Magical, romantic, Napa Valley by Autumn

As an award winning travel writer based in Napa my first contribution to Antibride.com starts with a sneak peak inside the one of the most romantic destinations in the world.

You guessed it – Napa Valley!

When couples travel here they oftentimes ask the locals where they should go to eat, taste wine and what hotels they would suggest their visiting best friends to stay at. Well, you have an insider right here sharing with you the most romantic places in Napa Valley to eat, sip and sleep.

Most Romantic Wineries

Obrien Estate offers romantic tours for couples looking to get engaged, celebrate a anniversary or just celebrate a special moment. Castello Di Amorosa the castle of love, is a replicated Italian medieval castle filled with luscious wines to taste. Tour the torture room, wine cellars or explore the numerous towers and peek out at the beautiful views. Silverado Vineyards serves my favorite Sauvingon Blanc and some of the best views of the valley’s floor. Miner also possess some great wine and views too.

Most Romantic Hotels

Auberge du Soleil is often referred to as the gem of Napa Valley and is undeniably the most romantic resort. With celebrity guests, four star service and breathtaking views its nickname is richly deserved. Avia is a new boutique hotel in downtown Napa full of sweet hip overtones. Conveniently located next to amazing wine tasting rooms, restaurants and shops you may never need to head up valley.

Most Romantic Restaurants

Michael Chiarello’s new restaurant, Bottega is knocking locals and tourists socks off with his modern Italian cuisine, and relaxing, yet sleek atmosphere. If celebrity sightings aren’t your thing, step across the street for a completely different approach at Hurley’s Restaurant . Bob Hurley is often behind the lines preparing delicious California Cuisine with a non-nonsense unpretentious approach that his customers appreciate. Both restaurants offer al fresco dining, perfect for a starry evening.

Best time of the year to visit is during Harvest (Sept-Nov) when the wineries are at full production, harvest parties abound and the crisp air and golden amber leaves blanket the once green vineyards supplying sun-kissed views. Harvest is a time of the year when you smell the crushed grapes, glimpse the changing of the seasons and get a sense of the community. A community committed to a simplistic, yet richly joyful approach to life that which Napa Valley is well-known for. Understanding harvest is to understand the heart and soul of Napa Valley.

Fly into San Francisco, Oakland or Sacramento and drive into Napa Valley usually within an hour or two after landing.

Lastly, when more details are required pick up the quintessential travel guide for couples; Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.

Keep on Romancing,
Autumn

 

Retro regency meets mod in the ultimate urban retreat

Whether your goal is business or romance travel, take a step off the beaten track and sink into the Chamberlain West Hollywood. A self-described metropolitan boutique hotel and residential pied-a-terre, designed by the hipster hotel interiors maven Kelly Wearstler (of Santa Monica’s Viceroy fame), the Chamberlain is about discreet luxuries and hidden pleasures. What’s its got: privacy and peace in the center of the bustling West Hollywood Sunset Strip district, (located a mere two blocks away), spectacular interiors rendered in icy blues, greens and teal, and eclectic mash up where regency meets mod. You can’t put your finger on why it all works, but it’s the hipster crib you wish you had with the coolest most covetable light fixtures. What its not: see and be seen, loud house music and a big agent/model/celeb scene replete with the 5’ heels and bikinis, poolside. By the way, there are probably celebrities here, but they are just hiding!

My favorite part: the quiet and blessedly scene-free rooftop pool, with enclosed cabanas for a tete-a- tete, a glass of wine under the stars, a view of the cityscape of Hollywood, or a chaise-bound afternoon with a stack of movie magazines and iced tea.

The rooms are the definition of comfort, again, I will stress the quietness of the place, with 400-thread count sheets, an entertaining lounge area, and muted tones that are easy on the eye. The price is right too, with a Chamberlain Fall Special designed especially for you: there is no reason not to enjoy luxe for less than at the Chamberlain!

35% off standard room rates – along with a complimentary bottle of Prosecco on arrival to toast the Fall with your sweetie by one of Chamberlain’s in-room fireplaces. Guests must enter the promo code “DESTIN” to receive this special deal.

