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Classic Dutch Cooking: counter point to a previous article
I was inspired to write about the foods of Holland from a list that I recently read. Some of you know what I am referring to, for those who do not, I have include my previous blog about this subject at the bottom of this post. Needless to say before we write or read about the food of Holland, we need to get a clear grasp of the facts that, when we say Netherlands, Holland and Dutch Cooking we are talking about one in the same. Now with that said most people need to understand the geographic location of the Netherlands. Once they do, then they start to get an idea of the type of food they can expect. On the North and on the West sides Holland is bordered by the North Sea. On the South it is bordered by Belgium and on the East by Germany. So anticipate seafood from the north and meat recipes from the east. Keep in mind, when I traveled to Holland the first town I wanted to stop in was Gouda, (yes the one famous for its cheese), naïve me asked the locals how can I get to the Cheese Factory, they laughed at me and then they explained to naïve me, that they do not make the cheese here anymore. At the same time they educated me of the varieties of Gouda Cheese BTW it is pronounced as “How-Da” but if you said that to most cheese mongers in the US, they would not know what you are talking about so Gouda it remains. http://www.cheese.com/gouda. Since I was not a big fan of Limburger Cheese hence I was in no rush to get to Limburg also a town in Holland. Good thing, because I have learned years later that most Limburger Cheese is actually produced in Germany hence I would have received the same answer when I got there. So armed with this knowledge I was heading to Amsterdam. If you read my previous blog posts you will understand, that I am a believer to go to the big cities, where you can learn about the culture faster and taste the food of the various countries and get a good idea of what they represent. This was truly a fantastic experience to be spending time in Amsterdam, I am not just referring to the Red light District, the Diamond District as well as the College District. They all left a fantastic impression on me, but I am referring more so about the Gastronomic Experience I enjoyed. I equally enjoyed visiting all the great Museums, including the Van Gogh and the Impressionistic museums. In addition yes including Ann Frank’s house, walking over the Canals and taking the mandatory tourist ride of the canals, they are all still fresh in my mind. The food was out of this world! Now let’s talk about the Restaurants, they are truly out of this world, when it comes to gastronomical experience. Hard to believe, but when I was there I cannot recall how many Michelin Rated Restaurants existed. All I can tell you is, that I had some fantastic cheese tarts, great Cheese soup and mussel soup to name a few of the top of my head. Mostly I remember eating a great deal of fish...
read moreBeverly Hills Berkshire Hathaway Contest Reception at the EVO
The Beverly Hills Berkshire Hathaway office had a listing contest during the summer. The Winners of our 2014 Summer Listing Contest were treated to a Reception. My manager did this in our honor at the 1155 S Grand Ave, LA CA 90015. Keep in mind that there were cocktails, hors-d’ oeuvres and a Private DJ. The best part was there were some spectacular Views and most importantly we were able to mingle with our peers at this event. The EVO is a hip cool downtown high rise building. If you have not been downtown in many years you would not recognize it. Boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants are sprinkled all over. The unit was a North West facing Penthouse of approximately 3900 square feet. The last of the units that are still available. Once this one is gone the building will be sold out. So to all those doubters and nay Sayers that this was a bad concept to put the units on the market in 2008. Sorry to disappoint you but it was a brilliant idea. In case you are wondering there is a concierge at the entrance parking, is self-parking and the good news is the Home Owner Dues are only $850 per month virtually unheard for this type of building. Check out the enclosed link to get a better feel for this fantastic Penthouse Unit. On a side note the link still shows two available, not the case the smaller one is in Escrow. http://www.evo-south.com/ if you are wondering the asking price is only $3.4million truly a good value for downtown Penthouses. Now clearly eight or nine years ago people did not realize what a vibrant downtown it would turn out to be. I remember seventeen years ago I went to a commercial breakfast for Realtors and Tim Leiweke of AEG said they were going to build the Staples Center and totally revamp downtown Los Angeles. There were a lot of skeptics in the room. Just to give you an idea the land in those days was selling for around $1 per square foot and very few people considered “downtown” as safe or an option to buy not alone live there. Now you cannot even find a 600 sq. foot one bedroom or single Condominium under $350,000. In those days they were selling one to two bedroom Condominiums for $50,000 to $75,000. If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com. I am a pet friendly realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreWhat is the connection between a Westchester Realtor, a Westchester home owner, a squirrel and a dog?
