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Milt Larsen - Co-Founder of The Magic Castle 

Milt Larsen, co-founder of The Magic Castle, as he prepares for the film, the release of a new book, entitled “My Magical Journey: The First 30,000 Days”, and the 50th anniversary of the the Hollywood landmark.

The construction of the original structure began in 1908 and In November of 2009 the historic structure once known as the Lane Mansion celebrated its centennial. On Jan 2nd, 1963 that same structure became, what is now known as, the world famous Magic Castle. In January, 2013, fans and fanatics of the mystical and mysterious world of illusion gathered to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The Magic Castle has grown over the years from its original design to include 13 performance spaces including close-up magic, the Parlor of Prestidigitation and, of course, The Palace of Mystery. Practically every great magician of the modern era has appeared within walls, as well as a few noted amature illusionists including Cary Grant, Johnny Carson, Jason Alexander, Dom Deluise, Tony Curtis, Neil Patrick Harris, to name a few and boasts a membership that includes many of todays top stars such as Johnny Depp, Jane Fonda, Florence Henderson, Carol Channing, Romi Dames, Tippi Hedren, Stephen Hawking, and more.

The Magic Castle is not only the showplace for some of the greatest magicians from around the globe, it also houses one of the largest original collections of Houdini's great tools of the trade including his personal handcuffs, straight jacket, metamorphosis trunk and famous milk can escape in the Houdini Séance Room. Houdini himself used these props to mystify thousands. The castle also houses collections from W.C. Field, Johnny Carson, Walt Disney and many more.


CARMEN POLICY - CASA PIENA WINERY 
 
The man who helped guide the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl victories thinks the team is primed to bring home yet another Lombardi trophy. Carmen Policy, who was one of the architects of the Niners’ glory days, was a guest on KCBS’ most recent In Depth, reminiscing about the team’s winning years, and pondering whether the streak can be resumed “I don’t want to seem overly confident but I think this is the Niners’ game,” he told KCBS. “This is the Niners’ sixth trophy coming back to San Francisco,” he added. “The Niners will win.” These days Policy is making Napa Valley cabernet at his winery, Casa Piena . He admitted to KCBS that he still avidly follows the team from the comfort of his couch.

Carmen Policy (born January 26, 1943 in Youngstown, Ohio) is an attorney and American football executive who is best known for his front office work for the San Francisco 49ersduring the 1980s and 1990s. Policy, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1983 as vice president and counsel. In 1991, he became president and chief executive officer of the San Francisco 49ers and played a key role in the 49ers Super Bowl victories in 1985, 1989, 1990 and 1995. Policy was graduated in 1963 from Youngstown University. He earned his Juris Doctorate Degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1966. While practicing law, he was listed in the industry publication The Best Lawyers in America. Policy and his wife, Gail, designed and endowed the Carmen and Gail Policy Clinical Fellowship at the Georgetown University Law Center, which promotes advocacy of civil rights issues.

In 1994, he was named the National Football League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly, as voted on by NFL owners and executives. The Sporting News and GQ also named him one of the Most Influential People in Professional Sports.

He would later become involved with the current incarnation of the Cleveland Browns. While serving as President & CEO of the Browns, Policy served as a member of the NFL Business Ventures Committee as well as the Super Bowl Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles Market Advisory Group. He also served as a member of the NFL Finance Committee. Policy stepped down as president and chief executive officer of the Cleveland Browns on May 1, 2004, after five years.


Frederick L. Dame - Master Sommelier 

Frederick L. Dame, Master Sommelier brings an impressive blend of experience, expertise and enthusiasm to the world of wine and cuisine. He is the first American to have served as President of the Court of Master Sommeliers Worldwide and assists restaurateurs and hoteliers in developing their wine programs in his role as Director of Prestige Accounts for Beam Wine Estates. He is currently the President of the Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation.

