoenix yesterday to a blistering "dry heat" of 110 degrees, my wife and I tracked down an INO located near Freeway 17 and 101 on my blackberry. It was the perfect pit-stop before the two hour ride to Sedona where we've been invited to spend a long weekend with our close friends at the luxurious Seven Canyons (more about Sedona later).  I ordered my usual Double-Double "animal" style. I was in heaven despite the hellish heat!

Still, only 5 items on the menu!

Father's Day Meal Part 1: Filipino Trifecta

The Trifecta: Paksiw Na Lechon, Mechado, Dinuguan

My holidays wouldn't be complete without indulging in home cooked Filipino food. Holiday mornings meant sauteed garlic, onions, tomatoes and cabbage with canned corned beef, topped with two fried eggs and garlic fried rice. Beef-Si-Log as we Filipinos dearly call this dish of corned BEEF, SInangag (garlic fried rice) and itLOG (egg). This Father's Day didn't start out as planned. Instead of my usual meal, we opted to have brunch at Bloom for a good 'ol American breakfast, which was fantastic - though not Filipino. As to not disappoint tradition, I planned to have a Filipino meal for
dinner later in the evening. The Gods surely heard my pleas when my good friend and Filipino food expert, Dr, Julie Blanco, texted me to let me know that she has reserved some paksiw na lechon for me! I also brought home some dinuguan and mechado from the previous evening's party prepared by the godfather of Filipino cuisine in Grand Rapids, Rudy Seguira - the head baker at the Amway Grand Plaza.

Paksiw na Lechon is a roast suckling pig in liver sauce. This is one of two dishes that reminds me of my lola's (grandmother) cooking. Amelia Laurel Carandang was the matriarch of our family, widowed during World War II, she raised her four kids while perfecting the the local cuisine. Aside from paksiw na lechon, which she normally made with left over lechon (roasted suckling pig), I also loved her nilagang manok,  a chicken dish with potatoes, cabbage in chicken broth, a perfect dih during the hot summer months in Manila.

Mechado is beef stew with tomatoes, pimento, potatoes, garlic, onions and bacon to name a few of the ingredients. It's a dish influenced by the Spaniards who ruled the Philippines for 300 years. 

Dinuguan or Blood Stew is a dish I hated as a child, but for some miraculous reason, is one of my favored dishes as an adult. Dinuguan is one of those dishes found in most Filipino get togethers, however, with foreigners present, we simply are mum to it's ingredients as not to freak the visitor out. Pork scraps such as skin, intestines, stomach, ears are cooked in blood sausage until it is thick as stew. It resembles a deconstructed blood sausage by the French and English. I told my wife (who is an American) it was a pork stew. She actually liked it not knowing the the true origins of the meat and sauce.

So this was my Filipino Trifecta for Father's Day. I am sure that most of my Filipino comrades would agree that this is as close to heaven as it gets for our special day.

Foodie Crib: Jai Yung

Foodie

Jai Yung

Foodie Crib

Grand Rapids

Gig

Black Belt in Asian Cuisine, Photographer, Blogger, Bartender

Foodie Morsels

There was no question that Jai Yung was going to draw a culinary DMZ zone between neophyte foodies and hard core foodies when she invited me and four other friends to her Foodie Cribs meet Traditional Korean Barbecue Feast this past
weekend. Her creamy white skin, exotic eyes and slender profile exudes "Asian-ness" down to her confidence in preparing an all out Korean BBQ feast. This South Korean native is deep in the core of the Grand Rapids foodie scene. Jai teaches private groups in the art of making sushi and Asian cooking. She's a member of the Sushi Syndicate, a local dining club made up of GR's best palettes. Aside from cooking, Jai has an eye for everything beautiful through the lens of her camera. Her blog, TrublissChic, is one of my favorite blogs for creative stimulation. Her martial arts sensei keeps her physically and mentally fit and it shows in her discipline in keeping a holistic outlook in life. And if that's not enough, she is also an expert mixologist. A dream girl for sure...

Jai woke up at 6AM to start preparing our meal. Starting with her homemade kimchi. Then slicing and marinating of the beef for the bulgogi. Followed up by wrapping colorful vegetables into spring rolls. Then there's the dumplings, the sauces, the accompaniments for the bulgogi. The table was set so wonderfully that it was difficult to actually sit down and mess up the place setting. The first person to indulge in the goodies on the table felt like the person to pull that last jenga piece that toppled the tower of wooden blocks. She ordered some soju for the feast, but the delivery didn't make it on time; perhaps a blessing given it's 20% alcoholic content. However, sake did make it to the table and had a lively effect in the festivities with every "kanpai" we shouted. 

The food was simply outstanding. You knew that Jai gave it all she's got and every one around the table were blown away by her talent and attention to details. Jimmy Le, a Foodie Crib alum, brought his amazing Dragon Ribs to add the exclamation point to the feast. Man about town, Paul Jendrasiak, was responsible for the sake, while Bar Divani's Rimple Nayyar, supplied the after dinner wines. My wife Elena and I brought a Persian appetizer to nibble on before the meal along with a bottle of our favorite bottle of chardonnay, Wyncroft, for the evening's hostess.

"Only the good Jai Yung," we all sang at the end of the night. We bow down our heads to the Asian Culinary Goddess! Komawo, Jai!

Jai Yung's Bulgogi

2 1/2 lbs of beef, thinly sliced

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 heads crush garlic

2 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs sake

black pepper to taste

1/2 fresh lime

Marinate all the ingredients overnight or for several hours. Saute or grill. Serve with boston lettuce (for wraps) or rice.

