Jesse Brune has cooking chops: former reality-TV Personal Trainer, now Chef to the rich & fabulous

Mister M and I spent this rainy Sunday catching up on the massive amount of food shows that have accumulated on our DVR—about ten Barefoot Contessa episodes, the last three Top Chef Masters, episodes of Lydia’s Italy and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution as well as Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills. That’s when we had an epiphany. This isn’t Chef Jesse from The Private Chefs of Beverly Hill’s first time at reality rodeo! Prior to becoming a private chef to the rich & fabulous, we knew Chef Jesse as Jesse Brune on Bravo’s now-defunct Workout (the show that focused on the trials and tribulations of L.A.’s trainer to the stars, Jackie Warner). Personal Trainer Jesse was one of Jackie’s closest confidants and truth be told, Chef Jesse is in much better shape than PT Jesse ever was.

Chef Jesse actually has some cooking chops. A graduate of the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School he teaches organic and vegetarian specialized cooking classes at the Epicurean Professional Culinary Academy in Beverly Hills. In addition, he’s is the owner and operator of Jesse Delivers, a high-end, organic and healthy meal delivery service. His blog, “Memoirs of a Gay Chef” can be found here.

Nothing gets by us! We might have been born at night- just not last night.

Some cheese with your wine? Meet Travis, Datz Deli's Cheese guru

Since opening in 2009, Datz Delicatessen has refined their space on MacDill Avenue to become a full-blown foodie experience. Besides offering extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menus featuring some of the best ingredients available (their sandwich menu alone tops 40 selections!), Datz is a gourmet market, a full service bakery and they sell boutique wines and craft beers. Recently, Datz started offering cooking classes, and expanded their wine bar to a downstairs space where nearly every night you can catch live music.

One of the highlights of the Datz experience is buying cheese from their Chief Cheese Guy, Travis Price. A delight to talk to, Travis knows cheese and loves to share his fromage obsession with anyone who seeks his counsel. Last week, we caught up with Travis for a Q & A to get his perspective on all things cheese.

What is your first food memory as a child?

My first cooking experience I recall fondly…and how appropriate that April is National Grilled Cheese Month! When I was six or seven years old I was permitted to make my own grilled cheese and use the microwave to heat soup. That changed my life! My mother had the perfect stereotypical 1970′s kitchen. I remember the electric stove, dishwasher and that “400″ pound microwave. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen because of the vinyl floor and the idea that hot wheel cars would go so fast…the rest of the house was high pile carpet. The kitchen in that first house was magical for lots of reasons.

How’d you become such a cheese wiz?

Luck…and a long story fast. As a child my grandmother loved making me cheese and cracker plates and she still adores cheese and I think that may have been where my love for cheese started. She would delicately slice pieces of Colby and Cheddar for me and put them on fancy crackers with some fruits and paired with a kiddie cocktail made you feel like you were the most important kid in the world.

I had no experience really with artisanal cheese until the early 90′s. I was taking an Air France flight from Los Angeles to Tahiti and on that flight discovered real French cheese. That changed my life and I’ve never been right about cheese since! I’ve always worked in the hospitality industry so fine cheese has always been a staple. The rest they say is history…and so via travel, reading and tasting I decided to concentrate on cheese when I moved to Florida from Ohio and started working at Datz in January, 2009.

Datz has a HUGE menu- what’s best?

The menu is huge and we offer a lot and it is all very, very good. This week, I am hooked on the Crabby Benedict for breakfast. My favorite sandwich may be the Officer’s Club and I adore all the dinner entrees especially chicken and waffles! The cold brew coffee at Datz is tops and the William Dean Chocolate is really good!

The best cheese and my favorite at Datz is Gabriel Coulet. Datz will keep a fat guy, fat! LOL. Datz really does use the best ingredients and we have an amazing, talented culinary team…I am really excited to work with them.

They say that the refrigerator is the window to a person’s soul (or at least that’s what we say). What’s in your fridge this very second?

Oh, this easy–I eat at Datz! So the only thing I really have in my fridge right now is some beer left over from the winter holidays and random bottles of not-so-good condiments that I am sure need to be tossed. The pantry is bare too…When I am not working I’m basically eating out.

