Recommendations

Lidia’s

“Tutti a tavola a mangiare!” Located in Kansas City’s Crossroads Art District in a renovated freight house, Lidia’s is known for impeccable Northern Italian cuisine. When celebrated chef Lidia Bastianich opened this namesake restaurant more than a decade ago, it was her first outside of New York City, and it’s been a culinary destination ever…  Read More

Lidia’s

“Tutti a tavola a mangiare!” Located in Kansas City’s Crossroads Art District in a renovated freight house, Lidia’s is known for impeccable Northern Italian cuisine. When celebrated chef Lidia Bastianich opened this namesake restaurant more than a decade ago, it was her first outside of New York City, and it’s been a culinary destination ever…  Read More

Punch Pizza

Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Owners John Soranno and John Puckett have created an incredible pizzeria in my home town. The individually-sized, handmade, hand-tossed pizzas are topped with artisanal ingredients (think San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala) and put into a 800 degree wood-burning oven for only 90 seconds – the perfect amount of time to…  Read More

Punch Pizza

Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Owners John Soranno and John Puckett have created an incredible pizzeria in my home town. The individually-sized, handmade, hand-tossed pizzas are topped with artisanal ingredients (think San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala) and put into a 800 degree wood-burning oven for only 90 seconds – the perfect amount of time to…  Read More

Olympic Provisions

Portland’s Passionate Salumist European-style housemade charcuterie is the bread and butter of this Portland eatery. Salumist and owner Elias Cairo uses Old World techniques (hand-butchered local pork, cased in natural hog intestine and dusted in natural white mold) to craft salamis with the traditional flavor profiles you’d find across Europe, from Spanish chorizo and Italian soppressate…  Read More

Olympic Provisions

Portland’s Passionate Salumist European-style housemade charcuterie is the bread and butter of this Portland eatery. Salumist and owner Elias Cairo uses Old World techniques (hand-butchered local pork, cased in natural hog intestine and dusted in natural white mold) to craft salamis with the traditional flavor profiles you’d find across Europe, from Spanish chorizo and Italian soppressate…  Read More

Girl & the Goat

She’s Got Your Goat Located in the heart of the West Loop restaurant corridor, Girl & the Goat is one of Chicago’s most popular eateries, and for good reason. Chef/owner Stephanie Izard, the energetic always-smiling winner of Top Chef season 4, is taking an iconic alternative protein and putting at the top of her menu, with…  Read More

Girl & the Goat

She’s Got Your Goat Located in the heart of the West Loop restaurant corridor, Girl & the Goat is one of Chicago’s most popular eateries, and for good reason. Chef/owner Stephanie Izard, the energetic always-smiling winner of Top Chef season 4, is taking an iconic alternative protein and putting at the top of her menu, with…  Read More

Butcher & the Boar

Calling All Bourbon & Pork Lovers Jack Riebel’s stunning gastropub is a welcome addition to downtown Minneapolis. The industrial, masculine decor creates a rustic-meets-chic vibe that echoes the meat-centric menu and the scent of smoked pork wafting through the dining room. The best way to approach the menu is family style, ordering sausages and meat a la…  Read More

Butcher & the Boar

Calling All Bourbon & Pork Lovers Jack Riebel’s stunning gastropub is a welcome addition to downtown Minneapolis. The industrial, masculine decor creates a rustic-meets-chic vibe that echoes the meat-centric menu and the scent of smoked pork wafting through the dining room. The best way to approach the menu is family style, ordering sausages and meat a la…  Read More

Pok Pok Phat Thai

Nothing but Noodles Portland chef Andy Ricker expanded his acclaimed Thai food empire to New York City last year with Pok Pok Ny and the noodle-centric Phat Thai, a pint-size spot on the Lower East Side with a stripped-down menu dedicated to pad Thai. This isn’t the popular noodle dish you’re used to eating in…  Read More

Pok Pok Phat Thai

Nothing but Noodles Portland chef Andy Ricker expanded his acclaimed Thai food empire to New York City last year with Pok Pok Ny and the noodle-centric Phat Thai, a pint-size spot on the Lower East Side with a stripped-down menu dedicated to pad Thai. This isn’t the popular noodle dish you’re used to eating in…  Read More

The Red Cat

A Timeless Neighborhood Eatery Chef/owner Jimmy Bradley opened The Red Cat 12 years ago,with a simple concept: a less is more approach to food, melding seasonal American ingredients with a bit of Parisian je ne sais quoi.  On my last visit, over a plate of roasted tomatoes and striped bass, I realized I eat here nearly…  Read More

The Red Cat

A Timeless Neighborhood Eatery Chef/owner Jimmy Bradley opened The Red Cat 12 years ago,with a simple concept: a less is more approach to food, melding seasonal American ingredients with a bit of Parisian je ne sais quoi.  On my last visit, over a plate of roasted tomatoes and striped bass, I realized I eat here nearly…  Read More

