Vegans don’t need to suffer FOMO during the present charcuterie craze, thanks to a company that is making premium plant-based deli meats. Whether you’re missing salami, pate or cracked pepper turkey, you’ll find a vegan alternative from Prime Roots.

The Bay Area-based company uses a fungus called koji as a basis for creating its meaty lineup. Don’t be grossed out — it’s the same fungus you’ve consumed in fermented products like soy sauce, miso and sake. Founders Kimberlie Le and Joshua Nixon tried a variety of fungi and fermentation methods before hitting on their winner. Then called Terramino Foods, they launched in 2017 with a popular koji-based salmon burger. After rebranding in 2022, they introduced a new line of koji-based deli meats that replicate the texture and flavors of the real thing. Consumers can choose from a selection of hams, turkeys, bacon and charcuterie. The truffle godfather is a real standout.

Related: Prime Roots offers ready-made, plant-based holiday meals

Le talked to Inhabitat about what drove her to found Prime Roots and what she hopes her company can do.

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Inhabitat: Why were you inspired to create Prime Roots?

Le: Growing up, I used to be a competitive snowboarder. When I would go snowboarding, I went to the same slope year after year. During college, I noticed that the snowfall accumulation was less and less each year. It was devastating to see the effects of climate change happen right before my eyes. That’s when I knew I had to do something that would make a positive impact on the planet.

Inhabitat: What does the name Prime Roots mean to you?

Le: Our star ingredient, koji, can best be described as the “roots” of mushrooms. The word “prime” is indicative of high quality. We wanted a name that represents what we do with our koji, which is to create the highest quality meat alternative meat products.

Inhabitat: How did you figure out how to turn koji into meat?

Le: I grew up making recipes with koji. My mom is a chef, so it’s something that has always been in my culinary toolkit. Koji has been around for thousands of years and is used to make miso and soy sauce. At UC Berkeley, I did a lot of research in microbiology to find ways to solve the problems our food industry faces. When I learned that about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions come from animal agriculture, I knew that there had to be a better way to create a delicious product that didn’t harm the environment. That’s when I realized that koji was something that could be used to recreate the texture and umami-rich flavor of meat, and this process also uses a lot less resources than conventional meat production.

Inhabitat: How did you develop the different flavor profiles of each meat?

Le: We really look at what goes into traditional meat and try to recreate the same delicious flavor with our products. For example, conventional Black Forest ham comes from Germany and uses juniper berries to give it that distinct taste. Of course, when we decided to make a koji Black Forest ham, we knew we had to use juniper berries. Our goal is to make sure that our products taste and feel similar to their animal-based counterparts so consumers can enjoy all the benefits with none of the guilt associated with meat. We try to honor the traditions of how meat is made. The koji used in our products is umami tasting with a neutral flavor profile, so we can easily recreate any type of meat.

Inhabitat: Where can people buy Prime Roots now, and what is your expansion plan?

Le: Bay Area consumers can currently buy our products at Berkeley Bowl East and West, Rhea’s Deli and both Bi-Rite Markets San Francisco. Our current plan is to continue to work with chefs to incorporate our product into their menus and expand our distribution throughout California and eventually nationwide.

Inhabitat: Tell us about winning the Food & Wine Game Changer’s Award.

Le: Our entire team was thrilled about winning the Food & Wine Game Changer’s award. To work hard in this industry and be recognized by one of the most prestigious food publications is a tremendous honor. After hearing the news that we had won, it only motivated us to work harder and make sure we continue to produce a high-quality product that benefits the planet.

Inhabitat: What else should readers know about Prime Roots?

Le: Be on the lookout for our products hitting more stores in the Bay Area. We also plan on expanding to more restaurants in the future. We make a huge impact with every bite. The process of creating our meats is 90% to 99% more efficient and less wasteful than conventional meat in terms of land use, water use, CO2 emissions, as discovered in a life-cycle assessment of our processes.

Photography by Teresa Bergen

The post Vegans, soar on the charcuterie craze with Prime Roots appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

No list of iconic San Francisco figures would be complete without House of Prime Rib’s Joe Betz — one of the city’s longest-running restaurateurs. 