Do you have a go-to kitchen gadget?

I love tongs, rubber spatulas, 8-inch chef’s knife, a garlic press (even though I never use it) and I love the spring form pan of course for CHEESE CAKE.

Datz has been promoting cheese and beer pairings- what are your favorites?

I adore craft beer…I like Miller Light as well…but with cheese I’ll stick to the craft beer. Beer and Cheese is a great combo and I have done so many pairing with Mike the Datz beer geek—he’s a lot of fun to work with. A few recent ones that stand out are the Southampton Double White with Woolwich goat brie, the Blanche de Bruxelles with Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar, the Railbender with Cotswold, the Pilsner Urquell with Drunken Goat, the Cambazola with Paulaner Salvatore and the Left Hand Milk Stout with Keens Cheddar.

Datz Delicatessen, 2616 South MacDill Avenue, Tampa, FL 33629. Tel: (813) 831-7000.

This Poet's Leap riesling won over even our anti-reisling drinkers ($25)

Last weekend’s sold-out Bern’s Winefest No. 13 proved to be the top-notch tasting event it promised.  As expected, there were oodles of fabulous wines (the 2006 Quitnessa ($123) and 2005 Jamet Cote-Rotie 2005 ($115) come to mind), but our mission was to seek out the best value wines to pass along to our readers.  There were plenty to choose from.  Below are our favorites under 25 bucks. All of these wines can be purchased from Bern’s Fine Wine & Spirits, and whenever you buy a case a wine Bern’s will give a discount on the sale. (Mixed cases too!)

2008 Craggy Range ‘Te Muna Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($19). A dry, weighty wine with undertones of peaches and cherries. This New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is subtle but has a strong, lingering finish.

2007 Poet’s Leap Riesling ($25). This Riesling is a clean, refreshing wine with hints of peaches, honey, and an appealing mineral note that finished fresh and lively. Not too sweet, the German standout won over even the Riesling averse of the group.

2008 Alamos Malbec ($8). Lots of flashy mocha toast leads the way for medium-weight plum, fruitcake and spice notes, with a sweet, creamy finish. This Argentine wine is crowd pleaser that would be a great addition to summer barbeques.

2008 Montecillo Albarino ($11). Spain’s exporting of Albarino to the United States is on the upswing. It’s easy to see why- it’s exotically perfumed, yet floral and citrusy, and is nothing like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Yet, it is both a thirst-quencher and incredibly food friendly. Pair it with Cajun fare, shellfish and grilled fish. (It would have been great with this Fried Polenta Cake with Shrimp Etouffee and Roasted Corn Relish recipe)

2006 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon ($18). This Napa Valley chocolaty cabernet is one of the best available at this price point.

April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Above: Sharp Cheddar, Smoked Ham, Apple Butter on Sourdough Bread

As children, we were conditioned to LOVE grilled cheese sandwiches. No longer relegated to a piece of processed cheese between two pieces of Wonderbread, many Florida restaurants have taken a decidedly adult approach to the childhood favorite. April is National Grilled Cheese Month, and to celebrate, we’ve gone searching for where Florida Insiders go for the ultimate comfort food sandwich. Here are our picks:

Dirty, and oh so good: The X-rated grilled cheese at Tampa’s Square One Burger hits the spot when gooey cheese calls.  Gruyere and sharp cheddar cheese, dill pickle, beefsteak tomatoes and mayonnaise on a whole-wheat bun tempts even the goodiest two-shoes. 3701 N. Henderson Blvd. Tampa, FL. Tel: (813) 414-0101.

Grilled cheese, all the time: Vero Beach’s Grilligan’s features build-your-own grilled cheeses with nearly unlimited options like fontina, vegan mozzarella and Muenster, on ciabatta or multigrain bread, with an assortment of meats and veggies. 770 S US Hwy 1, Vero Beach, FL. Tel: (772) 299-3339.

