Stephanie spend quite some time to prepare this lovely Xmas cake.
When everything was done, I took a bunch of picture on our kitchen table.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Wednesday night is Schnitzel night at Emeralds Restaurant, located at Warilla Bowling Club
Wednesday night is Schnitzel night at Emeralds Restaurant, located at Warilla Bowling Club
Originally uploaded by Vanessa Pike-Russell
After dinner I attended the Kiama/Shellharbour Camera Club held at the Sapphire Conference room. Tonight's club meeting was a nature competition and the quality of entries were astounding! I was happy to meet up with some great local flickr people. A wonderful night!
blogged at Illawarra Food Reviews
20080220-IMGP3832
Uploaded by Vanessa Pike-Russell on 20 Feb 08, 6.57AM CST.
Figo (Photo and Restaurant Review)
So Arica and I went to this place over in Edgewood that just opened up, Figo. The deal is that you walk in the door and up to the counter, where you order your pasta—you choose from a list of pastas on one side of the menu, and a list of sauces on the other. Then you go sit down and eat your dinner.
Except it isn't that simple.
Let me start by saying that their system for assigning the right prepared dishes to the right people is insane: the whole thing hinges on a pepper mill. Or, rather, a bunch of slightly different pepper mills. See, after you pay for your meal, the cash register guy gives you one of these pepper mills. Then, the wait staff wander through the restaurant with hot bowls of pasta looking for the black pepper mill with the white top and a silver band (not the black one with the white top and the gold band). Silly, right?
So we're sitting there (brown mill, brown top, silver band), and staff keep walking up and offering us food that isn't ours. After the fourth time, we stopped the guy and had him write down our order again. I mean, he had to be wondering what we ordered and was maybe just too embarrassed to ask. (Throughout all of this, our waitress has disappeared. Remember how I said that you pay up front? If you're tipping on a credit card, you tip up front too. Again, silly.)
Eventually our food comes out—no, wait—eventually my food comes out along with a dish not entirely unlike what Arica ordered. When Arica pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter, he said—hold on, wait. First, let me tell you what she ordered: fettuccine alfredo with chicken. See, Arica's in month 8 of a pregnancy, and boring is good. What comes out is fettuccine in a bowl, with a side bowl of chicken in a red sauce that just looks spicy.
So when Arica pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter, he says "Isn't that what you ordered, fettuccine with mumblemumblemumble?" It was embarrassing for all.
But here's the thing: the pasta was really good! My sauce (something with "Italian" bacon in a tomato sauce; I doubt very much that they killed that pig in Italy) was fair, but the pasta was al dente—actually al dente, unlike anything I've ever had at any other chain Italian restaurant before. And Arica's alfredo.... Well, you know how "alfredo" in most restaurants is code for "boring boring reduced cream boring sauce"? Arica's pasta was thick with cheesy goodness. All of this (plus a salad big enough to share) for under $19—not bad!
(And the manager gave us a card for a free meal next time, too.)
Uploaded by Lance McCord on 2 Nov 06, 8.58PM CST.
Except it isn't that simple.
Let me start by saying that their system for assigning the right prepared dishes to the right people is insane: the whole thing hinges on a pepper mill. Or, rather, a bunch of slightly different pepper mills. See, after you pay for your meal, the cash register guy gives you one of these pepper mills. Then, the wait staff wander through the restaurant with hot bowls of pasta looking for the black pepper mill with the white top and a silver band (not the black one with the white top and the gold band). Silly, right?
So we're sitting there (brown mill, brown top, silver band), and staff keep walking up and offering us food that isn't ours. After the fourth time, we stopped the guy and had him write down our order again. I mean, he had to be wondering what we ordered and was maybe just too embarrassed to ask. (Throughout all of this, our waitress has disappeared. Remember how I said that you pay up front? If you're tipping on a credit card, you tip up front too. Again, silly.)
Eventually our food comes out—no, wait—eventually my food comes out along with a dish not entirely unlike what Arica ordered. When Arica pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter, he said—hold on, wait. First, let me tell you what she ordered: fettuccine alfredo with chicken. See, Arica's in month 8 of a pregnancy, and boring is good. What comes out is fettuccine in a bowl, with a side bowl of chicken in a red sauce that just looks spicy.