Dame's ability to transmit his passionate interest in wine make him a natural teacher. One of just seventy-three Americans to have passed the Master Sommelier Examination, Dame was the first to successfully pass all three parts in a single year. This feat and his high score won him the coveted Krug Cup of the British Guild of Sommeliers in 1984. Dame founded the American Branch of The Court of Master Sommeliers in 1986 and has played an active role in the expansion of the Master Sommelier program throughout America since that time.

As Cellarmaster of The Sardine Factory in Monterey, California for twelve years, Dame created a wine list which won the Wine Spectator Grand Award. With the many wine events held in the brick and wine lined Wine Cellar, Dame turned The Sardine Factory into a wine destination restaurant of world renown. He is also active in the culinary arts serving as an Honorary Trustee of The American Academy of Chefs, the honor society of The American Culinary Federation. He was awarded the Antonin Careme Medal and was made a Supreme Knight of the Knights of the Vine in 2000. He has been elected to the prestigious National Restaurant Association College of Diplomates for 2004.

A sixth generation Californian, Dame graduated from Washington and Lee University with a degree in journalism and communications. A European trip after high school piqued his curiosity about wine and food. Since then, he has applied his considerable persuasive skills to the service and appreciation of fine wine.



STEVE EVANS - "THE MOVIE GUY"

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.

BILL KURTIS - TALL GRASS BEEF

Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich; September 21, 1940) is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files. Previously, he anchored CBS Morning News, and was the longtime anchor at WBBM-TV, the CBS owned-and-operated TV station in Chicago 

He was the narrator in the 2004 Will Ferrell comedy film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Since 2005, Kurtis has become heavily involved in raising and marketing grass-fed beef after purchasing an 8,000 acres  ranch near Sedan, Kansas. While looking for innovative uses for his ranch, Kurtis learned about the health and environmental benefits of grass-fed beef and founded Tallgrass Beef Company. A separate ranch owned by Kurtis and his sister, near Independence, Kansas was the original site that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her book Little House on the Prairie and is operated as a tourist attraction. He is also an investor in the Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, Illinois


CHEF JOHN BESH - NEW ORLEANS - M&M's IN SUPERBOWL RECIPES

John Besh (New Orleans multi-award winning chef and restaurateur) to help launch the brand’s new integrated marketing campaign, ‘Better With M.’  The campaign is designed to showcase how M&M’S irresistible chocolate makes moments more fun and delicious.

John Besh is a chef and a native son dedicated to the culinary riches of southern Louisiana.  In his restaurants, entrepreneurial pursuits, and public activities, he preserves and promotes ingredients, techniques, and heritage one mouth-watering dish at a time.

Besh grew up in southern Louisiana and has set the benchmark for fine dining in New Orleans – a town whose identity is bound to its food. Each of his nine acclaimed restaurants (August, Besh Steak, Lüke, Lüke San Antonio, La Provence, American Sector, Soda Shop, Domenica and Borgne) celebrates the bounty and traditions of the region.

From the outset of his career, Besh’s talent and drive have earned him continuous kudos: Food & Wine named him one of the “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America” and his flagship restaurant August has featured on the late great Gourmet magazine’s “Guide to America’s Best Restaurants,” and “America’s Top 50 Restaurants.”  Local publications keeping close tabs on the dining scene, like The Times-Picayune and New Orleans City Business, have applauded all his other restaurants as they’ve appeared and won the hearts and palates of discriminating diners.   He won the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006, and was awarded Food Arts’ Silver Spoon Award in 2009 for revitalizing the culinary legacy of New Orleans.  John Besh is a frequent guest chef on the NBC Today Show, and has appeared on top programs on The Food Network and the Sundance Channel, as well.

Besh’s devotion to local ingredients and local cuisine also extends to his entrepreneurial projects, including the creation of Besh Restaurant Group Catering; the launch of a line of gourmet products; and the publication of his two cookbooks, My New Orleans in October 2009 and My Family Table in November 2011 (both from Andrews McMeel Publishing). A former U.S. Marine, Besh is proud to have partnered with Baton Rouge-based emergency reconstruction specialists Arkel International, for which he creates high quality ready-to-eat meals for distribution to thousands of emergency response teams and sustained strategic operations in the U.S. and around the world; the novel initiative promotes the Gulf Coast’s food culture as it elevates the Louisiana economy. In recognition of such far-reaching contributions, the Louisiana Restaurant Association named him Restaurateur of the Year in 2008.

