Congratulations JBF Award Winners! As always, I had a fantastic time at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious awards ceremony honoring professionals in the food and beverage biz. I’m so proud to be a part of this amazing organization that works hard on education, agriculture issues, food insecurity and hunger relief. You… Read More →
One of the Best Meals in Dubai Dubai is the wealthiest and most populous of the seven United Arab Emirates. In just two short decades, it’s grown into a modern metropolis with man-made islands, shopping centers with indoor ski slopes and the world’s tallest skyscraper. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find a vibrant… Read More →
Champagne Country By Bob & Sue During our recent trip to Paris, we took the high-speed TGV train to Champagne country for a lunch at 2014’s only new Michelin three-star restaurant, L’Assiette Champenois. The brilliant young chef Arnauld Lallement is carrying on the family tradition of thoughtful and creative food served in a friendly environment. The… Read More →
America’s Leading Pitmaster Aaron Franklin cooked his first brisket in 2002. After seven years of practice, he opened a food truck with his wife Stacy, though a few glowing reviews resulted in long lines and a move to a brick-and-mortar location on Austin’s east side just a year later. Today, Franklin and his crew serve… Read More →
In the Valley By Bob & Sue With “food churches” Meadowood and The French Laundry temporarily closed, we enjoyed comfort food at many of Napa’s popular restaurants: Cindy Pawlcyn’s Mustards Grill (Yountville) and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen (St. Helena) define modern California cuisine in fun environments with wonderful soups, a wide variety of appetizers, and innovative tweaks to the… Read More →
Homage to Gulf Seafood Located in the Warehouse District, just down the street from the famed pork-centric Cochon and the adjacent sandwich shop and salumeria Butcher, Pêche Seafood Grill is the newest addition to chef/restaurateur Donald Link’s growing list of praise worthy restaurants in New Orleans. The show piece of this rustic-meets-modern seafood restaurant is the… Read More →
A Modern Approach to Mexican Tradition There’s no doubt that Pujol, Enrique Olvera’s flagship restaurant in Mexico City, is one of the most important eateries in the Americas. Open since 2000 and currently ranked among the world’s best restaurants, Pujol showcases Mexico’s pre-colonial and indigenous foods shot through a fine dining prism. Last year, the… Read More →
Where to Splurge in Athens For many tourists, Athens represents nothing more than a fling prior to hitting the Greek Islands, but you’re making a mistake if you don’t spend more than a few days in the capital city to sample the jaw-dropping fare. Varoulko One of the best restaurants in the city, the… 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 →
George Mendes Shares 5 Favorites in Lisbon After graduating from culinary school and working at Bouley in Tribeca, Alain Passard’s Arpege in Paris, and as chef de cuisine at NYC’s Tocqueville, George Mendes opened Aldea, a homage to his Portuguese heritage. In October, the Michelin-starred chef released his first cookbook, My Portugal, a beautiful book of… Read More →
Where to Eat in Mexico City When I first started traveling, Mexico City’s fine dining scene was peppered with Mexican chefs cooking other countries’ food, like Italian or French cuisine. That’s no longer the case. These days the best Mexican food is once again being cooked for Mexicans, by Mexicans. Here are five restaurants you… Read More →
Not to Miss in Portland A Food & Wine Best New Chef and Top Chef Masters contestant, Jenn Louis is a champion of Pacific Northwest cuisine and one of Oregon’s most beloved chefs. At her restaurants Lincoln and the more casual Sunshine Tavern, Louis strikes the ideal balance between rustic and refined with a less-is-more approach… Read More →
Our Picks for Pre- & Post-Game Dining Lucky for hungry baseball fans, Target Field sits next to some of Minneapolis’ best restaurants and bars. Just in time for the 2014 All-Star Game, here’s a round-up our favorite Downtown and North Loop establishments, from raucous pubs and local breweries to after hours fine dining. Pre-Game… Read More →
Redefining Scandinavian Cooking A former Navy Officer who opted for a chef’s life, Paul Berglund has made a name for himself as the executive chef of Minneapolis’ Bachelor Farmer, where he’s cooking trend-setting modernist Nordic cuisine. We talk with Berglund about the resurgence of Scandinavian food, taking risks and note-worthy chefs in the Twin Cities.… Read More →
Genius Culinary Innovation David Kinch, chef/proprietor of Manresa in Los Gatos, California, creates some of the most exciting food in America. After working in Europe, Japan and New York, the James Beard award-winning chef moved to the West Coast and opened his flagship restaurant in 2002. Four years later, Kinch famously entered into a partnership… Read More →
