May 23 2010
Reviews
- Taste of the IE a Pleasant Event Literally, I stumbled upon (here I go again) The Taste of the I.E. (Inland Empire) when I dropped my dogs off at a pet hotel before flying to Oakland for my Chez Panisse Pilgrimage. While driving toward the airport, I noticed a sign on the side of the roa...
- Trains, Planes and Automobiles Later, and I Finally Make My Pilgrimage to Chez Panisse* The iconic Chez Panisses in Berkeley, Calif., should be on every foodie's bucket list, as now should Comal as well (if only for the Tequila libations)
- The Yummy One Really The Slow One The Yummy One's Korean rendition of the Peruvian Lomo Saltado is notable for its bulgogi beef and bulgogi sauce--well worth a try
- Chino Air Show This Weekend The Chino Air Show, set for May 5-6, looks to be a packed, fun event--if you go, try Flo's Airport Cafe (if you can get in)
- Spitfire Grill: Execution Betrays Concept, Menu The Spitfire Grill at the Santa Monica Airport aims for high concept but falls well short in execution
- Golf, Wine & Dine (& Chocolate Truffles) On one Saturday, I discovered two great, affordable wines, one tasty restaurant, and chocolate truffles to die for -- a day of rare finds
- Umamicatessan: Calling Willie Degel While the food is fine at downtown L.A.s Umamicatessan, the wait staff seems to have its own idea of how to run things--of, by and for themselves
- Pechanga Food Truck Festival: And a Long Line Was Had by All The Pechanga Food Truck Festival was at an ideal location, behind a casino, but it was too crowded and hot for my taste
- Santa Anita Uncorked: Food, Wine and Lost Wages Santa Anita Uncorked is a food-and-wine festival that is nothing short of spectacular, being held at one of my favorite venues in the world--Santa Anita Race Track, nestled beautifully against the San Gabriel Mountains.
- Okonomiyaki: Who Knew How Delicious? Japanese pizza, or griddle cakes, called 'Okonomiyaki is about as delicious a treat as one can imagine
- Magnolia Hollywood: Knock on Wood Any restaurant with a beet and avocado salad should be a great place, right? Maybe not, for I found Magnolia disappointing.
- Something Good Walnut's Way Comes Hats off to the Wheel Food Fest organizers for pulling off a great food truck event at Walnut High School on March 3, 2012
- Streamliner Lounge: Food on Steroids The Streamliner Lounge at the train station in Orange, Calif., offers pub and grub, but careful, portions can be huge
- Back Abbey: All Things Belgian, Sort Of The Back Abbey in Claremont, Calif., is a fun hangout, with great Belgian beers and darn good grub in a bistro-cum-bar setting
- Stoney Point: Where Old School Is the New 'New' If Stoney Point is old school in food and service, I say replicate it all across the land.
- Devilicious Serves One Devil of a BLT The San Diego-based food truck called Devilicious turns out to be the secret gem of 'The Great Food Truck Race 2'
- Spaghetti Tacos and Irish Red Beer The Cable Airport Food Truck Frenzy was a fine enough--except for the dearth of tables and seating. I had to eat my spaghetti taco from the bumper of the Rebel Bite food truck.
- When in Pomona: 135 Martinis? Stuck in Pomona? Check out 135 East Italian Bistro and Martini Lounge. Happy Hour seems a constant.
- Hangar 24 the Place to Be in Redlands Isolated near the Redlands Airport, Hanger 24 brewery is a lively and fun place. Try it before every Redlands Symphony performance, or before whatever you're doing in Redlands.
- La Traviata and the Opera (The Other One) La Traviata is a perfection destination for food and drink while on a night out in and around Long Beach, Calif.
- Stumbled Upon: Catch 21 in Downtown L.A. It's places like this that make me want to live or at least work downtown. Literally, I could go to Catch 21 several times a week for lunch or dinner and never get tired of it.
- Alie and Georgia Bring Energy to L.A. Times Travel Show Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark are two charming and funny mixologists who take their show on the road, to our delight
- Last Dinner on the Titanic Was Titanic Titanic Belfast is an exhibition opening to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic--enjoy your last supper as well
- Slammin' and Slummin' Their Way to Success Slammin' Sliders and Slummin' Gourmet are two SoCal food trucks that knock sliders out of the park, as Guy Fieri would say
- Arroyo Chop House: They Do Protein Right The Arroyo Chop House in Pasadena knows protein, so go as a caveman, or caveperson, and forget the veggies etc.
