A Bouchon for Beverly Hills
Thomas Keller is bringing Bouchon to Los Angeles. The 11,000 square foot restaurant is slated to open n July 2009.
Thomas Keller's Favorite Restaurants
Chef Thomas Keller shares his favorite restaurants in London and New York.
Goodbye to All That
Final days of New York's beloved Florent here and here, courtesy of Eater.
If on a Brooklyn Night a Traveler
FT columnist Nicholas Lander makes his first trip across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to explore the borough's restaurant renaissance, in particular, Franny's, The Trois Pommes patisserie, Huckleberry Bar, A Di La trattoria, and The Jake Walk.
The Reservation System and the Reviewer
Have there ever been more words expended on getting a restaurant reservation? Today, Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni concludes his three-part series on the frustrations of Momofuku Ko's online reservation system.
Frustrated by "Family Style"
New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni hit a speed bump on his cross-country road trip in search of the nation's best restaurants. Notwithstanding the generous -- and, apparently, delicious -- fried chicken at Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc, he finds the casual, "family style" restaurant's studied informality to be cloying and "sort of shtick-y."
Mother of All Cheeseburgers
An enormous 222-pound cheeseburger created by a Stockton, California restaurant was topped with 480 slices of cheese, 40 pounds of tomatoes, 19 heads of lettuce, and 12 pounds of condiments.
Chiarello to Open Restaurant
According to a press release, cookbook author and TV chef Michael Chiarello will open a new restaurant in Yountville, California, in fall 2008. The eatery has not yet been named.
The Pass
Inside the pass, "the Vienna of the restaurant world" where the front of the house meets the back of the house.
Star Struck
The Michelin Guides are out for Las Vegas and Los Angeles, where no restaurant received the top three-star ranking.
A Diner's Bill of Rights
In the Los Angeles Times, Leslie Brenner proposes a manifesto for restaurant-goers. Principle #12: "Salt on the table. Rare is the kitchen that gets seasoning right every time. Please spare us embarrassing the chef by having to ask for salt."
Alimentary Arousal
The Observer Food Monthly picks the "50 sexiest places to be fed."
Last Suppers
Celebrity chefs, from Daniel Boulud to Gordon Ramsay, contemplate their final meals. Via se.
Ode to the Apple Pan
In the Los Angeles Times, Charles Perry writes in praise of the iconic L.A. burger joint (and TFS favorite) Apple Pan, which has been serving burgers and pies for 60 years.
Word's Best Restaurants
El Bulli tops rankings by S. Pellegrino of the world's 50 best restaurants.
Eco-Friendly Eateries
Epicurious rounds up restaurants where you can sup sustainably, from Portland to New York City.
Body Sushi Comes to L.A.
Nyotaimori, also known as "body sushi" (a naked woman serving as a platter for sushi), has arrived in Los Angeles.
Of Steak and Strippers
Dining: Frank Bruni contemplates steak and strippers at the Penthouse Executive Club: "Look at that meat. On the plate, I mean."
French Michelin Guide
Dining: Anne-Sophie Pic is the first female chef to be awarded three stars from the French Michelin guide in more than 50 years.
Zagat Survey: Grade Inflation?
Dining: SmartMoney investigates the Zagat guides and finds "grade inflation" in its restaurant reviews: "[I]t's hard to ignore the fact that a product fundamentally based on numbers is seeing a consistent upward trend"
Two Stars for Momofuku Ssam Bar
Dining: The New York Times anoints Momofuku Ssam Bar with two stars, but you may not want to eat there tonight according to chef David Chang: "If it’s a good two-star, expect to see amazing acts of drunken buffoonery on Tuesday night. Wednesday will not be the best time to eat at either Momofuku as both kitchen crews will be nursing major hangovers. Major."
Ad Hoc No Longer Temporary
Dining: The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Thomas Keller's "temporary" restaurant Ad Hoc will become permanent. The chef is now seeking space for a hamburger spot, the original concept for Ad Hoc.
Foreigner Fee
Dining: A French diner gets slapped with a "foreigner fee" on his bill: "When they asked the manager why the gratuitous gratuity was tacked on, he was told, 'We do that because you're foreign, and foreigners don't tip.'"
Bruni's Year in Eating
Dining: Frank Bruni's year in eating.
Golden Pie
Dining: World's most expensive pizza:$3700!
A Coup for Kobe Beef
Dining: New York Post reports that Laurent Tourondel's BLT Steak, BLT Prime, BLT Burger and Geisha have received shipments of Kobe beef, the first time the real thing has been in the U.S. since at least 2001.
Communal Dining
Dining: New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni ponders the communal dining experience.
Best Pizzas in America
Dining: In Details magazine, Ed Levine rounds up the best pizzas in America, including an intriguing sneak peek at the pies at the aforementioned Pizzeria Mozza: "Silverton spent a year perfecting the dough. Her breadlike crust is two inches high, but unlike that of Chicago deep-dish, it has a light, crisp exterior and a tender, moist interior."
