culinary

A Jewish culinary renaissance is expanding the definition of kosher food

By Elizabeth W. Jernigan 1 month ago

By Noah Sheidlower and Radhika Marya, CNN

Leonardo Nourafchan wanted to do something different. After trying out jobs in real estate, the California native knew he wanted to break into the food industry, starting with catering from his home and creating blogs.

He worked long hours in the kitchens of New York restaurants, including Mike’s Bistro and Alenbi, then finally opened his Israeli restaurant Charcoal Grill & Bar in Los Angeles.

Nourafchan snuck Mexican-influenced dishes — inspired by the area’s culinary scene — onto his kosher menu. These included lamb shawarma tacos, which he said were incredibly popular. The restaurant

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Star-studded San Francisco Bay Area Culinary Scene Shines Bright: 2021 MICHELIN Guide to California Recognizes 114 Bay Area Restaurants | News

By Elizabeth W. Jernigan 3 months ago

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The San Francisco Bay Area retained its distinction as the top destination in the U.S. for fine dining following the long-awaited unveiling of the 2021 MICHELIN Guide to California this month. The Bay Area enjoys the greatest concentration of Michelin three-star restaurants in the U.S. and the most Michelin-starred restaurants in California.

Six Bay Area restaurants received the coveted three Michelin stars in the 2021 MICHELIN Guide: Atelier Crenn, Benu, Quince, The French Laundry, SingleThread and Manresa. Eight restaurants were awarded two Michelin stars, including Birdsong, which added a second star.

Altogether,

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Coast Range in downtown Solvang employs an all-star team of culinary artists | Eats

By Elizabeth W. Jernigan 8 months ago

Coast Range in downtown Solvang employs an all-star team of culinary artists

CALEB WISEBLOOD

Drilling and hammering noises bled into my Zoom call with Santa Ynez chef Anthony Carron before prompting a change of scenery. 

“It’s hard to find a quiet place at a construction site,” Carron said while stepping outside of a vacant building in downtown Solvang. The large space, currently being remodeled, was once home to The Mandarin Touch Chinese Restaurant, which closed its doors last year.


Raising the bar
Keep up with the development of Coast Range on Instagram at @coastrangerestaurant. This upcoming steakhouse and seafood
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Restaurateurs discuss criticism of Hot Crispy Oil and culinary appropriation

By Elizabeth W. Jernigan 9 months ago

When John Trimble launched Hot Crispy Oil last year, he did not anticipate the condiment would make a splash in all the ways it did.

After the Times Union published a story in July on Hot Crispy Oil and Trimble’s turn from closing La Serre, his family’s 43-year-old French restaurant in downtown Albany, to starting a condiment business, sales for Hot Crispy Oil soared. The blend of oil with spices and hot peppers has sold 50,000 jars since its launch last summer.

Criticism that Trimble, a white man, was stealing ideas from Chinese culture rose, too. A letter to

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