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Laduree’s Valentines Edition Macaron and Box Set
Ladurée, the Valentine’s Day celebration has recently unveiled a valued gift box featuring stylized motifs tied up with a dainty velvet ribbon and sealed with a heart. The six macrons inside the “Coffret Saint Valentin macarons” have a surprising flavor: pink grapefruit combined with vanilla. The limited-edition Ladurée grapefruit macrons Coffret Saint Valentine gift box costs $25 and is available at the New York boutique.
Caviar House and Prunier’s Love 2012 caviar
Yves Saint Laurent’s has been generating creative masterpieces for greeting cards, wherein the brand is getting driven by the four letter word “LOVE” since 1971. Yves Saint Laurent’s famed designs will once again adorn Prunier Caviar’s “Love” selection caviar tins. A winning creation from Caviar House and Prunier, this special offering is just another way to woo your beloved this Valentine’s Day.
A beautiful blend of salt and roe, this caviar promises to be a blissful experience for your taste buds. Created using ancient Parisian recipies’, the Saint James Caviar offers a taste of love in every bite. Courtesy this exquisite blend and authentic taste, Saint James Caviar was chosen as the Prunier “Love” Caviar of 2012.
10 Hardest to Get Restaurant Reservations
One of the very reliable sources for the release of the eating joint status Eater.com has recently released a list of 10 hardest restaurant reservations to get in the world along with how to defy the odds list.
The name which has surpassed all others is undoubtedly Danish chef Rene Redzepi’s restaurant Noma as it has received 20,000 reservation requests a day. The Copenhagen restaurant has quickly filled the vacuum left behind by the closure of legendary Spanish restaurant el Bulli last year.
In a way to book a table at Noma, there will be a day when the famous food writers will start a trend of writing “I Ate At Noma” pieces. On the other hand Eater.com offers a few helpful insights and tips which includes tackling the phone on the sixth day of every month when the phone lines open up for reservations. The earliest reservations can be made are three months out.
A table at Sukiyabashi Jiro is equally cumbersome to get a table for you to sit and eat there as it is described as the “world’s most hallowed sushi temple” and helmed by legendary master sushi chef and octogenarian Jiro Ono in Tokyo. Eater’s tips for getting a table here involve recruiting the hotel concierge and taking a Japanese native to help thaw out foreign relations.
1. Noma, Copenhagen
2. Sukiyabashi Jiro, Tokyo
3. Next, Chicago
4. Tickets, Barcelona
5. Quintessence, Tokyo
6. The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire, England
7. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, Brooklyn, NY, USA
8. Minibar by José Andrés, Washington D.C.
9. Schwa, Chicago
10. The French Laundry, Yountville, California, USA
11. Yam’Tcha, Paris
The Cadogan Hotel London
The Cadoganhas recently been announced as the ‘Great Taste Showcase’ restaurant for British food. As part of the Great Taste Awards, regarded as the ultimate accreditor of the artisan and specialty food world for nearly 20 years, the venue will be featuring award-winning ingredients.
Februrary 7, under Head Chef Oliver Lesnik, The Cadogan will be featuring set lunch and dinner menus as well as the à la carte options changing every six to eight weeks. Supervised by the Great Taste Awards Chair, Nigel Barden, guest curators, including Xanthe Clay, Lucas Hollweg, and Charles Campion, will devise dishes that champion the best of the nation’s independent producers.
As per sources, the menus will feature food from passionate artisan producers including: Welsh Wagyu beef fat; Kentish cobnut oil; and Cartmel Sticky Toffee pudding. Diners will feast on the best of British ingredients with dishes such as Coddled Daylesford blue hen eggs or Lidgate’s traditional beef pie.
Great Taste at The Cadogan is a superb platform for small food producers to showcase their ingredients to a consumer audience in the capital, as much of the Great Taste Award winning produce is only sold locally. The Cadogan restaurant, situated in the heart of Knightsbridge, exudes quintessentially British charm with high sculptured ceilings, a magnificent marble fireplace, oversize mirrors and chandeliers.
