Category Archives: Food & Wine

The 2022 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Nominees

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Today, we are announcing our 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees in advance of the returning James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One. The nominees were announced today during a live ceremony at Casa Paloma at El Chorro in Paradise Valley, AZ. Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 13, 2022, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Nominees for the James Beard Foundation Media Awards which, includes Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism, will be announced on Wednesday, April 27 at an in-person event in New York City. This is the first time the Foundation is holding an event dedicated to the Media nominee announcement.

Outstanding Restaurateur
Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
(Rasika, Bindaas, Annabelle, and others), Washington, D.C.

Chris Bianco, Tratto, Pane Bianco, and Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

Kevin Gillespie, Red Beard Restaurants (Gunshow and Revival), Atlanta

Akkapong “Earl” Ninsom, Langbaan, Hat Yai, Eem, and others, Portland, OR

Chris Williams, Lucille’s Hospitality Group, Houston

Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group
(Fork, a.kitchen + bar, High Street Philly, and others), Philadelphia

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Slapfish Review – Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

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Slapfish was on the menu for a Saturday afternoon for my wife and I.  Nestled in the mega shopping district of Waterford Lakes, the location is in a good spot in terms of parking and getting to the location.  The mistake made by ownership was to provide a fish eye view of The Brass Tap next door, to which I continually looked in that direction wishing I had chosen that spot instead.  Right off the bat, as I venture into the establishment at noon on a very busy Saturday in Waterford, My wife and I and just one other couple are the only patrons.  It feels like the place is going to close soon.  

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The ordering procedure is much like Tijuana Flats (which I hate terribly)… You walk up to a counter that is devoid of any crew members and wait for the college age kid to finally make his way to the register to take our order.  Another college type kid looks through from the kitchen with a look that screams, Oh my God, we actually have another customer.  The Sub- Millennial that took our order had an expressionless face and made no comments at all.  I thought for just a moment that I was in a scene from Gattica.  A robot from 70’s sitcom TV has more personality.  I almost apologized for bothering him.

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Breakfast Egg Muffins

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Mini Bacon Gruyere Spinach Frittatas are a delightful combination of flavors that go together perfectly.  They’re easily made ahead of time, making them ideal for a brunch or a quick grab and go breakfast.  A single recipe makes 12 A delicious frittatas, which will set you up for breakfast all week long.  They keep well in the fridge or the freezer and heat up in the microwave in no time.  Put them on a paper towel and you don’t even have to dirty a plate.  The recipe is also easily doubled, tripled or even quadrupled.  That makes these little bites perfect for stocking up for breakfast or making ahead for a brunch.

French Onion Soup Rice

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French Onion Soup Rice is a buttery, casserole-like side dish, with Beef Consommé, French Onion Soup, white rice and butter that’s a creamy, holiday favorite!

If you love casseroles and casserole-like dishes, such as Chicken Casserole, but are looking for something a little more unusual to bring to your next potluck, then you should make a pan of French Onion Soup Rice. It’s one of the most delicious creamy rice dishes, and you can make it big enough for a crowd.

French Onion Soup Rice

If you’ve got a few cans of French onion soup laying around and want to try a delicious new oven rice recipe, then you should definitely break out a casserole dish and make some French Onion Soup Rice. There are a few Campbell’s French onion soup recipes floating around out there, but this version is one of my all time favorites, and is sure to become a family favorite of yours as well. This onion rice recipe takes almost no prep and is completely baked through in about an hour, which is a great cook time for a casserole. One of the best things about this butter rice recipe is that you end up with soft, flavorful rice without having to use a rice cooker, crock pot, instant pot, or stove top. Cooking rice in the oven also takes a lot of the guess work out of it and won’t leave you with hard, chewy grains.

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Diners leave $4,400 tip, then server is fired by Arkansas restaurant

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A server who received a $4,400 tip by a “$100 dinner club” was promptly fired by her Arkansas restaurant, one of her customers said.

OVEN & TAP , 215 S. MAIN ST., BENTONVILLE, AR 72712, 479.268.5884

The concept of the club was for each diner to leave a $100 tip as a way to pay it forward. Grant Wise, whose company hosted a real estate conference in Arkansas, orchestrated the act as he and others dined at Oven and Tap in Bentonville.

