Impress Your Guests Effortlessly With This Recipe for Black Bass in a Gorgeous Golden Curry
What he's known for: Working his way from Detroit to New York City and climbing the fine-dining ladder; earning a Michelin star early in his career; taking the helm at Saga after his mentor, James Kent, passed away.
'Beautiful food didn't come naturally to me,' said Charlie Mitchell. 'I spent my formative years thinking about how to make food taste really, really good, then I learned the rest.' He delivers on both fronts with his final Slow Food Fast recipe, for roasted black bass doused in a coconut curry tinged a luminous shade of gold.
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Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Where celebrities eat in Toronto: 12 restaurants visited by stars from Blackpink to Coldplay
From fine dining to street food, Toronto's diverse culinary scene has made it a top destination for food lovers. But where do celebrities eat when they're in town? Here's a look at where musicians, actors and celebrity chefs have dined during recent visits to Toronto. A post shared by 달동네 Daldongnae BBQ (@daldongnae) Following the second Blackpink show at Rogers Stadium, at least one member of the K-pop girl group — Jennie — dropped by Daldongnae, a popular Korean BBQ spot in North York. 'BLACKPINK in our area… again!' the restaurant wrote in an Instagram post, which noted that this was the second time Jennie has visited one of the restaurant's locations. 'We're honoured and so thankful.' On social media, fans also say that two members of Blackpink were spotted leaving Huh Ga Ne, a 24-hour Korean eatery in North York. The Star was unable to confirm with the restaurant, but fans circulated videos and photos of two women who they believe were singers Rosé and Lisa, leaving the location on Finch Ave. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin performs at Toronto's new Rogers Stadium. Midway through their four-night residency at the recently inaugurated Rogers Stadium this July, three of the four members of Coldplay dined at the Michelin-starred Osteria Giulia in Yorkville , as first reported by Star contributing columnist Shinan Govani. Frontman Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland and drummer Will Champion — who has dined at Giulia in the past — were among the party of 10 that stayed late and closed the restaurant down on July 9, owner David Minicucci told the Star. 'They were wonderful and exemplary guests,' Minicucci said, adding that the group ordered pasta, grilled fish and seafood. 'They kept it very clean and light.' 'They ordered well and were great to have in the room,' he added. 'And Chris Martin was very engaging with our team.' A post shared by Daniele Corona | Chef ⭐️ (@danielecoronareal) While the rest of his band was at Osteria Giulia, Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman zipped over to DaNico , an Italian fine-dining spot on College Street that has earned a Michelin star for its refined tasting menus. 'I came to your show yesterday and it was absolutely incredible,' chef Daniele Corona wrote on Instagram . 'And today I found you at DaNico ... honoured by your presence.' American actor and director Jesse Eisenberg, whose 2024 film ' A Real Pain ' was nominated for best original screenplay at the 97th Academy Awards, stopped by Curryish Tavern earlier this month with his wife, daughter and a friend who lives in Toronto. Miheer Shete, who owns the Queen West Indian restaurant, told BlogTO that he received a call from the concierge at the Eisenberg's hotel, and was told that the actor and his group was in the mood for 'an Indian feast.' Shete told the Star while Curryish has hosted actors and comedians in the past, Eisenberg is the most famous celebrity to dine at his restaurant. He said the actor's party ordered samosa, asparagus salad, coconut stuffed branzino, green tomato butter chicken, stuffed paneer with roasted pepper korma and more. A post shared by Zezafoun Syrian Cuisine (@zezafounsyriancuisine) Elyanna — the Palestinian-Chilean pop singer who opened for Coldplay during their stint at Rogers Stadium — brought her band and a group of friends to Zezafoun Syrian Cuisine, a cosy, family-run restaurant in Davisville Village. 'Your sweet spirit lit up the place, and we truly loved having you,' the restaurant posted on Instagram. A post shared by Jeff Regular (@paitoronto) This spring, legendary hip hop drummer, producer and DJ Questlove dropped by Kiin , a high-end Thai restaurant in the entertainment district, after his band The Roots played at Rebel. According to Jeff Regular, who owns Kiin alongside his wife, Nuit Regular , told the Star that Questlove ordered the restaurant's latest tasting menu, and that he liked the wagyu and lamb courses in particular. 'That was huge,' Regular said. 