Whether served as far afield as North Africa or the Middle East, or by his own hands in one of his New Orleans restaurants, a meal created by John Besh is a thoughtful, flavorful, meaningful delight.


DESMOND HOWARD - SUPERBOWL PICK

Desmond played professional football in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins (1992-1994), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), Green Bay Packers (1996, 1999), Oakland Raiders (1997-1998) and Detroit Lions (1999-2002). Howard was voted the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXI and is the first and only special teams player to win the award. He is one of only four players to win both the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP. Desmond earned his place in Super Bowl lore on January 26th, 1997, when he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown (still a Super Bowl record.) He enters his 9th year as ESPN GameDay analyst having covered the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and National Championship games for ESPN in January 2012. Desmond joined ESPN in experience began as a contribution to Fox Sports’ Best Damn Sports Show Period in 2003 and continued as a correspondent on ESPN 2’s Cold Pizza in 2004 during the show’s Super Bowl coverage. His television honors include being a part of several Sports Emmy winning seasons of College GameDay. For more, visit www.desmondhoward.com

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America:
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young
people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

LARRY LIPSON - COSTA RICA

Weekly Report from former Food/Wine writer at Daily News (50 years) live
from the Lipson Institute for Advanced Wine Studies in Costa Rica.
With associate and wife Lillian Lipson by special arrangement.



 

MIRO (MIROSLAV) TCHOLAKO - Winemaker/Proprietor  "MIRO CELLARS"

Born and raised in northern Bulgaria, a region with many millennia of winemaking history, Miro (Miroslav) Tcholakov was exposed to wine and winemaking at a very early age. His grandfather had long made the family supply of wine. As a boy, Miro was at his side during all phases of the process.
After completing his mandatory military service, he attended the Higher Institute of Agriculture in Plovdiv where he studied viticulture and enology. Soon after graduation, in the summer of 1990, he was chosen from hundreds of candidates to participate in an international exchange program in agriculture set up by The Future Farmers of America. After a few months in Napa, he was taken on as harvest intern at Sonoma County's Dry Creek Vineyard. What was supposed to be a temporary harvest job turned into a nine-year position moving through the ranks from Cellar Master to Assistant Winemaker in 1997.
In 1998 Miro went to work as Winemaker for Trentadue Winery, which is still his "day job." In addition to bringing more acclaim to the winery by creating world class award-winning wines, Miro's duties include overseeing many custom crush operations for some renowned winemaker clients. In 2001, Miro became his own customer with his inaugural bottling of his Petite Sirah. Within a few weeks of its release, it received a fat 90 points and a "well-endowed" write-up from Robert Parker, Jr. in the Wine Advocate.


CHEF ANNE BURRELL - Food Network's  "Chef Wanted"

Superstar chef Anne Burrell hits the pavement to help prominent restaurants around the country find their most valuable employee - the Executive Chef.  Chef Anne puts four top-level candidates through the ultimate job interview as she tests their culinary chops and business savvy in kitchen challenges that run the gamut. From testing their resourcefulness by creating a delicious dish using only four ingredients, to assessing their ability to pair their own dishes with a signature beer from the restaurant's menu, these chefs are in for the challenge of their lives.  For the final two chefs it all boils down to one night of service when they are handed the keys to the restaurant and, potentially, the job of their dreams.