His and Hers: You can’t really talk about grilled cheeses without including a Croque Monsieur and a Croque Madame. Miami has two eateries that offer stellar examples of these French staples–which essentially are open-faced grilled cheeses using a baguette with ham and béchamel sauce topped with melted gruyere.  A la Folie Cafe on Espanola Avenue in South Beach serves up savory Croque Monsieurs and Brickell’s Le Boudoir offers the feminine Madame version- distinguished by a fried egg on top. We say Oui to both! A la Folie Café: 516 Española Way, Miami Beach, FL. Tel: (305) 538-4484. Le Boudoir: 186 SW 12 Terrace, Miami, FL T: (305) 372-2333.

They go together like peas and carrots (or, like grilled cheese and tomato soup): Orlando vegetarians love the Swiss cheese on rye, with tomatoes and french fries coupled with a cup of tomato basil soup at cheery Uncle Henry’s Restaurant. 595 W. Church St., Orlando, FL. Tel: (407) 849-4646.

Go Gourmet: The gourmet grilled cheese at Naples’ M Waterfront Grille in Venetian Village satisfies with melted brie, fontina cheese and fuji apple on artisan bread. Try it with the parmesan fries and truffled ketchup. 4300 Gulf Shore Blvd. Naples, FL. Tel: (239) 263-4421.

Probably NOT the best look for this weekend's Grand Tasting at Bern's Winefest

The Tampa steakhouse long regarded as having the largest wine selection in the country is set to host four days of dinners, parties and a grand tasting at both their Bern’s Steakhouse and Sidebern’s properties in Tampa this weekend.

Winemaker dinners anchor Bern’s Winefest No. 13, with parties and a tented grand tasting in between. These dinners will feature Joseph Phelps Wines, one of Napa Valley’s most distinguished wineries, at SideBern’s on the 16th, as well as Napa’s Frias Family Vineyards, Long Meadow Ranch Winery and Viader at the final event at Bern’s Steakhouse on the 19th.

For details, go to Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits or call (813) 250-9463.

Sunday’s Grand Tasting is targeted to oenophiles and wine novices alike, with wines ranging  from $10-$250 available to be sampled. Not sure what the etiquette is at wine tasting? The St. Petersburg Times did a great piece on wine do’s and don’ts last year. Some things to keep in mind: 

Spitting is better than swallowing. Seriously.  According to insiders, it’s not gross, it’s actually preferred. Otherwise after 20-30 wine samples everything starts to taste the same. 

Don’t be a piggy: Wine tastings usually offer a 1-ounce-per-stop serving.  Generally, wine tastings aren’t a frat party for adults, so it’s definitely not cool to ask for a full glass.

First White, then Red:  According to Bern’s Wine Director Kevin Pelley, “tannins in the red linger on your palate so it’s best to start with white.” The wines and foods at the Grand Tasting are grouped by country/region, so it could be difficult to follow the golden grape rule of consumption. 

No Florida chefs or restaurants were in the running (i.e. a named semifinalist) in the outstanding chef or outstanding restaurant categories, however, Myles Chefetz of the Myles Restaurant Group (includes Miami Beach’s Prime One Twelve, Prime Italian, Nemo, Big Pink) was named an outstanding restaurateur semifinalist.

Winners will be announced on May 3, 2010.

Huge slices of 'za are served at Lazy Moon in Orlando

We don’t know if it’s the moon-sized slices of their thin-crusted pizza or the loads of beers on tap, but we’ve fallen in love with Orlando’s Lazy Moon Pizza.

Lazy Moon’s beer menu (tap and bottled) is huge,  highlights include St. Peter’s Porter, Guinness, Staropramen pilsner as well as hometown favorite Orlando Brewing Old Pelican.  And the pie and slice options are endless at Lazy Moon, with over 50 quality ingredients to choose from–some expected and some not-so-expected–including chili and capers. The spicy, sweet sauce (Jason’s Mom’s sauce)  is an Insider favorite to dip your crust, which you will likely have left over. Did we mention how enormous the slices are? Gigundous. We’ve seen whole pizzas that are smaller than Lazy Moon’s single slice.

Lazy Moon offers patrons a great value with pies ranging from $17 to $24 and slices and salads starting at $3.50. The atmosphere is laidback, making it the perfect place for budget-conscious families as well as the late night undergrad set (It is afterall, across the street from UCF.) The Box Car Willy is the best deal going—  $3.50 will get you a slice of cheese pizza and a PBR. Open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 12269 University Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32817-2139. Tel: (407) 658-2396.