TasteBuds Rejoice at Ramseys
by Lois Becker & Anna McWillie

The spice-rubbed salmon with corn compote was out of this world—tender, juicy and flavorful, with a perfectly charred crust. The accompanying salad was fresh and light, with a sweetish dressing, a pleasing contrast to the savory succulence of the entrée. It was a veritable feast for the senses. So I was shocked to learn, after eating, that in spite of the richness of the gastronomic experience, this meal was in fact that day’s “Weight Watcher’s Special,” a mere 8 points on the Fergie scale! (That, of course, did not include the lemon bundt cake, moist and delectable with a crumb to die for.)

And, oh, that trademark “kiss” in the bread basket! A tiny morsel of puff pastry with feta and caramelized onions that positively explodes with flavor in your mouth. That little number may have canceled out any calorie savings – but it was well worth it!

No wonder the people behind TasteBuds at Ramsey’s are so excited: Owners Teri and John Valentine (resident bartender and inventor of the Breakfast Martini!), talented chef Charlotte Landon, maitre d’ Lori Cobb all beam with pride when they talk about the restaurant. And so they should. With its new home inside the Toluca Lake Tennis Club (the club is private but the restaurant isn’t), the catering service-turned-restaurant has truly come into its own – a charming and elegant space complete with colonial décor and antique tennis racquets, friendly staff, and an eclectic menu with lots of great homemade taste.

Teri’s first lesson in cooking came from her Hungarian grandmother, who had taught her little grandaughter everything she knew by the time she passed away when Teri was only 9. The wonderul taste of farm cooking from the old country, like chicken noodle soup with home-made noodles, is reflected in all of TasteBuds’ exquisite menu items - the chili, the salads, chicken sausage with sun-dried tomatoes, babyback ribs, paella, polenta, Beef Wellington—everything tasting as if it were made especially for you in Teri’s grandmother’s kitchen.

Attention to detail, for instance, appears in the strawberry shortcake, made with a scone just warm from the oven served with braised strawberries having just been sauteed slightly with a bit of sugar, enveloped in hand-whipped cream flavored ever so delicately with something wonderful. There is always a cookie jar filled with fresh chocolate chip cookies on the bar.

Head over to the Club for a most elegant lunch or dinner. In fact, easy access to TasteBuds is a great reason to join the Sports Center. If you sit on the patio, you can enjoy a vicarious game of tennis while you eat! Lunch 11:30am-3pm, M-F; bar & dinner 6-9pm.

TasteBuds at Ramsey’s, Toluca Lake Tennis Club 6711 Forest Lawn Dr, LA 323-874-4006 tb@tbcatering.com. Look for TasteBuds at the Pasadena Showcase House & Marketplace:, serving breakfast, lunch & dinner, Apr 21-May 19. Free parking and shuttles from the Rose Bowl.

Sacks, Lies, and Videotape: Free Winona Ryder

One of the oddest campaigns to come around in a long time is the recent one that has sprung up in defense of a little American icon. Winona Ryder isn't just a celebrity, she’s our royalty. And she shouldn't have to stand for this kind of abuse.

The best place to find super cool Free Winona paraphenalia is on on the great website ekay.com (that’s the phonetic spelling of Y Que). It has more Free Winona accessories to make any star scandal connoisseur happy.

Wearing one of these Free Winona shirts ($10.00) makes you a part of the same kind of grass roots campaign that got Nelson Mandela out of jail. Wear one and be the best-dressed hipster (oops, we mean "activist") on your block.

Shoplifting is a forgivable crime. Carrying mismatched accessories, however, is not. And what better accessory to your life of crime than a snappy Free Winona handbag? Featuring Ms. Ryder's pouty face on one side next to the ubiquitous slogan and the defiant “I paid for this stuff” on the other, this bag is sure to make you the best-dressed shoplifter in all of Beverly Hills. These bags are plenty big too. After all, if you're going to fit four grand worth of merchandise in one like Winona’s, you're going to need some space.

Exclusive live action video re-enactment of the event can also be viewed on this site. The famous shopping spree of Winona can be relived in its glory on your very own TV/security video system. The story of Winona's guilt-free shopping spree can be seen through the eyes of Ray Ray, the producer, and with the silent story line provided by the director, Billy T. Actor Charlie realistically shows the “true” story of what may have happened at Sack’s on December 12, 2001. - VR

Fashion Update: Stryker @ Circle Bar
ZOX, photos & reporting

Unlike the silence of dehydrated men with inch-long ashes spinning solitary dragons into heavy voids slumping over brown drinks in downtown Bukowski bars, boisterous rants of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd muffled into dank odors of spilt beer and teargas tobacco at the old Circle Bar. Today’s tonyed-up Circle attracts the Westend technocenzi, out to emancipate themselves from the very inhibitions that have fueled their rise in today’s symbolocracy.

Stryker—not the KROQ jock—controls the Cinema Mix, two turntables and a microphone plus a montage of Sci-Fi clips. Stryker is a man with purpose. He wants to get people dancing and having fun. His means of production is based upon the formula that if people are drinking, and they hear music that is recognizable, remixed to solid dance grooves, they will dance.

Familiar film snips from such movies as, Matrix, Blade Runner, Planet of the Apes and E.T. create a retro-futuristic atmosphere, in which one might image that the future is already in the past. Johnny T. and Uma’s junked-out dance-trance at Jack Rabbit Slims from Pulp Fiction loops and stutters on the flat screen while a thundering remix of Seal’s Crazy rattles ribs in your chest. To make sure that there is no mistake about what should be happening, a go-go dancer on a small stage acts as a role model for would-be revelers to illustrate the extent of crazy to which one might go. She is not your typical go-go dancer rehearsing moves from Beach Blanket Bingo and wearing go-go boots. Rather, she has the appearance of a doctoral student who dropped out to join a biker gang. It was all going off as planned, people drinking, dancing, smiling, talking to strangers, hugging, laughing and having fun.

Agwa, a liqueur company from Holland sponsored the evening. I tried the Agwa NRG. It was lightly fruity with a Panax ginseng taste that rose brightly on the palate. With ingredients like guarana, coca and ginseng it brought on a euphoric alertness that was pleasant, yet certainly not edgy enough to give espresso connoisseurs a taste of Heaven. If you want to have fun, dance and glimpse an evolving entertainment form, then check Stryker at Circle Bar Wednesdays. Advice: Circle Bar fills up, come early, avoid the line and if you want to hook-up, stick with light face piercing.

Circle Bar across the street from The Oar House on Main Street in Venice.