Latest news with #Michelin
Irish Independent
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Where Michelin-star chefs go to eat chips in Ireland: ‘There's no chipper near where I live, but this is the one I would travel for'
In a weekly series, chefs across the island of Ireland who currently hold one or more Michelin stars share their greatest culinary secret: where do they eat when off-duty? High-end chefs might spend most of their working hours delicately tweezing micro herbs onto plates of perfectly composed food, but ask them about comfort food and you'll find something interesting. Just like the rest of us, they love a good bag of chips. Wrapped in brown paper and doused in salt and vinegar, steaming hot and eaten with your fingers, it's a culinary classic and for many, chips from a chippy is a deeply nostalgic comfort food. And after a long shift in a hot kitchen, most chefs would bite your hand off for a bag. But there's a big difference between the best and the worst, and not all bags of chips are made equally. Are the perfect chips hand or machine-cut? Shoestring or chunky? Thick and fluffy or crisp and golden? What's the best fat to cook them in — beef dripping, sunflower oil or even duck fat? Twice-fried or three times?
The Courier
14 hours ago
- The Courier
The Great Scottish Tea Blag — Perthshire businessman guilty of £550k tea firm fraud
A Perthshire businessman who claimed to have created the Queen's favourite brew at 'Scotland's first tea plantation' has been convicted of an elaborate £550k fraud. Thomas Robinson – better known as Tam O'Braan – made up awards and qualifications to blag sales from some of the country's top hotels and stores including the Dorchester, the Balmoral and Fortnum and Mason. The father-of-four also duped growers from around Scotland into buying Camellia Sinesis tea plants from his remote facility in the hills of Amulree, south of Aberfeldy. In reality, the crops were purchased wholesale from a plantation in northern Italy. Other plants were used to decorate a 0.3 acre 'kitchen garden' at this farm ahead of visits from potential buyers. Robinson bought these 'show plants' from esteemed tea vendors in the UK, and even demanded one sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep his sales a secret. The 55-year-old's too-good-to-be-brew story sensationally unspooled following a three-year investigation by Food Standards Scotland and a four-week jury trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court. Robinson – who once told the press 'call me Mr Tea' – was remanded in custody and told jail will be 'inevitable.' The jury deliberated overnight for six-and-a-half hours before returning unanimous guilty verdicts to two charges of forming a fraudulent scheme over a period of more than four years. Sheriff Keith O'Mahony told Robinson: 'The jury have convicted you of two very serious charges, with a total combined value of between half-a-million-pounds and £600,000. 'There will be significant sentencing consequences for you.' Robinson will also face proceeds of crime action to claw back his ill-gotten funds. He showed little emotion as he was led out of the dock in handcuffs but could be seen shaking his head as the jury delivered its verdict. Claims Robinson's tea was grown in Scotland using some kind of miracle plastic sheeting sparked a media buzz, helping to secure sales with high end customers. Michelin star chef Jeff Bland of Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel was among those who were tricked into buying it. Between November 2014 and February 2019, Robinson's Wee Tea Plantation made £84,124 selling nearly 460kg of loose leaf tea to the Balmoral for its Palm Court menu. Mr Bland, known as Jeff the Chef who referred to Robinson as Tam the Man, told the trial he would not have bought the tea if he knew it was not Scottish. Similarly Robinson sold £54,648 of tea to the Dorchester, £39,875 to Fortnum and Mason and £32,878 to gourmet tea company Mariage Freres. Robinson also duped Jamie Russell and Derek Walker of Fife's Wee Tea Company, who agreed to package and sell his teas, again believing they had been grown at Dalreoch. Between 2014 and 2018, he sold £67,109 to the Wee Tea Company. Robinson was further convicted of defrauding 12 individual buyers – 11 in Scotland and one from Jersey – out of £274,354. Suspicions started to grow around 2016 when, on the back of press reports, Perth and