What is the connection between a Westchester Realtor, a Westchester home owner, a squirrel and a dog? Before I go into all that, let me digress a bit. Squirrels are interesting creatures, some people love them others hate them, I find them very smart and innovative. My fascination goes back to my childhood as my parents always considered them as their pets. I remember living or should I say visiting Waterbury, CT on Bunker Hill where my parents had a home, because by this time I was in College and I would only drop in during school breaks and I could see the love and affection they had for these little animals. My mother and father would name each one based on their characteristics, or should I say the names were based on either by their behavior or their physical appearances. Ironically one time, the Squirrels broke into my parent’s home, because they observed where my parents kept the food. Needless to say the squirrels cut the screen door open with their sharp claws and had a great meal. Although it cost my father close to $75 to rescreen the door, they were not mad at them. Instead my parents forgave them and started feeding them larger quantities of food. Clearly the word got out in Squirrel Nation and not wanting to exaggerate at one point my parents were feeding close to 15+/- squirrels daily. Every time they drove home and if on a nearby busy street they saw one that was hit, they would watch to see which one of the squirrels stopped coming by and they would mourn the little creatures since they knew them by name. Anyways enough reminiscing about the “good old days”. Being a home owner, we have a couple of our “own squirrels” who keep visiting our back yard and steal the oranges right off the trees. I have written a post about them previously, when I saw them in action. Not only do they eat oranges, but they also raid one of the bird feeders. One time I saw one perched right in the middle of the feeding tray. Needless to say I was so engrossed in watching the little guy I could not get to my camera in time. I was wondering how he could jump from the fence into the tray. Well later I had the opportunity to observe, he actually climbed up on to the tray via the Shepherd’s Hook. On a side note we have three bird feeders, not counting the Ron Marshall artwork which is perched on one of our outdoor tables as decoration to the back yard. So the other day I was in the back yard with Chachi our dog and needless to say as I am checking my emails, I see him running and barking. (This is very unusual because he seldom barks) My first reaction was poor Wiley (our outdoor kitty) but then I realized that he was chasing one of the Squirrels. So my thought is “why can’t we get along”? It is interesting to see how the animal kingdom interacts with one another. I have also included a few photos of earlier misdeeds by Squirrels when we lived in Marina Del Rey, CA. Clearly they are very innovative and know how...
read moreOfficial Wiley Update about our back yard kitty
Due to numerous private inquiries here is the Official Wiley Update. Wiley our back yard kitty has settled in quite well. He is eating well as you can see from the pictures. He gets breakfast around seven thirty am, (in case you are wondering no I do not serve breakfast, that is Diane’s routine). She gets woken up by the three indoor kitties around 6am. Wiley sleeps until the sun rises, she does not hear Wiley yelling, demanding his breakfast. Once all the kitties have been fed than Chachi her dog gets her undivided attention for breakfast. Now on the other hand I handle the dinner routine. Of course it is done in reverse, Wiley starts yelling: “where is my dinner” and this starts the dinner routine. We are at the point where he demands affection. He wants to be petted before, after and during his meals. Now keep in mind in spite of the fact that his back yard is not completely his anymore he still loves us. There are times he has to share with Chachi our dog. They are working things out, when Chachi is in the back yard, then Wiley jumps on the fence and if it looks like it will take more than what he would consider acceptable time then reluctantly he goes to the neighbor’s yard. Somehow he always manages to forgive us for disrupting his routine and returns for dinner. Thanks to being an Internet Celebrity, Wiley has many far away as well as local friends who have been sending him toys. Those of you who sent Wiley toys, he wanted to thank you personally and let you know he truly loves playing with them. If you do not believe me check out these pictures. Well now that you had the latest update, Chachi is calling me that it is time to disrupt Wiley’s back yard routine. If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com. I am a pet friendly realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read more48 best places or should I say countries to eat: Counter Point by Endre Barath