'Sadly, I was in Japan at the time, but I was freaking out.' A post shared by Harlem Restaurant (@harlemrestaurant) Known for its Afro-Caribbean and soul food — it helped popularize fried chicken and waffles in Toronto, Star food reporter Karon Liu recently noted — and for hosting live music, Harlem Restaurant on Queen West re-opened its doors this spring after a closure that lasted nearly six years. Within days of reopening in May, the restaurant hosted a birthday party for Toronto hip hop mogul Kardinall Offishall, which was attended by American stand-up comic and actor Dave Chappelle. A post shared by Jeff Regular (@paitoronto) Forget potatoes , the Hobbits are into Thai food, now! Dom Monaghan (the actor who plays Merry Brandybuck in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy) has long declared PAI — a northern Thai food fixture with locations in downtown and uptown — as his favourite restaurant in the city. So when his buddy Elijah Wood (the actor who plays Frodo Baggins) was in town in May, he urged him to check it out. Woods was 'very gracious,' said owner Jeff Regular. The actor ordered extensively off the menu, but his favourite dish was miang kung : a platter of fresh ingredients (shrimp, ginger, shallots, roasted coconut, etc.) that customers wrap in fresh betel leaf. A post shared by @pearlyorkville Iconic businesswoman and lifestyle personality Martha Stewart was in town in February to film a television series, when she dropped by Pearl, an authentic Chinese restaurant in Yorkville that serves traditional Cantonese food and dim sum. According to BlogTO , Stewart ordered Peking duck, stir-fried long beans with black bean sauce, pan-fried hockey pucks, spinach and shrimp dumplings, and soup dumplings. A post shared by José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) Spanish-American celebrity chef and restaurateur José Andrés was also in town in February to shoot a television series, and among the spots he dined was Fisherman Lobster Club, the Scarborough seafood restaurant known for its gigantic platters of lobster and crab. The Jonas Brothers pose for a picture with Adrak Yorkville co-founder Ambica Jain. Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas made an unexpected visit to Adrak — a Michelin-recommended restaurant in Yorkville serving modern Indian cuisine — last January. 'All of the brothers said the food was amazing and that they really liked the Chai biscuit dessert a lot,' a representative for the restaurant told the Star. 'They were extremely friendly, kind and appreciative. No star-power attitude, and very humble.' Other high-profile stars who have dined at Adrak since it opened include Jessica Alba, Oscar Issac, Daniel Boulud and Karan Aujla. Chubby's, the vibrant Jamaican spot on Portland, has long been a magnet for celebrities (Sean Paul, Anthony Mackie) and athletes (Scottie Barnes, Penny Oleksiak, Brandon Ingram). Last November, Jamaican dancehall legend Buju Banton dropped by for a meal, and snapped a photo with general manager Daniela Chinchilla.
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The S.F. restaurant that divided our critics: Why its format is no gimmick — it's essential
Editor's note: Food critics MacKenzie Chung Fegan and Cesar Hernandez are facing off this week over one iconic restaurant: State Bird Provisions. This is Fegan's response to Hernandez's review yesterday. Remember dessert trays? I think of them fondly and often. 'Ladyfingers, coffee and mascarpone' meant nothing to me at age 7, but ogling layers of oozing sponge and cocoa powder dusted over swooshes of cream — yes, whatever that is, I'll please have that. Dessert trays were left in the '90s along with smoking sections and those click-clack carbon paper credit card machines. Dim sum carts, another vestige of my childhood, survived a while longer. But post-COVID, they too are on the verge of extinction. In San Francisco, I can think of only two restaurants that still have them: Yank Sing and State Bird Provisions. State Bird's concept was built around dim sum carts when it debuted 13 years ago, immediately winning over the food world. It remains an exceptional restaurant, landing on our Top 100 list this year alongside sister establishment The Progress. But in his review yesterday — which I'd encourage you to read first since this is, effectively, a rebuttal — my colleague Cesar Hernandez argued that those dim sum carts are now a liability for the Michelin-starred restaurant. I respectfully but vocally disagree. While I concede that State Bird Provisions' most memorable dishes are found on the main menu, it's the cart service that makes it one of the jolliest and most distinctive dining experiences in the Bay Area. Extra! Extra! Dueling reviews San Francisco Chronicle critics MacKenzie Chung Fegan and Cesar Hernandez are dueling this week over one restaurant: State Bird Provisions. Check out Hernandez's take on the famous restaurant here. 