At 83, he’s a living history book, filled with pages that are lovingly inscribed with remarkable San Francisco tales from his time running an enormously popular discotheque in the Transamerica Pyramid to presiding over one of the city’s flagship restaurants for more than a third of a century. 

‘I do not come from a golden spoon’

House of Prime Rib’s gold-accented, wooden front doors are still locked before dinner service on a recent Thursday afternoon, when a spry gentleman wearing a crisp blue and red patterned button-up and dark denim smiles from behind its glass windows. He unlocks the entrance and welcomes me inside the acclaimed restaurant that’s been known for its well-marbled cuts of prime rib and chilled martinis since 1949.

(from left to right) Soun Manyvong, Saifon Manyvong, Terry Manyvong, and Kim Manyvong enjoy a family night out at the House of Prime Rib on the first night of its reopening, Wednesday, March 4, 2021.

Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE

San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here’s what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.

Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE

A server cuts slices of prime rib at the House of Prime Rib in San Francisco, Calif. on July 6, 2022.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here’s what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.

Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE

Photos: Patricia Chang / Special to SFGATE
Photos: Patricia Chang / Special to SFGATE

As we walk past tables draped in white fabric and garnished with pristine glassware perfectly set, Betz invites me into one of HOPR’s wine rooms, where he sits, surrounded by thousands of dark olive bottles (some dating back to 1932) that somehow aren’t covered in a single speck of dust.

Behind a pair of soft blue eyes, the man known for his generous philanthropy during the annual HOPR Christmas Eve lunch hosted at Glide Memorial Church, unfolds his deep adoration for the Van Ness institution and describes his role in its 73-year legacy. 

San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here’s what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.

Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE

“Prime rib is a comfort food. When the economy goes down, you don’t have the money to go for ‘experience food,’” he candidly said. “You want to go somewhere where you know you’ll get your money’s worth — and that’s what we are — and we stay that way.” 

Born in Bavaria, Betz began working in restaurants in Munich when he was 14 years old. Before he purchased HOPR in 1985 from its original owner, Lou Balaski, he waited tables at Hoffman’s Grill, a no-fuss diner and historic landmark at 619 Market St. between New Montgomery and 2nd streets. At just 28 years old, Betz ended up buying Hoffman’s in 1968 and became the city’s youngest restaurateur. 

“It was an American restaurant and it had a big bar. Needless to say, being there for so long at that time, it was running down,” Betz described. “… Don’t forget, I was 28 when I opened. I mean, I had very little money. I was worried how I was going to pay my bills, but I stuck it out. I had a wife and two kids, so I worked a little harder.”

Joe Betz, the owner of SF’s House of Prime Rib, poses for a photo in the wine room of the restaurant in San Francisco on July 6, 2022.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Betz said he welcomed all walks of life into Hoffman’s. It was during a time when political tensions ran high, and anti-Vietnam War protests roared loudly from Washington, D.C., and throughout the Bay Area. But despite that, Betz remembers calling down to Letterman Army Hospital at the Presidio to offer his hospitality. 

“During the time with the protests, I invited always on Thursdays at Hoffman’s, four wounded soldiers for lunch as my guest — every Thursday,” he said. “One day, a guy comes in with a wheelchair, and the guy looked at me and said, ‘Mr. Betz, do you remember me?’ and I said, ‘Maybe I should, but I’m sorry I don’t.’”

The soldier remembered as a boy, Betz visited his home with his father to watch a program on their new color TV. As he recalled the memory, it came flooding back to Betz, too. At the time, Betz said he worked two to three jobs before he purchased Hoffman’s, and recalls taking a break between one of his many shifts to pass the time at his friend’s place. 

An interior dining room at the House of Prime Rib in San Francisco on July 6, 2022.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

“He was a young kid, and then he went into the military and then he stepped on a land mine and it blew his legs,” Betz solemnly said. “So I could understand why people protest.” 

But Betz also said he respects different opinions on such sensitive topics, acknowledging that a person’s upbringing and life experiences play major roles in shaping their beliefs.

“If you come from a family who’s struggling, you may have a more different opinion about people who struggle — and you may be more sympathetic,” he said. “If you come from something with a golden spoon, then maybe you don’t understand. I do not come from a golden spoon, because I’ve been working since I’m 14.” 