48 best places or should I say countries to eat: Counter Point! I have read with great amusement or should I say bemusement another one of those lists. In this case it was the 48 best places or should I say countries to eat. As most of you who know me are aware that I have a wide palate and am comfortable with world cuisine. I am just not a big fan of lists. Well the good news is, out of the 48 countries Hungary was mentioned as #10. I appreciated the two authors who came up with this list and honoring Hungry with the #10th position. Ironically I was not a big fan of their description of the food. Now in all fairness to disclosure I was born in Hungary and left when I was ten years old, but have been back a hand full of times and enjoyed the Hungarian cuisine in the homes of friends and acquaintances. As well as Michelin Rated and non-rated restaurants were part of my routine of eating during my visits. http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/the-best-places-to-eat-and-drink-in-europe . Being a foodie and having visited many of the other countries mentioned in the list, my purpose is not dissect or disprove all their observations. I will just say, clearly we were not eating in the same establishments as well as our budgets were different as I traveled and indulged in the food of the countries mentioned. I find that a country’s cuisine reflects a great deal about its culture and history. Maybe that is what inspired me to write this counter point post. Having lived and traveled in Europe for about fifteen years five of which was as an adult, based on this my observations are, that in Germany, Italy, France and Hungary there are a great deal of regional differences in their cooking style. If one does not have time to indulge in an extended stay or travel, then at the minimum I would suggest staying in Budapest. Especially since about 25% of Hungary’s inhabitants live in Budapest therefore it will give a good glimpse of the Hungarian Gastronomy. Then one will discover that the food is a great deal varied and the influences are French, Austrian, Jewish and Balkan to name a few. The key is to try as many restaurants and coffeehouse to get the true flavors of Hungary. So with that said if I may suggest for the two authors to revisit Hungary and specifically stop in Budapest and make reservation at the Gundel for starters. This restaurant has catered to kings, queens, celebrities as well as to people who just simply love good food. One of the more famous owners of the Gundel i.e.: the Restaurant was George Lang of Waldorf Astoria fame to name drop, sadly he passed away in 2011 never the less the Gundel has been continuing the tradition of serving great food which the original owner J Gundel started in the mid 1800’s. Now keep in mind, I have also eaten at many other fantastic restaurants in Budapest, Gyoer, Sopron and all along Lake Balaton. I cannot recall ever eating what the authors described as the “staple food of Hungary”. I must humbly disagree with the authors: it is old wives tale that all Hungarians eat is Goulash…. Keep...
read moreThreat others like you would like to be treated and you might get a treat!
Threat others like you would like to be treated and you might get a treat! Diane & I have always believed treat people the way you would like to be treated. Hence this is how the story starts out. I get a commission Diane goes to the bank and deposits it. Then when the checks are bigger I go along and participate in the depositing. My job consists of smiling, cracking jokes and hoping to get under $100 for my “ allowance” since Diane handles the bills, so no big deal she knows how many days waiting etc. for the larger checks. We always go to the same bank and it is like going to a small town where the tellers know your name. When Holidays come around we always make sure everyone gets a small gift, whether that is a gift card to the cool hip and trendy “ice yoghurt place” or the “hip cool and trendy coffee shop”. The staff has fun with us, we are not about drama. It is all about being nice. Over the years we found out that “managers” can and have “over ridden” the check no matter how large and it does not to be held, how nice that is. When Diane pays the Mortgage it is not about drama here we are, it becomes a standing joke “I am here to pay the Landlord” everyone has fun and no drama. So needless to say the Banking experience becomes “fun” for all on both sides of the counter. So needless to say Diane called me the other day that “the kids from the bank” called her and were wondering when she was coming by since they have not seen her since before the holidays? Long story short she went by and they had a huge surprise for her… There was a four pound surprise. Look at these pictures. I just had a slice it is delicious. Neiman Marcus sold this cake, as most of you know it probably cost an arm and a leg. Let me tell you something it tastes wonderful. I personally had close to three quarters of a pound of this most delicious cake by myself. So the moral of my post or story is be nice to people and you will never know if and when they will treat you to a special surprise. Clearly this was awesome. Happy belated Holidays. Most of all thank you to the bank tellers and staff you know who you are. Now keep in mind neither one of us can eat four pound of this delicious cake, so Diane is taking half of it to her place work so her coworkers could taste it. So here is a gift that will make many more people have. I love when the outcome is like this. All good and super positive. If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com. I am a pet friendly realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreHow did the Ultra Luxury Real Estate Market fare in the greater Los Angeles area in 2014?
