The French Laundry 6640 Washington St Yountville, CA 94599 Dining date: 5/24/15 I’ve been lucky enough to visit The French Laundry a handful of times. It’s always a memorable experience with delicious food, precise execution, and warm service. This most recent visit was thanks to a reservation I was able to obtain when the restaurant’s reservation…
Twist by Pierre Gagnaire Mandarin Oriental 3752 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89158 Dining date: 5/8/15 I first dined at a Pierre Gagnaire restaurant in Tokyo a few years ago and enjoyed it. Gagnaire’s restaurant in Vegas has been open since 2009 (the only one in America), but it took me a full…
Republique 624 S La Brea Ave Los Angeles, CA 90036 Dining date: 4/16/15 I first dined at Republique soon after it opened at the end of 2013. That meal had its ups-and-downs but was generally a little disappointing. Since then, the restaurant has been one of the most oft-praised and highly acclaimed restaurants in town…
Le Bernardin 155 W 51st St New York, NY 10019 Dining date: 2/27/15 Le Bernardin is one of the legendary fine dining restaurants in New York City. Originally opened in 1986, the restaurant has stayed at the forefront of NYC dining up through this day. Currently helmed by famed chef Eric Ripert (Executive Chef since 1994),…
Terrine 8265 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048 Dining date: 1/18/15 Terrine opened at the end of last year on popular Beverly Blvd a block away from Jar. The restaurant is described as a “California brasserie;” typical French brasserie items do make an appearance along with a bunch of salads, pizzas, pastas and a wide-ranging…
Nico 3228 Sacramento Street San Francisco, CA 94115 Dining date: 12/26/14 Nico opened in late 2013 quietly garnering a following as a sort of neighborhood restaurant nestled between Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights. SF Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer has been a fan since the restaurant opened; on Christmas Eve, he wrote a review calling…
Monsieur Benjamin 451 Gough St San Francisco, CA 94102 Dining date: 11/29/14 Corey Lee, best known for being ex-chef de cuisine of The French Laundry and for three-star Benu, opened Monsieur Benjamin over the summer. It’s a departure from his fine dining experience towards something more casual – a somewhat modernized French bistro. Given Lee’s pedigree,…
L’Astrance 4 rue Beethoven 75016 Paris, France Dining date: 10/28/14 After lunch at l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, our last meal in Paris was dinner here at l’Astrance. A Michelin three star and currently #38 on the world’s best restaurant list, it was our toughest reservation too as the popular restaurant has 25 tables and is open only…