Graham Elliot: Deceptively Delicious

After being canceled on a second time by Schwa, MW and I were pretty disappointed, but not at all surprised. Fortunately, Chicago has many great restaurants and so I made a reservation at Graham Elliot. The self-proclaimed pioneer of bistronomy - the trend of combining causal decor with gourmet-level food - in Chicago, Elliot has earned quite the reputation for his oft-described "whimsical" creations. But behind all the clever descriptions and funky concoctions is a seriously talented chef who is turning traditional fine dining on its head.

Topolobampo: Love at First Bite

In the hierarchy of American chefs, few are held in such high esteem as Rick Bayless. With the title of Top Chef Master, his own television show and multiple cookbooks, there's no doubting Bayless's success. But accolades and stardom aside, Bayless's greatest culinary contribution is introducing America to authentic regional Mexican cuisine when he opened Frontera Grill in 1987. Yet it wasn't until two years later when Bayless opened Topolobampo that Mexican food entered into the realm of fine dining, earning a Michelin Star earlier this year.

Blackbird: Birds of a Feather Flock Together

While everyone (rightly) attributes the advent of Chicago's fine dining scene to Charlie Trotter, one must not forget the invaluable culinary contributions of Paul Kahan. While associated with several of Chicago's finest restaurants, including Avec, Publican, Big Star and The Violet Hour, Kahan's flagship remains Blackbird. Located in Chicago's West Loop, MW and I made our way to the Michelin starred restaurant for a lunch.

The Spotted Pig: Go Often, But Go Early

To call The Spotted Pig "popular" would be a gross understatement. Ever since opening in 2004, this West Village gastropub has been perpetually packed to the gills with hungry diners. Backed by an array of music industry titans, Chef April Bloomfield and her business partner Ken Friedman, lay claim to one of Manhattan's more popular restaurants-- and most sought after stools. Boasting an impressive beer selection and Bloomfield's refined approach to English pub grub, one would be wise to visit the Spotted Pig during off hours or risk hour-plus waits. But while dinner may indeed be worth the wait, multiple visits have taught me that the best option is weekday lunch.

Dressler: Season to Taste...

Because everyone likes a little controversy, Eater's post last week about a pissed off patron who "freaked out" after receiving a suggested tip card with their check at Williamsburg restaurant can be viewed as either a cautionary tale, or just another shameless attempt to drum up attention. A majority of the website's faithful took it upon themselves to not only blast the original commenter, but also proclaim to the world how they ALWAYS tip 40%. Thus, it seem as good a time as any to discuss my meal at Dressler from this past Fall.

Having long been a fan of both DuMont and DuMont Burger, MW and I were eager to visit restaurateur Colin Devlin's more refined Michelin-starred sister. Helmed by Chef Polo Dobkin, Dressler has a reputation as being a bastion of Brooklyn fine dining, which may have contributed to my unrealistic expectations, and ultimately resulted in an underwhelming experience.

Eleven Madison Park: Like a Well-Oiled Machine

Newly anointed James Beard Award winner Daniel Humm, and General Manager Will Guidara caused quite a stir when they closed Eleven Madison Park in September and made changes to the crown jewel in the Danny Meyer empire. First, the restaurant removed 34 seats, going from 113 to a more "intimate" 80. Next, the bar menu was dropped along with the restaurant's bargain $28 lunch. Clearly they hope to elevate their status from "just another one of Manhattan's great restaurants" to a world class culinary destination. Eater, Chowhound and eGullet boards were filled with comments ranging from curiosity to downright anger (who said people don't love 11-course menus?) regarding the restaurant's revamp, proving that even New Yorkers are afraid of change.

Convivio: Divorce is Messy, but So is Red Sauce...

All good things must eventually come to an end, or so they say. This adage was proven true, when, after months of speculation, the Altamarea Group released an official statement last week confirming that Chef Michael White and longtime partner, Chris Cannon were officially cutting ties. Then again, Cannon is no stranger to divorces from high-profile chefs, as one need only look back to 2007's messy split with Scott Conant. In fact, the news was a bit ironic, considering it was Cannon who selected White to replace the departing Conant at the former L'Impero restaurant, which was later reincarnated as Convivio. As per the details of the breakup, it was reported that White and new business partner, Ahmass Fakahany, will take Marea, Osteria Morini and the newly-opened, Ai Fiori, while Cannon will retain Alto and Convivio. As with any divorce, there are the children to consider, and in this case, White will bring aboard Alto's chef de cuisine, Gordon Finn, as well as Convivio's current chef de cuisine, Matt Adler, while pastry chef, Heather Bertinetti will continue to work with Cannon. So it seemed perfectly natural at the time of our reservation (pre-announcement), to wonder whether any of the speculated turmoil would compromise our experience at Convivio in the slightest.

