Los Angeles Art District continues to expand its entertainment and culinary experiences.  Some of this expansion must be credited to Matteo Ferdinandi, CEO of the Factory Place Hospitality Group, which just opened its newest restaurant, Sixth and Mill Pizzeria and Bar located in a former shoe warehouse
Like its other two restaurants Sixth and Mill is dedicated to presenting classic Italian foods, all styled by Partner and Executive Chef Angelo Auriana.  The restaurant had only been open three weeks when we visited for our luncheon.  The restaurant was full and all  went smoothly both in the kitchen and with the well trained service staff. 
It is called a pizzeria but besides the extensive pizze selection there is a full menu of other Italian specialties starting with small plates of caponata, polpette meatballs and our choice, bruschetta; porcini with provolone and reggiano.
The list of Fritters included brussels sprouts, cauliflower and our choice, panzerotti with mozzarella, tomatoes and oregano.
Our choice of pizze was the apulia with mozzarella, onion, escarole, anchovy, olives and burrata.  In all the choice of pizze includes five red and four white.
This whole menu is straight out of Italy and we had bites of two pasta, sorrentina gnocchi with tomato, burrata and reggiano and  the pasta al forno with meat-tomato ragu and mortadella caciocavallo.  Two Piatti-plates menu items were salsiccia wildboar sausage with rapini, chili and jam or mitili mussels with white wine, garlic and potatoes.
The dolci dessert menu offered gelato, torta chocolate flourless cake and what we ordered u baba, vanilla cream with orange zest.
There is also a full service bar and lounge with a menu  available for each type of spirits listing the brands for each.  This list included vodka, gin, tequila, mescal, bourbon, rye, American whiskey, rum and scotch.  Generally from five to eight brands listed for each.
The wine list is large and  completely Italian with fourteen listed by the glass.  California is represented only on the list of draft beers.  There is also a large list of Italian after dinner cocktails.
Sixth and Mill Pizzeria is an interesting addition to the other two Factory  Hospitality restaurants with Officinie Brera just steps away from the Pizzeria in location as well as the acclaimed high end Factory Kitchen.  We met with both Matteo and Chef Angelo at the Sixth and Mill.  Earlier on a visit to Officine Brera  we had the opportunity to meet and chat with Francine Diamond  Ferdinandi, Matteo's wife who often acts as sommelier at that restaurant.
Sixth and Mill Pizzeria and Bar is located at 1335 East Sixth Street, Los Angeles, Ca. 90021,  Telephone 213 629-3000.  Factory Kitchen is located at 1300 Factory Place,  Los Angeles, Telephone 213 996-6000.  Officine Brera at 1331 East 6th Street. Los Angeles, telephone 213 553-8006.
Valet parking is available beside the restaurants on Sixth Street.