King and Prince Resort Promotes Local Georgia Cuisine
There is a fact that the passion of local food pertains in the hand of a localite no matter how much he tries to escape the same. Thus in the same league, when we talk about the King and Prince Resort’s you have to look no further from Vinny D’Agostino’s homemade limoncello served here.
It has been less than a year for Vinny to take over as the resort’s new food and beverage director. Crisscrossing the country with stints at The Breakers in Palm Beach, the Ritz-Carlton in Boston, and opening the highly acclaimed Bradstreet Craftshouse in Minneapolis, Vinny is now orchestrating a culinary renaissance at the King and Prince.
The southeastern coastal Georgia is an example of exceptional nature’s gift while you drive down the St. Simons Island. Passing over the ultramodern silver ribbed F.J. Torras Causeway, you get a bird’s eye view of vast golden hued Spartina grass marshes. Here lies a tremendous spawning ground for Georgia White shrimp, a local delicacy that Vinny has been working hard to source for the King and Prince’s signature shrimp and grits covered in Tasso sauce.
The fact that these shrimp so flavorful is because the Spartina grass infuses the water giving them a distinct sweetness as they mature. Although a handful of shrimping boats such as the Lady Jane take tourists out for two-hour trawling expeditions, the local commercial shrimping fleet has been reduced from 300 down to 100 over the last 20 years. It may seem like a no-brainer for establishments like the King and Prince to buy these local shrimp instead of frozen farm-raised imports, but it all comes down to cost.
When we talk about countries like Thailand, they have glutted the market with inferior quality shrimp bringing the price way down making it nearly impossible for the local shrimpers to break even. Vinny is the self appointed brand ambassador at the King and Prince informing guests on the taste and health differences while promoting the concept of paying a few extra dollars for local ingredients. Getting over this initial hurdle of cost ultimately yields authentic regional dishes and supports local business. Luckily for Vinny, once guests have a few bites, his case is made.
Most expensive tuna
Japanese are known to love sea food, so it is of no surprise that a bluefin tuna was sold for a record price in Japan. At the first auction of the year in the Tsukiji fish market, the bluefish tuna, a priced delicacy used to make sushi was sold for 56.49 m yen which is US$736,000. It is almost double the price of the bluefin tuna that broke the record last year at $400,000. Mr. Kiyoshi Kimura a shushi restauranteur bought the pricy tuna. The tuna which weight around 593 lb was caught near the Aomori Prefecture which was one of the areas devastated by last year Tsunami. According to Mr. Kimura, he wanted to keep the tuna in Japan rather than let it get taken overseas. Japan consumes about 80% of seafood annually and the first auction in January usually is where the record prices are set.
The James Chicago
The James Chicago has revived its look and feel with all sorts of updated furnishings and new environmentally-thoughtful services while continuing to offer an engaging alternative for the contemporary business or leisure traveler.
The James is ideally situated right in the heart of downtown Chicago within easy walking distance of luxury shopping. In addition to its proximity to the world famous Magnificent Mile, the hotel is minutes away from The Millennium Park, The Museum of Contemporary Art and just steps from Michigan Avenue.
Highlights include a partnership with Intelligent Nutrients, complimentary triple-filtered water – refreshed twice daily – in each guest room along with custom-crafted furniture and additions to the hotel’s existing art collection.
The signature restaurant, David Burke’s Primehouse, promises to surprise as it continues to redefine the modern American steakhouse. The restaurant consistently showcases creative offerings marked by whimsical and innovative dishes. Its rotating menu focuses on seasonal, local and organic ingredients. On the menu, guests can find entrees such as the award-winning 55-Day Aged Rib Eye, Bone-In 20 oz. South Side Filet Mignon and Butter Poached Lobster.
David Burke’s Primehouse works with the finest ingredients in dishes like the “Slice of Prime,” a S’mores Chocolate Cake with Graham Cracker and Marshmallow or Burke’s famous Lollipop Tree featuring Cheesecake Lollipops with Raspberry Cream. Burke’s culinary achievements include France’s Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur, Japan’s Nippon Award of Excellence, the Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence and the CIA’s August Escoffier Award.
