Drink, People's Republik, No. 9 Park, Eastern Standard, Doyle's, and Charlie's Kitchen all made Esquire's 2009 list of the Best Bars in America. Unlike its "Best" counterparts, Esquire's list is relatively unchanging, with most bars staying on the list...
After last week's fleeting rumor that the Tonga Room would close imminently, Curbed SF asked, why don't we make it a landmark already? The short answer is, because nobody's really tried. Planner Tim Fry said today that no proposals...
two.one.five magazine interviewed Philly chef du jour Jose Garces, and he dishes on things like his favorite Philly restaurants (Xochitl, Vetri, and Zento), how much he likes Philly, and so much more. He also talks about Whiskey Village, and how...
• It's kind of a disastrous evening for Mike Sula at Via Ventuno: the delights of a chicken liver bruschetta and deftly executed house-made pastas are undercut by tone-deaf sauces, unwieldily large entrees, and service so gaffe-prone it's impossible to...
The good: the New York Times "36 Hours in..." feature from today is all about Philadelphia. The better : it is not, as some point out, about how Philly is the "Sixth Borough." The best: not merely a piece on...
Molecular gastronomy “is the opposite of what I do,” Nate Appleman told Slashfood in an interview today. “I think you are getting too many young kids who are not doing the basics and doing this newfangled cuisine and I...
Word came down from Yountville today that Thomas Keller's ad hoc — French Laundry's casual cousin — will start serving breakfast. The restaurant currently offers a three-course brunch (because even when he's down-home, Keller is tasting menu kind of...
• The western-inflected Indian food (or is the other way around?) at Marigold comes under scrutiny this week, and Phil Vettel generally speaking likes the appetizers more than the entrees. The samosas in particular are a can't-miss dish. Bonus:...
It turns out Bay Area chefs --from Martin Yan to Guy Fieri -- are something of a staple on the small screen, something we need reminding of in this world of Bastianiches and Batalis. This upcoming season is no exception,...
Jose Duarte prepares causa The online video cookbook how2heroes celebrated its one-year anniversary at the Bulthaup Kitchen Showroom last night in a manner fitting its mission: with cooking pros teaching partygoers the tricks of the trade. Front and center...
Estrella Damm's Inedit beer isn't launching in the US until the fall, and even New Yorkers have to wait for it. The Ferran Adrià-endorsed brew is available at a Puck Fair, but it won't be until next week that Adrià...
The most recent issue of Grid is out, and this time around, the magazine devoted to sustainability (in and around Philly) is all about food. There's a lot to absorb — like a piece about a Lancaster farm collective, the...
Food & Wine's newly published Cocktails '09 includes their list of the nation's top 100 cocktail bars, and the Bay Area naturally makes a good showing. With 13 entries (including both Charles Phan restaurants), we show just behind New York....
Craigie On Main, Drink, Eastern Standard, Green Street , Lobby, and RumBa have all made Food & Wine's 2009 Best Bars list, which will appear in the magazine's forthcoming softcover book Food & Wine Cocktails 2009. Boston tied with...
Food & Wine has a list of America’s 100 best bars in their new Cocktails 2009 book, and their picks for Philly are (if not exhaustive) accurate and logical. The main criteria is great cocktails, which yes, is subjective, but...
Michael Mina's new project RN74 opened about 10 days ago and is attracting the attention of bloggers throughout the city. We've compiled some of their initial reactions, but the early verdict is: Pretty good food in too-small portions for...
In this week's installment of his series on "Oustanding Newcomers," New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni headed to Chicago to take a look at L2O — and, perhaps even more importantly, L2O's chef, Laurent Gras. High praise for...
This year's Beard Awards theme was women in food, and Thomas Keller had his list of favorite female chefs ready to name drop at the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2009 luncheon Monday at Del Posto. The...
A couple of gems from this week's Tablehopper: Hayes and Kebab's first spinoff, Marina and Kebab, has opened in the old Pita Pit space on Chestnut. Let's Be Frank also opened a store in the Marina. Rohan Lounge seems...
UrbanDaddy, the email blast that's essentially a swankier version of Thrillist, is finally launching in Boston. Boston will be UrbanDaddy's eighth city, and the announcement promises that the emails will let readers know about "a new Beacon Hill watering hole,...