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Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Truffled rabbit legs, a touch of yuzu* and plates of Granny Erskine's shortbread... how Andy and Kim could swap Grand Slams for Michelin stars
Midway through a hitherto flawless fine dining experience, I wonder if it is possible that the kitchen has gone rogue. I have just been presented with a dish that I did not ask for. Rabbit was the starter on the à la carte menu that I instinctively avoided. Now, here was a serving of it arriving as a surprise intermediate course, compliments of the chef. It is, I am told, a 'signature dish'. He feels I should give it a try. It is not the first time James Mearing has flirted with danger in matching his culinary artistry with choosy palates. He did it six months ago when the stakes were very much higher. He was applying for the job of executive head chef of Cromlix, the magnificent mansion house hotel in Stirlingshire owned by tennis star Andy Murray and his wife Kim. His challenge was to rustle up two courses in two hours and present them to a panel of the hotel's top brass, including the departing chef Darin Campbell and Mrs Murray herself. How was he to know that salmon was not a dish to which she was partial? With the clock ticking and flying solo in a kitchen he had never set foot in before, he set about preparing his salmon starter, pairing it with cucumber, dill and the Japanese citrus fruit yuzu. He followed this up with a main course of venison, which highlighted his penchant for 'celebrating the product' by incorporating multiple uses of the meat in the finished dish. Mr Mearing was the latest in a series of candidates to cook for Mrs Murray and her team in the nerve-shredding final phase of the recruitment process – and he was painfully aware of the exacting standards they were seeking. Weeks earlier, the hotel was among a small batch of recipients of a Michelin key – a new award recognising the best places to stay across the globe. Clearly, they would now be shooting for a Michelin star for their restaurant. Could this London-born 41-year-old be the man to earn one for them? 'It's always challenging coming into a kitchen that you've never been in before,' he tells me. 'But this one was particularly fast-paced – having to produce high-level food within two hours.' He adds: 'I think my nature is probably intrinsic to quite a lot of chefs. We are constantly seeking perfection and our day-to-day is that never-ending search for perfection that doesn't really exist.' How close to perfect could his efforts possibly be in an alien kitchen, with no one to assist him, a time frame allowing no margin for error and a key judge who, unbeknown to him, did not enjoy salmon? Well, he had given it his best. The phone call came later that day as he, his Spanish wife Melissa and their two young children began their eight-hour drive home to Dorset. It was hotel manager Barry Makin – one of the tasting panel – telling him that the job was his. Normally they would have deliberated for a few days and let the process run, he told the chef, before adding: 'But it was clearly you by a long way.' And the verdict from Mrs Murray? 'Chef James's food is incredible. I didn't used to like salmon, but he has totally converted me with the way he cooks it.' So who is the culinary wizard confounding his new employer's expectations of dishes she thought were not for her? Certainly he is no stranger to kitchens dripping with accolades. He was, until he started at Cromlix in February, executive chef at Summer Lodge Country House Hotel and Restaurant in Evershot, Dorset, where he held three AA rosettes. Prior to that, at the Gainsborough Bath Spa he was instrumental in their securing three rosettes and he worked at the Michelin-starred Wild Rabbit in the Cotswolds. So how does he fancy his chances of complementing Sir Andy's tennis glories with elite status in the no less competitive world of fine dining? 'Our ambition is to be the best we can be and be better tomorrow than we were today,' he says. 'A Michelin star takes a great level of work and consistency and imagination and creativity and drive and we will put every bit of that into our work. But, ultimately, we cook for our guests, and we cook for each other a bit as well. 'If the combination of all that work and endeavour is a Michelin star then we would be incredibly honoured and thrilled, but we can only hope to reach those heights. We certainly can't presume that we will.' On arrival for dinner and an overnight stay, the first offering I sample is not in the restaurant but in the bedroom. And the recipe is not Mr Mearing's but Granny Erskine's. Yes, Andy Murray's maternal grandmother Shirley, 91, is the brains behind the complimentary shortbread which greets every guest. If it was good enough to become a family fixture at Wimbledon and for her daughter Judy to hand round when she was appearing on Strictly, then it is good enough too – easily – to form a delightful personal touch in five-star accommodation. What she must make of her grandson now becoming an ambassador for a rival operation – Walker's Shortbread – is another matter. My pre-dinner gin is created with botanicals grown on the 34-acre Cromlix estate – and much that finds its way onto the menu comes from the 'kitchen garden' outside. Eschewing the rabbit starter with barely a glance, I order the 'cured Mowi Scottish salmon mosaic, teriyaki slaw, ponzu, furikake beetroot, kombu dashi' and refrain from sharing that I am far from clear what some of these ingredients are. The chef explains: 'We are trying to highlight that produce in a beautiful way, so we cure it and it's just really delicately treated.' Is the salmon even cooked? I am getting a dreamy sushi vibe. 