the_maestro
Auro – Calistoga, CA
While still in the shadow of the legacy of the French Laundry, the food at Auro displays creativity, generosity, and heart.
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the_maestro
Aug 184 min read
The Best Bites at the Iowa State Fair
The standard fair fare of corn dogs and funnel cakes can be found at countless stands, but certain pioneering purveyors push the envelope!
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the_maestro
Jul 215 min read
Double Chicken Please – New York, NY
My sister and I, ever pursuers of excellent mixology, are shameless followers of the "Top 50" list of the "best" bars in the world. Of...
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the_maestro
Mar 228 min read
Sonoma Restaurant Week: The Best Dining and Deals
When it comes to food, the residents of Northern California are spoiled. Some of the greatest produce you can find is grown on area farms...
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the_maestro
Mar 27 min read
Ahi – Auckland, New Zealand
I spent two weeks wandering around New Zealand finding myself gobsmacked not just by the natural beauty, but also the quality of the...
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the_maestro
Dec 11, 20235 min read
Eat Like the Maestro at Miami Art Week
A few years back, the art world was shaken to its core when Italian absurdist artist Maurizio Cattelan duct taped a ripe banana to a wall...
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the_maestro
Nov 17, 20236 min read
Born and Bred – Seoul, South Korea
We've all heard of wagyu beef, Japan's absurdly marbled steaks that, according to urban legend, come from cows treated like kings––given...
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the_maestro
Nov 10, 202310 min read
Clues for the Clueless – Sushi in Japan
I like to think I am knowledgable about food and beverages. But sometimes one has an experience that reminds you just how little you...
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the_maestro
Nov 3, 202313 min read
Maz – Tokyo, Japan
Virgilio Martínez was just 31 when he took his Cordon Bleu training and line cooking experience back to his native Peru with a goal of...
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the_maestro
Oct 28, 20234 min read
Street Food in Omoide Yokocho – Tokyo, Japan
Tucked in the belly of the glistening skyscrapers of Shinjuku is Tokyo's own "Memory Lane," or Omoide Yokocho, a narrow alleyway housing...
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the_maestro
Oct 21, 202319 min read
Eleven Madison Park – New York, NY
Pre-disclaimer: At the risk of making it seem like this blog is only about restaurants granted three Michelin stars, this blog completes...
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the_maestro
Oct 14, 202310 min read
Benu – San Francisco, CA
The Bay Area is special to me––not only is it my birthplace, but it was the site of my first big foray into foodiedom. Back when I was...
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the_maestro
Sep 19, 202313 min read
SingleThread (2) – Healdsburg, CA
I've been lucky enough (before this meal) to enjoy Kyle Connaughton's cuisine from SingleThread twice––once at the restaurant in...
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the_maestro
Sep 15, 20238 min read
Noz 17 (and Depression) – New York, NY
Both of y'all loyal readers will have to forgive my spotty (i.e., completely absent) blogging for the better part of the last year. I...
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the_maestro
Jul 18, 202216 min read
Blue Hill at Stone Barns (2) – Pocantico Hills, NY
Regular readers of the blog have doubtless come across at least one of the reviews of my meals at the Stone Barns Center for Food and...
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the_maestro
Jul 4, 202211 min read
The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, VA
Decades before the widespread propagation of the very idea of "fine dining" in America, DC native and self-taught chef Patrick O'Connell...
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the_maestro
Jul 2, 20227 min read
Albi – Washington, DC
As covered previously in the latest installment of the "Eat Like the Maestro" series, during my little road trip out east a multi-day...
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the_maestro
Jun 29, 20224 min read
Eat like the Maestro in DC
Car Talk, my very favorite old NPR show, took calls from all over the country, and whenever Tom and Ray got a call from DC, Tom always...
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the_maestro
Jun 21, 20224 min read
Eeva – Philadelphia, PA
Eater has been doing a pretty cool "Best New Restaurants in America" list of late, and since I found myself with a car and no real...
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the_maestro
Jun 18, 20225 min read
The best lobster roll in Maine, Part 2
Once I'd dropped off my friend's new Bernedoodle puppy in Boston and enjoyed some culinary offerings in one of my favorite cities in the...
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