“We knew servers really hit hard through COVID and it was something that (a friend) had come up with to help give back,” Wise told KFSM.

Wise told KNWA he called the restaurant before they dined to confirm its tipping policy. One of their two servers, Ryan Brandt, was in tears when Wise informed her of their act after their meal.

Diners in Wise’s group, as well as some who contributed money online, all chipped in money to tip a total of $4,400.

Rebecca Soto, who filmed the interaction between Wise and Brandt, said it was “wonderful” to give back.

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Food Ingredients to avoid

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Here is a list of the most common ingredients I see at the grocery store. Many are to be avoided, but some are safe. This list completes a few years of research and fact finding in a quest to identify the crap food companies add to our food supply. In some cases bad ingredients are endorsed by the FDA itself.

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Michelin Guides coming to Orlando, Miami and Tampa

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The vaunted Michelin Guide will add Florida to its list of rated restaurants in 2022, covering Miami, Orlando and Tampa. It will be the guide’s fifth U.S. destination after New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and California.

The expansion was spearheaded by Visit Florida, which made the announcement Monday on behalf of its partners Visit Orlando, Visit Tampa Bay and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Michelin Guide inspectors look forward to discovering the world-class culinary landscape in Miami, Orlando and Tampa,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said in a statement. “From the excitement and glamour of Miami to Orlando’s iconic attractions and the rich culture of Tampa’s Gulf Coast, Florida’s gastronomy is unique, diverse and intriguing for locals and travelers across the globe.”

Unlike the James Beard Foundation Awards but similar to other restaurant guides that were started in the early days of automobiling, such as Mobil and AAA, Michelin uses dedicated inspectors who dine at the restaurants anonymously. The guide has a three-star rating system, with three being the ultimate. New York City currently has only five three-star restaurants. The guide also features notable restaurants that fall short of earning a star. The guide was started 120 years ago, in France, by the Michelin tire company to offer handy information to motorists.

A date for publication of the first Florida Michelin Guide has not been announced.

EGGcellent, Whats in a label?

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Is there a way to tell from the egg carton how old the eggs are?

To determine freshness, a pack-date calendar (or Julian Date calendar) can be used like the one below. This three-digit code indicates the date of packaging, starting with January 1 as 001 and ending with December 31 as 365. These numbers represent the consecutive days of the year. For example a egg carton with a packaging date of 032, means the eggs were packed on February 1st. You can store fresh shell egs in their cartons in the the refrigerator for four to five weeks beyond this date.

Here is an example of the date stamp on a package of Vital Farms Organic Pasture-Raised Eggs. The day that these eggs were packed into the carton is Day 251 on the Julian Calendar which is September 8, 2021. Vital Farms take there labels a bit further and allows the consumer to view the farm that these eggs were harvested. https://vitalfarms.com/farm/.

James Toney Farms: https://vitalfarms.com/farm/jt-farm/

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Magical Dining Extended Two Weeks

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To support local businesses and ensure two deserving charities receive maximum benefit, Visit Orlando – the area’s official tourism association – is extending Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining. The program will run through Oct. 17 (originally slated to conclude Oct. 3), giving food enthusiasts an additional two weeks to experience some of Orlando’s best cuisine.

“We’re thrilled to offer more time for visitors and locals to take advantage of this incredible program, which has raised over $1.8 million for local charities since 2009,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando. “The two-week extension opens the opportunity to raise even more money for this year’s charity beneficiaries while continuing to support our local restaurants.”

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A Winter Park Treasure Closes

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Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-B-Que has closed its Winter Park location.

The popular barbecue restaurant has been in operation at 1471 Lee Road since 1986, but owners took to Facebook to explain that business had dropped significantly during the pandemic and that they were forced to operate the restaurant with just four employees at reduced hours.

Their Winter Park staff have all been relocated to Apopka and they will continue to operate their other locations in Altamonte Springs and Kirman Road as well.

Despite the quote below, the restaurant’s last day of business was Saturday, September 11.

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