2008 SoCal Epi Allstars aka Foxes & Hounds Love Fest
Written: Mar 12 '08 (Updated Mar 13 '08)
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The Bottom Line: Would I travel 800 miles, devoting a full weekend to an Epinions.com gathering, enduring L.A. traffic for something like this again? Sure I would, but San Jose would be closer!
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| kcfoxy's Full Review: |
Faithful readers know, a Kcfoxy Meet & Greet field review is liable to read more like a book than an essay, with lots of Foodie content to boot. Fair warning, this amazing 6 hour event was like none other!
800 Miles, Road Warriors & Gas $3.59 Per Gallon?
After receiving an email from Epinions.com/Shopping.com's own Almar, we were debating the logistics of travel down to Southern California, the O.C. in this case, and whether or not to bring the dog children.
Long story short: Richard Ramsfan would drive the SUV and 2 pooches, and anti-L.A. freeway traffic me would take Amtrak's The San Joaquins down state: 9 weary hours there and back.
To cheer me was the super hotel deal I'd secured at Expedia, a most excellent Provolone and Prosciutto on focaccia sandwich to munch on the train, plus the third in Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas series-Brother Odd, to while away the hours.
Ramsfan crowed they'd be there at least an hour before me, arriving at the Santa Ana depot bearing bags of Knott's Berry Farms' signature fried chicken, corn, potatoes and gravy, monkey bread and boysenberry turnovers.
My train, bus transfer, train trip was moderately tame, though the 2 types of antibiotics for the brand new dental abscess made me pass up my usual Fritos BBQ Honey corn chips. Arriving a full 50 minutes after I did, Other Half muttered about L.A. traffic...thank goodness we'd booked such comfy beds for the night!
Getting To The Meet & Greet
Although our hotel was within miles of the Westin South Coast Plaza, it took 2 freeways, (55 to 405), no matter how much pleading on my part, to reach the gigantic Mall.
I'd mentioned the exit off 405 North would probably be the very first one, but sometimes people won't let you in, so we overshot and were confronted by mega store after mega store and the parking wars to boot.
Eventually, though, the white tower of the Westin popped into view among other high rises south of the Plaza proper, and it looked good for a go. $12.50 valet parking gave some pause, though somehow the phrase 'we'll take care of the validation' whispered through my medicated brain.
This is one huge and fancy hotel, Dear Readers, and luckily had a floor plan pdf on-line for review. It seemed that Shopping.com had secured the San Carlos Room on the second floor for a presentation. We arrived just in time to miss the round robin introductions...darn!
Information Session With Q&A
I'd never met Almar, but spotted him at the podium and leading the discussion. A man of average height, he possessed a handsome visage, an admirable posture with Latin Lover eyes and a mellow speaking voice that projected well into this medium-sized conference room.
We quickly took a seat around the "U" shaped tables, facing the amazing Garrett, (roheblius), huggable Joel, a smiling brunette who looked familiar but I couldn't place, a more familiar face, Yakkowarner, (Alan), I remembered from our Las Vegas 2006 M&G, and an intently focused young man wearing a red surfer tee shirt.
We made our apologies and were quickly assimilated into the presentation and discussion to follow. Coffee, tea, sodas and juice plus some monster chocolate chip cookies, (oh, I wished I could have chewed!), were available along with fresh fruit and water.
Sipping a chilled Sierra Mist kindly provided by Ramsfan, I next turned to drink in the red haired, blue-eyed goatee'd splendor that is Andy, (Andyman), followed by a vibrant and beaming young dark haired vixen-again familiar face, but name unknown.
Of course I knew Adriennefoster, (Adrienne), from both last year's San Francisco Epi Day 2007 as well as Las Vegas. A new and attractive 'do and color complimented her dimpled smile.
An attractively robust couple took up the corner spot. With frequent contributions, the tallish male seemed like someone I should know. His raven-tressed (date? wife? concubine?) was proudly attired in a black tee shirt with Epi dolls rampant.
The last to arrive, a lovely young blonde, blushed and headed toward a row of extra chairs backed against the far wall. "Why don't you come and sit over here? I promise we don't bite" I remembered saying. She gladly did, introducing herself as "Echo, I'm BeastieGirl", so along with the clever Epi-meister, Damon, he of the Beta intrigues, the stage was set.
Some interesting tidbits were tossed out during the Information session, such as the fact 2,000,000 reviews and 500,000 reviewers were among Epi stats. Of course, a smaller number of active members still peopled the Dealtime now Shopping.com and eBay-owned environs.
9 seasoned Epinionators were matched with 5 Epi guys, and 5 turned out to be at least 55% of the total Wizards of Epi, (I've heard there was still a single Wizardess)...how amazing given all the content, SAP, bugs, search...issues, promotions, new and improved web pages, etc.