So when Arica pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter, he says "Isn't that what you ordered, fettuccine with mumblemumblemumble?" It was embarrassing for all.
But here's the thing: the pasta was really good! My sauce (something with "Italian" bacon in a tomato sauce; I doubt very much that they killed that pig in Italy) was fair, but the pasta was al dente—actually al dente, unlike anything I've ever had at any other chain Italian restaurant before. And Arica's alfredo.... Well, you know how "alfredo" in most restaurants is code for "boring boring reduced cream boring sauce"? Arica's pasta was thick with cheesy goodness. All of this (plus a salad big enough to share) for under $19—not bad!
(And the manager gave us a card for a free meal next time, too.)
Uploaded by Lance McCord on 2 Nov 06, 8.58PM CST.
redbone alley (mini restaurant review!)
I was at a flyball tournament in Florence, SC, this weekend, and my team decided to have our Saturday dinner at this restaurant, Redbone Alley. It seemed to be THE place to eat, according to the locals, and it had the added advantage of being named after a dog (the owners' daughters' redbone coonhound). It was indeed a very cool space, built inside an abandoned JCPenney store in a once-struggling shopping mall and modeled to resemble a Charleston streetscape.
The big problem with the place was that there was not one single vegetarian entree on the menu. Worse, there was not even a single vegetarian salad on the menu! (The house tossed had bacon and the caesar, if made correctly, would have anchovies, at least in the dressing). There was one vegetarian appetizer (onion rings) and a couple of vegetarian sides (that were not sold a la carte). Since I was in a party of 13, very hungry and quite exhausted, I didn't feel like finding out what special accomodation they could make for me (we were already running the poor sweet waitron ragged), so I just parted with principles and ordered fish. Salmon. It was OK but way too salty (so salty I could only eat half of it before I felt I'd had too much). The vegetables that came with it were a bit flavorless and uninspired. But, the homemade potato chips I got on the side were fabulous. I also had two beers (Yeungling), which greatly enhanced the dining experience.
South Carolina isn't exactly a vegetarian haven, so what could I expect? But the guy that runs this restaurant and its sister in Columbia, SC, (Dale Barth:
dbarth@redbonefoods.com) plans to expand into a national chain. So I'm thinking I may send him a very nice e-mail explaining that offering a vegetarian entree, salad and sandwich would make people like me more interested in returning to his restaurant and saying nice things about it afterwards. (Oh yeah, and going a little easier on the salt wouldn't hurt either!)
Uploaded by bunchofpants on 16 May 05, 10.27AM CST.
The big problem with the place was that there was not one single vegetarian entree on the menu. Worse, there was not even a single vegetarian salad on the menu! (The house tossed had bacon and the caesar, if made correctly, would have anchovies, at least in the dressing). There was one vegetarian appetizer (onion rings) and a couple of vegetarian sides (that were not sold a la carte). Since I was in a party of 13, very hungry and quite exhausted, I didn't feel like finding out what special accomodation they could make for me (we were already running the poor sweet waitron ragged), so I just parted with principles and ordered fish. Salmon. It was OK but way too salty (so salty I could only eat half of it before I felt I'd had too much). The vegetables that came with it were a bit flavorless and uninspired. But, the homemade potato chips I got on the side were fabulous. I also had two beers (Yeungling), which greatly enhanced the dining experience.
South Carolina isn't exactly a vegetarian haven, so what could I expect? But the guy that runs this restaurant and its sister in Columbia, SC, (Dale Barth:
dbarth@redbonefoods.com) plans to expand into a national chain. So I'm thinking I may send him a very nice e-mail explaining that offering a vegetarian entree, salad and sandwich would make people like me more interested in returning to his restaurant and saying nice things about it afterwards. (Oh yeah, and going a little easier on the salt wouldn't hurt either!)
Uploaded by bunchofpants on 16 May 05, 10.27AM CST.
Penelope Restaurant review
I've posted a review of Toronto's Penelope Restaurant in blogTO, Luisa and I ate there last Friday. Above: Luisa's calamari and Greek salad (minus the feta).