Fleming’s Providence Offers Steakhouse Excellence
From past sometime, Providence has become a foodie lover’s paradise. The thought has become all the more prominent with the recent addition of some great steakhouses; the city has really made its mark. Enter Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, which is located on the ground floor of the new Westin Residence Tower just an hour south of Boston.
Fleming’s just might have the biggest wine list in the city offering more than 100 selections by the glass, including a select 30 that are handpicked by their wine manager. The bar was filled with diners coming in for their “five for $6 til 7″ promotion “” five appetizers, each available for $6 served until 7 p.m. Choose from tenderloin carpaccio, sweet chili calamari, seared ahi tuna, Cajun barbecue shrimp, roasted mushroom ravioli or a prime burger.
All the Dallas Cowboys fans and players in town had filled the main dining room was filled to near capacity for a nearby Patriots game being held over the weekend. You should start with a delicious fresh jumbo shrimp cocktail served with spicy Grey Goose infused chipotle horseradish sauce. The enormous onion ring tower will also quickly devour. There are several other fabulous appetizers on the menu, including lump crab Louis wraps, French onion soup and seared ahi tuna.
For the main course, don’t miss their signature prime bone-in ribeye, an enormous juicy cut, well marbled and still on the bone for added flavor. The New York strip was just as good “” tender and flavorful and cooked to a medium rare perfection. Fleming’s offers a great selection of steaks, including a filet served three ways main, petite or lite a bone-in or boned ribeye, peppercorn New York strip and porcini rubbed filet.
If by any chance you are not in mood for steaks, don’t miss the broiled veal chop, double thick pork chop with julienne of apples, jicama, apple cider and Creole mustard glaze or the double breast of chicken baked in a white win, mushroom, shallot and thyme sauce. There is a prime rib dinner available here on Sundays served with a salad, one side and dessert.
The only disappointment is the fact that the seafood selection is somewhat small, but only with a reason as most people visit Fleming’s for their flavorful, well marbled steaks. The Fleming’s potatoes are a must side dish “” a deliciously rich combination of cream, jalapenos and cheddar cheese that offer a nice kick. The sauted button and Portobello mushrooms sauted in butter and garlic were also the perfect complement to the steaks. Other side dishes included a baked potato, mashed potatoes that come in the form of blue cheese, parmesan peppercorn or roasted garlic, chipotle cheddar macaroni and cheese, sweet or creamed corn, roasted baby carrots with raisins and almonds and creamed spinach, to name a few.
Desserts here are rich enough to be shared. You will love the three-layer carrot caked with cream cheese frosting topped with dark rum caramel. The walnut turtle pie baked in a chocolate pie crust sounded delicious, but for the ultimate chocolate indulgence, don’t miss the chocolate lava cake with hot molten chocolate center of Belgian chocolate served with vanilla ice cream.
Los Angeles New Restaurant Roundup
Here is a list of the most exciting new places to try in town:
Barlo
It is a ground floor eatery and hangout at Venice’s Erwin Hotel offers a counterpoint to the property’s popular rooftop bar, and celebrates the edgy nature and laid-back attitude of Venice denizens. It serves breakfast, brunch and dinner of rotating “barn-to-belly” dishes and drinks with an emphasis on simplicity and fresh ingredients including fried green tomatoes with tomato confit, frisee and whipped merlot; smoked fish tacos with citrus, cumin, radish and cilantro; and fried Rocky Free Range chicken with peas, carrot cumin puree and local micro onions. Cocktails are inspired by the same ethos, and one entry on the list contains moonshine, honey, rhubarb preserves and lavender.
The Churchill
The salvage-chic restaurant features design pieces and furniture from Croft, and several different socializing areas including a buzzing, high-ceilinged bar, an open front patio, a cozy corner of banquettes near the kitchen, and some communal tables and booths on the second floor.