A peek at the proposed new Home Page, Andy's baby, was of great interest and sequed nicely into a spirited discussion. Of course, that old war horse Search Engine was bandied about like a Pinata. I recall mentioning my dislike of Avatars for Member Photos, wishing for at least a halfway recent, (ahem DK!), picture instead of movie stars, cartoons or even adorable kitties.
I also wondered about that html, the one with the www.10 and then epinions.com...was this some sort of hit scoring scheme or was one being hijacked by dastardly daemons, I'd like to know. Plus, more about the MIA and recently departed/lamented Tommiko and Cristal?
Ideas about moving Off Topic reviews, Travel and Finance being used as examples, was also discussed, as were a number of other worthy topics the bright minds of brain storming Epinionators earnestly debated.
Meanwhile, Other Half played with Epi Dolls, managing to fold Meenie like a taco then stuff the little guy in a rather narrow water glass, further amusing himself by writing Post It notes ranging from "Help!" to something about a sit-down part of himself that apparently...itched.
Mindful of time, Almar allowed a final question, then asked how this format worked for us. It was very useful to be able and bring up questions/concerns for everyone to discuss, meanwhile avoiding obvious duplication, (did I mention Search Engine?), or the less than brilliant effects of alcohol on one's powers of persuasion.
Pinot Provence: The Cocktail Hour
After a short break we duly trooped downstairs for the second and third phases of our Meet & Greet to be held in the Pinacle Group's French Countryside restaurant, Pinot Provence.
Eye-poppingly gorgeous, the double doors led onto a limestone tiled entry, with bar to the right and Grand Salon straight ahead. Our special, private dining room, the Salon D'Olive had a seating capacity of 35 or standing room for 50.
The walls had a golden, plastered effect, with a mahogany trimmed fireplace to the right and a fetching small alcove at the far end. Glazed ginger jars festooned the mantle, while unique wall scones and overhead, rustic wrought iron chandeliers approximated candlelit glow.
A very long rectangular table took pride of place, with a few dozen comfortably upholstered side chairs sturdily at attention. Yes, we were just 14, but all along I kept vigil for Viper1963 who'd emailed his promise to attend. Only car trouble, an illness or some must-do wedding reception photo gig would have kept him away.
The long, rectangular room was warmish-at one time I had to ask Other Half if an actual fire lit in that impressive hearth. Given my druthers, as lovely as this all surely was, a ceiling fan or two, circulating some fresh, cool air would have been perfection!
House wine, both red and white was served, and solicitous wait staff circulated, beer, more wine or cocktails of our choice-and call, all available. I'm here to say their bartender had a wicked way with a Trader Vic's styled Planter's Punch...smooth like fruity nectar, the goodly tot of Meyer's rum swimming in its sunny depths.
Ramsfan tried sparking water, the non-alcoholic Beck's, jonesing for some O'Doul's then switching to iced tea for the meal itself. Others enjoyed the various wines, a bit of beer, and at least one Cola mixed beverage. Of course, the way the table was arranged, 4 or 5 sitting closest to the entryway were actually half a room away.
The banquet menu allows for 3 appetizers, and Almar's selections were some of the tastiest sounding of all:
Saint Andre cheese "en croute", acacia honey, walnuts
Dungeness crab, blood orange, fennel, olive oil
White bean bruschetta, crispy pancetta
I tried all but the last, these were very good, almost lighter than air with a subtle blend of flavors. Other Half proclaimed the bruschetta excellent-which says quite a bit, coming from a former professional cook, himself.
I think the Hors' D' oeuvre and Drink Hour went maybe 30 minutes over, but that just gave me more time to offer up some freshly made creams, (Mango with a dash of honeyed peach), and lotions, (Lavender essential oil with orange scented Clementine, very fresh smelling), for the testing.
I'd made up enough, plus some sample sized handmade soaps for all interested.
Wined And Dined With A 3 Course Feast
Sloshing from a few Planter's Punch umbrella type drinks, I believed I could now chew-well maybe not the mongo crusted French bread-and needed to eat some more solid fare.Provided with printed menus welcoming the Epinions Community the Starter choices were:
Pinot Caesar salad with garlic croutons and fresh Grana Parmesan
Sauteed prawns, Polenta gnocchi, Meyer lemon jus, capers, parsley, olives, radicchio
Salad loving Other Half picked the former, and I the latter. Mad for fish and sea food, I was happy as a clam with my extra large prawns, but with only 3, as gorgeously arrayed as they were, hard pressed to share with Big Guy. The little pillows of polenta, (gnocchi), were cloud light.
Ramsfan enjoyed his salad, commenting on the heart of romaine, as a whole being used rather than individual leaves.