Sin City Recommendations Las Vegas is wholly intoxicating, a city dedicated to sensory overload that’s all about being the biggest and the best. And while chefs from all over the country are generating a lot of great food in glamorous settings on the Strip, you won’t be sorry if you venture off the main drag… Read More →
Tropical Retreat On the drive from Miami to Key West, you’ll pass dozens of fantastic red snapper and stone crab shacks that are worth a try. After a week of shooting the Bizarre Foods America: Florida Keys episode, or a tough year at the office, most folks want to sit on a beach for a… Read More →
Rust Belt Revival After years spent working in some of the best restaurants in New York City, chef Jonathon Sawyer is back in his hometown, raising his family and Cleveland’s food profile. He’s become an incredible son of Ohio, who has changed this town’s culinary landscape with his restaurants Noodlecat, Sawyer’s Street Frites, SeeSaw Pretzel… Read More →
Congratulations JBF Award Winners! I had a fantastic weekend at the James Beard Foundation Awards in NYC, the nation’s most prestigious awards ceremony honoring professionals in the food and beverage biz. Winners of the Foundation’s annual Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards were presented on May 2, at Gotham Hall in New York City, during a… Read More →
Like Father, Like Son Marc Forgione, the Michelin-starred mohawked chef who won Food Network’s Next Iron Chef in 2010, began his culinary career working for his father, beloved chef Larry Forgione. After cooking in kitchens in France, he joined Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Prime empire as corporate sous chef, before opening his eponymous NYC restaurant in… Read More →
Eat Your Way Through Austin Paul Qui‘s career took off after winning Top Chef Season 9, followed by a James Beard award for Best Chef: Southwest, and a spot on Food & Wine’s roster of Best New Chefs in 2014. What’s more impressive is that the 33-year-old Filipino-born Austinite is killing it at his ambitious flagship restaurant qui, which was named the Best… 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 →
Madtown Recommendations By Molly Mogren Wisconsin’s capital city is also its biggest college town. While Badgers are known to party hard, this hippy-dippy town also offers up amazing ethnic restaurants, classic German bars and locally-driven fine dining. Without further ado… The Classics Tornado Steak House An old-school steak house serving up classic cuts (T-bones, ribeyes… Read More →
Contemporary Canadian Cuisine Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, chef David Hawksworth’s eponymous restaurant is one of the best in the city. Trained in Europe and adept in a myriad of global techniques, chef Hawksworth’s forward-thinking Canadian cuisine is consistently flawless, fresh and modern. He’s passionate about local ingredients, a chef who believes food is… Read More →
Spring Break Recommendations By Molly Mogren This spring breaker’s paradise is known for its foam parties, American chain restaurants and all-inclusive hotels. However, this city is finally growing up, with fantastic dining options to match. If you’re looking to dine on something other than a bloomin’ onion at Outback, hit up any of these excellent… Read More →
Congrats to the Nominees! Yesterday, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for the 2014 JBF awards. Congratulations to all of the nominees, what a talented pool of culinary greatness. If you didn’t catch the nominee announcement, the full list is below. The winners for the Book, Broadcast and Journalism Awards will be announced at… Read More →
The Publican’s Signature Dish By Paul Kahan and Brian Huston The James Beard Foundation Award nominees are announced today, so we asked last year’s recipient of the Outstanding Chef award, Paul Kahan, to share one of his favorite recipes. From modernist fine dining to a beer-focused gastropub, chef Paul Kahan’s multifaceted restaurant empire is a… 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 →
Modern Pioneering By Georgia Pellegrini Grandma Pellegrini and Great-Aunt Gray used to love to have garden parties, and I like to think that this would have been my creative contribution. A watermelon keg is a festive way to serve beverages on a hot summer day. You can fill the keg with whatever liquid you would… Read More →
Where to Eat & Drink in the Big Easy By Donald Link New Orleans has countless classic bars and restaurants. One of my favorite things about this city is how these old classics work with some of the newer classics and interesting aspects of the scene that make New Orleans such a fascinating place to… Read More →