wd~50: Having Your Dessert for Dinner

I've never really loved dessert. Sure, over the years I've eaten my fair share of memorable desserts, and even admit liking something sweet to finish a meal, but if push came to shove, I'd definately classify myself being more of a savory person than a someone with a sweet tooth. Yet a funny thing has happened as I've grown older (and wider), I've come to gain a new appreciation for dessert. Maybe my tastes have just changed, or perhaps it's that pastry chefs have become more experimental lately, venturing further for inspiration and tinkering with once unimaginable flavor combinations (herb flavored ice creams). But it wasn't until MW and I ate at Wylie Dufresne's famed, wd~50, that I actually started craving the desserts of former pastry chef, Alex Stupak. So when news leaked that Stupak would be soon be leaving Dufresne's side, to open Empellon, a taqueria, I made quick work securing a reservation to experience one last taste of Stupak's creative confections.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns: Reap What You Sow

To many, Manhattan would hardly be considered a haven for locavores. Known as a city of excess, many restaurants routinely source rare and exotic ingredients from across the globe with reckless abandon towards their carbon footprint. But a modest 45 miles outside the city, one restaurant has dedicated itself to these ideals and emerged as the country's farm-to-table mecca. Opening in 2004 in the confines of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Blue Hills at Stone Barns adopted the Center's emphasis on local and sustainable practices and incorporated them into a fine dining restaurant.

Spread across the 80 acres of land that formerly belonged to the Rockefeller Estate, are numerous greenhouses and pastures where animals run free, many of which the restaurant utilizes in the kitchen. Occurring in December, our meal at Blue Hill at Stone Barns was a snap shot of the season, incorporating absolutely sensational winter ingredients.

Aldea: Sickness v. Deliciousness

I had been sick the whole week. Waking up the morning my parents were due to arrive in town for a long-anticipated visit, I felt even worse (an interminable day spent in a tiny courtroom in Brooklyn really didn't help either). Cursing my luck, I wondered how could this happen to me-- not on a normal day-- but on the night we were going to dine at Aldea, a restaurant I'd wanted to try for almost a year and a half. No matter what I tried, my worthless, disease-ridden body wouldn't even cooperate.

But I'm stronger than that (and completely prepared to sacrifice my health for a good meal). I would eat at Aldea even if it killed me (or more likely just added another day of sickness to my week). While coffee, Sudafed and Tylenol provided temporary relief from a throbbing throat and stuffed nose, the whole night my senses were dulled. However, if I was going to put my health in jeopardy for a meal, George Mendes would also need to bring his game.

Braced for the evening ahead, my parents and I arrived in Flatiron (Urbanspoon says Chelsea, but I'm calling it Flatiron) for our meal. Inside was a narrow room with a bar stretching back towards Mendes prevailing over the open kitchen (with plenty of tables surrounding him upstairs and downstairs). He was just in view from our table at the very end of the banquette at the foot of the steps (request actual kitchen seating as opposed to our ghetto view).

We ordered a bottle of red wine from Portugal (whose name I can't remember) and started browsing the menu. Like nearly every other restaurant to open in NYC in the past two years, Aldea has a snacks section. Here they're called "petiscos." I'm really not complaining, since who doesn't love snacks?

Marinated Iberian olives and roasted Marcona almonds are the ideal way to start a meal. An orange rind nestled among the olives added a pleasant citrusy zing, while my parents and I when to town on the well-seasoned almonds (I stuck my hand in the bowl to scare away my germaphobe mother and get more for myself, because I'm a dick like that).

Sea urchin was a no-brainer. Rusted orange lobes rested in a cauliflower puree atop a thin cracker. The creaminess of the urchin and puree gave way to the spicy bite of mustard seeds and the cooling sea lettuce.

Our final snack pre-appetizer to arrive was the Fermin lomo de Bellota (you know, that expensive Iberican ham finished on acorns you've been hearing so much about). The funky ham was complemented by the accompanying baguette covered in a tomato jam, but tasted even better wrapped around a few of the almonds.

