So I was finally able to visit La Dame de Pic in Paris … in October they were full. The restaurant has an open kitchen and an intimate dining room … One of the more interesting elements is that the server presents guests with an “aroma” card with words like “spice” and “floral” on it, [...]

See this salad? It is a work of art. I am at the Five Senses restaurant in Avignon and this restaurant is a real find … … the meal starts off with a selection of hors d’oeurves, followed by a choice of different menus … One of the fun things was choosing my first wine [...]

Our group of professionals (we are chefs, journalists, food scientists) had our last luxurious lunch at the celebrated L’Assiette Champenoise. It was a very glamorous space, run by Arnaud Lallement grew up in a restauranteur family in Châlons-sur-Vesle.  At 18, with a Diploma from the Strasbourg Hotel & Catering College in his pocket, Arnaud went [...]

“Krug champagne!” Well, what else would you expect when having dinner with Jean-Michel and Jean-Charles Cazes at the restaurant inside the exclusive Cordeillan-Bages hotel in Pauillac. The hotel (managed by Relais & Chateau) is gorgeous and the atmosphere is very refined and relaxed. We are gathered together to experience the talent of the new chef, [...]

  Fabulous evening last night at the Leopard at des Artistes! Very ‘old school’ Italian in terms of the elegance of service, with fish deboned tableside. Bar was … interesting  … and is someplace I would definately go when I am in the mood to jot down character studies for a new book or screenplay. [...]

This is a very nice option for an elegant lunch in St. Maxim, as the area is a very active market place and the usual crowded outdoor cafes abound. The Convent Royal is very quiet, and qutie formal. The food is very good. The menu as I recall is three-course, and the wines a good [...]

Hostellerie de L’Abbye de la Celle This is a fabulous restaurant, especially when the weather is great and one can sit outdoors. Arrived just when it opened and thought the menu quite good and creative. I will find the pictures and load them, here is a link to the web site. Like most top restaurants [...]

Domaine de Clairefontaine is a charming restaurant and apparently luxurious hotel in the N. Rhone. We rushed here after a visit to E. Guigal, terrified we would miss the last seating and miss one of the last opportunities for a Michelin rated lunch as we had in Arles. The hotel is actually in the middle [...]

“Look, horns!” A blonde gestures to the gleaming white fiberglass priapic shapes jutting above the heads of the testosterone-fueled bar crowd at the glamorous new Meatpacking steakhouse STK. “How apropos!” With its sleek, dramatic design, STK exemplifies the new female-friendly, NYC steakhouse geared to a younger, hipper crowd. Under the direction of executive chef Todd [...]

Napa Valley The Restaurant at Meadowood Go Fish New York City Stk – All the World’s a Stage BLT Rocks in Manhattan

“This is so curious!” says a sultry brunette in a little black dress at the next table, lifting a bite of caramelized scallop to her lips. “This is a theme restaurant – in a Las Vegas casino. Yet the cuisine…

Okay, let’s face it! Certain things are to be expected when you think of a Las Vegas steakhouse, and good steak is almost the least of them. If you are like me, you are expecting a very sultry, sexy, lounge-type…

Society!” exclaims a friend as we walk down a gorgeous hallway in the new Wynn Encore resort, with a view of the pool on one side and the casino on the other. “What a name for a restaurant!” Yes, the…

“Hey, the walls are moving!” I exclaim, putting down my glass of A.H. Hirsch Reserve bourbon. I’ve only had one sip, yet apparently it was a large one, because looking up, the ceiling is opening, too! “Relax,” says the waiter,…

Asian fusion is so…2008!” proclaims a Barbie blonde holding court in the Wazuzu restaurant at the new Wynn Encore resort in Las Vegas. Like many of the glamorous diners at this most exotic restaurant, Barbie conducts herself with the air…

I think some of you know I write restaurant reviews for international papers like London’s Financial Times. In Boston I wrote newspaper reviews as well – and now, in NYC, I’m doing the same. Here’s a just -today published reviews…