- Haven Gastropub: Poutine and Burgers and...Heaven I had to quibble to find fault with the Haven Burger at Haven Gastropub in Orange, Calif. Next trip I'll do the poutine.
- Johnson's Hot Dogs: All They Need Is Beer The perfect complement to a great hot dog is a great beer; alas, Johnson's Hot Dogs has great dawgs but no beer
- Shenandoah at the Arbor: Great Potential The Shenandoah at the Arbor in Los Alamitos, Calif, offers a great setting and a great menu, but does it deliver?
- At Long Last, the Grilled Cheese Truck After the sunny days of spring and summer and long lines, the Grilled Cheese Truck seems suddenly accessible in wintertime
- Tex-Mex, Elvis and a Trip Down Memory Lane The Azteca Mexican Restaurant and Crooners Lounge is a shrine to Elvis Presley, but with some pretty good Tex-Mex offerings
- Stumbled Upon: Cafe Metropol in L.A. I was looking for Villains Tavern (which, as it turns out, is open only at night) but found, first, Wurstkuche (highly recommended but had a line that I didn't want to deal with), then NOLA's (I entered but no one ever greeted or seated me), and f...
- The Berkeley Dog, Deconstructed Is the Berkeley Dog the ultimate sausage experience? Whatever, it's worth a repeat visit.
- The Bazaar by Jose Andres Serves Up a Split Personality The Bazaar by Jose Andres in Beverly Hills is a glamour destination, but the menu can be a bit bewildering
- Water, Water Everywhere, and Now Now This? I wanted to try the food at the Backstage dive bar in Culver City, Calif., but ended up at the dreadful ersatz bistro, La Dijonaise
- Oysters, Cars and Wine: Splendid Combo I was only thinking of going to the L.A. Auto Show, but along the way I also discovered a great wine tasting at Bottle Rock in Los Angeles
- End of the Food Truck Craze: Part II Can anything as over-saturated as the food truck scene in Southern California continue forever with no casualties? I don't think so!
- Highland Springs Resort: Good Grub, Good Escape, Better Wine The Grand Oak Steakhouse and Bar at the Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley, Calif., is a grand escape with good food and drink priced right
- Ludo, You Ain't No Coop's The totally overrated Ludo Lefebvre can't even complete with KFC, let alone El Pollo Loco.
- Dueling Sashimi Salads: Temaki Truck and Shrimp Pimp, So Which Is Better? Both Shrimp Pimp and Temaki Truck serve food-truck Japanese-inspired fare, and both are worth a try
- Cafe Sevilla: Best for Drinks and Appetizers Cafe Sevilla in Riverside specializes in Spanish food and tapas, but in try to be too many things to too many pople, it falls short
- Combi Cooking Demo: Mixed Results SoCal Gas Co. offered up a combi oven cooking demo with smashing and ordinary food results
- This Crowd Will Have to Find a New Hangout Riviera at the Fireside, a Continental Cuisine destination in Westminster, Calif., will be shuttering for good on Oct. 23.
- IE Food Truck Fest II Gets It Right The second incarnation of the Inland Empire Food Truck Festival on Oct. 8 proved more creature-comfortable than the first
- Truck Norris: Best Shepherd's Pie Ever Truck Norris serves up the most phenomenal Shepherd's Pie anywhere, and for just $4!
- Slater's 50/50 Burgers: Half a Success After my first visit to Slater's 50-50 Burgers in Anaheim Hills, Calif., all I can say is half of what I experienced was stellar, the other half, well, ordinary or not to my liking.
- Stumbled Upon: Cha Cha's in Brea Cha Cha's Tacos and Tequila in Brea, Calif., is a nice after-movie or before-movie destination, with Flamenco dancing during Sunday brunch
- Death on Wheels: The Bacon Taco I chased the Lardon food truck for a couple of months, hoping to find perfection in its ballyhooed bacon taco. I didn't.
- They Came, They Ate, They Sweated a Lot You'd think a huge place like Orange County could get its act together to stage a food truck festival, but alas, bad planning and execution prevailed.
- Ain't Nothin' But 'The Hound Dog' The Hound Dog is a bacon-wrapped (and I assume deep-fried) rather overweight hot dog served by the Rock-a-Billy Deli and Grill located next to the Chamber of Commerce in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., a city that should be famous for being home to the first wi...
