Gotham Gal

Oh, the Knicks

There was a time when we went to many basketball games.  Now I go very infrequently because honestly the Knicks are not that great although it is a young team so there is hope. 

I love the whole NYC community rah-rah.  Hearing JZ and Alicia Keys belt out Empire State of Mind puts a smile on my face.

I love that the Knicks have a multi-cultural team.  A Russian, an Italian and a Frenchman is pretty cool.  Defines NYC in many ways. 

I do love just going to a game.  There is something about it.

What I don't love is that the games have become pure entertainment vs sporting events.  Granted sporting events have always been entertaining but watching young kids between 8 - 12 perform some dance during all the breaks doesn't really sit right with me. 

What I hate the worst is the Garden.  NYC is one of the most amazing cities in the world so why do we have a crumbling arena?  It is an embarrassment.  Like when we fly back through NYC, we enter JFK which is should be updated into this century immediately.  It is also an embarrassment. 

I do love the game but I really wish it would be more about the game...and they'd do some serious renovation and certainly some better food. 

 

The John Dory

We have been mourning the loss of The John Dory since it closed.  We were so excited to hear that Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield were going to reopen The John Dory in the Ace Hotel sometime this fall.  The restaurant finally opened this past Friday at noon.  We had dinner there Saturday night.  Although the full menu isn't available for the next couple of weeks, right now only appetizers, bar food and cold plates are being served.

Keep in mind that the place had only opened for less than 48 hours so service was not streamlined quite yet.  If you were ever questioning the doubt that Ken and April wouldn't have a hit on their hand with delicious food, you were poorly misinformed.  Everything we ate last night was really good and somethings were over the top. 

The place itself is very kitschy.  Sitting on the corner of Broadway and 29th Street with windows wrapping around the restaurant.  The fishbowl effect.  I love how all the seats are bar stool height.  Makes for a very casual and communal vibe.  Ok...let the food begin.

Ken has hired a mixologist who has a pretty interesting list of drinks.  As a rule, I drink my alcohol straight but last night I went wild and one of the drinks.  A Bottle Rocket.  Tequila, seltzer, honey and mint.  Really delicious and after you are done drinking one, you are feeling quite nice.

First thing out was two Parker House rolls with an Arctic char pate.  At the first John Dory the Parker House rolls were killer.  They are here too.  Soft, airy and buttery.  Open those up and drop a spoonful of the char pate on and you are pretty much good to go. 

Next out, razor clam ceviche.  Large razor clams chopped with a light touch of lemon, a hint of spice and a green sauce.  Excellent.  Flavor exploding in your mouth.

Hamachi with ginger is one of the crudo selections.  This too is from the last restaurant.  Nice sized pieces of hamachi with just the right amount of ginger to balance the fish.

They had oysters from four different locations last night.  Two east, two west.  We went with three different types.  All good, all different and all briny...just how I like my oysters.  Coming to think of it we never got two things we ordered.  Alas.  That is what happens when places open quickly.  I am sure those kinks will be worked out over time.

Next out was the escarole and anchovy dressing.  This is a bit different than it was in the first restaurant.  Large pieces of escarole doused in a creamy anchovy dressing and bits of toasted bread crumbs on top.  This was good but not my fave.

The next two items out were killer.  This particular dish is classic Bloomfield.  A small bowl of an oyster pan roast.  3 plumpy oysters floating in a buttery oyster stew.  On the side is a thin sliced crostini slathered with uni.  Dip the crostini in the pan roast and put an oyster on the end and bite.  Words can't describe it, really.  This is foodie heaven.

The other dish is mussels stuffed with mortadella and served in a spicy tomato broth.  The stuffing makes the mussels large and worth the bite.  Sometimes you can eat a bowl of mussels and still feel hungry.  Not with these mussels.  Really delicious and over the top.

Last but certainly not least was the shrimp cocktail served with a zesty mayo.  A nice end.

Dessert wasn't on the menu yet as I am dying for the lemon treacle pudding and I have been assured it is on the menu.  I will be back the minute the rest of the menu is up and running.

Afterward we walked home.  Opening Ceremony, which is located in the Ace on Broadway, is open until 10 and so we strolled around the store for a while.  Made me feel like we were on vacation since stores in NYC rarely stay open that late.  On our way down Broadway we stopped in the Hill Country Chicken store to check out the menu and pies but those were not the sweets we were craving.  Instead we made our way in to Eataly to have some gelato.  The pistachio almost tastes like you are shelling pistachios and just popping them in your mouth.