The Dining Room at the Modern: A True Masterpiece

 
While MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) is world renowned for their priceless art collection, it also lays claim to another priceless gem: The Dining Room at the Modern. Since the arrival of Alsatian-born chef, Gabriel Kreuther, the Modern has created food that rivals the museum's most famed treasures in both skill and artistry. After having dined in the restaurant's more casual "Bar Room" on several occasions and always coming away impressed, I selected the more formal Dining Room to celebrate MW's birthday.  While last year' celebratory meal at Le Bernardin left me unimpressed, the Dining Room at The Modern more than exceeded all expectations, making for an unforgettable evening.

San Francisco Wrap Up: Brenda's French Soul Food, Zuni Cafe and Fleur de Lys

Brenda's French Soul Food

With no real agenda on our last day, MW and I trekked from our hotel through the Civic Center area of San Francisco to Brenda's French Soul Food. Albeit a bit skeptical about finding authentic Creole food on the west coast, this restaurant intrigued me after reading numerous positive reviews, but we ultimately decided to go due to our craving for some beignets. We arrived to no line and immediately grabbed two seats along the wall that sat adjacent to the kitchen. Service was fast and efficient throughout the meal, and as with any veteran waitstaff, our coffee cups were never empty.

Undecided on which beignets to choose, we naturally decided to split a Beignet Flight which consisted of one of each of the following: Plain, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Granny Smith Apple with Cinnamon Honey Butter and Crawfish with Cayenne, Scallion and Cheddar. Definitely not the best beignets I've had, but solid nonetheless, these thoroughly satisfied our beignet craving. The plain served as a control and was good, not too sweet but not as delicate as others. The crawfish came dusted in cayenne pepper but lacked any real crawfish. However, the granny smith apple was very good, reminiscent of the fried apple pies I enjoyed during youth, only better. But the favorite was the Ghirardelli chocolate-filled beignet that was sweet and rich.

Gary Danko: The People's Choice

Without question, Restaurant Gary Danko is San Francisco's preeminent fine dining establishment. Similar to Gramercy Tavern's status in Manhattan, Gary Danko is the most popular San Francisco restaurant, and with good reason, the food and wine are both excellent and the service is remarkable. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, chef Danko was named one of Food and Wine's best new chefs in 1989, won a James Beard Award for Best Chef California in 1995 and was awarded a Michelin Star. Fusing French technique with seasonal ingredients, Gary Danko's mix-and-match menu allows diners to create personalized three, four or five-course meals and exceeded all expectations.

The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton: Survival of the Fittest

If food trucks were last year's hot trend, then this year may be remembered as the rise of hotel-restaurants. The likes of Bloomfield (The Breslin/Ace Hotel), Chang (Má Pêche/Chambers Hotel) and Vongerichten (The Mark Restaurant/Hotel) are just some of the culinary titans to recently embrace this movement in New York. But San Francisco also boasts their own array of such ventures, with Michael Mina's flagship restaurant located in the Westin St. Francis and since 2004, chef Ron Siegel has run the kitchen at The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton after having spent time at Aqua, Charles Nob Hill and Masa's. Thomas Keller's original sous chef at The French Laundry, Siegel made a name for himself in 1998 by becoming the first American chef to earn a victory in the original Iron Chef series, defeating Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai in a lobster battle. Siegel is known for combing French techniques with Japanese elements and although I tend to be reluctant about eating at hotels, positive review after positive review prompted me to see first hand what all the fuss was about.

Left Coast Vacation 2010: Day 3 - Opus One Winery, Bouchon and Schramsberg Vineyards

Our third day was filled with even more tours and tastings at wineries and incredible food. What an arduous vacation! We began our day at Opus One Winery. Since Robert Mondavi is synonymous with Napa wines, MW suggested we visit his most prestigious venture. Although the actual size of Opus One paled in comparison to the Robert Mondavi Winery, conveniently located across the street, we enjoyed our tour. Fortunately, the tour concluded in the tasting room as MW an I savored our wine on an outdoor terrace where we were able to enjoy the view.

Kaiseki at Kyo Ya

Kaiseki. A simple yet mysterious word to most Americans, "kaiseki" refers to a traditional Japanese multi-course meal emphasizing only the freshest seasonal ingredients served in various preparations. I've been puzzled by the lack of New York restaurants specializing in kaiseki considering America's fascination with "omakase," the Japanese equivalent to a tasting menu.

My initial kaiseki experience was at a ryokan, or a traditional Japanese inn, in Kyoto, Japan. Upon my return to Tokyo, I was fortunate enough to try a modern-day interpretation of a kaiseki meal at Nihonryori RyuGin (Two Michelin Stars) and was blown away by the exotic ingredients, stunning presentations and incredible flavors. So when I read about Kyo Ya, an almost hidden gem of a restaurant specializing in kaiseki, my reservation was all but booked.

