Bites from the Road

Franklin’s Barbecue, Austin, TX

Our first day in Austin we headed to the famous BBQ joint where the lines are legendary. Word has it that Obama was the only person to ever cut the long lines at Franklin's where the wait is often 3 to 4 hours. We lucked out and only waited 1 1/2 — sort of like waiting for New Haven's Pepe's Pizza — you do it once just for the experience, while getting to know the stories of your fellow line-waiters. As you're waiting, one of the staff warns you of what offerings might be gone by the time you get to the front of the line. That staff person promised [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:00-04:00December 31st, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|1 Comment
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Halifax at the W, Hoboken, New Jersey

I had planned to visit Halifax at the W hotel in Hoboken for brunch recently when I learned that the PATH train had suspended service on weekends until sometime in December. Plan B moved into action on a Friday night when I headed there for their riverside views Manhattan's skyline instead. Executive Chef Seadon Shouse handed us a special tasting menu he had created that included his latest fall offerings. This is one passionate chef, who explained how he house-made most all of the ingredients in the dishes he had selected. We started with a glass of Lambrusco Reggiano, Donelli, Emilia-Romagna Italy, NV ($56, per bottle) to accompany chef's signature [...]

By |2017-09-01T16:56:08-04:00October 30th, 2016|USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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XIX Nineteen – Hyatt At The Bellevue, Philadelphia

I knew I'd be in Philadelphia attending my friends' wedding at the Atrium of the Curtis Center, so I checked around with the food publicists to see who handled Philly and whether there was a place I could review. Bingo! That's how I ended up on the nineteenth floor of the Hyatt At The Bellevue for lunch the day after the amazing nuptials celebration. The dome-shaped room with magnificent views of the city of brotherly love is pretty much as it was when built in 1904, although it was renovated with warm tones in 2006. We were told to be careful about what we discussed as the dome effect allows [...]

By |2017-08-31T15:05:47-04:00June 29th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Shell & Bones, New Haven, CT

I returned to New Haven for a bridal shower, and wanted to stop in at the new Shell & Bones that opened after I moved away. We had a 7 pm reservation, arrived 15 minutes early - and weren't seated until about quarter to 8 and that's with knowing both the owner and the chef. An auspicious beginning. We started with a couple of things from the bar menu that the Dan the owner, had described to us while we were waiting for our table. I'd recommend the smoked trout spread with chopped fennel, radishes and cucumbers served ($8) with toast points. Instead of the dried fruit and nuts that [...]

By |2017-08-31T15:40:18-04:00May 27th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Bidwell, Union Market, Washington DC

When I mentioned to a New York City restaurant publicist that I was heading to DC for the weekend, she said I must try Bidwell, Chef John Mooney’s responsibly sourced restaurant at Union Market. Bidwell's actually offers roof to table cuisine, as much of the produce served at the restaurant comes their own crop of fruit and vegetables grown in planters on the roof. They also butcher own meat. As their guest, we were able to sample many of their offerings, starting with their most unusual sushi-grade tuna nachos. That contained chunks of tuna nestled into guacamole atop tempura battered kale chips with a soupçon of spicy chipotle mayo. Not [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:00-04:00May 18th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Big City Tavern, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

While visiting a friend in the Fl Lauderdale area, I accepted an invite to try the new menu at Big City Tavern. I am so glad I did. With our cocktails, we indulged in their a few starters. Do try the unusual Asian honey-glazed chicken wings ($12.50). What's not to like about truffle parmesan hand-cut French fries? ($10.50)   And, so that we could sample more than one pizza variety, we asked for half Margherita (San Marzano sauce, fresh basil, mozzarella $15) and half Salsicce (with sausage, $16) all covered in fresh arugula (+$3.75). Not NY pizza, but still good. Even better are the entrees we sampled. The rich and [...]

By |2017-08-31T15:42:28-04:00April 21st, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Driftwood, Nautilus Hotel, Miami Beach

When I arrived at the Driftwood Room inside the new Nautilus South Beach Hotel, the chef — Alex Guarnaschelli — was actually there at a table with some business associates. That wasn't surprising as  the day I was invited to stop by for lunch was during the South Beach Food and Wine Festival where Alex was a participant. Her menu is described as "cuisine of South France with a Miami palate;" her offerings though were pretty ordinary. What was lovely was sitting outside on the patio by the pool and the friendly service. We started with a couple of the restaurant's "for the table" offerings along with our cocktails ($15). [...]

