All posts tagged California

Melissa Gorga’s Vineyard Kimono Wrap Top

by Lauren Sebastian on August 31, 2012 in Celebrity Spotlight

To most, the mention of wine country brings on happy, relaxing thoughts of sipping wine in a picturesque vineyard on a sunny day. The Real Housewives of New Jersey may have ruined that for me. After watching their 4 episode stint in California wine country, now the very mention of a vineyeard brings to mind secret phone calls, family fighting and x rated behavior going on in the grapes. Thanks a lot, ladies and gentlemen.

A good note? The money I won’t be spending on a trip to a wine tasting can be spent on Melissa Gorga’s feminine, printed faux wrap top that is a great piece to transition from Summer to Fall in. It can be worn in a hippie-chic style with a pair of high waisted jeans or in an edgier fashion by pairing it with leather shorts and heels.

The best part? Her top is well under $100. Even I’ll toast to that.

Melissa Gorga’s Vineyard Dolman Faux Wrap Top at Caroline’s Birthday

Kimono Wrap Top $68

Do you love Real Housewives fashion and clothing? Visit BigBlondeHair.com for the inside scoop on who’s wearing what!

Be sure to check out Big Blonde Hair’s interview with Real Housewives of Orange County power couple Heather and Terry Dubrow !

Walnut Creek Welcomes “Neiman Marcus Cafe”- Review

by Nicole Dobarro on August 2, 2012 in Local, Neiman Marcus, Review

Newly opened NM Café at Neiman Marcus in Walnut Creek is redefining what department store dining is all about. Most high-end department store restaurants are often expected to be generic and uniform. However Chef Santana Diaz and his crew are raising the bar by bringing creativity and great ingredients to the table. Located in the heart of the Walnut Creek’s shopping district, the NM Café is an ideal spot for a shopping pit-stop or just a really good meal.

We arrived at the second floor café for a late lunch anticipating a great meal. We were kindly greeted by the staff, whom I must say is amazing! They are all super friendly and knowledgeable. The staff definitely adds to the experience of fine dining in a relaxed ambiance. Once seated we were soon presented with the famous Neiman Marcus pop-overs, which we were very excited about! Accompanied by the pop-overs were strawberry butter and a shot of the house chicken stock. I’ve never been served their house chicken stock, given I haven’t dined at Neiman Marcus in a while. Besides showcasing how great their stock is, it went very well with the pop-overs! Me and my boyfriend shared a couple dishes the chef selected for us. We started with a grilled swordfish salad served with grilled peaches, oranges, goat cheese and drizzled with a blood orange vinaigrette. This salad was so amazing. The swordfish was seasoned perfectly with pepper that complimented the goat cheese. And the peaches and oranges added that element of being a “summer” salad. Overall it was light and refreshing, yet nice and filling This dish can be found on the Chef’s specials menu and you can even request different fish, which ever fits your palette. If they have it, you’ve got it! Isn’t that great? Next we had the house made fettuccine in a simple Le Blanc sauce with artichokes and capers. I’m going to have to say that this was my all-time favorite dish. Chef Santana executed the fettuccine perfectly and I absolutely loved it.

The texture was spot on and it was cooked properly. The Le Blanc sauce was just as good. I’m a huge fan of any lemon based sauces, and capers! Also the ratio of the artichoke to pasta was perfect. I would highly recommend this to all vegetarians! For our last entree we had the duck pate pot-stickers served over a bed of cabbage tossed in a traditional ponzu sauce and topped with a miso plum sauce. The pot sticker wrap is also house-made! It was a little less gummy than traditional pot stickers but added more crunch which was really good. I really enjoyed the sauces and cabbage in this dish. I recommend this if you’re in the mood for a dish with Asian flare. We ended our meal with another great dish for dessert. We had the fresh peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. The best part is that the cobbler is made with their signature pop-overs!!My jaw hit the table when Chef Santana sold us this. I knew this dessert was going to taste like heaven, and it sure did!! The cobbler crust absorbed all the yummy juices from the peaches and the melting ice cream. It was genius to have a meal start and end on a similar note.

