Toronto Dining, Part I: Acclaimed Mhel

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Aged managatsuo with sakura-leaf mochi rice at Mhel.
Aged managatsuo with sakura-leaf mochi rice at Mhel.

Toronto, ON, Canada — Mhel may be all of 645 square feet, but its presence looms large.

Not only did it garner a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, but last week it also landed on the No. 27 spot on the 2026 list of the “50 Best Restaurants North America,” up from No. 44 last year.

Mehl is not fancy, not formal, but cozy, charming, and full of life.

Husband-and-wife team Ji Young-Hoon and Yi Seung-min opened the restaurant in 2023, naming it after the word for “anchovy” in the Jeju dialect, spoken in Dangjin, Korea, where Yi’s mother was born.

Ji is the executive chef of this compact 30-seat restaurant, 12 of which are bar seats situated right in front of him and the open kitchen much like a sushi counter. Yi runs the front of house and is beverage director.

The food is a delightful mix of Japanese and Korean, and the ambiance very much like that of an izakaya, where sharing small plates over sake is definitely the way to go.

The entrance.
The entrance.
A dozen seats are available at the counter that fronts the kitchen.
A dozen seats are available at the counter that fronts the kitchen.

We managed to snag seats at the bar, the best vantage point to wach Ji and his team in action.

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Would You Pay Nearly $20 A Pound for Strawberries?

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Harry's Berries -- the Ferrari of strawberries.
Harry’s Berries — the Ferrari of strawberries.

Gulp, I did (cough, cough).

And, yes, willingly so.

Let me explain: For years, I’ve heard various chefs rhapsodize about the sweetness of Harry’s Berries strawberries, grown by the Oxnard, CA farm that was founded in 1967 by Harry Iwamoto.

Last October when I happened to be in Southern California, I spied the Harry’s Berries stand at the Santa Monica farmers market. Of course, at that time of year, their strawberry crop was done. Even so, when the fresh berries are in season, the folks manning the stand advised to come early, as they typically sell out in the first hour. Holy moly!

I didn’t leave completely empty-handed, but contented myself with a jar of jam made from their strawberries. It was delicious, too, with a lovely floral sweetness to it.

Grown by a family-owned farm in S. California.
Grown by a family-owned farm in S. California.

Fast-forward to now, when I saw Harry’s Berries strawberries available for delivery via Good Eggs, I pounced. Even at $19.99 for a 1-pound clam shell.

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Chicago Dining, Part III: Michelin-Starred Next

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Australian Wagyu served big and brash a la "Wall Street 1987" at Next.
Australian Wagyu served big and brash a la “Wall Street 1987” at Next.

Chicago, IL — Any time a restaurant embarks upon a transformation, it’s a daunting process. Even more so when it undertakes one three times a year. For a staggering 15 years straight.

Such is the case with Michelin-starred Next, opened in the historic Fulton Market by storied chef Grant Achatz, founder of legendary Alinea.

By the time one year ends, Achatz and Next’s executive chef, Alan Mileykovsky, have put their heads together with input from other staff members to come up with the themes for the following year, each of which will be presented for about three months.

Previous themes have ranged from “Chinese Modern,” “Ancient Rome,” and “Paris 1906” to “Julia Child” and “Space.”

Each time, not only does the food change to keep with the theme, but so, too, does the plateware, decor, and soundtrack. In just a day or two, the look of the dining room is transformed. And in less than a week, the restaurant fully transitions from one theme to the next and is ready for service. Quite the feat.

Next was probably the first restaurant to use dynamic pricing. Yes, just like your Uber ride, it’ll cost you more for the same destination or same 10- to 12-course menu if you book at the most popular times, say, a Saturday night. When I booked on a Sunday night, it came out to $275 per person, not including a 20 percent service charge.

The sign marks the spot, but you can't see into the restaurant from the street.
The sign marks the spot, but you can’t see into the restaurant from the street.
The dining room gets redecorated for each themed menu.
The dining room gets redecorated for each themed menu.

The current theme is “Wall Street 1987,” which immediately conjured up visions of excess and decadence. As the restaurant billed it: “The bull is running, the Dow is up 44 percent, and a new class is emerging—young, ambitious, and hungry for everything money can buy.”

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Chicago Dining, Part II: Michelin Two-Starred Ever

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A showcase of morels -- part of the tasting menu at Ever.
A showcase of morels — part of the tasting menu at Ever.

Chicago, IL — If ever there was a chef to rise from the lowest of the lows to the highest of highs, it is Curtis Duffy.

His impoverished upbringing was not only marked by constant upheaval, but with the worst of tragedies.

If you don’t know his compelling story yet, do yourself a favor and watch his documentary, “For Grace.” Or better yet, read his recent memoir, “Fireproof: Memoir of A Chef” (Dead Sky Publishing, 2025)

Either way, you will come away marveling at someone who faced down so many demons, and persevered to first open the Michelin three-starred Grace, then the Michelin two-starred Ever and its appropriately named bar-lounge next door, After, all in Chicago.

If you are a fan of “The Bear,” you will also immediately recognize Ever as the inspiration for the Michelin three-starred restaurant in the series where cousin Ritchie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) stages under the helm of Olivia Coleman’s Chef Andrea Terry.

The understated entrance.
The understated entrance.
The kitchen.
The kitchen.
The familiar-looking expediter station in the kitchen.
The familiar-looking expediter station in the kitchen.

Admiration, fandom, and of course, the pursuit of great dining all steered me to Ever when I was planning my trip to Chicago.

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Chicago Dining, Part I: Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres

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Caviar cones with horseradish creme fraiche at Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres.
Caviar cones with horseradish creme fraiche at Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres.

Chicago, IL — With about 40 acclaimed restaurants nationwide and in the Bahamas, plus awards galore including a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his global humanitarian work through his World Central Kitchen, Jose Andres cuts a large swath in life.

So, when you step inside one of his restaurants, you know you’re in for a big, bold time.

That’s definitely true at Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres. It’s operated by the Emmy-winning and multi-James Beard Award-garnering chef, and owned by the Chicago’s Gibsons Restaurant Group. It may be five years old now, but you’d never know it from the crowd on a recent Thursday night when I dined, which appeared to be a mix of tourists and business people alike.

Primo cuts aging.
Primo cuts aging.
Another refrigerator holding the goods.
Another refrigerator holding the goods.

Take the elevator up to the second floor of the Bank of America tower to get to the restaurant, where you’ll walk past glassed-in refrigerator cases of Japanese Wagyu beef and American prime, aged for a minimum of 28 days.

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