Category Archives: Travel Adventures

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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A Visit to Paso Robles, Part II: Michelin-Starred Six Test Kitchen

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Hamachi with Asian pear and chili crunch at Six Test Kitchen.
Hamachi with Asian pear and chili crunch at Six Test Kitchen.

Paso Robles, CA — Six Test Kitchen made history in 2021 — becoming the first Michelin-starred restaurant in San Luis Obispo County. It has held that honor ever since.

It’s a true achievement for Chef-Owner Ricky Odbert, especially when you realize his 12-seat restaurant’s very humble beginnings.

Odbert had worked at some of the Bay Area’s most acclaimed restaurants, including Postrio, Spruce, Masa’s, Aziza, and the Restaurant at Meadowood. But he wasn’t even making enough to afford a cab ride home at the end of the night after work when MUNI had shut down its lines or curtailed them.

So, in 2015 he moved back to his parents’ house in Arroyo Grande. It was there he got the notion to start a restaurant of sorts in his parents’ garage. Fortunately, his father, who built commercial kitchens for a living, was all in on the idea and helped trick out the space.

Chef-Owner Ricky Odbert.
Chef-Owner Ricky Odbert.
Sommelier John Seals.
Sommelier John Seals.

Odbert’s underground supper club — all six seats of it — took off. That is, until someone complained to the authorities, and he had to shut it down until he got the proper permits for what he then promoted as a “test kitchen” with “cooking classes.”

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A Visit to Paso Robles, Part I: The Ava Hotel

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Shrimp and beef souvlaki at EMRE restaurant in the new Ava Hotel.
Shrimp and beef souvlaki at EMRE restaurant in the new Ava Hotel.

Paso Robles, CA — When you live in the Bay Area, it’s almost automatic that a visit to Wine Country typically means a jaunt to the Napa or Sonoma regions.

Paso Robles Wine Country, on the other hand, may be in the opposite direction. Yet it really isn’t that much farther away in driving distance, especially if you live in Silicon Valley. Even better, it possesses a charm all its own.

I was reminded of that earlier this month when I was invited as a guest of the newly opened The Ava Hotel in Paso Robles. It’s part of the upscale Curio Collection by Hilton.

The pool by the rooftop bar-lounge at The Ava.
The pool by the rooftop bar-lounge at The Ava.
A two-sided fireplace warms things up inside and outside.
A two-sided fireplace warms things up inside and outside.

The location can’t be beat. The Ava is just steps from downtown Paso Robles, which reminds me a lot of Sonoma, with its boutiques, tasting rooms, and restaurants surrounding a central public square.

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Dining in Los Angeles, Part II: The Astonishing Michelin Three-Starred Somni

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A pizza Margherita that will leave you dumbstruck at Somni.
A pizza Margherita that will leave you dumbstruck at Somni.

The first time I ever dined at the French Laundry in Yountville was a seminal experience, one punctuated by a whirlwind of wee dishes that somehow possessed such outsized, intense flavors that they left me feeling as if I were tasting food for the very first time.

Earlier this month at Somni, I relived that same type of vivid, jolting excitement — but with even more whimsy, humor, and daring.

No wonder this Los Angeles restaurant garnered three Michelin stars this year practically right out of the gate after opening in November 2024.

To be fair, Somni’s original incarnation that opened in Beverly Hills in 2018 had already earned two Michelin stars before it was forced to close when the pandemic hit, the same week it would have celebrated not only its second anniversary, but Chef-Owner Aitor Zabala’s birthday.

The unassuming entrance.
The unassuming entrance.
The courtyard behind the gate, where the meal begins.
The courtyard behind the gate, where the meal begins.
The giraffe sculpture at the front.
The giraffe sculpture at the front.
A welcome note.
A welcome note.

After hunting high and low, he found the ideal space in West Hollywood to relocate in what was previously a Donna Karan store and a former music studio frequented by Jennifer Lopez.

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