Review: Abento Too Japanese restaurant
Food: 8/10 - Try one of their fluffy light Okonomiyakis (similar to an omelettes) cooked and served in the center of your table. Also try the succulent fillet steaks - they're simply divine!
Service: 8/10 - Fast, friendly and willing to advise on dishes
Decor: 6/10 - Simple, isometric, light modern layout. As well as tables for four along the front, there is a large U-shaped highter-seated table arrangement where larger groups can sit.
Cost: Prices are average, with side dishes starting at around £4.50, standard sized Okonomiyaki (see my picture) around £8, bottle of Kirin at £3.30 and large flasks of Saki at £13. However, prices aren't cheap enough to warrant Time Out rating it as 2005 Best Cheap Eats runner-up.
Point to note: Abeno Too doesn't serve sushi. Some Japanese restaurants, like this one, do specialise in things other than sushi!
Service: 8/10 - Fast, friendly and willing to advise on dishes
Decor: 6/10 - Simple, isometric, light modern layout. As well as tables for four along the front, there is a large U-shaped highter-seated table arrangement where larger groups can sit.
Cost: Prices are average, with side dishes starting at around £4.50, standard sized Okonomiyaki (see my picture) around £8, bottle of Kirin at £3.30 and large flasks of Saki at £13. However, prices aren't cheap enough to warrant Time Out rating it as 2005 Best Cheap Eats runner-up.
Point to note: Abeno Too doesn't serve sushi. Some Japanese restaurants, like this one, do specialise in things other than sushi!
Japanese Restaurant
Shawn stands in front of one of the four amazing restaurants on our resort. This one's Japanese and we went there for my birthday.
millenium
my friend jeff took me to this amazing restaurant in san francisco (actually, we went to a couple, but i only have pictures from this one).
millenium
my friend jeff took me to this amazing restaurant in san francisco (actually, we went to a couple, but i only have pictures from this one).
Amazing Dessert - Ninja Restaurant
A great way to end our trip was a visit to the ninja restaurant. It was one of the more 'touristy' things we did on the trip but what an experience it was. This is my dessert: A bonsai tree! The soil is chocolate sponge cake, covering a pistachio and green tea ice cream. The branches are maple wafer sticks, the foliage of the tree was a green icing, and the mossy finish is green tea powder! Clever!
The Perfect Restaurant Entrance
This dog, for one reason or another, can almost always be found on top of that log in front of this restaurant. It's amazing because usually cats are ones to try to get up on high places, while dogs will just lay on the floor indifferently.
I'll have to take a better photo when that guy isn't working in front of the building.
I'll have to take a better photo when that guy isn't working in front of the building.
Amazing Mexican Restaurant
The family all together at an awesome mexican restaurant in old town ( I know, I know - where isn't there awesome mexican food in san diego?!
Amazing sushi restaurant, Sushitsune 109 Building, Shibuya
at this brilliant sushi place in shibuya. here, someone's just ordered some yellowtail, so one of the restaurant employees is fishing a big one out of the fishtank. it was a live one. it didn't want to die. so the employee had to swing it like a club, smashing it repeatedly against the counter trying to kill it. it helped calm the fish down, but so did what he did next, which was to take a huge knife and slice it in half. this didn't kill the fish immediately, but it really chilled it out. of note is the fact that the whole time he was taking care of the fish, he was taking care of his customers, too. even as he swung and sliced away, he still made time to greet each and every customer who walked through the door with a hearty "irashaimasse!", which means "hello! welcome! come in!"
another employee rang a big bell, and everyone clapped, at each stage of the spectacle, and then the still beating heart was placed on a little plate in beautiful presentation and served to a cute, but nervous-about-eating-a-beating-heart, japan
ese girl.
another employee rang a big bell, and everyone clapped, at each stage of the spectacle, and then the still beating heart was placed on a little plate in beautiful presentation and served to a cute, but nervous-about-eating-a-beating-heart, japan
ese girl.
The Pink Door (amazing Italian Restaurant)
Very cool restaurant near the Pike Place Market. It had no sign, just a pink door, as the name suggests. There would be no way to know to go in if you weren't looking for it.
Monday, January 28, 2008
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Europe-based Restaurant Magazine recently revealed the 50 Best Restaurants in the World for 2005, chosen by an international panel of more than 600 impossible-to-please restaurateurs, chefs, food critics and industry experts.
