ROLADIN BAKERY & CAFE

The cities of Tarzana and Reseda in California, became lately the mecca of restaurants and coffee shops. Among them is the Rolandin Bakery & Cafe that I highly recommend (located in an open shopping center at Lohmans plaza at the corner of Victory blvd. and Tampa blvd. in the city of Tarzana). It has all the most important ingredients that make a great cafe/restaurant: contemporary decor and a clear appearance, excellent food and superb service. The chefs at this place have brought great selection of exquisite flavors from around the world.

Every dish at Roladin Bakery & Cafe is hand made with care from only the most fresh and natural ingredients and of course the cakes pastries and all the sweet goods are just amazing. They also have sugar free cakes and cookies witch have an amazing flavors just the latest trend in the market. Every time I visit this place I am leaving speechless of the quality of every dish. This place is just out of the world and as I mention before it is worth while going there the next time you feel like escaping the turmoil of daily life.

On the menu there is a big variety of food, they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner great egg dishes being served the entire day (like the mediterranean dish or build your own breakfast or tapas or wraps) You will fin also nice portions and very tasty classics salads and fresh fish, daily good sandwiches. Everything on the menu could be take away. Very good coffee milkshakes and delicious pizza.

Free parking is available
19365 Victory Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91335-6302

phone 818 345 3443
fax 818 345 3406

+ all major card welcome
+ open daily from 8 am to midnight, closed on Friday nights

Bleeker Street Restaurant in Tarzana

There is a new and a very unique restaurant, on the restaurant map in L.A.

This is a one of a kind place with a great location. As we all know in order to have a great restaurant we need three things: Ambiance; very good food; and exceptional service.

If I had to grade this place on one/ten scale I will give it twelve.


Not only the ambiance is a masterpiece of art but having a real French Chef who knows what he is doing is pretty exceptional.

Bleeker Street Restaurant, Tarzana

If you do not make reservation in advance the chances to get in are very slim and on top of it on Wednesday nights and Saturday nights there is a Jazz band live performance.

Also a big advantage that I have seen in very few restaurants, is a wonderful wine and beer and hard liquor collection. They are using a new system for the bar called NAPA TECHNOLOGY MBX 8 WINE STATION. This technology keeps the open bottles fresh. For a long life, you put the open bottles to the machine, adjust the hose, and a gas keeps it fresh (this machine is also adjusting the temperature control of the wines). This is a high end technology that operates with a help of computer and the gas that comes in automatic and keeps it closed like a cork (it is like if the bottle was never opened). The selection of the wines is just unreal from the best wineries. Price per glass ranges between $9-$20, and $30-$340 for bottles. Taking care of the impeccable service and operations of the entire restaurant there is an amazing manager Greg Woodbury. I have never met in all my years working as a chef such a man with so much knowledge about wine and restaurant management. He is super professional and the clients just love him. With Joey Nader (manager) they are making a very good crew.

Executive chef Marcel Vignion is one of the best I’ve met. His sauces for the food are the reason to perfection your finger leaking techniques. I have tried almost everything on this menu and I was never disappointed. As you might know, it is very hard for a chef to compliment another chef but his menu here is exceptional. To mention a few must-try things: Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup, the variety of salads, Grilled Loch Duart Salmon, fresh penne, Angus Natural Beef Lion Filet, Seasonal Mussels, amazing chicken dishes and of course very interesting desserts.

Back to the bar collection, there are premium beers, 50 different wines by the glass and 280 bottles of wines (Italian, French, California, South American wines and selective private wineries), and a nice collection of martinis are on the menu).

I must mention one more person, that is the creator of this amazing place the owner Steve Hamile who is always greeting the customers.

+ All major credit cards are accepted.
+ Free parking behind the building.

BLEEKER STREET
18636 Ventura blvd
Tarzana, CA
Reservations: +1 (818) 996-3008

NOTE: It does not matter were u live, this place is always worth the drive, highly recommended for an exceptional culinary experience.

From left: Celebrity chef Yoram Ravid, chef Marcel Vignion, owner Steve Hamlin, manager Greg Woodbury.

Bleeker St. Restaurant in Tarzana

Here is a photo of Chef Ravid from his recent visit to the the new amazing restaurant, Bleeker Street, in Tarzana, Ca.

From left to right are Chef Ravid; Executive Chef Marcel Vignion; Steve Hamile the owner of Bleeker Street; and Greg Woodbury the restaurant manager.

Bleeker Street comes highly recommended to you!

Click the photo below to see it larger.

Bleeker Street Restaurant in Tarzana

Photo by famous photographer Pamela Young.

New (old) photos

Here are some photos that I just have scanned. They’re from the Peoples Choice Awards from a few years back.

Julian Restaurant – Israel

JULIAN is one of my favorite restaurants in Israel. Every time when I visit Israel I have a must visit spot, which is this amazing and beautiful place, and every time I do, I am surprised again how good it is.

Chef and co owner Lior Hinits is a young and dynamic Chef whom I met in Los Angeles while working for one of the top Chefs and owner of 30 restaurants the PATNA GROUP, he also studied cooking in one of the best cooking schools in L.A. so , with a lot of experience he returned back to his home country and together with his brother Itai who is co owener and manager, bought this most beautiful and one unique places.

JULIAN is located on top of mountains overlooking a magnificent valley at one of the most historic buildings in the country which is the old customs house in the city of ROSH PINA. On the second floor, when you get in, the first thing you see is a suare bar with a fantastic collection of liquors, wines and beers. There are also tables around the bar, and there is a long and beautiful terrace that is overlooking the view, especially breathtaking at night.

The service is excellent and while the Chef is running the kitchen , his brother is over looking the service and everything concerning the restaurant. Excellent ambience, wonderful atmosphere, great wines and spirits,… what else can you possible need? FOOD

Combination of a sushi bar and steak house is an surprising mix but very delicious result. The Chef’s speciality are sauces and they are undeniably amazing. If you happen to be in Israel and touring the north part of the country this is a must.

The best dishes in the house are sesame salmon the beef filet medallions and the breaded fried poultry breast. Prices are between $20 & $35. The sushi menu is amazing with its variety. I particularly liked the spicy tuna, the sea bream, the California rolls and the wonderful plate of the clasic tuna.

The food is displayed beautifully and I am sure that you will get tempted by amazing specials desserts, excellent cocktails and great variety of draft beers. No valet parking yet but there is plenty of space around to park. The erea is full of small restaurants and when you are down in the streets, it feels like a festival.

Julian Restaurant in Israel

Chef Yoram on TV

Chef Yoram Ravid recently appeared on the TV show Extreme Green Challenge

The TV producers needed a chef to judge the cooking of two teams of celebrities. Who better to judge than a celebrity chef? Chef Ravid appears only in Part II of the video.

• Extreme Green Challenge, Video Part I
• Extreme Green Challenge, Video Part II

Here is an abbreviated version from YouTube:

Oscar Party: Sushi Served on Naked Models

The photos below were all taken by Pamela Young at one of the five big post-Oscar parties held around Los Angeles following the Academy Awards presentation in February, 2009. Chef Yoram Ravid was the executive chef and the party was catered by Naked Catering.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]