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Showing results 1 - 35 of 202 for the author: Paolo.
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LISTICLES—OpenTable has announced its 50 nationwide picks for the restaurants with the Best Service. On the list are notables such as Canlis in Seattle, Daniel in New York, The French Laundry in Yountville, TRU in Chicago, and Vetri in Philadelphia, pictured. Phil Vettel is not pleased with the list. [OT]
VANCOUVER—Just how much are Vancouver restaurants reaping the benefits of the Olympics? Brace: "Restaurant sales in the downtown core of Vancouver are up 89 per cent during the Olympics; Yaletown district sales jumped a whopping 128 per cent ... Some restaurants ...
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Church & State. [Photo: djjewelz/Eater National Flickr Pool]
Hot off the press in Los Angeles is the news that renowned chef Walter Manzke is leaving his post at the three-starred Church & State. The reason is simple: he wants to start his own restaurant. Manzke has been aboard Church & State since the French brasserie opened in December 2008, and before that, he earned another three stars for his work at Bastide. At Church & State, he continued his streak of raves. In addition to the aforementioned tres, Jonathan Gold ...
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AMERICA—Earlier this week, the the American Academy of Pediatrics called for a redesign and reimagining of the hot dog, because right now, hot dogs kill too many people. Vanity Fair asked some chefs how they would face the hot dog menace. David Chang's sensible solution: "Make it into a square: It’s a sausage so you can make it into any shape you want, like a large bologna sandwich." [VF]
EATER BOOK CLUB—A new book called Culinary Careers is headed for bookshelves, and in it, the author (Rick Smilow, president and chief executive of ...
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Down in Southern California today, Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold drops his list of the 99 Things to Eat in L.A. Before You Die. Making the cut are the expected items like Urasawa's blowfish, Mozza's pizza and Kogi's tacos, but also wacky foodstuffs like still-wiggling octopus and apple pie with eel. Sam Sifton has already declared it "epic read, a 15-click Los Angeles fever dream." Check it. [Eater LA]
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The Miami New Times gets a hold of the Florida lawyer who is heading the big Yelp lawsuit. In a note to the Miami newspaper, this Jared Beck lawyer fellow rehashes most of the allegations that came out yesterday about the (alleged) extortion scheme, but two important points deserve highlighting here:
1) He claims that they looked into the pay-to-play accusations that are at the heart of the lawsuit (i.e., pay them money and Yelp will tweak reviews), and despite what Stoppelman claims, the investigators "realized it wasn't a rogue sales ...
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In North Carolina, a Benihana-esque restaurant called Kampai Japanese Steak and Seafood House has actually banned a woman from coming into the restaurant based on the simple fact that waiters and chefs are not willing to serve her .... because she is a bad tipper. In what seems like the fantasy of every server who has ever been stiffed on a tip, the restaurant claims that the woman in question—a Ms. Monica Covington—has been in multiple times since 2008 and tipped poorly each time, and now they've had enough. (Common Sense 101: tip well at ...
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So, someone ordered a pizza to be picked up off the Pizza Hut website, and that part of the process went fine. The pizza order went through, the pizza was made, but then when the customer showed up to pick up his order, Pizza Hut told him they threw away the pizza because even though the pizzeria is still open, they stop doing takeout orders at 10PM. The pizza was ordered at 9:50. [Consumerist]
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Farina opened in San Francisco's Mission district a few years back (to mostly encouraging reviews), and though there have been rumblings that the Ligurian specialist would be opening in Vegas at some point, now comes the confirmation that a second Farina is indeed slated for CityCenter behemoth in early 2011. The chef will be the same as the SF location—Paolo Laboa, who literally has been deemed to make the best pesto in the world—but following suit with the bigger space, the Vegas menu will be expanded as well.
· All Bay ...