The winner of the coveted number one spot was The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, Britain. The pioneering restaurant is famed for introducing the world to delicacies such as snail porridge, mussels in popcorn sauce, and bacon and egg ice cream. The bizarre-sounding dishes are part of The Fat Duck’s bid to create food that is both delicious and fun. In addition to “Best Restaurant in the World,” the Fat Duck also picked up an award for the second year in a row for “Best Restaurant in Europe.”
Of the top 50, 14 of the restaurants are in Britain. According to Restaurant Magazine, “There will be some who feel this year’s list is too London-centric, with 26 percent of the list given over to restaurants in and around the English capital.”
It is interesting to note that according to Jay Rayner, The Observer food critic, “London has only one Michelin three-star restaurant and three two-star. Paris has more than half a dozen three-star restaurants and about 20 two-star establishments.” But the best restaurants in London topped at 11, while best restaurants in Paris received only 6 awards.
And with the United States-based Gourmet Magazine recently declaring London “The best place to eat on the planet,” maybe its days of bangers and baked beans are over.
French Laundry, in California, went from the No. 1 spot last year to No. 3 this year, but won the award for “Best Restaurant in America.” El Bulli in Spain won the “Chef’s Choice” and Enotica Pinchiorri in Italy won the “Editors Choice.” Only six New York restaurants made the top 50 including Per Se in seventh place and Jean Georges in ninth.
The 50 best rankings and a full list of award winners are shown below.
50 Best Restaurants in the World 2005
- The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire, Britain
- El Bulli, Montjoi, Spain
- French Laundry, California
- Tetsuya’s, Sydney, Australia
- Gordon Ramsay, London, Britain
- Pierre Gagnaire, Paris, France
- Per Se, New York, New York
- Tom Aikens, London, Britain
- Jean Georges, New York, New York
- St John, London, Britain
- Michel Bras, Laguiole, France
- Louis XV, Monaco
- Chez Panisse, California
- Charlie Trotter, Chicago, Illinois
- Gramercy Tavern, New York, New York
- Guy Savoy, Paris, France
- Alain Ducasse, Paris, France
- Sketch (Gallery), London, Britain
- The Waterside Inn, Bray, Britain
- Nobu, London, Britain
- Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
- El Raco de can Fabes, Spain
- Checcino dal 1887, Rome, Italy
- Le Meurice, Paris, France
- L’Hotel de Ville, Crissier, Switzerland
- Arpege, Paris, France
- The Connaught, London, Britain
- Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxford, Britain
- Le Cinq, Paris, France
- Hakkasan, London, Britain
- Cal Pep, Barcelona, Spain
- Masa, New York, New York
- Flower Drum, Melbourne, Australia
- WD50, New York, New York
- Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
- Spice Market, New York, New York
- Auberge d’Ill, Illhauseern-Alsace, France
- Manresa, California
- Dieter Muller, Germany
- Trois Gros, Roanne, France
- The Wolseley, London, Britain
- Rockpool, Sydney, Australia
- Yauatcha, London, Britain
- The Ivy, London, Britain
- Gambero Rosso, Italy
- The Cliff, St. James, Barbados
- Le Gavroche, London, Britain
- Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence, Italy
- Felix, Hong Kong
- La Tupina, Bordeaux, France
Individual Award Winners
Best Restaurant in the World:
The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire, Britain
Best American Restaurant:
The French Laundry, California
Best European Restaurant:
The Fat Duck, Bray, Britain
Best African and Middle Eastern Restaurant:
Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
Best Asian Restaurant:
Felix, Hong Kong
Best Australasian Restaurant:
Tetsuya’s, Sydney, Australia
Highest New Entrant:
Per Se, New York, New York
Highest Climber:
Chez Panisse, California
Outstanding Value:
Cal Pep, Barcelona, Spain
Chef’s Choice (selected by last year’s 50 Best):
El Bulli, Montjoi, Spain
Editor’s Choice (selected by editorial panel):
Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence, Italy
Best Restaurants in France:
- Pierre Gagnaire, Paris
- Michel Bras, Laguiole
- Guy Savoy, Paris
- Alain Ducasse, Paris
- Le Meurice, Paris
- Arpege, Paris
