Mediterranean Cuisine is Afoot at the FIG with Chef Yousef Ghalaini

Spicy Crab and Avocado Toast (Minus the Crab)

Edible Skinny was lucky enough to check out FIG Restaurant in Santa Monica and we’re here to report there’s some fun movement afoot!

I’ve always had a sweetheart spot for the Fairmont Miramar.  Their staff is the definition of hospitality (seriously it’s like they’re characters our of the Grand Budapest Hotel) while they walk the perfect Santa Monica balance of cutting edge and beachy casual!  And if you haven’t heard since October 2014 FIG Restaurant has been under a new captain!

New Executive Chef Yousef Ghalaini has been switching up it up at the Fairmont Miramar shifting FIG’s cuisine from Ray Garcia’s street taco inspired dishes to a more Mediterranean perspective that uses the freshest California ingredients from local farmers.

Blistered Shishito Peppers

As a native of Lebanon, Chef Ghalaini was immersed in the culture of food at his grandfather’s bakery where he learned the art of the wood-burning oven at an early age. Today he’s a master; Ghalaini eagerly awaits the installation of his wood-burning oven at FIG (which should be showing up in the next month or so).  

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, he honed his food and wine skills at Go Fish restaurant and Robert Sinskey Vineyards, before landing at the Michelin-rated REDD restaurant, mastering one of the most celebrated styles of California cuisine.  Most recently, Chef Ghalaini spearheaded the opening of the Bench at the Lodge at Pebble Beach, a casually elegant restaurant on Stillwater Cove featuring California-Med inspired dishes prepared on open flame, as well as stunning views of one of the most famous finishing holes in golf.

Quinoa Salad

One fun dish we sampled while dining at FIG last week was their Blistered Shishito Peppers tossed with lemon, California Olive Oil, and Fleur de Sel ($11).  Spicy and clean tasting it’s the choice compliment for a glass of wine. 

The perfect tea sandwich was the Spicy Crab and Avocado Toast built out of Dungeness Crab (sans for Veggie me), Meyer Lemon Oil, and Radish Sprouts ($16); simple and elegant.

Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

An Edible Skinny favorite is the Quinoa Salad composed of Persian Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, and a creamy French Feta ($15).  Healthiness disguised in creamy sheep’s milk cheese!  Yummm!

Luckily we finished the night off with Peanut Butter Crunch Bar (or Peanut Butter “Crack Bar” as Jackie over at the Fairmont Miramar calls it!).  Popcorn, chocolate, and peanut butter creaminess that is probably illegal in most states.  It was absolutely divine!

So if you’re wanting to voyage into a more Mediterranean cuisine at one of Santa Monica’s best hotel hamlets it’s time to re-explore FIG.

Here’s to life being delicious!

Spread the Warmth Gift Idea #5 – New Year's Eve Plans

One of the biggest hassles after the Christmas gifting season is trying to figure out what everyone’s doing on December 31st!  So this year why not give the gift of New Year’s Eve plans?  Along with the gifts of class and style, it’s the ultimate present of peace of mind (and also all the time since you won’t have to discuss, and discuss, what you’re going to do)!

Spread the Warmth Gift Idea #5 – New Year's Eve Plans  

TheFairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, a amazing friend of Edible Skinny, is all about having fabulous luxurious options to ring in 2015!  So dust off your most marvelous tuxedo and pick the one that’s right for you! 

FIG Restaurant

FIG Restaurant, the seasonal bistro with an emphasis on organically grown and locally sourced ingredients, will be holding two festive seatings for dining on Wednesday December 31st!  The first will feature a 5 seasonal menu from FIG Restaurant.  The second seating will feature an extended 7 course menu AND enjoy a free flowing champagne service throughout the evening AND a snack bar after the ball drops to keep the party going.

$85 per person first seating, $124 per person later seating 

 

The Miramar Lounge

Welcome the New Year with an evening of live entertainment, a champagne & caviar bar, and an exclusive a la carte menu from Chef Yousef Ghalaini of FIG Restaurant.  Festive New Years Eve attire required.

Beachy Elegance at Bungalow One

Edible Skinny was lucky enough to be invited to the exclusive unveiling of the newly introduced Bungalow One, a customized, three-bedroom, million-dollar bungalow suite at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalow in Santa Monica.   Co-hosted by the Fairmont and the Robb Report Home & Style this event showcased the beachy barefoot elegance that enrobed this mid-century pad as envisioned by L.A. based interior designer Michael Berman. 

Our evening started with Kelly and I poolside sipping on cocktails featuring Ron Zacapa rum and noshing on tasty bites from FIG.  This was followed by a thoroughly comprehensive tour by our amazing guide (and manager of the Fairmont Miramar) Matthew Lehman.  Lehman explained that Bungalow One’s poolside hideaway that is part public, part private, is in keeping with the Fairmont’s history as a one-of-a-kind costal hideaway for high-profile guests. 

Thirty-two bungalows scattered throughout the 4.5-acre property perched above Santa Monica Bay were built in the 1930s and 1940s and have housed such luminaries as Marilyn Monroe, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Charles Lindbergh.  Today, the 10-story Ocean Tower, built in the 1950s, anchors the hotel, while the bungalows remain in demand for their homelike ambience amid the poolside bustle.

Something sparkly special about Bungalow One is its space.  The unit’s indoor and outdoor areas total 2,500 square feet (1,800 square feet inside 700 square-feet outside), which is more than twice the size of any other suite at the hotel.  A two-tiered garden area allows for seclusion for spa treatments or a private dinner party for as many as 10 people.

“I wanted Bungalow One to be more like staying in a personal guest home of a really great beach house,” says Berman of the chic and cushy bungalow, where the nightly rate starts at $4,000.   “Yes, I wanted it to feel luxurious, but not necessarily formal or opulent.  This is Santa Monica, not Los Angeles, so things are a bit more relaxed.  But I get that this is an anomaly in terms of what you’d typically expect from a presidential suite.”

Bungalow One connects four of the Fairmont’s 32 bungalows to create a three-bedroom retreat that melds modern day amenities (programmable bath and shower settings) with vintage furniture (photos from the Miss Santa Monica beauty contest held at the Fairmont in the 1950s adorn the walls).  A click of a switch, causes the window between the master bedroom and the bathroom to go from transparent to opaque so the bather can enjoy privacy of a bubble bath in tub affectionately referred to at the “world’s largest ramen bowl.”

Berman feels that the most important thing in any hotel room is the bed, and as such he specified handmade, all-natural mattresses from the British company Vi-Spring for sleeping quarters covered in Scandia down linens.  “If you’re not going to have a restful night’s sleep,” he says, “nothing else matters.”

So for a beachy luxury suite escape Bungalow One is the perfect hideaway retreat, with the world’s largest ramen bowl.