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In the fine tradition of the Giada over-enunciation videos comes a sequel: a video homage to Ina Garten in three acts. Act One highlights her affinity for the word "good," Act Two ponders her overuse of rhetorical questions (how bad can that be??), and finally, Act Three is all about Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffrey. [Gawker TV]
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Bar Masa in Vegas.
KANSAS CITY—A man is suing the Kansas City Royals for $25,000 because the mascot—a cute lion named Sluggerr—tossed a hot dog into the stands. The man claims that the hot dog hit him in the eye, detached his retina, and caused the development of cataracts. [AP]
LAS VEGAS—NYC critic Ryan Sutton takes another look at Vegas, filing an encouraging take on Michael Mina's American Fish ("My companion, a Vegas local who’s sampled most of Mina’s West Coast venues said American Fish ranks with his best.") and a lukewarm one ...
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As Lee Schrager already reminded everyone earlier today, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival kicks off tomorrow, so it's only logical that our friends at Gridskipper generate a juicy map of South Beach places to hit after the daytime events have concluded. The 10 spots they've selected represent a wide range of what Miami has to offer these days: a couple of classic dives, a pair of Cuban spots, some late night eats, one of the hottest clubs in the city, and for kicks, two festival-related parties you probably won't get ...
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Earlier this week, news came out that mega-restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow and his China Grill Management restaurant group would shuttering the San Francisco outpost of Asia de Cuba, leaving four branches of El Chod's upscale fusion restaurant left—Miami, New York, Los Angeles and London. Nonetheless, El Chod hasn't entirely given up hope on San Francisco quite yet, adding that once Asia de Cuba exits pulls out of its current location in the Clift Hotel come April, there's still a possibility that he'll find the restaurant a new home somewhere else in the city, so ...
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Generally speaking, the list of restaurateurs' grievances against Yelp runs very, very long, so it's likely that many will be smirking upon hearing today's news that two law firms have filed a class action lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court against the user review site, alleging unfair business practices
However, the plaintiff is not a restaurant, but rather, a veterinary hospital. The hospital claims that Yelp refuses to remove a negative review from its Yelp page, after Yelp sales reps repeatedly contacted the business looking for sponsorship/payments of roughly $300 per ...
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MCEATER—It's Shamrock Shake season at McDonald's, but don't get too excited, because the people who concern themselves with the finer culinary points of fast food green milkshakes think that the fast food green milkshakes have slipped. [SE]
AMERICANA—When not promoting the Twitter feed of a Taiwanese man, the marketing geniuses at Denny's have invented something that they're touting as the world's first-ever Breakfast Appetizers. It looks like they invented pancake balls. Denny's is having the best week ever. [EaterWire]
WASHINGTON DC—Riding the coattails of other big cities, Washington DC is getting into ...
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Rumors have been a-swirling and now the Sin City blogs are abuzz with reports that NYC star chef Andrew Carmellini—he of Locanda Verde, A Voce et al.—has signed a deal to bring his show to Las Vegas. The Vegas heavyweights (the Wynn, the Venetian) have been courting Carmellini for years, but now comes rumblings that the MGM Grand has finally landed him. The powers that be are staying mum and/or denying the rumors, so take it as you will. That said, word on the Strip is that Carmellini will take over the space that ...
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"I want to spend more time with my president. I told Michelle [Obama], I don't know if you know this but the color you're wearing is Batali orange, but in light of the fact that we're spending a few minutes in the White House garden for this show, from now I'm officially going to call this Obamatali orange for the rest of my life." —Mario Batali. [NYT]
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Via the one and only @chezpim: "So Albert Adria just told me about his brand new resto concept in Barcelona ... Albert Adria's new place is to be called D2. Food u can eat w/ 2 fingers-Sushi bar style." [Twitter]
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[Krieger, 2/23/10]
The sophisticated Upper East Side lady you see above is none other than the newest baby from four-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, called The Mark. Jacques Grange designed the place, with emphasis on the natural light and high ceilings, and believe it or not, is supposed to be a downscale effort. Even though it looks swanky, The Mark features JGV's take on French comfort food (e.g., croque monsieur, even a burger!), though it's obviously a step (or five) up from your corner bistro. Eater NY has a plethora of further shots, ...
