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 …

Like much of the rest of the country, I was glued to the television and the internet all through the weekend, watching to see just how Irene left her mark on the East Coast. One city that was busy battening down the hatches was New York City, of course – a city not generally familiar with hurricanes. Block after block lined with restaurants of every size, shape, and cuisine, much of my Twitter feed seemed to be focused on how the thousands of food service businesses within the metropolis would …

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 …

Glenn Collins of the New York Times reported yesterday that New York chef and restaurateur Michael White has split from his business partner of five years, Chris Cannon. Owners of New York’s Marea and Convivio restaurants, Cannon and White managed seven eateries in the area together, resulting in a dividing of properties due to the dissolution. According to the article, Cannon will continue to operate Alto and Convivio, while White, along with Altamarea Group’s chief executive Ahmass Fakahany, will head Marea (which won the 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for …

Admittedly, when my friend, sommelier Brett Feore, shared the details of his latest career move a few years back, I didn’t have much thought on the subject. A bit new to the restaurant world, particularly regarding the happenings of food-forward cities like New York, I was still trying to catch up on the who’s who within the culinary community.
“You know Scott Bryan, right?” Brett said, passing me a press release with details of the new restaurant. “He was in Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.”
“He was?” I answered, trying to remember bits and …

I’m just as intrigued by bartenders as I am by chefs.
Masters of their own craft, mixologists are a group surprisingly similar to revered kitchen dwellers. A crew of creatives with a bit of show technique. Whereas a cook offers up his or her best via plate or bowl, relying solely on what can be assembled on a dish, a bartender has to have a trick, a step to impress, between the order and the delivery. It is a dance of a different kind.
Much like chefs, too, barmen (and women!) are …

It seems autumn has snuck up on us once again. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the rain set in over the weekend and remains lingering, burrowing itself into our days and nights. Though offset by a few moments of sun, it has become clear that summer is over.
Every fall, one of my favorite food and wine excursions is my travel to the East coast for the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. The festival, which was started in 2008 by founder Lee Schrager, always includes a roster …

Chef Gordon Ramsay’s luck seems to ebb and flow a bit drastically, with nearly his every move making headlines. He’s opened restaurant locations, closed restaurant locations, been lambasted for public comments, and battled financial woes – all just in the last few years. The latest chapter of the Ramsay tome is unfortunately on the bad side of business, with the recent announcment of the closing of his Cape Town, South Africa location.
According to the UK’s Daily Mail, Maze Cape Town shuttered its doors last Tuesday, after only a year in …

Over the last year or so, I’ve been following the saga of the famed Tavern on the Green – mainly because it’s been such a landmark eatery in New York for so long but also out of curiosity on the evolution of its location from a business standpoint. After an ugly battle over the facilitation of restaurant, it has now landed in the hands of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department as they try to determine what to do with the space.
There was much discussion last month about what to …

Chef Tom Colicchio is more than just a pretty face. Most often recognized due to his stint as judge on Bravo’s Top Chef, Colicchio doesn’t just sit behind a table and critique ill-fated dishes delivered by nerve-wracked cheftestants every day.
He actually cooks in his kitchen.
It’s five o’clock on a Sunday in New York, and the eve of the James Beard Foundation Awards. Colicchio seems calm, cool, and collected as we take a seat in the dining room of Colicchio & Sons, despite being nominated for Outstanding Chef this year. Of …

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 …

Hurrah! The 2010 James Beard Foundation Award finalists were announced this morning in New Orleans with a number of great names making the list. Chefs and supporters were welcomed to the Big Easy over the weekend with a traditional New Orleans boil celebrating twenty years of award history. Chefs really do throw the best parties.
Notable finalists on the Restaurant and Chef awards list:

Locanda Verde (NYC) – Best New Restaurant
Chef José Andrés – Outstanding Chef
Chef Tom Colicchio – Outstanding Chef
Chef Tom Douglas – Outstanding Restaurateur
Alinea (Chicago) – …

When we opened the catering business, there was definitely a learning curve. I had never run a restaurant, let alone worked on the business side of a food service operation, so there were a few times when I felt as though I was trying to catch up. One of those times was certainly the state-required health inspections.
It was unnerving to arrive to the kitchen on a random Tuesday morning only to have a local health inspector waiting at the door. I knew the point was to catch us off-guard, to …

Chef Todd English is taking a surprising turn by making his next restaurant development – a food court! It was announced last week that the celebrity chef has partnered with New York’s prestigious Plaza Hotel to develop a high-end version of the mall favorite. The 5,400 square foot location, christened The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English, will include eight food stations offering a mix of dishes, including sushi, burgers, and pizza. Retail food and kitchen items will also be available for purchase within the space.
“I’m delighted to be collaborating …

Chef David Chang’s Má Pêche, the much-ballyhooed fifth location for the Momofuku chef, is slowly offering peeks at what the famed chef has in store. Taking a spot at the midtown, nearly renovated Chambers Hotel, the new space will have a variety of duties, including, but not limited to, room service for hotel guests. Serious Eats’ Ed Levine stopped in for lunch and a look at the food offerings from Executive Chef Tien Ho. Levine’s notes are positive, which only increases anticipation for the full opening in early 2010.
“For lunch …