Maxmillion

Real Name:

I'm not telling...

Location:

Van Nuys, CA

Blog:

http:// http://www.artsbeatla.com/

Best meal I ever ate:

So many memorable ones... I will never forget Giraud's Lobster Bisque that he served during a sensational Christmas Eve dinner at Bastide -- it was like liquid gold

My current drink of choice:

I am partial to Prosecco or French champagne

I really wish I could:

Spend more of my day thinking about food, researching recipes and restaurants and concocting fabulous dishes in the kitchen

My "Go-to" dinner party dish:

For pot lucks I usually prepare a great lentil dish (chili or dal) so there's something for anyone who is vegetarian. When I'm entertaining, I often prepare a superb fish pie, rich with fragrant truffle oil and soubise sauce

My favorite comfort food:

Homemade butternut pumpkin ravioli with sage butter sauce -- mmmmm!

My top 5 favorite restaurants:

Currently -- Angelini Osertia; Mezzomondo; Ruth's Chris Bev Hills; Lucques; Ortolan (exe); Celadon (closed). On my hit list: Hatfield's (the new space); Spago; Cut (tuff when you only have one birthday per year...)

My most tattered cookbooks:

Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion; Larousse Gastronomique (actually that one is in pretty good condition -- I'm scurred!); Gabriel Gate's Great Cakes and Desserts -- that one's got a lot of stains on it!