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With the struggles of old-school bistros and stogy high-end restaurants, the state of French cuisine is very much unsettled. Spain is home to avant garde movement, Tokyo has the most Michelin stars and Alain Ducasse recently declared London the restaurant capital of the world. According to a French restaurant critic: “If you asked me 10 years ago what French cuisine was, I would have said it was boring: it was big chefs’ hats, three Michelin stars, expensive menus with foie gras, truffles, and lobster ... But that world has now collapsed, and I ...
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This would be Boitano running away from an animated cheese log.
Just in time for the Vancouver games, Food Network has ceremoniously announced that there will be a second season of What Would Brian Boitano Make?, also known as the finest show on television starring a flamboyant figure skater-turned-home cook. Even though the show still seems like a parody, it will premiere on Sunday, March 7 in all its glory in the prized 1PM time slot. The season's lineup sounds memorable too, with episodes ranging from a babysitting night to a Kristi Yamaguchi cameo ...
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While the buzz mounts for the 2010 edition of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Eater Miami churns the rumor mill in a big way. In addition to some possible A-list appearances ("Think Mickey Rourke or Sharon Stone"), festival guru Lee Schrager—pictured here with Ray-Ray—will be meeting with scouts from not one, but four festival cities. NYC and Miami are givens, but as for the others, look to the Midwest and somewhere surrounded by water. [Eater Miami]
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Blue Bottle's SF location. [Photo: Jennifer Yin, 2/20/08]
NEW YORK——Bay Area coffee master James Freeman has been teasing his NYC branch for months, and this afternoon, he makes it official: Blue Bottle will open up a cafe/roastery in Williamsburg this week. Along with the familiar haute coffee menu, the NYC location will include five three-foot tall Japanese slow-drippers, leading the Times to already declare Blue Bottle Brooklyn "among the most ambitious coffee bars in New York." [NYT]
TOP CHEFFAGE—In an interview, LA celeb chef, upcoming Masters contestant and exclamation mark lover Susan ...
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"This is the year of the restaurant. It's really been the perfect storm for a young hungry chef to get a good real estate deal on space. If you've got the desire, and the talent and a good concept, now is the time to do it ... It's not about the big sprawling space — the big $5 million restaurant. Those places are not where people are going anymore. It's really the year of the local brasserie, the local tavern." —Inspiring words from Tyler Florence, who plans to open his first restaurant(s) this year. [OCR]
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While Deanie Fox (re)settles into her new digs at Michelin two-star Manresa, at last there's some word from Ubuntu about last week's surprising reports that lauded chef/partner Jeremy Fox suddenly parted ways with the acclaimed Napa vegetarian restaurant that he helped build. In the most-anticipated public statements since the Tiger Woods press conference (not really but you get the point), the official word is predictably vague and un-juicy, namely that Ubuntu owner Sandy Lawrence and Fox "announce Fox’s resignation to pursue other interests." So, make of that what you will.
More ...
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In the March issue of Bon Appetit, Andrew Knowlton rattles off his picks for the 10 best doughnuts in America. Notables include: Randy's Donuts (Los Angeles), Bouchon Bakery (Napa Valley), Dynamo Donuts (San Francisco), Dat Donuts (Chicago), Voodoo Doughnut (Portland), and Doughnut Plant (New York). [BA]
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It's quite admirable how chain restaurants have embraced new media outlets like Twitter and whatnot, but as seen with Denny's, it's even better when those chain restaurant accidentally promote the Twitter feed of a Taiwanese man named Dennys Hsieh. See, poor Mr. Hsieh claimed the @dennys account, but the clueless menuologists didn't get the memo, because the back page of the dinner menu has a "Join the conversation!" section that implores diners to follow Denny's on Twitter ... at twitter.com/dennys. Meanwhile, America eagerly awaits Mr. Hsieh's Twitter response to his new worldwide fame....
