Al’s Chickenette

Al’s boasts of having the best fried chicken in Hays, Kansas. I would wager to say, they that have the best fried chicken in most of Kansas, as Kansas is not really much of a state, just one big sorghum and soy farm. Sorghum, that genus of plants from the 10,000 strong grass family (Poaceae)

Szechuan Impression

I used to believe my stomach was cast iron; I could consume anything inside it and not really worry about it. The ever dwindling populations of Lactase enzymes, as well as Szechuan (some pronounce Sich-Chawn, which I prefer after the name of the province in Southwest China) cuisine have served as the gravity to those

Longman & Eagle

Of all the 77 neighborhoods that compose Chicago there is but one that teams with a raw hipster energy. A mustached heartbeat that pounds from a dangerous ride and fair trade coffee, swerving around gaping potholes from last year’s winter on a bicycle with just one gear. That neighborhood is Logan Square, where the most exciting restaurants

The Lost City of Camello Gigante

A great many fantastic adventures in life are conceived in inebriation. The quest for the Lost City of Camello Gigante began like most stories, three young men in search of fortune and glory – yet what we found in the bygone region across the border was beyond our wildest dreams. Earlier this month I heard

PortoVino Wine Dinner at Pizzeria Ortica

I first heard of Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa, California from my Chef Steve Samson when we were opening Sotto, in South Beverly Hills several years ago. I didn’t think much of it, or the Orange County dining scene for anything other than ethnic food for quite a while, until Joanie Karapetiean introduced me to

Mourad

On a recent trip to the Bay Area I received the opportunity to try the newest restaurant from Chef Mourad Lahlou, Mourad. Several years have passed since I was impressed by not only the stellar cocktail program of Aziza (the restaurant named for the Chef’s Mother, widely considered the best Moroccan in the America), but the fantastic

Italy on the Mind

Remember that trip I took to Southern Italy? That was quite enjoyable and beautiful. I’m often brought back to Italy in the great tastings I have the privilege to attend on routine basis, like the recent Poderi Aldo Conterno. I am a big advocate of the wines from Italy; I believe Italian wine offers the most diversity and most

Von Bodem

Late last year I got the pleasure of meeting Stephen Bitterolf of Vom Boden; German speaker, former wine director / current wine educator, and importer of fine wines Germania (Vom Boden; meaning ‘of the soil’). Stephen did a great interview with Levy Dalton, of I’ll Drink to That (one of my favorite podcasts). Tasting and

Poderi Aldo Conterno

Aldo Conterno is one of those storied names among what many consider to be the greatest grape in all of Italy, Nebbiolo. It invokes such a rich and visceral response, it transforms in the glass, and it belongs to Italy. Long one of my favorite producers is Aldo Conterno, a producer with one foot in

Lotus of Siam – Las Vegas

I had heard specifically to try two places off the main strip in Las Vegas, a place I don’t typically frequent for anything other than dining and poolside lounging (like Charlie Sheen, i’m obsessed with winning and hate to lose). I was told one spot in particular serves the best Thai food in the nation.