Start with a signature cocktail like the Clementine with chamomile-infused Bulleit Rye, fresh lemon juice, honey syrup, Dolin Bianco liqueur, and Regans orange bitters, served up and with a twist. Graze on a few of the starters like the chopped salad with romaine, Treviso, pancetta, olives, fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes and sherry vinaigrette; the seared sea scallops with honey-grilled stone fruit and romaine-sorrel butter; and a selection of the house-cured meats including a smooth and creamy foie gras mousse. Order one of the pizzas to share before moving on to main course like the whole-roasted rock fish with roasted fennel, olives, corno di toro peppers and eggplant puree; or the potato gnocchi with braised rabbit, blistered tomatoes, and luscious sheep’s milk ricotta. End things with the fluffy warm spiced doughnuts with apple puree and bourbon-bacon caramel.
Naya
It is the very new restaurant from the burgeoning Spacecraft Group empire landed in Silverlake this month with a typically design-focused redo of the space that formerly held Tantra, and a heavily Indian-influenced fusion menu of dishes like samosa stuffed with kidney beans and cheese and seared tuna with roasted cumin coriander and avocado raita, as well as ossobuco with onion-tomato sauce. Wash it all down with a cocktail like the Relapse with rye, lychee, pomegranate and Cointreau.
Oldfield’s Liquor Room
The folks at the 1933 Group have worked their special alcoholic alchemy again to open a nostalgic cocktail bar in Culver City named after early 20th-century speed racer and showman Barney Oldfield, who is a hero of owner and designer Boby Green. Behind the bar will be a motley who’s who of LA mixologists including men and women who have spent time muddling and stirring at La Descarga, A-Frame and Rivera. They’ll be mixing up cocktails like the Blitzen Benz made with Cynar, Maraschino, Peychaud bitters, fresh lemon and egg white. The lounge will also feature cheese plates and bar-style sandwiches by Chester Hastings, the author of The Cheesemonger’s Kitchen.
Osaka
Renowned Peruvian restaurateur Adolfo Suaya brings his Asian-influence Peruvian fusion cuisine to the U.S. with this new Hollywood location of Osaka. To reach the restaurant, guests cross a stone path over a pond and enter the expansive bar and lounge area, where bartenders serve signature libations with a focus on Peru’s national liquor, pisco, like the Spice Pisco Sour infused with chilies and mixed with lemon, orange and demerara sugar. On the food menu, guests will find specialties like tiradito with raw white fish, yuzu oyster sauce and shiso aroma; crab causitas with stone crab meat, avocado and rocoto pepper cream, and, of course, a selection of ceviches.
Take a Bao
Chef Gavin Portsmouth’s Asian-inspired menu at this new location of Take a Bao in Studio City where he’ll be dishing up specialties like seared togarashi-crusted ahi tuna and daikon salad with English cucumber, avocado, jicama, radish sprouts and mixed greens; and an array of bao buns stuffed with delicious fillings like duck confit with grilled scallions and plum Hoisin sauce; and banh mi with grilled pork loin, pate, pickled vegetables, diced chilies, cilantro and garlic aioli; along with a selection of noodles, rice, soup and curry dishes.
Japan beats France on three-star restaurants
Japan has overtaken France for the number of restaurants with three Michelin stars, according to the latest guide to the nation’s western cities to be released on Friday. Japan is now home to 29 establishments that hold the highly coveted three-star rating, against 25 in France.
The latest version of the Michelin guide to Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe this year adds the former capital Nara and will be available both in Japanese and English. Fifteen restaurants get three stars, a distinction that means “exceptional cuisine worth a special journey”.
Seven are based in Kyoto, five in Osaka, two in Kobe and one in Nara, out of 296 starred establishments. The old imperial capital of Kyoto boasts 29 of the 59 restaurants awarded with two stars in the latest guide, and is home to 70 of the 222 that have earned one-star.
Tokyo remains the world capital of cuisine, boasting 14 three-starred establishments, featured in a previously published guide, compared to ten in Paris.
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