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Eva Longoria to Expand Beso Empire

partysugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:30:27 -0700

Desperate Housewives star and successful restaurateur Eva Longoria is taking her eatery national. Longoria opened Beso, a Mexican restaurant in Hollywood, with chef Todd English back in 2007. The popular joint quickly became a celebrity hangout. Last Summer she announced her plans to expand and open a second restaurant in Las Vegas.

Now, the establishment finally has an opening date: New Year's Eve 2010. Beso Vegas will diverge from its LA counterpart, with "different specials and drinks." The actress told People that she's "so excited about opening Beso Vegas." She described the city as having "the most energy in the world. It's a great foodie city, which is great for us because of our menu. Everything we offer is pretty unique. Nobody in Vegas has anything similar."

Also in the works? Besitos - a series of airport eateries that will feature a limited menu. The first will debut at an undisclosed Los Angeles airport. Have you eaten at Beso? What did you think? Would you grab some Mexican food from a Besito while traveling?

Eva Longoria to Expand Beso Empire

partysugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:15:01 -0700

Desperate Housewives star and budding restaurateur Eva Longria has announced her plan to open a second Beso restaurant. This time her sights are set on Las Vegas.

The actress (who partnered with chef Todd English to open the VIP hot spot, Beso, in Los Angeles last March) has been spotted spending quality time at Caesar's Palace. The Vegas branch of Beso would be more of a loungey nightclub with small bites from English's Mexican-fusion menu.

I have yet to dine at Beso, but I find the Vegas expansion interesting. Could more Besos be on the horizon? Also, I enjoy seeing a celebrity's take on the restaurant industry.
What do you think of celebrity-owned restaurants?

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Eva Teaches Us How to Make Tortilla Soup

YumSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:30:00 -0800

Last night celebrity chef/restauranteur Todd English and actress Eva Longoria celebrated the opening of their new restaurant Beso. The restaurant has been in the works for some time, and Eva has been involved in every level including the menu. In fact, she has even contributed recipes to the menu. Two of the house specialties are Eva's guacamole and her tortilla soup. She says:

I make the best guacamole in the world. And my tortilla soup . . . I am renowned for.

If you're curious to try Eva's tortilla soup, but can't quite make it to Beso then make it at home. Get the recipe, just read more.

Eva Longoria's Tortilla Soup
From Eva Longoria via People

Ingredients

1 medium onion, medium dice
½ bunch of celery, medium dice
¼ cup garlic, chopped
1 pasilla pepper (a dried, mild chili), medium dice
1 jalepeño pepper, diced
½ cup olive oil
6 whole Roma tomatoes
6 cups hearty chicken stock
½ cup lime juice
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste

Tortilla chips, avocado, jalepeños or sour cream to garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with half of the oil, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Spread on a baking pan and roast until light brown, 25-30 minutes.
While tomatoes are roasting, in a stock pot over medium heat, sauté onion, celery, peppers and garlic in remaining oil, stirring frequently until soft and translucent.
Add chicken stock, cayenne, chili powder, ground cumin seed, paprika and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes.
When tomatoes are light brown and their skins have begun to peel back, remove from oven and add to the broth.
Add chicken breasts, cut into strips. Simmer 10 minutes.
Using an immersion hand blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender, blend soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve piping-hot in large bowl, garnished with chopped avocado, tortilla chips, chopped jalepeños and sour cream. Other suggestions for garnish include diced red onion, chopped cilantro, salsa verde, sliced radishes and cooked, diced chicken. Adjust spices and seasonings to your taste. Enjoy!

Print recipe with images | without images

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Eva Longoria Teams Up With Todd English to Open BESO

YumSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:03:15 -0800

Looks like the writers' strike will be providing Eva Longoria with a little extra time to dedicate to her new venture. The Desperate Housewives star is currently finalizing plans for her new restaurant, BESO.

Located in Hollywood, BESO is a partnership with celebrity chef Todd English. However, Eva wants to make sure that you know she's really involved. Here's more:

"I'm so involved, I picked the uniforms," she said. "A lot of these are my recipes. We've developed a really fun menu."

The restaurant, which is scheduled to open in mid-December, recently hosted the Blackjack II launch party. Check out the gallery for a few of the interior pics. According to geeksugar, the place is massive.

So what do you guys think? I'm personally interested to see what the menu will be like. Todd English has a pretty impressive list of restaurants under his belt, but how well does he know Mexican food? I guess only time will tell.

View 4 Photos ›

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All the News That's Fit to Eat - June 4, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:15:19 -0700

Meet the professor of beer, plus a review of Eva Longoria's restaurant, Beso. - Los Angeles Times
Cooks discuss their recipe deal breakers, from deep-frying to wrangling pigs. - New York Times
Speaking of deal breakers, would you eat Rocky Mountain Oysters at the Testicle Festival? - The Salt Lake Tribune
Moonshine makers are distilling "boutique" hooch. - Washington Post
Behind the boom in Mexican beer. - Dallas Morning News
Are restaurants nowadays just too noisy? - San Francisco Chronicle
Smart strategies for organizing those growing piles of recipes. -Chicago Tribune
An upscale wedding cake designer shares her inspiration. - Houston Chronicle
The "victory garden" is making a comeback thanks to rising food prices. - The Oregonian

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Versace Does Chocolate

partysugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 07:28:31 -0800

Could it be that the food world is suddenly a super trendy place to see and be seen? With Eva Longoria opening a restaurant and Paris Hilton launching a brand of canned champagne, it's only natural that the lady who dresses these gals would jump on the bandwagon. Donatella Versace - commonly known for her curve hugging dresses and long blond locks - has recently announced a luxury line of chocolates.

Unfortunately, these one-of-a-kind chocolates are not for sale and will not be available to the masses. The chocolates will only be sampled by a select elite who are invited to one of Versace's Chocolate & Champagne in-store events. Guests will sample the decadent chocolates with specific champagne pairings.

If you want to attend one of these events, head to a Versace near you and inquire about invitations. It's what FabSugar and I plan on doing! How about you? Have you heard anything else about it?

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