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[Photo: Flickr/DannyMx]
CHAINLAND—Delightfully tacky Japanese chain Benihana had a rough quarter and has been hurting financially lately. To try to remedy the situation, Benihana will try to raise $30 million through a merger and stock offering that will be put to a shareholder vote next week, though two of the biggest shareholders are opposed to the plan. Oh, the drama. [BJ]
CANADA—Did you know that Gail Simmons is a proud Canadian? In a profile in the Toronto Star, Simmons recounts her rise to glory from a "a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed girl from ...
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According to Philippe Chow, famous people that admire/love/want to have sex with Philippe Chow include Barack Obama, Martha Stewart, and Eric Ripert. [Miami New Times]
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Despite a well-documented flameout by fellow upscale empire-builder Gordon Ramsay, Alain Ducasse's worldwide expansion plans haven't subsided at all. The French superchef's latest project will take him to the new W resort on a little Caribbean island called Vieques that has more horses than people and no direct flights from the US. What could possibly go wrong? [DB]
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Click the image above to view the full photogallery.
As promised, here we have a tour of the newest venture from an Iron Chef, the days-old Garces Trading Company by Jose Garces, courtesy of Facebook. Sticking with the recent trend of fancy chefs going downscale and experimenting with new concepts, Garces Trading Co. is equal parts gourmet grocery, all-day cafe, wine shop and takeout spot with both housemade and imported foodstuffs. For more on the concept and food program, check out Midtown Lunch's early report....
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PHILADELPHIA—Yesterday, newest Iron Chef Jose Garces rolled out his latest restaurant, named Garces Trading Company. It's an eatery with both sit-down and take-out options, with the focus on meats, cheeses, sandwiches and more. Bonus: Midtown Lunch was there to take in the glory, including Garces himself working behind the counter. More on Garces' new baby tomorrow, promise. [ML]
LAUNCHES & RELEASES—Have you checked out NBC's new restaurant-centric website, Feast, yet? It launched today in New York and Miami, with Chicago and Los Angeles reportedly on the way next. As noted by Eater ...
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In addition to vouching for the veracity of his anti-Robin screeds last season ("It was not staged at all. I genuinely do not care for the woman"), Eli Kirshtein discusses the ups and downs of going on a show like Top Chef: "The best thing is that it gives you culinary credibility, and people recognize who you are which opens up opportunities. The worst is that some people think it automatically eliminates culinary credibility: They think you don't know what you're doing, that you're just a novelty act." [VV]
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Just two months into her joint concept on the West Coast with LA star chef Mark Peel, NYC's Pegu Club cocktail hotshot Audrey Saunders has left their restaurant/lounge project, the Tar Pit. The split between Peel and Saunders is being called "a parting of the ways" and it also means that Saunders is no longer a partner in the project either. The bizarre news is even more surprising given that the Tar Pit has been absolutely packed in the earlygoing. Curious, no? [Eater LA]
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Christopher Kostow already holds two Michelin stars and was proclaimed as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs last year, but today, the Meadowood (Napa, CA) chef is probably having a good day, to say the least. In addition to getting nominated for a James Beard Award in the regional chef category, Kostow and his Meadowood staff became the latest Bay Area restaurant to be anointed with a rare four stars from Michael Bauer and the San Francisco Chronicle, making it the ninth restaurant in the Bay Area to hold that ...
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Grant Achatz was one of the judges at this month's Bocuse d'Or USA competition, and he shares a little insight from the judging process. Perhaps most interestingly is the unique American team quality of using restaurant chefs that possess more modern style: "And the crossing over of restaurant cooks will help modernize the competition and bring a larger public awareness, which in turn will help produce a more talented group of competitors, like this year's winner, James Kent. The question is: will the international panel of judges embrace this type of thinking? [The ...
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