Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Petit St Vincent

10 things I learned on Petit St Vincent Call it PSV Yellow flag means "I have a request" Red flag means "privacy please" The Windward Islands are no joke - it's really windy! Erica's hot sauce is also no joke Request a small lobster - it will still be bigger than your plate, but ... continue reading...


Cafe Versailles, Miami airport

With 12 hours of travel down and 5 to go, the thought of a Cuban sandwich kept us going.  Finally, at 830pm, we made it to Cafe Versailles in the Miami airport. It's an outpost of Miami's self-proclaimed "World's Most Famous Cuban Restaurant", with three locations in Terminal D (Gates D5, 21, ... continue reading...


Cranberry sauce two ways

Happy Thanksgiving! This year I'm making cranberry sauce for dinner at D's parents', and I decided to go with two different versions: one traditional and one raw. The traditional sauce is my uncle's recipe - cranberries, orange juice and zest, and sugar cooked together on the stovetop. The ... continue reading...


Flying on ANA

My flights to and from Tokyo in the spring were in ANA business class (thank you, United miles!), and were a markedly better experience than my trips in United global first in every regard. Only on a Japanese carrier would the flight attendants line up in the aisles and bow deeply to the ... continue reading...


Egg in the hole

Here's a fun breakfast idea - eggs and toast, in one handy package! The other morning I was looking at the package of Japanese "shokupan" I'd gotten at Mitsuwa when inspiration struck.  It's the perfect bread for eggs in the hole, since it's thick enough to nicely ensconce the egg without it ... continue reading...


Next: Terroir

When we sat down for Next's Terroir dinner, I was fully expecting to start off with a glass of something sparkling.  That's the unspoken rule, as demonstrated by the Champagne carts that trundle up to you in the fanciest restaurants. So I was surprised when the first glass poured was a red ... continue reading...


EL Ideas, Chicago

EL Ideas has grown up since I last wrote about it.  The interior was expanded to allow for more diners, and it's held a Michelin star for the past two years. But being grown up doesn't mean EL has lost any of its creativity and irreverence. Your first dish comes silverware-free and you're ... continue reading...


Ginza Iwa sushi, Tokyo

Our last dinner in Japan was sushi at Ginza Iwa - a fitting finale to a great trip. We got a bit lost as we walked through the small backstreets of Ginza in search of the storefront pictured on the printout our concierge helpfully gave us, but eventually located it. We were seated at one end ... continue reading...