While Betz said he certainly did not agree with the Vietnam War, or any war for that matter, he has always felt a duty to feed those in need — no matter their background. For him, every person who walks through his doors deserves respect.

Three generations of the Betz family serving up delicious prime rib on Christmas Eve.

Alain McLaughlin

One Sunday, Betz recalls attending service at Glide Memorial Church, where he was struck by the morning’s teachings about “hope, not class differences,” when he decided to begin donating his efforts to the organization. Now a nearly 30-year tradition, HOPR has donated thousands of meals to the community during the holidays, which includes cuts of its signature, dry-aged beef and sides such as honey-lemon broccoli, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls and eclairs.

“We serve a couple of thousand people at Christmas Eve,” he said. “We’re not just donating it, but my sons and I and my grandchildren are there serving it because I want my grandchildren to see there are two sides of the world — and people work very hard.” 

‘You could shoot a cannon through it’ 

As Hoffman’s became a Market Street staple well into the ’70s, Betz also ran all of the food operations inside the tallest building in San Francisco’s skyline at the time, the Transamerica Pyramid, including catering and a coffee shop known as the Bank Exchange. While there, Betz saw an opportunity when night blanketed the 48-story skyscraper. 

“In 1978, you could shoot a cannon through it and it wouldn’t hit anybody at night,” Betz said. “So I put a discotheque in there, and it became one of the top five in the country.” 

He dubbed this venture the Park Exchange, a gazebo-like glass structure on the ground floor with a sophisticated sound system. It launched a year after the famous celebrity-clad Studio 54 nightclub debuted in New York, and “was the No. 1 liquor seller among discos in Northern California — a whopping $64,000 a month,” according to an article from the SF Examiner in 1979.

A 1979 advertisement for the Park Exchange Supper Disco in the Transamerica Pyramid.

San Francisco Examiner

An earlier account from the Examiner reported that Betz also acquired a Rolls-Royce for the Park Exchange, where the “best-dressed couple” and “best-dressed disco lady” won the chance to be chauffeured around for the city for the day in all its luxury before ending their night at the club. 

Yet there was one stark difference between Betz’s popular dance hall and the cocaine-fueled parties at Studio 54. 

“I think the success in that one is a simple one. I don’t use drugs. I drink maybe sometimes too much, but I don’t use drugs and never did. And so, I had a very dislike for these pushers,” Betz said. “I don’t care what people do, but I had very close connections with the police department and with the narcotics [unit], so they helped me out to assure me the place was clean.” 

There were two dance floors and an enclosed game room in the center of all the action, and late-night suppers were served to keep guests well fed as they danced the night away to some of the era’s most popular music from the Bee Gees to Donna Summer.

“So you could go there with your parents, for example, or with somebody, and not worry about being in a raid,” he said. “We had some big celebrities there and big political figures because of that.” 

Notable figures included the king of Malaysia, three Saudi princes and one sultan. The governor of Guam even brought his son to Park Exchange for a college graduation party, according to the Examiner. 

As disco faded and left traces of glitter in its wake, San Francisco experienced more growth, with historic buildings being revamped throughout the city. But instead of demolishing entire landmarks, city planners would leave the facade of their presence on the outside, while they became trendy new businesses and housing developments on the inside.

Hoffman’s Grill entrance, 619 Market between 2nd Street and New Montgomery, taken on the last day of business June 29, 1984. Despite its landmark status, the building was demolished with only its facade preserved.

OpenSFHistory / wnp32.3426 / Courtesy Emiliano Echeverria

Although recognized as a historic landmark in 1981, Hoffman’s was ultimately closed in 1984 and gutted, making way for big high-rises that were erected around the Edwardian-style building. 

An article from the San Francisco Chronicle archives describes the days leading up to Hoffman’s demolishment, a mainstay at 619 Market St. since 1913. 

“Historic Hoffman’s Grill, last relic of the pre-World War I restaurants on Market Street, closed June 29 with toasts to a vanished era,” the article described. “Hearty German fare, salty waiters, generous drinks and authentic atmosphere of stained glass, murky paintings and slow fans — that was Hoffman’s.” 

Hoffman’s Grill interior, 619 Market between 2nd Street and New Montgomery, taken on the last day of business, June 29, 1984.

