Latest news with #tastingmenu
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Bloomberg
The Sungold Also Rises: America's Great Tomato Debate
There is a small sandwich—three bites, give or take—available as an add-on to the four-course, $85 tasting menu at River Twice, a contemporary American restaurant in Philadelphia. To make it, chef-owner Randy Rucker toasts two sourdough brioche slices, then adds a thin layer of applewood smoked mayonnaise and a crispy sheet of the Korean seaweed gamtae. At its heart is a thick slab of heirloom tomato, lightly seasoned with sea salt from Delaware. Even though it's loaded with more than $50 worth of caviar, Rucker calls it 'the Tomato Sandwich.'
Forbes
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Lodge At Dawn Ranch Leans Into Fire, Flavor & The Feeling Of Place
This summer, The Lodge at Dawn Ranch turns a new page. The restaurant in Guerneville has always leaned seasonal, but its newest chapter is more personal, more precise, and more connected to the team behind the stove. The new tasting menus reflect the landscape, the ingredients and the marriage of two chefs who approach food from different parts of the world and meet in the middle. Juliana Thorpe and Ignacio Zuzulich blend Brazilian and Argentinian roots into something that feels right at home in Northern California. Their countries may not agree on barbecue or soccer, but in the kitchen, the combination is natural. 'We've each spent time immersed in the other's country and culture,' they explain. 'So the way we cook is shaped not just by heritage, but by memory, dialogue, and shared life.' The tasting menu comes in two formats: a four-act progression of seven dishes or a longer, twelve-course format. Both are served in the intimate dining room, where candlelight reflects off stone and wood, and the surrounding trees press in just enough to remind you where you are. Dinner opens with a series of small, focused bites. A crisp potato stack topped with caviar and crème fraîche. An oyster dressed in watermelon agua fresca. A tostada layered with tomato essence and garden herbs. Each dish brings a shift in texture and flavor, playful without being precious. One of the most addictive bites is the dadinho de tapioca, a cube of fried tapioca and cheese that tastes like a pão de queijo turned crisp. It's golden, chewy, and immediately craveable. The corn dish comes next. It's creamy and just sweet enough, more like a pudding than anything else. Then comes a dish centered on spot prawn, served in a warm shellfish broth with delicate hand-cut pasta. A slab of charred rosemary bread arrives alongside on a bed of fresh herbs, filling the table with smoke and woodsy aroma. After the pasta, a slice of Snake River picanha arrives with Jimmy Nardello peppers and an incredibly vibrant chimichurri. The signature fat cap is trimmed, but the dish is still well composed, with just enough char to anchor the richness of the meat. To close, dessert moves outdoors. Guests are invited to finish the experience on the patio under the trees. The final bite is Thorpe's mother's Brazilian coconut cake, which has a great chew and is not overly sweet. It tastes like something you'd get handed at your childhood home after dinner, with your grandmother saying there's more if you want it. 'The tradition of cooking over open fire is deeply rooted in both our cultures, and it forms the foundation of how we approach food,' Ignacio says. 'That elemental technique becomes a shared language in our kitchen.' Collaboration is central to how they build each menu. 'Most of the dishes on our menu are a true blend,' Thorpe explains. 'Each one carries a little bit of both of us, shaped by conversation, memory, and experimentation.' One of them might spot something at the market and the other builds from that spark. 'We carve out time each week to be creative, to experiment, and to chase inspiration,' they add. That same mindset shows up in the wine program. Advanced Sommelier Genaro Gallo curates a rotating selection of small-production and rare wines through The Sommelier Notebook. Instead of relying on classic pairings, the wine list is built in conversation with the kitchen, a back-and-forth that brings out something new on both sides. The Lounge and bar still offer a more casual à la carte experience during the day. But in the dining room, the message is clear: this is the story the team wants to tell. It's layered, seasonal, and entirely their own.