- The Bright Lights of...Fontana, Calif.? 'Latin Dance Fire' at the Center Stage in Fontana, Calif., was entertaining, but the food could stand some freshening up
- Baseball, Hot Dogs and Sushi, But No Apple Pie Toru Sushi at Angel Stadium offers a healthy respite from fried and fast food while Five Guys, incredibly enough, serves the finest fast-food hot dog in Southern California
- My Dejeuner sur L'Herbe, of Sorts Servite High School held a food truck festival on Saturday, Aug. 13, with a good array of food offerings
- Caprese Burgers and 400 Whiskeys The Waterfront Bar and Grill is San Diego's oldest tavern, but skip the Caprese Burger. Instead, head to San Diego's dive bar find of the century--the Aero Club.
- Just When I Thought Food Trucks Were Dead... Just when I thought the food truck scene was dead in Southern California, a prominent food editor calls food trucks a key to L.A. being 'the food city of the moment'
- Gina Melcher Too Mellow for 'Hell's Kitchen'? Gordon Ramsay unexpectedly eliminated Gina Melcher on 'Hell's Kitchen' when there were more deserving candidates for the axe
- Food Truck Craze Over or Just Overloaded? Since I can't afford to eat in good restaurants anymore, I naturally latched onto the food truck phenomenon as the last refuge of the penniless seeking culinary fulfillment. Pennies were lavished everywhere, but fulfillments were few, alas. The Behemo...
- Best Burger Yet Found at a Bowling Alley? The cheeseburger at the Concourse bowling alley in Anaheim, Calif., is both simple and special--the best ever?
- Schooner or Later: Try It Sooner Schooner or Later has dibs on a prime waterfront location in Long Beach, Calif., and serves humongous portions of American favorites
- OctoBalls: What Is It With Asians and Octopus? Takoyaki are octopus balls popular in Osaka, Japan, and now coming to the U.S. on street vendor carts. I call them two things: 'OctoBalls' and 'delicious.'
- Follow the Celebrity Chefs on OpenSky and Save 60% on Their Favorite Products OpenSky lets you follow your favorite stars and gives you 60% off their favorite products--join today!
- Seabirds to Battle on 'Great Food Truck Race 2' Eight trucks, including seabirds from Orange County, will compete in the 'Great Food Truck Race 2' beginning Aug. 14.
- Brothers Go at It on 'Rocco's Dinner Party' Brothers square off on 'Rocco's Dinner Party' with an Italian theme on Wednesday, June 29
- Saturday Night Food Truck Rally at the Concourse Proves an Ideal Destination The Concourse in Anaheim is the perfect location for a food truck gathering since you can go inside and finish off your food over a cold beer, or other drink of choice.
- Where's Waldo? 'MasterChef' Style 'MasterChef' used some CGI to increase the size of its participant crowds as revealed in this marked-up photo
- 'Rocco's Dinner Party': Surprisingly Good 'Rocco's Dinner Party' is surprisingly good given how shallow and egotistical I once held Rocco DiSpirito to be (he seems improved this time around)
- IE Food Truck Festival a Great Success, But Has the NomNom Truck Lost Its Mojo? The inaugural Inland Empire Food Truck Festival was hugely attended and great fun, but has the NomNom Truck lost its magic?
- In Search of the Perfect Burger: Las Vegas In search of the perfect hamburger, I prowled the Las Vegas Strip to sample greatness. Did I find it?
- And Then There Was One, Top Chef Master, That Is... This season's Top Chef Master will be crowned on Wednesday, June 15, and be awarded $100,000 for the charity of his or her choice
- This Naples Works Just Fine Too Naples, Calif., sits on the ocean in all its splendor, and it also has the distinction of being home to Kelly's, a great wine-dine destination
- Lobsta Truck and Dragsters I finally caught up with the oh-so-popular Lobsta Truck and came away much the wiser about the food truck craze
- Dueling Burgers: DG and Bowery The Bowery in Hollywood and Charlie Palmer's DG Burger spot in Costa Mesa don't know of each other, probably, but they both claim to have the best burgers
- Dueling Brew Houses: Taps and BJ's Both BJ's and Taps are Southern California brew-house chains--but which serves the best grub?