It is incredible how the Ace Hotel has transformed a neighborhood.  Many years ago, Amsterdams was a restaurant that opened far up on the UWS into a not so nice stretch of the UWS.  Over time, that block became nicer and eventually the entire area transformed.  As we were reading off all the names of the import/export businesses that surround the area of 29th and Broadway, there is absolutely no doubt that five years from now they will all be gone.  Soon that funky no mans land between Madison Square Park and Herald Square will become a hot bed for stores and more restaurants.  Like the Highline that has resurrected the areas around it, so has the Ace Hotel.  I wish that the city would be willing to spend serious amounts of cash to update the transit system so that areas that it would reach would also become healthy economies.  It might cause debt in the short run but the jobs that will be created and the economies that will be created will eventually pay off that debt.  But that is another post.

Get over to The John Dory because there is no doubt that sooner than later it will be impossible to get in the door.  Happy to see the doors open and to have it back.  Yum, what a night. 

chocolate caramel salted cookies

My friend told me he had a caramel salted cookie which was out of this world.  Had to come up with my own.  If you like caramel, this cookie is for you. 

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsps. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 1/2 flour

1 egg

1 egg yolk

12 ounces chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

16 ounces caramel chips

medium coarse fleur de sel (or any other salt that you like)

In a mixer beat the butter until smooth.  Add in the sugars and beat until really incorporated.  I let this go for a couple of minutes.  Add in the vanilla and egg yolk and egg and beat.  I like to sift together the dry ingredients before adding them in for the next step.  Add the mixture of dry ingredients over three times beating each amount in between.  Add in all the chips and beat until incorporated.  This should happen quickly.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  The oven should be pre-set to 370.  After the cookies are on the sheet sprinkle salt over the top of each cookie. 

Bake about 7-9 minutes or until browned.  When you take the cookies out of the oven, let them cool a bit before taking off the sheet otherwise they completely fall apart. 

These cookies are seriously decadent!

apple pie

The key to making a really good apple pie is cooking the apples first.  I made two pies last night. 

mixture of 24 large apples of your liking - cored, sliced and peeled

2/3 cup of sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Take the butter and melt it in a large saute pan.  When it melts add the ingredients above.  Once everything is completely melted and the apples begin to soft but not too much, take this off the heat.

Then add 2/3 cup light brown sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch and the juice of one lemon.  Mix this up and let it hang out until cool. 

Here is a pie crust recipe from previous posts. 

Pate Brisee (classic pie crust )

Use a cuisinart, makes life much really easier.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup really cold water

Put the flour, butter and sugar in the cuisinart.  Use the dough blade.  Turn it on until the butter looks like coarse crumbs.  Now you add the water.  This is the tricky part.  I am at the beach, so the air is so full of water that you actually need more water than less.  So in the city, I use 1/4 cup but out here I use 1/2 cup water.  Pour in the water, and pulse until the mixture becomes dough.  Divide in half and roll each piece in plastic wrap, put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.  You could actually keep it in the fridge over night or in the freezer for a month but I've never had success keeping it in the freezer.

Roll out each dough separately between either plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Makes it easier and less mess.  Then put in the fridge again, rolled out, to get cold before working with the dough again, about 15 minutes.  Put the dough over the pie crust, push down and let the extra dough hang over.  Use a fork to prick holes on the bottom. 

Pour the apple mixture in the pie and then take the top crust (already rolled out) and place over the apples.  Crimp and fold to create your pie. 

Bake at 375 until the top is browned.  I also took egg whites and brushed that over the top and some sugar about 15 minutes after the pie had been in the oven. 

NYTimes, The Risk-Taking Edge of West Coast Women

I had the pleasure of speaking with Pamela Ryckman for quite a while this past week.  She had told me that this article, The Risk-Taking Edge of West Coast Women was coming out this week in the Small Business section of the New York Times.  She plans on writing more on this topic and I am sure we will see a much longer article on women investors sooner than later. 

There is no doubt that there is a difference between the West coast and the East coast.  Those differences are seen in VC firms on both coasts too.  There appears to be many influential women on the West Coast who have found themselves with tons of money and are using some of it to invest in start-up companies.  Bravo.  The women in the West Coast are not seeing the same thing from their peers on the East Coast.  Perhaps they are different peers. 