OpenSFHistory / wnp32.3430 / Courtesy Emiliano Echeverria

Betz was 44 years old at the time of the shift, but the end of Hoffman’s wasn’t without its silver lining. According to the Chronicle’s article, Betz and his former wife Heide received a $3 million dollar settlement to vacate the beloved restaurant so that it could make way for a new office building. 

“We were lucky that we had a great lease, so they had to buy us out,” Betz said. “So it was actually a very good ending. I miss Hoffman’s more emotionally than financially.” 

‘I live this place’ 

Back inside HOPR, the evening’s bartender starts taking inventory of his ingredients before the restaurant opens for cocktail hour at 4:30 p.m. Betz’s son, Steven Betz, is seen zipping about the aisles making sure everything is just so before dipping behind the scenes to the kitchen. 

Joe points Steven out, acknowledging that he couldn’t run HOPR without him and noting that he’s just as passionate about the family-run business as his father. The two recently flew out to Chicago in June for the James Beard Awards, where HOPR was one of five finalists in the country in the “Outstanding Hospitality” category.

A waiter takes an order from customers in the dining room at the House of Prime Rib in San Francisco, Calif. on July 6, 2022.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

“I live this place. And, I’m very fortunate I have my son here. He’s doing a great job with how things are going,” Betz said. “Steven and I went [to the awards] together, and I realized that I wouldn’t be there without him, and I’m very fortunate that he has the same interest that I have.” 

Less than a year after Hoffman’s shuttered, Betz immediately jumped back into the restaurant business with HOPR in 1985. He completely remodeled his newly purchased restaurant to bring it into a new era, where it would no longer stick to its former coat-and-tie dress code and he would also remove the high booths that boxed in its guests. 

He tore everything out from floor to ceiling, put in a new kitchen and retained HOPR’s original back-of-the-house crew and brought in some familiar Hoffman’s servers to operate the front of house. He describes the bare bones layout as very much the same as it was in 1949, it’s just been updated to give its five dining rooms a fresh look that he said is a bit more feminine in nature. 

Customers enter the House of Prime Rib in San Francisco on July 6, 2022.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

“We just recently repainted everything. It’s a constant upgrade. We don’t want to be stale,” Betz said. “When you’re around for so many years, sometimes you don’t see dirt grow. Later on today, somebody’s going to come around and change the light fixtures.” 

Before Betz took over the restaurant, he said HOPR was only churning out about 75 dinners a night. Now, the famed prime rib hotspot easily dishes out 600 plates during evening service — and that’s considered a slow night. 

“When you’re in the business, and dealing with so many people, you have to like it and you become emotional,” he said. “I’m going to be 83 in two days, and I still love what I’m doing. I don’t like it. I love it. You’re emotionally involved. It’s not just a bank account. It’s an emotion.” 

Left to right, House of Prime Rib executive chef Doug Braun and owner Joe Betz pose for a photo in the meat locker of the restaurant in San Francisco on July 6, 2022.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Betz often meets with his employees to reinforce that as long as he’s buying the best, top-quality beef in the country, he expects them to do the best they can while serving it to customers. Sides such as mashed or baked potatoes, creamed corn and spinach are all basic accompaniments that Betz says his customers are quite fond of, but there is one recipe at HOPR that is anything but ordinary. 

“What’s not basic is our house salad dressing. To make the dressing, at the base, you have to almost ferment it and from the beginning to table ready is about 10 days,” he said, before cracking a playful smile. “It’s a creamy dressing, based in sherry and apple vinegar. If I tell you the secret, I’d have to kill you.” 

And while other fancy steakhouses don’t always cater to children and the younger generation, Betz is there to welcome them to a seat at his table. He’s watched generations of families grow up through the decades, a true testament to HOPR’s longevity. 

“It’s an institution. Before my father took it over, we used to come here,” Steven said. “So as a child, before I had anything to do with the restaurant, we used to come here as children. A lot of San Francisco, I’d imagine, has done the same thing.” 

House of Prime Rib on the night San Francisco reopened indoor dining, March 4, 2021.

Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE

After nearly 40 years, Betz is admittedly his own biggest critic and says the moment a business owner doesn’t find something to perfect or to tweak, that means they’re on their way out — and he doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon. 

“My job is not to bask in glory,” Betz said. “My job is to keep things going as best as we can.” 