Marc Forgione: Back to Basics

Recently, the balance in the foodie universe was turned on its head when Marc Forgione kicked New York Times Financial Writer Ron Lieber, out of his restaurant after he had dressed down the chef in his own kitchen. Regardless of where you stand on this incident, it certainly put Marc Forgione's restaurant in the headlines. They say there's no such thing as bad publicity, but as provocative as this story is, I feel much of the attention is misdirected. Instead of focusing on what was said, the real story should emphasize Forgione's no-nonsense approach to cooking rather than who hurt who's ego.

A few weeks before this incident occurred, MW and I enjoyed dinner at Marc Forgione's eponymous restaurant in Tribeca.

A Dinner Worth Traveling for at Saul

As is the usual case, a typical Friday night for me involves grabbing dinner with MW and possibly getting drinks later with friends. After a long week of work, the prospect of staying in and cooking just doesn't seem too appealing. Though MW and I have made it a habit of eating out in Manhattan, recently we have made a conscientious effort to dine out more in Brooklyn. And why not? While there was a time when Manhattan was the premier restaurant destination for all of New York City, Manhattanites are now traveling to destinations such as Brooklyn and Queens to satisfy their epicurean desires. Saul has been on my shortlist of "must-try" restaurants in Brooklyn for awhile now. So last Friday evening MW and I made the short trip to Smith Street instead of crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.

SHOwing Support for Shaun Hergatt

In the restaurant wasteland otherwise known as New York's Financial District, SHO Shaun Hergatt has been become a food sanctuary. Here, Australian chef Shaun Hergatt forges French technique with Asian influences to produce some of the best food to be had in Manhattan. Garnering multiple awards including a 29/30 for food in the latest Zagat Survey as well as a Michelin Star in 2010, it came as quite a surprise when New York Times food critic Sam Sifton gave the restaurant a meager two star review. Immediate backlash ensued on Eater forums with Josh Ozersky arguing against Sifton's review; insisting that SHO was worthy of three stars. After having read Sifton's review of SHO and having had the pleasure of dining at the restaurant on multiple occasions I feel compelled to weigh in on the subject. If restaurants are to be judged based solely on the food that they serve, instead of the their ambiance and clientele they attract (Sir Paul McCartney in sneakers) then SHO Shaun Hergett is deserving of at least three stars.

I agree with Ozersky that the crux of Sifton's two star review stemmed less from the food than his own prejudice against the opulent nature of the restaurant and its cuisine. It seems that in the wake of Lehman Brothers, Freddie Mac and AIG, the zeitgeist (repeatedly referenced by Ozersky) has rallied against such white-linen establishments, preferring pork belly to a côte de boeuf. But even in hard times such as these, there always will be a demand and a need for such fine dining restaurants and I hope in spite of Sifton's tepid review, SHO Shaun Hergatt will continue to thrive.

The Breslin is All Grown Up

There are many dangers inherent in "reviewing" a restaurant after a single meal (I apologize, but I still cannot bring myself to call anything I write a true "review" without the added sarcasm of the overused finger flexion). I think it's fair to say that I would never pass judgment on a restaurant after a single visit, unless I had a wildly fantastic or horrible experience (the bad ones are always more fun to write about). Yet it's the restaurant that falls in the middle of my own personal curve that makes for difficult writing, especially when I've only eaten there once.

So with that said, I'm not sure what to say about The Breslin, the relatively new restaurant from Ken Freidman and April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig (and the late John Dory, which may rise again). At this point, The Breslin is beyond the infancy and preschool days of the initial hype, and has passed the proficiency tests of the major critics. All that's left is to either keep turning out meals at a high-level or move on to the next stage in it's restaurant life. In keeping with the metaphor, it's probably a bit like getting your college degree, but having no clue what to do with the rest of your life (I assume zero stars or a quick closing means you got caught blowing coke in your dorm room and get thrown out of school). Where do you go from here?

A good friend from law school, and one of the few people from my class who actually got (and retained) her biglaw job (mainly because she's brilliant), was in the city from Atlanta and wanted a good meal (we were law school cooking buddies). She will hereinafter be called "Future Partner" or "FP." I initially threw out a few suggestions, but we decided to wing it, settling on The Breslin over a round of Maker's Marks at her hotel bar.