Category Archives: Insight

Last week I was discussing with a husband and wife, restaurateur and chef team about the now dozens and dozens of outlets for the media and the public to review their restaurant. I, for one, never support trusting reviews where the merits and critiques of the restaurant are in the typical sparse, harsh “Yelp style:”Continue reading “Plat du Jour October 10, 2012: Can a Restaurant Really Be Critiqued After One Visit?”

Much attention has been lavished upon President Obama and the White House’s home brewing unit…the most highly coveted beer now in the world, easily over Pliny the Elder. I only had to wait five hours in line last year for the latter. I’m doubting I’ll be tasting the White House beer…you never know though, becauseContinue reading “Plat du Jour: Monday September 24, 2012: Five Fig Ideas and Obama the Eater”

It’s the heart of summer on this mid August weekend, meaning tomatoes, peaches, basil, mint, and company are being served on tables everywhere. What will Trev’s Bistro be serving, besides ribs on the grill and caprese for salad every night with fresh heirloom tomatoes and burrata? You can certainly count on this magnificent “Live BasilContinue reading “Plat du Jour: Saturday August 18, 2012: Blueberry Pie and Basil Gimlet for Summer and Last Word on the 50 Best New Restaurants”

It’s been over a month, but you can breathe easier now, the Plat du Jour is back and better than ever after sweating in the 100 degree heat of a Texas summer, and the 50 degree heat of a Scandinavia and Russia summer. Of course the big food celebration this week was yesterday, which wouldContinue reading “Plat du Jour: Thursday August 16, 2012”

Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California, about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, can quite possibly be credited with taking America’s recent fanaticism with everything craft brew and hop related, and turning the passion into epic fervor as powerful and vast as the Roman Empire during Pliny the Elder’s lifetime. Well, thatContinue reading “Plat du Jour: Tuesday June 26, 2012– Tastings at Russian River Brewing and Cerveceria de Mate Veza”

Preparing for an upcoming first visit to Russia, over the weekend I joined a friend who was born in Moscow get a quick crash course in Russian Food 101. So often Russian food falls into the same category of bland, heavy, comfort cooking with no life and no adventure that other cuisines like German fallContinue reading “Russian Cuisine For A Rookie”

It’s the heart of June, which means it’s prime time to head to the grill for cooking dinner tonight. Coming up today for this week’s Tuesday’s Project: barbequed chicken with a jerk marinade bolstered by too many jalapenos to count. Fortunately the overnight marinade allows the jalapenos to not be as potent as this manyContinue reading “Plat du Jour: Tuesday June 19, 2012: Nashville, Barbeque Chicken and Speakeasies”

The countdown is on until Summer officially swings around at the end of the week. Food-wise and weather-wise with the plentiful hot temperatures nationwide and ripe apricots, figs, and sweet corn in the markets, it really is summer already. A week ago, summer came very early to the Monterey Peninsula, south of San Francisco. ItContinue reading “Plat du Jour: Monday June 18, 2012: A Look At A Wedding Dinner”