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Italy Comes to Uchiko – Wine & Food Pairing for #WineWednesday

February 9, 2011 in Austin, Chefs, Events, Restaurants, TX, Wine | 2 comments

Uchiko Chef Paul Qui & La Spinetta Winemaker Giorgio Rivetti

All work and no play makes Keeper Team very dull! We are hard at work for our upcoming Somms Under Fire event in May, so when we were called to play with some of the wonderful wines from Giorgio Rivetti and Indigenous Selections, Keeper said “let the party begin”! And what a better way to play than with pairing Italian wines with the incredibly creative dishes by Chef Paul Qui at Uchiko. What happens when you put beautiful wines with delectable dishes in the Uchiko private dining room? Answer: a perfect pairing! We would certainly play it all over again if we could, but now it’s your turn! Look at the Wine List and Menu (with some pics) below and tell us what you think would be YOUR favorite wine and food pairings. Consider this a Somms Under Fire warm up round!

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Tags: Chef Paul Qui, Giorgio Rivetti, Italy, Restaurant, Somms Under Fire, Uchiko, Wine

Barcelona Part 1

December 10, 2010 in Chefs, Restaurants, Reviews, Travel, Wine | No comments

The Keeper Team is continuing its walk down memory lane with a series of posts about some of the fabulous meals we enjoyed during a memorable trip to Barcelona over the holidays last year.

One of our first meals in Barcelona was at Restaurant Arola. Inside the luxurious Hotel Arts in Barcelona in the Olympic Village, Arola is a widely admired restaurant and bar created by Chef Sergi Arola. With two Michelin Stars, Chef Sergi Arola has quickly become a well-known name in Spain’s culinary world.

We sat down, took in the quirky pop-art décor surrounding us with bright greens and purples, and then asked our lovely server for Cava suggestions.

Arola

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Tags: Barcelona, Catalonia, Cava Kripta 2004 Cava Grande Reserve, Chef Sergi Arola, Hotel Arts, Idiazabal Cheese, Michelin, Pa amb Tomaquet

Red Rover, Red Rover Send Sean Brock Right Over!

December 2, 2010 in Chefs, Restaurants, Reviews, Travel | No comments

Chef Sean Brock of McCrady’s had been on our radar screen for a long time – long before he won his recent James Beard Award for 2010 Best Chef Southeast. He works as a dedicated, modern “farm to table” chef. This work, growing fresh vegetables and grains at his own farm and in conjunction with other local purveyors of other local ingredients, is what inspired us to make a trek to Charleston for the Chef’s Tasting Menu.

As we walked the streets of Charleston to get to McCrady’s, we approached the awning on the main street of East Bay calling us to our destination. Little did we know that we would take the next alleyway to be able to enter – we felt an adventure ahead.

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Tags: 2010 Best Chef Southeast, Charleston, Chef Sean Brock, James Beard Award, McCrady's

Ma Cuisine

August 10, 2010 in Chefs, Restaurants, Reviews, Travel

Location: Passage Ste-Hélène, Beaune

Phone: 03-80-22-30-22

Cuisine: French

Price: Main courses 15€-28€ ($22-$41); fixed-price menu 20€ ($29)

Hours: Monday – Tuesday & Thursday – Friday noon-1:30pm & 7:30-9

Reservation: Recommended

Credit Cards Accepted: MC, V

As we make our plans to visit Burgundy, one of our first things that we want to know is whether Ma Cuisine will be open for us to dine. The restaurant has varied days of operation, usually opening on average 4 days per week. It is a MUST on our list, and we always look forward to the food and wine that Fabienne and Pierre will offer us, not to mention their smiling faces and warm welcome.

Ma Cuisine Sign

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Tags: #whereiskeeper, Chef David Bull, France, Restaurant, Travel

Ma Cuisine – Beaune

July 30, 2010 in Chefs, Restaurants, Travel | No comments

By Eléonore, Keeper’s French Intern

Localisation: Passage Ste-Hélène, Beaune

Téléphone: 03-80-22-30-22

Cuisine: Française

Prix: Plats principaux 15€-28€ ($22-$41); menu 20 € (29 $)

Heures d’ouvertute: Lundi – Mardi & Jeudi – Vendredi midi-13h30 & 7h30

Réservation: Recommandé

Cartes de credit acceptées: MC, V

Comme nous faisons nos plans pour visiter la Bourgogne, l’une de nos premières choses que nous voulons savoir, c’est si Ma Cuisine sera ouvert pour nous pour diner. Le restaurant a changer ses jours d’ouverture, d’habitude ouvert 4 jours par semaine. C’ est un incontournable sur notre liste, et nous avons toujours hâte de voir ce que Fabienne et Pierre vont nous offrir, sans parler de leurs visages souriants et l’accueil chaleureux.

