Oh, how I wish I could make it to every luxurious food, wine, and spirits event there is. Flying to and fro – Europe, Asia, Australia – eating, traveling, writing. It took Bourdain a few years to finally get to that point, and it’ll take me a few years to get to that point, too, so until then, I’ll just wrap up pleasant little posts on my favorites so that the rest of you can imbibe and gallivant to your heart’s content. Or at least dream about it with me.
We …

You know that I’ve been keeping tabs on the ongoing development of the famed Tavern on the Green over the past few years, first as it went through a change of hands and then ultimately as it fell to bankruptcy. After all, the restaurant, after nearly a decade in business, had become a staple in the Big Apple’s grandiose history. The latest on the New York icon, however, involves something a bit… unusual. While the last we heard, the location, nestled in the city’s Central Park, was going the way …

The latest issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller features a review on chef Gordon Ramsay’s first Australian location, which is surprisingly two restaurant concepts in one spot. With a development price tag of nearly $300 million, Ramsay’s maze and maze grill opened in Melbourne in mid-April to mixed reviews.
According to the GT article, maze, the more formal of the two dining rooms, delivers dishes that are “all about exact cooking, clean flavours and precise presentation”, with Australian favorites making their way to the menu.
The Aussie flag is raised over dessert with …

A hat tip to Eater for snagging the video of chef David Chang’s visit to the Late Show with David Letterman last night. The chef talks about his foray into the food world, noting that his father, already in the business, wasn’t too thrilled when Chang announced his culinary career plans.
“It’s weird because he wanted me to do better in school, and this is where I ended up for not doing better in school.”
Trying to pay attention while Chang explains the art of cooking mussels and the beauty of ramps, …

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, …

I was a bit surprised when Las Vegas sommelier William Sherer mentioned how difficult it is to get Australian and New Zealand wines on his wine list. In the dining room of a bonafide white tablecloth restaurant serving decadent foie gras and champagne, you’d think most wine and spirits distributors would be clamoring to have their beverages poured. Not so, says the wine director of Charlie Palmer’s Aurole.
“For some reason, they don’t want their wines in Vegas,” Sherer explained.
My fellow guests and I wondered if perhaps the vision of the …

Ever curious why the waiter seats you by the bathroom in an empty dining room? Revered restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni posted a bit yesterday on the mystery of receiving a bad table in a nearly deserted restaurant. While the inquiring customer seemed baffled by the mis-seating, Bruni notes that it’s rather common, with most restaurants leaving empty tables for no-show reservations, late night VIPs, and kitchen relief.
“All of that said, you could be sitting at a bad table at a bad time in a half-full restaurant because the restaurant is …

Loud-mouthed celeb chef Gordon Ramsay has done it again. At a recent appearance at the Good Food & Wine Show in Melbourne, Australia, Ramsay referred to local news reporter Tracy Grimshaw as a ‘pig woman’ while insinuating she was a lesbian.
Grimshaw retaliated against the chef’s remarks, noting:
“He then got on stage on Saturday and made some very clear and uninformed insinuations about mine,” she said. “Obviously Gordon thinks that any woman who doesn’t find him attractive must be gay. For the record I don’t and I’m not. And I’m not …

As I noted a few weeks back over at Accidental Hedonist, the discussion of ethics continues amongst food bloggers, food reviewers, and food writers everywhere.
Yesterday’s Washington Post featured an article on ethics regarding well-known wine critic, Robert M. Parker Jr. Parker, a leader in wine reviewing, has come under fire over activities by one of his reviewers, Jay Miller. As noted by the Post, Miller enjoyed a trip to Australia last fall that was well-funded by Wine Australia, presumably in efforts to gain positive reviews for the company’s products. It …

Posted by Jennifer Heigl
While the United States continues to build it’s green and sustainable following, Australia’s Vogue Entertaining + Travel recently handed out their annual Produce Awards, recognizing sustainable farms and food producers within the country down under, in categories including ‘from the paddock’, ‘from the dairy’, ‘from the earth’ and ‘from the sea’.
“The Awards are dedicated to discovering and celebrating the finest food growers and suppliers in the country. Whether you’re a three-hat chef, or someone who enjoys cooking at home, these are the producers and products you …

The 2009 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival is nearly here! Hosted by the Food Network, the Miami-area festival swings into town next week, February 19-22, and includes such events as a Kidz Kitchen and the fabulous Perrier-Jouët BubbleQ, hosted by chef Tom Colicchio. The King and Queen of Spain will also be on hand for a wonderful gala benefiting the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University and Fundación España-Florida. Restaurant Editor Kate Krader over at Food & Wine even chimed in today with …

Here we are, basking in the turkey (or Tofurky) afterglow.
This year, I took a moment to reminisce about my favorite Thanksgivings past. From Iowa family gatherings to local turkey shoots, I was pleased to have a number of good memories come to mind.
My favorite Thanksgiving ever? When I was studying abroad in the south of Australia. Deep in a bout of homesickness (especially at the holidays) a dear Australian friend pledged to give my roommate and I a proper American Thanksgiving. However, since pumpkin is utilized mostly for savory dishes …

Here we go again gang! For your reading pleasure on this lovely Sunday evening, I present a few culinary newsbits from around the world!

Another day, another recall! Nestle Prepared Foods Company announced a recall on Friday of over 200,000 pounds worth of frozen stuffed pepperoni pizza sandwich products – more commonly known as Hot Pockets! It seems the recalled sandwiches may contain foreign material “such as hard red plastic as well as clear flexible rubber-like material”. A Hot Pocket person yourself? You can click here for more information on the …

It is believed by a growing number of mixologists that a cocktail garnish should attribute more function than aesthetic filler.  In Sydney, Australia, the philosophy is being applied in a sprits of beach essence sprayed over the faces of blindfolded consumers strapped to an I-Pod.
Grant Collins’ aforementioned design is one of four sensory cocktails debuting at Zeta, a trendy nightspot in downtown Sydney.  The cocktail is actually a colada of rum, pineapple and coconut, but it’s the semi private area, the blindfold, and shots of Hawaiian Tropic sun tan oil …

Image details: Australia Threatened by Climate Change Outlook served by picapp.com
The Australian, via The Grinder, brings us the latest doom and gloom report on the international food crises happening all over the world, from extreme temperatures to floods and typhoons. Just this week, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO) released a report on the future of climate change, and it’s not pretty.
Australian Agriculture Minister Tony Burke, describing the report as “more like a disaster novel than a scientific report”, commented that that the …