the_maestro
Auro – Calistoga, CA
While still in the shadow of the legacy of the French Laundry, the food at Auro displays creativity, generosity, and heart.
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the_maestro
- Jul 21
- 5 min
Double Chicken Please – New York, NY
My sister and I, ever pursuers of excellent mixology, are shameless followers of the "Top 50" list of the "best" bars in the world. Of...
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the_maestro
- Apr 27
- 9 min
Clues for the Clueless: Wine FAQs, Part 1
For the next few installments of the Maestro's "Clues for the Clueless," allow me to answer some of your most pressing wine questions.
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the_maestro
- Mar 22
- 8 min
Sonoma Restaurant Week: The Best Dining and Deals
When it comes to food, the residents of Northern California are spoiled. Some of the greatest produce you can find is grown on area farms...
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the_maestro
- Mar 13
- 23 min
Three Wineries in La Rioja
Until this spring, I’d never done a wine tasting visit to Europe. In fact, until January, I’d never formally gone wine tasting outside of...
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the_maestro
- Mar 2
- 7 min
Ahi – Auckland, New Zealand
I spent two weeks wandering around New Zealand finding myself gobsmacked not just by the natural beauty, but also the quality of the...
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the_maestro
- Jan 30
- 8 min
New Zealand's Central Otago Wine Region
When you visit a locale that happens to make excellent wine, make sure you leave room in your suitcase. When I booked my January trip to...
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the_maestro
- Dec 11, 2023
- 5 min
Eat Like the Maestro at Miami Art Week
A few years back, the art world was shaken to its core when Italian absurdist artist Maurizio Cattelan duct taped a ripe banana to a wall...
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the_maestro
- Nov 17, 2023
- 6 min
Born and Bred – Seoul, South Korea
We've all heard of wagyu beef, Japan's absurdly marbled steaks that, according to urban legend, come from cows treated like kings––given...
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the_maestro
- Nov 3, 2023
- 13 min
Maz – Tokyo, Japan
Virgilio Martínez was just 31 when he took his Cordon Bleu training and line cooking experience back to his native Peru with a goal of...
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the_maestro
- Oct 28, 2023
- 4 min
Street Food in Omoide Yokocho – Tokyo, Japan
Tucked in the belly of the glistening skyscrapers of Shinjuku is Tokyo's own "Memory Lane," or Omoide Yokocho, a narrow alleyway housing...
200 views
the_maestro
- Oct 21, 2023
- 19 min
Eleven Madison Park – New York, NY
Pre-disclaimer: At the risk of making it seem like this blog is only about restaurants granted three Michelin stars, this blog completes...
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the_maestro
- Oct 14, 2023
- 10 min
Benu – San Francisco, CA
The Bay Area is special to me––not only is it my birthplace, but it was the site of my first big foray into foodiedom. Back when I was...
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the_maestro
- Sep 19, 2023
- 13 min
SingleThread (2) – Healdsburg, CA
I've been lucky enough (before this meal) to enjoy Kyle Connaughton's cuisine from SingleThread twice––once at the restaurant in...
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the_maestro
- Sep 15, 2023
- 8 min
Noz 17 (and Depression) – New York, NY
Both of y'all loyal readers will have to forgive my spotty (i.e., completely absent) blogging for the better part of the last year. I...
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the_maestro
- Jul 18, 2022
- 16 min
Blue Hill at Stone Barns (2) – Pocantico Hills, NY
Regular readers of the blog have doubtless come across at least one of the reviews of my meals at the Stone Barns Center for Food and...
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the_maestro
- Jul 4, 2022
- 11 min
The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, VA
Decades before the widespread propagation of the very idea of "fine dining" in America, DC native and self-taught chef Patrick O'Connell...
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the_maestro
- Jul 2, 2022
- 7 min
Albi – Washington, DC
As covered previously in the latest installment of the "Eat Like the Maestro" series, during my little road trip out east a multi-day...
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the_maestro
- Jun 29, 2022
- 4 min
Eat like the Maestro in DC
Car Talk, my very favorite old NPR show, took calls from all over the country, and whenever Tom and Ray got a call from DC, Tom always...
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the_maestro
- Jun 21, 2022
- 4 min
Eeva – Philadelphia, PA
Eater has been doing a pretty cool "Best New Restaurants in America" list of late, and since I found myself with a car and no real...
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