- Le Cinq, Paris
- Auberge d’Ill, Illhauseern-Alsace
- Trois Gros, Roanne
- La Tupina, Bordeaux
Best Restaurants in Britain:
- The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire
- Gordon Ramsay, London
- Tom Aikens, London
- St John, London
- Sketch (Gallery), London
- The Waterside Inn, Bray
- Nobu, London
- The Connaught, London
- Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxford
- Hakkasan, London
- The Wolseley, London
- Yauatcha, London
- The Ivy, London
- Le Gavroche, London
Best Restaurants in the United States:
- French Laundry, California
- Per Se, New York
- Jean Georges, New York
- Chez Panisse, California
- Charlie Trotter, Chicago
- Gramercy Tavern, New York
- Masa, New York
- WD50, New York
- Spice Market, New York
- Manresa, California
The Only Caribbean Restaurant on the top 50 List:
- The Cliff, Barbados
Top Ten Best Restaurants in the World: A Review
THE FAT DUCK
Bray, Berkshire, Britain
This is the place that does bacon-and-egg ice cream, snail porridge and sardine-on-toast sorbet. So you can safely say you’ve never had a meal like it. Run by chef Heston Blumenthal since it opened in 1995, it already has three Michelin stars under its belt. The spectacular eight-course tasting menu costs $225.
Bookings: Reserve two weeks in advance for weekdays and at least a month ahead for weekends.
Where to stay: Make a gastronomic weekend of it and stay at the Michelin-starred nine-room Waterside Inn.
EL BULLI
Montjoi, Spain
With sweeping views of the Costa Brava and an unprecedented approach to food, El Bulli is a great adventure for the traveling gourmet. Ferran Adria opens his restaurant from March to September; the rest of the time, he’s in his workshop, experimenting with new tastes and techniques. Be his guinea pig and sign up for the $265 tasting menu.
Bookings: Don’t hold your breath, but worth the phone call to see if there are any availabilities.
Where to stay: Nearby Roses is packed and touristy. Head in the other direction to Cala Joncols, a fairly modest 25-room hotel in its own gardens behind the beach.
FRENCH LAUNDRY
Yountville, California
“Is it possible that the best French restaurant is not in France?” asks the critic from Le Monde. Well, it certainly appears so. Thomas Keller’s Napa Valley French country restaurant is unforgettable. The 10-course tasting menu is incredible. Open with bagaduce oysters and ossetra caviar, then wing through variations on truffles, tuna nicoise, sweet butter-poached lobster, chicken and dumplings, spring lamb and so on, finishing in triumph with the delice au chocolat et caramel. Heaven-on-a-plate for $220.
Bookings: Reserve up to two months in advance.
Where to stay: Continue the French-California theme at Maison Fleurie — five minutes from the restaurant. It has 13 rooms set in a peaceful landscaped garden. Bicycles are provided to help tick off the surrounding Napa wineries.
TETSUYA’S
Sydney, Australia
Every dish is a masterpiece at this amazing inner city oasis, where France walks down the aisle with Japan. Set in a tranquil Japanese garden, you’ll be amazed by what Head Chef Testsuya Wakuda can do with food. Tetsuya’s cuisine is unique, based on the Japanese philosophy of natural seasonal flavors, enhanced by classic French technique. Tetsuya’s renowned degustation set menu changes frequently. A typical meal could start with a plate of hors d’oeuvres — a gazpacho with spiced tomato sorbet, tartare of tuna with fresh wasabi and tataki of venison with rosemary and honey. Tetsuya’s signature dish follows, confit of ocean trout served with unpasteurised ocean trout roe, followed by double cooked deboned spatchcock with braised daikon and bread sauce, followed by a grilled fillet of grain fed beef with sansho and shiitake mushrooms. Desserts include an orange, honey and black pepper sorbet served prior to a blue cheese bavarois. Finally, early season berries with orange and Grand Marnier jelly and champagne ice cream, a floating island with vanilla and praline anglaise, and a flourless chocolate cake with a bitter chocolate sorbet and orange ice cream. Tetsuya’s offers one of Sydney’s most remarkable wine lists, and will match the dishes with wine available by the glass. The combination of excellent food and superb service will make this culinary experience unforgettable.
