spacer Hottest Chef 2013

Hottest Chef 2013: Northeast Divisional Round

spacer TV Recap

Top Chef Ep. 15: I Can See Torchon From My House

spacer Eater Heatmap

The 19 Hottest Ramen Shops Across America Right Now

Friday, February 15, 2013
Eater Interviews Spain

Chef Quique Dacosta on Creativity, Pragmatism, and the Importance of Innovation

spacer The Valencian chef Quique Dacosta does not shy away from philosophizing or talking about his career as if he were an art historian observing it from the outside. His vocation, the way he sees it, is to push the envelop day-in and day-out, using new techniques and the Mediterranean products of his hometown of Dénia, Spain, as his most important tools in that process. It's something he outlined in an Eater interview in 2011. That approach seems to have worked out for the chef, whose eponymous restaurant earned three Michelin stars in the 2013 edition of the guide. In the following interview, Dacosta talks about getting the three stars, the new season at the restaurant, and the importance of the avant-garde.

You just got the third Michelin star. Beyond the attention that'll get you and, of course, the joy, do you think it'll change anything?
To be totally honest, it hasn't changed much. I always say that you need to be natural, to be yourself. We got that that third star by doing what we do, and it was the same with the first star and the second star. This is a professional and personal project, so it feels quite nice to get some recognitions. But these things don't put pressure on me, honestly. I don't lose sleep over getting them. I would actually say that they make my job easier. They make us want to keep going and enjoy what we do.

Do you think it'll affect diners' expectations?
We've only been open for two weeks so far this season. My sense is that people come to enjoy the experience. They give themselves over to us. I think the great achievement of this restaurant is that the vast majority of people that come to it come with an open mind.

"You have to support innovative restaurants." >>>
Quique Dacosta Restaurante
C/ Marinas, KM. 3, 03700 Dénia, Spain
  Comments
3:25 PM, Feb. 15 2013

Book Club

Book Club

spacer Here's a look inside the upcoming Tipsy Texan: Spirits And Cocktails From The Lone Star State cocktail and entertaining book. In it, premiere Texas booze evangelist David "Tipsy Texan" Alan walks readers through new takes on classic cocktails (like the Suffering Baptist, a corn whiskey take on the Suffering Bastard tiki favorite) and Texas-inspired entertaining ideas, like his Tex-Mex happy hour featuring Tequila Slammers and brisket nachos. The book comes out in June. [Eater Austin]

  Comments
Hottest Chef 2013

Hottest Chef 2013: Western Divisional Round

Here now, the final divisional round — the Western Division — in Eater's Third Annual Hottest Chef in America competition. On deck are the winners from the local sites: Dakota Weiss (W Los Angeles); Pascal Sauton (Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine, Portland, OR); Christian Graves (Jsix, San Diego); Maya Erickson (AQ, San Francisco); and Jason Stoneburner (Bastille, Seattle).

This poll closes Tuesday 10AM EST; The winner of this round goes into a final round against the other divisional champions on Tuesday. So, go, vote:

The the poll. >>>
  Comments
2:35 PM, Feb. 15 2013

The Law

The Law

spacer Miami prosecutors have officially filed charges against the 20-year-old woman accused of killing Shore Club chef Stefano Riccioletti in a hit-and-run last month. Karlie Tomica has been charged with DUI manslaughter today, and was re-booked into jail with a $77,000 bail. Toxicology reports reveal that her blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit two hours after the accident. [Miami Herald]

  Comments
Eater Inside San Antonio

Inside San Antonio's Arcade Midtown Kitchen, Now Open

[Photos: Jennifer Whitney]

San Antonio's Arcade Midtown Kitchen, the new venture from chef Jesse Perez and one of Eater's Most Anticipated Openings of 2013, opens today in the historic Pearl Brewery. Chef Perez's menu (see below) serves "Americana cuisine" with Latin flavors and a touch of Mediterranean influence. Think meatballs served on top of hummus, mussels doused in a citrusy habanero broth, and and a house-aged ribeye served with ranchero sauce. The space is open, with windows overlooking the 19th century Pearl Brewhouse and a bar that serves drinkers indoors on one side and outside on the other. Even the decor references the building's past, with light fixtures made from old beer cases.

Above, photos of Arcade Midtown Kitchen; below, the menu.

The menus. >>>
Arcade Midtown Kitchen
303 Pearl Parkway Suite III San Antonio, TX 78215
  Comments
2:10 PM, Feb. 15 2013

Video Interlude

Video Interlude

spacer Seriously go watch the latest edition of A Shift With, in which Eater NY explores a day in the life of Del Posto house pianist Kurt Wieting. The pianist explains that he has "a very regimented day" before working at Del Posto from yoga to swimming to practicing to most decidedly not drinking before work. Wieting also talks about crazy requests, how to play for a dining room and the shrunken role of the restaurant pianist. [Eater NY]

  Comments
Hottest Chef 2013

Hottest Chef 2013: Central Divisional Round

Here now, the Central Divisional round in Eater's Third Annual Hottest Chef in America competition. On deck are the winners from the local sites: Amanda Rafalski (Little Goat, Chicago); Joanna Powell (Cafe Aion, Denver); Matt Piekarski (Sugar Factory American Brasserie, Las Vegas); Johnny Streetman (610 Magnolia, Louisville); and Bob Gerken (Travail, Minneapolis).

This poll closes Tuesday 10AM EST; The winner of this round goes into a final round against the other divisional champions on Tuesday. So, go, vote:

The the poll. >>>
  Comments
1:30 PM, Feb. 15 2013

Alton Brown on Star Wars

Alton Brown on Star Wars

spacer Wired got a bunch of famous and also non-famous people to weigh in on the necessary elements of a Star Wars film now that the Saga continues. Television personality Alton Brown points out that any Star Wars movie needs some weird food in it, such as the blue milk spotted on the table at the Lars abode in Episode IV: A New Hope. [Wired]

  Comments
gipoco.com is neither affiliated with the authors of this page nor responsible for its contents. This is a safe-cache copy of the original web site.