By |2017-08-31T15:42:28-04:00April 7th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Winemaking Cooperative of Carpi and Sorbara, A Visit

Before heading to the winery Cooperative of Carpi and Sorbara, I met with representatives of Lambrusco for a wonderful meal at Clorofilla Wine & Restaurant (via Vittorio Veneto n.2 Carpi, Italy), where we had about a dozen choices of their fizzy wines. The majority of Lambrusco (meaning wild grape) is produced in Italy's culinary mecca, the Emilia Romagna region where I was visiting. Lambrusco can be either a refreshingly fizzy slightly sweet or a dry wine. Because of that fizz and its acidity, Lambrusco is traditionally served with salumi, sausages and rich meat pasta sauces that the region is also famous for. We happily sampled all of those pairs during lunch. [...]

By |2017-09-01T16:55:51-04:00March 25th, 2016|Food & Drinks, World, World Restaurants, World Travel|0 Comments
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Talde, Miami Beach, FL

While in Miami Beach for the South Beach food and wine festival (#SOBEWFF), I stayed at the Thomson Miami Beach and was invited to sample their new restaurant Talde operated by the same team that has Talde Brooklyn, Talde Jersey City, Thistle Hill Tavern, and Pork Slope. Lucky us, creative chef Dale Talde was in house that day. I liked this high-energy tavern-like restaurant with innovative twists on Asian food so much better than my Brooklyn experience. I'd suggest starting with the not-too-sweet plum basil margarita, made with house-made plum-basil syrup, El Jimador silver and Triple Sec, garnished with Thai basil ($12). Do try the nod to the NYC pretzel [...]

By |2017-08-31T15:42:28-04:00March 20th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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The Continental, Miami Beach, FL

Stephen Starr's The Continental, on Miami Beach, has a vintage-feel with a brunch menu not to be missed. It's also a fun place to just grab a drink. I had both recently when at the SOBE Food & Wine Festival (#SOBEWFF). As a Moscow mule fan, I had to start with the bright red dragonfruit one containing a smidgen of that fruit puree in a regular drink. Refreshing for sure ($14). Before our eggs — with our cocktails — we sampled their light and flavorful Vietnamese summer roll filled with shrimp, "crab" sticks, broken rice noodles and herbs and accompanied by a peanut sauce ($14). I'd recommend that over their [...]

By |2017-08-31T15:42:29-04:00March 18th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Monari Federzoni, a Visit

Those who've been to Italy know that their balsamic vinegar is not just for dressing salads. This fall I was invited to visit Monari Federzoni in the Emilia-Romagna region. They’re the oldest Italian company making balsamic vinegar, doing so for over 100 years, since 1912. The company says it’s their family’s love for the land and their tradition that are the secrets behind their carefully crafted balsamic vinegar That real balsamico is made only in the Emilia Romagna region around the towns of Modena and Reggio and given an IGP (Protected Geographical Indication). That’s the Italian government’s denomination of protected origin. It's a guarantee that what you’re eating is a local Italian specialty; [...]

By |2017-09-01T16:55:44-04:00February 26th, 2016|Bites from the Road, Food & Drinks, World, World Travel|0 Comments
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The Cookery, Dobbs Ferry, NY

The publicist had been after me for a long time to take a train ride north to Dobbs Ferry to try David DiBari's cooking. I finally made the trip. Sadly Dave wasn’t there, as he was at his year-old wood-fired pizza restaurant The Parlor, nearby. His staff, though, took great care of us helping to navigate the menu to be sure we sampled Dave's specialties. I had learned that the chef was the youngest Westchester to earn an “Excellent" rating in the New York Times. From my research, I learned The Cookery had become synonymous for the osso buco and the meatballs, voted the best in the area by Westchester [...]

By |2017-09-01T16:55:34-04:00February 24th, 2016|USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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The Cottage, Westport, CT

Brian Lewis recently opened The Cottage, a 44-seat restaurant (formerly The Farm), across the Boston Post Road from The Westport Country Playhouse. Like his former place The Elm, Brian considers the restaurant a modern American one, featuring changing seasonal menus that spotlight regional local farmers and artisans. His creative dishes show off his skill at highlighting the flavors and textures of individual ingredients adding a soupçon of the culture of Italy, Spain, France, Japan and/or New England. I was invited to sample his cooking recently. Brian made us small plates of practically the entire menu! (If you'd also like to have a tasting menu, all you need to do is [...]

By |2017-09-01T16:55:27-04:00February 9th, 2016|USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Corte D’Aibo, Monteveglio, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Owner Antonio Capelli greeted me as I arrived in December at Corte D'Aibo, a rustic farmhouse located in Monteveglio not far — a short 30 minute drive — from Bologna. Their rooms (only 12) are quite spacious with views of the organic vineyards and surrounding hills. Each morning Louisa served me breakfast with yogurt, granola, fresh fruit and a tray of homemade cakes. Dinner at Corte D'Aibo was much more extensive with regional specialties and, of course, wine produced directly on the farm. The night we dined together, we began with an aperitivo of fried bites plus sliced meats with some Pignoletto Doc Frizzante. After that a delicate homemade onion soup [...]