- Blind Taste Test Goes Smell-less and Sound-less on 'Top Chef Masters' The remaining 'Top Chef Masters' undergo a taste test blind-folded, ear-folded, and nose-folded on the May 18 episode on Bravo
- Grill 'Em All Thrills 'Em All at Fullerton High School Food Truck Fundraiser Grill 'Em All is still riding a wave of popularity from winning the Great Food Truck Race on Food Network, and it showed at the Fullerton High School Food Truck Fundraiser May 13
- 'Iron Chef Masters': Cooks Out of Water? Or Rocking to a New Beat? The remaining 'Top Chef Masters' contestants are challenged to create a feast for Grammy-winning rock group Maroon 5
- Dogzilla v. Greasy Wiener In a battle of deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, Dogzilla beats The Bomb handily
- Top Chef Masters Do Drive-Thru Contestants on the May 4 episode of 'Top Chef Masters' are challenged to operate a drive-thru restaurant
- Miss Turkey Is Adorable, But What About Her Namesake at Carl's Jr.? Miss Turkey probably never ate turkey before she promoted the Carl's Jr./Hardee's turkey burger. So how does it taste?
- 'Top Chef Masters': Three Squares But Only 1,200 Calories Allowed, Total! The 'Top Chef Masters' must create delicious dishes of less than 1,200 calories for all three meals (4/27/2011)
- 2nd 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational: Crowded and Fun The 2nd 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational in Los Angeles drew big crowds of hungry participants on Saturday, April 23, at the Center Studios parking lot
- Eureka: Did I Finally Find It? Eureka Burger specializes in craft beers, Angus beef chuck burgers, hand-cut fries, and gourmet salads--and brags about it
- 'Amazing Wedding Cakes': Winter Wonderland, BBQs, and Bridesmaids 'Amazing Wedding Cakes' episode 5 finds three teams with three unique challenges
- It's a Bug's Life on 'Top Chef' The Quickfire Challenge on April 20's 'Top Chef: Masters' features some earth-bound ingredients--it's truly a bug's life
- Pho Vi: Pomona Destination Pho Vi is a Vietnamese restaurant in Pomona, Calif., that is about as good as it gets in that city
- 'Tale of Three Cities' in a Cake Takes Shape on 'Amazing Wedding Cakes' A couple wants three cities incorporated into their wedding cake this Sunday on 'Amazing Wedding Cakes'
- Celebs Visit 'Top Chef Masters' Two entertainment celebrities will bring their own idea of cooking challenges to 'Top Chef Masters' on Wednesday, April 13
- Next Up on 'Amazing Wedding Cakes' 'Amazing Wedding Cakes' pits two competitors in a baking competition each Sunday night on WE tv
- 'Top Chef Masters' Returns Tonight 'Top Chef Masters' begins a new season on Bravo with new host Curtis Stone on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
- Salade Nicoise or Bust; Instead, Lobster, Cheese and Mex Clones! Santa Anita Race Track held its second Food Truck Festival of the year on Saturday, April 2, with 80 trucks and thousands of hungry fans
- Judgment Day for Top Chef All Stars For the series finale of 'Top Chef: All Stars,' finalists Richard Blais and Mike Isabella get to create the menu of their dreams
- 'Top Chef: All Stars': Down to Three Reality begins to sink in for Richard Blais in the next-to-last episode of 'Top Chef: All Stars' as Mike Isabella begins looking more and more like a real winner
- Strip Mall Answer to St. Patty's Day For St. Patrick's Day, I visited two Irish/pseudo-Irish pubs, both located in nondescript strip malls
- It's March Madness as Final Four Top Chefs Do a Battle of the Sexes With just a quartet of contestants remaining, 'Top Chef: All Stars' on March 16 features its own version of the Final Four
- Stumbled Upon: Akasaka for Interesting Japanese Fare If you're ever in Walnut, Calif. (I know, where's that?), and have a craving for Japanese food, you'd enjoy a restaurant I'd driven by countless times but only recently tried on a Sunday night with my wife. Akasaka, as it is named (for a s...
- Top Chef Finalists Vie in the Bahamas The five remaining 'Top Chef: All Star' competitors find themselves on the Bahamas in a face-to-face challenge with the winners from their respective seasons
- Oporto Not Quite (or Yet) the In-N-Out Phenomenon It Claims An Australian favorite, Oporto opened a week ago in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., serving its famous chicken burgers with hot Portugese chili sauce, along with other chicken concoctions
- Ellis Island Beckons on 'Top Chef' The Top Chef: All Stars take the ferry to Ellis Island and discover they must cook up a repast based on their family's heritage (March 2, 2011)
- Stumbled Upon: Tio's in Etiwanda Tio's Mexican Restaurant in Etiwanda, Calif., serves up yummy Tex-Mex dishes with fast-food ordering combined with table service.
