Pet Friendly San Diego

It’s summer time! And it’s the perfect time of year to relax on the patio and enjoy a tasty beverage or treat with your best little friend. What are some of your favorite spots in San Diego to entertain your pooch?

The amount of pet friendly places in San Diego is impressive. There are several dog beaches, parks, pet friendly restaurants, and hotels that you can visit. A good way to check out other festivities involving pets is to go online or just by word of mouth. Check out events like Dog Days of Summer at the Padres Petco Park, the Walk for Animals by ASPCA, or even Pet Day on the Bay hosted by Hornblower Cruises. Mixed with the perfect temperatures, this city gives plenty of opportunity to keep you and your little friend happy and active. There are even a few websites to make being a pet owner more enjoyable with tips on traveling, care, and ideas for pets! Check out the website San Diego Pet.

Did you know that The Keating Hotel is pet friendly? We even have our own package dedicated to them.

Sit, Stay, Sleep

What's a getaway without your best friend? The Keating understands the importance of your four-legged companion and welcomes them!

• We Love Dogs!
Keating pet bed & dishes, Complimentary walking services, The Honest Kitchen organic pet food, Pet friendly turn down treats, Keating Keepsake, and Tail-Wagging Fun!


*Smudge needs some friends to play with. This weekend at the Keating Hotel pets stay free when you mention Smudge to your Personal Concierge at the time of booking (619.814.5700).





This week's blog post comes from Nina Heck

Pamper Your Mother!

Mother’s Day Sunday May 9, 2010

Ahh, Mother’s Day. Always the second Sunday in May and such the perfect opportunity to pamper one of the biggest supporters in your upbringing. In the United States, Mother's Day remains one of the biggest days for sales of flowers, greeting cards, spa treatments, and dining out. And why not? I have yet to experience motherhood myself, but I will always mark this day as a special time to show my appreciation for my mom.
(photo courtesy of www.thedailygreen.com)


What are some good Mother’s Day gifts this year? Here are my top 5 picks:


1. Hallmark Mother’s Day card with a heartfelt personal message on the inside. Always a classic.

(photo courtesy of www.hallmark.com)






2. Spa certificate for a Swedish Massage or Facial.

(photo courtesy of www.gifts.com)





3. Jewelry by April Star Davis collection.

(photo courtesy of www.aprilstardavis.com)




4. Edible Arrangements: Bloom’s of Love Mother’s Day feature.

(photo courtesy of www.ediblearrangements.com)




5. Sunday brunch or dinner to her favorite place (or try a new spot!) with all the family…

(photo is of actual entrées featured from The MerK's menu)



If you are looking for somewhere to go for Mother’s Day, stop in The MerK! We will be featuring a Mother’s Day $47 Prix Fixe Menu. The 3 course menu features several choices of favorite menu selections including Calamari & Zucchini Fritti, Pesto crusted Salmon, and Espresso Chocolate Mousse for dessert.
For families of 3 or more, mom gets a free entrée.
There is also unlimited Champagne for couples!

Ciao!

This week's Mother's Day blog post comes from Nina Heck.

Mama's Day 2010 by Mama's Kitchen

Mama’s Day Event 2010: An Extraordinary Culinary Evening

Mama’s Day 2010 by Mama’s Kitchen is tonight! Friday May 7, 2010 at The Hyatt Regency La Jolla Aventine.


Feast on fabulous food, including The MerK’s specialty dish Linguine Romano. We are one among many of San Diego’s top restaurants and chefs participating for this 19th annual tasting benefiting Mama’s Kitchen. Come listen to music and mingle with an eclectic mix of people! There are also four drawing prizes which includes The Keating’s very own:

An Evening Out: The Keating Way

Entertain eight of your coolest friends in the chic Keating Hotel’s VIP room at MerK Bistro Italiano with a multi-course Wine Tasting with Food Pairings, followed by complimentary entrance into SWAY Boutique Nightclub.

Have you heard of Mama’s Kitchen before? They are a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers food to men, women and children who are affected by AIDS or cancer.


Here is the link for information for the event and where to get tickets.
http://mamasday2010.eventbrite.com/

Check out our video of The MerK’s Executive Chef, Brian Rutherford making tableside Linguine Romano with pecorino romano.

Cinco de Mayo

Salud!

Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow! A celebration of the victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Not to be confused with Mexico’s Independence Day which is on September 16. Cinco de Mayo is also recognized as a holiday of celebrating Mexican heritage and pride. And it is enthusiastically celebrated in San Diego by all cultures, not just people of Hispanic and Mexican descent. And I say it’s the best reason after work to dance to some salsa music, eat Mexican food, and try a tasty Margarita or even a Mexican beer.

