What's Food Got To Do With It?

For inveterate travelers, the dining experience is as big a part of the trip as sightseeing or chilling on the beach.  If you've read any of my blogs or seen some of my "Pictures of the Day", you know food plays an important part on our vacations.

One secret I've been withholding from you is my "foodie" past.  I mention this because it gives you a little background and you'll see why I want to hear about your restaurant recommendations too.  When we lived in Los Angeles, I was Vice President of a public relations agency that specialized in the food industry.  One of the fabulous benefits of this job was I had the opportunity to work with many of the nations top chefs.  When you hang around greatness, you can't help but pick up a bit through osmosis.  I began experimenting with my own recipes and eventually decided to put them to the test by entering cooking contests.  Unbelievably, I did okay. I haven't entered one in a few years but writing this makes me start to get motivated again. Here's a few of them:

A book given to me and inscribed by Certified Master Chef Victor Gielisse from his iconic Dallas restaurant "Actuelle".  Chef Gielisse is now an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America.

* Won the Georgia Beef Cookoff
* Won the Cabot Creamery Recipe Contest
* Placed in the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger  recipe contest
* Placed in the Sonoma Sun Dried Tomatoes recipe contest
* Placed in the Fresh Express recipe contest

A nice check I received at the Georgia Beef Cookoff.  We used it for school tuition...boring but practical.

All the contests were fun but I think my favorite was the very first one I entered. It was an Amateur French Chef cooking contest, sponsored by Ma Maison/Hotel Sofitel in Beverly Hills, CA.  Even though we lived in Pasadena, the six contestants and their spouses/guests were put up in a luxury room for the weekend, were treated like royalty, given a chef's jacket and tocque, had an unlimited free acess to 24 hour room service and were feted at a celebretory dinner by the hotel's Executive Chef Serge Gouloumes. 

My Patand I had gone to Paris on our honeymoon and the trip was an inspiration for my recipe entry: "Sauteed Sea Scallops with Yellow Bell Pepper Coulis, Potato Cakes and Asparagus."  We were judged by a panel of top French chefs from America and Europe as well as a host of celebrity judges. 

An article from the Pasadena Star-News showing me plating my dish.  I worked my way into sixth place out of six!  But it was great fun and just being one of six out of thousands of entries was thrilling. 
Presiding over the whole event was Sofitel Food and Beverage Manager Patrick Terrail (search his book Taste of Hollywood - The Story of Ma Maison).   Patrick had recently sold his legendary Hollywood resstaurant Ma Maison, where the then fresh, young Wolfgang Puck became a superstar.
























Patrick (l) and Wolfgang (r) with wait staff at Ma Maison.

(photo courtesy:  A Taste of Hollywood by Patrick Terrail)

Every day, Rolls, Bentleys, antique and luxury cars lined up outside Ma Maison and celebrities lined the walls within.

(photo courtesy: A Taste of Hollywood by Patrick Terrail)

Flash forward a few years and we had moved to our farm in Georgia. While perusing Southern Living Magazine, I came across an article about Patrick Terrail and his then new restaurant Gaby's in nearby Hogansville.  I went in for lunch and reintroduced myself to him and we talked food.  Patrick was talking about opening up a cooking school and after we spoke more later, he asked me to help him organize and run it.

Patrick and I in article in the Times-Herald about our cooking school.

The school was quite successful and we had some of Atlanta's and Georgia's top chefs teach classes over a number of years. Eventually as life moves forward, so do we and both the school and Patrick's restaurant closed.  Flash forward to today and Patrick and his wife Jackie are the Publishers and Owners of 85 South Out & About tabloid magazine.  They asked me to contribute some travel features to this fun and informative publication and I'm enjoying working together again.

Patrick knows I am still interested in food and he recently sent me an email with information on the top  restaurants in the United States.  I always love "testing" myself against these lists and I've been to a few of them but have probably visited more of the past winners - which means I need to get busy!

Here are the top ten NEW restaurants as deemed by Gayot Magazine:

Bardessono, Napa Valley (Yountville), CA - fresh, locally-grown organic

The Bazaar by Jose Andres, at the SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA - Spanish

Bourbon Steak, Washington, DC - upscale steak house

Marea, New York - authentic Italian

Ninety Acres, Peapack Gladstone, NJ - fresh, local seasonal

Osteria Il Sugno, San Antonio - Italian

Paces 88, Atlanta - American bistro

RDG & Bar Annie, Houston - American and Tex Mex

Terzo Piano, Chicago - Italian

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, Las Vegas - fusion

The issue has many fun categories including Best Cheap Eats, Top 40 restaurants in America, Best Catering Trucks and much more.  If you want to see the issue, click here:  Gayot and search for the restaurant issue.  Incidentally, Best Restaurateur?  Wolfgang Puck.

If you are interested in culinary travel, drop me a line or call the staff at Uniglobe McIntosh Travel and we can plan some adventures.  Want to dine both high brow and local digs in NYC?  Let's talk.  Craving the sunshine and trendsetting California cuisine?  We can help.  Incidentally, we are currently planning a culinary and wine trip to France (details coming) hosted by Patrick and Joseph Walker of Walker Travel Group.  Patrick counts among his best friends many of the top chefs in France and his Uncle Claude Terrail was the owner of the world-famous  Paris restaurant La Tour d'Argent so you can imagine the culinary delights that await.  Since 3 of the top 10 new restaurants on the Gayot list are Italian, how about the real thing?   We already have a culinary program to Italy scheduled for October 9 - 16, hosted by Chef Leonard Guillame of Mama Lucia's restaurant and Joseph Walker, Walker Travel Group.  See my posting dated 1/20/10 "Wining and Dining Through Italy" for itinerary and details - count yourself officially invited!  I'd love to have you on the trips.