Lessons Learned Along the Way By Andrew Zimmern John Besh is one of the great culinarians of our time. He owns and operates nine fantastic restaurants – August, La Provence, and Domenica, to name a few. He’s got TV shows, and endorsements and cool things with his name on them, but I admire him most for how… 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 →
Try These at Your Next Tailgate Everyone has a go-to meal that fits right into the hearty, crowd-pleasing football food category. Some rely on hot wings and fall comfort-classics like chili and stew, others may boldly roast a whole steer head to make killer barbacoa tacos or light a kerosene-soaked fire for a fish boil. From… Read More →
Home Sweet Home I was born and raised in New York City. I love going back to my hometown. There is an energy in the city like no other, and it is home to the best food scene in the world. I could list amazing places to check out in NYC for days, but here… 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 →
Redefining Haute Cuisine in Paris Chicago-born chef Daniel Rose has made a big impression on Paris’ dining scene with his insanely popular restaurant Spring. Considered part of the bistronomy movement in Paris – where chefs have ditched the Michelin institution, ornate decor and 5-dollar-sign prices for bistros with high-quality food that won’t break the bank… Read More →
Obsessed with Entrepreneurship Jason Wang has brought renewed energy and killer business acumen to his father’s acclaimed Xi’an Famous Foods, a string of casual yet highly-regarded restaurants in NYC serving the authentic cuisine of China’s Shaanxi province. The family-run empire is a result of old world techniques (his father, David Shi, is an incredible chef who… Read More →
Changing Lives Through Food Darrie Ganzhorn is the executive director of Santa Cruz’s Homeless Garden Project, an incredible nonprofit that provides job training, transitional employment and support services to those in need on a 3-acre organic farm and garden. Trainees and volunteers grow and harvest fruits and vegetables that sustain daily lunches and fundraising farm… Read More →
The Story of Houston Food At Houston’s acclaimed Underbelly, chef Chris Shepherd (a 2013 Food & Wine Best New Chef) celebrates the city’s ethnic diversity and unique, underutilized local ingredients. His food, which he calls “New American Creole,” is heavily influenced by the Vietnamese, Indian, Thai, Korean and Mexican communities that make the city such… Read More →
Bringing Thai to the Twin Cities Supenn Harrison introduced Minnesota to the flavors of her native Thailand when she opened her first Sawatdee restaurant in 1983. Thirty years later her story is one of great success – she’s the owner of seven acclaimed Thai restaurants, a cooking class instructor, the recipient of numerous awards and… Read More →
San Francisco’s Pastry Star Melissa Chou has presided over pastries at San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Aziza for the past five years, creating impressive desserts that wowed the folks at the James Beard Foundation (she was a finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2012 and 2013) and San Francisco Magazine, which named her Pastry Chef of the Year… Read More →
Indian Cooking in a Midwestern Kitchen Raghavan Iyer’s new cookbook, Indian Cuisine Unfolded, opens up the world of Indian cuisine for the American home cook by recreating some of his favorite dishes with ingredients found in the typical American grocery store. The Bombay native also narrated a Twin Cities Public Television documentary called Asian Flavors based on… Read More →
Breaking New Ground When husband-and-wife team Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski opened State Bird Provisions at the end of 2011, they instantly garnered national recognition for their unique dim-sum-style service and outstanding globally-influenced cuisine. Since the restaurant’s debut, Bon Appetit chose it as America’s Best New Restaurant, Food & Wine magazine added chef Brioza to their… Read More →
Contemporary Comfort Food Chef Kevin Willmann’s adventurous take on comfort food, combined with his locavore philosophy, make Farmhaus one of the St. Louis’ top dining destinations. The Illinois-born chef spent his formative cooking years in the Florida panhandle, and his ever-changing menu marries his Midwestern roots and Southern cooking influences. Think roast turkey with chive spaetzle,… Read More →
