The Ultimate British Experience I’ll admit, I am an Anglophile. Long one of world’s trendsetting cities, there’s something intensely reliable about London. From clubs to markets to restaurants, if you think this city is bland, you’re simply wrong. One of my all time favorites is St. John, opened by Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver in… Read More →
Martina Located in Linden Hills in the old Upton 43 space—which got stripped of its sterile Scandinavian decor for a more inviting dining room modeled after traditional estancias, or Argentinian ranches—Martina may be new, but its seafood-centric menu has earned its place among the city’s great restaurants. It’s the first solo endeavor of chef Daniel… Read More →
Bellecour My friend Gavin Kaysen’s latest project, Bellecour, is an absolute stunner. The award-winning chef’s return to the Twin Cities in 2014 to open Spoon and Stable came with unprecedented buzz—a few years later and it’s still near impossible to score prime time reservations—but the announcement of Bellecour sent diners into a frenzy, with more… Read More →
Southern Soul Food Takes Root When you think about Minnesotan food, the first thing that comes to mind is… well, anything BUT fried chicken. Lucky for us Northerners, chef Thomas Boemer filled the city’s Southern-food-void with crunchy, succulent Tennessee hot chicken, Johnnycakes and crispy pigs’ ears. They’re also serving one of the best burgers in town… Read More →
What Not to Miss in Austin The co-owner of Salt & Time, Ben Runkle is Austin’s leading meat purveyor. What was born from Runkle’s passion for Old World charcuterie, turned into the city’s first whole carcass butcher shop and salumeria when a partnership with Bryan Butler developed in 2010. The pair are committed to sourcing animals… Read More →
Devour London A global hub of history, finance, fashion and food, London is incredibly accessible, reliable and popular for tourists. As England’s capital grows increasingly diverse, so do the culinary offerings. From high-end Michelin-rated tasting menus and an influx of chef-driven gastropubs to roaming food trucks and amazing ethnic food from around the globe, there… Read More →
Devour Dublin Few modern European cities can match Dublin’s mix of rough spirit and hip energy. Rife with old-school pubs and scratchy-voiced musicians, there has been a recent influx of young entrepreneurial-types who have been fostering a place where creativity and contemporary ideas can flourish. With this unique meshing of history and modernity, there is… Read More →
Doing His Part to Eradicate Lionfish John Mirabella is on a mission to bring attention to the devastating lionfish invasion in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. With no natural predators in this part of the world beyond humans, the rapidly growing populations may be one of the biggest environmental disasters these waters… Read More →
My Favorite Cookbooks of the Year Every year hundreds of cookbooks are published, dozens of which deserve a spot on your shelf. But we’ve tried to narrow it down to a handful that really impress–whether it’s the private cooking lessons from the world’s best chefs in Dana Cowin’s Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen, cooking… Read More →
Music City Food + Wine 2014 was the most intimate and fun food fest I have been to in years… Great out-of-town chefs, amazing local restaurateurs and food talent, superb food entrepreneurs and the most carefully-curated Grand Tasting Tent I have ever walked through. You gotta get there next year. Here are a few observations:… Read More →
Defining New Nordic Cuisine Chef Gunnar Gislason celebrates Iceland’s unique culinary heritage, embracing once-forgotten ingredients and techniques at his much-loved Reykjavik restaurant Dill. In his new cookbook North, written in collaboration with food writer Jody Eddy (author of 2012’s Come In, We’re Closed), Gislason and Eddy profile various artisan producers who are reviving Iceland’s culinary heritage–a… Read More →
Another Austin Food & Wine has come and gone, and I for one can’t wait for 2015. One of the most fun, intimate festivals in the country. Without further ado, some of the best moments (and one sort of ugly one) from this year’s party: 1. Paul Qui has confirmed for me that the Next Big Food Trend… Read More →
Nose-to-Tail Icon Chef Jamie Bissonnette gained notoriety for his soulful food, innovative style and pork proficiency at his Boston restaurants, Coppa and Toro. Last fall, Bissonnette brought his incredible tapas menu to Manhattan when he opened a second Toro with business partner and fellow empire builder Ken Oringer. As we predicted, New Yorkers are just as infatuated as Bostonians with… Read More →
Hacking Fine Dining Chefs/co-owners of Travail and the Rookery, Mike Brown, Bob Gerken and James Winberg are a trio to be reckoned with. In the past year, they closed the original Travail opening Pig Ate My Pizza in its place, created a dim sum pop-up in North Minneapolis, launched an epic Kickstarter campaign and reopened Travail… Read More →
John McKenna’s Top Picks Ireland’s leading food critic and one of the country’s most authoritative voices in food journalism, John McKenna has been writing about the burgeoning Irish food scene for 25 years. Before your next trip to Ireland, be sure to check out McKennas’ Guides, a series of guide books by John and his longtime… Read More →
