Meaty Vegetables. What you do think about when I say that? A Mushroom Burger? YES CHEF! I say squash….. and apparently people in New York agree with me! The New York Daily News is jumping on this bandwagon, with their recent article about how restaurant owners are making changes in their menus: “Beet, cauliflower, cabbage … Read more
Read MoreThe Nominations for The James Beard Awards are in. And I have to say about San Diego that I am completely disappointed. San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles all filled categories like Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Chef, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Pastry Chef, and so on. We had ONE RESTAURANT in the entire city of San Diego nominated. For … Read more
Read MoreDo you think you know General Mills? Well, trust me. You don’t. The latest and greatest large companies are buying up smaller companies, and leaving the brand, without hooking that train to their wagon. You don’t know that Annies is owned by General Mills, right? RIGHT CHEF! One of the emails I just received (and yes, … Read more
Read MoreHappy ‘after’ Valentine’s Day! And now all the sugar is gone…. desserts shaped in little hearts, heart candies, chocolate…. BUT WAIT CHEF! I DIDN’T DO ANY OF THAT! Let me start again….. after all the pasta is gone, all the wine that accompanied the pasta is gone… Yes. That is a problem. Bread, Pasta, Wine…. … Read more
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I always think, when I go in to review Jake’s Del Mar, which I do once a year as a reviewer, that it will be good as it was last time. And then regularly I am surprised about how much better the staff is trained, and how they have created new, unexpected flavor profiles. Jake’s … Read more
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Well, I have mixed feelings about it all. I spent 3 years traveling the globe, cooking in kitchens, taking food and wine classes and here’s what I know to be true: You can go into any restaurant in any city in both France and Italy and order the house wine, and that wine is way better than most of what we get here in America. (I almost said “most of the slop” we get here in America, but I thought I would be kind about it). lol
Read MoreTwo years ago this month, I reviewed Native Foods in Encinitas on ChefMarian.com and Yelp. I thought I would run an update for you. I have spent a lifetime trying to help, not hurt chefs. So while I still do restaurant reviews, my goal is to bring you ‘the best’. Rarely in all my years of blogging … Read more
Read MoreThere’s a Restaurant I’ve passed by over and over again and thought: “Geez. I ought to try that”. It’s called Lobster West, Encinitas on South Coast Hwy 101 in Encinitas. Just a very small place with an nice extended front and side porch seating. It’s either part of the lumberyard or right next to the lumberyard. You … Read more
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