Europe

mugaritz.jpgThe 3-star Michelin restaurant Mugaritz (rated 3rd in the Top Fifty Restaurants of the World) is high up in hills of Errenteria, Spain twenty minutes outside of San Sebastian. It is surprisingly easy to get to if you are an expert in Himalayan climbs, hairpin turns, and fluent in the basque language called Euskara. After you arrive at this culinary mecca, you remove your crampons, ice axe, and Formula One racing helmet, and are ushered into their gorgeous kitchen sanctum. A sparkling cava (Copa Cava Opus Evolutium Ad Private) is given to you to sip. A discussion is then held between you and the various friendly alchemists who will be cooking your meal regarding the philosophical underpinnings of that evening's dishes.

You are taken to your table. A glass of Ossian 2008 white wine is poured. A single small potato (called "Edible Stones" on the menu) that has been cooked in an edible clay shell sits on top of heated gravel. You bite into it hoping your dental insurance has been squared away and realize that it is soft and what you always hoped a potato could be, what any food could be. You dip it into an aiolli sauce and realize that if you only went to Spain for this one potato it would have been enough, more than enough, maybe even too much.

Read more ...

arzakoutside.jpgDateline 2011:  San Sebastian, Spain – 3 Star Michelin "Arzak"
(Number 8 in the Top Fifty Restaurant's of the World poll)

God may have texted Noah to board the Ark with his family, seven pairs of birds, clean animals, and one pair of the unclean but God told me in a separate vision to board the eponymous restaurante Arzak in the basque country with those same birds, those same animals.  All I got to say is that I hope Noah brought a pastrami and rye because Chef Elena Mari Arzak  took those birds, took those animals and grilled them a la plancha to perfection last night in a meal of Biblical proportions – and obliterated any memory of Ferran Adria' and El Bulli.  God is now on my speed dial.

Most of the time I had no idea what I was eating during the three hour tasting menu but it was fantastic:  Cromlech (with foie gras, coffee, and tea),  Kabraroka (with kataifi) and Patchouli (with prawns). They looked like exhibits at the Dali' museum in Figueres and I'm fairly certain these were all names of food that appeared on the menu.

Read more ...

ranierkelly.jpg I have been a news junkie since I was a child, probably because we only had one TV with rabbit ears. Every night after supper, I sat with my dad and watched the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.

The earliest memories I have of news stories are about Watergate, Patty Hearst and Princess Grace. I remember the debates and controversy about the first two, but the stories about Princess Grace were  just enchanting. She gave hope to little girls and women of all ages that you could grow up as a normal girl in Pennsylvania, move to Hollywood, become a movie star and marry a Prince.

Read more ...
Page 2 of 2