For the month of October, when the State Fair of Texas draws three million people on the edge of downtown Dallas, he pulls into a parking lot each morning at 7 a.m. and begins his mad dash. Transferring boxes of prepared food from his off-site kitchen to his two booths, taking inventory, stocking whatever he missed, hauling trash, replacing rubber floor mats — these are the often overlooked jobs that come with being the boss of his 10-year-old operation. "You thought I showed up for a few hours and signed autographs?" he asks, flashing a warm smile, when I visit him to see what goes on behind the magic. "Not quite. It's all hands on." Keep reading »
From SAVEUR Issue #144
Behold the puffy taco, pride and joy of San Antonio, Texas. It is the epitome of Tex-Mex cuisine, taking a south-of-the-border element like the tortilla (either corn or flour), pumping it up (via deep-frying), and heaping it with American-size quantities of shredded chicken, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar cheese, or anything else you fancy. Keep reading »
The English love a ramble, and there's no better region for it than Lincolnshire—from the windswept North Sea coast to the rolling hills of the interior, criss-crossed with hawthorn hedges and punctuated by the occasional church spire. It's always been a place apart. Vikings with names like Ivar the Boneless and Erik Bloodaxe invaded this part of England toward the end of the first millennium and eventually settled down and began farming; more recently, visitors have been few and far between. In no other county in England is such a high percentage of the population employed in agriculture, and thanks to that steadfastly rural character and Lincolnshire's relative remoteness, local food traditions have quietly thrived in this part of the country even as they've fallen by the wayside elsewhere. Keep reading »
Photo: Beth Kracklauer
The competition kitchen was already abuzz with excitement when I arrived at the C.I.A. yesterday morning, and the four chefs competing for the chance to represent the USA at the 2013 Bocuse d'Or in Lyon were already 2 hours into the 5 ½ hour cooking marathon they would complete that day. A full stadium of students and supporters cheered on their favorite contenders with horns and occasional cowbells. I was lucky enough to step beyond the velvet rope and view the competition from up close—or at least what I could see peering over the sea of finely pressed white jackets and tall white chef's hats. Keep reading »
Photo: Niki Achitoff-Gray
The other night I received an unexpected call from the pastry chef Jacques Torres, perhaps better known as Mr. Chocolate. It's last minute, he said, but would I come to a small dinner he's hosting at his factory on Hudson Street? An intimate dinner with friends means one thing to you and me, but for Torres, it's something different entirely. When I arrived, the first person I spied was Andre Soltner, the legendary chef-owner of Lutèce, peeling fennel bulbs and carrots in the vast warehouse space. And there was Sottha Khun, who was chef of Le Cirque while Torres was pastry chef there, darting in and out of other kitchen-related tasks. Dinner that night would consist of Torres's two non-chocolate specialties—a pan of seafood paella the size of a satellite dish (pictured), and an equally large striped bass that Torres, an avid fisherman, caught himself near New York's Verrazano bridge and then baked en croute. The evening ended with the popping of champagne corks, thick slices of praline mille feuille made by Torres's mentor, Louis Franchain, who was visiting from France, and a tasting of Torres's holiday chocolates, a box of sparkling, vividly colored baubles that left our lips covered in glitter. —Gabriella Gershenson
From SAVEUR Issue #144
Back in 2005, three months after Hurricane Katrina, I found myself in New Orleans, fumbling through shifts in restaurant kitchens and reporting on the tentative first steps in rebuilding the city's dining scene. Keep reading »
Photo: Todd Coleman
From SAVEUR Issue #144
The alabaster square of seared cod sat primly in a bath of golden foam, nude except for a tiny corsage of watercress and a transparent veil of pickled cucumber. The dish looked so pure, so innocent, I was not prepared for its potent, primal flavors: The sauce's sea-buckthorn berries were tart and bright, tempered by the lactic richness of good butter. Course after course, my lunch at F12 embodied the kind of modern Swedish cooking that has quietly transformed Stockholm into one of Europe's most intriguing food cities. Keep reading »
Photo: Todd Coleman
From SAVEUR Issue #144
One of the most seductive restaurants I know, pulsating with the energy of contemporary Israel's vibrant dining culture, is tucked away in Philadelphia's Society Hill neighborhood. Zahav is utterly transporting, with filigreed lanterns illuminating tawny sandstone walls, and a bustling open kitchen. Chef-owner Michael Solomonov, who was born outside of Tel Aviv, serves lusty, full-flavored dishes reflecting Israel's polyglot cuisine. Keep reading »
From SAVEUR Issue #144
From the evening it opened in 1986, with Maguy Le Coze in Chanel and brilliant red lipstick welcoming the city's foodie aristocracy to marvel at her brother Gilbert's inspired fish cookery, Le Bernardin was already very proper, very ambitious, and thrillingly French. There was nothing in the States quite like it: the snap of service, the seductive Maguy, the way Gilbert boldly prepared raw and barely cooked sea creatures, his modesty as he wooed our town's crocodiles. "I am just a humble FEESHerman," he used to say. The New York Times succumbed only three months later, showering the place with four stars. Keep reading »
Photo: William Hereford
From SAVEUR Issue #144
Itgen's Ice Cream Parlour is in Valley Stream, on Long Island, just outside of New York City, but it would not be out of place in Mayberry. Opened in 1967, it's an old-fashioned local hangout, with swivel stools and cozy booths, which draws plenty of characters who come for reasonably priced meals and to discuss the day's events with owner Walter Itgen, Sr., and his family. The burgers, breakfasts, and other savory foods are made from scratch, cooked to order, and delicious. But what really sets Itgen's apart is its homemade ice cream. Keep reading »
Photo: Penny de los Santos
SAVEUR.com is part of the Bonnier Travel & Epicurean Group, a division of Bonnier Corporation.
Copyright © 2012 SAVEUR. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