Kinross Council investigated Dalreoch to see the scale of the operation for itself, only to be told production was carried out in Fife. A subsequent probe by Fife Council found this was not true. At the same time, people who had bought plants from Robinson were surprised to find their own teas listed on The Balmoral menu. Food Standards Scotland, set up in the wake of the horse meat scandal, was tasked to investigate. As the probe progressed, the teas were yanked from hotel menus and Robinson's contract with the Wee Tea Company was terminated. During the trial, it emerged Robinson made up outrageous claims about his product, telling one customer it was the Queen's favourite tea. His tall tales including signing a contract with President Barrack Obama's US administration for crop trials, deals with Kensington Palace and playing and coaching rugby for several well-known clubs. Robinson, most recently working as a chef at Taymouth Castle, claimed to have invented a 'unique' plastic sheeting that allowed his tea plants to grow at record-breaking speeds. He fabricated awards, including the prestigious-sounding Salon de Thé prize, to boost his company's profile. He pretended to be former employee Lindsay Deuchars, using her old email address without permission to communicate with customers and media – usually when trying to avoid troublesome questions – signing off messages with 'Lins x'. Robinson tried to explain he had a four-and-a-half acre plot near his land which was used to grow thousands of tea plants. The land, he said, had been leased from a shepherd but he could not remember his name. No one who visited Dalreoch – such as potential buyers and investors – was shown this land. Robinson struggled to explain how he claimed 70,000 plants had been removed from the four-and-a-half acre plot, when he had earlier said he grew plants at a rate of about 1,000 per acre. He said the plants and all the equipment at Dalreoch had been moved to Ireland, because he was quitting Scotland after Perth and Kinross Council gave funding to a competitor. But he said he could not produce photos of the plants and equipment sitting in Ireland because he had been let down by an IT guy called Mike, whose surname he could not remember. Prosecutor Joanne Ritchie told jurors: 'This was a scheme to deceive, a scheme to make money on the basis of lies. 'This man has lied to every single witness who encountered him. 'But more than that, he lied to the public at large.' She said Robinson made himself out to be a 'knowledgeable and credible person,' while exploiting a gap in the market but urged jurors to reject his testimony entirely, branding it 'absurd.' Defence advocate Colin Neilson KC urged jurors to acquit his client, even if they had suspicious about his business practices and his tendency to 'big himself up' to others. Giving evidence at his trial, Robinson said he was 'proud' of his achievements. 'This is what I consider to be my life's work,' he said. 'This will stand in the history of tea.' Robinson said he felt 'injured and hurt,' but also 'annoyed and angry' by the allegations. 'The first time I've heard the evidence is here, at the same time as the jury,' he said. The case represent a significant win for the Food Standards Scotland's crime and incident unit. Ron McNaughton, who heads up the department, said: 'This was a highly complex and protracted investigation which required a significant amount of time, expertise and coordination across our team with partner agencies.' He added: 'This is not a victimless crime – individuals, businesses and an emerging sector of genuine Scottish tea growers suffered real financial and reputational harm as a result of deliberate deception.'
Eater
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Newest Restaurant in Miami Has No Menu