'The dim sum schtick,' Cesar wrote, 'feels more customary than essential, more cute than efficient, more showy than delicious.' To this I say, to hell with efficiency, I'll optimize when I'm dead. Menus are surely the most sensible way to assemble a meal, all your choices laid out in front of you at once in a neatly organized fashion. They're also boring, a list of nouns and, if you're lucky, a jejune adjective or two. Select your appetizer, entrée, a side if you're feeling zany. You'll get exactly what you've ordered, and I congratulate you on making responsible life choices. But what State Bird's dim sum cart offers me is felicity. If I had seen 'steamed egg tofu' ($9) on the menu, I likely would have passed. But when a server waved it before my eyes, a quivering butter yellow square glistening with crimson, sesame-flecked chile oil, topped with pickled mushrooms, I had to have it. Cesar cast State Bird's dim sum offerings as a 'roller coaster,' delivering thrilling highs and dismal lows. He's not wrong that there are weak links, and we are mostly in accord about which they are. The garlic bread with burrata ($13) is shockingly a dud — tough and not very garlicky at all — and an attractive wedge salad needed to work harder. However, I disagree with his assessment that an avocado dish 'failed to delight.' It delighted me, the accompanying tonnato sauce a reminder that punchy tuna salad-and-avo sandwiches need to be brought back into the lunch rotation. I also concur that some of the strongest dishes coming out of State Bird's kitchen can be found on the main menu, not on the carts or trays that servers ferry around the room like peanut vendors at a ballpark. Standouts from the 'pancakes and toast' section during my visits included the sourdough sauerkraut pancakes ($15), sprinkled with caraway seeds, and the brown butter morel roti ($32), earthy and richly spiced. Cesar's favorite large-format dishes, which State Bird calls 'commandables,' are mine as well. Do as he says and build your meal around the slippery hand-cut noodles ($30) and the tofu and bean donabe, a dish inspired by mapo tofu but entirely its own thing ($30). With all this kumbaya agreement, where do Cesar and I diverge? In his review, he writes, 'I was constantly in this conundrum of choice, where the implied ephemeral state of the dim sum compelled me to act fast or miss out like a loser.' It's rare, in a restaurant setting, that we are afforded the opportunity to commune with our hunger. In a previous era, I might have put in an order for appetizers while I considered the full menu, but now, my server will caution that the kitchen prefers to receive the entire order at once — tough but fair. Rarely do I not ask, 'Have I ordered enough? Too much?' Cesar's conundrum of choice, the pressure to smash or pass while a server waits for your table's decision, is because this is not how we are accustomed to eating. But what a gift to be pushed to know your desires, to see a pile of glossy cherries abutting a foamy pool of brie ($10) and ask yourself, 'Do I want that right now? Is this what I crave?' Dine with a small group and you'll find yourself enrolled in a crash-course in collective decision making. Three people may shrug and dither, but the fourth might catch the server as he turns to go: 'I do want that.' You could request a printed version of the dim sum menu and order as you would at a more conventional menu, as Cesar revealed in his review. But this is the path of control. It's uncomfortable not to know what's coming next. The person you're dating is great, but what if there's someone better on the apps? Those persimmons with black sesame and kinako dressing that you liked so much and are now circling back — should you get a second helping or save room for the unknown? Being present takes practice. I suggest you start at State Bird Provisions. Accessibility: All on one floor. Wheelchair accessible tables, although aisles are narrow. No outdoor seating. Noise level: Loud. Meal for two, without drinks: $75-$150 What to order: Donabe ($30), hand-cut noodles with salsa macha ($30), whichever dim sum dishes make your heart leap Drinks: Beer and wine. 'Exceptional house-made non-alchoholic drinks like shiso-yuzu soda ($9) and Raspberry Julius ($10),' Cesar writes, and he is correct. Best practices: Order a couple of standout dishes off the main menu and then live in the moment! Let the sliding doors of fate direct your meal! And once again I agree with Cesar: Peanut milk ($4) is non-negotiable.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Chicago's Kumiko Named World's Best Bar At 2025 Spirited Awards