'It's actually just really gently poached… and it's seasoned with some spring onions and spring produce that we are having through the door and that's what gives that kind of mosaic effect.' The effect for me – unlike Mrs Murray, a salmon lover – is exquisite. How is it possible to have eaten this fish so many times and yet be discovering it anew? And so to the dish I never ordered: duo of rabbit, stuffed saddle, truffled leg terrine, BBQ leek, pickled walnut, truffle jus. 'Generally, in a menu, rabbit is not something you see too often,' says the chef. 'So that is an important part of what we do – to try to offer our guests something they can't just do at home or see every day.' It was a former mentor who helped start him on his rabbit epiphany. 'I remember vividly the turn that my experience in the kitchen took when I had a great chef and we were so passionate about the food we could talk about it and say, 'Wouldn't it be great if we could do this?' He was like, 'Do it. Put it on a plate. Let's give it a try. It might work.'' Well, in the same spirit, I am giving it a try – and now trying more and more. Suddenly I am gushing with gratitude for this extra dish, the bounty of unexplored flavours it has unlocked, the panache of the presentation. His twist on it is a running theme in his cooking. He uses the whole animal – saddle, shoulder, legs, carcass, the lot – and creates terrine and jus accompaniments whose root ingredient is the creature itself. As Mrs Murray before me was converted to salmon, so I am converted to rabbit – from this kitchen at any rate. We move to the main event – 'salt aged St Bride's duck, poached rhubarb, baked kohlrabi, red chicory, five spice duck jus'. Mr Mearing presents it in person at my table and, as he explains the dish, gently pours some of that five spice duck jus onto my plate. The root ingredient here is a roasted mixture of the wings and carcass. 'The duck is another great one where we use the whole bird,' he says, almost superfluously. Of course they do. It is the Mearing way – 'celebrate the product'. And, in doing so, perhaps, reintroduce it to those who assume they know it already. I was duly enchanted by this delicate melange of the finest Scottish produce, garden grown delights and the lightest tickle of Asian influence that is a recurring theme in his cooking. What, then, is Mr Mearing's management style in the quest for perfection. Does he turn the air blue in the kitchen like some chefs we know? 'Certainly far from Gordon Ramsay,' he says. 'Very calm. That goes into my approach to cooking and managing my team as well. 'I want Cromlix to be an incredible experience for our guests, but I really want it to be an incredible journey for the people that come and join the team here too. 'I'm trying to create a space of nurturing and creativity so that it will be a part of their story that they can say 'I was at Cromlix' and they wear that like a badge they are proud of.' Clearly, the hotel near Dunblane where the Murrays used to go for family celebrations has also been on a journey since the tennis star bought it for £1.8million months before winning his first Wimbledon in 2013. He and his bride had their wedding reception there in 2015 and, in recent years, she has played an increasingly prominent role in shaping it. Apart from its tennis court – complete with an umpire's chair once used in a match between Murray and Roger Federer – there are few nods to the illustrious sporting career of its co-owner. The feel is of a luxury woodland retreat, an oasis of calm and rural opulence just two miles from the A9 dual carriageway which you soon forget is even there. Laid out on the floor and on pegs in the entrance hall is a selection of Barbour wellies and waxed jackets for anyone who fancies taking a stroll around the grounds. There is a croquet lawn and garden chess. The rooms are named not after tennis tournaments but wild flowers growing on the estate. I was in Allium – whose enormous bathroom is justifiably described as 'show-stopping' – and next door was Fennel. All were given the personal Kim Murray touch in a 2023 refurbishment. And she has not finished yet. In January the hotel will close for four months while a new 70-cover restaurant wing and three ground-floor bedrooms are added. The stately 'garden room', meanwhile, will be transformed into an intimate, fine dining 'tasting menu' restaurant and the glasshouse – where meals are currently served – will be given over exclusively to afternoon tea. For Mr Mearing, the owners' sense of ambition was a key reason why he wanted the job so badly, even if it did mean uprooting his family from the south coast of England. He says: 'If you've got owners that are so passionate and pouring so much into the place then you know that you're on a journey and it's going somewhere, and that's great.' Now that he knows the hotel is on their radar, does he think he'll know the next time Michelin experts are in his midst? Well, he says, the hotel had no idea anyone had been there prior to its award of a Michelin key. 'That's the beauty of it because, every day, you have to set out to reach that level. That's why, as I say, we just try to be the best we can be for our guests. You can't just put on a show for one day, knowing that someone is coming. 'You just have to operate at that level and see what comes.' Although Mr Mearing has cooked on a number of occasions for Mrs Murray, the challenge of catering for her other half – a sushi and Asian food lover – awaits. The two have yet to meet. When they do, the tennis star may advise chef on which school to choose for his children, Molly-Jane, three, and Matteo, one. Currently their mum is looking at Murray's old one, Dunblane Primary. I can already advise Murray on what to choose when he next swings by Cromlix for a bite. Go for the salmon, Andy. And the rabbit. And the duck. They're gamechangers.
