Dining on the Vegas strip gives me sticker shock, even compared to the SF Bay Area. Luckily, there’s a growing number of excellent off-strip options with more reasonable prices. Kame Omakase, located 30 minutes out in Summerlin, is one of those spots. During the 2-hour meal, Chef Eric Kim takes a small group of diners… Read More Kame Omakase – Modern Japanese Off the Las Vegas Strip
Maum continues the trend of tasting menus that incorporate traditional Asian flavors in a modern and elevated dining experience. In contrast to other SF Bay Area spots like SingleThread Farms or Manresa that draw inspiration from Asian ingredients and techniques, I would consider Maum to be more similar to Benu, Hiroshi, Eight Tables, or the now-shuttered Mosu SF.… Read More Maum – A Modern Korean Tasting Menu in Palo Alto
A great way to skip the line at the Eiffel Tower? Make reservations at Le Jules Verne, Chef Alain Ducasse’s restaurant inside the Eiffel Tower! Be prepared to pay though, because this was rather pricey for a one Michelin Star spot. Tasting menus start at 105€ for three courses (weekday lunch only) and climb to… Read More Dining Inside the Eiffel Tower at Le Jules Verne – Paris, France
Fresh off the high of excellent fine dining in Barcelona (Disfrutar, Tickets, Enigma), I was looking forward to my first three Michelin star experience in Spain. Not only does Arzak have three stars, it’s one of the rare World’s 50 Best Restaurants to be headed by a female chef (no. 31 of 50). I even… Read More The Letdown of Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain
Getting a ticket to Tickets Barcelona is no easy feat. The word is out – this may be the best value fine dining in the city, if not the world. The tapas here are a mix of elBulli’s greatest hits, along with equally impressive new creations. You can order a la carte or opt for… Read More Accessible Fine Dining at Tickets Tapas Bar – Barcelona, Spain
And the longest tasting menu award goes to…Enigma Concept for their 40+ courses, but after 20 or so who’s counting anymore? From the creative mind of Albert Adrià (of the elBarri restaurant empire and elBulli fame), Enigma Concept is a culinary journey into a futuristic dream world. While I did enjoy the experience, I felt… Read More The Futuristic Menu at Enigma Concept – Barcelona, Spain
Disfrutar means “enjoy” in Spanish, and true to its name, the lunch experience here was one of the more enjoyable meals I’ve had. With a delightful combo of whimsical table-side presentations, our extra cheerful server, and a zen dining space, there was much to love about Disfrutar. I found myself smiling and feeling especially carefree during a… Read More The Disfrutar Especial Tasting Menu – Barcelona, Spain
What’s a perk of having two weddings? Two anniversaries! Since our two weddings were a month apart, it made sense to have a month long celebration! Singlethread Farm was my original pick for my husband’s surprise birthday dinner in 2016, but due to opening delays it didn’t pan out. After 1.5 years of anticipation, we… Read More A Midweek Escape at Singlethread Farm – Healdsburg, CA
I’ve been dragging my feet on my recap of é by José Andrés, but four months later is better than never right? Eight other trips, a job change, and 100s of meals later…here’s a throwback to December 2017! é in Las Vegas was probably the most intimate dining experience I’ve had. You share a chef’s… Read More The Chef’s Table at é by José Andrés – Las Vegas
Our household has an obsession with persimmons. Because of the limited, seasonable nature of this fruit (typically November through February), we go a bit crazy at the local farmer’s market this time of year. In February, we found flats of 24 very ripe Hachiya persimmons for $10/flat. These usually go for $2+ per fruit here,… Read More Your New Favorite Quick Bread – Persimmon Whiskey Bread with Pecans and Dried Apricots
