Archive for October, 2009

Day two of my NY gastronomic odyssey was off to a shaky start. Waking up to coffee and a train ride, my stomach was not ready to cooperate with my quest for the best of Lower Manhattan gastronomy. A bagel and cup of ginger tea later, I was up for a brisk walk but... »

Every couple of years I like to go to NYC to eat. This year’s pilgrimage was a bit more challenging than previous visits. No, it wasn’t for losing favorite haunts to the recession or personal financial crunch. My problem was much more basic. I traveled all the way to New York for dinner and... »

Like food fanatics and tv junkies everywhere, I was thrilled to hear that Top Chef Masters was picked up for a second season. (A little surprised about the choice to bring Kelly Choi back, did anyone get this casting?) My mind immediately started planning my dream roster of contestants. Of course, Thomas Keller of... »

This week I attended what I thought was going to be your typical wine dinner but I must have driven down the rabbit hole on my way because I made a left turn into crazytown. One dinners are one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. Wineries need to get journalists to taste... »

From time to time, my job brings the duties of judging food or wine competitions. Over the weekend I was a judge of a chocolate competition. I know what you're thinking. This would be the one competition you would want to judge. »

In celebration of its upcoming 3rd(!) printing, today we shot a new cover for my first cookbook, fork me, spoon me. (Yep, we’ve had 3 printings in 4 years). The decision to create a new cover for the book was due to both the book’s and our company’s success. In November, Life of Reiley... »

Food is my first passion but I’m a huge supporter of all the (as I like to think of them) functional arts–this, of course, includes cooking, wine making, cocktail creation but also includes home decor items like hand-hammered picture frames, artisan forged drawer pulls, blown glass vases as well as, possibly most importantly, fashion.... »