The next day we were ready to begin our trek of the Madera Wine Trail.  First stop was the Fasi Estate Winery located on the very edge of the Sierra foothill country. Here surrounded by  acres of lush vineyards was the Fasi tasting room, extensive patio and the winery where we met Winemaker Greg Herzfeldt..  Here Greg showed us his Chardonnay and  a most interesting  Malbec. Then a wonderful lunch was served with first a chicken salad followed with a cheese inspired pasta.
Fasi Estate Winery  is located at 42415 Road 208 in Friant an easy 15 minute drive from Fresno on Highway 41.  The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m to 5 p.m.
Toca Madera Winery is a relatively new winery surrounded by ten acres of vineyards.  Here we met Winemaker Shayne Vetter who explained that all the wines here are estate from their own vineyards.  Shayne currently is working with eleven varietals and we tasted both his Tempranillo as well as white wine blend of Viognier and Marsanne.  Shayne generally gives his red wines 20 months in barrels and then a year of bottle aging as well.
Toca Madera has a comfortable Tasting Room open on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.  The Tasting Room besides premium vintages offers a collection of works by local artists.   The Winery is located at 36140 Avenue 9 in Madera.
A very short distance from Toca Madera is Birdstone Winery.  Birdstone offers a collection of wines that include a Tinta Madera  Port.  Other varietals include Malbec, Dolcetto, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Charbono and Alicante Bouschet, all from Madera wine country vineyards.  We tasted the Alicante Bouschet which offered  truly premium flavors and texture and we were equally impressed with the Autumn Hunt 2013 Malbec.  Owner of Birdstone is Tony Kirk.
Birdstone Winery  has a large tasting room and hosts weddings as well.  It is located at 9400 Road 36 in Madera and is open Friday thru Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On arrival at San Joaquin Wine Company  we were greeted by Stephen Schafer, owner and CEO.   Stephen is a fourth generation farmer who decided in 2005 that he should be making wine besides growing grapes for other wineries.  His family arrived from Germany when his great grandfather could no longer face the political upheaval occurring in that country.
The San Joaquin tasting room is large and outside a patio which was getting ready to host a large wedding banquet later that day.  At the Tasting Bar we were attended by Jazmin Vaca who was most charming and knowledgeable about the wines which includes six different labels including premium Moody Press and Green Eyes.   Ninety percent of San Joaquin wines are from Madera grapes and all are bottled at the Madera winery using both screw caps and cork, depending upon which label.  Winemaker is Eric Natalie.
San Joaquin Wine Company is located at 21821 Avenue 16 in Madera and the Tasting Room is open seven days a week.  For hours call 559 673-0066.
This visit we did not get to the two Madera wineries that are famous for their dessert wines,  Ficklin Vineyards and Quady Winery.  Ficklin was founded in the 1940s and established vineyards with authentic Portuguese varietals used in making their world famous Port wines.
Quady Winery has worked with chefs both in the U.S. and other countries in producing world class dessert wines.  Both of these wineries we had the opportunity to visit on an earlier trip to the Madera wine country.
At present there are nine wineries represented on the Madera Wine Trail, all members of the Madera Vintners Association.  Each year the Association and its member wineries host three Wine Trail weekends, in February, May and November.  Tasting Rooms on the Trail are open year round and more information can be obtained  by calling  800 613-0709, on the web at www.maderawinetrail.com.  Current president of the Vintners Association is Erica Magarian, general manager at Fasi Estate Winery.
Our visit, including trekking the Wine Trail, was arranged in wonderful fashion by Wendy Eachus, Executive Administrator, for the Madera Vintners Association and Madera Wine Trail.
One thing we noticed everywhere was the friendly attitude of the people we met and their eagerness to show us both their beautiful countryside as well as their rich history in making premium wines.

In the hurly burly of today's wine world Caifornia's Central Valley often escapes  attention. In fact  Madera wine country is now touted as 'the wine industry's best kept secret'.  Actually this region just north of Fresno has been growing grapes, not for just years but centuries.  Today it is home to  a whole group of family wineries under the banner of Madera Vintners Association which in turn offers the Madera Wine Trail.  This Writer toured this area some years ago  and then decided it was time to make a return visit.
So last weekend found us on a trek of the Madera Wine Trail and we enjoyed very minute of it.
The 21st century has seen remarkable changes to the Madera wine country.  While the tradition of vineyards and growing grapes extends back some one hundred and fifty years new concepts and ideas have resulted in vast changes both in the vineyards and with wineries that have moved to producing wines that fit the local terroir best.
The Madera Vintners Association includes wineries like Papagni with an eighty year history  and  Quady Winery with an international reputation, others like Fasi Estate Winery and San Joaquin Wine Company are of this century. The changes have come about from recognition that Madera County has its own micro climate thanks to location between the San Joaquin River and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  This made possible the designation of Madera as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1985 and one of the oldest in the State.  Then followed with the establishment of the Madera Wine Trail in 2001.
This Trail now follows a route that takes one to the nine wineries located in the region.  Most of these wineries are family owned and operated and their wines show careful attention to both the varietals planted in their vineyards and the quality of wines from varietals that have proven successful over decades.
All of this was revealed to us when we visited some of these wineries, tasted their wines, talked to the winemakers and learned their concepts and techniques.
Our introduction to this new Madera wine country was the California Wine Month Celebration which took place in late September at the historic Papagni Winery.  Over three hundred people were in attendance at this event which included booths set up by individual wineries as well as restaurants, catering firms and products like olive oil and chocolate.  The crush was still on at Papagni and we watched as a truck load of freshly picked Muscat grapes arrived at the winery.  The Winery was founded by Demetrio Papagni, an immigrant from Italy, and recognized the outstanding land and climate of Madera for making wine.  The result is that Papagni continues to receive awards  for its outstanding vintages.
Papagni Wines  is located at 9505 Road 30 1/2, Madera, Ca. and its handsome Tasting Room is open Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