Many women on the West Coast have worked in large technology companies for years and have not only made a lot of money but when they leave the organizations such as Cisco, Google, Microsoft, etc, they fundamentally have a better understanding on how the tech companies work vs a woman who has spent years at an investment banking company.  Certainly in the West Coast, SF, ever high school kid knows what a VC is.  The tech industry to Silicon Valley is like the film industry to Los Angeles.  NYC has more top notch industries that I can count on one hand.  Exploding tech companies with a slant on content, huge media industries such as IAC, music labels such as Sony, a huge food industry with leaders such as Danny Meyer and the Bromberg Brothers behind Blue Ribbon Bakery, the garment industry, etc.  Need I go on?  

I am thrilled that these women have found each other and are putting money into start-up companies.  The more, the merrier.  There is a quote in that article that says "women on the East Coast may be highly philanthropic but most of their money is managed by outsiders.  There's no passion around directing it.  Instead of giving $100,000 to my favorite charities, maybe I should give $50,000 to charities and invest $50,000 in two start-ups I'm really excited about"  Keep in mind that young entrepreneurs who take $50,000 at an angel level also have to manage the people they are taking money from.  Helping people grow their businesses isn't always a slam dunk or that easy.  People who have been investing in this area for 20 years still make mistakes. 

One other quote is "It's a cultural, entrepreneurial revolution.  It's the gold rush, and we want in."  It might seem like a gold rush but keep in mind that nobody talks about the companies that have three rounds of cash poured into the company at higher valuations each time and then end up closing.  Those companies are basically written off the balance sheet of an investor or VC.  Nobody talks about the thousands of businesses that are pitched daily that nobody invests in because maybe nobody thinks it is a great idea except the people pitching it.  We just hear about the winners.  We rarely hear about the losers. 

There are many women in the East Coast providing cash for many things that they are passionate about perhaps not all tech related.  The tech industry on the East Coast is a small microcosm of NYC.  That isn't as true for the West Coast. 

Bottom line:  I can hardly wait to meet the women who are taking their net worth and putting it into young companies on the West Coast.  It isn't easy and it isn't always successful.  It just isn't an easy slam dunk. 

Osteria Morini

Last night I had the pleasure of dining with Mark Suster, Steve Blank and of course Fred Wilson (my husband).  Not only were we dining with plenty of interesting conversation at Osteria Morini so were a variety of people we knew which always makes for a fun evening. 

I have heard so many things about the restaurant.  Almost like reading a movie review before going to the movie.  My expectations were not high.  The restaurant has the feeling of a high end farm in Italy.  Lots of beaten up wooden tables with old fashioned floral plates.  Noise level is high. 

It had been a long hard day and I started out with Negroni.  I asked the waitress about it and wanted to know if I could have vodka instead of gin.  She went into a dialogue of why they made it with gin and that was important to the drink etc.  Seriously?  After she stopped rambling I just said, make me the drink with vodka, ok?  And she did. 

We started out with three treats.  A rectangular cheese covered with a light crispy coating on a stick which was good.  A small round piece of polenta coated with pesto and lardo.  One bite in the mouth and an oh wow, this is absolutely delicious.  The last piece looked like fried mozzarella but inside was oozing rich cheese with a small bit of prosciutto.  So delicious.  Be careful because it explodes when bitten in to.

I ordered a variety of things for us to all split.  Our first round of appetizers was a simple green arugula salad with lemon juice and shaved Parmesan.  Simple and perfect.

A pot of liver pate with toasted bread.  Wow and rich. 

Marinated sardines over a bed of red beans.  Different and tasty.  A nice change.

The constant theme I heard from people was "order the pastas".  And so I did.  Tortellini filled with braised beef.  Each tortellini was a square and then folded over with the contents held intact.  The sauce was a brown sauce that paired perfectly with the meat.  SO good.

I went with a simple tagliatelle with the house ragu antica which consists of beef, veal and pork.  Classic, fantastic and that alone will send me back for more.

I opted for one meat and one fish.  The porchetta was amazing.  Pork cooked forever with a variety of herbs and wrapped in a super crispy thin skin.  Flavorful.  Reminded me of being in Italy.  Can't ask for more than that.

Went with one fish.  Swordfish covered with capers and herbs.  Perfectly cooked and really good.

On the side mixed mushrooms sauteed with loads of olive oil and butter.  How bad could it be?