Bookings: Bookings are essential and can be made one week ahead of time. All major credit cards are accepted.
GORDON RAMSAY
Royal Hospital Road, London, Britain
Ramsay’s first and best, established in 1998 and sporting a well deserved three stars since 2001. When he’s not roasting his kitchen staff, Ramsay oversees a particularly intimate setup here — there are just 14 tables. At $213, the seven-course menu prestige is great value, especially with the wine list starting at $30. Treats include tortellini of lobster and sautéed loin of venison with creamed cabbage and bitter chocolate sauce.
Bookings: You can make a reservation up to one calendar month in advance.
Where to stay: The boutique Myhotel Chelsea is a 15-minute walk from the restaurant.
PIERRE GAGNAIRE
Rue Balzac, Paris, France
El Bulli’s Adria has been dubbed the Salvador Dali of cooking. Gagnaire should be its Matisse: a bold, experimental chef cooking up a storm in the chic 8th arrondissement. The nine-course prix fixe menu costs $373. Leave room for the famous Grand Dessert, seven mini delights such as rum baba, roasted rhubarb and buckwheat pancake.
Bookings: Reservations are taken up to a month ahead.
Where to stay: The 1920’s Hotel Elysees Matignon is also in the 8th arrondissement.
PER SE
New York, New York
Chef Thomas Keller, whose French Laundry (California) is one of the best restaurants in the United States, has opened his newest establishment far from the bucolic Napa Valley. The $12 million Per Se, with a sleek wood-and-glass design by Adam Tihany and views of Columbus Circle, is on the fourth floor of the galleria of shops in the new Time Warner complex, near Central Park. Not only is the food superb (try the sensational rack of baby lamb), it’s also fun: miniature ice-cream cones filled with salmon tartare, “Jurassic” salt that’s 30 million years old, tiny panna cotta made with cauliflower and topped with an oyster glaze and a dollop of osetra caviar. Don’t miss the exotic desserts like poached Asian pear-Spanish almond tart and the perfect crème brûlée topped with a paper-thin sheet of glazed sugar. The service is amazing, unparalleled except perhaps by that at French Laundry. Per Se is grand luxe without the pretention: “Here’s coffee and a doughnut,” said the waiter, setting down a semifreddo in a cup frothed like a cappuccino alongside a small hot beignet shaped like a ring with a ball on top. (Five-course tasting menu, $125; nine-course chef’s tasting menu, $175.)
TOM AIKENS
London, Britain
Exclusive, high quality and worth every penny, Tom Aikens is one of the finest restaurants in London. Celebrities, business people and locals alike are flocking to the restaurant to discover for themselves if the gastronomic modern French cuisine really is up there with the likes of Gordon Ramsay’s. Delectable dishes include roasted foie gras with beetroot pickle and syrup, and roast langoustines with peas and braised veal shin. The secluded Elystan Street location, led by a young, talented husband and wife team, Tom Aikens is a real winner. Awarded a Michelin star within 10 months of opening, there is no doubt another is not far away.
JEAN GEORGES
New York, New York
Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s prix-fixe restaurant near Central Park is a true culinary destination. The main dining room is dressed in neutral colors, with beige banquettes and minimal decoration. Vongerichten’s Asian-accented French cooking shows a like-minded restraint, with some unusual combinations: sea scallops in caper-raisin emulsion with caramelized cauliflower is an outstanding example. Elegant desserts, exceedingly personalized service, and a well-selected wine list contribute to the overall experience. The Nougatine serves a more moderate à la carte menu in the front area, with a view of the open kitchen.
Bookings: Reservations essential one week in advance. Jacket required. American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa. Closed Sunday. Subway: A, B, C, D, 1, 9 to 59th St.-Columbus Circle.
ST. JOHN
London, Britain
Head chef Fergus Henderson is working wonders with some of the strangest cuts of meat you will eat. Once a smokehouse, they have cleverly kept the white stone walled setting intact. Complete with its famous in-house bakery, the bread, which greets you as you sit down, is a welcome appetizer. Mainly a meat eating paradise, the menu changes every day and the latest fare can be found on their website. Their widgeon, a gamey duck, is soft, succulent and unforgettable. Their ox tail is served braised, in delicious dark gravy, is fall-off-the-bone incredible. To make the dish an altogether melting experience the accompanying mash is a perfect sidekick. With an excellent wine list, St. John is the perfect dining experience.