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Could a Michelin Star Actually Save the Restaurant in ‘The Bear?'
This article discusses scenes from FX's 'The Bear' Season 4, now available in full on Hulu. A single seared scallop crowned with foam. A dessert of dehydrated pear, violet caramel and shiso in an edible cup. All served in an unmarked building that once housed the Original Beef of Chicagoland sandwich shop, by a chef who worked at Noma, Daniel and the French Laundry. No restaurant seems more poised to earn a Michelin star than the one at the center of the hit show 'The Bear.' In Season 4, accolades are on the mind at the Bear, the ever-evolving, ever-struggling restaurant. The staff is reeling from a mixed review from The Chicago Tribune, and money is running out, illustrated by a countdown clock in the kitchen that ticks out the remaining two months of their financial parachute. Amid a discussion of this bleak picture, the chef and owner, Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), asks, 'What about when we get the star?' The star is a Michelin star, a mark of distinction for fine-dining restaurants awarded by anonymous inspectors. Once confined to France, Michelin Guides, owned by the French tire manufacturer, have become a global phenomenon, and the organization has awarded stars to restaurants in Chicago since 2010. How realistic is it that a star could save a struggling fine-dining restaurant? For one in its first year of operation, chasing Michelin requires investing even more money, effort and stress. 'You're trying to create a balance between what's good for business and for your vision,' said Miguel Guerra, a chef at Mita, a plant-based Latin American restaurant in Washington, D.C., with one Michelin star. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why Providence's Third Michelin Star Matters (And Doesn't Matter) In Los Angeles
On the milestone of its 20th anniversary, Providence last night received three Michelin stars in the California section of the 2025 Michelin and retained its Green Michelin Sta. Providence/John Troxell What difference does a single Michelin star make? For Michael Cimarusti, it's almost certainly somewhere between nothing and everything. Nothing because for most of his impeccable run at the restaurant Providence in Los Angeles—searing the finest fish to glistening perfection, coaxing layers of depth from an uni custard—Michelin wasn't even registering the work. The organization didn't begin handing out stars in Los Angeles until 2008. That's when they gave Cimarusti his first star for 'contemporary seafood tasting menus' that 'showcase pristine, often wild-caught product treated with classical French finesse.' He received a second star the following year and rode out the next eight when Michelin stopped publishing its Los Angeles guide entirely and no ratings were issued. But then Cimarusti was back with two stars in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024—almost like it was nothing. But getting three stars last night must have felt like everything. It's Providence's 20th anniversary. It's after a pandemic, after the fires, after the economic gauntlet that has scattered so many fine-dining institutions here and beyond. And yet there was Cimarusti, steady and stunned, walking to the stage in Sacramento with longtime business partner Donato Poto, hugging the Michelin Man as the crowd rose in applause. "To be recognized with three Michelin stars in our 20th year is an extraordinary honor – one that reflects the tireless passion, precision, and integrity of our entire team,' Chef-Owner Michael Cimarusti said in a statement. 'This moment is a tribute to every person who has contributed to Providence's evolution, anchored by our unwavering commitment to sustainability, hospitality, and the pursuit of culinary excellence." Providence/Daniel Collopy According to Michelin, his cuisine has 'grown even more impressive over the years'—an evolution that now places Providence among the best restaurants in the world. 