Sauteed spinach with loads of olive oil too.  So good.  Sorry for the blurry pictures, new phone.

The troops wanted four desserts.  So I obeyed the command.  Gelato coated with "decaf" espresso.  I love that we asked for decaf and they were able to please.  Could we just tilt that back and throw it down our throats?

Hot apple hand pies with gelato.  Perfect for the season.

Panne cotta in a jar with slices of orange.  Interesting.  At this point after a few glasses of wine everything tastes delicious.

Chocolate peanut butter bar with chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. 

I will absolutely be back.  Loved the meal.  Loved the place.  A great addition to the downtown food scene.  Michael White...you rule. 

the eater awards

Last night was the first annual Eater Awards.  Such a great event. This is the picture of the award.  Clever design. 

As someone who has literally been reading Eater from the day it launched and then found myself in that absolutely lucky place of being able to invest in the company, I can't express how exciting last night was.  Not only has Eater provided information on the food world for anyone who is interested, they have created a community.  The chefs, the patrons, the investors, etc., were in force last night.  The feeling was mutual among everyone regardless of who won and who didn't which is what was life like before Eater?

Congrats to the whole crew...it was really awesome.  Also..love the pic of me, Gina and Gabe from Joseph  Leonard and Jeffrey's Grocery.

AWARDS BELOW:

EATER AWARDS 2010

NATIONAL

Restaurant of the Year, National
Nominees: Torrisi Italian Specialties (New York), LudoBites (LA), Frances (SF), Girl & The Goat (Chicago), Olivia (Austin), Castagna (Portland), SUGARCANE Raw Bar Grill (Miami)
Winner: Torrisi Italian Specialties (New York)

Chef of the Year, National
Nominees: Michael White (New York), Ludo Lefebvre (LA), Daniel Patterson (SF), Stephanie Izard (Chicago), Deegan McClung (Austin), Matt Lightner (Portland), Timon Balloo (Miami)
Winner: Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat, Chicago)

Concept of the Year
Presented to the food world concept that best caught the eye and imagination of the eating populus.
Nominees: Eataly, Ferran Adrià Scoring Corporate Backing, LudoBites, The Meatball Shop, Shake Shack
Winner: LudoBites

Television Personality of the Year
For the person whose year in television appearances was most prolific, epic, or otherwise distinguished.
Nominees: Anthony Bourdain (No Reservations) Eric Ripert (· Avec Eric), Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods), Susur Lee (Top Chef Masters, Seth Caro (Top Chef Just Desserts)
Winner: Eric Ripert (Avec Eric, Top Chef D.C., Late Night Talk Show Regular, Treme)

Video Interlude of the Year
Dude, did you see this video?
Nominees: Del Posto Spaghetti with Dungeness Crab Video, Best of Iron Chef America Secret Ingredient Reveals, DC Central Kitchen Responds to Rush Limbaugh, Waitress Goes On Hardearned Killing Spree in Take Out
Winner: Del Posto ("Spaghetti with Dungeness Crab")

Spectacle of the Year
Awarded to the one person, place, thing or idea that flat-out was the best show of the year in 2010.
Nominees: Noma Cookbook, Gordon Ramsay's Crumbling Empire, Achatz's Aviary Videos, Novelty Sandwiches (McRib, Double Down, etc)
Winner: Noma Cookbook

Twitter Personality of the Year
Presented to the person whos show is best viewed at 140 characters long.
Nominees: @chefjoseandres, @ericripert, @Gachatz, @KellyChoi, @kkrader, @lee_schrager, @ruthreichl
Winner: @ruthreichl (Ruth Reichl)

Fameball of the Year
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a... oh, it's just that guy.
Nominees: Alton Brown, Frank Bruni, Spike Mendelsohn, Marcus Samuelsson, Fabio Viviani
Winner: Marcus Samuelsson (Chef at Nia Long's Birthday Bash, Chef at Epicurious Birthday Bash, Cooking Class Leader for Buick, Appearance on A&E's Fix This Kitchen, Kitchen Linen Collection for Target, Chef at Party for HBO's Brave New Voices, Appearances at Every Food Festival in the U.S., Menu Consult for Holland America Line Cruises, Top Chef Masters Winner, MasterCard Spokesperson)

