Forget the rusted-out Weber-welcome to the $20,000 BBQ.FIRING up the grill at Ani Gross' Woodland Hills home doesn't mean throwing some Hot dogs on a charcoal-fueled Weber. Gross cooks up tender chicken kabobs on a 52-inch, built-in stainless steel stainless steel: see steel. stainless steel Any of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10–30% chromium. The presence of chromium, together with low carbon content, gives remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. grill that's the centerpiece of a backyard center that includes refrigerator, sink and beer tap--a particular favorite of her architect husband Jack. "With our weather, it is very nice to have an outdoor kitchen," said Gross. "We have a lot of family friends, and we do a lot of barbequing." Barbecuing bar·be·cue n. 1. A grill, pit, or outdoor fireplace for roasting meat. 2. a. A whole animal carcass or section thereof roasted or broiled over an open fire or on a spit. b. Gross-style doesn't come cheap. The grill, a high-end Dacor Inc. model from Woodland Hills Barbecue barbecue [West Indian or South American], in the United States, traditionally an open-air gathering, political or social, in which meats are roasted whole over a pit of embers and food and drink are liberally enjoyed. & Fireplace fireplace Opening made in the base of a chimney to hold an open fire. The opening is framed, usually ornamentally, by a mantel (or mantelpiece). A medieval development that replaced the open central hearth for heating and cooking, the fireplace was sometimes large enough to Shop, costs $3,000--and that's just the start. There's also the beer tap at $2,200, the fridge at $1,500, installation and a few additional touches. Final price tag? Try $20,000. Like many Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, families, they are relegating Smokey Joes Smokey Joe is a model steam locomotive produced by Hornby Railways. It has an 0-4-0 wheel arrangement and has been in the Hornby Railways range since 1983. This is the locomotive commonly included with the 'starter' level train sets and is incredibly popular with younger and fancier propane-powered cousins to the ash bins of barbecuing. In their place are barbecue "islands" that were unheard of Not heard of; of which there are no tidings. Unknown to fame; obscure. - Glanvill. See also: Unheard Unheard just a few years ago in all but the most expensive homes. "They are just becoming fancier and fancier," said Armond Vartan, manager of Palace Fireplace Inc. in the Pacific Palisades Palisades, cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, NE N.J. and SE N.Y., extending from N of Jersey City, N.J., to the vicinity of Piermont, N.Y., with a general altitude of from 350 ft to 550 ft (107–168 m). . Vartan sells an ultra high-end Luxor model that can be paired with an ice chest, bar, beer taps, refrigerators, plasma screen television, Jacuzzi, fireplace and patio patio In Spanish and Latin American architecture, a courtyard open to the sky within a building. A Spanish development of the Roman atrium, it is comparable to the Italian cortile but provides more seclusion, possibly due to Moorish custom. The patio of the contemporary U.S. heaters. All told, it can cost $70,000. That includes a grill with the latest technology: infrared burners that heat up to 1,800 degrees. The company that makes Luxor, Glendale-based American Heating Technologies, has found it a challenge to keep up with consumers' richer tastes, adding insulated in·su·late tr.v. in·su·lat·ed, in·su·lat·ing, in·su·lates 1. To cause to be in a detached or isolated position. See Synonyms at isolate. 2. ice boxes and warming drawers. "People do so many different things with the island," said Raymond Vartanian, vice president of American Heating. Barbecue islands started popping up in backyards about 15 years ago, but sales really began increasing when they were pre-fabricated. (Prior to that, it was hard and expensive to find a contractor who would construct a barbecue island because it's a relatively small job.) Pete Arnold, president of Irvine-based Pacific Gas Specialties Corp., which has manufactured its own line of high-end, built-in gas grills for years, estimates that annual sales have increased 15 percent to 20 percent, while sales of low-end grills have remained static. "Five years ago a typical consumer would spend $800 a grill, and it would be portable," he said. "Today, that consumer is probably spending $3,000 and putting it in an island. It's not just the richest people who can build a backyard island. It seems to be across all boundaries." Prices for these multi-faceted grills typically range from $2,400 to $5,000. The best barbecues are made out of the highest-grade stainless steel that keeps barbecues rust-free and maintenance demands low. But, in the end, barbecues are mostly about heat. Many of the top-end models use infrared technology that can get grill surfaces up to 1,000 degrees and burners up to 1,800 degrees. It's the same type of technology that had been almost exclusively used in high-end restaurants such as Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. It was first developed to dry paint on cars, and a South Carolina South Carolina, state of the SE United States. It is bordered by North Carolina (N), the Atlantic Ocean (SE), and Georgia (SW). Facts and Figures Area, 31,055 sq mi (80,432 sq km). Pop. (2000) 4,012,012, a 15. company, TEC, held the patent on the infrared technology until it expired three years ago. "We had our products ready to launch as soon as the patent expired," Vartanian said. Since the company started manufacturing Luxors three years ago, sales of the high-end barbecues have been doubling annually. The advantage of infrared is that meat cooks quickly at a very high heat so it doesn't dry out. A steak takes an average of three to five minutes per side to cook on an infrared barbecue. The same steak will take an average of five to ten minutes per side to cook on, a lower-end grill. "You cook it on high real fast, you sear it and you lock in the juice," said Gerry Murtagh, owner of Murtagh Construction in Pacific Palisades, who has constructed six barbecue islands in the last two months. Murtagh should know. He has a Luxor barbecue in his own backyard. |
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