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Ferran Adrià and His Widening Global Influence
In the small mountain town of Roses, in the Costa Brava region of Spain, adventurous foodies the world over
gather to indulge in the unique and unexpected creations served at the legendary El Bulli where, since 1983,
master chef Ferran Adrià, credited as the father of “molecular gastronomy” has been deconstructing ingredients
and inventing new techniques that explore contrasting temperatures, textures, and flavours to stretch the
boundaries of how we enjoy and experience food.
It may prove a difficult task for the average diner to experience El Bulli firsthand, but interested parties have
no fear! There are a number of Adrià-influenced chefs who have opened restaurants in major cities, bringing
their own flair and special techniques to this avant-garde style of cooking. Read the rest of this entry »
February 14, 2010 isn’t just a day to shower love on your Valentine (but see great Valentine’s options here). It is also the first day of the Chinese New Year celebrating the Year of the Tiger. Read the rest of this entry »
David Lee, executive chef/partner at Nota Bene
David Lee is executive chef and co-owner of the acclaimed Toronto restaurant Nota Bene. Lee is a third generation chef who hails from the village of Hertfordshire in England. At 17, he moved to London where he worked at Restaurant Le Soufflé under the tutelage of Executive Chef Peter Kromberg.
Chef Lee moved to Canada when he was 24 and by the age of 29, he made his mark on the Toronto dining scene after acquiring the popular Splendido restaurant with partner Yannick Bigourdan. In 2008, Lee opened Nota Bene with Bigourdan and a third partner, Franco Prevedello.
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DE: Did you always know you wanted to be a chef?
DL: I think the reality is when you finish school you have to say what do you want to do. I knew one thing. I knew I didn’t want to work in an office and I knew I had to do something with my hands. I guess when you talk to a school, they ask what you love to do and I said I love to cook…my family has a big background of chefs and I knew I wanted to be creative. Read the rest of this entry »
Yannick Bigourdan is co-owner of the award-winning restaurant, Nota Bene in Toronto, Canada.
Bigourdan was born in the South of France to a family heavily entrenched in the food industry. After attending the Swiss Hotel School of Lausanne, Bigourdan worked for the Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts in Los Angeles and Toronto. In 2001, Bigourdan partnered with Chef David Lee to acquire the acclaimed restaurant Splendido in Toronto. With a few years of much-lauded success behind them, Bigourdan and Lee partnered with celebrated Toronto restaurateur, Franco Prevedello, to develop Nota Bene — a restaurant that would retain all the high-quality food and service of Splendido but in a more relaxed atmosphere.
Since opening in July 2008, Nota Bene has not seen a night with an empty table. We spoke with Mr. Bigourdan to hear his thoughts on the popularity of his restaurant. Read the rest of this entry »
Whether you are heading to cheer on your home team at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, or just going to soak in the natural beauty of the city, Vancouver has something for everyone — a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, a deeply ingrained foodie culture enhanced by the rich multiculturalism of the area, and a growing collective of artists and creative types who are shifting the landscape of design throughout the city.
We teamed up with local designer, H. Jay Brooks from Box Interior Design (read our interview with him here!) to highlight some of the stylish and hip locales for your next visit to this beautiful coastal town. Read the rest of this entry »
H. Jay Brooks and his wife, Cynthia Penner, are the design team behind Vancouver’s award-winning firm, Box Interior Design. Their recent projects include Market by Jean Georges, Society Dining Lounge, and the much-lauded Coast Restaurant. Read the rest of this entry »
Diners, oh how we love diners! Those classic American eateries where breakfast is served all day, hamburgers and shakes are a requisite, and everyone is welcome. Diners still remain a staple of American dining in every city and, as Guy Fieri’s popular US show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives demonstrates, they are only getting better. Read the rest of this entry »
With Valentine’s Day arriving shortly, don’t forget to make your reservations for a romantic evening out. Be it with friends or lovers (or both!) these intimate and romantic restaurants are sure to make you (and/or the one you want to impress) swoon:
Philadelphia, the birthplace of US independence, is growing beyond its storied history to embrace a future that includes a vibrant culinary scene sparked by new wave of creative trendsetters. Read the rest of this entry »