'At no point during the meal will you doubt its impeccable quality, especially while savoring dishes such as a tart of lobster mousse and box crab set in a crab beurre blanc, or roasted monkfish with cauliflower and shaved black truffles. Longstanding signatures like the soft-poached egg with uni and breadcrumbs or salt-roasted Santa Barbara spot prawns make for luxurious add-ons.' For a city long defined by its distance from Europe's fine-dining canon, three stars is its own kind of arrival. But for Providence, and for Cimarusti, it's less a reinvention than a confirmation. An anonymous Michelin inspector told the Los Angeles Times that Cimarusti 'is very passionate, serious and focused as he has been doing wonderful work over the years, recently reaching an inflection point which was made evident in our meals this year.' But the truth is, it's the world catching up to the brilliance that's been flickering in Cimarusti's kitchen all along. If you haven't seen it, here's the full list of Michelin stars in Southern California as of last night: Three Stars Providence Somni Two Stars Hayato Mélisse Vespertine One Star 715 Bell's Camphor Caruso's Citrin Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Gwen Heritage Holbox Kali Kato Knife Pleat Meteora Morihiro Mori Nozomi N/Naka Nozawa Bar Orsa & Winston Osteria Mozza Pasta Bar Rebel Omakase The Restaurant at Justin Restaurant Ki Shibumi Shin Sushi Silver Omakase Six Test Kitchen Sushi Inaba Restaurant Sushi Kaneyoshi Uka at Japan House Providence is located at 5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. Good luck getting a reservation now.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Sacramento hosts Michelin Guide California 2025. New capital city restaurants added to guide.
To get a Michelin star as a chef is like an actor getting an Oscar, and the stars were out in California's capital city on Wednesday night with Sacramento hosting the Michelin Guide California 2025. Two Sacramento restaurants kept their Michelin stars, while three others, new to the guide this year, celebrated the boost to business. Majka Pizzeria was buzzing Wednesday night, with the hum of the kitchen and friends sharing some of Sacramento's best pizza. "We opened in the pandemic in 2020. It was just me and my wife working a takeout window," owner Alex Sherry said. "Fast forward to 2025, we have a full staff, full dining room, full set dinners every night now." The hard work didn't go unnoticed, and this year, Majka got on the Michelin Guide. "It changed dramatically more than you could ever imagine," Sherry said. "Business was just incredibly busy overnight. Now it's five days a week, fresh pasta and small plates, fresh salad and pizza. It's been really amazing." Call it the Michelin effect for 17 Sacramento-area restaurants. Two of those, Localis and The Kitchen, hold Michelin stars and were showcased during the ceremony. The guide brings the farm-to-fork capital to a larger audience, one that seeks out dining as an experience, making Sacramento the destination. "You think about how Sacramento used to be defined," said Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa. "Obviously, we're the home of the gold rush. We're a government city, but you look at it now, food is at the top of that list." Pho Momma in Sacramento earned the Bib Gourmand distinction, which means they offer a three-course meal at a reasonable price.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Behind The Scenes At Thomas Keller's Per Se
Top Chefs: Per Se founder Thomas Keller and chef de cuisine Chad Palagi oversee the restaurant's ... More kitchen. Perched on the top floor of the Deutsche Bank Center in Manhattan's Columbus Circle, Per Se—helmed by world-renowned chef and TKRG founder Thomas Keller—received a glowing commendation from The New York Times' Frank Bruni soon after it opened in 2004, collecting countless accolades in the years that followed. Keller's urban rendition of The French Laundry, the upscale eatery has been awarded three Michelin stars every year since 2006, cementing its reputation as one of New York City's top spots for fine dining. But in recent years, critics have deemed it out of reach and out of touch, often pointing to its dated decor and eye-watering prices, which include $925 per person for the extended Chef's Tasting—a cost, some may argue, that only the top one percent can stomach. Despite generating mixed reviews and battling an unsavory lawsuit filed by a former staffer (which was initially dismissed and ultimately settled), Per Se has managed to maintain a stable of loyal employees, with more than a quarter of its 112-person team having worked at the restaurant for over five years. It's a noteworthy achievement given the industry's notoriously high turnover rate, which has averaged 79.6% since 2013, chiefly due to workers fed up with limited upward mobility, poor benefits, and low appreciation. 'When I first started at Per Se, I didn't imagine I would be here for more than a decade,' says Kimberly Suzuka, who met her husband while working at The French Laundry before transitioning to its East Coast satellite. In 2018, the Culinary Institute of America graduate, who began as Per Se's lead host and later served as its culinary liaison, was promoted to her current title of guest relations manager—a position made just for her. 