John Curtas knows Vegas. The dude’s blog, Eating Las Vegas, is a must-stop for visiting food lovers. Sometimes he ruffles feathers (Sushisamba), other times he becomes a cheerleader (Lotus of Siam, Twist) that only serve to promote the food and wine scene in his beloved desert city. On the way to the airport recently, … Continued
Midway into the third course of my vegetarian tasting menu ($135) at Charlie Trotter’s eponymous restaurant, I had a sinking feeling. I was in the midst of catching up with a colleague from Toronto – a publisher of a local food magazine – who had struck out trying to get reservations at Alinea and Next … Continued
I wouldn’t say I’m a regular in Vegas, but when I do manage to go, I always make a habit of visiting at least one restaurant off of The Strip. It’s odd how locals think of The Strip (as a tourist-laden, overpriced, chef-worshipping mecca, mostly), and if you were to ask any of the local … Continued
Pat LaFrieda sure gets a lot of press on the East Coast. The celeb butcher has made the rounds on most of the food shows, and his name is used as a calling card of sorts among the country’s finer chefs. But visit any noteworthy restaurant in Chicago, and you’re likely to see the name … Continued
The damp, intermittent showers and muddy lawn couldn’t keep thousands of food and wine lovers away from Millennium Park this weekend. The 4th annual Chicago Gourmet saw its share of top-tier chefs, sommeliers and mixologists all come together in a spirited effort to once again raise the city’s culinary profile. This year, bon appétit magazine … Continued
You could call Matt Lee a coffee geek, and he would be just fine with that. The owner of Manic Coffee in Toronto was seriously tired of seeing the Tim Horton’s chain – along with a lot of other so-called “coffee shops” open up and serve sub-standard beans that had been roasted who-knows-when. So Lee … Continued
With all of the food and wine heavies in town this weekend for Chicago Gourmet, reservations will be about as easy to get as they are during the National Restaurant Show. I’m sure every seat at Next is taken, as their remarkable Thai menu draws to a close at the end of the month. In … Continued
I started blogging as a challenge, really. I knew that I couldn’t simply continue to churn out three or more stories a week for ABC 7 News, and expect to be read/viewed/followed in the new media landscape. As much as I love food reporting for TV and radio, I started noticing that younger bloggers were … Continued
I’ll let the video do all of the explaining here. Hopefully you’ve already seen my “Something You Should Eat” post from earlier today, in order for this to make sense and to fully appreciate it.
Summer might officially begin June 21, but the longest days of the year in Sweden are truly celebrated during the weekend after the solstice – this year, June 24 – 26. The days are incredibly long – the sun barely goes down around midnight – so locals celebrate with lots of schnapps and pickled herring. Revelers … Continued
I’ve been getting a lot of email requests lately, asking how people can throw their own pig roast. I just realized with July 4th weekend ahead, everyone wants to have their own “Pig & Pinot” party like I’ve been doing the past five years. Your prayers are answered today, loyal reader. Just don’t tell my … Continued