All about Men and the women who love them!
Get inside the creative mind of Noma head chef Rene Redzepi in his newly published journal: “A Work in Progress.”
Vladamir Murkhin of Moscow’s White Rabbit takes the stage at Galway’s Food on the Edge festival to talk about the new wave of Russian chefs and cuisine.Husband-and-wife team Thomas and Anne Cabrol opened N5 Wine Bar in Toulouse, France, in 2013. The restaurant quickly made a name for itself with a wine list that’s lengthy yet thoughtful, earning Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence in 2015. The 3,600-selection, moderately priced list includes an impressive 500 wines by the glass. The program represents regions around the world but focuses on France, where picks are particularly strong in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône, the Loire and Languedoc-Roussillon. Thomas oversees the beverage program while Anne serves as chef, and their synergy is evident in the wine-friendly menu of small plates. Several pairings are available, from a 3-glass option for $23 to a 5-glass premium option for $114. In addition to meat- and fish-centric plates, N5 Wine Bar has extensive vegetarian options such as tomatoes with lemon-basil sorbet, gnocchi with mushrooms and a pea tart. It’s all presented in a cozy space with plenty of bottles on display.
Daniel’s Broiler is now open in the Hyatt Regency in downtown Seattle. It’s the largest location of the Schwartz Brothers steak house, which has two Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winners in Washington, one in Bellevue and another in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. Both wine lists offer strengths in Washington, California, Oregon and France.
Overseen by Schwartz corporate wine director and general manager Victoria Antilla, the wine list at the new location features 355 selections, including 22 available by the glass and two dozen half-bottles. It shares a focus on domestic and French labels with its two sister outposts, with plenty of big-name labels such as Screaming Eagle, Leonetti and Château Margaux. Antilla hopes to grow and expand the selections over time, which will be driven by guest demand. “I’m really hoping that we do sell a better representation of wines around the world so we can have more of an international balance to the list,” she said. The restaurant serves classic steak-house fare, but like its other locations, there is a “plant-based menu” of meatless options.
Grand Award winner Ai Fiori in New York has a new wine director, Mariarosa Tartaglione, who came from inside the Altamarea Group family. She joined the Ai Fiori team Jan. 1 after serving as head sommelier at Marea, where she worked with the Best of Award of Excellence–winning program under wine director Francesco Grosso. She replaces Alessandro Piliego.
Born in south-central Italy, Tartaglione brings years of fine-dining experience and “immense” Italian wine knowledge to Ai Fiori, according to corporate beverage director Hristo Zisovski. Zisovski doesn’t foresee any major changes to the list, though he expects Tartaglione to further bolster its Italian selections, which are already the program’s biggest strength.
On Jan. 14, brothers and co-owners Brad and Brent Steven will open Vora in Wichita, Kan. The new concept is located just blocks from their Best of Award of Excellence winner Wine Dive, which has another Best of Award of Excellence–winning outpost in Manhattan, Kan.
Inspired by Brad’s travels, Vora will have more of a European focus than the Wine Dive restaurants. The space is bright and airy, with a large patio and private dining spaces for up to 50 guests. Milan-born chef Giovanni D’Angelo will serve a diverse menu of Italian and French dishes, with some influence from countries like Germany, Spain and Austria. Items will range from wood-fired pizzas to classic steak au poivre with Cognac sauce.
The wine program, overseen by Brad, will be more focused than the eclectic Wine Dive lists, offering about 125 labels with 25 available by the glass. It will highlight Italy and France, especially regions like Piedmont and Burgundy, and feature plenty of refreshing, high-acid wines. “Not so much the over-the-top, ripe, high-alcohol wines,” Brad told Wine Spectator. “We want these wines to really complement the food.”
BLT Prime’s New York location closed Dec. 21 after 13 years in business. The outpost held a Best of Award of Excellence for its 500-selection wine list with strengths in California, France (especially Burgundy) and Italy. A statement from ESquared Hospitality cites “ongoing construction” nearby and “the prohibitive costs of rising New York City rent” as reasons for the closure.
ESquared Hospitality owns 11 Restaurant Award winners across the country, including the Award of Excellence–winning BLT Prime in Doral, Fla.
Keep up with the latest restaurant news from our award winners: Subscribe to our free Private Guide to Dining newsletter, and follow us on Twitter at WSRestoAwards and on Instagram at wsrestaurantawards.
Master the art of cooking orzo with these nifty tips and tasty recipes for flavorful salads, one-pot dishes and creamy risotto-style dishes.
More and more cities are repurposing abandoned buildings by creating permanent homes for clusters of pop up restaurants and vendors serving great food.
Craving some homemade pancakes? Kick things up a notch by making your own pancake mix from scratch. You’ll love the difference in flavor and texture.