The NM Café is an ideal restaurant for any occasion. The choices are endless and Chef Santana has really created a menu suitable for all diets. Aside from the great selections from the Chef’s specials, there are dishes marked with their

“Go Figure” choices that are designed for a healthier lifestyle. The NM Café also has a great selection of gluten-free choices including six entree salads. The menu is also very flexible for vegetarians and vegans. Chef Santana created all his sauces to be vegan in order to accommodate any necessary changes. The chef also takes great care to select local ingredients that are in season. Lately peaches have been abundant in the area, so you will find them used throughout the menu. Though
NM Café is only a small part of the larger Neiman Marcus corporation, the Walnut Creek location has unique characteristics and a one-of-a-kind experience. This aspect of the restaurant really sets it apart from other generic chain restaurants making it much more enjoyable. The NM Café is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 8pm, Saturdays from 10am to 7pm and Sundays from 11am to 6pm. If you’re shopping in the area or simply looking for a great meal, definitely stop by The NM Café and treat yourself!

The NM Cafe

Level Two

Neiman Marcus

1000 S. Main St.Walnut Creek, CA 94596

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/stores/store.jsp?storeId=110/WK

WOLFORD OPENS BOUTIQUE AT WESTFIELD VALLEY FAIR

by admin on July 31, 2012 in Events, Fashion, Local

Santa Clara, CA: Wolford, the Austrian luxury ready-to-wear and hosiery brand announces the opening of its boutique at Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California. The store at Valley Fair will open on Monday, July 30^th.

The boutique will house the entire Wolford collection: Legwear, Bodywear, Lingerie and Swimwear. The Shape & Control collection offering extensive options in legwear and lingerie will be featured. Styles include luxe fabrics such as fine transparent tulle. Details include floral lace and satin; all which provide a shaping effect that gives the perfect silhouette and emphasizes a feminine figure.

The store is all white and light wood, brushed steel and glazed glass; the ambience is bright, clear and consistent, reflecting a language of purity and feminine elegance from the windows to the internal fixtures. Wolford imagery is also integrated into the architecture, purposefully and on a large scale, as an expressive communication of the quality and design.

The boutique will further introduce customers to the innovative designs and quality that Wolford is known for. Valley Fair marks Wolford’s fourth California boutique. Other locations are San Francisco and two Los Angeles based boutiques.

The new location is Westfield Valley Fair, Santa Clara, CA

The store hours are:

Monday – Friday 10am-9:30pm

Saturday – 10am-9pm

Sunday – 11am-7pm

Father’s Day Ideas | Neiman Marcus

by Joe Fashion on June 13, 2012 in Events, Fashion

Father’s day is this Sunday, and Mode Bay Area and Neiman Marcus Walnut Creek have teamed up to bring you a list of gift ideas to show dad you care! With a wide array of options for every style, these picks are just an inkling of what Neiman Marcus has available for all kinds of dads. Because whether you’re helping the kids get something for him, or you’re the one looking to suprise dad, there’s one thing that is always true; making dad light up on father’s day, is always in fashion.

: SWIMS Shoes- water shoes that are great for your Hawaiian vacation or poolside. Removable sole and you can rinse out sand. Nice enough to wear from the beach to a restaurant or just to the Farmer’s Market on the weekend Welder Watches- A brand built with the philosophy of projectiong the future into the present, and with the idea that space/time travel would be a reality by 2075. Modern, futuristic, fun. Oliver People’s Sunglasses

: Todd Snyder- Hot new desigenr- Worked under Ralph Lauren and then as President of J. Crew Men’s, in his second season with his own line- must have

: Moncler- The new status shirt- amazing quality. Famous for providing the outerwear for the teams that would make the first successful assents of mountains like K2, Makalu and Mount Huntington. They were also the official designer of the olympic gear for France. Patented technology on how their down is put together- no quills and vacuum sealed so you don’t have feather “shedding”

: TOMS- Neiman Marcus Tom’s have a special sole exclusive to our store that makes them last longer and is more durable so your favorite shoes won’t wear out

: Car Shoe- Made by Prada, the hottest shoe in Europe right now. The bottoms are made of recycled car tires, 160 hand stitches on the top. Most comfertable shoes ever. The picture features the blue striped car shoe- the limited edition for America’s Cup

: BRUNELLO CUCINELLI- The standard in Luxury.

All of the items listed above and many more are available at Neiman Marcus Walnut Creek now!

WALNUT CREEK

BROADWAY PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER

1000 SOUTH MAIN STREET WALNUT CREEK, CA 94596

PHONE: 925-279-3000, 888-908-1158

HOURS: MON-FRI 10-9, SAT 10-8, SUN 11-7