Destination: New York City

best dishes of 2010…

It’s that time of year again when I shock myself into making new year resolutions by taking a look back at all of the food I ate in the last twelve months. Over the past few weeks, I’ve revisited hundreds of dishes and, through some mysterious and highly subjective process that involves memory and mood, […]

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best dishes of 2010…

It’s that time of year again when I shock myself into making new year resolutions by taking a look back at all of the food I ate in the last twelve months. Over the past few weeks, I’ve revisited hundreds of dishes and, through some mysterious and highly subjective process that involves memory and mood, […]

Continue

review: it kills me…

La Grenouille, New York I can imagine Holden Caulfield eating at la Grenouille as an adult, his gawkishly tall frame folded into the tiny back corner banquette – back near the kitchen door. His internal soundtrack would register a complaint about being seated back there, back where no one cares. If he weren’t so yellow, […]

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review: it kills me…

La Grenouille, New York I can imagine Holden Caulfield eating at la Grenouille as an adult, his gawkishly tall frame folded into the tiny back corner banquette – back near the kitchen door. His internal soundtrack would register a complaint about being seated back there, back where no one cares. If he weren’t so yellow, […]

Continue

review: high thread count…

Jean Georges, New York There are few places in the world I’d rather be than at Jean Georges. And I’m not saying that just because I’m treated well there. (And really, who isn’t?) I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I arrived for lunch with six dear friends.  We were there to […]

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review: high thread count…

Jean Georges, New York There are few places in the world I’d rather be than at Jean Georges. And I’m not saying that just because I’m treated well there. (And really, who isn’t?) I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I arrived for lunch with six dear friends.  We were there to […]

Continue

review: his peachness…

má pêche New York, New York I was supposed to have lunch at Alto. But I gotta tell you, the lunch menu at Alto looked really ho-hum. So I had lunch at má pêche instead. Besides, I wanted to see my friend Aaron, who’s a server there. If we’ve learned nothing else, it’s that David […]

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review: his peachness…

má pêche New York, New York I was supposed to have lunch at Alto. But I gotta tell you, the lunch menu at Alto looked really ho-hum. So I had lunch at má pêche instead. Besides, I wanted to see my friend Aaron, who’s a server there. If we’ve learned nothing else, it’s that David […]

Continue

best of 2009, the restaurant edition…

Corton New York, New York The course of any meal unfolds in a highly personal and circumstantial way.  Evaluating any restaurant experience devoid of personal context (e.g. company, mood, and personal preferences) is an impossible task. Though I like think that I can be scrupulously objective, I know that emotion trumps reason, personal preferences cloud […]

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best of 2009, the restaurant edition…

Corton New York, New York The course of any meal unfolds in a highly personal and circumstantial way.  Evaluating any restaurant experience devoid of personal context (e.g. company, mood, and personal preferences) is an impossible task. Though I like think that I can be scrupulously objective, I know that emotion trumps reason, personal preferences cloud […]

Continue

best dishes of 2009…

Petales de Melon Confit Pierre, Hong Kong 2009 arrived on the heels of an incomparable eating tour of London, Paris, and beyond.  I can’t believe a year has gone by since I stuffed myself silly with macarons, cheese, bread, butter, and truffles. As memorable and impressive as my eating itinerary was last year, I can’t […]

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best dishes of 2009…

Petales de Melon Confit Pierre, Hong Kong 2009 arrived on the heels of an incomparable eating tour of London, Paris, and beyond.  I can’t believe a year has gone by since I stuffed myself silly with macarons, cheese, bread, butter, and truffles. As memorable and impressive as my eating itinerary was last year, I can’t […]

Continue

review: constant, steady, ever-faithful…

Salmon-Caviar Le Bernardin, New York I don’t take my birthday too seriously.  All I ask for is a very good meal (or a few) shared with good friends. For the past few years, I’ve made it a point to celebrate my birthday away from home.  I’ve had a strong bias for New York, which has […]

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review: constant, steady, ever-faithful…

Salmon-Caviar Le Bernardin, New York I don’t take my birthday too seriously.  All I ask for is a very good meal (or a few) shared with good friends. For the past few years, I’ve made it a point to celebrate my birthday away from home.  I’ve had a strong bias for New York, which has […]

Continue

best of 2008, the restaurant edition…

Milk Chocolate Tree Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road Boy, people sure do love lists. Since publishing the “best dishes of 2008,” I’ve received numerous emails inquiring about my best restaurant meals of 2008. As I said in that post, this year I have been blessed with many very good meals. But a few float to […]

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best of 2008, the restaurant edition…

Milk Chocolate Tree Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road Boy, people sure do love lists. Since publishing the “best dishes of 2008,” I’ve received numerous emails inquiring about my best restaurant meals of 2008. As I said in that post, this year I have been blessed with many very good meals. But a few float to […]

Continue

best dishes of 2008…

Softball-Size White Truffle l’Ambroisie, Paris, France Gastronomic self one-upsmanship was not my intention when 2008 began. But it happened quite unexpectedly. For the past three years, I’ve recapped the top 25 dishes in a year-end review (click here for 2005, here for 2006, and here for 2007). Annually, I announce with certainty that my lucky […]

Continue

best dishes of 2008…

Softball-Size White Truffle l’Ambroisie, Paris, France Gastronomic self one-upsmanship was not my intention when 2008 began. But it happened quite unexpectedly. For the past three years, I’ve recapped the top 25 dishes in a year-end review (click here for 2005, here for 2006, and here for 2007). Annually, I announce with certainty that my lucky […]

Continue

review: class act…

Salmon Cornets per se, New York I bet you know what this picture heralds. Was it was transcendent? No. Was it life-altering? No. But, everything was technically flawless, which is more than I can say for my previous meals at both per se, which I visited in 2006 and The French Laundry, which I visited […]

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review: class act…

Salmon Cornets per se, New York I bet you know what this picture heralds. Was it was transcendent? No. Was it life-altering? No. But, everything was technically flawless, which is more than I can say for my previous meals at both per se, which I visited in 2006 and The French Laundry, which I visited […]

Continue