By |2017-09-01T16:32:51-04:00January 26th, 2016|Bites from the Road, World Restaurants, World Travel|0 Comments
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Molly Bloom’s, Park City, UT

While holiday shopping, I was craving a burger and fries. I noticed Molly Bloom's, an Irish gastro pub in the Kimball Junction shopping center. My mouth watered at the menu description of their 1/3-pound burger — made with Niman Ranch beef — that would come topped with pepper Jack cheese, grilled jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, red onion and a pickle with hand-cut fries ($12). I ordered it. Good thing I wasn't in a rush! With the restaurant half empty I was surprised it took 30 minutes to get me my burger. At lest it was cooked medium rare as I had requested. The jalapeno's weren't grilled at all, just sliced as [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:01-04:00January 22nd, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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La Zaira, Valsamoggia, Italy

Upon arrival in Italy after checking into Corte D'Aibo, Monteveglio, owner-winemaker Antonio Capelli suggested we go out for lunch to an enotoca con cucina La Zaira in Valsamoggia (Emilia Romagna) Italy short drive from the farmhouse. We started with a small salad of streccapogn (wild chicory) with scrambled egg, baby onion, crisp pieces of wild pork cheek drizzled with balsamic vinegar and served with a basket of warm tigella, round flat bread that originated from the Apennines in Emilia Romagna region, Northern Italy).  With that we sipped an Orsi Vigneto San Vito, a pignoletto frizzante.. Since I couldn't decide which pasta to have, owner Belinda Cuniberti offered us smaller portions [...]

By |2017-09-01T16:58:10-04:00January 19th, 2016|Bites from the Road, World Restaurants, World Travel|0 Comments
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Vinto, Park City, UT

Consider taking a day off of the slopes when in the Park City (UT) area to learn some the history of Main Street while tasting the fare of several restaurants. Local resident Shirin Spangenberg hosts Park City Food Tours where you’ll hear how the town has gone from mining to dining — of course, sampling some goodies — while walking down the picturesque historic Main Street. If you’re tired from your day’s activities, there is a free trolley to take you back up the street..... Vinto was our fourth stop.... Luckily Vinto was our last stop as we were getting full. There we had a crisp  flatbread fontina pizza topped [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:02-04:00January 15th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Wasatch Brew Pub, Park City, UT

Consider taking a day off of the slopes when in the Park City (UT) area to learn some the history of Main Street while tasting the fare of several restaurants. Local resident Shirin Spangenberg hosts Park City Food Tours where you’ll hear how the town has gone from mining to dining — of course, sampling some goodies — while walking down the picturesque historic Main Street. If you’re tired from your day’s activities, there is a free trolley to take you back up the street. Our first stop... Owner Greg Schirf, owner of Utah’s first microbrewery and brewpub, brought the business of brewing beer to Utah. At the Wasatch Brew [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:02-04:00January 12th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Full House Asian Bistro, Kimball Junction, Park City, UT

Families skiing in the Park City area often look for reasonably priced places to take the kids. Full House Asian Bistro in the Kimball Junction shopping area is just that. This decent kid-friendly restaurant offers Chinese, Asian and Japanese selections. We started with the spicy wonton soup for two ($8) with steamed wontons in a sweet both made spicy with some chile oil. Warmed the soul from inside out. I'd recommend. Next we ordered Buddha’s feast with broccoli, carrots, black mushrooms and tofu ($11) made spicy, as asked them to make to do so. I was wanted a spicy dish like Buddha's with lots of veggies. Was fine, nothing special. I [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:02-04:00January 9th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|2 Comments
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High West Distillery & Saloon in Park City, Park City, UT

The warm fire outside of High West Distillery & Saloon in Park City invited us in to check it out. High West — located in Old Town — is Utah’s first distillery since the 1870’s, and the only ski-in gastro-distillery in the world. It's located at the bottom of Quittin’ Time ski run and next to the Town Lift. We weren't skiing but were in the mood for a drink. Instead of indulging in their small-batch, mountain-crafted, award-winning whiskeys, we opted for a beer. I had a Leffe Blonde ($7). Along with that libation, we ordered the warm, large house-made pretzel accompanied by whiskey whipped cheddar beer cheese,  a Dijon mustard [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:02-04:00January 4th, 2016|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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