Vie

Savoring the Seasons Located just outside of Chicago in Western Springs, chef Paul Virant’s celebrated Vie restaurant is a great choice for solid farm-to-table cooking. Virant, a preservation expert with an everything-made-in-house philosophy, is known for preserving and pickling produce at its peak and incorporating those bright seasonal flavors into almost every dish. The cuisine…  Read More

Vie

Savoring the Seasons Located just outside of Chicago in Western Springs, chef Paul Virant’s celebrated Vie restaurant is a great choice for solid farm-to-table cooking. Virant, a preservation expert with an everything-made-in-house philosophy, is known for preserving and pickling produce at its peak and incorporating those bright seasonal flavors into almost every dish. The cuisine…  Read More

Willow Road

Comfort Food Redefined By Bob & Sue Located in a refurbished Nabisco factory, New York City’s new gastrobar features creative comfort food by executive chef Todd Macdonald, who ran the kitchens at Cru and Villa Pacri. Among his many specialty dishes are spicy lamb burgers with a cilantro and sumac aioli, mac and parmesan cheese…  Read More

Willow Road

Comfort Food Redefined By Bob & Sue Located in a refurbished Nabisco factory, New York City’s new gastrobar features creative comfort food by executive chef Todd Macdonald, who ran the kitchens at Cru and Villa Pacri. Among his many specialty dishes are spicy lamb burgers with a cilantro and sumac aioli, mac and parmesan cheese…  Read More

Foreign & Domestic

Austin’s Favorite Neighborhood Bistro Opened in 2010 by Ned Elliott, this 47-seat small bistro is celebrated for creative seasonal cuisine and unforgettable pastries and desserts. A golden-winged pig adorns the outside of the building, so it’s no surprise that pork plays a vital role in the menu, but it’s not the only praiseworthy protein—the expertly…  Read More

Foreign & Domestic

Austin’s Favorite Neighborhood Bistro Opened in 2010 by Ned Elliott, this 47-seat small bistro is celebrated for creative seasonal cuisine and unforgettable pastries and desserts. A golden-winged pig adorns the outside of the building, so it’s no surprise that pork plays a vital role in the menu, but it’s not the only praiseworthy protein—the expertly…  Read More

610 Magnolia

Embracing the South Edward Lee’s 610 Magnolia is Louisville’s most sought after reservation, well at least until Lee unveils his next restaurant, MilkWood, which is expected to open this February. Although the Korean-American chef was raised in Brooklyn, he’s a natural with Southern cuisine, celebrating Kentucky’s rich agricultural fabric with dishes built upon local ingredients. The…  Read More

610 Magnolia

Embracing the South Edward Lee’s 610 Magnolia is Louisville’s most sought after reservation, well at least until Lee unveils his next restaurant, MilkWood, which is expected to open this February. Although the Korean-American chef was raised in Brooklyn, he’s a natural with Southern cuisine, celebrating Kentucky’s rich agricultural fabric with dishes built upon local ingredients. The…  Read More

Hot and Hot Fish Club

Birmingham’s Hottest Table When Chris and Idie Hastings opened Hot and Hot Fish Club in 1995 they were ahead of the farm-to-table craze, using locally sourced ingredients and supporting Alabama fishermen and foragers in their refined Southern cuisine. The James Beard award-winner changes the menu frequently based on what’s available, with dishes such as red…  Read More

Hot and Hot Fish Club

Birmingham’s Hottest Table When Chris and Idie Hastings opened Hot and Hot Fish Club in 1995 they were ahead of the farm-to-table craze, using locally sourced ingredients and supporting Alabama fishermen and foragers in their refined Southern cuisine. The James Beard award-winner changes the menu frequently based on what’s available, with dishes such as red…  Read More

Extra Virgin

For Adventurous Tapas Chef Michael Smith owns two of Kansas City’s most lauded restaurants, his eponymous fine-dining eatery and the adjacent Extra Virgin, a more casual spot with a playful atmosphere (think jewel tones, oversized paintings and a central wood-and-iron bar) and a creative menu of Mediterranean tapas. Go with a crowd and share family-style, making…  Read More

Extra Virgin

For Adventurous Tapas Chef Michael Smith owns two of Kansas City’s most lauded restaurants, his eponymous fine-dining eatery and the adjacent Extra Virgin, a more casual spot with a playful atmosphere (think jewel tones, oversized paintings and a central wood-and-iron bar) and a creative menu of Mediterranean tapas. Go with a crowd and share family-style, making…  Read More

Flocons de Sel

An Alpine Retreat By Bob & Sue At France’s newest (2012) Michelin 3 star restaurant located in the French Alps, Emmanuel Renaut offers delicious fresh fish from the local lakes, as well as vegetables and meats seasoned with mountain-grown herbs. The polenta in truffle sauce and Lake Geneva char with pea sauce was followed by quenelles of pike and…  Read More

Flocons de Sel

An Alpine Retreat By Bob & Sue At France’s newest (2012) Michelin 3 star restaurant located in the French Alps, Emmanuel Renaut offers delicious fresh fish from the local lakes, as well as vegetables and meats seasoned with mountain-grown herbs. The polenta in truffle sauce and Lake Geneva char with pea sauce was followed by quenelles of pike and…  Read More