Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Dark & Stormy à la the Aviary

One of my favorite cocktails is the Dark & Stormy - spicy with ginger, a little sweet, a little tart, and sparkling.  Typically, it's made with ginger beer, which makes for a very easy recipe: ginger beer + rum + optional slice of lime. Then there's the Aviary's version, which eschews the ... continue reading...


Evvia, Palo Alto

It's been (too many) years since I lived in Palo Alto, but Evvia has remained one of my favorite restaurants.  It's a perfect combination of Greece and California, lively and casual and elegant all at once.  The food is familiar yet refined, Greek favorites made modern. So when I was ... continue reading...


Aviary Kitchen Table, now with more elBulli

If I had to pick my favorite places to spend a few hours on a given evening, the Aviary's Kitchen Table would certainly be near the top of the list.  It feels really special to be tucked into the corner of the kitchen, just out of reach of the lively crowds on the other side of the metal ... continue reading...


“Emergency” pasta

There are many stories behind pasta puttanesca, as you might expect, since the name derives from the Italian for lady of the night.  Some say the pungent aroma was intended to attract potential customers.  (Hmm.)  Others say the sauce was made from odds and ends in restaurants, ... continue reading...


Pastitsio

There are a few dishes that I avoid making because they simply involve too many steps, like two-crust pies (just thinking about making the crust exhausts me) or lasagna (far too many components to prepare).  But sometimes, a complex dish is so good that I’m willing to put in the effort – like ... continue reading...


White sangria in suspension, elBulli at the Aviary

Remember those elBulli cocktails that had a starring role at the Aviary party in January? It turns out they were just modest heralds for the spectacular creations that feature on the menu now. White sangria in suspension, as the name suggests, is a sangria cocktail just slightly thickened ... continue reading...


Black bottom cupcakes

Could there be a better breakfast than a fresh, homemade black bottom cupcake?  OK, I'll admit, it's probaby not the most balanced, nutritious start to the day. But there's something wonderful about waking up to this combination of chocolate and rich, cheesecake-like filling.  And now that I think ... continue reading...


Next: elBulli

I never thought I would eat at elBulli - even before it closed last year, the reservations process was hit-or-miss to put it mildly, and dinner would require flying to Spain.   Thanks to Next, though, I've had an elBulli experience that even the original itself couldn't provide, a sort of ... continue reading...


Vegetable Menu at Charlie Trotter’s

One of the stories of 2012 in the Chicago restaurant world is that Charlie Trotter's will be closing this summer.  It's a restaurant that was one of the pioneers of fine dining and tasting menus in America, which saw many great chefs cut their teeth in the Trotter's kitchen and then go on to ... continue reading...