"Anne's culinary savvy and tough love come together to put these aspiring Executive Chefs through the toughest job interview they'll ever face," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President Programming, Food Network.  "She brings out the best in these chefs, and viewers can't help but root for their success." Over the thirteen-episode season, determined chefs from across the country are put through unpredictable culinary challenges.  Whether it's a test of their Italian scratch cooking skills and their knowledge of the regional cuisine at the immense Tuscan Kitchen in New Hampshire; assessing their ability to work with the scraps of high-end ingredients while creating a whole new menu for Mirabelle Restaurant in Los Angeles; or challenging their creativity by preparing a gourmet version of a traditional Puerto Rican dish for Oceano's menu in Puerto Rico, each chef will devote blood, sweat and tears to prove to Anne that they are qualified to be Executive Chef.    

Anne Burrell has always stood out in the restaurant business for her remarkable culinary talent, bold and creative dishes, and her trademark spiky blond hair. After training at New York's Culinary Institute of America and Italy's Culinary Institute for Foreigners, she gained hands-on experience at notable New York restaurants including Felidia, Savoy, Lumi, and Italian Wine Merchants. Anne has also battled on Food Network's Iron Chef America as Mario Batali's energetic and reliable sous chef.  Additionally, Anne taught for three years at New York's Institute of Culinary Education. She served as Executive Chef at New York hot-spot Centro Vinoteca from its opening in July 2007 through September 2008.  She stars in Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and Worst Cooks in America on Food Network. Anne's bestselling cookbook "Cook Like A Rock Star" (Clarkson Potter) was released in October, 2011.

Pro Football Legend Jerome Bettis  & Cookbook Guru Robin Miller 

The former Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back is one of the best all-time running backs in the NFL (5th overall in rushing). Jerome Bettis is also the 2001 recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible. He also serves as an analyst for NBC’s “Football Night in America” studio show. “The Bus” finished his NFL career in January 2006 after 13 seasons, retiring immediately following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit. Bettis was selected to the Pro Bowl six times, including his rookie season. Bettis finished his college career at Notre Dame averaging 5.7 yards per carry and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams 10th overall in 1993. He was named NFL Co-Rookie of the Year and also earned Sporting News Rookie of the Year and Rams MVP honors. Bettis is severely allergic to shellfish. Bettis established “The Bus Stops Here Foundation” in 1996 to help improve the quality of life for disadvantaged and underprivileged children. In 2002, he was named the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year for his community involvement and work by his foundation. Bettis and his wife Trameka live in Atlanta, Ga. with their daughter Jada and son Jerome. The Bettis’ also maintain a home in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Robin has fifteen years of experience as a food writer and nutritionist and is the author of the bestselling cookbook Quick Fix Meals. She is the host of Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller. Robin's recipes and nutrition features can be seen regularly in Cooking Light, Health, Shape, Men's Fitness and Toddler magazines. Currently, she appears on local, network and cable television. Programs of particular interest include: The Early Show (CBS), Regis & Kelly, The View, The Today Show (NBC), Good Morning America (ABC), CNN, ABC's Eyewitness News, CBS Evening News, Fox News Channel, Food Network, Discovery Channel, Health Network, and Joan Lunden's Women's Supermarket Network. She has written eight books: Robin to the Rescue, Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller, Picnics, Verdure, The Newlywed Cookbook, The Daily Soup, Jane Fonda, Cooking for Healthy Living and The Newlywed Cookbook. Robin is severely allergic to eggs.

Nearly six million Americans are at risk for anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction that happens quickly and may cause death – and numerous studies indicate that the rate of anaphylaxis has increased in recent years.

Life-threatening allergic reactions may occur as a result of exposure to allergens including foods such as peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, soy and wheat; insect stings; latex and medication, among other allergens. Food is the most commonly-identified anaphylaxis trigger.

Professional football legend Jerome Bettis, who is allergic to shellfish, and Food Network star Robin Miller, who is allergic to eggs, both take essential life-saving steps as part of their overall severe allergy action plan, including avoiding their allergens and carrying an epinephrine auto-injector. Miller and Bettis will carry Auvi-QTM (epinephrine injection, USP), a new epinephrine auto-injector now available via prescription. Auvi-Q is the first-and-only compact epinephrine auto-injector with audio and visual cues for the emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions. Bettis and Miller are teaming up to help people like them, as well as parents and caregivers of those at risk for anaphylaxis by providing allergy-friendly recipes and tips for those hosting Big Game parties.