Notable Top 50 Restaurant Reviews:
THE CLIFF
St. James, Barbados
Chef Paul Owen’s innovative and creative cuisine has been matched with an imaginative setting awash in candlelight and art, where every table has a view of the Caribbean Sea. The restaurant is located on a cliff top, overlooking the calm waters of the Caribbean. First opened in 1995, The Cliff has established itself as one of the finest and most popular restaurants in the entire Caribbean. Open for dinner only, the restaurant is truly magical at night when it is illuminated with candles and torches for a romantic ambience. The Cliff is famous for cuisine that blends the flavors of the Caribbean with those of other nations. Diners can begin their meal with classic appetizers such as foie gras and chicken liver parfait with apple and raisin chutney and port glaze, ravioli filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese, spinach, or snails in puff pastry. Chef Owen’s entrees cover the gamut from traditional dishes such as filet of beef, duck breast with wild mushroom sauce, veal chop with Dijon mustard and tarragon sauce to dishes infused with the exotic such as Thai curried shrimp and grilled snapper with three coriander sauces. Don’t miss the restaurant’s sinful desserts which include such classics as crème brûlée with red berry coulis, chocolate mousse, petit fours as well as baked apple crumble and white chocolate cheesecake.
Bookings: Reservations are required especially during the winter season.
GUY SAVOY
Rue Troyon, Paris, France
Just around the corner from the Arc de Triomphe, Savoy completes the Parisian triumvirate, with classic tasting menus from $375. “To grow a carrot, you have to wait several weeks,” says the master chef. “We need to have a deep respect for the product.” And he does.
Bookings: You are looking at two or three weeks for an 8 p.m. table.
Where to stay: Hotel de Banville (166 Boulevard Berthier; is a classic, right in the heart of Paris and just a five-minute taxi ride from the restaurant. (With what you’ll be eating you should walk.)
L’ATELIER DE JOEL ROBUCHON
Rue de Montalembert, Paris, France
Joel Robuchon doesn’t have tables in his restaurant — diners sit on bar stools around the open kitchen. So, one of France’s best restaurants is a long way from the haughty haute cuisine you might expect. Le Figaro was in no doubt: “C’est une revolution!” Expect to pay about $186.
Bookings: You don’t. You turn up with crossed fingers, put your name on the list and wait at the bar.
Where to stay: The restaurant is attached to the historic Hotel Pont Royal or, 15 minutes away, try Hotel de la Tulipe, hidden in an ancient convent.
LOUIS XV
Monaco
As opulent dining rooms go, this has to be the most opulent: huge chandeliers, ornate frescoes and a quite preposterous flower arrangement. It’s palatial, but Alain Ducasse’s menu does it proud, with true Riviera cuisine: Limousin veal, Pyrenean lamb and amazing local herbs and breads. The six-course (and more) menu gourmet costs $335.
Bookings: Call two or three weeks in advance.
Where to stay: Forget the budget. This is Monaco — live how the other half does at the spectacular Hotel de Paris, home to the Louis XV.
MICHEL BRAS
Laguiole, France
On a hilltop in the middle of the French countryside sits this post-postmodern temple of cuisine, like something that’s dropped out of Stanley Kubrick’s “Space Odyssey.” The two menus — $165 and $269 — are a riot of rare ingredients, accompanied by equally rare wines.
Bookings: Phone at least two months in advance. The restaurant is open between April and October; we recommend booking in January.
Where to stay: The easiest way to get a table is to stay at super-cool Michel Bras itself.
NOBU
Park Lane, London, Britain
The fact that it is still the ultimate celebrity haunt shouldn’t put you off. There are eight Nobu’s around the world, but London’s is consistently rated the best, its star quality a result not just of the incredible Japanese/South American menu (don’t miss the black cod with miso), but of the sophisticated service and style. The chef’s menu costs $185.
Bookings: Reserve two weeks ahead for a Friday night, three weeks for a Saturday evening.
Where to stay: Nobu is part of the super-trendy Metropolitan. We recommend trying it.
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