=== NEW YORK ===

Restaurant of the Year, New York
Nominees: ABC Kitchen, The Breslin, Del Posto, Eleven Madison Park, Torrisi Italian Specialties, Roberta's
Finalists: Del Posto, Eleven Madison Park, Roberta's
Winner: Torrisi Italian Specialties*
[*Eater Awards Rule 17, Sub. 19 invoked]

So Hot Right Now, New York
Nominees: Burger & Barrel, The Lambs Club, Lotus of Siam, M. Wells, Osteria Morini, Peels
Finalists: Burger & Barrel, M. Wells, Osteria Morini
Winner: Osteria Morini

Chef of the Year, New York
Nominees: Einat Admony (Balaboosta), Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park), Dan Kluger (ABC Kitchen), Mark Ladner (Del Posto), Anita Lo (Annisa), Michael White (Alto, Convivio, Marea, Osteria Morini)
Finalists: Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park), Mark Ladner (Del Posto), Michael White (Marea, Osteria Morini, Convivio, Alto)
Winner: Michael White (Alto, Convivio, Marea, Osteria Morini)

Shaker of the Year, New York
Nominees: Damon Boelte (Prime Meats), Jim Meehan (PDT); Julie Reiner (Clover Club); Greg Seider (Summit); Phil Ward (Mayahuel); Yana Volfson (Freemans, Peels)
Finalists: Damon Boelte (Prime Meats), Jim Meehan (PDT), Yana Wolfson (Freemans/Peels)
Winner: Yana Volfson (Freemans, Peels)

Keith McNally Restaurant of the Year
Awarded annually to the Keith McNally restaurant that opened closest to press time.
Winner: Pulino's

Danny Meyer Empire Builder of the Year
In recognition of a chef, restaurateur, or team whose heads-down, unbridled need for an empire in 2010 came closet to matching that of Empire Builder Meyer himself.
Nominees: Michael Bao, Chris Cannon and Michael White, Dave Chang and Christina Tosi, Scott Conant, Ken Friedman, Gabriel Stulman
Winner: Chris Cannon and Michael White

Jean-Georges Vongerichten Award for Quietly Killing It
Awarded to the person or team whose 2010 ascent was most ninja-like.
Winner: Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo

Daniel Boulud Award for Most Originally Named Restaurant of the Year
Named in honor of the best restaurant namer there ever was.
Winner: Fat Radish

Eric Ripert's Kids Award
Awarded to a young chef who would benefit most from a day of serious Buddhist training from Eric Ripert.
Winner: César Ramirez

Thomas Keller Benefit-of-the-Doubt Award
Presented to the Keller Alum who will surely get it right because he worked for Keller. He will, right?
Winner: Jonathan Benno (Lincoln)

Tom Colicchio Up-and-Coming Stone-Cold Hustler Award
Blink and you'll miss Tom Colicchio inking another lucrative deal. (Just now he signed on to endorse a line of toothpicks.) The winner of this prize will someday command the cheddar similarly.
Winner: David Chang

Comeback of the Year
Presented to that restaurant whose return from the dead proved most grand.
Winner: The John Dory

Shitshow of the Year, New York
Nominees: Abe + Arthurs, Bar Artisanal, Kenmare, The Lion, Rouge Tomate, Shang
Winner: Kenmare

Spectacle of the Year, New York
Nominees: 4Food, Ace Hotel, Josh Ozersky's Wedding, Marcus Samuelsson, McNally vs. Platt, Tavern on the Green
Winner: Josh Ozersky's Wedding (and Subsequent Media Shitstorm)

Eater Door Prize for Toughest Door of the Year
Nominees: The Boom Boom Room, Jane Hotel, Kenmare, Le Bain, Provocateur
Winner: The Boom Boom Room

=== LOS ANGELES ===

Restaurant of the Year, Los Angeles
Nomineess: Lazy Ox Canteen, LudoBites, Patina, Providence, Umami Burger
Finalists: Umami Burger, LudoBites, Patina
Winner: LudoBites

So Hot Right Now, Los Angeles
Nominees: Cleo, Olio Pizzeria, Red O, Scarpetta, Test Kitchen, Tinga, WP24
Finalists: Cleo, Test Kitchen, WP24
Winner: Test Kitchen

Chef of the Year, Los Angeles
Nominees: Roy Choi, Ludo Lefebvre, Walter Manzke, Michael Voltaggio, Ricardo Zarate
Finalists: Ludo Lefebvre (LudoBites), Michael Voltaggio (formerly The Dining Room at The Langham), Walter Manzke (formerly Church & State)
Winner: Ludo Lefebvre (LudoBites)