Eric Johnson - Winemaker - Talley Vineyard

Winemaker Eric Johnson is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he studied Wine and Viticulture and Agricultural Business Management. He joined Talley Vineyards in 2007.
Eric was raised on a family farm in Los Banos, California. “I appreciate the tradition of quality that the Talley family has fostered since they began farming the Arroyo Grande Valley in 1948,” he said. “I believe that the world’s greatest wines are defined by place as opposed to winemaking manipulation.” In addition, Eric has a great work ethic and passion for excellence. “A great winemaker needs flair, imagination and the inspiration of divine discontent.”
Eric has traveled to France, Italy, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile for the opportunity to explore wine grape regions or work harvests. In his spare time, Eric enjoys outdoor sports, food and wine. He lives in San Luis Obispo.

DALLAS PELISSARO - "Wine & Cheese Cellar of Tehachapi"

It is hard to imagine a better place to enjoy yourself either alone or with friends, than visiting The Wine & Cheese Cellar of Tehachapi. The mood is just right to enjoy a great glass (or bottle) of wine while dinning in an ambiance that promotes laughter, conversation, and pure comfort! At the Wine & Cheese Cellar of Tehachapi, you have the unique opportunity of tasting many wine varietals from different wine growing regions of the world. We rotate our OzBar weekly, allowing you to adventure into some of the great wines you would never have the opportunity to otherwise experience. We have hundreds of wine selections in our inventory that have been hand selected for superb quality and value. The inventory will always change because all wines have production limitations.  Some wines may have produced as little as 50 cases and will be sold out and replaced by another selection within a few days.


MYLES BERKOWITZ  - "LIFESIZE" FOUND

 Myles and Steven created a portion control system that allows you to eat in the real world, feel satisfied, lose weight and keep it off.  Lifesize, is an easy-to-follow weight loss system based entirely on portion control.  The pair developed the product after Steven, a personal trainer in Los Angeles, spent years observing the eating habits of people who did not have a weight problem. He found that how they stayed thin was that they ate whatever they wanted but simply ate less of it.  Steven then created food portions for his clients that were practical - - that people can live with for life.

The Lifesize company was created to re-teach people how to eat so that they could lose weight, get down to a healthy weight, and most importantly, stay at their healthy weight for the rest of their lives. We developed the simplest way for people to track the calories they eat in a meal and in a day, because we believe that if something is simple, people might actually do it. We designed portion sizes of food that are based on calories and over thirty years of studying what and how much people need to eat to be satisfied and also stay at a healthy weight. And we created tools to help people see and understand what their meal plate and what a total day of eating should look like. The two inventors of the Lifesize tools and the Lifesize Program are Steven Kates and Myles Berkowitz.

About the Lifesize Founders

Steven Kates has been in the fitness and nutrition business for more than 30 years. Steven is known in Los Angeles for his work with celebrities, his ultra-modern fitness operations, and his scientific training techniques. He was Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the first Nautilus Chain in the West, and introduced Nautilus to Los Angeles. Spinning was invented in one of Steven’s Nautilus complexes by his friend and employee Johnny G. Steven has founded and operated several fitness studios and workout facilities in the Los Angeles area, including Matrix 1 Fitness complex – the birthplace of the private training industry. Steven has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from UCLA.

Myles Berkowitz is a filmmaker in Los Angeles. He’s been in the entertainment business for over 20 years, and most notably wrote, directed and starred in the Fox Searchlight film 20 Dates. Myles Berkowitz knew nothing about food and dieting when he met Steven four years ago.

Myles was convinced that portion control was the answer to the obesity problem in America, but couldn’t find one place to get all the information a person needed to portion food properly. So Myles and Steven decided to fill that knowledge gap. Together they came up with simple-to-use measuring devices and a complete Lifesize Program that even a dummy like Myles could understand. Myles has lost 46 pounds on the Lifesize Program. But the bigger news is that he’s kept that weight off for over 3 years while still eating familiar and favorite foods, but in Lifesize portions.