'When a role is created for you specifically, you don't take that lightly,' she insists, crediting her professional success to TKRG's culture of promoting guidance and education. Catching Fire: Since joining the Per Se team in 2014, Kimberly Suzuka (center) has quickly climbed ... More up the ladder. Executive pastry chef Elaine Smyth—who started her journey at Per Se as a humble chef de partie in 2012—recalls how her predecessor, Elwyn Boyles, would patiently explain every step of each process and push her to ask questions. 'I benefitted immensely from his mentorship and his belief in me helped me earn my promotion to pastry sous chef after only three years,' she effuses. In addition, as the two-time winner of TKRG's experiential scholarship, she was granted the rare opportunity to study cocoa farming in Peru and learn traditional salt raking in France with esteemed chef Olivier Roellinger. Dessert Doyenne: Executive pastry chef Elaine Smyth surveys the dining room at Per Se. 'Working here is like a graduate school for chefs,' says Chad Palagi, who started out as a commis at Per Se in 2013 and quickly rose up the ranks to sous chef. Following the birth of his first child, the Napa Valley native wanted to focus more on his family, choosing to part from the restaurant in 2017. 'But I quickly found myself missing the culture of Per Se and the dedication of its staff,' he confesses. So a few years later, he decided to return as Per Se's chef de cuisine. 'The most fulfilling part of my job is mentoring young culinarians,' he enthuses. 'Watching them grow from having little experience to becoming skilled professionals—and eventually become chefs in their own right—is truly amazing.' The restaurant's nurturing environment has led it to produce a number of rising stars in the culinary world—among them, Jonny Black, former chef de partie, who now runs Chez Noir, a James Beard Award finalist for 2024 Best Restaurant of the Year. There's also married alums Matt Danzer and Ann Redding, best known for opening the late Uncle Boons and wildly popular Thai Diner in Lower Manhattan. Not to mention Josh Finger and Maggie McConnell, another husband-and-wife duo who met while working in Per Se's kitchen, whose high-end European tasting concept, Claudine, is set to debut tomorrow in downtown Providence. At Per Se, the menu changes daily, determined by the season and quality of the products available. With the exception of the restaurant's three golden offerings—truffles, caviar, and foie gras—no ingredient is ever repeated across a meal. That calls for precise communication between station chefs, who congregate nightly to chew over the next day's dishes. 'We review our lists and also what is available from our farmers and foragers,' Palagi explains. From there, 'we develop our compositions, discussing our desired flavor profiles and techniques for each ingredient.' Gold Plating: Chef Palagi applies the finishing touches to a dish at Per Se. The restaurant regularly invites its vendors to train the culinary staff—whether it's introducing them to a different type of truffle, a unique wine, or a new kind of cutlery. 'It allows us to come together, learn about the stories behind the ingredients and craftsmanship, and gain a deeper appreciation for the meticulous processes involved in sourcing them,' notes Sandra Bohlsen, Per Se's general manager since 2019. 'It's a wonderful chance for the team to bond while expanding our knowledge and connection to the products we work with.' In addition, whenever a new dish debuts, 'we always taste it together and share our thoughts,' Smyth reveals, adding that the evening crew will often leave a note for the morning staff detailing anecdotes from the previous night's service, such as an especially delighted guest. The kitchen team then relays its plan to the dining room staff—a collaborative practice that has 'afforded us 21 years of consistency and makes us who we are,' Bohlsen asserts. The entire Per Se team is driven by Chef Keller's famously high standards, summed up by two motivational signs hanging in the restaurant's kitchen: 'Sense of Urgency,' aptly placed beneath a clock, and the dictionary definition of 'finesse,' posted above the exit—a constant reminder for the staff to maintain refinement and delicacy in their work. Leading Lady: In 2019, seven years after joining the Per Se team, Sandra Bohlsen was named the ... More restaurant's first female general manager. Bohlsen admits the job isn't always easy. 'I'm constantly challenged, stepping outside of my comfort zone, and learning every day,' she divulges, noting that her journey has had its fair share of ups and downs. 'But what's most important is the ability to rise, adjust your crown, and keep moving forward.'