How did the Ultra Luxury Real Estate Market fare in the greater Los Angeles area in 2014? The High End Transactions are worth the read. We are always fascinated by them and we get very excited when we read about them. Then we are quick to forget about them, because we have a tendency to have short memories. We get excited about something and then we forget about them just as quickly. So with that said, let me do a quick Flashback of the year 2014 and what the Ultra Luxury Real Estate Market was like in the Greater Los Angeles area. March 31st 2014 the World Wide Web was on fire Susan Saperstein sold her home. So what is the big deal? The home was originally listed for $125,000,000 and was on the market on and off for about four or five years with a few different Realtors. She was the divorcee that held her ground and did not reduce the price like many advised her. The Sales Price was a cool $88,300,000.00. The highest priced sale for the year. So if you ever come to Los Angeles, CA make sure you stop by and peek at 350 N Carolwood Dr Los Angeles in the coveted 90077 zip code. Needless to say this sale held the record for 2014! Of course many people tried to say that the highest priced sale was in December, 18th, 2014 for 1181 N Hillcrest Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 the reality is it came in second best at a cool $70,000,000.00 originally listed and staged by a developer for $85,000,000.00 and ninety days later sold. Clearly a testimonial for Flipping and Proper Pricing in the Ultra Luxury Market. In an interview in September Bruce Makowsky the developer, said he was counting on interest from global billionaires, technology magnates and entertainers whose demand for high-end properties has grown. Clearly his hunch paid off! May 19,2014 Los Angeles had the third highest priced sale another divorcee Jamie McCourt sold her home for a cool $45,000,000.00 10231 Charing Cross Rd, Holmby Hills CA, CA 90024 listed at $55,000,000.00 and sold in less than 60 days. Again a true testimonial to good marketing and proper pricing. Not far behind this mega sale was Giselle Bundchen Super Model & Tom Brady New England Patriots Quarter Back selling their Brentwood home at 12780 Chalon Rd 90049 Zip Code. Clearly this was a spec home even if they will not admit it, they bought the land for about $11,000,000 and built the home never lived in it and Dr Dre was thrilled to buy it for a mere $40,000,000.00. No head ache, no approval process just bring your toothbrush and move in. Originally listed for $50,000,000 and also sold in sixty days, clearly proper positioning, pricing and marketing has a value. There were a total of 14 sales over $23 million dollars including the above ones that I mentioned I 2014. I am truly honored to be able to have my office in Beverly Hills and be surrounded by such opportunities. Clearly it is about opportunities, buyers who see and have the vision like Tom Brady to buy a vacant land for $11million to which others just snub their noses and think he over paid. Well that is...