K umiko, the innovative dining bar serving up a taste of Japan in Chicago's West Loop, was named World's Best Bar at the 19th annual Spirited Awards in New Orleans. Cofounded in 2018 by acclaimed bartender Julia Momosé and local restaurateurs Cara and Noah Sandoval, Kumiko began garnering accolades for its minimalist food and drinks almost immediately, including a 2019 Michelin star for its original chef, Mariya Russell, the first Black woman to be awarded a Michelin star. The 36-year-old Momosé, who was born and raised in Japan, was fascinated by Japanese rituals surrounding eating and drinking from an early age, and was inspired by watching her mother entertain at home. While attending Cornell University, she took jobs in restaurants and bars, eventually settling in Baltimore where she continued her hospitality education, most notably at Rye. From there, she moved to Chicago, where she became 'bar chef' at The Aviary, the groundbreaking cocktail lounge founded by Grant Achatz. After developing the bar menu at GreenRiver, the Chicago restaurant and bar that was a partnership between Danny's Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group and The Dead Rabbit's Jack McGarry, it was time for Momosé to create something of her own. A chance meeting with the Sandovals led the trio to open Kumiko in December 2018. Inspired by Japanese minimalism— kumiko is a delicate style of woodworking that requires no nails or glue—Momosé developed the restaurant's cocktail menu, including a selection of 'spiritless' drinks. (She dislikes the word 'mocktail.') In 2022, Kumiko received the Exceptional Cocktails Award from Michelin. Accepting the evening's final award before a standing ovation at New Orleans' Fillmore theater, Momosé spoke movingly of visting New York City in her twenties. 'I remember trying to find home when I was there—and I found Angel's Share,' she said, recalling the beloved Japanese-inspired East Village speakeasy, which helped her appreciate a sense of community and 'people who were sharing a little bit of themselves through food and drink.' Momosé left the raucous crowd—which earlier saw appearances by Run the Jewels and Cheech and Chong, who handed our awards—with one last piece of advice: 'Try to find the beauty in those quiet moments.' Keeping up with the Japanese influence, the Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar went to Sip & Guzzle, the popular New York outpost of the renowned Tokyo bar created by Shingo Gokan, who was named International Bartender of Year at the Spirited Awards in 2017. Located in the West Village, Sip & Guzzle is renowned for its selection of Japanese beer, highballs and 'crushable' cocktails. New York's Sip & Guzzle won for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar. Sip & Guzzle San Francisco's Trick Dog was honored as the Best U.S. Cocktail Bar, fulfilling its promise at the 2017 Spirited Awards, where it won for Best U.S. Cocktail menu. Also on the domestic front, Washington D.C.'s Allegory continued its winning ways. Last year's Spirited Award winner for Best U.S. Hotel Bar and Bartender of the Year (for Kapri Johnson), Allegory, located at the Eaton Hotel, won for Best U.S. Bar Team. The U.S. Bartender of the Year remained in the nation's capital with Christine Kim of Service Bar taking home the honor. After a moving speech in which she assured the crowd that 'you will find your way, your voice, your space, your people,' Kim distilled some universal wisdom: 'Don't be a dick.' Allegory in Washington, D.C., was named Best U.S. Bar Team. Allegory Among international honorees, Hong Kong's Bar Leone, last year's Best New International Cocktail Bar, avoided the sophomore jinx and was named Best International Bar. The Bar Leone team could likely offer some advice to Devil's Cut in Madrid, which was honored as the Best New International Cocktail Bar. London's Side Hustle was named Best International Hotel Bar this year and Milan's Moebius Milano won Best International Restaurant Bar. Side Hustle at the NoMad London was named Best International Hotel Bar. Side Hustle Mentorship has long been a vital part of the hospitality industry and the Spirited Awards honors two mentors each year. Iain McPherson, who founded Panda & Sons in Edinburgh, Scotland 12 years ago was named Best International Bar Mentor. Proof of McPherson's mentorship was recognized earlier in the evening when Panda & Sons won for Best International Bar Team. The bar also took home an award for World's Best Cocktail Menu. The Best U.S. Bar Mentor was awarded to Colin Asare-Appiah, last year's Tales Visionary Award winner and a 2016 Spirited Award winner for Best American Brand Ambassador. The author of Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology, Asare-Appiah has spent more than three decades in the industry and has helped train the next generation of bartenders in the United States and throughout Africa as part of the AJABU Cocktail and Spirits Festival. Hong Kong's Bar Leone won for Best International Bar. Bar Leone This year's Helen Davidson Lifetime Achievement Award went to Ian Burrell, who began his career as a London bartender in the 1990s and reinvented himself as a 'global rum ambassador' some 20 years ago. The highly charismatic Burrell has represented many different rum brands over the years—including Equiano, which he cofounded in 2020—and is renowned in the industry for his self-described 'edutainment' presentation style. In accepting his award, the 50-year-old Burrell, reminded the audience that he still has a lot of years left: 'I hope to be the first person to win two lifetime achievement awards.' The most inspiring moment of the ceremony came from Tales Visionary Award-winner Lynnette Marrero, a veteran New York bartender who was named Best Bar Mentor at the 2019 Spirited Awards. In addition to cofounding Speed Rack, an international bartending competition for women, Marrero is the mixologist behind Delola, Jennifer Lopez' line of bottled cocktails. 