Daily Mail
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How to spend a weekend at Rudding Park in Harrogate
EAT Lunch treats Pizza on a garden sofa? That'll be the Clocktower Terrace & Outdoor Kitchen at Rudding Park ( where the chef, from Naples, serves them molten from his wood-fired oven. Somehow it doesn't feel like North Yorkshire – although we are in acres of parkland, once part of the Forest of Knaresborough and home to ancient oaks. Dinner winner At 7pm sharp (6pm Sundays), Fifty Two opens to just 20 diners. A black-painted shipping container at the front belies a huge kitchen garden, designed by Matthew Wilson of Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time, which informs the ten-course tasting menu (£190pp with wines). We sit before the stage- like kitchen where chef Adam Degg (above, in foreground) is MC. The skrei cod and crab bisque 'tom yum' with fennel and kaffir was a favourite. The best meal I've had in years. STAY Rest your head What would you like? A spa room with private steam room from £487 a night? A lodge with a hot tub and generous veranda – from £428 a night based on six sharing? A cottage in the grounds, also sleeping six, from £448? Our room (from £324) had a giant bathroom full of Molton Brown products and we could sip home-brewed coffee outside in the morning sun before crossing the lawns for a 'full Yorkshire' breakfast at Horto restaurant. Best bit The exceptional, friendly staff (no bewildered sixth-formers on weekend shifts here). The business is owned and run by members of the local Mackaness family, who purchased the estate in 1972. There's even an ornate 19th-century chapel next to the Grade I Georgian house (above) should you ever feel the need for a marriage blessing. LOVE Go clubbing The driving range has Trackman touchscreens so you can play the latest golfing games with your partner, even if you lack Jack Nicklaus's prowess. There's an 18-hole course for more impressive handicaps. Whatever your level, whacking a ball has real-life benefits (mostly laughter), from £7.50. Woodland spring bathing In a huge hot tub among rhododendrons, you can wallow in chemical-free water, add a magnesium bath bomb and plaster your face with a Moorish mud mask. Champagne is served on request for those who like their soaks really messy. In the Roof Top Spa's massive jacuzzi (above), jets of natural spring water drawn from the grounds alleviate aches; while Brass Monkey ice baths induce yelps – an entertaining soundtrack for those who've merely ordered afternoon tea in the sun.
Irish Times
24-07-2025
- Irish Times
The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet: It's no secret this restaurant is chasing a second Michelin star
The Lady Helen Address : Mount Juliet Estate, Mount Juliet, Co. Kilkenny Telephone : 056 777 3000 Cuisine : Modern International Website : Cost : €€€€ There's a point, early in an eight‑course tasting menu, when you can feel the evening tilt one way or another. An unbearably cheffy kitchen or too many ideas beating each other senseless, and the next two hours drag like a bad wedding speech. Get it right and the plates glide – making you feel you've been spared the bother of ordering the whole thing. Even if it costs €175 per person. In the Lady Helen at Kilkenny 's Mount Juliet Estate – a one- Michelin star restaurant in a grand Georgian room formal enough to mind your elbows but light enough not to stifle you – the tilt goes the right way. Tiny amuse‑bouches – cauliflower with vadouvan spice, apple and lime in a pastry shell, and mackerel cone with horseradish, lemon gel and N25 caviar – are perfect openers with a crisp white in a Zalto glass, Domäne Wachau (€60) from a classic and deep wine list. Chefs' memories are currency these days – the blackberries they foraged with granny, the strawberries they picked under a soft July sun The garden pea course arrives in a pastry case on a stand from nearby Jerpoint Glass Studio – young peas underneath a gougère which releases molten Parmesan. Australian black truffle is shaved over, adding a nutty, earthy note. READ MORE Then the Cevennes onion topped with a frothy spring onion foam. The onions are cooked down till they're sweet, and set into a delicate chawanmushi‑like custard. Dots of pickled shiitake bring sharpness, a slice of lardo adds that silken richness, and croutons give crunch. It's a clever dish. Foie gras, dashi jelly, preserved walnut and sour cherry. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times The crescendo moves on to foie gras under dashi jelly, dotted with white, red and treacle-coloured drops. It echoes foie gras I've had elsewhere, the velvety richness of mi‑cuit, pushed further by an umami hit, lifted by tiny bursts of pear. Warm brioche with pain d'épices on the side is perfect. As I listen to the intro for the next dish, I'm reminded that chefs' memories are currency these days – the blackberries they foraged with granny, the strawberries they picked under a soft July sun. But the chefs I'd actually like to meet are the ones who robbed orchards, shinned fences and lifted apples while a dog went ballistic. Mount Juliet Estate head chef John Kelly. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times I'll take the backstory for head chef John Kelly's Irish salad with salad cream. Thick San Marzano tomatoes sit on a disc of 'salad cream' – this one more creamy custard than anything from a bottle. Escarole, estate herbs and flowers, and curls of radish perch on top. The prettiest plate of the night. Black Sole with violet artichoke, courgette and Rossini golden caviar. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times Next is black sole with courgette and violet artichoke. The fish course often drifts but sole is a good choice for a small portion. Poached, probably sous vide, but the texture holds. It sits on violet artichoke in a foamy beurre blanc with just enough wine bite. Courgette is sliced thin, fanned on top, dusted with a whisper of espelette. Delicate and classic. Anjou squab pigeon hides under wild garlic leaves. The leg is confit and the breast is rare. A deep carcass jus has finely chopped vegetables, girolles and black truffle, punctuated with pickled gooseberries. A frothy grapefruit sabayon spooned over at the table is a smart finish. Mousse of Mount Juliet Estate Honey and Waterford whiskey with mandarin sorbet. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times The pre‑dessert uses Mount Juliet Estate honey – a delicate mousse shaped into a hexagonal hive, flecked with pollen and dabs of honey and Waterford whiskey gel, topped with mandarin sorbet. 'Strawberry Garden': Kilkenny organic strawberries and lovage ice cream. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times The 'Strawberry Garden' draws upon the chef's memories. One dish, a strawberry mousse encased in a strawberry shell, is topped with lovage ice cream the colour of new grass. The other, a bowl of Kilkenny organic strawberries, hides a sorbet underneath. There's real skill here, but the dishes sit apart. It would work better as one. To finish, the petits fours trolley is wheeled out. A light box pops up as it is opened, illuminating the treats: cherry bakewell tart, a mango bonbon and mint chocolate. A small flourish of ceremony. The Lady Helen restaurant at Mount Juliet. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times It's no secret the Lady Helen is chasing a second Michelin star – that means more than flawless produce and technique; it demands the chef's stamp on every plate. It's there in the Cevennes onion, the tomato and salad cream, the estate honey – these dishes feel rooted, not borrowed. And for all the eye‑rolling, the backstories help. In Ireland's two-Michelin star restaurants, you'll find plenty of theatre. Chapter One has its Irish coffee trolley, Guilbaud its cheese trolley, Terre, the kitchen intro and digestif trolley, and Dede is unique enough not to need a trolley. Here, it's the petits fours trolley – a quiet flourish to end on. The consistency and skill are already at two‑star level. If they hold that line every night, the second star isn't a stretch – it's coming. Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was €410. The Verdict: An impressive tasting menu rooted in place. Food provenance: Kish Fish, Condron's Dublin and Artisan Foods Dublin. Vegetarian options: 8-course vegetarian and vegan menus. Wheelchair access: Fully accessible with an accessible toilet. Music: background music at a low level.