Shaker of the Year, Los Angeles
Nominees: Eric Alperin, Matt Biancaniello, Julian Cox, Devin Espinosa, Pablo Moix, Joel Black, Joseph Brooke
Finalists: Matt Biancaniello (Library Bar), Pablo Moix (La Descarga), Julian Cox (Rivera)
Winner: Matt Biancaniello (Library Bar)

=== SAN FRANCISCO ===

Restaurant of the Year, San Francisco
Nominees: Benu, Commis, Frances, Flour + Water, Prospect, Saison, Ubuntu
Finalists: Frances, Flour + Water, Prospect
Winner: Frances

So Hot Right Now, San Francisco
Nominees: Alexander's Steakhouse, Bar Agricole, Benu, Bourbon Steak, Ippuku, Michael Mina, Plum, Ragazza, Una Pizza Napoletana
Finalists: Benu, Bar Agricole, Ragazza
Winner: Bar Agricole

Chef of the Year, San Francisco
Nominees: Timothy Hollingsworth (French Laundry), Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood), Corey Lee (Benu), Daniel Patterson (Coi, Il Cane Rosso,Plum), Melissa Perello (Frances), James Syhabout (Commis), Finalists: Melissa Perello, Daniel Patterson, Christopher Kostow
Winner: Daniel Patterson (Coi, Il Cane Rosso, Plum)

Shaker of the Year, San Francisco
Nominees: Brooke Arthur (Prospect), Scott Baird & Josh Harris (Wayfare Tavern), Scott Beattie (Cyrus, Spoonbar), Erick Castro (Rickhouse), Jonny Raglin and Jeff Hollinger (Comstock Saloon), Shawn Vergara (Blackbird), Thad Vogler (Bar Agricole)
Finalists: Scott Baird & Josh Harris (Wayfare Tavern), Jonny Raglin and Jeff Hollinger (Comstock Saloon), Thad Vogler (Bar Agricole), Brooke Arther (Prospect)
Winner: Brooke Arthur (Prospect)

Empire Builder of the Year, San Francisco
Nominees: Tyler Florence (Wayfare Tavern, El Paseo, Rotisserie & Wine, Hired Jeremy Fox and Corey Lee), Daniel Patterson (Coi, Plum, Bracina, Il Cane Rosso, TBD in Oakland), Bacchus Management Group (Cafe Des Amis, Spruce, The Village Pub), Michael Mina (Bourbon Steak, Michael Mina, RN74, Clock Bar), Lark Creek Restaurant Group (Fish Story, Pizzeria in the Westfield)
Finalists: Michael Mina, Tyler Florence, Anthony Myint
Winner: Anthony Myint (Commonweath, Mission Chinese Food)

Spectacle of the Year, San Francisco
Nominees: Morton's Steakhouse 0 Star Review, Chairman Baotroversy, Grub Opening Delays, Ike's Place NIMBY Battle, Blue Bottle Coffee Dolores Park Controversy, French Laundry Bluefin Debacle
Winner: Ike's Place NIMBY Battle

=== CHICAGO ===

Restaurant of the Year, Chicago
Nominees: Alinea, Avec, Gaztro-Wagon, Girl & The Goat, Longman & Eagle, M Burger, Purple Pig
Finalists: Girl & The Goat, The Purple Pig, M Burger
Winner: Girl & The Goat

So Hot Right Now, Chicago
Nominees: Chizakaya, Davanti Enoteca, Girl & The Goat, Henri, Lillie's Q, Ruxbin
Finalists: Chizakaya, Girl & The Goat, Lillie's Q
Winner: Girl & The Goat

Chef of the Year, Chicago
Nominees: Grant Achatz (Alinea), Jimmy Bannos, Jr. (The Purple Pig), David Carrier (Kith & Kin), Graham Elliot (Graham Elliot), Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat), Justin Large (Big Star), Jared Wentworth (Longman & Eagle)
Finalists: Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat), Grant Achatz (Alinea), Jimmy Bannos, Jr. (The Purple Pig)
Winner: Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat)

Shaker of the Year, Chicago
Nominees: Lynn House (Blackbird), Charles Joly (Drawing Room), Joshua Pearson (Sepia), Debbi Peek (The Bristol), Mike Ryan (Sable), Benjamin Schiller (Boka Group), Adam Seger (hum/Nacional 27)
Finalists: Benjamin Schiller (Boka Restaurant Group); Debbi Peek (The Bristol); Joshua Pearson (Sepia)
Winner: Benjamin Schiller (Boka Restaurant Group)

 

 

 

cranberry pear ginger chutney

Had a hankering for turkey and made this chutney yesterday.  Definitely one of my all times faves and so easy to make.  I have blogged about it before but now I have a pic.  This can easily be doubled or even tripled!  Enjoy!