House of Prime Rib, 1906 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. Open Monday through Friday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.

The post How Home of Prime Rib’s Joe Betz turned a San Francisco icon appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Jay Leno and his wife bought Seafair, a Newport, R.I., mansion on Ocean Avenue for $13.5 million in … [+] 2017.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

It’s common knowledge in real estate circles that Jay Leno and his wife of 40 years, Mavis, bought a Newport, R.I., mansion for $13.5 million in 2017. But the story of how the former Tonight Show host found Seafair, a 15,861-square-foot Louis XIV inspired chateau, is less known.

Seafair was designed and built by British architect William Mackenzie Jr. for Vernor Zevola Reed Jr., a banker and heir to a mining fortune.

The home features a spiral staircase.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

The estate sits on 9 acres and features a slate roof and rubble-stone construction. The home boasts an inimitable crescent-shape design that follows the curve of the land and allows for expansive views of the Atlantic. The gated compound has a tennis court, an infinity pool, a carriage cottage, a six-car garage and private beaches. The main home has 12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms and features a paneled library, a formal dining room and a chef’s kitchen.

A formal dining room and a chef’s kitchen complete Leno’s home.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

For the price of a condo on Wilshire Boulevard, Leno got a castle in Rhode Island on the ocean. … [+] “There is no equivalent in California to that house for less than $100 million.” he said.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

In the years before and after Jay Leno ended his Tonight Show run in 2014, the comic icon has bought a lot of stuff. Leno’s famed Burbank garage is home to 199 cars, 168 motorcycles and a small team of dedicated mechanics. The admitted gearhead drives every vehicle and is often seen taking a Duesenberg or his McLaren F1 for a spin. So it would be appropriate that Leno, who moved to Los Angeles from Andover, Mass., to pursue show business in the 1970s, would discover the Newport mansion while enjoying a scenic drive along Ocean Avenue.

LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 18: Jay Leno and his Dusenberg are seen on August 18, 2015 in Los Angeles, … [+] California. (Photo by Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

GC Images

During a moment away from shooting his sixth season of CNBC’s automotive show Jay Leno’s Garage, Leno spoke to Forbes about finding Seafair, owning a historic home and the secret to never having buyer’s remorse.

Michelle Hofmann: How did you come across Seafair? Were you looking for a second home?

Jay Leno: No, I wasn’t planning on moving back east. I was with my wife, visiting family in Newport in October 2017. We were driving around Ocean Avenue, which is kind of like 17-Mile Drive, a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove in California. Ocean Avenue is a fancy place. I had my cousin with me and we were driving along and Mavis said, ‘Look at that house. Look at that house. It is unbelievable.’ And I said, ‘You’re right. It is unbelievable. It looks like a castle.’ So, I said to Mavis, ‘Do you want that house? Let’s see if it’s for sale.’ I turned the car around to go back to the house. Just as we drove by, the gate opened and the gardener came out. We all looked at each other and said, ‘The gate is opening. It’s a sign.’

Mavis and Jay Leno arrive at the 2014 Carousel Of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills.

(Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

So, I drove in and rang the bell. The caretaker answered and said, ‘You’re Jay Leno. Jay Leno!’ Then I said, ‘Hey, it’s nice to meet you. Is this house for sale?’ And the caretaker said the house was for sale but not listed currently. I asked if we could look around, and the guy gives me a tour. Then, I asked him to get the owner on the phone. So, we get the owner on the phone, and I said, ‘Will you sell the house as-is, with everything, all the furniture, the ketchup in the refrigerator, the salt shakers and just walk away?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I’ll walk away.’ We agreed on a price, and I bought it. We closed in 30 days.”

Hofmann: The house had been listed for $19 million not long before you bought it, so it looks like you made a smart business move.

Leno: I have no idea if this was a smart business move. I bought Seafair because I liked it. The thing about me is I don’t buy things for investment. I buy things because I like them, and if they go down in value, I still like them. If they go up in value, that’s fine, but I don’t want a sell them, so it makes absolutely no difference to me whether the price goes up or down.

