Tasty Takeaways from Music City Food +Wine
The fifth annual Music City Food +Wine festival was held this past weekend at Bicentennial Park and it did not disappoint. In an effort to keep up with the ever-evolving culinary scene in the Music City, festival programming was expanded to include a Friday Night Grand Taste highlighting more of our local chefs and restaurateurs. One noticeable change this year was the ratio of booze to food.
Brunch So Hard: Public House Bar and Kitchen
While working my way through the various brunches in Nashville (is that list ever long), I stumbled upon Public House Bar and Kitchen. This was not my first time at the Urban Cowboy outpost. I have spent many a night sipping bourbon cocktails at their bar or curled up by their fire pit, but it was my first food encounter.
Pursuit of the Perfect Pizza: Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder
When you hear Chicago what comes to mind? Da Bears? The Bean in Millennium Park? The terribly long line that forms at Garrett's Popcorn? Maybe it's the World Series Champions, the Chicago Cubbies.
Cocktailing In East Nashville
Weekends. Do you exist anymore? I am beginning to wonder. If I remember correctly, a weekend was defined by the time I closed out of PowerPoint and shut my computer down on Friday afternoon until it was booted back up on Monday morning. This time was typically used for leisurely activities: checking out movies, shopping, and cocktailing with my friends.
Le Bernardin: Where Seafood is the Star
Le Bernardin is one of the premier gourmand destinations for seafood lovers. Opened by Gilbert Le Coze and his sister Maguy Le Coze as Les Moines de St. Bernardin in 1972, the brother/sister team decided to transport this culinary excellence to New York City and reopened as Le Bernardin in 1986.
NYC Nosh: Modern Mexican @Cosme
Wandering around New York City will certainly work up an appetite. For someone who relishes Mexican cuisine as much as I do, I would have been remiss not to visit Cosme. Located in the Flatiron district, Cosme is the brainchild of world renown chef Enrique Olvera who is also the creative mastermind behind Pujol, located in Mexico, and Atla, located in New York City.
San Francisco: Home Cafe
Visiting San Francisco meant one thing, checking out Home Cafe. Haven't heard it of? Well, stay tuned my friends. I am about to give you run down.
Why I paid $900 to dine at Saison
Acquiring Michelin stars has been a hobby of mine for quite some time, albeit a costly one for both my wallet and my waistline. In the midst of planning my annual trip to San Francisco, I decided it was a great time to add a few Michelin stars to my list seeing as the Bay Area now has as many three star restaurants as New York City.
D.C. Dining: Lupo Verde Brunch
Brunch. It's a social institution and there's arguably no better way to start your weekend. What do you look for when making your brunch selection? Champagne and Caviar service? Amazing eggs benny? What about that extra crispy Benton's bacon?
D.C. Dining: Rose's Luxury
Lately, it seems as if I am developing a habit of standing in lengthy lines for dinner. First Street XO and now Rose's Luxury. The question that is always asked: "was it worth it?" You'll have to read and find out!
D.C. Dining: minibar by José Andrés
I just returned from a weekend of wandering around Washington D.C. and I can't wait to share my dining adventures! Washington D.C. is not necessarily a place that is on my radar but one of my dearest girlfriends moved there for graduate school so of course, I had to visit! There's nothing better than enjoying sensational food with your best friends.
Madrid Musings: Mercado de San Miguel
One of my favorite "foodie" experiences during my trip to Madrid was visiting the Mercado de San Miguel. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I went each day while I was there. The market reminded me of the West Side Market in Cleveland, but with serious Spanish flair. There are a variety of vendors (over 30, I believe) serving different tapas dishes, meats, sherry, and seafood. I didn't even know where to begin, so I just started wandering.
Madrid Musings: El Club Allard
Everyone has a story but I find the story of a chef to be particularly interesting. After reading several articles on El Club Allard, I knew I had to meet Chef Maria Marte. Her display of tenacity and perseverance is one for all to admire.
Madrid Musings: Street XO
As you all know by now, I am notorious for planning all of my vacations around food. Before I even made flight or hotel reservations for Madrid, I checked to see what Michelin star restaurants were in the area. Imagine my excitement when I discovered that there were 14 different restaurants with Michelin star rankings, and that doesn't even include the World's 50 Best list! Seeing how Diver XO and Alinea recently collaborated, it was one of the first places to research.
Next Restaurant takes us back to Ancient Rome
Every year around November/December, I anxiously anticipate Next Restaurant's menus for the upcoming year. Chef Grant Achatz and Chef Jenner Tomaska are both imaginative and calculated with their menu iterations.
Save The Date: Music City Food and Wine Festival September 15-17, 2017
Calling all food connoisseurs, music lovers and imbibing enthusiasts! The fifth annual Music City Food and Wine Festival returns to Nashville on September 15-17. In an effort to keep up with the ever evolving culinary scene in the Music City, the festival producers have decided to spice things up a bit.
Windy City Bites: Yuzu Sushi and Robata Grill
Confession: My name is Catherine Courtney and I eat for the insta. Let's be honest, everyone does it whether they admit it or not. It's an epidemic.
A Rick Bayless Classic: Topolobampo
Every time I go to Chicago, I try to make it to a few new restaurants. Over the past eighteen months, it's been harder and harder to abbreviate my list as the Chicago dining scene is always evolving. When one place closes, three more open making it exhausting for this Nashville girl to keep up.
Doughnuts and Dive Bars: The Charlotte Edition
Sharing Flavors & Laughter at Kid Cashew
Taking a trip to Charlotte in the near future? If so, I have a place that you MUST try. Kid Cashew. It is EVERYTHING. Literally, it might be my favorite brunch I've had in the last six months and that is one serious statement from a girl who loves to brunch!
New Orleans is a city that takes its food seriously, and after a weekend filled with beignets, po’boys, and enough oysters to last a lifetime, I thought I had tasted it all. But then came Mosquito Supper Club—a dining experience that felt less like a restaurant and more like a love letter to Cajun cuisine.