An exclusive collection of free thoughts from chef Rodolfo Guzmán of Boragó, the first Sustainable Restaurant awarded at Latin America’s 50 Best.The most epic pesto cream sauce ever! It’s fresh, vibrant, and amazingly creamy. Served with pasta for a quick family favorite meal!
New Year, New You pesto cream sauce here!
Made with a fresh basil pesto, heavy cream, mozzarella and Parmesan, we have the creamiest, most rich and velvety sauce of your life.
And you don’t have to feel guilty about eating all of this.
Why? Because the pesto has some hidden secret broccoli in it! Broccoli that you can’t even taste.
And the blistered cherry tomatoes are also an added veggie.
The shaved Parmesan, however, is not a vegetable, but it is a very important garnish that cannot be skimped.
The most epic pesto cream sauce ever! It’s fresh, vibrant, and amazingly creamy. Served with pasta for a quick family favorite meal!
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious.
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Before we look ahead to 2019, Wine Spectator’s editors would like to take a moment to remember the wine and food industry leaders, loved ones, friends and pioneers that passed this year.
We were shocked and saddened by the death of renowned chef, author and television star Anthony Bourdain, who took his own life in June at age 61. Bourdain appeared on the cover of the March 31, 2015, issue of Wine Spectator, for editor at large Harvey Steiman’s extensive profile, “The Cooked and the Raw.” We also bid farewell to beloved California vintner Ulises Valdez, Zinfandel champion Kent Rosenblum, Old World legends Bruno Giacoas and Auguste Clape, and French chefs Joël Robuchon and Paul Bocuse, among many notable others. Now we remember these great contributors to the wine world and more who will be missed in 2019, and we ask our readers to share their memories in the comments, and to add memorials for any other wine-industry friends not listed here.
Paul Bocuse
Eminent French chef Paul Bocuse was a world-renowned innovator and pioneer of Nouvelle Cuisine.
Anthony Bourdain
Chef, author and TV host revealed the hard work and hard living of the cooks in restaurant kitchens.
Ella Brennan
At Brennan’s and Commander’s Palace, New Orleans restaurateur Ella Brennan recruited chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse.
Rudy Buratti
Castello Banfi winemaker Rudy Buratti spent his career in Montalcino making high-quality Brunellos.
Auguste Clape
From his small family estate, Auguste Clape turned the Cornas appellation into a world-renowned source of Syrah.
Al Frediani
The grape farmer spent his life working the Calistoga property he’d been born on.
Albert Frère
The richest man in Belgium and a passionate wine lover, Frère was co-owner of Bordeaux’s Château Cheval-Blanc.
Fred Furth
A successful attorney known for his flamboyant personality, Furth built Chalk Hill into a prominent Sonoma estate.
Bruno Giacosa
Known as Barbaresco’s “Maestro,” Giacosa crafted exquisite wines for more than 50 years.
Norbert Goldner
Cafe l’Europe chef and co-owner Norbert Goldner ran his landmark Palm Beach restaurant and an outstanding wine program for 37 years.
Robert Haas
Tablas Creek cofounder and Paso Robles pioneer Robert Haas helped popularize Rhône grapes in California, first as an importer, then as a vintner.
Nicolaus Hahn
Hahn Family Wines founder helped put Santa Lucia Highlands on the map.
Eric Albada Jelgersma
Dutch businessman Eric Albada Jelgersma revitalized Bordeaux’s Château Giscours.
Patrick Léon
Former winemaker at Mouton-Rothschild and Opus One and consultant at Château d’Esclans brought international perspective to wine.
Archie McLaren
A lawyer by training, Central Coast Wine Classic founder McLaren was an ambassador and champion for California’s Central Coast.
Leonildo “Nino” Pieropan
Soave stalwart was a traditionalist and an innovator for his Italian appellation.
Giuseppe “Beppe” Rinaldi
Barolo vintner Rinaldi crafted pure, complex Barolos for nearly three decades.
Joël Robuchon
Arguably the world’s most decorated chef, Robuchon pushed Nouvelle Cuisine to new heights, from Paris to Tokyo to Las Vegas.
Hardy Rodenstock
German wine merchant and alleged counterfeiter Hardy Rodenstock reveled in bottles that were too good to be true.
Koerner Rombauer
Pilot-turned-vintner Koerner Rombauer helped define California’s rich style of Chardonnay.
Kent Rosenblum
California veterinarian-turned-winemaker Kent Rosenblum championed old vineyards and ripe Zinfandels.
Leslie Rudd
Savvy investor, businessman, philanthropist and Rudd Oakville Estate founder left an indelible mark on California’s food and wine scene.
Ulises Valdez
A Mexican immigrant who started as a vineyard laborer, the beloved California vintner became one of Sonoma’s most renowned vineyard managers and a winery owner.
Bob Wilmers
Charming and intelligent, the New York banker and owner of Bordeaux’s Château Haut-Bailly built a career as a prudent banker and an unabashed lover of France and Bordeaux.
