favorites of 2021: the restaurant edition…
For many, especially in the hospitality industry, 2021 was like drinking out of a firehose, wasn’t it? As pandemic restrictions lifted, it became quickly apparent that the pent up demand for travel and dining far exceeded expectations. The world didn’t just reopen, it busted open. Yet, whatever relief that eager spending might have brought was […]
For many, especially in the hospitality industry, 2021 was like drinking out of a firehose, wasn’t it? As pandemic restrictions lifted, it became quickly apparent that the pent up demand for travel and dining far exceeded expectations. The world didn’t just reopen, it busted open. Yet, whatever relief that eager spending might have brought was […]
favorite desserts of 2021…
Alexandra Motz’s spumoni with chocolate sauce at Spoon and Stable; a fluffy wedge of panettone in the afternoon sun at Lo Pichotôme; plump prunes soaked in armagnac, crowned with a giant curl of vanilla ice cream at Salon. There was a swirl of strawberry soft serve wearing a mantle of whipped cream at Esmée. It […]
Alexandra Motz’s spumoni with chocolate sauce at Spoon and Stable; a fluffy wedge of panettone in the afternoon sun at Lo Pichotôme; plump prunes soaked in armagnac, crowned with a giant curl of vanilla ice cream at Salon. There was a swirl of strawberry soft serve wearing a mantle of whipped cream at Esmée. It […]
favorite dishes of 2021…
After nearly a year of eating at home during the pandemic, I was eager to get out and gobble up 2021. Thankfully, I found cooking alive and well in the re-opening world. I returned to some of my favorite places for my favorite things. So, you’ll find a few familiar names on this year’s list […]
After nearly a year of eating at home during the pandemic, I was eager to get out and gobble up 2021. Thankfully, I found cooking alive and well in the re-opening world. I returned to some of my favorite places for my favorite things. So, you’ll find a few familiar names on this year’s list […]
travel: reunions on the road… (2021)
If 2020 imparted any wisdom, it was a searing reminder not to sleep on opportunities when they present. Left behind, they can fester into regret, especially during dark times, when the opportunities that were seized can glitter, by comparison, in dazzling relief. So, as the scales started tipping towards a reopening in 2021, I leapt […]
If 2020 imparted any wisdom, it was a searing reminder not to sleep on opportunities when they present. Left behind, they can fester into regret, especially during dark times, when the opportunities that were seized can glitter, by comparison, in dazzling relief. So, as the scales started tipping towards a reopening in 2021, I leapt […]
favorites of 2020: the restaurant edition…
There were no days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, which tragically burned in the Napa Glass Fire in October; no late night oyster roasts at Palmetto Bluff in November. Both had been annual fixtures on my calendar for a decade. Gavin Kaysen’s long-awaited revival of the Synergy Series at Spoon & Stable in […]
There were no days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood, which tragically burned in the Napa Glass Fire in October; no late night oyster roasts at Palmetto Bluff in November. Both had been annual fixtures on my calendar for a decade. Gavin Kaysen’s long-awaited revival of the Synergy Series at Spoon & Stable in […]
favorite desserts of 2020…
Nostalgia, I have realized, narrows the dessert lane for me more than any other on a menu. After a decade of indulging (indeed, suffering through) journeys into the absurd – over-plated, over-garnished, and just, plain weird – I have been conditioned to approach the end of a meal with a skepticism that often aspires towards […]
Nostalgia, I have realized, narrows the dessert lane for me more than any other on a menu. After a decade of indulging (indeed, suffering through) journeys into the absurd – over-plated, over-garnished, and just, plain weird – I have been conditioned to approach the end of a meal with a skepticism that often aspires towards […]
favorite dishes of 2020…
I covered a considerable amount of ground in the two, short months that I traveled in 2020. Yet, despite experiencing a wide range of restaurants, old and new, it was the familiar that still impressed me the most. In fact, most of my favorite dishes from 2020 were ones that have appeared on this annual […]
I covered a considerable amount of ground in the two, short months that I traveled in 2020. Yet, despite experiencing a wide range of restaurants, old and new, it was the familiar that still impressed me the most. In fact, most of my favorite dishes from 2020 were ones that have appeared on this annual […]
travel: grounded… (2020)
– This post is terribly tardy, largely due to a rapid resumption of life after a year arrested by a pandemic. The fair winds of 2019 sent me sailing confidently into 2020. Even before the calendar turned, the new year was already brimming with work and travel. There were new partnerships and exciting prospects shimmering […]
– This post is terribly tardy, largely due to a rapid resumption of life after a year arrested by a pandemic. The fair winds of 2019 sent me sailing confidently into 2020. Even before the calendar turned, the new year was already brimming with work and travel. There were new partnerships and exciting prospects shimmering […]
favorites of 2019: the restaurant edition…
A tangle of claws cascading from scalloped rims brimming with ice and seafood. A shoulder of goat with crispy skin and tender meat melting off the bone. Glistening turbot, straight off the coals, and trolleys laden with all manner of goodies, from sweets to cheeses. These are just a few of the incredible scenes I […]
A tangle of claws cascading from scalloped rims brimming with ice and seafood. A shoulder of goat with crispy skin and tender meat melting off the bone. Glistening turbot, straight off the coals, and trolleys laden with all manner of goodies, from sweets to cheeses. These are just a few of the incredible scenes I […]
favorites of 2018: the restaurant edition…
– Last year, I got pretty worked up about an insultingly bad meal I had in 2017. This year I have no barns to burn; only good news to share.
– Last year, I got pretty worked up about an insultingly bad meal I had in 2017. This year I have no barns to burn; only good news to share.