SUR Restaurant in West Hollywood is well named, does it stand for Sexy Unique Restaurant?  Well it is certainly unique with its picturesque open courtyard covered with towering trees and greenery covered walls.  Inside curiosities and artifacts decorate and add to the ambiance of the bar and  intimate dining areas.
Now in its 22nd year SUR has always been a trend setter in a neighborhood notorious for its upscale lifestyle.  Nine years ago it expanded with its outdoor  and intimate bar lounge and now with an exciting Brunch menu.  We were there as part of a media group to meet with Proprietors Guillermo and Natalie Zapata as they unveiled their new menu accompanied with  new cocktail options.
When we met with Guillermo Zapata we quickly learned that we had discovered yet one more of those wonderful American success stories where a young man arrives in the U.S. with little else but his intelligence and ambition.  So it was with Guillermo when he arrived from Argentina.  He discovered he liked the restaurant business and so entered it starting at a low level and then always moving forward.  When the opportunity came to acquire a property at 612 North Robertson Blvd. he purchased it and then convinced Chef Joe Martinez to join him.
So SUR Restaurant came into being.  Another wonderful thing came about when he met a young woman named Nathalie who was enjoying her own success in national marketing.  Soon they were married and Nathalie was adding her expertise to SUR's operations as the restaurant became a favorite with celebrities.
A look at the new Brunch offerings showed items like a Frittata Omelet, Linguine Primavera, Blue cheeseburger, Pan roasted  salmon, Italian chicken Milanese and homestyle crispy French Toasts.  We tasted both the salmon and chicken Milanese and was impressed with Chef Martinez' talents.
We should add that Guillermo has added to his talents the Bravo TV show 'Vanderpump Rules' at SUR.
The new Brunch at SUR Restaurant Lounge is served Saturdays & Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with reservations recommended.  Call 310 289-2824 or on the web at www.surrestaurnt.com.  The address 612 N. Robertson Blvd. West Hollywood with valet parking.

Attending the opening evening of the Fifth Annual Calabasas Film Festival proved a most interesting experience.  The opening cocktail party took place at the Greenleaf Bar & Restaurant, a newcomer to  Calabasas, although it enjoys seven other Southern California locations.
The film schedule opened the evening of the cocktail party, September 15 and extends until Sunday September 16.  Each evening following the film there is a VIP After Party.  Starting as a platform to celebrate film and filmmakers five years ago the Calabasas event has grown and now includes a full day devoted to students who submit shorts/documentaries.  These will be judged by a panel of movie industry personnel.
The Festival has also attracted a large list of local sponsors led by AMA Waterways who is headquartered in Calabasas.
It was a perfect late summer evening for the cocktail event which took place on the patio of Greenleaf and the appetizers served placed on display some of the unique salads, flatbreads, sandwiches  and burgers that grace the restaurant's  menu.
Named Official Selection of the 2018 Calabasas Film Festival is "Women Like Us", a documentary by Dream On Productions, created by Sally Colon-Petree.
The student film program will take place the last day of the Festival.
During the first  evening we  met many interesting people and chatted with Fred Gaines, Mayor of Calabasas, acting as official host and greeter.

The Admiral Risty located in Rancho Palos Verdes is still at the helm  after 52 years. And still maintains its reputation as one of the best restaurants in Southern  California. 
For the Admiral Risty it is a combination of a breathtaking location, the outstanding quality of  the food and the service staff headed by Owner  Wayne Judah and the expertise of the Founder Ralph Wood who passed away three years ago.  Wayne has been with the Admiral Risty since 1972 and it is not uncommon for other members of the staff to have been with the restaurant from 25 to 30 years.
As for the Southern California Restaurant Writers the Admiral Risty has enjoyed a five star rating for as long as most members can remember as well as a Golden Bacchus Wine Award.
 The Admiral Risty has kept up with the times over five decades.  The restaurant has been remodeled five times over the years.  Perhaps most important of all is that this restaurant represents value.  There is that fantastic view of the ocean along the most scenic portion of the Southern California coast line.   The menu has always offered an excellent selection of both seafood and meat entrees.  Presently some 65 per cent of the restaurant orders are for fresh seafood that arrives daily from almost everywhere in the world. 
 Risty's Flank Steak is famous and year after year continues to be the most popular meat order.  The menu changes daily for fresh fish selections often with favorites like Mahi Mahi, Salmon, Ahi, Halibut, Sea Bass and Swordfish.
Besides the famed Flank steak there is New Yorks, Filet Mignon,  Pepper New York and a rack of lamb that can only be described as memorable.  A choice of chicken dishes are also shown.
The restaurant has a very large wine list mostly from California but some imports from Europe and Australia as well.  Many of the wines are available by the glass.
Throughout the 52 years The Admiral Risty Restaurant has offered support for many community endeavors.
The Admiral Risty, as it continues in its 52th year, is located at 31250 Palos Verdes Drive West at Hawthorne Boulevard, Rancho Palos Verdes.  The restaurant is open for dinner seven nights a week from 5 p.m. with a Sunday brunch as well.   Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.   For reservations call 310 377-0050.