TROY ROBERTS – CBS, 48 HOURS

For two decades the most glamorous spot in Miami Beach was the Fontainebleau Hotel.  From Sinatra to Kennedy to Monroe – celebrities and headliners held the spotlight here.  In their footsteps, came legions of well-heeled regular folk, descending on the opulent resort, eager to rub shoulders with the stars and feel pampered and special in sun-splashed Miami.  The creator of this American palace was a tough dreamer, a disputatious New Yorker named Benny Novak.  At his side, a beautiful and poised former model Bernice.  The couple had a son, Benji, who grew up into what many described as a spoiled brat.  In the late 70s, when the hotel was sold, Benji was the heir to a small fortune.  At 22, he started building his own fortune by creating a convention staging company.  He also became a fanatic of Batman memorabilia, a playboy known for his deviant sexual predilections, and in 1991, he began seeing Narcy Veliz, a young single mother and former exotic dancer from Ecuador.  After the two married, Narcy helped Benji run his multi-million dollar business.

In July 2009, Ben and Narcy traveled from their Ft. Lauderdale estate to Rye Brook, New York, just north of Manhattan, for a convention.  On July 12, according to Narcy’s statements to police, Ben worked throughout the night, staying up until 6:30 a.m., before finally going to bed.  Shortly afterward, Narcy told police that she left their room to get breakfast. Hotel security videos show her leaving the hotel suite.  She returned 45 minutes later to a horrifying scene; the display of Ben’s beaten and nearly unrecognizable body was something New York Detectives Terry Wilson and Allison Carpentier would also describe as one of the most gruesome they had ever observed.  The 53-year-old had been tortured to death, both of his eyes gouged out.  Ultimately, investigators would focus their attention on Narcy, but with the extravagant lifestyle Ben had provided her from the start of their relationship, what would be her motivation to kill him, or have him killed?  Detectives would come to learn that Benji had taken up with another woman.  Rebecca bliss, formerly known as “Mona Love”, was all over the internet on adult entertainment sites.  What began as a sexual tryst, says Rebecca, grew into a serious ongoing relationship of almost two years.  Had Narcy learned of the affair?  Troy Roberts talks to authorities from New York to South Florida about the twisted trail of evidence they would uncover.  Rebecca Bliss also speaks out for the first time about Ben and Narcy’s contentious marriage.  Maxine Fiel, Bernice Novack’s sister and Ben’s elderly aunt, provides insight into life in the Novack family, as well as an account of her sister’s sudden death just months prior to her nephew’s – this would also become a key and shocking element of the investigation into Ben’s murder.  Troy Roberts has the story. 48 HOURS "Crazy Love" airs on Saturday, January 26, 2013 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)



Antoine Sicotte - “The Rebel Chef”

Antoine Sicotte a.k.a. “The Rebel Chef” –a founding member of the platinum-winning band, Sky, Antoine Sicotte has travelled the world but surprised more than a few people when he published his first cookbook, Le Cuisinier Rebelle. The book went on to win several international awards and since then he’s published another cookbook as well as a third on mixology. Get a sneak peek as Antoine puts his signature spin on some edgy but easy recipes for Super Bowl in preparation for the debut of his newest book, due out later this year. In addition to being a huge foodie, The Rebel Chef is a biker fan and is currently building his second custom chopper from scratch.

Join the Rebel Chef as he showcases signature recipes in preparation for the debut of his new book, “Rebel Chef on Fire.” Super Bowl 2013 marks the U.S. debut of The Rebel Chef – a rising star soon to be a household name! Grab your apron as The Rebel Chef whips up some tasty gridiron grub that’s just the solution for tackling those big game day appetites.


STEVE EVANS - "THE MOVIE GUY"

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.

