Month: November 2011

what else was on the menu 4: l2o (july, 2008)

What else was on the menu? I ate at L2O in July of 2008, a few months after it opened.  At the time Laurent Gras was the chef.  My friends and I had the tasting menu. From the “Warm” portion of the á la carte menu, I found this dish intriguing: Octopus, Coconut, Sea Bean, […]

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what else was on the menu 4: l2o (july, 2008)

What else was on the menu? I ate at L2O in July of 2008, a few months after it opened.  At the time Laurent Gras was the chef.  My friends and I had the tasting menu. From the “Warm” portion of the á la carte menu, I found this dish intriguing: Octopus, Coconut, Sea Bean, […]

Continue

review: holism… (saison)

“Old-ass pigeon.” Those are Josh Skene’s words, not mine. In a spirited email exchange that ensued after my meal at his restaurant, saison, that’s how he lovingly referred to the twelfth of sixteen courses I had at his Chef’s Counter. Skenes had salted the cavity of one of the birds. The other one, he left […]

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review: holism… (saison)

“Old-ass pigeon.” Those are Josh Skene’s words, not mine. In a spirited email exchange that ensued after my meal at his restaurant, saison, that’s how he lovingly referred to the twelfth of sixteen courses I had at his Chef’s Counter. Skenes had salted the cavity of one of the birds. The other one, he left […]

Continue

what else was on the menu 3: oud sluis (november, 2005)

What else was on the menu? Sergio Herman’s Oud Sluis was rising quickly among the food cognescenti when I ate there in November of 2005.  I had a simple but spectacular meal and wasn’t surprised when it was promoted from two to three stars by the Benelux Michelin Guide Rouge a week later. From the “Hoofgerechten” […]

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what else was on the menu 3: oud sluis (november, 2005)

What else was on the menu? Sergio Herman’s Oud Sluis was rising quickly among the food cognescenti when I ate there in November of 2005.  I had a simple but spectacular meal and wasn’t surprised when it was promoted from two to three stars by the Benelux Michelin Guide Rouge a week later. From the “Hoofgerechten” […]

Continue

rumination 16: proscenium…

What sounds like a fluff class, “Indian National Cinema,” was, in fact, one of the most challenging and rewarding courses I took as a film student in college. The attrition rate was high, the grading curve was steep, but I stuck it out and was rewarded with one, important kernel that I’ve carried with me […]

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rumination 16: proscenium…

What sounds like a fluff class, “Indian National Cinema,” was, in fact, one of the most challenging and rewarding courses I took as a film student in college. The attrition rate was high, the grading curve was steep, but I stuck it out and was rewarded with one, important kernel that I’ve carried with me […]

Continue

what else was on the menu 2: george v (october, 2005)

What else was on the menu? The first time I ate at George V (“le Cinq”) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Paris, Philippe Legendre was the chef.  At the time, the restaurant held three Michelin stars.  If you read what I wrote about it, you’ll see why I wasn’t surprised it lost a star […]

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what else was on the menu 2: george v (october, 2005)

What else was on the menu? The first time I ate at George V (“le Cinq”) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Paris, Philippe Legendre was the chef.  At the time, the restaurant held three Michelin stars.  If you read what I wrote about it, you’ll see why I wasn’t surprised it lost a star […]

Continue

what else was on the menu 1: patrick guilbaud (october, 2005)

What else was on the menu? From the menu at Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin, Ireland in October of 2005, a “Starter” course: Crubeen & Mustard Traditional Cork City Crubeen served as Carpaccio, Smoked “Andouille” and Coco Bean Dressing, Fine Herbs, Meaux Mustard Ice Cream (€35)

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what else was on the menu 1: patrick guilbaud (october, 2005)

What else was on the menu? From the menu at Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin, Ireland in October of 2005, a “Starter” course: Crubeen & Mustard Traditional Cork City Crubeen served as Carpaccio, Smoked “Andouille” and Coco Bean Dressing, Fine Herbs, Meaux Mustard Ice Cream (€35)

Continue

travel: southern, by the grace of god…

If you’ve been to the South and didn’t leave smelling like bourbon and barbecue, then you had best go back and do it right. The scene of the last chapter of this most amazing year of travel and eating for me was set among the palmettos and live oaks of the Lowcountry. On 20,000-acres of […]

Continue

travel: southern, by the grace of god…

If you’ve been to the South and didn’t leave smelling like bourbon and barbecue, then you had best go back and do it right. The scene of the last chapter of this most amazing year of travel and eating for me was set among the palmettos and live oaks of the Lowcountry. On 20,000-acres of […]

Continue

review: context… (osteria francescana)

Someone with grand wit once quipped that the problem with dining on the cutting edge is that you’re oft left bleeding. How true. It grieves me to report that my dinner at Osteria Francescana, perhaps one of the most spotlit restaurants in the world right now, was disappointing.

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review: context… (osteria francescana)

Someone with grand wit once quipped that the problem with dining on the cutting edge is that you’re oft left bleeding. How true. It grieves me to report that my dinner at Osteria Francescana, perhaps one of the most spotlit restaurants in the world right now, was disappointing.

Continue

travel: camera vivid…

– As an American living in a privileged bubble, it’s hard to know the rawness of life outside, even when I witness it first-hand. I recently took a photography assignment in Honduras.  The last time I was in that country was in 1999, right after Hurricane Mitch had devastated the region. Perhaps a bit naive, […]

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travel: camera vivid…

– As an American living in a privileged bubble, it’s hard to know the rawness of life outside, even when I witness it first-hand. I recently took a photography assignment in Honduras.  The last time I was in that country was in 1999, right after Hurricane Mitch had devastated the region. Perhaps a bit naive, […]

Continue

dinner: collaboration…

The last time I pushed back from the table at a collaboration dinner, I vowed I’d never attend another. They’re just so tricky.  You take a group of random chefs, put them in a random kitchen with random cooks, all of them trying to orchestrate their random plates of food, and, somehow, it’s supposed to […]

Continue

dinner: collaboration…

The last time I pushed back from the table at a collaboration dinner, I vowed I’d never attend another. They’re just so tricky.  You take a group of random chefs, put them in a random kitchen with random cooks, all of them trying to orchestrate their random plates of food, and, somehow, it’s supposed to […]

Continue