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The Danish chef bares all in his new self published restaurant cookbook, “In my Blood.” Take a look inside.In Denmark’s charming, residential city of Frederiksberg, Formel B champions regional cuisine and French wines. Owners Rune Amgild Jochumsen and Kristian Arpe Møller both play hands-on roles: Jochumsen serves as wine director and Møller helms the kitchen. The frequently changing menu includes about 20 small plates—ideal for sampling an array of flavors—that showcase seasonal Danish cuisine with the help of French techniques. The Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list offers 800 selections with strengths in the Rhône, Bordeaux and Italy, but Formel B’s main draw is its Burgundy collection. Here you’ll find numerous impressive verticals from producers like Domaine Leflaive, Comte Georges de Vogüé and Philippe Pacalet, plus more than 20 labels from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. For an even more wine-centric experience, try to snag the table that sits on a glass floor looking down into the wine cellar.
Washington, D.C., chef Nicholas Stefanelli is opening Officina later this month, a three-story destination for Italian cuisine in the city’s massive new waterfront complex, the Wharf. Officina will occupy 14,000 square feet, with a market on the first floor, a trattoria-style restaurant on the second floor and a rooftop bar with an adjacent private-event space. The market will include a wine shop, butcher, bakery, pizzeria, gelato bar and more.
Stefanelli is known for the elegant Italian tasting menus at his Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner Masseria, but he’s bringing a more approachable vibe to this project. “It’s simple, it’s beautiful, it’s rustic, and it’s a place that you could eat at every day,” said Stefanelli.
The trattoria will serve grilled meats, classic pastas and more, using ingredients from the purveyors in the market downstairs. Beverage director John Filkins built the 550-selection wine list, which is entirely Italian with the exception of a Champagne section. The list will also be available on the rooftop bar.
Officina will host various events and programs throughout the space, such as a wine-dinner series highlighting different Italian regions. This is all part of Stefanelli’s goal to create a go-to spot for every occasion, from grabbing groceries at the market to enjoying a full dinner in the restaurant.—J.H.
Best of Award of Excellence winner Galatoire’s in New Orleans has a new executive chef, Phillip Lopez, who now helms the kitchen at both the Louisiana institution and its sister restaurant, Galatoire’s 33 Bar and Steak.
Co-owner Bill Kearney told Wine Spectator that Lopez, who previously worked at the now-closed Square Root, is a “creative culinary genius” with a particularly deep appreciation for wine. Kearney is looking forward to seeing the chef’s influence on the wine program as well as the restaurant’s regular wine dinners. Lopez replaced Michael Sichel, who held the position for seven years, but diners can still expect favorites like the bouillabaisse and shrimp etouffée.—J.H.
On Sept. 14, Boston’s Columbus Hospitality Group—which owns Restaurant Award winners Sorellina, Mistral, Mooo and Ostra—is bringing regional French classics to a small space in the South End neighborhood. Bar Lyon will pay homage to the namesake French city, whose cuisine chef Jamie Mammano was inspired by.
“Lyon is the city where all the legendary chefs came from and really established all the great traditions of that country that have informed the food culture worldwide,” beverage director David Borsman told Wine Spectator. “[The team] is harkening back to the foundational aspects of cuisine.” The menu will feature quintessential bistro fare like chicken-liver pâté, duck confit and omelets for dinner.
Borsman says Bar Lyon emulates a “bouchon Lyonnais,” which he describes as a “traditional French bistro that you can go to any night of the week, get a delicious classic meal and a beautiful bottle of wine without turning it into an occasion.” The all-French wine list at Bar Lyon reflects this, representing a broad range of regions like Burgundy and the Rhône while staying affordable—few bottles cost more than $100, and 18 wines are available by the glass. The restaurant will open with 50 selections and will soon expand with a list called “cellar selections,” which will have more depth and an expanded price range, but with some attractive markups in certain regions.—J.H.
Ballyhoo Hospitality, the group behind Award of Excellence winner Coda di Volpe, opened Walton Street Kitchen + Bar in Chicago this week. The two-level concept features a cocktail lounge on the first floor and a restaurant upstairs, serving classic American fare with global touches, led by executive chef Jon Keeley.
The 110-selection wine list has 17 by-the-glass options, and highlights small-production, family-owned wineries that employ organic practices. “My goal is to present our guests with a list that features excellent examples of wines produced throughout the world—both Old World and New—as well as alternative grape varieties in an effort to encourage them to try wines beyond their comfort zone,” said wine director Stephanie Brauer.—B.G.
ALX Gastropub in San Francisco is the first casual concept from the team behind the two Best of Award of Excellence–winning Alexander’s Steakhouse locations in California. The kitchen will be headed by executive chef Jessie Lugo.
Wine director Barry Horton will maintain the restaurant group’s commitment to well-curated wine lists with the gastropub’s 60-selection, California-focused list, which has 26 by-the-glass options ranging from $12 to $45. “Using our name ALX, I put together a by-the-glass ‘Approachable’ section, ‘Lavish’ section and an ‘Xtravagant’ section,” said Horton. “I think we will be seeing a much broader range of people in terms of what they might want for a glass of wine.”—B.G.
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Watch top chefs including Heston Blumenthal and Ludo Lefebvre demonstrate how to cook snails in different ways.
Find out what happened when the world’s best chefs gathered in San Francisco for the latest #50BestTalks event.
