One of my favorite cities in the world is getting ready to eat and drink like never before. The 13th annual Dine Out Vancouver Festival is taking place over the last two weeks of January, and this year more than ever, the city’s vast arsenal of restaurants and artisans are pulling out all the stops. In addition to … Continued
Chef Normand Laprise is a local treasure. Think Trotter, Boulud, Keller and Waters all rolled into one, but with a very distinctive French Canadian accent. He comes from the old school approach, nurturing his young chefs to go on to greatness (see Martin Picard at Au Pied de Cochon), and his menus feature produce and … Continued
Located in Miraflores, El Mercado is chef Rafael Osterling’s lively, upbeat cebicheria where there’s so much more than just citrus-soaked fresh fish. Reminding me of La Mar, just down the road, start off with a maracuya (passionfruit) pisco sour, then jump into one of the half-dozen ceviches, all kissed with fresh lime, served with giant … Continued
So many doughnuts in Chicago, so little time (and calorie allotment) to eat them all. On the South Side, there’s no questioning the supremacy of Dat Donut or Old Fashioned Donuts, but on the North Side, the undisputed champion has to be The Doughnut Vault. I’ve been warming to Stan’s over the past few months, … Continued
Located just an hour outside of Louisville, the historic Buffalo Trace Distillery offers several tours (from historical landmark to ghost tours), tastings of their finely crafted bourbon, and a well-stocked gift shop. Great for bourbon lovers and history buffs, Buffalo Trace is a rare example of a distillery which operated before, during, and after Prohibition. … Continued
Creative, seasonally-driven menu in the coolest part of town, directly across street from Copper & Kings Distillery (also worth a tour and visit). Great mint juleps but even better cured meats and vegetable-heavy menu. Butchertown Grocery 1076 E. Washington St., Louisville, KY 40206; (502) 5742-8315
What Brooklyn is to New York City, Shoreditch is certainly the same to London. Located on the Eastern side of the city, this area is full of cool shops and restaurants, including The Clove Club, located in the old Shoreditch Town Hall. The menu is pretty casual, and so is the crowd. Expect wild game … Continued
So much for Chicago being a pizza and Italian beef kind of town. I had no idea last week’s post about my Top 5 Fried Chickens would stir such a passionate discourse. With more than 40,000 views from my Facebook page alone, all of the sudden interest crashed my website briefly the next morning. As … Continued
Power breakfast. Power lunch. Impress your out-of-town friends with a bold call for brunch. You will, admittedly, be dining with a fair amount of tourists, (you are, after all, next to The Ritz, along busy Piccadilly near the Green Park Tube stop). Dinner was less impressive, so stick to daytime excursions here, and try not … Continued
I don’t usually get excited about Italian food in London, but Bocca is in such a great neighborhood, near several Tube stops (Leicester Square is closest), there’s a good chance you’ll be in the area. One of my other favorites – Barrafina – is just a few blocks away. Sit at the enormous counter and … Continued
Lauded as one of Esquire magazine’s Best New Restaurants, Proof on Main in downtown Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel serves up locally-sourced, contemporary southern fare in a chic, artistic setting. Feel free to roam around the lobby/gallery, open 24 hrs. to the public; stop into the restaurant for a fantastic Old Fashioned, and some seriously intense, southern-inflected … Continued