The Holy City Charleston is one of the oldest cities in America. While the food scene in Charleston is filled with innovators and food-forward thinkers, you can always taste the Southern roots and history in its cuisine. From incredible fresh seafood to mouth-watering barbecue to classic Southern dishes with a modern twist, you really can’t… Read More →
Memphis on the Rise As born and bred Memphians who grew up in large Italian families, it only makes sense that chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman cook a soulful fusion of Southern and Italian cuisines at their restaurants Hog & Hominy and Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. This happy mash-up has garnered lots of rave… Read More →
Condiment Makeover Onion Crunch creator Nick Loeb talks about the inspiration behind his crunchy condiment, his favorite Onion Crunch pairings and date night with fiancé Sofia Vergara. AndrewZimmern.com: How did you go from working at Universal Studios to developing a condiment company? Nick Loeb: Well, there was a lot in between, a 12 year gap from… Read More →
Eating Queens Queens-based food writer Joe DiStefano has been covering the borough’s ethnic food beat for more than a decade. When it comes to ethnic diversity, some estimates name Queens as number one in the world – it’s so rich that DiStefano has made exploring the borough his life’s work. He’s our go-to guide for… Read More →
Divulging the Food Network Allen Salkin’s new book From Scratch: Inside the Food Network is a fascinating chronicle of the evolution of a television network, from a scrappy start-up to an influential powerhouse that turned food into a cash cow and chefs into celebrities. The former New York Times reporter paints a behind-the-scenes picture, including… Read More →
The Man Behind the World’s Best Burger Josh Capon, the executive chef and partner of New York City’s Lure Fishbar, B&B Winepub and El Toro Blanco, talks about the importance of consistency and quality in the restaurant biz, how to make a great burger and his favorite Manhattan eats. AndrewZimmern.com: You’ve worked in several esteemed kitchens… Read More →
A Tastemaker with Southern Sensibility Leading a group of chefs changing the country’s perception of Southern cuisine is Chris Hastings, chef/owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham (one of the best restaurants in the South, if not the whole country). Chris and his wife Idie have been serving modern Southern/French cuisine that celebrates Alabama’s… Read More →
A Tastemaker with Southern Sensibility Leading a group of chefs changing the country’s perception of Southern cuisine is Chris Hastings, chef/owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham (one of the best restaurants in the South, if not the whole country). Chris and his wife Idie have been serving modern Southern/French cuisine that celebrates Alabama’s… Read More →
An Ambassador of Southern Cuisine “If it ain’t Southern, it ain’t walkin’ in the door,” says Sean Brock. The James Beard award-winning chef is passionate about his Southern roots, even going to the extremes of resurrecting antebellum grains and sourcing heritage breeds for his Charleston restaurants, Husk and McCrady’s. He’s the most visible force behind the current… Read More →
An Ambassador of Southern Cuisine “If it ain’t Southern, it ain’t walkin’ in the door,” says Sean Brock. The James Beard award-winning chef is passionate about his Southern roots, even going to the extremes of resurrecting antebellum grains and sourcing heritage breeds for his Charleston restaurants, Husk and McCrady’s. He’s the most visible force behind the current… Read More →
She likes her animals whole. April Bloomfield once dreamt of policing the streets of her native Birmingham. Lucky for us, that fell through. April resorted to culinary school, moving on to work in such lauded restaurants as the River Cafe and Chez Panisse, before she strolled into the spotlight as the chef/owner of NYC’s original… Read More →
She likes her animals whole. April Bloomfield once dreamt of policing the streets of her native Birmingham. Lucky for us, that fell through. April resorted to culinary school, moving on to work in such lauded restaurants as the River Cafe and Chez Panisse, before she strolled into the spotlight as the chef/owner of NYC’s original… Read More →
Kansas City’s Barbecue Guru Ardie Davis, PhB (doctorate in barbecue philosophy), founded the American Royal BBQ Sauce, Rub and Baste Contest, has written nine barbecue cookbooks and is a backyard meat-smokin’ professional. We chat with Ardie about the country’s best barbecue, the competition trail and tips for championship-quality ribs. For your own taste, head to the American… Read More →
Kansas City’s Barbecue Guru Ardie Davis, PhB (doctorate in barbecue philosophy), founded the American Royal BBQ Sauce, Rub and Baste Contest, has written nine barbecue cookbooks and is a backyard meat-smokin’ professional. We chat with Ardie about the country’s best barbecue, the competition trail and tips for championship-quality ribs. For your own taste, head to the American… Read More →
Young Joni Young Joni’s presence on my list of must-try restaurants should come as no surprise. What chef Ann Kim and her team have accomplished is exceptional and worthy of all the national attention—which includes recognition from GQ and Eater as one of 2017’s best new restaurants in the country. And while this may be… Read More →