Animals, People, Food
Dining: Animals who like "people food"; people who like animal food.
Blood, Bourdain, and Boat Noodles
Dining: Blood, Bourdain, and Boat Noodles in Los Angeles. Via ded.
Michelin Stars for SF
Dining: Three stars for The French Laundry, just one for Chez Panisse, and none for Zuni Cafe in the new Michelin Guide rankings of San Francisco restaurants. "To me, the list lacks many of the places that go to the heart of Bay Area dining and define who we are," writes San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer.
On Hold
Dining: Restaurant critic Frank Bruni's diary of a Per Se reservation attempt.
Drama at Le Cirque
Dining: Major drama (in two acts) ensues over The Amateur Gourmet's underwhelming experience at Le Cirque: Act I, Act II.
Karina Dinner 2006
Dining: A proposal for a ritual Katrina Dinner on August 29 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the hurricane and its impact on New Orleans and its residents: "The entire New Orleans diaspora could sit down simultaneously, fork in hand, to tell the world that this was a special place, a special community, one worth fighting to restore."
Lip Balm To Go
Dining: At Mario Batali's Otto, patrons receive menthol lip balm as a parting gift.
Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes
Dining: Cartoonist Dean Young, son of the creator of the "Blondie" comic strip, will open a chain of Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes. Related: There's a restaurant in Toronto inspired by the film noir masterpiece Mildred Pierce. Who knew?
Top 50
Dining: El Bulli tops Restaurant magazine's 2006 list of the world's 50 best restaurants.
Del Disappointed
Dining: In the Los Angeles Times, Leslie Brenner documents the widespread dismay with Mario Batali's Del Posto, asking, "Where has the love gone? See also: "Del Disappointed" at The Amateur Gourmet: "The rumors are true, I'm afraid. This place isn't a temple of food, it's a palace of greed."
Burgers, Bouchon Bakery
Dining: Chef Thomas Keller, of Per Se, The French Laundry, and Bouchon, plans to open a burger joint in the Napa Valley. Via aht. See also: Keller's Bouchon Bakery opens at the Time Warner Center.
Tarantula Tempura
Dining: Bid now on a chance to attend the The Explorers Club Annual Dinner and dine on a menu of honey-glazed scorpions and tarantula tempura. Mmmm.
Del Posto Details
Dining: The New York Observer runs down the latest in Del Posto's battle with its landlord.
Celebrity Breadcrumbs
Dining: Bruni riffs online about celebrity, exhibitionism, and "annotated breadcrumbs" at Del Posto (upon which he has just bestowed three stars in print). See also: The day in Del Posto linkage.
Dinner Auction
Dining: Bidding opens at 10:00 a.m. today for an exclusive (and expensive) Valentine's Day reservation at Restaurant Daniel. If the price runs too high, there's always White Castle.
Starred for Life
Dining: As restaurants question the inherent value of the Michelin star system, some establishments are even seeking to have their stars removed: "Chefs were told for so long that stars are as good for business as they are for the ego, they forgot to ask if it was actually true. Now, that assumption is being refuted."
Keller: Quote Crazy?
Dining: Has chef Thomas Keller gone quote crazy? "Every French word on the whole menu is 'quotized' and it’s starting to drive me batty, stand back far enough and it resembles arabic for crying out loud."
I Love You . . . Please Pass the Ketchup
Dining: Could there be anything more romantic than a candlelit Valentine's Day dinner at White Castle?
Debating Del Posto
Dining: New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni and New York Post restaurant critic Steve Cuozzo weigh in on the imminent opening of Del Posto, Mario Batali's foray into the realm of Italian luxury dining.
Paul Bertolli
Dining: Chef Paul Bertolli has left the kitchen at Oakland's Oliveto to pursue his salumi business.
Balut
Dining: Deep End Dining's Eddie Lin goes face to face with balut, "the egg of darkness." See also: "What you need to know about balut."
NoLa Update
Dining: The New York Times on the potential for rebuilding New Orleans' restaurant scene. See also: Chef Allison Vines-Rushing, formerly of New York's Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, opens the Longbranch, 30 miles north of New Orleans.
Restaurateurs to Return
Dining: New Orleans' restaurateurs pledge they will return to the city to rebuild.
Open Restaurant Kitchens
Dining: Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni reveals his displeasure with open restaurant kitchens: "Sometimes the best show of all is an illusion of effortlessness, an insulation from the smoke and fire."
Adventurous Eating
Dining: From durian to rooster balls, chefs Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, and Fergus Henderson contemplate the art of "adventurous eating."
Bruni on Bathrooms
Dining: "This is an article in which euphemisms will be crucial": Times critic Frank Bruni reviews restaurant bathrooms.
Send In the Clowns
Dining: Send in the clowns.
