Mom, madre, mutter, mere….what am I talking about? Mothers of course. Let me tell you something about mine, she’s the best…ever. I beg you to find me another mom, besides my own, who successfully taught her child to speak four different languages by the time they were four. No moms coming to mind? That’s because mine is the best. Which is why she deserves the best, which is also why  I will be bringing her to the KJAZZ Mother’s Day Brunch at the Renaissance Hollywood this Sunday, May 9^th.

The all you can eat brunch will feature your classic breakfast foods.  A waffle station with berry and whipped cream topping, an omelet station, cold smoked Norwegian salmon, various breakfast meats and cheeses, traditional eggs benedict, herbed seasoned potatoes and enough fruit to keep the doctor away for life.

We’ll also be carving up prime rib with au jus sauce and roast rack of lamb with blackberry sage reduction.

The hot station will include herb roasted chicken, pistachio crusted sea-bass, caramelized onion smashed potatoes, rice pilaf, medley of grilled vegetables and potato & leek soup.

I am only getting started. At the cold station there will be a full salad bar, taco shimi crisp, buttery poached shrimp, spicy Italian panzanella salad with grilled chicken, fresh Caprese salad and a Waldorf salad.

I hope you didn’t think we forgot about the kiddies. Their taste buds will be tantalized with the kids’ pancake making station, allowing them to create their own masterpiece. Who knows maybe we will help create the next Wolfgang Puck or Rachael Ray.

RenHollywood will also dish up desserts almost as sweet as momma herself. Better save room for our pecan tarts, mixed fruit tarts, passion fruit cake, tiramisu, Zucotto (an Italian chocolate cake) and assorted mini pastries. 

To wet your pallet we will be serving coffee, tea, juice, soda, milk, water and of course mimosas.

For yours and mom’s musical enjoyment Judy Wexler will perform. Deemed by JazzTimes “as one of the most focused, unpretentious, no-nonsense, bop oriented jazz singers around,”

The brunch will be this Sunday, May 8, from 10 am to 2 pm (music will start at 11). $44.95 for adults, $21.95 for kids 12 and under, free for children 6 and under. Reservations can be made by calling 323-491-1000 or visiting www.jazzandblue.org

You feel that energy in the air hanging above Hollywood? If you’re a Los Angeles native you know what I am talking about. It’s that excitement that can only be sparked by those long days of anticipation leading up to the Oscars.

Now take that energy and multiply it by 3, then take that to the fifth power and you have a fraction of the excitement that we folks at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel  & Spa experience. With our lovely neighbors, the Kodak Theatre, hosting the annual event, we get front rows seats to the hustle and bustle that goes along with this spectacular event.

However this year it is a little hard for me to watch the Oscars. I think about what could have been if I had not let Mark Wahlberg have The Fighter. Originally, David O. Russell or O’Russ as I prefer to call him, approached me for the lead role since my body is already in pristine boxing condition. After preparing Muhammad Ali for the Rumble in the Jungle, I have never lost my boxing prowess or fabulous physique. Following his Fight of the Century, The Great One was having a hard time finding sparring partners. That was until he heard of an up and coming, recreational boxer, that boxer was me. We would train for hours upon hours. Let me tell you something, Ali may float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, but both of those things could be stopped with some BRUCE force. This one time…Wait a minute, I was telling another story. 

Oh yeah, The Fighter role. Well, I had to really consider my options. Which is more important to me, my potential acting career or maintaining the greatness of the Renaissance Hollywood? Ren Hollywood always K.O.s competitors in my heart. 

Despite my miss at Oscar greatness I am generally excited about all the nominees this year. We’re seeing some fresh new faces light up the silver screen and old favorites remind us why they still command that star power. With an Oscar nod to street artist Banksy, our little Hollywood is finding that its street walls are now elevated to galleries. It is a great time of year to live or visit Hollywood. I wouldn’t trade it for all the Best Actor nominations in the world.

Now if you don’t mind, I will be strolling across the street to the Kodak Theatre to see them prep for the Oscars.

This is Bruce, signing off.

If you’re reading this, chances are you saw our Facebook or Twitter post that we’re having a Valentine’s Day contest giveaway. If not then you just stumbled onto a great offer, lucky you.

This Valentine’s season my heart is filled with so much joy. Couldn’t be happier with the missus or the Renaissance Hollywood for that matter, so I want to pass along the love and fortune and give away one of our Romance Package to a lucky couple in our Sweet Tweets contest.

