Cyrus is closing its doors at the end of October. The Le Mars Hotel in which it is housed bought out Douglas Keane’s longterm lease so it can replace Cyrus with a full-service hotel restaurant that offers room service. SO, I consider myself extremely lucky to have been in Healdsburg before the last meal. We […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'culinary travel' Category
Topolobampo–Chicago
I’ve been a fan of Frontera Grill for as long as it’s been open. But I’d never tried its more upscale neighbor Topolobampo–I just couldn’t believe it would captivate me in the same way. And the menu is meat-oriented, which can be problematic when traveling with my sister, who is not a carnivore (otherwise she’s […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Pump Room–Chicago
No, it’s not your mother’s Pump Room, the one that hosted celebrities for decades in the old Ambassador East Hotel. Though black and white photos from those halcyon days grace many of its walls, the new Pump Room is a total redo. Ian Schrager (of Studio 54 fame) recently bought the hotel and renamed it […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Girl and the Goat
Stephanie Izard has been on a roll ever since winning Season 4 of Top Chef on Bravo. Shortly after becoming the first and to date only woman to win that competition, she opened her own restaurant. The Girl and the Goat has been packed since the day she opened the doors and, after a recent […]
Read the rest of this entry »Momofuku Saam Bar–New York City
In case anyone has wondered what kind of meal really makes me happy, read on. I am a fan of all things David Chang. His cookbook, which could double as a bookend, holds my attention like a Greg Iles thriller, and the index of recipes conjures up a fantasy of meals to be created. Each […]
Read the rest of this entry »Matsuhisa Aspen
Nobu Matsuhisa has made a name for himself with a slew of sushi restaurants dotted around the world. One of his newest endeavors is in an historic Victorian house in Aspen. Its quaint exterior belies the size of the restaurant, made possible by a clever digging way down into the earth to create the reservations-only […]
Read the rest of this entry »Il Mulino Aspen
If you’ve never been to one of Il Mulino‘s many locations, I have two words for you, “pace yourself”. I recently went to the one in Aspen–the original is in New York, though there are locations across the country and in Tokyo. From the very moment you sit down you will be inundated with food. […]
Read the rest of this entry »Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen
Cindy Pawlcyn has been a mainstay in Napa Valley for more than two decades, when she scored her first success with the still popular Mustards Grill. Her latest venture, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, is located in a charming house in St. Helena, CA. This quaint gem also has an adorable little courtyard for outdoor dining (which […]
Read the rest of this entry »Solbar in Calistoga, CA
The fact that I was on a long-awaited family vacation may have influenced my thinking. Or perhaps it was the relief of leaving behind Kansas City’s high humidity and temperatures. But a recent visit to Solbar restaurant in Napa Valley confirmed all the hype…this is a very special spot. We sat outside surrounded by palm […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Slanted Door–San Francisco
The Slanted Door is not a trendy new restaurant on the Bay. Though it moved to its current and hip location in the Ferry building several years ago, Charles Phan opened the original back in 1995, and it has thrived ever since. It’s easy to understand the enduring quality of the Slanted Door and its […]
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