Make a meal out of mushrooms with this delicious selection of recipes, from stuffed to stir frys, there are any number of ways to enjoy these funghi.My favorite pasta dish ever! Loaded with crispy bacon, perfectly roasted garlic cauliflower + the best Parmesan sauce EVER.
I make carbonara ALL THE TIME.
Mainly because I always have everything on hand when it comes to carbonara – spaghetti, bacon, eggs, Parmesan – you know, all the important stuff.
But with this wedding diet and all, I need to eat a little bit healthier. Which basically means I’m incorporating some veggies into my already set diet.
You know, the spaghetti-bacon-egg-Parmesan-sauce diet.
So that’s what we have here. Sneaked in cauliflower roasted just beautifully with fresh thyme and garlicky goodness.
See, the wedding diet isn’t too bad, right?
My favorite pasta dish ever! Loaded with crispy bacon, perfectly roasted garlic cauliflower + the best Parmesan sauce EVER.
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious.
The post Roasted Cauliflower Carbonara appeared first on Damn Delicious.
Learn how to make this sophisticated butter at home and discover an altogether tangier and creamier butter than you thought possible.Ulises Valdez, who emigrated from Mexico to work as a vineyard laborer in Sonoma County, then rose to become one of California’s most renowned vineyard managers and founder of his own family winery, died early this morning of a heart attack. He was 49.
Valdez was widely considered one of the most knowledgeable and skilled vineyard managers in California. He was equally regarded as one of the most warm and loving personalities in the industry. “He was a brother from another mother,” said Jeff Cohn of Jeff Cohn Cellars. “His family is my family, and vice versa; and our relationship has been that way since 1996 when we first met him.”
Valdez was also an example of the American dream in the wine industry. Born in the Mexican state of Michoacán, he was one of eight children. His father died when Valdez was just 8, forcing the resolute youth into the fields around his village to help support his family. Valdez left Mexico at age 16, successfully crossing the California border on his third attempt. He found his way to Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley, joining his older brother Nicolas Cornejo, who had come to the U.S. earlier in the year. Together they worked in vineyards.
Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Valdez became a legal temporary resident of the United States, and 10 years later he became a permanent resident. In the interim, Valdez returned home to marry his wife, Adelina. Even though he could now travel to California legally, Adelina could not, so Valdez once again braved the journey across the border to bring her back to Sonoma County.
“He’s the poster child for immigration,” said Saxon Brown’s Jeff Gaffner, who has known Valdez for 20 years. “I knew his uncle when he came here as a kid, and he always worked hard and hustled; his evolution is something our industry should be proud of.”
It didn’t take long for Valdez to carve a path from vineyard worker to vineyard manager. He teamed with Jack Florence Jr. to become partners in Florence Vineyard Management Company, farming Florence’s father’s vineyard. After saving for more than a decade, Valdez bought out his partner in 2003, and changed the name to Valdez & Sons Vineyard Management Inc.
Valdez had learned a lot about viticulture in a short period of time and had gained a valuable reputation in the industry, growing high-quality grapes for clients such as Mark Aubert, Paul Hobbs and Jayson Pahlmeyer. That brought in more business. “He’s got exhaustive knowledge of the soils in Sonoma,” Aubert told Wine Spectator in 2007. “And he has the understanding [that comes with] making his own wine. He’s a rare breed that can balance all the factors.”
Today, the company employs a staff of 100 and farms over 1,000 acres for the aforementioned wineries, as well as Arista Winery, Ram’s Gate, Rivers-Marie, Three Sticks, Kosta Browne and countless others. “He was a gem in this industry,” said Cohn. “He understood what it took to make great wine, literally from the ground up.”
Valdez will be remembered for the twinkle in his eye, his laughter and his big smile underneath his signature straw cowboy hat. He was a passionate, hardworking and determined perfectionist in the vineyard; as well as a loving, caring father and husband at home. “Conversations always drifted to family, and about his sons and daughters getting involved in the family business,” recalled Mark McWilliams of Arista.
In 2004, Valdez released his first wine under his namesake brand, Valdez Family Winery. He opened his own winery in 2010. Because vineyard land is expensive, Valdez opted to acquire vineyard property via long-term leases rather then buying—the winery now owns or leases 100 acres. His daughter Elizabeth took over winemaking duties in 2016, and her siblings Angelica, Ricardo, and Ulises Jr. are all involved in both the winery and vineyard company.
Valdez’s death comes at the peak of harvest in Sonoma County. McWilliams was shocked to hear the news from Ulises Jr. at 6 a.m. this morning, when the young man delivered grapes to Arista. Numerous local vintners and longtime clients have rallied around the family, offering to lend a hand in the fields, cellar or offices.
McWilliams said it’s what Ulises would have done for them, recalling a story from Arista’s first harvest of their estate vineyard in Russian River Valley, which Valdez had planted and farmed. “One of his men didn’t fully strap the fruit down, and [when he] came around a corner, half of it dumped onto Westside Road,” said McWilliams. Valdez called him crying, and replaced the lost fruit with grapes from his own vineyard at no cost. “He loved his work, and loved being in the vineyards,” said McWilliams. “It was what he was meant to do; he’s an absolute icon.”
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Don’t miss the rare opportunity to stay in this chocolate cottage made from 1.5 tons of chocolate. It is only available for a few nights in October.