The picture is an example of traditional dress while dancing to The Jarabe Tapatío, known in English as the Mexican Hat Dance. The dance was choreographed by Felipa Lopez in the early twentieth century to celebrate a government-sponsored fiesta that commemorated the successful end of the Mexican Revolution. Since then, it has become the dance that symbols national pride and honor of the Mexican people.
(Photo courtesy of www.mexicovacationtravels.com)


Here is a video of and authentic El Jarabe Tapatio to get you in the mood for tomorrow! The MerK is also featuring a specialty Margarita in honor of Cinco de Mayo.

Hasta Mañana!





This weeks blog post comes from Nina Heck.

Roses are Red, Ferraris are too!

This week's blog post comes again from Nina Heck.



What is the color Red to you? Red in colorology is a very expressively intense color. It grabs attention to the eye and is passion, life, energy, and power. It signifies richness and luxury, and beauty. Italian designers like Valentino and Pininfarina love the color Red and use it to define their brand.

When you think of Valentino, almost immediately the signature crimson red color comes to mind. His legendary crimson gowns are the brand's trademark and his collections are worn by the world's wealthiest and most glamorous women including stars like Gisele Bundchen, Anne Hathaway, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

(Valentino crimson collection image courtesy of RedHotBrides.com)


To Italian engineer, designer and businessman, Paolo Pininfarina, red is what defines power, luxury, and an experience of a lifetime. What color comes to mind when you picture a Pininfarina-designed Ferrari? Most likely the famed Ferrari red which has become the signature of the brand. Did you know there is even a “Red-Travel” site which is an exclusive Ferrari tour trip journey of Italy? With Pininfarina behind the scenes, the color red is symbolic to his work.

(Pininfarina Ferrari image courtesy of Pininfarina Ferrari P4-5 Wallpapers)

The characteristic red theme even extends to The Keating Hotel, the only hotel in the world to be designed by Pininfarina.. Stop in and see if it grabs your attention.

Mambo Italiano!

This week's blog post comes from The Keating's newest addition to the marketing department, Nina Heck!


Two words: Swing and Italian, it’s music to my ears. Hearing the melody of any jazz or standard can make you want to burst out in song or maybe even get up and start dancing.. Just putting on a familiar jazz or swing album of the 1930’s and 40’s can take you back to a childhood memory or maybe a romantic evening with a significant other. This historical era of popular music and style is still prominent today and has influenced artists like Michael Bublé with his music and even Gwen Stefani with her iconic style.


Considering my Italian-American heritage, I remember family gatherings playing any song sung by the great Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, or Dean Martin paired with lots of Italian food and my relatives shouting, “Mangia! Mangia!.”



Just hearing the opening bars of a great song puts you in a better mood and sets the tone for a great evening after work. With that being said, how does real Italian food paired with famous jazz music sound now? You don't have to time travel or go very far to enjoy a tribute and get a little culture. If you want to check out some real jazzy swing, stop by The MerK tonight! We will be featuring live Swingin' Standards by Lady Luck. And to get you in the mood, check out my favorite song, Sway, by Dean Martin.

Ciao!

Aperitivo Time!

Who doesn’t love a great happy hour? Everywhere you go in San Diego has something to offer for these couple of golden hours when people can go to a restaurant and socialize without maxing out their credit cards. And it isn’t just an American past-time.

In Italy, in almost every public square you will find a café that has an Aperitivo time, or what we would hall happy hour. It's the time when Italians meet before dinner for drinks. But rather than it being held early in the evening like at 5:00, the usual American time, it’s held around 7pm and the drinks aren't discounted. As most people are leaving work, they will stop by one of these cafés, suits still on with briefcases and Blackberries in hand, just to be part of the scene.

The most common drink to order at an Italian happy hour is a Spritz, a wine based cocktail prepared with sparkling white wine, here a Prosecco, and a base of one of two famous bitter liqueurs, Aperol or Campari. The rule for the Spritz is that it has to be red. Aperol cocktails are refreshing, palate pleasing light drinks, while the Campari cocktails are a little bitterer for those who want a slightly stronger tasting drink. And now for the best part, to sit back, relax and enjoy the cocktail as you unwind from a stressful day at work.

As summer is right around the corner, and patios fill up, why not try something a little different for happy hour? Order a Spritz and feel like you’re in an Italian piazza enjoying the good life.