Bocuse d’Or USA concluded last weekend in Orlando, Florida with pretty much every top toque in the American/French food world being present. After years of being creamed by foreign teams, the U.S. of A. decided to get serious this year with its competition — in order to field the strongest two-person team it could for the international cooking contest to be held in Lyon, France in January ’09.
Photos by Valeria Rispoli
MR. DEMILLE, I’M almost READY FOR MY CLOSEUP…
One of the great things about appearing as a judge on Iron Chef America is that you are treated like a big shot for a day and a half in New York City. One of the worst things about it is that you actually have to work at being witty, informed and charming for six and a half hours under the lights, with crowds and cameras present….while eating and chewing. It was more than worth it, but it was also more than a little nerve-wracking.
Read all about my almost meltdown after the jump, or click here to hear about my panic attack at the Food Network studios.
El Sombrero on Main Street (circa 1950) has a bright new sign painted on its exterior wall. This would hardly be news but for the fact that The Big Hat is Las Vegas’s oldest restaurant. It still has the same cheap prices though (pegged to 1980 these days instead of the We Like Ike era), plus some of the best salsas, chile colorado, chile verde, menudo, huevos con chorizo, service, sopapillas and smiling, satisfied customers in town.
And we’ve never noticed after eating here maybe a hundred times over the years, but apparently Chef Jose Aragon (a Vietnam vet who took over the restaurant in 1970) also used to be a bull fighter…or perhaps he just likes groovy old Spanish posters.