read moreThe Wine Series: California Wines (2nd in the Series)
The Wine Series: California Wines (2nd in the Series) California Wines: I decided to separate the California Wines into a number of blog posts, since it is such a vast topic and even this way I will not be able to do justice to it. At best I will only be scratching the surface. Hence I would like to apologize in advance to the many fantastic wineries and wine lovers, whom I will be slighting due to the fact of not enough time or space to cover them all. I will further try to subdivide these into various price ranges to allow everyone’s budget so choices. So with that said my first choice to write about is the Cabernet Sauvignon, a full bodied wine that is grown and produced in almost every part of the Wine Growing World. Some people consider it the King of Wines. The quality as well as the price can be varied. Wines in the range of $30-$100 a bottle two or three wines come instantly to my mind, but before I reveal my choices, let me give you a little background. First let introduce you to a terminology what we call “Cult Wine”. This generally is a wine that is not consumed rather it is held for value and re-sold until some ultra-affluent person actually drinks it. One of the most sought after “cult wines” is considered “ The Screaming Eagle” years ago when they were beginning their Cabernet Sauvignon was not only rated in the high 90pts by all the Wine Gurus, but their price was around $1200 a bottle. Now that their fame has increased a lot more as well as their “Cult Status” now you can pay anywhere from $3000-$4000 a bottle. Ironically they are owned by one of Napa Valley’s leading Real Estate Agents Tony Bowden & Jean Phillips. (in fairness to disclosure I wonder if they still practice Real Estate) So if you win the Lottery or have a huge sale I would recommend a Bottle of Screaming Eagle! Keep in mind you still would be on a waiting list to get your hand on a bottle. They produce around 500 cases and there are people from all over the world wanting their wines.( http://www.screamingeagle.com ) On the other hand if this is not in your budget, then I would strongly encourage you to find “Whispering Dove” this wine was literally born out of two partners’ brain child, who actually drank a bottle of “Screaming Eagle” and started wondering as they calculated how hard they worked to be able to afford and buy this wine. They started to calculate and realized that to make an ultra-fine wine costs literally the same as another so where does the price difference come in? The answer was clear to them, it was in the marketing, trend and ego which determined and commanded these stratospheric prices. (http://www.whisperingdove.com ) Their sole purpose was to bring a quality wine at an affordable price. I was drinking Whispering Dove 2002 at about $29-$31 a bottle now if you can get your hand on them it is selling about $100 a bottle. So not wanting to have you go out and blow your wine budget, be on the lookout for their 2014 Whispering Dove Cabernet Sauvignon...
read moreBeverly Hills under Contract Properties by month is up by 14%!
Beverly Hills under Contract Properties by month is up by 14% Clearly a good sign that in spite of all the headlines that the market has cooled, the Beverly Hills Single Family Homes are moving along and at a relatively brusque pace. What I have also noticed is that although the list prices have increased quite a lot I have noticed a decrease in the Sold Prices. This is a very interesting trend. Sometimes I attribute these changes to the fact that in December fewer buyers are out there and sellers understand this, hence they want to make the deal work and agree to lower prices. My observation is that this is a good strategy, since many more properties come on the market in January and February and then sellers have to explain why their property has been on the market so long. This is one less negative to overcome. Translation a bird in hand is better than…… This is clearly important not just for Beverly Hills but any market. Just as an observation, I find that if you are a buyer who is considering a purchase it might be good to look at the trends as well as working with a Realtor who will educate you on the trends to be able to acquire the home which is best suited for your needs and wants. It helps to know if you can offer less and still get the property. On the other hand it would be a shame to offer less on a property that a savvy Realtor can tell you will be in multiple offers. If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com. I am a pet friendly realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreThe Average Days on Market by Month for SFR has increased by 3% in Beverly Hills,CA
The Average Days on Market by Month for Single Family Homes has increased by 3%, in Beverly Hills, CA. Most people get a bit concerned when days on market increase. Now keep in mind In December 2013 the Average Days on Market was about 103 days. This is quite impressive considering the Median for Sale Price for a Single Family Residence in December 2013 was $6,495,000.00 and in December 2014 the Median for Sale Price for a Single Family Residence in Beverly Hills was $7,891,500.00 this is an increase of 22%. So it is understandable that the Average Days on Market went to 106 days. Hence if you look at the entire picture it is virtually a negligible increase. Hence it is important to look and factor in all the variables and not to make a fast but potentially wrong decision. If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com. I am a pet friendly realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations....
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