Obviously, I like it when things go up in value. I bought my McLaren F1 in 1998 for $800,000; the last offer I got was $17.5 million. And one just sold for $20 million. I have cars that I bought that are not as valuable, but I don’t like them any less than the McLaren. Some go up, and some come down. But if you always buy what you like, you’ll always be happy because you did it for the right reasons.

The home has 12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms and features a paneled library, a formal dining room and a … [+] chef’s kitchen.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

Hofmann: How does Seafair compare with properties in Beverly Hills?

Leno: For the price of a condo on Wilshire Boulevard, I got a castle in Rhode Island on the ocean. There is no equivalent in California to that house for less than $100 million. I’ve got neighbors in Beverly Hills with homes down the street from me that cost $168 million, and there is not even any water. You’re right in the middle of Beverly Hills, but there is no view and the same amount of land, 9 acres.

Seafair is completely furnished. I wouldn’t have bought something where I had to look at swatches of fabric and hold them up to the wall and say, ‘No, not that one. Let me see another one.’ I didn’t want to do that. I like that this house was beautifully furnished with the best of everything, and everything was included in the price. So, when I go there, it’s like going to a hotel. I check in, and I check out. I’m not constantly moving tables and chairs. If I couldn’t have bought it as-is, it would have taken forever to make it a home because I wouldn’t have furnished it.

Seafair features stunning ocean views of the Atlantic and an infinity pool.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

Hofmann: Why Newport?

Leno: Since I’m from the area, it’s a great meeting place for all my relatives to come and have fun. They all get to stay there and it’s great. I love the place.

Hofmann: Can you tell me about the history of Seafair?

Leno: Seafair is also called the Hurricane Hut by the locals and history buffs because there was a huge hurricane—in fact, many hurricanes—that killed a bunch of people. There is some fascinating history. There is this impressive steel and lead peacock statute [about 4-feet tall] that was on the front lawn that got wiped out to sea during a hurricane. The owner, who survived the hurricane but lost a very nice peacock statue, sold the property, returned 25 years later to visit and noticed that the peacock statue was back on the front lawn. She rang the bell, told the current owners who she was and said, ‘Did you have another peacock made? How did you know about the peacock?’ And the new owner said, ‘No. We didn’t have another peacock made. We had another hurricane about five years ago, and that lead peacock washed up on the lawn.’ So that is kind of interesting. There are a lot of stories like that about Seafair.

Hofmann: I understand the house is sometimes called a Newport cottage. Can you explain this? I’m not judging, but it seems big for a cottage.

Leno: Yes, it was originally called Terra Mae. The second owner named it Seafair [with the hope there would be fairer times and calmer seas ahead]. But Seafair is known as the last of the Gilded Age cottages. During the Gilded Age [from the 1870s to about 1900], rich people used to call these mansions ‘summer cottages.’ The Newport ‘cottage’ reference was a tongue-in-cheek joke. Most of them were built in the late 1800s or the early days of the 1900s and the 1920s. Seafair is the last grand one, built in 1936, and I think it would be almost impossible to duplicate today.

The home boasts an inimitable crescent-shape design that follows the curve of the land and allows … [+] for 270-degree views of the Atlantic.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

Hofmann: It sounds like the house has a bit of magic. It looks like a castle, and even the idea that you were driving by and the gates opened seems mystical.

Leno: Yeah, I mean, it was an impulse buy, but I knew it was right. I’ve only done a couple of impulse buys. Most times, when you’re looking for a house, you’re looking for one thing, and you settle for another. Like in California, I always thought it would be cool to have a house on the ocean, but with many of these houses, you’re right next to Pacific Coast Highway. That always seemed crazy to me. This house is right on the ocean and has a couple of private beaches. I have to laugh every time I go to the house and the gate opens because I feel like I’m in the opening of Downton Abbey.

When I asked myself if I could have any house in Newport regardless of cost, this is the one that I would buy. How often does something like that actually happen? The idea of finding precisely what you want is great. My wife loves Victorian novels set on the English coast with the girl with the bonnet and the Fabio guy on a windswept bluff, so it makes me laugh because Seafair is the house I would have wanted. It really is.

The nice thing about it is that it looks like a castle. Even though it’s a mansion, with Seafair, all the rooms are small and have individual fireplaces. There are like eight or nine chimneys. When I had the chimney sweep come, the place looked like a scene from Mary Poppins.

