Category: restaurant review

review: pasta primacy…

Though we feasted for five hours at ubuntu, my buddy Aaron and I decided to keep our 9:30 p.m. dinner reservation. Chef Michael Tusk first appeared on my radar six years ago when he opened Quince. Since, the restaurant has quickly climbed the ladder of culinary esteem in San Francisco and beyond, its local cult […]

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review: pasta primacy…

Though we feasted for five hours at ubuntu, my buddy Aaron and I decided to keep our 9:30 p.m. dinner reservation. Chef Michael Tusk first appeared on my radar six years ago when he opened Quince. Since, the restaurant has quickly climbed the ladder of culinary esteem in San Francisco and beyond, its local cult […]

Continue

review: multi-nippled…

2nd Course: La Tomate Joël Robuchon at The Mansion Las Vegas, Nevada Get your mind out of the gutter.  This is a family show. It’s a metaphor, silly, for the manifold outlets from which the dining elite can suckle Joël Robuchon’s genius. Or, in the case of a clear tomato consommé gelatin dotted with mozzarella, […]

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review: multi-nippled…

2nd Course: La Tomate Joël Robuchon at The Mansion Las Vegas, Nevada Get your mind out of the gutter.  This is a family show. It’s a metaphor, silly, for the manifold outlets from which the dining elite can suckle Joël Robuchon’s genius. Or, in the case of a clear tomato consommé gelatin dotted with mozzarella, […]

Continue

travel: lost wages…

Trevi Fountain Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace The temperature had already reached 90 degrees when I headed out for my run at 6:30 a.m. In a three-mile stretch, I passed the Doge’s palace, the Bridge of Sighs, the Rialto Bridge, the Trevi Fountain, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire […]

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travel: lost wages…

Trevi Fountain Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace The temperature had already reached 90 degrees when I headed out for my run at 6:30 a.m. In a three-mile stretch, I passed the Doge’s palace, the Bridge of Sighs, the Rialto Bridge, the Trevi Fountain, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire […]

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eleventh hour elevation?…

Macarons Eleven Madison Park, New York Ms. Toidy Toid and Toid emailed me yesterday with a link to this post on Eater. The culinary cyber-tabloid reports – based on tips from trusted sources – that Frank Bruni, the outgoing restaurant critic of the New York Times, has been recently spotted circling back to Eleven Madison […]

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eleventh hour elevation?…

Macarons Eleven Madison Park, New York Ms. Toidy Toid and Toid emailed me yesterday with a link to this post on Eater. The culinary cyber-tabloid reports – based on tips from trusted sources – that Frank Bruni, the outgoing restaurant critic of the New York Times, has been recently spotted circling back to Eleven Madison […]

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review: through the looking glass..

Blanc de Turbot Ledoyen, Paris, France From the first time I read about it years ago to the very last crumb of my meal there in December of 2008, Pavillon Ledoyen has struck me as a curiously magical place. Like Wonderland, the unassuming Michelin three-star restaurant seems to defy many odds and good senses. Nothing […]

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review: through the looking glass..

Blanc de Turbot Ledoyen, Paris, France From the first time I read about it years ago to the very last crumb of my meal there in December of 2008, Pavillon Ledoyen has struck me as a curiously magical place. Like Wonderland, the unassuming Michelin three-star restaurant seems to defy many odds and good senses. Nothing […]

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review: king of the hill…

Sea Bream Manresa, Los Gatos, California Three years ago, I stumbled upon greatness. Manresa opened a chapter to an era and a process. Last month, I returned and found that process not only undisturbed, but evolved, advanced, and flourishing within its own world. It was great to return to the place where so much for […]

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review: king of the hill…

Sea Bream Manresa, Los Gatos, California Three years ago, I stumbled upon greatness. Manresa opened a chapter to an era and a process. Last month, I returned and found that process not only undisturbed, but evolved, advanced, and flourishing within its own world. It was great to return to the place where so much for […]

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review: the united colors of napa…

the SPRING FLOWER POT ubuntu, Napa, California Every now and then, a restaurant experience up-ends my life in the best possible way. My meal at ubuntu is the latest to join that short list of memorable meals. Undeniably, ubuntu is a vegetarian restaurant. People seem to make sure that’s the first thing you know about […]

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review: the united colors of napa…

the SPRING FLOWER POT ubuntu, Napa, California Every now and then, a restaurant experience up-ends my life in the best possible way. My meal at ubuntu is the latest to join that short list of memorable meals. Undeniably, ubuntu is a vegetarian restaurant. People seem to make sure that’s the first thing you know about […]

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review: diva in white mourning…

masa New York, New York Of masa, the once-most expensive restaurant in the U.S., the few I know who have eaten there have said: save your money and go to Japan instead. Having (finally) eaten at masa, I can’t say I would disagree with that advice. This tiny temple of Japanese gastronomy was the talk […]

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review: diva in white mourning…

masa New York, New York Of masa, the once-most expensive restaurant in the U.S., the few I know who have eaten there have said: save your money and go to Japan instead. Having (finally) eaten at masa, I can’t say I would disagree with that advice. This tiny temple of Japanese gastronomy was the talk […]

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review: underwater kaleidoscope…

The John Dory New York, New York If I were to have twittered about my dinner at The John Dory in early May, I would have allotted my 140 letters thusly: “Top product. Pricey. Bold. Pricey. Italy-on-Thames meets aquatic Antique Roadshow. Pricey. Easy service. Pricey. Great music. Pricey. Neon.” Due to “storms in the New […]

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review: underwater kaleidoscope…

The John Dory New York, New York If I were to have twittered about my dinner at The John Dory in early May, I would have allotted my 140 letters thusly: “Top product. Pricey. Bold. Pricey. Italy-on-Thames meets aquatic Antique Roadshow. Pricey. Easy service. Pricey. Great music. Pricey. Neon.” Due to “storms in the New […]

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review: la bohème…

Coquilles Saint-Jacques d’Erquy a l’Unilaterale” l’Arpege, Paris, France Unlike its brethren, l’Arpege does not cosset and caress. Like the food it’s known for, this three-star Michelin restaurant is more hearth and home than retrofitted palace. It’s surprisingly Spartan, awkwardly configured, and a bit dated.  It’s mostly red (carpet; upholstery; and strange, sombrero-like chargers) with honey-colored, […]

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review: la bohème…

Coquilles Saint-Jacques d’Erquy a l’Unilaterale” l’Arpege, Paris, France Unlike its brethren, l’Arpege does not cosset and caress. Like the food it’s known for, this three-star Michelin restaurant is more hearth and home than retrofitted palace. It’s surprisingly Spartan, awkwardly configured, and a bit dated.  It’s mostly red (carpet; upholstery; and strange, sombrero-like chargers) with honey-colored, […]

Continue