Aspen, CO – For the 29th year, Food & Wine Magazine held its summer camp for the food elite in the Rocky Mountains this past weekend. The event brings together tastemakers, chefs and a ton of wine and spirits producers, but it also serves as a launching pad for the July issue, which features 11 of … Continued
It was definitely a filling weekend, and it all started on Saturday, at Sun Wah BBQ. After reading about the Cheng family in the New York Times last Wednesday, I kicked myself for not having been in for awhile; knowing we were going to be in Uptown on Saturday, I made a reservation for … Continued
Every week or so, samples of new products come across my desk. Sometimes, they’re industrially-processed garbage dressed-up in a fancy, expensive package. Other times, they’re tiny start-ups, introducing me to products I would have never normally seen (thank you, Salted Caramel, for your Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn sample). Last week, Ciao Bella’s PR agency … Continued
I have to be honest, I didn’t even know Slovenia had a wine industry, let alone one of the oldest in the world. I do know the folks at Lush Wine & Spirits are big on Slovenian wines right now (GM Rachel Driver just recommended one from the producer Movia for my ABC segment … Continued
Sam Kass is as busy as ever these days. The former Avec cook is still working as the Assistant Chef in the White House, but he’s also a senior policy advisor on healthy food initiatives. Part of that means he’s actively involved in the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign, getting kids to think more … Continued
Every year, the third week of May brings with it some predictable events in Chicago. There’s Craft Beer Week, of course, but there’s also the scrum to try to get a restaurant reservation in this city when there’s an extra 100,000 or so food lovers in town for the National Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. But this year, there … Continued
I think the slingshot threw me for a loop. When the Old Fashioned was placed on our table at theAviary – Grant Achatz’s and Nick Kokonos’ new cocktail lounge/lab in Fulton Market – it looked like a giant ice egg, filled with brown liquid. But when our server summarily placed her hand over the glass … Continued
My dinner last night at Next was a beautiful progression of Escoffier era dining: from the magical hors d’oeuvres served on an elegant silver tray, all the way through the 9th course – a luscious bombe ceylan filled with coffee and vanilla rum ice cream encased in chocolate. But one of the most dramatic (and … Continued
As you may know by now, I was in London earlier this week attending the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards ceremony. While I was there, I tried to make the most of my extremely short trip. I had lunch at an amazing regional Indian restaurant – Veeraswamy (no relation to Veerasway in Chicago) – the oldest … Continued
I was in London for 48 hours earlier this week, attending the San Pellegrino “World’s 50 Best” Awards held Monday night. As one of the 27 Regional Academy Chairs (I oversee Canada/Mid-USA), I’m charged with finding 30 judges each year, which must be broken up equally among journalists, chefs/restaurateurs and gastronauts/world travelers. Another rule is … Continued
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants today named Alinea number six- making it the highest ranked restaurant in North America. I was in London for the announcement and spoke with Alinea chef Grant Achatz about what it takes to produce at this level, how it feels to surpass his mentor Thomas Keller and what the secret … Continued