Certified Organic Restaurant
Dining: Ukiah Brewing Co. is the first restaurant in California (and the second in the nation) to be certified as organic by the federal government. It joins Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C., as the only dining establishments in the country to hold this unique status. Via bt.
Bon Appétit's Hot 50
Dining: Bon Appétit unveils its Hot 50, "the latest dish on the hottest 50 restaurants in cities around the country."
Without Reservations
Dining: Desperate for a Valentine's Day reservation, but they're all booked up? Take heart (no pun intended), withoutreservations.biz will sell you an already reserved table in New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco for $40. Via curbed.
Silverton, Batali Team Up
Dining: Uber-baker Nancy Silverton has sold her interest in Campanile and is now scouting locations in Los Angeles to open a restaurant with Mario Batali, according to David Shaw in the Los Angeles Times. The joint venture, tentatively named "Mozza Bar," will open by the "end of the summer" according to Mr. Batali.
Buzzy Awards
Dining: Food writer Andrea Strong's First Annual BUZZY Awards.
T&L: Best New American Restaurants
Dining: Travel & Leisure publishes its 2004 guide to the "Best New American Restaurants."
Restaurant Dish
Dining: "Almost everyone, at one time or another, dreams of opening a restaurant -- holding forth at the copper-topped bar as you welcome stylish and good-natured customers, fielding compliments for the divine food, pouring exquisite wine and chatting with happy customers as they take their leave, vowing to return soon (with lots of friends). Then there’s the other side of the table: rapacious landlords, broken refrigerators, loopy staff members, petulant chefs, impatient investors."
Priceless Menu
Dining: There are no prices on the menu at London restaurant Just Around the Corner. Instead, diners are asked to pay what they think their meal is worth. Via kottke.
Cuozzo Gets Cranky
Dining: Cuozzo to chefs: "Guys: Infuse this." The New York Post restaurant critic gets cranky about menus burdened with highfalutin' verbiage: "HERE'S some advice for chefs and restaurant owners all over town: The only thing I care about your food is how it tastes! I don't want to know what farm, stream or rice paddy your latest obscure ingredient was pillaged from. I don't want to know whether your mother, aunt or the person with whom you first had sex inspired your meatball recipe."
Gourmet's 2004 Restaurant Guide
Dining: Gourmet's 2004 restaurant guide. Via afb.
Medieval Myths
Dining: The five myths of medieval-themed restaurants, e.g., "Myth #4: Medieval feasters ate off pewter plates.
Actually, they ate off rectangular pieces of stale bread called 'trenchers' (which were fed to dogs or peasants once the meal was finished)." Via tmn.
Per Se Takes Reservations Online
Dining: You can take your finger off the redial button now, because the possibility of obtaining a reservation at Per Se just got a little easier. The Hot Plate reports that the four star restaurant is now accepting reservations online through opentable.com. Tables for two are scarce, but as of this morning, reservations for four could still be had.
Inspiration to Create
Dining: In the New York Observer, Bryan Miller asks chefs about where and when they get the inspiration to create new dishes? "I think about recipes in the car," says Daniel Boulud. "I am in meetings all day or in the kitchen; there’s no other time."
Four Stars for Per Se
Dining: "The butter-poached lobster almost did it, but not quite. I had been wooed with succulent lobster before. The Island Creek oysters and Iranian caviar, mingled in a kind of sabayon that I was served during that same dinner and during others, made a seductive case. But I was wary of such ostentation," writes New York Times Restaurant Critic Frank Bruni in his four-star review of Thomas Keller's Per Se. "In the end, it was a different night and a nine-course vegetable tasting, of all things, that made me drop any reserve, cast aside any doubts and accept the fact that I loved Per Se -- and that this preening, peacock-vain newcomer deserved it."
Dining
Dining: The sushi diet.
Ramen Report
Ramen Report: At new East Village nouillerie Momofuku Noodle Bar, chef David Chang reinvents traditional Japanese ramen -- "Rather than attempt the impossible -- making 'real ramen' far from its authentic Japanese context -- he’s come up with his own style, using ingredients like miso compound butter, eggs slowly poached in their shells, Greenmarket corn, and Berkshire pork."
Minca
Ramen Report: New slurping spot Minca opens in the East Village.
Nobu 57
Dining Out: Plans for Nobu 57, the midtown branch of Nobu that will open at 40 West 57th Street in May 2005, include a 2,700 sq. ft. bar/lounge and a 10,000 sq. ft. dining room seating more than 200.
superchefblog
Beanz Meanz Heinz
Beanz Meanz Heinz, "the world's first baked beans restaurant," opens in Melbourne. [via tmc]
Who Really Cooks Your Food?
Free Scoops
Free Scoop Night tonight at Baskin-Robbins.
Free Cone Day
Today is free cone day at Ben & Jerry's (NY locations).
Rocco Sues
Cafe Gray
Irritating Restaurant Practices
Irritating restaurant practices.
