Press
Artisanal LA: Where Passion Meets Delicious
Since man cannot survive on mustard alone, you’ll go seek Van Dorn Gourmets. There you can buy spice rubs, seasoning blends, and more importantly, try samples of an onion or cajun dip, and instantly crave a salmon fillet when you try the dill dip.
Our friends at Stamps.com invited Brian to participate in their latest TV ad campaign. It's just a rough cut. Hopefully, he'll make it in one of the final edits. Watch for it on various cable stations nationwide.
Spice it Up with Chai Tea
"Boil your water, steep your chai tea (follow the directions on your tea canister), and serve with a splash of milk and a bit of sugar or honey to sweeten it to perfection. Your drink is ready to rock and roll. Another bonus – you get a little shot of calcium when you spike your tea with milk! My latest chai tea favorite is Van Dorn Gourmets Chai Tea."
geek Magazine (out of publication)
"Brian's Bistro Spices (our old name):
Brian made two critical errors in judgment when he sent me some canisters of his Brian's Bistro Spices to review. First, he assumed that I cook. Second, he assumed that I could be enticed to cook by an image of a severed head on a bed of lettuce poorly rendered in a squashed aspect ratio. Regardless, I made an expedition into this strange place called 'the kitchen' and cracked open my sample tins of Brian's Espresso Spice Rub, Seasoned Salt, and Poultry Seasoning. Now, I'm no Jack Tripper in the kitchen (As far as cooking goes, that is. I'm pretty evenly matched on physical comedy), but I still managed to take a box of flavorless 'Quorn' meat substitute and turn it into something that resembled a spicy, delicious chicken dinner sampler. Luckily for him, Brian's skills in the seasoning arts more than make up for his obvious deficiencies in Photoshop. briansbistrospices.com
VERDICT: The best thing you'll ever rub on your meat"
Words by: Marcus Alexander Hart
geek Magazine April 2009 (out of publication)
"Van Dorn Gourmets Onion Dip Mix and Bath Bomb:
Remember last December when I lambasted Brian's Bistro Spices for their questionable 'severed head on a platter' packaging design? Well, I recently received a letter from Brian himself, wherein he notes, "Since sending you my spices, I've realized that my 'head on a platter" logo really meant that my head was up my ass." Appreciating his candor, we decided to give his newly rebranded 'Van Dorn Gourmets' line another shot. First up is the Onion Dip Mix. To be honest, I didn't expect much. I mean, you know the drill. You get a packet of onion soup mix, dump it into a tub of sour cream, stir, and gluttonize. I thought all onion powder was created equal, but Brian's rich, potent blend stands (severed) head and shoulders above the rest. Sorry, Campbell's.
I also tested a sample of Van Dorn's Green Tea Bath Bomb from their new Bath Gourmets collection. You know, because nothing else complements stuff you eat quite like stuff you soak your big hairy ass in. As a dude, there are only two things I feel qualified to say about a 'bath bomb'. One: When I threw it in the tub, I was disappointed that it didn't explode. Two: It does not taste like green tea. At all. vandorngourmets.com
VERDICT: Van Dorn pulls ahead by losing a head."
Words by: Marcus Alexander Hart
Spicy Mixes From Former Wisconsinite
"Mixing spices is not Van Dorn's primary livelihood. He works for various special effects studios in Los Angeles. The spice business started out as a hobby, but he said he hopes to see it grow into a full-time business.
That business is called Van Dorn Gourmets (formerly Brian’s Bistro Gourmet Spice Blends). His products include seasoning blends, spice rubs, dip mixes and salt blends that he developed in his own kitchen."