The package includes

• Deluxe room accommodations for two at the Renaissance Hollywood
• Complimentary breakfast for two at Twist
• Chilled bottle of sparkling wine and truffles upon arrival
• Late check-out.
• Valet parking

The package is usually $289, but for you it could be free.

All you need to do is visit our Twitter (if you’re not following us, now would be a good time) retweet “Sweet Tweets Contest: Win a Romance Package for Valentinte’s Day, retweet to enter. Visit our blog for more details.”

And ta-da you will be entered to win our Sweet Tweets contest. Now isn’t that easy? Contest will begin January 31^st and will end at 5pm on February 1^st. Only one retweet per person, meaning numerous retweets will NOT increase your chances at winning. Winner will be randomly selected and announced February 3^rd on Twitter and Facebook. Must be 18 or older to win.

Best of luck to you all.

In all of us lies the need to be competitive; an undeniable urge to be better than someone else. Don’t fool yourself, we all have it. I for one have been known to divulge in my competitive side.

For example the time Lance Armstrong was determined to prove that he was a better bicyclist than me. I don’t like to step on toes or anything. Lance has his bikes and his little races, I have the Renaissance Hollywood. We’re both amazing at what we do why the need to compete? But he kept pushing and pushing and pushing until enough was enough. I had to silence him and his Madone SL, so I agreed to participate in this little competition of his. It was to be a bike race to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro; first one to the top was the undisputed champion.  I won, naturally, but I also learned something about myself. Sometimes you need that competitive nudge to push you to do your best. Had Lance not baited me I would never have known I could make it up Kilimanjaro on bike. The part where I did it with no hands was just a little Gorelick flair I threw in.

Not only do I love to surrender to my competitive nature I love to be a spectator and watch others compete. Whether it’s at a fencing tournament or the exclusive invite only, underwater Great White Shark races, now those jockeys really want to win. However the sweetest competition for me is one that involves, well sweets. This is why I adore DrinkEatPlay’s annual Cupcake Challenge.

It is a real Battle Royale except with cupcakes! In this cut throat pastry fight, competitors from all over the great city of Los Angeles put their cupcakes to the challenge in a fight to determine once and for all who the best is. Past years have included traditional favorites such as red velvet to more original creations like peanut butter and jelly. Unfortunately my all time favorite cupcake the Palazzo’s Decadence D’Or will not be in the competition. How you can have a cupcake challenge without a chocolate cupcake sprinkled with Tahitian Gold Vanilla Caviar is beyond me.

The event will be held at the Renaissance Hollywood on February 5^th from 4-7pm, need tickets and more information check out DrinkEatPlay’s website at http://www.drinkeatplay.com/cupcakechallenge/.

Until next time my sweets, this is Gorelick signing off.

If someone were to ask me when my favorite time of year was, without hesitation my reply would be right now, yes, right here and now. Mid-January comes as such a relief. You can wind down from the holiday high, the air is crisp and light and above all the International Wine Festival is here. For many, Christmas comes during the end of December, but for a cultured man like yours truly, the REAL gift receiving comes courtesy of the International Wine Festival. Only there am I able to sample wines from Italy, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Australia, Israel, France, New Zealand and beyond.

Every year I am greeted by old memories from my travels abroad. Each sample of pinot noir I am reminded about the time I gave Coco Chanel fashion advice. I’m happy that she took my words of wisdom; the little black dress is really all you need. With every taste of an Australian Riesling I can still feel the pain from the time I boxed a kangaroo on a bet (Crowe you still owe me.)

Typically I prefer to sip on a Spanish Cava beachside at my late-spring, early summer house off the Bay of Biscay. Soccer or “futbol” star Andres Iniesta is a usual guest at Casa de Gorelick and let me tell you that guy can really pack away the tapas. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to tell him “no mas.” Kid just doesn’t know when to quit, that’s what I love about him.

However there is something to be said for staying in your own area code and enjoy some well balanced wine paired with some fine cheese. Pretty quaint I would say. The International Wine Festival saves you the time and money of traveling and brings the best wines from around the world to you. Sponsored by DrinkEatPlay and the Renaissance Hollywood, admission is a cool $60 and includes an assortment of cheeses, desserts and bread, unlimited sampling of hand selected wine from K&L Merchants.  The event will be on Jan 15^th from 5-8pm at the Renaissance Hollywood. Visit http://www.drinkeatplay.com/intlwinefestival/ for more information.

Until then, this is Senor Gorelick signing off.