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Tags: #whereiskeeper, Chef David Bull, France, Restaurant, Travel

Cirque Du Soleil of Dining Experiences – Pierre Gagnaire, Paris

July 23, 2010 in Chefs, Restaurants, Reviews, Travel | No comments

Extreme creations with taste and texture, food combinations in amazing presentations, incredible planning and execution of food service – what show did we attend? A food show by Chef Pierre Gagnaire at his flagship restaurant in Paris. Chef Pierre owns nine restaurants throughout the most famous cities in the world:

1. Paris, Pierre Gagnaire 1996
2. Paris, Gaya rive gauche 2005
3. London, Sketch 2002
4. Tokyo, Pierre Gagnaire a Tokyo 2005
5. Hong Kong, Pierre a Hong Kong 2008
6. Dubai, Reflets by Pierre Gagnaire 2008
7. Seoul, Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul 2008
8. Las Vegas, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire 2009
9. Moscow, Les Menus par Pierre Gagnaire 2010

He has been noted as a pioneer of molecular gastronomy and on the forefront of the fusion movement. S. Pellegrino rates his flagship as number 13 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The Keeper Team has enjoyed their fair share of the top 50, including
#6 Alinea
#8 Daniel
#10 Per Se – Keeper Review
#15 Le Bernardin – Keeper Review
#26 Momofuku Ssam Bar – Keeper Review
#32 The French Laundry
#44 La Maison Triosgros
#45 wd~50
#50 Eleven Madison Park – Keeper Review, to name a few. So, to see that Gagnaire’s flagship restaurant drop six spots this year is perplexing to our team.

Enough background information – let the Pierre Gagnaire spectacle begin! We are presented the menu and it looks so simple and elegant, imagining that the meal will be the same, very classic French.

Pierre Gagnaire Menu

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Tags: #whereiskeeper, France, Restaurant, Travel

Cirque du Soleil de Dîner – Pierre Gagnaire, Paris

July 21, 2010 in Chefs, Chefs Under Fire 2010, Restaurants, Reviews, Travel | 9 comments

By Eléonore, Keeper’s French Intern

**CHEFS UNDER FIRE CHALLENGE: Until Friday July 23, correctly translate one sentence of this post from French to English in the comments section and we will email you a code for a FREE ENTRY to Chefs Under Fire 2010! Each comment must translate a different sentence. Give it a shot! (Here’s a tip – Google Translate is pretty helpful!)

Don’t know what CUF is? Learn more at www.ChefsUnderFire2010.com.

Les créations extremes avec gout et texture, les combinaisons de nourriture avec des présentations étonnantes, planning incroyable et execution du service de nourriture-Quel spectacle nous attend? Un spectacle de nourriture par le chef Pierre Gagnaire a son premier restaurant a Paris. Le chef Pierre possède neuf restaurants dans les villes les plus célèbres du monde:

1. Paris, Pierre Gagnaire 1996
2. Paris, Gaya rive gauche 2005
3. London, Sketch 2002
4. Tokyo, Pierre Gagnaire a Tokyo 2005
5. Hong Kong, Pierre a Hong Kong 2006
6. Dubai, Reflets by Pierre Gagnaire 2008
7. Seoul, Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul 2008
8. Las Vegas, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire 2009
9. Moscow, Les Menus par Pierre Gagnaire 2010

Il a été un pionner de la cuisine moléculaire et au premier rang du mouvement de fusion. S. Pellegrino a évalué son vaisseau comme numéro 13 des 50 meilleurs restaurants du monde. L’équipe de Keeper a mangé dans beaucoups de restaurants du top 50 inclus

#6 Alinea
#8 Daniel
#10 Per Se – Keeper Review
#15 Le Bernardin – Keeper Review
#26 Momofuku Ssam Bar – Keeper Review
#32 The French Laundry
#44 La Masion Triosgros
#45 wd~50
#50 Eleven Madison Park – Keeper Review, pour en nommer certain. Donc, pour voir le restaurant de Pierre Gagnaire baisser cette annee de six place est incroyable pour notre equipe.

Bien, assez pour les informations de base – laissez le spectacle de Pierre Gagnaire commencer! Nous présentons le menu et il parait si simple et elegant, imaginant que le repas va être le même, tipiquement francais.

Menu de Pierre Gagnaire

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Tags: #whereiskeeper, Chefs Under Fire, France, Restaurant, Travel

Uchiko – What would it feel like to win the US Open, the College World Series, or the World Cup?

June 19, 2010 in Austin, Chefs, Chefs Under Fire 2010, Restaurants, Reviews, TX | No comments

If there was a tournament for new restaurants today, UCHIKO would know how winning would feel, as this restaurant deserves a trophy. Chef Tyson Cole unleashed his creative Executive Chef, Paul Qui, to create the menu for their “Japanese farmhouse”. The food spoke of the huge talent Chef Qui possesses. Just like Uchi, Uchiko is aiming for perfection. As we sat down and were greeted by Chef Cole, he told us that we were in for a night to remember. And WOW, we are still remembering!

Uchiko was designed by Michael Hsu, aiming to provide an interior that is said to be of “aesthetic, crafted materials and warm finishes to round out the dining experience”. We really like the feel of the restaurant, starting with the backdrop at the entry, to the openness of the kitchen at the sushi bar, and continuing to the glass-front private dining room.