Next came the Entree, with both a beef and fish option:
Braised short ribs, creamy red pepper polenta, baby carrots, basil oil powder
Grilled striped sea bass, Vadouvan spiced vegetables, Manila clams, white wine chive jus
Again, as long time Foodies with nearly 16 years of Togetherness are wont, we each ordered different selections, the better to taste and share our observations with Patient Readers who couldn't make the Feast:
Richard Ramsfan thought the short ribs a bit greasy, a bit tough and for his 6'3" self, not substantial enough a portion for an entree. He's not huge on polenta either, and that might have been a problem. On the other hand, I adored my striped sea bass, very moist and delicately flavored. I didn't know what Vadouvan was...thought maybe something like Venusian, but the Manila clams with white wine chive jus were delicious and even the small bits of squash were do-able.
Dessert, gave pause, as both choices sounded delish:
Chocolate "Kit "Kat", caramel sauce, cappuccino gelato
Creme brulee, pistachio biscotti
Richard shared a spoonful of his Creme brulee, and upon reminder, a smidgen of his biscotti. The flavors and contrasting textures were wonderful. But I adored my mini Napoleanish Kit Kats even more, quality dark chocolate layered with wafers and decadent ganache, napped with squiggles of caramel sauce and a tablespoon or so of foamy Gelato.
Executive Chef Nicolas Weber is a foam fiend, as the Crab and Blood orange appetizer and various Gelatos can attest, but he and Sous Chef Shahan Mouradyan can be commended for subtle sauces, respectful preparation of delicate fish, inventive combinations and much less salt drowning out the olfactory/gustatory senses than commonly found in other haute, (or not so haute), cuisine.
Overall, we emerged feeling pampered, even cherished, with such a lavish and thoughtful spread. I greatly enjoyed speaking with Almar, to my right, and hearing about his 2 charming daughters, as well as views on Continental cuisine, the sins of chocolate and grace of Lent, a recent documentary he'd enjoyed an upcoming Meet & Greet in Chicago and his interest in a Hawaiian Isles gathering I not-so-subtly proposed.
I was thrilled to make further acquaintance with Gael-surely a kindred spirit, and Adrienne is a worthy conversationalist in any gathering. Garrett circulated quite a bit, so we often benefited from his humor and insights, though Joel and Damon seemed to evaporate a bit early from the scene.
Andy was gladly in need of some skin moisturizing, so proved a good sport and willing candidate, inheriting that touchy red head skin from his Mother. With the expanded venue, there was less struggle to capture the attention of an Epi staff member from other voluble participants, and there was plenty of time to discuss diverse subjects, at times even GG's book review on NFL coach Bill Walsh, drawing Ramsfan back into the here and now.
An interesting and spirited conversation was had with joyfulgirl91, (Jessica), a total young fox who seemed to greatly brighten the huge smile on birthday boy carstairs38, (Mark's) face.
We discussed holistic health, the natural ingredients and essential oils and scents of body creams and lotions, and the importance of engaging all 5 senses in spa treatment products.
I do vaguely remember shameless cajoling for her to break down her 'no Trust list' additions and add me, then also offering to send her some lotion, scented with a Cedar & Saffron blend she thought sounded fetching.
Yakkowarner and I briefly discussed his recent thought-provoking essay on Hunting, but I was sorry not to get more time to spend with BeastieGirl, carstairs38, opalman, (James), or his beautiful wife LLFigment, (Laura). Given my rather sinister left-handedness, at such gatherings I must chose an end spot the better so my busily moving fork-to-mouth calisthenics won't impinge on the plentitude of more dexterous patrons. End result? We were at opposite ends with the super-stretched banquet length table between us.
And In The End...
As the alloted dinner time grew to a close, photos were snapped, email addresses and phone numbers exchanged, and luckily I remembered how we'd missed any group photos at the 2006 Meet & Greet and San Francisco Epi Days. A group photo was arranged with an obliging wait person snapping several different shots with various cameras on hand.
I was happy to be surrounded by the handsome Brisbane 5, and the friendly, smiling faces of my fellow Epinionators made for a remarkable composition. Bright, eager, funny and talented she-foxes and guy-hounds lit up that reserved room like nobody's business. Just wished you could have shared in the round of heart-felt hugs...
3 cheers for this fantastic Southern California Meet & Greet, for the fellowship and camaraderie of 7 from Northern California and 7 from La La Land, excitement for our common avocation, expanded format and way generous pull-out-the-stops wining and dining care of Shopping.com!
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Epinions.com ID:
kcfoxy
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Member: Casey Stewart
Location: West Coast Of Mars
Reviews written: 935
Trusted by: 644 members
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Save the Earth...it's the only planet with Chocolate!
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