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A Cheat Sheet For Where To Eat During The Edinburgh Fringe Festival
From refined tasting menus to relaxed alfresco spots and specialist whisky bars, this guide is designed to suit a range of budgets and Fringe schedules. getty Next month, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe will begin, bringing over 3,000 shows to 265 venues in the Scottish capital. With so many visitors expected in the city, here's a cheat sheet for finding some of the best places to eat and drink during the event. From refined tasting menus to relaxed alfresco spots and specialist whisky bars, it's designed to suit a range of budgets and Fringe schedules. Best for: tasting menu experience Near: Edinburgh Playhouse, Assembly Rooms, and The Royal Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle Located in The Balmoral Hotel at 1 Princes Street, Number One is a fine dining restaurant offering seasonal tasting menus rooted in Scottish produce. With four AA Rosettes and recognition from the Michelin Guide and La Liste, the kitchen is led by chef Mathew Sherry, known for his precise, produce-driven cooking. Menus feature ingredients from small-scale farms and suppliers across the UK. Diners can choose between booking a seven-course tasting menu or a three-course menu. The wine list, curated by head sommelier Callum McCann, spans over 350 labels and includes rare vintages. No visit to Number One is complete without a visit from 'the sweetie trolley' to the table. The dark wood trolley with a large glass dome holds a selection of nostalgic sweet treats reimagined by chef de cuisine Mathew Sherry, such as sea buckthorn meringue tarts, tablet and Macallan whisky chocolates to enjoy with a final digestif or boxed to take home. SCOTCH at The Balmoral Best for: a Dram Near: The Stand, Pleasance Courtyard, St Andrew Square venues Tucked inside The Balmoral Hotel, you'll also find SCOTCH, one of Edinburgh's most atmospheric whisky bars, home to over 500 varieties from big-name single malts to rare, limited editions. Settle in on one of the tweed sofas while kilted Whisky Ambassadors offer personalized recommendations or guide you through a tailored tasting, complete with stories and expert insight. Pomelo Best for: adventurous Asian cuisine Near: Summerhall, George Square, Bristo Square, Queen's Hall Pomelo is an adventurous Asian eatery located in Marchmont, run by multi-award-winning chef-owner, Jun Au. The cafe's reputation for its hand-ripped noodles has attracted long queues of customers since it launched in 2021. Hand-ripped noodles at Pomelo. Christina Leahy By 2023, Pomelo's success prompted a move to a larger 24-cover location, which now offers lunch from Wednesday to Saturday, a family-style dinner with a menu designed for sharing on Fridays and Saturdays, and an Asian 'brunch' on Sundays. Harajuku Kitchen Best for: Street food Near: Summerhall Edinburgh festival-goers can enjoy authentic Japanese street food this August as Harajuku Kitchen sets up shop across multiple city locations during the Fringe. The popular Japanese eatery will be serving their signature handmade gyozas and traditional udon noodles at The Pleasance throughout the festival, alongside appearances at Edinburgh Street Food, Grassmarket Market, and Stockbridge Market. Visitors can also try the Harajuku Bistro in Bruntsfield that serves comforting dishes using recipes passed down to chef-owner Kaori Simpson from her mother. Diners can expect to see everything from kaarage chicken to rich, warming noodle broths, using fresh Scottish produce. The Mussel & Steak Bar Best for: extraordinary value and high quality surf and turf in the city Near: Underbelly Cowgate, Pleasance Courtyard In the heart of Edinburgh's old town, The Mussel and Steak Bar at the bottom of Victoria Street has become a must-visit restaurant for visitors to the city and locals since opening in 2005. The Mussel and Steak Bar at the bottom of Victoria Street has become a must visit restaurant for visitors to the city and locals since opening in 2005. Dana Malcolm Owner Marshall Milne was inspired by the quality of Scottish produce when he opened the restaurant and works closely with a network of Scottish farmers and fishermen locally and across Scotland. A prime city centre location over two floors, the restaurant interiors invoke the sea with a pebble beach mosaic and turquoise accents throughout. Moss Best for: Scottish farm to table with a difference Near: Stockbridge Church, Stockbridge Ceramics Chef Henry Dobson trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School and has traveled extensively to hone his craft before opening Moss, an intimate 26-seat restaurant with a bold, sustainable vision. He and head chef Dylan Pinder work exclusively with Scottish ingredients for their menu, with produce from Dobson's family farm in Angus and a network of sustainable growers and farmers across Scotland. Expect inventive, hyper-local dishes like bone marrow focaccia, duck smoked over table-shaving wood, and wild sorrel ceviche. The British only drinks list is just as unique, featuring English natural wines, house kombuchas, and roasted barley tea. Toscano Best for: authentic Italian sandwiches eaten on the move Near: George Square, Underbelly's Circus Hub, The Meadows This family-run schiacciateria is a must-visit in Edinburgh and only opened in March of this year. It specializes in schiacciata, pronounced 'skee-ya-cha-ta', a Tuscan style squashed focaccia sandwich brimming with Italian cheeses, meats and spreads. Each sandwich on the menu is named after an Italian destination, like the Gambassi with porchetta, caramelized onions, roast potato spread and grilled peppers or the Arezzo with mortadella, provola affumicata (smoked provola cheese), truffle and olives spread.