Bulgogi was the star of the evening

Marinated Cucumbers, Mangoes with Red Onions, Hard Boiled Eggs...

Spring Rolls

Sauteed Dumplings

jLe Dragon Ribs

Jai's Homemade Kimchi

Bento Box for the dinner guests

The Table Feast

Rimple enjoying his first bite

Sake to me!

No question what this South Korean girl drinks!

Father's Day Meal Part 1: Brunch at Bloom

Baked French Toast with Poached Raisins and Butter Pecan Syrup

There's no question that Chef Chad Miller of Bloom can cook. My wife and I first tried his cooking when he and his wife opened the original Bloom on Cherry street in Eastown a couple of years back. The original location reminded me so much of Brooklyn restaurants before the borough became a hip place to eat in NYC. Independent restauranteurs and chefs migrated from Manhattan and opened shop in tiny empty storefronts, bringing life and activity to the once ugly sister of the culinary capital of the United States. The once heartless neighborhoods of Brooklyn can now stand face to face with their Manhattan counterparts. Two of my favorites, The Grocery in Carroll Gardens and Marlow & Sons in South Williamsburg, are still tops on many critic's list. Bloom was destined to be the neighborhood restaurant I wanted nearby. With it's beyond tiny open kitchen greeting each diner, the old Bloom was a charming neighborhood gem, despite the ceiling that leaked in the corner booth when it rained. Ahh, character.

Instead of staying put in Eastown, Bloom went the opposite way and migrated to a pie-shaped downtown restaurant location where its previous tenants failed to make ends meet. The charming feel of the original is replaced with a loft like setting with cold red floor tiles. Bloom has tried to cozy things up but the space just doesn't have the soul of the original. It is two small blocks too far from where the action is downtown, across from the central police headquarters. Perhaps, that's the culprit.

With the exception of an office team lunch when Bloom first moved downtown, I haven't been back. But several friends highly suggested trying Bloom's brunch for father's day, and after salivating on the menu online, reservations were placed for a 1:15 date with Chad Miller's brunch specialties. While I'm still not a fan of the location and the interiors, thank God, the food is delicious.

The crispy pork belly with creamy cheddar grits is an exceptional dish. The baked french toast, a George Aquino specialty, is phenomenal at Bloom. With the exception of the overly toasted sourdough on the benedict and eggs scramble dish, every dish that we tasted was worthy of a return visit. And yes, even if we have to look at the police station across the street in between courses. 

The storefront on Monroe stret

The fabulous Pork Belly with White Cheddar Grits and 

Pickled Apple Vinaigrette

Bloom Benedict: Sourdough, two Fried Eggs, Bacon, Swiss Chard,

Sweet Potato Hollandaise

Crepe with Banana, Nutella and Whip Cream

Bloom Bloody Mary

Fingerling Potatoes with Pearl Onions, Butternut, Bacon,

Fired Egg and Spicy Kethcup

Eggs Scramble with Asparagus, Bacon, Grassfed Cheddar,

Green Onions on toasted Sourdough

Fruit Salad Bowl

Interion Sign

Mixed Mushroom Omelet with Goat Cheese, Onion and Toast

JW nominated for "Making Downtown Great" award!

The JW Marriott Grand Rapids is very honored to have been nominated to win the very first Downtown Alliance's Making Downtown Great award for all the special events the JW has hosted in the past year. And it has been quite a year for the jdub and downtown Grand Rapids in general. We believe we've earned the recognition given that the jdub has continued to produce one event after another, month after month. From the many jdek parties during ArtPrize, to the biggest party of the year, The Juice Ball, and to the AHA! party of the year for West Michigan, The Salsa Pachanga. Thank you Grand Rapids and Downtown Alliance for this prestigious award nomination. And yes, we have a lot more parties planned for the coming year! 

The JW was also nominated for the Best New Construction award and the Best Kept Secret award for the jdek.

From the sampling below, do you think the jdub deserves this award?

FOURTH OF JULY PARTY ON THE JDEK

 SUMMER CHEF GARDEN TOURS

NUMEROUS LAUNCH PARTIES IN MIXOLOGY

THE PINK PARTY FOR SUSAN G. KOMEN

DJ SESSIONS WITH DJ TODD ERNST

JW CHEF SCHOOL

THE BLACK AND WHITE PARTY - JIMMY LE'S 30TH BIRTHDAY BASH

ARTPRIZE PARTIES

THE RED BALL PARTY

ARTPRIZE 2009

MANY CHEF DINNERS

PHILIPPINE GALA

MANY SIX.ONE.SIX FOOD AND WINE TASTINGS

DEAD-U-TANTE PARTY - HALLOWEEN

TRIBUTE TO GOURMET MAGAZINE WITH LOCAL FOODIE CHEFS

GLITTER BALL AND TOTALLY 80'S NYE PARTY

THE JUICE BALL - TOMMY FITZGERALD'S BIRTHDAY BASH

THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS PARTY - VALENTINE'S

GR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHEF SCHOOL

SUPERFRIENDZ CHEF SCHOOL

SUPERFRIENDZ REVEAL - RYAN SLUSARZYK'S 25TH BIRTHDAY

SALSA PACHANGA

SUPERFRIENDZ RADIO FLYER CAMPAIGN LAUNCH

SUMMER REGGAE AT THE JDUB - FRIDAYS ON THE JDEK

GRNOW BIRTHDAY BASH

SUMMER 80'S BASH

SPEAK TO THE EARTH TOUR 2010

PACHANGA LATINA - JULY 2010