restaurants
an appetite grows in brooklyn
Whenever I visit my friend Annette in NYC, we plan epic, day-long food tours, roaming Manhattan from morning until the wee hours. But on my latest visit to the Big Apple, while nearly seven months pregnant, a walking tour of Manhattan’s finest culinary creations lost some of its allure. So instead we decided to... »
a perfect slice
Pizza in New York is more than a snack, it’s a way of life. And New Yorkers get quite cantankerous over the subject of the “best” slice. I’m not sure what makes a piece of pizza the best to a New Yorker, but I do know when I come upon a perfect slice. The best... »
eating seattle
Although Valentine’s Day may be over, the book tour for Romancing the Stove is still going strong. In planning the trip to Oregon for the Pacific Northwest leg of the tour, it seemed like taking a couple of extra days to experience Seattle was a necessity. I don’t really know much about Seattle beyond... »
from providence to vancouver, the way I like to eat
I’ve been on a bit of an eating orgy for the past 10 days. First I spent Thanksgiving weekend in LA with my family… eating. (That’s what you’re supposed to do Thanksgiving weekend, after all!) Then from 80 degrees and sunshine I slapped on the winter boots to head for Vancouver to… eat! (Isn’t... »
a downtown called napa
I was excited to receive an invitation to a three-day gastronomic tour of downtown Napa. Like most visitors to California’s most famous wine country, I’m fairly well acquainted with the valley floor dotted with vineyards sandwiched between 29 and the Silvarado Trail. But, although I have twice stayed in hotels in downtown Napa, I... »
if you’re starving, is it really the happiest place on earth?
I’ve always known theme parks to be culinary wastelands on a more grand scale, even, than a turnpike rest stop. But I never stopped to question WHY? That is until I was recently invited to an event at Universal Studios to celebrate a Sante award given to the theme park’s independent dining establishment, the... »
what’s in a name? on oahu, it seems to be the secret to restaurant success
On a one-week trip to Oahu, I hit a plethora of dining hot spots: Alan Wong’s, Roy’s, Ola’s, Terry’s Place, Agnes Bakery, Morimoto, Sam Choy’s and Buzz’s Steakhouse. (Hey, eating is my job.) Do you see a trend here? It seems that in Hawaii, the mark of culinary glory is your name… on an... »
ken oringer, how do I love thee?… let me count the ways
I love the for your bread and the depth of wines on Clio’s list. I love thee for Clio’s soft light and the purity of your cuisine’s flavors. I love thee for your uni and lobster cassoulet, your raw fish and your foams. I love thee for the Champagne bubbles that tickle the nose,... »
cape cod restaurant crawl
Each summer I spend a few weeks on Cape Cod and I usually have pretty good luck with the weather but there is always the inevitable stormy day. So what do you do when it rains at the beach? Explore all the restaurants receiving local buzz… in one night! Yesterday afternoon, while I was... »
magnolia vs kiss my bundt: my personal cupcake wars
In July 2010, New York’s most famous cupcakes opened an outpost just down the street from what I have for two years considered to be the best cake in Los Angeles (and some of the best in the country), Kiss My Bundt. So, of course, I had to do a cake-off. Joined by friends,... »