Right off the lobby in a green house type setting that reminds me of an enclosed garden in New Orleans or Paris, where the noise of the City of Angels fades to a distant memory, and banana fronds wave gently in the early evening breeze, we begin our culinary adventure with Chef Mark Pierce and his charming Chamberlain’s American bar and bistro. His point of view is French-influenced and farm to fork, with a dash of Americana, taking classics and reinterpreting them with zesty new point of view. “It’s all about quality and flavor,” says Pierce on his use of sustainable cooking. “I love color and vibrant fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables make a dish modern and flavorful.”

To travel is to unearth rare gems, hidden treasures and true luxury (for less). For a honeymoon, an intimate “pop the question” or rehearsal dinner, or a hot date, if sublime is what you seek, all roads lead to the Chamberlain.

Chamberlain Fall Special

Book by 10/31

Valid 11/01 – 1/31

Black out date 12/31

Promo Code: DESTIN

 

Japanese comfort food at Katana

Medieval martial arts movie meets marvelous.

Inside, Katana is a little bit medieval martial arts movie, with a dash of nightshade and industrial sensibility. On the patio, it’s pure Hollywood, baby, located right by Miramax, on the Sunset Strip, and rife with agents, starlets, and the strivers that make the city of lights so very bright. Even on a Wednesday night, Katana was hopping and every table packed! So beyond hipster ambiance, what’s the buzz all about, because, although I adore sushi and stir fry, when I think about Japanese food, I don’t often think comfort food or (which in my East Coast memory lies comfortably in the domain of Italian, or Jersey diner). Katana takes it all to a whole new level with their Robata, grilled with smoky binchotan wood and delivered, warm, yummy crispy and tender to your table. Let the wait staff guide you, as the menu is extensive and you want to get it right. Our server, Cal took on the task of pairing expertly mixed, delicately flavored cocktails that worked in concert with the entrees. Standouts were the Shrimp Bacon Skewers, the Yellowtail Hanabi, the Baked Crab Hand Roll, and the Fois Gras skewers. Although I went with my favorite girl date, Heidi Richman (our Rocker Bride blogger) Katana is a perfect place for a pre event, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, or hot date. Sharing is caring and the generously proportioned small plates makes sure that everyone gets a nice big bite.

Robata is just about as satisfying as any comfort food I have ever experienced, and I will run, not walk back to Katana, not for the scene (if that matters to you) but for the food. It was stellar.

Tasting Menu

Salmon Truffle
Yellowtail Diced? Tuna Carpaccio
Regular Hanabi
Yellowtail Hanabi
Seabass skewers
Shrimp Bacon skewers
Foie Gras skewers
Green Beans
Baked Crab Hand Roll
Volcano Dessert

Libations

Pear Martini
Vodka with muddled Cucumber and Sake
Ginger Pomegranate Martini
Passion and Spice Martini
Effen Black Cherry and Soda
Blueberry Vodka w/ Simple Syrup splash of lime and Curacao
Vodka w/ splash of Watermelon Puckers Midori and dash of Sour

http://katanarobata.com/katana/index.htm

 

Christina Hendricks. who plays Joan Holloway on Madmen

Joan isn't a Marilyn, Marilyn is a Joan

It’s no secret that I have a Mad Men sized crush on Joan Holloway, my icon of officious office lusciousness that two decades of television has not yet seen. When the guys at Sterling Cooper Ad Agency debated whether she was a ‘Jackie’ or a ‘Marilyn,’ they concurred that “Joan wasn’t a Marilyn, Marilyn was a Joan”  (as in Monroe for the Millennials out there). I am sure that if I were in the same office as Ms. Holloway, that I would not get a lick of work done, as I would study her like a rare and delightful species to try and indentify her particular brand of voodoo and why it works so spectacularly on the opposite sex. After the hoochiness of The Hills, the ludicrously overrated Kardashian clan of nitwits (all curves, no brains), young Hollywood’s sniping nest of narcissists, the insipid Real Housewives of…..Series, and their “really real” parade of silicon-enhanced body parts and perennial bitch-fest, it’s nice to see a depiction of a time when things were just a little more sublime, classy and downright sensual. Joan Holloway knows that to have a figure of such Amazonian proportions, you have to earn ‘em the old-fashioned way, one pork loin and bon-bon at a time, and that a casual glance held 5 seconds too long caused more collateral damage than any lap dance could.  “Calgon take me away” to an era of pure style and seduction, so I can live vicariously through the lives of entire cast of Mad Men: style setters and arbiters of timeless taste. No one dresses more appropriately for the game of cat and mouse that occurs between men and women: at the office, at the bar, and in the bedroom, than these folks.