Budding Restaurateur Celebrates His Roots Harold Dieterle, executive chef/co-owner of three outstanding New York City restaurants, Kin Shop, Perilla and The Marrow and champion of Top Chef season one, talks about his love of Thai food, how his heritage inspired the menu at his new restaurant and his favorite NYC eats. AndrewZimmern.com: You studied Thai cuisine… Read More →
Uncommon Honesty When Gabrielle Hamilton opened her acclaimed 30-seat bistro Prune in New York’s East Village in 1999, she had worked in the catering biz for more than 20 years, but she had never been a restaurant chef, nor could she imagine that her winding culinary path would lead to successful restaurateur. Fast forward a… Read More →
Latin Flavor Ingrid Hoffmann has built a large following around her Delicioso brand – she’s the lovely host of a popular TV show on the Cooking Channel and Univision, the creative director of a Latin-influenced cooking line and a best-selling cookbook author. Ingrid shares her go-to recipes for entertaining, tips for healthy eating habits from… Read More →
Austin’s Top Chef Last year, Paul Qui rocketed into culinary fame after winning Top Chef Season 9, followed by a James Beard award for Best Chef: Southwest. The young, Filipino-born Austinite honed his skills at Uchi for eight years under chef/owner Tyson Cole, killed it as executive chef of Uchiko and is now at the helm… Read More →
Austin’s Top Chef Last year, Paul Qui rocketed into culinary fame after winning Top Chef Season 9, followed by a James Beard award for Best Chef: Southwest. The young, Filipino-born Austinite honed his skills at Uchi for eight years under chef/owner Tyson Cole, killed it as executive chef of Uchiko and is now at the helm… Read More →
Missouri’s Powerhouse Chef If you don’t associate the city of St. Louis with culinary prowess, then you haven’t eaten at Gerard Craft’s restaurants. He’s leading a group of chefs who have put this “Gateway to the West” on the map with their creative cuisine, attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to quality local ingredients.… Read More →
Missouri’s Powerhouse Chef If you don’t associate the city of St. Louis with culinary prowess, then you haven’t eaten at Gerard Craft’s restaurants. He’s leading a group of chefs who have put this “Gateway to the West” on the map with their creative cuisine, attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to quality local ingredients.… Read More →
Reviving Cajun Cuisine Born and raised in Cajun country, James Beard award-winning chef/restaurateur Donald Link knows a thing or two about Louisiana cuisine. In New Orleans’ Warehouse District, his much-lauded Cochon is a tribute to the food he grew up eating and it’s one of the best restaurants in the city (and probably one of… Read More →
Reviving Cajun Cuisine Born and raised in Cajun country, James Beard award-winning chef/restaurateur Donald Link knows a thing or two about Louisiana cuisine. In New Orleans’ Warehouse District, his much-lauded Cochon is a tribute to the food he grew up eating and it’s one of the best restaurants in the city (and probably one of… Read More →
True Thai Cuisine Andy Ricker’s obsession with Thai food was born out of a backpacking trip he took in the 80s, when he discovered that the gloppy noodles he’d been eating stateside were not representative of the diverse culinary traditions he found in Thailand. In 2005, Ricker opened his first restaurant in Portland, Pok Pok.… Read More →
True Thai Cuisine Andy Ricker’s obsession with Thai food was born out of a backpacking trip he took in the 80s, when he discovered that the gloppy noodles he’d been eating stateside were not representative of the diverse culinary traditions he found in Thailand. In 2005, Ricker opened his first restaurant in Portland, Pok Pok.… Read More →
A Wild Weekend in New Orleans You knew you were in New Orleans and you knew it had to be Super Bowl Week: elevator to baggage claim, 200 limo drivers holding up signs for corporate types and A-List celebs. Background music provided by a Second Line band, all set to the staccato backbeat of the… Read More →
A Wild Weekend in New Orleans You knew you were in New Orleans and you knew it had to be Super Bowl Week: elevator to baggage claim, 200 limo drivers holding up signs for corporate types and A-List celebs. Background music provided by a Second Line band, all set to the staccato backbeat of the… 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 →