A paneled library is home to more than 4,500 books and one of Leno’s favorite rooms in Seafair.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

Hofmann: Do you have a favorite room in Seafair?

Leno: I like the library. I always wanted to have a proper library. My wife and I have about 4,500 books, and the library can accommodate all of them, so that’s kind of fun. The home came with books. Someone was a Zane Grey aficionado. We’ve also got books by the Brontë sisters [of Wuthering Heights fame] and that whole gang. They are not necessarily my thing, but they are interesting to have. There are a lot of books on art history.

Hofmann: Can we talk about what it takes to maintain a home of this size and stature?

Leno: Of course, I thought about what it would cost to maintain the property when I bought the house. It’s big. I’ve yet to flush every toilet in the place. There’s someone on the property all the time, and it probably costs about $50,000 a month to maintain the home if you count all the expenses.

Hofmann: Does that include washing all those windows?

Leno: Yes. The house is on a peninsula, so you’re right against the sea, and all that salt pounds the windows. Consequently, the windows almost become opaque from the wind and rain and salt, so you do have to replace them every other year or quite often.

Seafair was designed and built by British architect William Mackenzie Jr. for Vernor Zevola Reed … [+] Jr., heir to a mining fortune and a banker. The estate sits on 9 acres and features a slate roof and rubble-stone construction.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

Hofmann: Any advice for somebody buying a historic home?

Leno: Yes, don’t buy a house like Seafair as an investment; buy it because you love it. Because if you love something and get stuck with it, you’ll still like it. And that’s my advice on everything. Occasionally, I’ve paid too much for things, but that’s OK because I still like them.

Hofmann: The wild life at the home must be amazing.

Leno: We have deer and rabbits on the property, and the sea life is interesting. One day, I was at the house, and I started hearing this noise and thought someone was trying to break in or throwing rocks at the windows. Then, I realized what was happening. The seagulls were picking up clams and dropping them on the balcony off the bedroom that is flagstone. They drop them from some height to crack them open. Then, they come down and eat the clams.

Hofmann: You are famous for your love of cars and your automotive collection. What do you drive when you’re at Seafair?

Leno: The house has a six-car garage, but I don’t keep any cars there because there’s nothing worse for an automobile than to sit in the salt air. It will just rust on its own unless you have humidifiers going all day long. When I am at Seafair, I rent a car.

Seafair overlooks the Atlantic and offers stunning views.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

A pool and seating provides ample room for guests.

Photography provided by Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty – Michael Osean photographer

Hofmann: You spend a lot of time working in your garage in Southern California. What do you do in and around Seafair if you are not tinkering on cars?

Leno: Actually, I am working with cars in Newport because I am very involved with the Audrain Automobile Museum. Nick Schorsch [one of the museum’s co-founders] is a good friend, and we work together to pick out cars for the museum and plan events like parties, concours exhibits, and cars and coffee gatherings. The Audrain Newport Concourse & Motor Week was canceled in the fall because of COVID, but it is set to return from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3.

Hofmann: Anything else?

Leno: We’ve been shooting a show in Newport called Audrain Mansions & Motorcars with Donald Osborne, a TV presenter on Jay Leno’s Garage. We showcase vintage cars and vintage mansions with the new show and put the two of them together. We take a ride in the car and talk about the car and showcase the mansion.

BURBANK, CA- JULY 24: Just a few of the cars and Motor cycles in the 3 Air conditioned warehouse … [+] that store Jay Lenos collection of cars and motor cycles. American Television personality Jay Leno who hosted the late night NBC “Tonight Show” collects cars. In 3 warehouses in a secure complex on the edge of Burbank airport he has over 100 cars, all insured, all in working order. The collection includes Bentleys, Bugatti’s, McClaren, Cadillac, Hispano Suiza, Lamborghini, Morgans, Jaguars, there is also a collection of over 75 working motorcycles from the early 1920″s to a modern day Jet Bike July 24, 2004 Burbank, California (Photo Paul Harris/Getty Images)

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Hofmann: What can we expect from Jay Leno’s Garage this season?

Leno: We got a late start because of COVID with Jay Leno’s Garage. We just did a shoot with musicians Huey Lewis and Kelly Clarkson and have a few exciting people this season, so it’s great fun. The show focuses on people interacting with and talking about how cars have affected their lives and their first cars or the first car they drove when they went on a date and other personal things as well, so it’s a little bit of everything.