Are you an overthinker when it comes to dining out? ( Raises hand. ) You reserve a table weeks in advance, check the weather app daily to plan an outfit, and peruse the menu four times over, knowing exactly what you'll order. Hell, you've decided for the table — you're sharing the calamari, one of you is getting the sea bass, the other the lamb, and you're definitely pairing the port with cake. One restaurant wants to throw this decision-making out the window. Well, at least for the food. Miami's newest waterfront Italian eatery, San Lorenzo, has no menu. 'In a world of infinite choices, where distractions are around all the time, to be guided is actually welcome and a bit of fresh air,' says co-founder of San Lorenzo, Andrea Fraquelli. 'The main choice is coming to the restaurant. Let us do the rest.' The restaurant is the newest eatery from 84 Magic Hospitality, by Fraquelli, Ignacio Lopez Mancisidor, and Mattia Cicognani, and it opens this Saturday, May 31. It offers a four-course menu for $140 for two people. You get to make just one choice: fish or meat. The courses include an appetizer, two pasta dishes, and a dessert; vegetarians can be accommodated by request. Reservations can only be made the old-school way — by phone. Or simply, walk in. Eduardo Suarez and Milan's Alessio Bernardinito designed the space with warm tones that feel breezy and coastal, alongside crisp white tablecloths, fresh flowers, and Venetian lighting. The indoor dining room seats 44 people, plus there's a standing bar area. Outside, an Italian terracotta terrace seats 30 at candlelit tables with views of Little River. Tuscan born Giulio Rossi leads the kitchen and is resurrecting a signature dish from his storied past. Rossi ran restaurants in Italy in the 1980s, including Ristorante Mario Fiesole, which he owned for 18 years, and Panacea, a seafood-focused restaurant that earned a Michelin star in 1991. Rossi is bringing a lobster, crab, and king prawn seafood pasta from his time at Panacea to San Lorenzo. And that's just about the only food detail the restaurant let slip to Eater. The now-closed Romeo's Cafe in Coral Gables had a no-menu concept, offering six courses of rotating Italian staples. Other restaurants around the country have experimented with similar ideas for years like chef Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc in Yountville, California, where the family-style dishes change daily, and Fuad's in Houston, Texas, where dishes are custom-made to the diner's preference. A food for thought experiment Fraquelli has played with a limited menu in Miami. He's the brains behind Cotoletta, which opened in October last year in Coconut Grove. The Italian bistro is known for serving just one key dish: veal Milanese. 'Milanese [at Cotoletta] has been my test case for this experiment, and we couldn't be happier. People are not bored,' says Fraquelli. 'It's like, you go to a pizzeria and they don't have antipasti, pasta, secondi… they have pizza. This way of working with restricting the menu creates trust and consistency.' 'This way of working with restricting the menu creates trust and consistency,' says co-founder of San Lorenzo, Andrea Fraquelli Fraquelli speaks of his favorite philosopher, Alan Watts, when explaining his vision. Watts is famously known for saying, 'In giving away control, you got it,' and a belief that Fraquelli hopes diners will practice in letting go. He hopes people will spend their time talking to one another at the table rather than worrying about what to order. 'Control is an illusion. Stop choosing, let us do it.' The idea is comparable to the popular Japanese omakase-style of dining, where diners trust the chef to pick the food. Or prix-fixe tasting menus that change often. Fraquelli says his restaurant is more of a family-style comfort meal rather than a fine-dining evening. Related 15 Best Italian Restaurants in Miami Fraquelli adds that limiting the menu at San Lorenzo means the restaurant has minimal waste when it comes to ingredients. The kitchen gets to fire and perfect fewer dishes, letting the seasonality of produce shine rather than trying to balance a multi-page menu. 'By narrowing the focus, we ensure that every dish is a standout,' he says. The philosophy extends to beverages, too. Four red wines, four white, a rosé, and two sparkling wines, including a Franciacorta, will be available. A single brand of each spirit to offer classic cocktails, alongside a selection of digestivos also line the bar — interesting finds like the Greek Kástra Elión vodka distilled from green olives, and locally made Harry Blu's gin from Miami are on deck. San Lorenzo is named after Fraquelli's grandfather, Lorenzo who co-founded UK's popular Italian restaurant group, Spaghetti House. Fraquelli is a third-generation restaurateur who hopes people will trust him without a menu. The restaurant opens this Saturday and is located at 620 Northeast 78th Street. Reservations can be made by calling (786) 828-7136. Just be ready to answer: carne o pesce? Sign up for our newsletter.
