When I posted about 5 US Culinary hot spots and The Catbird Seat chef Josh Habiger suggested City House as a worthy restaurant destination in Nashville, I figured I should check it out for myself when I was in town. Since Habiger suggested it, I expected it to be good, but I had no inkling how good, until I actually ate there with some friends. Continue reading
Once I tried their cooking in the less than deal environment of The James Beard House and it was so good, I knew I had to get myself down to Nashville to try the food of Erik Anderson and Josh Habiger at the source. I had never been to Nashville. I never really had a reason to go, but now I did – to dine at The Catbird Seat! Continue reading
When we were seated for our 8PM reservation, my first thought was, “I hope I didn’t make a big mistake.” The room was very dark, the restaurant was mobbed and the noise loud. The environment wasn’t quite what I had envisioned for this restaurant serving more refined Mexican influenced cuisine than its older sibling, now known as Empellón Taqueria. While, for some reason, I expected a more sedate restaurant, I should have known better, if for no other reason that it is located in the East Village on 1st Avenue. But, I have been a fan of Chef Alex Stupak since he opened Alinea as its original pastry chef. I followed him to WD-50 and then to the original Empellón. There was a reason I chose to dine at Empellón Cocina and once the food and drink started coming, I remembered why. Continue reading
I was lucky enough to attend the James Beard Awards last night in NYC. This annual event, which also acts as a celebration of James Beard’s birthday, brings together luminaries from the culinary world from all over the United States. Here are some photos from the “red carpet” arrivals. Continue reading
The most important mother left in my life is my wife, the mother of our children. I wish her and all mothers everywhere a very, very Happy Mothers’ Day!!!
Modena’s wonderful Albinelli Market is more than just pristine seafood. The vegetables, meats, cheeses, fruits, breads and pastas were also wonderful. See below for more photos of delights from this great Italian food market. Continue reading
We awoke to beautiful blue skies. On my last visit to Modena, I enjoyed the Albinelli Market, just a stone’s throw from our hotel, Cervetta 5. The Albarelli Market is a classic european Regional food market. I love both looking and shopping there, though for most of the items, I could only drool. I took my son in the morning with the covered, indoor market in full swing. The fish vendors had a great variety and the spring vegetables were abundant. The varieties of artichokes were particularly attractive. There were also plenty of meats, raw and cooked, including a whole roasted porchetta at one stand. Cheeses were plentiful and the breads included a host of unusual shapes. Given that we were in Emilia Romagna, the kaleidoscope of fresh pasta was no surprise. Wandering the aisles was a treat for the senses. Continue reading for some fishy photos from this lovely market. Continue reading
Massimo Bottura is not only one of my favorite chefs in the entire world, he is also one of my favorite people. He cooks for the palate, the stomach, the heart and the mind. He writes poetry through food and nourishes the soul as well as the body. When I was planning this trip, there were two things that I absolutely had to do. One was to go to the island of Elba, where the Sconzo name came from before it emigrated to Sicily in 1790. The other was to bring my son to Osteria Francescana. Continue reading
The city of Modena in Emiglia-Romagna in Italy is one of my favorite cities in Europe. It has beautiful architecture, delicious food and warm people. What more can one ask for?
The Hotel David in Florence turned out to be a wonderful little hotel. It is number one for hotels on Tripadvisor for a reason. What it lacks in location, it makes up for in amenities and helpful service. It is not particularly convenient to the main tourist attractions, though it is a nice walk on a nice day. There is also a bus that runs outside of the hotel to the historic center and the cost of a taxi is not outrageous. I chose the hotel because they offered free parking (which we were able to use even after we had checked out), but they also provided much more such as a free, full minibar, a 10 minute call home each day, free wi-fi and a decent breakfast. The room itself was also quite lovely and sized generously for Europe and the staff was warm and helpful. With all this, the price was still quite reasonable. I would absolutely recommend the hotel to anyone traveling to Florence with a car. Continue reading
