Le Pigeon is helmed by Gabriel Rucker, a two time James Beard award winning chef. He presents contemporary French inspired cuisine in a cozy space with a laid-back atmosphere.
Alinea – Chicago
Alinea in Chicago, in January. With the wind howling off lake Michigan it’s a very cold place, especially so this year. A polar vortex brought freezing temperatures far below normal. Who in their right mind would plan an excursion there in the dead of winter? Well I did, and the great salesman that I am, persuaded three friends to go with me. The lure was an opportunity to dine at Alinea. With amazing, imaginative food and theatre in equal measure, it’s a highly sought ticket.
Temporis – Chicago
It’s a lot of fun dining at three star michelin restaurants, but it’s even more fun dining at restaurants like Temporis. They have only one michelin star, but they have the heart and soul of a restaurant with four.
Cosme – NYC
When I discovered Enrique Olvero of Pujol had a restaurant in New York I had to dine there. The icing on the cake was that Enrique’s partner and executive chef was Daniela Soto-Innes.
Le Bernardin – NYC
Le Bernardin sits atop the restaurant world in the United States, recently named the best by La Liste. Accolades are nothing new for partner’s Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert, holding both a three star Michelin and a four star New York Times rating. In addition there are innumerable James beard and World’s best awards.
The Aviary – NYC
The Aviary is the brainchild of acclaimed Chef Grant Achatz focused on cocktails with the same inspiration and creativity you find at his restaurants.
Atomix – NYC
Atomix, pronounced counter intuitively as Aa-toe-mix was the unexpected gastronomic thrill of our recent visit to NYC. I knew that Atomix held a recently acquired Michelin star and a 4 star NY Times rating, but they opened barely a year ago without a great deal of fanfare. That anonymity is quickly coming to an end. I told my son, the other restaurants on our agenda will be hard pressed to surpass the dinner we were having at Atomix.
Nicos – Mexico City
Nicos was founded in 1956 by the mother of Chef Gerardo Vasquez Lugo.She featured her traditional home cooking in a working class neighborhood of Mexico City. When she passed the torch to Gerardo, he built upon that legacy by incorporating more progressive elements into his cuisine.
Quintonil – Mexico City
Quintonil’s chef/owner, thirty-seven year old Jorge Vallejo, is near the top of the world. Specifically, his restaurant is #24 on the World’s Best list for 2018. His menu is driven by farm to table ingredients with many from his own rooftop garden. Even the name, Quintonil comes from a Mexican herb.
Pujol – Mexico City
Chef Enrique Olvero of Pujol is labeled as the founder of molecular mexican gastronomy, or the godfather of nuevo mexican cuisine because of the impressive list of chefs that have worked with him and then achieved success in their own right. Regardless how you choose to describe him, one thing is certain. The ambiance, food and service is deserving of the 13th best restaurant in the world.