When I started this Friday Five, I was thinking I’d just jot down a few of the restaurants I’m still needing to visit. As I started compiling my wishlist, however, it grew until it became more of a collection of culinary treks I’d like to make – and all the restaurants I want to hit during those adventures. Food & Wine’s feature on top ten “life-changing” restaurants didn’t help either.
My five ambitious foodie adventures:
1. Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld, Victoria, Australia. After studying abroad in Australia for a year in college, …

Welcome 2010! Joining a long list of fellow revelers, you might be staring at this column through blurry eyes and dull head pain. Pull yourself together and get thee to one of my picks below to turn that frown upside down. And best wishes for this new year.
1) Portland’s St. Honoré Boulangerie. Celebrating the French Epiphany, the Stumptown bakery is offering a traditional la Galette des Rois, or the Kings’ Cake, a delicious puff pastry is filled with frangipane, a blend of almond and custard cream. The pastry is only available …

Fine, fine, I admit it. I don’t cook. The cookbooks on my shelves are either signed by people I admire or misdirected Christmas gifts from well-meaning folks who didn’t know my true side. I can do the basics – grilled cheese, meatloaf, maybe a pie. I just tend to leave the big stuff to the pros. Does that make me any less of a foodie? I think not.
Tired of giving (or getting) cookbooks? Here are five foodie-flavored gifts on the top of my Christmas list this year.
1) A little bit …

I think the best part of being a food writer are the stories within each restaurant. I like the tales of how the food was developed, grown, retrieved, placed on the plate. How the flavors were picked to highlight ingredients in season or chosen to represent the chef’s hometown. I’m always curious about the décor – what sets the mood, the thought put into chairs, tables, lighting, colors. I like to watch the coordination of the front of the house, from chef to maitre’d to sommelier to server to guest. …

Beer drinkers unite! We’ve entered the holiest of holy holidays for beer drinkers around the world – Oktoberfest! While the main festivities take place in Munich, Germany, there are plenty of other spots around the countryside to get your drink on!
Can’t make it across the pond? Why not trek to any of these five locations to enjoy your yearly beer-a-palooza?
1) Leavenworth Oktoberfest (WA) – I’ve heard great things about this local Oktoberfest. Starting next weekend, they’ll have events for three weekends in a row. Food, drink, music – and a …

Goodbye Summer! I’m leaving you for Fall. Think of all the fun we had together. Look at the big things that happened while you were here!
1) Bruniocalypse! In mid-May, New York Times restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni shocked everyone when it was announced that he would be leaving his post at the paper in order to pursue other activities – namely promoting his book, Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-time Eater. Eater NY declared it a Bruniocalypse and foodies everywhere began to wonder who would take his place. Sam …

Yayhoo! It’s finally fall! As we head into this holiday weekend, I’m thinking football, comfort food, and fabulous upcoming foodie events. This season, I’ll have a chance to talk with some of the best in the industry!
Here are the five food events I’m looking forward to the most:
1) Tomorrow’s “F is for Food” event with Chefs Tom Douglas and Kathleen Flinn. As part of this weekend’s Bumbershoot, Seattle’s major music and arts fest, Kathleen Flinn, author of The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, and chef/restaurateur Tom Douglas will …

I was all set to write a long post about how I just haven’t figured out why so many people are ga-ga about food carts and trucks these days – from having their own to eating at the recommended spots. For some reason, I haven’t been able to wrap my head around anything other than images of old-school New York hot dog carts with questionable food handling practices.
However, I ventured out this week for my first food truck experience, and I can safely say that I was impressed by the …

Today, we’ve rounded up five of our favorite top ten food lists recently published around the web. From French eating to great bars where you can sit back with a stiff drink, enjoy!
1) Ten Great Places to Master The Art of French Eating. The USAToday list includes some of the best French restaurants in the country, from greats like Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud.
2) Top Ten Eco-friendly Wineries. The Huffington Post list is missing a few of our favorite green wineries, namely Parducci and HALL, but if you’re an eco-wine …

Vegas Uncork’d uncorked! Aspen Food & Wine devoured! On to the New York Wine & Food Fest! Arriving again this October, the 2009 New York Wine and Food Festival takes over New York during Columbus Day weekend. Masterminded by South Beach Wine & Food Fest producer Lee Schrager, the NYC festival, now in its second year, features a number of 2008 crowd favorites (Meatball Madness, TimesTalks) as well as a few new top-notch gatherings (Paula Deen’s Down South Up North). The kids aren’t left out either, with the festival offering …

Between my visits to the Aspen Food & Wine Classic and the Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival, I’ve had a chance to taste a lot of wines over the last month.
A few that were really memorable – and highly suggested for your summer menus:
1) Viento 2008 Grüner Veltliner. This marvelous dry wine with grapes from the Underwood Mountain Vineyard, has a fantastic flavor, featuring citrus, apples, and white pepper. Northwest Palate noted the 2007 version as “The best Northwest white wine you’ve never heard of!”
2) Brooks Winery 2007 …

Much like Christmas and Thanksgiving, once July 4th rolls around, it’s a foodie’s heaven. Picnic tables piled high with goodies that can slide you into a food coma in five minutes flat!
Today, we’ve rounded up five of our favorite Fourth of July foods!
1) Hot Dogs. While my two-year-old eats them like they’re going out of style, I don’t officially delve into the hot dog happiness until the 4th arrives. Just in time, our friends at Epicurious were kind enough to roll through a hot dog taste test, so you can …

Here it is – the official wrap up from my Food & Wine Classic weekend extravaganza! I made sure to throw in a few of my favorite photos from the event as well!
My five favorite moments from Aspen:
1) Cooking Demonstrations with Jose Andres. Oh Jose! Such a funny man. The sassy Spaniard brought along his daughter, Carlotta, to assist in the demos, and harassed her about throwing in too much salt. But my favorite moment was an impromptu visit from Chef Ming Tsai, where Jose commented, “You give a man …

Father’s Day is upon us once again! Time to give thanks for those special Dads in our lives. As with every Hallmark holiday, though, remember Father’s Day should be every day – not just one day a year.
Today, we’re listing our five favorite foodie fathers – Dads who are proactive  foodies and fathers!
1) Rick Bayless. I’ve only recently started to follow Rick on Twitter, but I’m impressed with the amount of time he still spends with his family, even while he’s busy winning – OOPS! – competing on TV or …

This week, we’re offering up five food blogs we love reading here at Daily Blender. Lots of good reading all around!
1) RealFoodMedia.com : This site is really a collection of great food blogs, all focusing on organics and sustainability. Be sure to check out their Real Food Wednesday Blog Carnivals as well, with links to other great green blog posts around the web.
2) Good Stuff NW : This is one of my new favorites. Kathleen features info on food stuffs and happenings across the Pacific Northwest, including local markets, gardens, …