Revival St. Paul This town was a barbecue waste land, until my friends Thomas Boemer and Nick Rancone opened their second location of Revival in St. Paul and decided to add classic smoked meats to the menu, celebrating Boemer’s southern roots. The fried chicken and burger were reason enough to battle the crowds getting their southern comfort… Read More →
Devour Johannesburg A lively and diverse city, Johannesburg—known by locals as Jozi, Jo’Burg or Joeys—is the largest city in South Africa. With a history chock full of crime and decay, the city’s future is heading in a different direction. An influx of creative energy has tourists eager to visit and the city is coming back… Read More →
Beijing Noodles By Andrew Zimmern Also called Fried Sauce Noodles, this dish is arguably the most famous noodle dish in China. In Beijing, it’s available everywhere, anywhere and anytime, from humble food stalls to fancy restaurants. My friend Judy at the Woks of Life posted a great recipe that used to get started. I owe… Read More →
Highlights from the Southern Barbecue Trail I’ll line up at Aaron Franklin’s a thousand times to eat his brisket, but traveling through Georgia and the Carolinas along the Southern barbecue trail was truly unforgettable. Barbecue has humble beginnings. It’s essentially American, a meal for gatherings that has a diverse range of styles, techniques and influences.… Read More →
My Top Restaurant Recommendations for Rio Rio de Janeiro has a beat all its own; it’s a city that moves you. From Sugarloaf Mountain to Copacabana Beach, it’s easy to see why Rio is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere. Cantinho das Concertinas The large CADEG market is filled with hundreds… Read More →
Celebrating North Carolina’s Culinary History Chef Vivian Howard worked in New York City at Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50 and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market before packing up and heading home to Kinston with her husband to open Chef & the Farmer. Like many residents of Eastern North Carolina, chef Howard has an ingrained pride for her rural… Read More →
While filming in Nashville for the Music City Food + Wine Festival last September, I had the opportunity to hang out with the sensational Rachele Lynae. Rachele is one of the hottest young crossover country talents I’ve heard in years. She’s got a musical growl that could scare a grizzly bear and she’s as down… Read More →
Marcus Off Duty In Marcus Off Duty, chef, award-winning author and TV host Marcus Samuelsson steps out of the restaurant and into his home kitchen, where he teaches readers to cook global, flavorful and approachable recipes. It’s a beautiful book, filled with funky illustrations, stories, personalized playlists, and his tips and tricks for tackling ethnic… Read More →
A Few Important Issues Support Local Food The 70/30 law is a twenty-year-old sales ratio that’s no longer compatible with today’s dining culture. It’s antiquated legislation that needs to be removed for small businesses to be able to thrive and grow. Here’s the gist: In 1983, Minneapolis passed a law that required restaurants and bars… Read More →
A Chef’s Guide to Music City Chef Tandy Wilson is known for his Southern riffs on classic, rustic Italian fare at Nashville’s acclaimed City House in the Germantown neighborhood. Before opening City House in 2007, Wilson went to culinary school in Arizona, cooked at Tra Vigne in Napa and worked with Nashville legend Margot McCormack… Read More →
The Food-Obsessed World of Edward Lee A native New Yorker turned Louisville culinary ambassador, chef Edward Lee stars in the brand new third season of Mind of a Chef—the Emmy-winning PBS series, narrated by executive producer Anthony Bourdain, that delves deep into the inspirations and philosophies of renowned chefs. Lee’s brilliant cooking at his acclaimed… Read More →
Good Genes Pound for pound, Austin’s culinary gravitas rivals the best food cities in the nation. And it’s folks like Bryce Gilmore—a second generation Austin chef, a two-time James Beard award nominee and a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2011—who make the city’s food scene what it is. At his restaurants Barley Swine and… 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 →
Heritage Hog Renaissance As the founder of the pork-centric culinary competition Cochon 555, Brady Lowe is on a mission to remind us what true pork tastes like. In each of the 10 cities on the annual tour, Cochon 555 showcases five chefs, five heritage breed pigs and five winemakers to promote breed diversity and whole animal… 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 →
