Alinea in Chicago, in January. With the wind howling off lake Michigan it’s a very cold place, especially so this year. A polar vortex brought freezing temperatures far below normal. Who in their right mind would plan an excursion there in the dead of winter? Well I did, and the great salesman that I am, persuaded three friends to go with me. The lure was an opportunity to dine at Alinea. With amazing, imaginative food and theatre in equal measure, it’s a highly sought ticket.
It’s a lot of fun dining at three star michelin restaurants, but it’s even more fun dining at restaurants like Temporis. They have only one michelin star, but they have the heart and soul of a restaurant with four.
When I discovered Enrique Olvero of Pujol had a restaurant in New York I had to dine there. The icing on the cake was that Enrique’s partner and executive chef was Daniela Soto-Innes.
Le Bernardin sits atop the restaurant world in the United States, recently named the best by La Liste. Accolades are nothing new for partner’s Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert, holding both a three star Michelin and a four star New York Times rating. In addition there are innumerable James beard and World’s best awards.
The Aviary is the brainchild of Chef Grant Achatz focused on cocktails with the same inspiration and creativity you find at his restaurants.
Atomix, pronounced counter intuitively as Aa-toe-mix was the unexpected gastronomic thrill of our recent visit to NYC. I knew that Atomix held a recently acquired Michelin star and a 4 star NY Times rating, but they opened barely a year ago without a great deal of fanfare. That anonymity is quickly coming to an end. I told my son, the other restaurants on our agenda will be hard pressed to surpass the dinner we were having at Atomix.
Nicos was founded in 1956 by the mother of Chef Gerardo Vasquez Lugo. He honors her legacy with fantastic, authentic food and service.
Quintonil and Jorge Vallejo, is near top of the world. Specifically, his restaurant is #7 on the World’s Best list and 2 Michelin Stars.
Chef Enrique Olvero of Pujol is labeled as the founder of molecular mexican gastronomy, or the godfather of nuevo mexican cuisine because of the impressive list of chefs that have worked with him and then achieved success in their own right. Regardless how you choose to describe him, one thing is certain. The ambiance, food and service is deserving of the 13th best restaurant in the world.
First dinner in CDMX celebrated at at Maximo Bistrot in Mexico City. Highly regarded and ranked #37 in the Latin America top 50.
A note, presented in a velvet lined sandalwood box is given to the first guest each evening. I read it aloud to my dinner companions and that was the beginning of our Lorea experience.
November 22nd, 1963, 1:30 PM. I was in Mr. Purvis’ core class when the announcement was made over the loudspeaker system that President John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed.