Media Soup (Bisque?) For Chef Dakota

One hopes that the restaurant reviewers and writers are visiting the Sunset Tower Hotel’s restaurants to view chef daughter, Dakota, and not the gaggle of celebrities that frequent the historical Hollywood establishment.

Dakota’s recent publicity is a media soup blending magazine features, news notes, and internet television.

Last week Calendarlive.com (http://www.calendarlive.com/dining/mood/cl-wk-dine1mar01,0,6195953.html) writer Leslee Komaiko, noted in her piece “Getting an Eyeful:”

When you're in the mood to celebrate, it's hard not to get into the spirit at these spots, where you get the action and a view.

The Terrace

It doesn't get much more L.A. than this casual poolside spot in the Sunset Tower Hotel, that Deco beauty on the strip. Chef Dakota Weiss' menu features big salads, such as a lobster Cobb, as well as steak frites. And you can't beat the view. That alone is worth the price of admission.

The March 2007 issue of "C Magazine" headlines Dakota as an ambitious and talented young chef. The full page feature is a tad fluffy, but just goes to show what California girls can do.

In February, Catherine Wiggington writing for "New York Resident," (http://70.47.124.114/node/500), listed Dakota exactly below world-famous chef Alain Ducasse. That was an OMG moment for me. Here’s the piece:

From Paris to Hollywood, Tangier to Honolulu, hotel dining has evolved into an art form with world-renowned chefs creating fusion menus for the jetset crowd at five-star hotels and resorts. While these restaurants can be a convenient choice for guests in their respective hotels, they are, in fact, destinations in their own right.

Alain Ducasse at Plaza Athénée
Paris, France
Alain Ducasse—the only chef within the Michelin Guide to hold three stars in three different countries—has created modern and authentic French dishes in one of the most prestigious hotels in Paris. Guests can put together their own menu, choosing from a range of dishes from different cultures, regions or based on different produce.

Terrace at Sunset Tower Hotel
Hollywood, California
Executive chef Dakota Weiss cooks up seasonal dishes like sauteed ruby red snapper with sweet potatoes and roasted rack of lamb with Tuscan beans and Tasso ham, while guests dine pool side under a canopy of trees and enjoy the view overlooking the Hollywood Hills.

In late January an internet television featured The Terrace and Dakota who sautéed her scallops dish during the interview. Once my Santa Fe readers got past the interviewer’s chest (Santa Feans are mostly modestly dressed), they ran out for scallops to duplicate Dakota’s dish. Check out LX.TV.com and scroll to The Terrace.

Dakota will present her absolutely fabulous Sweet Onion Bisque with Morel Mushrooms, Pancetta and Fried Parsley during the 18th Annual Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters event Saturday, May 5th, 2007 6PM at Paramount Pictures. (http://www.californiawinemasters.org/main_event.html)

This bisque is to die for. I have the recipe. Email if you would like a copy.