Try and envision a time when simmering sexuality, restraint, the suggestive power of the double entendre, the fine art of flirting (and the requisite fashion that goes with it) was de rigueur. Figure worshipping sheaths that unearth your inner bombshell, and go from day to dinner (and even special occasion with amped up accessories) were part of every woman’s wardrobe (reference the LBD staple that we all rely upon). As Roger Sterling (principal of Sterling Cooper) opined about Ms. Holloways particular mojo: “you sail through this office like a cruise ship, with all eyes riveted on you.” She’s not showing a lot of skin, but the way she moves in her dresses, (the restrictive glamour of the pencil sheath creating that predatory “one foot in front of the other hip sway”) captures the imagination of every red-blooded male in the office. She slays all obstacles in her path. Joan knows better than the ad men she works with (who spin that elusive American consumer dream), that it’s not about the reality it’s about the possibilities. Ahh, the power of the femme fatale, and fashion in general. Because as every good ad man knows, you don’t sell the steak, you sell the sizzle. And sizzle is merely suggested, never revealed.

That said, there are a few brands out there that are channeling our girl Joan and giving all of us gals, curvy or not, a chance to make a day at the office more intoxicating, a date night more sublime, worship what you’ve got, and hide what you’ve not. Some of the standouts:

Banana Republic:

(click image to enlarge)

Banana Republics new series of day to dinner “Mad About Style” dresses in partnership with the Mad Men series, takes you back to the Camelot years when all you needed to accessorize your dress was an icy martini, a raised eyebrow and perfectly applied lipstick. The 60’s-era sheaths are edited, fitted, structured, stretchy, comfortable, and about as va-va-voom as you can get away with in the 9-5 timeslot. Slip one on, and inject a little dash of Joan to better rule that boardroom. After you rattle all the men, head out for a few cocktails with the office movers and shakers (where all the deals really happen). We know you’re a closer, so get your deals done a little more quickly in one of these numbers.  Whether you are a Peggy Olson, a Joan Holloway, a Marilyn Monroe, or just a hardworking, fast talking career girl, these dresses work for bridal pre-events, cocktails, rehearsal dinners, hot dates and big “game day” pitches.Talk about versatility -  best of all, prices are recession friendly starting at $120. http://bit.ly/14b26v

J Crew

(click image to enlarge)

Yes, they’ve got that sheath action going on, and with a vengeance. Everything I’ve said previously happens here but with a little more structure in all the right places. Add a big crazy pin and a string of pearls, expertly applied red lipstick, a martini, and lady, you are dressed. Each dress works for bridal pre-events, cocktails and rehearsal dinners. Prices start at $168.

http://bit.ly/76RL1

Extra Credit

Joan Holloway: Watch and Learn

http://bit.ly/hboTJ

http://bit.ly/71B7i

Readers

Are you or do you know a designer that understands that the sizzle is far more exciting than the steak? Can you show us what Mad Men style means to you and can you give us a link or send us your work we can share it with our community? We’re ready to be shaken and stirred by your creativity!

Indie Designers

Bring it on: Jewelry, apparel, handbags, shoes, grooms gear! We want to showcase your fabulous creations and help you rock your runway. Send us pix of your bridal gowns (any genre), bridesmaid, pre-event, mother of the bride, and grooms gear. Surprise us, tease us and enlighten us and our readers. Although we do write about chainstores from time to time (because sometimes they surprise us with a must have item), the reality is, we love independent designers, we don’t know you yet, and we want to. Our signature event, Operation Aisle Style held at the W Hotel in San Francisco showcased alterna-bridal indie fashion at its best. We live for the underground, the road less travelled and a more sublime approach to predictable wedding day offerings. We want to exalt you, your passion and the creative juice you put into your collections. All content on Antibride.com will be shared with Destinationidomag.com, the #1 Destination Honeymoon Romance Travel magazine in the world, circulation 100,000 with a 60,000 online subscriber base.

Submission Requirements:
Photos: 3-6 photos of your best work
Artists Bio: A 300-500 word missive on you, your design and how your work caters to the alterna-bridal audience.

Email us, and let’s get your name in lights.