'The thing that gives me the most joy n my life is the opportunity to serve people,' she said. 'It's time for all of us to be teachers and leaders, to remember that if you're some place, there's always someone who needs to come with you—so grab their hand and walk them along.' Finally, the Spirited Awards always raise a glass to some legendary watering holes. Madrid's Bar Cock was presented with the Timeless International Award. Founded in 1921, Bar Cock may resemble an English club—founder Emilio Saracho and head bartender Perico Chicote traveled from Spain to London to locate authentic furniture—but it has become Madrid institution, catering to local artists, writers, politicians, and of course the city's revelers. And The Bar at Keens Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan was honored with the Timeless U.S. Award. Keens, which dates back to 1885, began its long life as a theater hangout, given its location in New York's Herald Square. In addition to serving traditional English mutton chops, Keens is renowned for its extraordinary clay pipe collection. The 90,000 pipes once belonged to Keens regulars—from Babe Ruth and Teddy Roosevelt to J.P. Morgan and Albert Einstein. Like all great restaurant bars, Keens is worth arriving early for dinner to have a drink under the watchful eye of 'Miss Keens,' the nude portrait hanging over the bar for many decades. In 2019, billionaire Tilman Fertita added Keens to his Landry's hospitality empire, after purchasing the iconic steakhouse for $30 million. See the full list of winners from the 2025 Spirited Awards. Tales Of The Cocktail Spirited Awards 2025 INTERNATIONAL Devil's Cut in Madrid was named Best New International Cocktail Bar. Devil's Cut International Bartender of the Year: Lorenzo Antinori (Bar Leone, Hong Kong) Best International Bar Mentor: Iain McPherson Best International Brand Ambassador: Dré Masso (Altos Tequila and Nusa Caña Rum) Best International Bar Team: Panda & Sons (Edinburgh, Scotland) Best New International Cocktail Bar: Devil's Cut (Madrid, Spain) Best International Hotel Bar: Side Hustle (The NoMad Hotel London, London, UK) Best International Restaurant Bar: Moebius Milano (Milan, Italy) Best International Cocktail Bar: Bar Leone (Hong Kong, China) UNITED STATES Christine Kim of Service Bar in Washington, D.C. was named U.S. Bartender of the Year. REY LOPEZ U.S. Bartender of the Year: Christine Kim (Service Bar, Washington, D.C.) Best U.S. Bar Mentor: Colin Asare-Appiah Best U.S. Brand Ambassador: Natasha Sofia (Mijenta Tequila) Best U.S. Bar Team: Allegory at the Eaton Hotel (Washington, D.C.) Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar: Sip & Guzzle (New York, NY) Best U.S. Hotel Bar: Little Rituals (The Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott, Phoenix, AZ) Best U.S. Restaurant Bar: Kumiko (Chicago, IL) Best U.S. Cocktail Bar: Trick Dog (San Francisco, CA) WRITING & MEDIA Ten Speed Press . Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication: Full Pour Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series: Radio Imbibe Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing: "In War-Torn Ukraine, Nightlife Offers a Fleeting Escape" by Adam Robb, for Wine Enthusiast Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book: The Bartender's Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar by Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso with Emma Janzen Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits: The Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home by Nicola Nice GLOBAL The Bar at Keens Steakhouse in New York was honored with the Timeless U.S. Award. Keens Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award: Ian Burrell Timeless International Award: Bar Cock (Madrid, Spain) Timeless U.S. Award: Keens Steakhouse (New York, NY) Tales Visionary Award: Lynette Marrero Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient: Planteray Cut & Dry Coconut Rum World's Best Cocktail Menu: Panda & Sons (Edinburgh, Scotland) World's Best Spirits Selection: Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY) World's Best Bar: Kumiko (Chicago, IL) More from Forbes Forbes World's Best Bars: The Nominees For The 2025 Spirited Awards By Michael Solomon Forbes Colombia's Alquímico Named World's Best Bar At The 2024 Spirited Awards By Michael Solomon
