Fire burn and cauldron bubble Research conducted in April 2008 by a British insurance company has found that six million people—or 10 percent of the population of the United Kingdom—have had a kitchen accident trying to copy a celebrity chef. more>>
San Francisco—It's curtains for Rubicon. After 14 years, the restaurant served its last meal in August. "This was an important well-respected restaurant here," comments NYC–based restaurateur Drew Nieporent, who owned Rubicon together with Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, and Francis Ford Coppola. "But the lease ran out and things took their course." In the silver lining department, Rubicon's exec chef and pastry chef, Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, respectively, are taking time off to tie the knot. more>>
San Francisco Behind Urban Travern, the 245 seat gastropub that opened in August at 333 O'Farrell Street, is the powerhouse team of Laurent Manrique and Chris Condy of C & L Partners (which owns Aqua, among others, and manages Fifth Floor) and Donna Scala, owner of Bistro Don Giovanni (Napa). more>>
The Caribbean The Marley family, Jamaica's reggae royalty, opened the Marley Resort & Spa in Nassau, Bahamas, in July; the one-time governor's mansion has been a Marley family summer getaway for many years. more>>
Best Buys
Mason Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2006
A consistent performer, this white is intensely aromatic and highly reflective of the grape, nicely balancing California's typical tropical fruit style with zesty lime, herbaceous green pepper, and spicy flavors that lead to a vibrant midpalate of juicy pink grapefruit. The finish is bright, lively, and refreshing. 14,500 cases made.
Score: 88 Cost: $152 per case more>>
Heat of a Tuscan Son Pierluigi Tolani, a Canadian trucking titan, returns to his native Italy to revel in an iconoclastic approach to winemaking. more>>
Drink Arts: Beer Tails As a silver bullet refresher, it seems nearly impossible to improve upon a cold beer. But that has never held back enterprising bartenders. Here are five modern cocktails in which beer makes a stir. more>>
Colorful doesn't begin to describe Joseba Jimé de Jiménez's picaresque life, which he now carries on as the Northwest's unrivaled exponent of Spanish cuisine. more>>
The trend toward hot stoves in cool hotels brings Susur Lee from Toronto—at last—to open his newest restaurant, in Jason Pomeranc's fifth funky boutique hotel here, Thompson LES, where Allen Street joins Houston Street. more>>
In the shadow of the Dolomites, where there's smoke, there's speck. In the northermost Italian region of Alto Adige the unique mash-up of Germanic-Italian culture produces a lightly smoked, salt- and spice-cured ham. more>>