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 →
For the Love of Ramen Ivan Orkin’s path to culinary greatness is somewhat like folklore. A Jewish guy from Long Island falls in love with Japanese culture and cuisine, marries a Japanese woman and moves to Tokyo. In 2007, he opens a ramen shop as a gaijin (foreigner) in a city where residents are passionately… Read More →
Carnivorous Bliss Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook are rockstars of the Los Angeles food scene. The chefs co-own and operate two of LA’s most exciting eateries – Animal, where meat is the main course, and Son of a Gun where they channel their Floridian roots and focus on seafood (they also recently opened Trois Mec… Read More →
A Taste of Provence in Cajun Country During the Bizarre Foods America Third Coast shoot, I loved hanging out with my buddy John Besh doing all things duck at La Provence, his acclaimed restaurant located just north of New Orleans on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. At this day-trip-worthy French eatery, Besh and chef Erick Loos… Read More →
Celebrating the Life of an Amazing Woman Dorothy Levy passed away earlier this week, her obituary is here for those who want to see a sketch of what an incredible woman she was. To those who knew her, there is often a forgetful space, as there typically is for those who have been so accomplished… 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 →
Elevating Midwestern Flavors Credited with re-energizing Kansas City’s dining scene, Colby Garrelts is the James Beard award-winning chef behind the game-changing Bluestem, known for impeccable modernist cuisine, and Rye, a more casual eatery that celebrates his Midwestern roots. We chat with Colby about how the city’s food scene has evolved since he opened Bluestem, the inspiration behind his new… 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 →
Congratulations JBF Award Winners! I just returned from 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 3, at Gotham Hall in New York City, during a ceremony hosted… Read More →
Flavors of the Big Easy Located in a 19th-century French-Creole building fitted with mahogany paneling and crystal chandeliers, August is the flagship restaurant of James Beard award-winning chef John Besh. The menu seamlessly combines French classics with Besh’s southern Louisiana roots, showcasing a stunning array of oysters, crawfish, pastas crushed under the weight of sliced truffles,… Read More →
Flavors of the Big Easy Located in a 19th-century French-Creole building fitted with mahogany paneling and crystal chandeliers, August is the flagship restaurant of James Beard award-winning chef John Besh. The menu seamlessly combines French classics with Besh’s southern Louisiana roots, showcasing a stunning array of oysters, crawfish, pastas crushed under the weight of sliced truffles,… Read More →
Inspired Mexican Cuisine WD-50 alum and former modernist pastry chef Alex Stupak serves stunning Mexican-inspired cuisine at his acclaimed restaurants in New York City. At Empellón Cocina, the upscale sibling of his Greenwich Village taqueria, Stupak turns traditional Mexican cuisine on its ear, experimenting with flavors and textures while honoring its roots. The depth and breadth of… Read More →
Inspired Mexican Cuisine WD-50 alum and former modernist pastry chef Alex Stupak serves stunning Mexican-inspired cuisine at his acclaimed restaurants in New York City. At Empellón Cocina, the upscale sibling of his Greenwich Village taqueria, Stupak turns traditional Mexican cuisine on its ear, experimenting with flavors and textures while honoring its roots. The depth and breadth of… Read More →
Hunter Gatherer A few years ago, Georgia Pellegrini traded in her high heels for cowgirl boots and a shotgun, foregoing a cubicle on Wall Street for a “field-and-stream-to-table” life in Texas. The hunting enthusiast decided to get back to her roots, attending culinary school and cooking at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, before writing Food Heroes, which… Read More →
Hunter Gatherer A few years ago, Georgia Pellegrini traded in her high heels for cowgirl boots and a shotgun, foregoing a cubicle on Wall Street for a “field-and-stream-to-table” life in Texas. The hunting enthusiast decided to get back to her roots, attending culinary school and cooking at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, before writing Food Heroes, which… Read More →