1 cup plus 2 T. light brown sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8 by 1 inch strips ( made them even smaller)
1/4 t. cayenne pepper (important for the added oomph)
pinch of kosher salt
2 lbs. of firm pears (we used Bosc), peeled, and cut into 1/3 inch dices
3/4 lb. fresh cranberries (roughly 3 1/2 cups)

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, ginger, cayenne and salt and bring to a boil over moderate heat.  Add the pears, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.  I set the timer and it took about 8 minutes, so fyi.   Once they are done, strain the liquid into a bowl and transfer the pears into a separate bowl.  Return the liquid to the saucepan.

Add the cranberries to the liquid.  Cover and cook over moderate heat or until the cranberries just begin to pop.  It takes about 3 minutes.  Strain the liquid into a bowl and at the cranberries to the pears.  Return to the liquid to the pan until it starts to boil and reduce down to 1/2 cup.  This takes about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cranberry/pear mixture and let cool  Served chilled or at room temperature.  Can stay in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.

another woman entrepreneur

I had coffee with Stephanie Webster this week who is the entrepreneur behind CTBites.  I loved meeting with Stephanie and our conversation about world food domination in Connecticut.  But at the end of the day what I really loved is her story. 

Stephanie moved back to Connecticut with her husband and three kids from Seattle a few years back.  She had worked in the tech industry.  I believe she worked at Microsoft if my memory is still in tact from last week.  Stephanie grew up in NYC.  She found herself with three kids under the age of 10 years old living in Westport, CT thinking to herself that she needed something to keep her mind occupied particularly between the hours of 10 and 3.  That would be the hours the kids are in school and perhaps after an hour of exercise and the morning errands.  I so know that story.  So she began CTBites. 

She began writing reviews of restaurants in the Fairfield country area.  Soon people found her site and women contacted her to see if she wanted them to send their reviews in to her too.  Before she knew it she had created a community and grew the site into eating in, eating out, kids bites, ingredients, gadgets and food talks.  Not only that, she has 55,000 uniques a month and is growing.  Wow! 

Stephanie came to talk to me about how she should grow the business.  It was a fruitful conversation, no pun intended.  For all the people in Connecticut you will soon see other CT counties grow on the site, more crowd sourcing from her community including weekend events and possibly information on Inns for those coming to CT for a relaxing weekend. 

Before Stephanie knows it, she will have a revenue steam and more viewers than she ever dreamed of.  Maybe a life style business or maybe a business that large media companies might be interested in purchasing.  Regardless, like Jill, we won't be seeing Stephanie at tech networking events because she has 3 kids under 10 and lives in Westport, CT.  Her evenings probably consist of homework, feeding the family and managing everything else for the family that needs to happen.  What is impressive is that during the hours of 10-3 she has created a platform for the Fairfield county community. 

Another women entrepreneur success story....

a woman entrepreneur...jilarious

Jill has been an entrepreneur for a long time.  She has started many businesses and once again is reinventing herself with a new business.  I doubt you will find Jill hanging out at the "tech" cocktail parties and networking events any night of the week because she has two teenage kids and quite frankly that is her number one priority. 

Jill followed my travels through Paris and was intrigued by a gnome that Josh had purchased at an art gallery.  There was an original piece that Josh did not get but a duplication that the artist had made to sell at a reasonable price to get art into the hands of the masses.  Think 20 X 200. 

The artist, Ottmar Horl, had actually commented on my post and through that comment Jill contacted him.  Ottmar passed Jill on to his wife, the business partner and she negotiated a contract to distribute these gnomes in the US.  Currently Jill sells the gnomes on her site and in a few stores in NYC.  Fantastic holiday gift. 

Not only do I love love love this story but as the conversations are flying around the web about why aren't there more women entrepreneurs in tech perhaps there are more women entrepreneurs that are using tech as a platform but aren't on anyone else's radar.