Even though I knew my chances of finagling a reservation were slim to none, I, like many other dining-denied foodies around the world, breathed a heavy sigh as the last plates of the notable El Bulli left the kitchen over weekend. Those of us who are serial Tweeters followed as famed chefs Jose Andres, Grant Achatz, Andoni Aduriz, Massimo Bottura, Joan Roca, and Rene Redzepi joined chef Ferran Adria, and his brother Alberto, in the revered Catalan restaurant to assist with the final service of what has been an inspirational …

When a new educational course involving world-renowned chef Ferran Adrià was announced at Harvard earlier this year, foodies everywhere collectively gasped before scrambling to find out if they could attend. With nearly 700 students showing up to register for the class this semester (400 of whom were turned away), it was clear that such a course was of great interest, and in high demand.
In support of the new class, Harvard recently posted a Science & Cooking lecture that took place this past September, where Andres was on hand to translate …

When he announced he’d be closing his world-famous El Bulli, chef Ferran Adrià made his plans for an upcoming new culinary school known. According to Time, the advisory board of Adrià’s new Basque Culinary Center recently came together in San Sebastian to brainstorm about the new institution. The culinary dream team – chefs from around the world, including New York’s Dan Barber, Copenhagen’s Rene Redzepi, and London’s Heston Blumenthal – met in the beachside Spanish city to discuss the aims and goals of the new school. Tackling culinary consciousness, a …

Seems we’re full-swing into “awards season” (I didn’t even realize there was a food awards season), with everyone and their mother naming their favorites across the culinary board. While in Portland for their annual conference, the International Association of Culinary Professionals handed out their awards for best cookbooks, food journalism, food styling, food photography, and awards of excellence.
Some of the winners include:

Cookbook – American: My New Orleans, John Besh
Cookbook – Chefs & Restaurants: Ad Hoc at Home, Thomas Keller and Dave Cruz
Cookbook – Compilations: Gourmet Today, Ruth Reichl
Culinary Writing …

After much ballyhooed discussion over chef Ferran Adrià’s future and the final fate of his famed El Bulli, the Washington Post reported this week that Adrià would join chef José Andrés at Harvard in the fall as instructors of a new culinary physics course. Adrià, who announced that El Bulli would become a foundation in 2014, will participate in a 13-week course at the Boston school, with other star chefs, like Blue Hill’s Dan Barber, joining the Andrés/Adrià team throughout the term.
“All cooking, if you look at it, is soft-matter …

Will he? Won’t he? What’s going on? The food world did a collective gasp last week when The New York Times declared that instead of merely closing for a few years of reinvention, famed chef Ferrán Adrià was actually planning on closing El Bulli, noted by many to be the best restaurant in the world. As thousands of eager fans sat readily at the wait by their computers dreaming only of the day when their reservation request would finally be confirmed at the avant-garde eatery, Chef Adrià explained that he …

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, …

World-renowned chef Ferrán Adrià surprised many in the food world when he announced early Tuesday at the Madrid Fusion Summit that he would shutter his landmark restaurant, El Bulli, during the 2012-2013 seasons. Adrià, known as a leader in the world of molecular gastronomy, has facilitated the award-winning restaurant since 1984. Named the number one restaurant in the world five times over the last decade, El Bulli features an extensive course lineup offering the latest in avant-garde cooking techniques.
According to the official El Bulli press release, the restaurant will close …

After being in the country for seven years, plans have been implemented to close all Wendy’s locations in Japan. In a market heavily dominated by McDonald’s, Wendy’s opened its first Japanese location in 2002 and had expanded to only 71 eateries, compared with McD’s 3,700 spots. Zensho Co. Ltd., which operates Wendy’s within Japan’s borders, expressed that it was part of their business plan all along, and will close the locations by the end of December.
“We will focus our resources on beef bowl restaurants and others. The closure is part …

Strolling into a West Seattle restaurant on a dreary November afternoon, the man himself enters nearly unnoticed. Revered in writeups and showered with culinary awards, Chef David Chang remains a humble cook, without entourage, without fanfare, and generally in a friendly state. All despite his rock star status.
Local journalists and food writers trail in one by one for the media reception, while glasses of prosecco and lychee are passed about. Chang shifts uneasily from one foot to the other in his black Converse, the glass of water in his hand …

Last week’s Fast Company offered up a list of the ten most creative folks in food – and it’s an interesting list. They’re not all chefs, necessarily, and I’m not sure they’re the *most* creative in the bunch (I agree with one commenter – where’s Ferran Adrià in the list?) but it’s certainly a list up for discussion.
Their top ten?
1. Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean-Georges Management
2. Dan Barber, Blue Hill restaurants
3. Will Allen, Growing Power
4. Dan Cutforth and Jane Lispitz, Magical Elves Productions
5. Floyd Zaiger, Zaiger Genetics
6. Ed Kaczmarek, Kraft
7. Temple Grandin, …

Posted by Jennifer Heigl
Famed master chef, and owner/executive chef of El Bulli, Ferrán Adrià, has decided to venture into the pizza-making business! According to the Los Angeles Times, Adrià, along with his brother and collaborator, Alberto Adrià, are in the process of developing a new pizzeria to be located in Barcelona. Known for his avant-garde style of cooking, more commonly referred to as ‘molecular gastronomy’, Adrià hopes to create an ‘honest interpretation’ of the popular food.
“We’ll learn to make it well, this national dish of yours,” Alberto told La Stampa, …

Posted by Jennifer Heigl
Hooray! Our favorite festival organizer, Lee Schrager, has announced information for the upcoming 2009 New York Wine & Food Festival!
The official press release notes that this year’s event, which will take place October 8-11, 2009, will again benefit hunger relief organizations Share Our Strength and Food Bank for New York City and will include a whole host of fabulous events, including Chelsea Market After Dark hosted by Food Network’s Guy Fieri and Sandra Lee, as well as Down South Up North with Paula Deen. I’m particularly interested …

Posted by Jennifer Heigl
Serious Eats reminded us today that our favorite Bravo TV Top Chef judge, Mr. Tom Colicchio, will be on tonight’s Charlie Rose. If you haven’t had a chance to catch a Charlie Rose interview before, I urge you to check out the recent Ferran Adrià interview. Adrià, along with his go-to guy, José Andrés, both give wonderful insight into the world of avant garde cooking.

Famed chefs Anthony Bourdain and Ferrán Adrià in one place? Where do I sign up?! Sadly, unless you were really on top of things and ordered your tickets to Saturday’s TimesTalk super early, you may have missed out on Eric Asimov’s chat with Bourdain and Adrià. Tickets to ‘A Revolution of Food’ sold out in record time, but luckily, your favorite Daily Blender blogger had her name at the top of the waiting list and shimmied in just as the talk was about to begin.
Chef Ferrán Adrià is one of …