12 days: pipers piping (anderson and habiger)…

~ On the eleventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Erik Anderson and Josh Habiger, the duo who took Nashville, and the country by storm this past year with their cleverly named restaurant, The Catbird Seat.  In one, short year, the two chefs received an […]

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12 days: pipers piping (anderson and habiger)…

~ On the eleventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Erik Anderson and Josh Habiger, the duo who took Nashville, and the country by storm this past year with their cleverly named restaurant, The Catbird Seat.  In one, short year, the two chefs received an […]

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12 days: lords a-leaping (toutain)…

~ On the tenth of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me David Toutain, the french chef who made l’Agapé Substance in Paris famous in a very short amount of time.  Named the Revelación del Año at the recent Gastronomika conference in San Sebastian, Spain, Toutain has […]

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12 days: lords a-leaping (toutain)…

~ On the tenth of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me David Toutain, the french chef who made l’Agapé Substance in Paris famous in a very short amount of time.  Named the Revelación del Año at the recent Gastronomika conference in San Sebastian, Spain, Toutain has […]

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12 days: maids a-milking (syhabout)…

~ On the eighth of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me James Syhabout, chef of the one Michelin-starred restaurant commis in Oakland, California. At a question-and-answer session at the Culinary Institute of America, Syhabout told students about his upbringing as a child of two refugee immigrants.  His […]

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12 days: maids a-milking (syhabout)…

~ On the eighth of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me James Syhabout, chef of the one Michelin-starred restaurant commis in Oakland, California. At a question-and-answer session at the Culinary Institute of America, Syhabout told students about his upbringing as a child of two refugee immigrants.  His […]

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12 days: swans a-swimming (onodera)…

~ On the seventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Morihiro Onodera. Earlier this year, when Kostow sent me the finalized list of guest chefs for this dinner series, Onodera’s was the only name on the roster that I did not know.  So, in the […]

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12 days: swans a-swimming (onodera)…

~ On the seventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Morihiro Onodera. Earlier this year, when Kostow sent me the finalized list of guest chefs for this dinner series, Onodera’s was the only name on the roster that I did not know.  So, in the […]

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12 days: golden rings (franey)…

~ On the fifth of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Jason Franey of the storied restaurant Canlis in Seattle. Kostow and Franey first met in the kitchen at Campton Place in San Francisco, where both cooked under then-executive chef Daniel Humm.  Franey moved on with […]

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12 days: golden rings (franey)…

~ On the fifth of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Jason Franey of the storied restaurant Canlis in Seattle. Kostow and Franey first met in the kitchen at Campton Place in San Francisco, where both cooked under then-executive chef Daniel Humm.  Franey moved on with […]

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12 days: colly birds (brioza and krasinski)…

~ On the fourth of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, the second husband and wife team to cook at this year’s event. At a question and answer session at the Culinary Institute of […]

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12 days: colly birds (brioza and krasinski)…

~ On the fourth of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, the second husband and wife team to cook at this year’s event. At a question and answer session at the Culinary Institute of […]

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12 days: french hens (foss)…

~ On the third of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Phillip Foss of the restaurant ELideas in Chicago. When Phillip Foss left Chicago to come to St. Helena for the event, his ten-seat restaurant (which only serves one-seating each night), was under renovation.  When he […]

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12 days: french hens (foss)…

~ On the third of the Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Phillip Foss of the restaurant ELideas in Chicago. When Phillip Foss left Chicago to come to St. Helena for the event, his ten-seat restaurant (which only serves one-seating each night), was under renovation.  When he […]

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12 days: turtle doves (shields)…

~ On the second day of the Twelve Days of Christmas at the Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me two turtle doves, one named John, the other, Karen. Husband and wife, John and Karen share the last name Shields.  Not only are they two of the most exciting and forward-thinking chefs in America […]

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12 days: turtle doves (shields)…

~ On the second day of the Twelve Days of Christmas at the Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me two turtle doves, one named John, the other, Karen. Husband and wife, John and Karen share the last name Shields.  Not only are they two of the most exciting and forward-thinking chefs in America […]

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12 days: partridge in a pear tree (anderson)…

~ On the first day of the Twelve Days of Christmas at the Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Scott Anderson from the restaurant elements in Princeton, New Jersey. Our day started early and ended late, especially for Kostow, who boarded a plane in New York yesterday morning after cooking at the Bon […]

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12 days: partridge in a pear tree (anderson)…

~ On the first day of the Twelve Days of Christmas at the Restaurant at Meadowood, Christopher Kostow gave to me Scott Anderson from the restaurant elements in Princeton, New Jersey. Our day started early and ended late, especially for Kostow, who boarded a plane in New York yesterday morning after cooking at the Bon […]

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foreign and domestic…

~ Last year, I quit the firm and lept into a brave new world.  Landing, unexpectedly, in an amazing suitcase party, I traveled, photographed, and ate around the globe, visiting nearly a dozen countries, and just as many states.  I thought I’d never have a year like it again. I was wrong. 2012 has been just as […]

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foreign and domestic…

~ Last year, I quit the firm and lept into a brave new world.  Landing, unexpectedly, in an amazing suitcase party, I traveled, photographed, and ate around the globe, visiting nearly a dozen countries, and just as many states.  I thought I’d never have a year like it again. I was wrong. 2012 has been just as […]

Continue