The gregarious ginger-haired Sarah Simmons sat two rows in front of me on the airport shuttle to the 2010 Cayman Cookout, her wide-brimmed white sun hat resting comfortably on her head as she chatted with her accompanying friend. Though I didn’t know it at the time, Simmons was there as a guest of Food & Wine that weekend, enjoying the perks and posing for pictures as winner of the magazine’s Home Cook Superstar contest. She introduced herself somewhere along the way, her true Southern charm shining through, and we became …

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 …

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 …

Via a speculative post on Eater, restaurant fans learned today that Colicchio & Sons chef de cuisine Shane McBride would be moving on from his position at the New York restaurant. McBride, who has been a part of the Colicchio staff for the last three years, formerly manned the Craftsteak kitchen helm before making the transition with the restaurant to Colicchio & Sons. Though there’s always curiosity as to whether a departure is part of a restaurant’s master plan or simply a change of scenery, Craft’s Damon Wise left a …

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 …

Capitol burger fans rejoice! The Washington Post reported early last week that New York’s Shake Shack, the burger and fry haven created by restaurateur Danny Meyer, would be making its way south to D.C., following in the footsteps of many popular NY restaurants. According to the article, Meyer’s D.C. location will open in early 2011 along the city’s famed Dupont Circle. Despite long lines at his New York locations, Meyer assures fans, however, that service will move a bit faster at the D.C. shop.
“The lines move a lot quicker at …

An amazing evening was had this past Monday night in New York City as the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards were announced in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Amid beautiful early summer weather, big industry names from Jacques Pépin to Grant Achatz and everyone in between came together to celebrate culinary greats from around the country. Chefs, mixologists, and food personalities made it down the red carpet early in the evening, stopping for laughs and poses as photographers, journalists, and food fans snapped photos of their favorites. Hosts Lidia …

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 …

With the increase in interest in the developing culinary scene, the subject of food documentation is a hot topic. Bourdain covered it in a recent No Reservations (and was not loved for his opinion), with Chicago chef Grant Achatz the latest to comment on the oft-discussed situation.
Achatz, the owner and chef at the award-winning Alinea, is world-renowned for his extensive dishes. According to Time Out New York, Achatz began with a tweet on the dining room invasiveness, and followed up with a post on the restaurant’s discussion board. As the …

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, …

Day one of the Cayman Cookout included a whole host of memorable events from a cooking demo with Chef Eric Ripert along the stunning Seven Mile Beach to a sunset rum tasting aboard a beautifully restored ‘pirate’ ship. I started the day at a cooking demonstration presented by Chef Grant Achatz, owner and executive chef of Chicago’s Alinea.
It was my first time meeting Chef Achatz and I was very interested to see the award winner at work in the kitchen. Known for his talents in molecular gastronomy, Achatz worked with …

With humidity hanging in the air and bare feet burrowing into cool sand, the decadent Cayman Cookout launched its weekend of top-notch demos and iconic chefs with a magnificent beach soiree last Thursday night. Hosted by the elegant Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman Island, the welcome reception included delicious bites from local conch to grilled lobster to certified angus beef, with guests like Food & Wine’s Gail Simmons, wine expert Anthony Giglio, and Cayman Island Premier McKeeva Bush. As hotel chefs manned individual cooking stations, celeb chefs, media, locals, and foodies …

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 …

Posted by R.K. Gella
With chef celebrity saturating restaurant news this week – we have Top Chef set to air tonight and the Hottest Chef in NYC competitions in full swing – I decided to refocus attention onto what really makes restaurant news… outlandish prices and power chef collaborations.
Okay, just a bit of facetiousness there, but considering I have no Top Chef Season 5 previews or insider picks for NYC’s Hottest Chef to offer, I bring the conversation back to ridiculously overpriced meals a la the dynamic duo of Thomas Keller …

Who can imagine where the food industry will be in twenty-five years? Will there be fast food as we know it? Will everything be green and organic?
Reporter Janet Franz, over at the Chicago Tribune, had the opportunity to chat with some of Chicago’s famed chefs, including Chef Homaro Cantu and 2008 James Beard Award Recipient Chef Grant Achatz, on the future of restaurants. From what to expect on your plate, to what to expect in the dining room, some answers may surprise you.

Q: In 25 years, what should guests at …