- Fondue and Jimmy Fallon a Potent Mix Jimmy Fallon orders up a birthday fete and feast while fondue separates the winners from the losers tonight on 'Top Chef: All Stars'
- Toranoko: Can You Say 'Oishii'? Aburiya Toranoko Sushi Bar and Izakaya in L.A.'s Little Tokyo serves up some of the most delicious food anywhere
- Top Chefs Meet The Sopranos On the Feb. 2 episode of 'Top Chef: All Stars,' the Quickfire Challenge is judged on presentation only by Isaac Mizrahi, and then the Elimination Round features Italian dinners prepared at Rao's and judged by Soprano Lorraine Bracco
- Day at the Races, Roach Coach-Style Some 20-plus fast food trucks were the center of attraction on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011, at Santa Anita Race Track, drawing thousands and thousands, who appeared to have no interest in the horses
- An Afternoon of Grands Crus Bordeaux Tasting amid Vintage Aircraft James Suckling leads an extraordinary private Bordeaux tasting at the Barker Hanger at Santa Monica Airport on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011
- Return of Restaurant Wars Anthony Bourdain and Restaurant Wars both return to 'Top Chef: All Stars' for the Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011, episode
- ‘Wine and Dogs’ Does Not a Repast Make, But Pits Grapes and Growls Wine and Dogs was held this past Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011, in the Artist District of Downtown Los Angeles, featuring wine from nine wineries and dogs of every variety as guests
- Top Chef Wannabes Go Fishing On 'Top Chef: All Stars' on Jan. 12, 2011, the contestants find themselves out to sea to fish for the protein to prepare for their competition
- Colicchio v. 'Top Chef' Contestants As 'Top Chef: All Stars' returns for 2011, judge and chef Tom Colicchio faces off with the contestants in a Quickfire challenge
- Park Ave. in the OC: When It Says Steak House, Stick to the Red Stuff Park Ave. in Stanton, Calif., is a warm and inviting steak house, but stick to the meats
- L.A. Times Food Critic Outed Los Angeles Times 'anonymous' food critic S. Irene Virbila has been outed by an irate restaurant owner, who took and posted her picture with scathing remarks online
- Things Get Bloody on 'Top Chef' Top Chef: All Stars on Dec. 22 forces the chefs to prepare a holiday dish using only their hands and not utensils
- Tonight on 'Top Chef: All Stars': Mise en Place Relays and More For its Dec. 15, 2010, episode 'Top Chef: All Stars' has the contestans competing in four of New York's top restaurants.
- They Give Free Peanuts, Don't They? Five Guys Burgers and Fries may be getting rave reviews for some unknown reason, but my visit left me completely unsatisfied--full of meat and potatoes but not taste
- Zwacked-Out Oatmeal Cookies Zwack is a traditional Hungarian after-dinner liqueur that smacks of licorice and other spices but is best mixed in a drink called an Oatmeal Cookier
- 'Top Chef All Stars' Debuts Dec. 1 Get a sneak peak at the opening episode of 'Top Chef All Stars,' which reunited 18 'losers' for a final chance at redemption!
- 'Amazing Wedding Cakes' Season Finale Tonight on WE tv The we.tv series 'Amazing Wedding Cakes' comes to a close with a champion crowned tonight, Nov. 14, 2010
- As Season Finale Approaches, Down to Four on 'Top Chef: Just Desserts' The Wednesday, Nov. 10, episode of 'Top Chef: Just Desserts' finds the remaining four contestants battling it out over truffles for a spot in the finale
- 'Top Chef: Just Desserts' Declares War in a Sugary Type of War 'Top Chef: Just Desserts' uses a version of restaurant war called dessert war on the Oct. 27 episode
- Wanted: A Quickfire Souffle! Top Chef: Just Desserts melds fashion and chocolate on the Oct. 13 episode
- Tune in for the Ultimate Ice Cream Sundae Showdown Tonight Contestants on Top Chef: Just Desserts must create the "ultimate ice cream sundae" for the Oct. 6 episode.
- 'Top Chef: Just Desserts': Stress Test The heat is on as contestants weigh their fates in week three of Top Chef: Just Desserts.
- A Groom's Wedding Cake The series Amazing Wedding Cakes turns to the southern tradition of the groom's wedding cake.
- Will the Pea Puree Thief Stand Up? Will Alex own up to stealing the pea puree on tonight's Top Chef Reunion?