Eater
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Biggest Dallas Restaurant News This Month, May 2025
Catch up on the most exciting food and dining news of each month in Eater Dallas's newest column. The most popular news stories this month: 5. A Tale of Three Tasting Menus at Michelin-Recognized Restaurants in DFW Tasting menus are so hot right now, and three that Eater Dallas is particularly interested in, either for their Michelin recognition or their Beard awards, have launched new options this year. The chefs at Quarter Acre, Monarch, and the Heritage Table shared with us the details on what's on the menu, why they're offering it, and how Michelin influences their choices. 4. Where Do You Think Tom Cruise Should Eat Barbecue in Dallas? We asked, and you answered. Our inbox was full of suggestions, most of which Cruise did not opt for, but they certainly prompted us to add some bookmarks to our Google Maps list of places to go. Here were a few of the suggestions, in case you'd like to make a list yourself: Mike Anderson's Barbecue House, Kafi BBQ in Irving, Slow Bone BBQ, Records Barbecue, Marty B's in Bartonville, and Meshack's Bar-B-Que in Garland. 3. Tom Cruise Went to Pecan Lodge and All We Got Was a Confounding Instagram Post Talk about a media clusterfuck. Tom Cruise visited Pecan Lodge on Thursday, and no one shared any details about his visit with the media, such as what he ate, until late Friday afternoon. In fact, the only way we were able to confirm it was with a random Instagram post from one of the owners of Tribal All Day Cafe in the Bishop Arts. Anyway, here's a photo of Cruise at Pecan Lodge without his sunglasses on but absolutely not eating. 2. Where to Take Your Dallas Parent for Mother's Day Based on What Kind of Mom They Are A whole lot of y'all needed help figuring out Mother's Day this year, it would seem. Thank god that's over, right? Hope we helped. The Michelin-Recognized Birria Joint That Used to Be a Hidden Gem Very happy to find out that so many of you were also curious about what made this particular spot Michelin-worthy. In case you missed it: Tiffany Derry Spills the Tea on Her First Season as a 'MasterChef' Judge This much-lauded Dallas chef became the first Black woman to serve as a judge on MasterChef on Fox. We talked to her about how that happened and how she broke the news to her mentor Bobby Flay that she wasn't going to be on Triple Threat anymore. The Coolest Underground Dinner Party Series in Dallas Is in a Ceramics Showroom We got the chance to attend one of these last summer, when RJ Yoakum from Georgie hosted, and it was a blast. The folks at Marcello Andres have only amped up the talent they're working with for one-of-a-kind Kiln to Table dinner since. The Best Restaurants in Bishop Arts Our most popular map this month? Of course, it was an update to the Bishop Arts guide. There are so many new and interesting places down there. Have you been to Pillar? Maybe Little Blue Bistro? How about Michelin-recommended Stock & Barrel? Well, what are you waiting for? Sign up for our newsletter.
Calgary Herald
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Chorney-Booth: Seeing stars! Canada's Michelin options expand with new guide for Quebec
Article content Two weeks ago, I found myself sitting in the back room of a restaurant in Quebec City as chefs Daniel and Raphael Vézina popped a bottle of champagne for a jubilant toast. Just the day before, their restaurant, Laurie Raphael, founded in 1991 by Daniel and named after his two children who took over the business several years ago, was awarded a Michelin star in the famed restaurant guide's inaugural assessment of the province of Quebec. After putting decades of work into their food and hospitality, the father-son team were feeling justifiably validated. Article content Article content Article content Article content Of course, not every restaurateur in the province was as chuffed. Quebec – the third region in Canada to receive a Michelin Guide after the Greater Toronto Area and the city of Vancouver – saw nine of its restaurants receive Michelin stars. Five restaurants in Quebec City, including Laurie Raphael, made the cut alongside only three in Montreal, and a lone spot in Rimouski. Three restaurants in the province also earned the prestigious green star, awarded for sustainability practices. Article content The May 15 announcement created a wave of shock amongst Montreal restaurant insiders. The city is widely regarded as one of the best food destinations in North America, and many were expecting it to match or even outshine the 16 starred restaurants in Toronto or the 10 in Vancouver. Article content Article content 'Today was a tough day,' chef Antonin Mousseau-Rivard admitted the evening of the announcement after dinner service at his excellent but star-free Le Mousso. 'But I'm feeling better now,' he added, surveying a sold-out room of satisfied customers having just feasted on his deeply imaginative, multi-course tasting menu. Article content The general chatter online and on the street seems to be that while the Michelin inspectors – a small army of anonymous critics – appreciated the fine dining-style restaurants in Quebec City, they just didn't 'get' the more casual bon vivant energy of Montreal's best restaurants. Which is not to say Montreal came out of its first Michelin experience empty-handed: most of its best restaurants were recognized on Michelin's 'recommended' list (just one step below a star), and the city also received a good share of Bib Gourmand awards, Michelin's cheap and cheerful designation.
