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Vinous Table: S.Y. Kitchen, Santa Ynez, CA
Vinous Table, United States: California
, Jul 2024
This recent dinner at S.Y. Kitchen was one of the best meals I have had in a very long time. I am not sure why, but several years had passed since my last visit. That is not a mistake I will make again. Everything we tried was divine.
The Cocochine, London, UK
United Kingdom, Vinous Table
, Jul 2024
There are many aspects of The Cocochine that I enjoyed, not least the quality of ingredients and execution. Perhaps the menu plays it safer than I was anticipating. Maybe that was because of my own choices - an observation rather than a criticism. There was something comforting about the dishes encountered at the test kitchen, and this translated onto the menu in terms of failsafe combinations, but that precluded a knockout dish where I wanted to jump up onto my chair and praise the epicurean gods above. I won’t find a better scallop or lamb this year.
Vinous Table: The Merry Harriers, Surrey, UK
United Kingdom, Vinous Table
, Jul 2024
The Merry Harriers is a welcome addition to the rather jejune Surrey dining scene. All the best places tend to be tucked away in the middle of nowhere.
Vinous Table: Mustards Grill, Napa, CA
Vinous Table, United States: California
, Jun 2024
A Napa Valley institution, Mustards Grill remains a consistently fine spot to enjoy contemporary American comfort food at its finest. Chef/Owner Cindy Pawlcyn and her team, led by Managing Partner Sean Knight and Executive Chef Michael Foster, serve up a menu of what they call “Deluxe Truck Stop Classics.” I can’t say I have ever seen a truck stop with food like this, though. At a time when so many things change so fast, Mustards is one of my favorite places to eat when I am in Napa Valley.
Vinous Table: Hatched, London, UK
United Kingdom, Vinous Table
, Jun 2024
Hatched comes strongly recommended. It might lack the luxurious accouterments you might expect from a restaurant. You could argue that it is stripped down to the fundaments: the quality of service and quality of food. Inconveniently, it is not located close to any tube station, off the beaten trek, so either grab a cab or give your legs a workout. Trust me, the Pain Perdu alone is worth it.
Vinous Table: The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, NY
Vinous Table, United States: New York
, Jun 2024
If you are in New York, The Four Horsemen is highly recommended. I love the laid-back atmosphere; the cooking is some of the best I encountered during what was admittedly a slightly underwhelming return to the city’s dining scene.
Vinous Table: Ad Hoc, Yountville, CA
Vinous Table, United States: California
, Jun 2024
Ad Hoc offers delicious interpretations of American comfort food classics but with added touches that elevate the cuisine far beyond household fare. Everything about this dinner was terrific. Food, wine and service were all tops.
Vinous Table: Emilia, Bangkok, Thailand
Thailand, Vinous Table
, May 2024
This was a wonderful evening centered around some of the best Italian dishes I’ve eaten in a long while. Who knew that it would transpire, in all places, in Bangkok? We enjoyed a stellar array of wines, and more importantly, the guests really made it a memorable evening.
Vinous Table: Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajé: 2001-2014
Vinous Table, United States: New York
, May 2024
The room is buzzing with energy as our Crichët Pajé is about to kick off. It’s one of the things I love most about our events: the enthusiasm, passion and deep knowledge guests bring to these lunches and dinners. The 60th floor at Manhatta is especially evocative on this morning. A thick blanket of fog weaves throughout the New York City skyline as if we had arranged for the most perfect Barbaresco meets New York views imaginable. We aren’t that good.
Vinous Table: Luca, London, UK
United Kingdom, Vinous Table
, May 2024
Let’s cut to the chase. Luca boasts a thick, juicy book of Italian vino that covers the entire ‘boot’, a mixture of marquee names and cult producers that is worthy of entry alone. It’s not a treasure trove of unmissable bargains; to that end, I don’t want to give the false impression of some backwater bistro naively adding 10% to wines bought just after the war. (C’mon, we all dream of those.) Our lunch bill was punchy despite steering wallets clear of Super-Tuscans and blue-chip Barolos. But what you do get for your hard-earned money is some of the best Italian food the capital currently offers, together with a gorgeous wine, irrespective of budget, in a restaurant that is beloved by all who enter.