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – JUNE 09: Comedians Jay Leno and Jeff Dunham attends the premiere of CNBC’s “Jay … [+] Leno’s Garage” Season 2 at the Universal Studios Backlot on June 09, 2016 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Michael Boardman/Getty Images)

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Hofmann: I hear you might be coming back to prime time. Care to share?

Leno: Yes, we are doing a new spin on You Bet Your Life, a question-and-answer game show hosted by Groucho Marx [from 1947 to 1961]. We start filming 180 shows in June. The show is syndicated on Fox and Fox affiliates and has sold in more than 85 percent of the country, so it’s doing quite well. It’s exciting. We will see what happens. It should debut in the fall on Sept. 13.

The post Jay Leno Opens Up About Shopping for A $13.5 Million Newport Mansion And Returning To Prime Time appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – The San Francisco Department of Health confirmed Thursday that the House of Prime Rib had voluntarily closed to investigate complaints of alleged foodborne illnesses at the popular restaurant.

The city’s health department issued a press release Thursday saying it was “aware of ongoing online complaints and alleged foodborne illnesses related to the House of Prime Rib on 1906 Van Ness Avenue”.

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“The owner has agreed to be voluntarily accessible to the public for 24 hours from today (May 13th) so that the DPH health inspectors can ensure that the preparation of meals and the handling of food are safe and coded,” it says in the explanation.

The restaurant had been serving takeaway for much of the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed dinner service in the restaurant in March.

The announcement said the SFDPH office had a total of 22 disease complaints related to the restaurant by Thursday morning. So far, officials from the Ministry of Health have interviewed a total of 55 people as part of their investigation into possible foodborne illnesses.

“The epidemiologically-based interviews with the complainants include identification of common foods, symptoms, time from eating the meal to when they feel sick and other potential exposures,” the memo reads.

According to the department’s standard protocol, the latest complaints led SFDPH officials to conduct a food-borne illness test at the restaurant on Tuesday. This on-site inspection revealed no causal link between the observations made and the suspected foodborne diseases.

The restaurant reported on the visit on its Instagram page.

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SFDPH officials said the investigation into the diseases associated with the restaurants was ongoing and noted that the department would track any additional reports of foodborne illnesses.

“We are working closely with the restaurant owner to identify possible problems in the facility that could lead to foodborne diseases,” the statement said.

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The department also noted that it is informed through a variety of private online websites sharing experiences and complaints about foodborne diseases. However, anyone who has symptoms of a foodborne illness is strongly encouraged to submit a formal report on the San Francisco Department of Public Health website.

The post San Francisco’s Home of Prime Rib Voluntarily Closes for Meals Borne Sickness Investigation – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SEATTLE – Amazon and the NFL have signed a 10-year contract for the exclusive broadcast of Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video in the US from 2023.

“Thursday Night Football will be our first digital package and we are excited to be working exclusively with Amazon to bring our games to more fans on more platforms,” ​​said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “NFL football drives passionate viewers, and Amazon will enable us to grow our fan base in innovative and compelling ways.”

The deal includes pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows, as well as weekly original NFL programming and in-game highlights. Amazon Prime Video will continue to offer the NFL’s next gen stats.

Read more local, state, and national news on FOX4

“NFL games are the most watched live programming in the US, and this unprecedented Thursday Night Football package gives tens of millions of new and existing Prime members exclusive access to must-see live football on Prime Video,” said Mike Hopkins, SVP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, said. “NFL fans from across the country enjoy a world-class viewing experience of Thursday Night Football and access to a wide variety of content, including award-winning Amazon Originals available on Prime Video.”

Amazon Prime Video distributed its first simulcast of TNF during the 2017 season. In 2020, the existing TNF package with 11 games was expanded to include an exclusive regular season game per year. The San Francisco 49ers against the Arizona Cardinals on December 26, 202 was the first of these games.

The NFL and Amazon have a growing relationship, and the league has used Amazon Web Services as its official cloud and machine learning provider for next gen stats.

To keep up with the commitment to make games available on television for free, every TNF game will be broadcast in the participating teams’ home markets.

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