- 'Top Chef: Just Desserts' Debuts Top Chef: Just Desserts makes its debut on Sept. 16 on Bravo TV following the crowning of the new Top Chef.
- 'Top Chef' Real Finale Tonight Top Chef reaches its finale tonight, Sept. 16, in Singapore, as Angelo falls ill and Hung springs to the rescue!
- Whitney Doesn't Collapse This Time Master Chef finals, coming up Sept. 15, looks to be a contest between the men and the women, two each for the final title and $250K in filthy lucre.
- Top Chefs Sling It Out in Singapore With the remaining four Top Chef contestants slugging it out in Asia, will this be a human version of the Singapore Sling on Top Chef Sept. 8, 2010?
- An 'Edward Scissorhands' Wedding Cake? See It Tonight on WE Tv A bakery team is challenged to create a cake based on "Edward Scissorhands" tonight on 'Amazing Wedding Cakes' on WE Tv
- Slim Lusts for Joe Bastianich? Wow! With Slim gone, there's not much charm left on Master Chef, so I'll have to root for beauty-cum-brains in contestant Sheetal Bhagat.
- Amanda Gone, Others Set to Blast Off Acerbic chef-author-raconteur Anthony Bourdain is set to liven up proceedings on the Sept. 1, 2010, episode of Top Chef.
- Is Sheetal on the Master Chef Black List to Reduce Her Exposure? Sheetal Bhagat is not only a surviving participant on Gordon Ramsay's Master Chef TV competition, she is also a natural beauty with talent and ambition, who may be getting reduced in air time because of her marketing efforts.
- 101 Cafe: Food, Charm Fine, But a Little Service Would Help The Cafe 101, or 101 Cafe, in Oceanside, Calif., certainly exudes 1950s charm, and it serves decent-enough diner grub, but the service (at least when I was there) definitely needs an upgrade.
- Is There Life After Kenny? Top Chef takes on a secret mission as the finalists cook at the CIA for a group of spymasters.
- Western Foodservice Expo Hits L.A. The Western Foodservice and Hopistality Expo runs at the Los Angeles Convention Center through Monday, Aug. 16, 2010. Next year—back to San Diego.
- Restaurant Wars Return to 'Top Chef' As 'Top Chef' Washington, D.C., draws to a close, the producers rolls out the legendary restaurant war competition.
- 'Top Chef' Finalists Face Ethiopian Challenge on Quickfire The remaining Top Chef contestants tackle a variety of foreign cuisines for Top Chef Master Marcus Samuelsson and foreign dignitaries on the Aug. 4, 2010, episode.
- First Iron, Then Top, Now Master...Chef, That Is Gordon Ramsay seeks to one-up the entire cooking competition industry with his debut of Master Chef, which pits home cooks against one another—and even against professionals!
- Tony's Restaurant: Pomona's Oldest? On two of three criteria—diner and dive—Tony's Restaurant, located in an off-the-beaten-path warehouse district in Pomona, Calif., qualifies for inclusion on the popular Guy Fieri TV series, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
- 'Top Chef' 7/21: Let the Sniping Begin 'Top Chef' on July 21 lets teams of finalists judge one another--let the sniping begin!
- Thipthara Thai: You Can't Go Wrong It seems hard to beat Thai restaurants in a pinch--the food is usually reasonable and tasty.
- Seafood Tryst Comes to 'Top Chef' If you’re a seafood person, this week’s Top Chef episode is guaranteed to make your mouth water, because what’s a season in D.C. without a little bit of blue crabs in a Quickfire Challenge? Then for the Elimination Round, it’s a cl...
- U-No: There Is Truth in Advertising Who was it who said, "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker"? I agree, but I'll take a U-No candy bar any day--and quaff it down with Guinness.
- Not Route 66, Not a Dive Viva Villa Tagueria in Fontana, Calif., is neither one Route 66 nor a dive in the classical sense, but it sure serves tasty Tex-Mex food with great salsas.
- Soul of a New Cuisine Is the cooking of Marcus Samuelsson truly stellar? If my trip to the Signature Kitchen in Costa Mesa is any indication, yes, it is.
- Ripert to the Rescue: 'Top Chef' Returns for a Lucky Seven French chef extradordinaire--and ultimate gentlemen--Eric Ripert is joining the Judges' Table when season seven of Top Chef gets under way June 16.
- Of Cabbages and Kings, Top Chefs, Head Chefs and Wannabe Stars Now comes Next Food Network Star to round out the summer's reality cooking shows.
