Day 121 - "Elvis has left the building..."

bruno the french chef
russell crowe has spoken
swan lake

I have been having brain and tech issues ... brain in that I left my camera in my room for a shoot that lends to photos and tech - well - I have now resolved those.

Departed from The Bev Wil ... and drove the 10 minutes to the Hotel Bel-Air ... on Canyon Drive. It's an oasis in the city. Set on 12 acres of gardens, its just 52 rooms and 39 suites - EVERYONE different in design & feel! A housekeeper's nightmare! It was opened in 1946 and is of Spanish hacienda design.

First up, a cooking feature with the highly entertaining and fun Bruno Lopez - the chef of The Restaurant ... we cooked a summer risotto ... drank Pinot ... and talked cigars. Ideal really!

We were placed in the Herb Garden Suite - number 264 - which is delightful ... even though it's one of the most famous hotels in the world - it's strangely understated ... I can see why the stars stay here ... I did see a couple of the "A-list" in the hotel - old school types ...

Oscar night here MUST be a blast ... Russell Crowe stayed in the suite when he won his for "A Beautiful Mind" ... the place is now affectionately known as "Crowe's Nest". Interviewed Carlos Lopes - the GM - who has been here on & off for many years. He comes from Lisbon and love soccer ... Google his name, he has lived many lives - literally.

Checked into The Peninsula but immediately ran out to film at Madame Chocolat on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. The chocolatier Hasty Khoei MUST be one of the nicest people on Earth ... a mix between Willy Wonka and Mary Poppins (THAT sweet!). The business has been around nearly a year and she makes - well - chocolate. Not just any chocolate - the most dreamy chocolate in the world. The kind that you want to swim in, munch on and and and ...!
We had fun making (& eating) chocolate dogs ... or doooogs as Alex calls them ... speaking of Alex, she ate most of the shop's stock ... I have seen nothing like it ... EVER!! Hasty is a trained chef who specialises in the sweet stuff and the whole business is run by the family. It was a VERY entertaining little feature ... and I will post a photo tomorrow!

The Elvis thing? Well, I was just putting my laundry in and on the list was "jumpsuit" ... I was wondering if Elvis (1970's) was here with his collection!

Song of The Day: Good Thing - Roland Gift & The Fine Young Cannibals

Weather: Looking perkier