ROBIN LEACH - FOOD UNIVERSITY IN LAS VEGAS

Robin Leach is Food University partner, co-founder of the Food Network and a longtime culinary world insider and supporter. Previously, he was known for his roles as host and correspondent for “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” and “Entertainment Tonight,” respectively. He will serve as master of ceremonies for the March Food University event at Caesars Palace.

This just in—Food Network series “Ace of Cakes” star Duff Goldman, winner of season 10 of “Hell’s Kitchen” Christina Wilson, acclaimed pastry chef François Payard, chef and restaurateur Frank Pellegrino, Jr. and the “Godfather of Italian-American cooking” Steve Martorano have just been added to the faculty of Food University at Caesars Palace, taking place March 27-29. Tickets are now available for the event, which is designed to transform fun-loving foodies from average cooks into exceptional home chefs in just 72 hours with a dynamic schedule of classes.

 Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes bakeries in Baltimore and Los Angeles, as well as the do-it-yourself cake bakery Cakemix in West Hollywood, will present a hands-on cake-decorating seminar during Food University’s three-day curriculum. Payard, owner of more than a dozen popular pâtisseries and bakeries worldwide, including Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro at Caesars Palace, will teach a class called “Chocolate Epiphany.” Pellegrino, proprietor of the storied Rao’s restaurants in New York and Las Vegas inside Caesars Palace, will lead a class focused on preparing classic Italian dishes. Classes taught by Wilson—who earned the role of head chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas following her “Hell’s Kitchen” win—and Martorano, owner of Martorano’s restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale and Hollywood, Fla. and the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, will be announced soon.

Food University’s schedule will comprise three days packed with classes and epicurean experiences. Unlike any other food festival or culinary event, Food University offers food lovers a chance to rub elbows with top chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, cheese experts, fine food purveyors and even farmers—all of whom will serve as Food U faculty. Food U “scholars” will not merely eat, drink and learn in the presence of lauded chefs; indeed, they will enthusiastically don their own chef whites and hone their cooking skills alongside celebrity chef “professors.”

Food University is revolutionary and immersive culinary travel experience for curious and fun-loving foodies seeking to raise their culinary IQ. Unlike any other food festival or culinary event, Food University literally offers food lovers a chance to rub elbows with top chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, fine food purveyors—the Food U “faculty”—as they learn alongside them during three days of exhilarating culinary curriculum. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more information, go to www.FoodUniversityLasVegas.com.

Tickets Now Available for Three-Day Culinary Event Mar. 27–29 Featuring 12 Hands-on Classes, Three Off-Site “Field Trips,” a Mixology Seminar, Six Meals and More


Christopher Taranto - Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is a cooperative marketing alliance made up of Paso Robles Wine Country wineries, vineyards and related businesses. The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is a 501c6 nonprofit organization operated under the guidance of a nine-member board of directors.

Plan ahead and make sure to come out and Savor San Luis Obispo County during the month of January. January 2013 will be our 6th Annual Restaurant Month. You will be able to visit participating San Luis Obispo County Restaurants, January 1 - 31, for a 3-course, prix-fixe  menu for only $30!

Grow Zinfully Wild Weekend   March 15 - 17, 2013

Spring in Paso Robles Wine Country means complex flavors, bright fruit and the intense colors of Zinfandel. It’s a time to be re-energized. A time to unwind and unthink. A time to Grow Wild. And this spring we invite you to taste for yourself each visionary vintage from our variety of vineyards, wineries and winemakers.

With its depth of character and boldness, Zinfandel is the proud heritage grape of Paso Robles Wine Country, personifying the culture and traditions of the area. So come out, try a taste and Grow Wild through the wineries and vineyards of Paso Robles Wine Country in celebration of our Grow Zinfully Wild Weekend, March 15-17, 2013.

Join more than 130 wineries for a selection of barrel tastings, winemaker dinners, vineyard tours, laid-back barbecues, live music, and much more! Use the weekend brochure below as your guide to plot your course to Paso Robles Wine Country during three days of spectacular Zinfandel weekend activities!