Who is Gaston Acurio? If you are Peruvian, travel throughout South America, or read The Washington Post (USA), Wall Street Journal (USA), or Telegraph (UK), you may have heard about Gaston, the Peruvian celebrity chef and restauranteur known to most by only his first name. Parisian Le Cordon Bleu trained, Gaston has become the emissary…
Category: Restaurants
Danica: Peruvian-Italian fusion in Lima
My favorite restaurant in Peru was Danica. Mind you, claiming the top spot on my list of restaurants in Peru is quite an achievement. Peru’s restaurant scene, particularly Lima’s, is crowded with contenders. Many others bring celebrity chef credentials, expensive decor, a selective wine and cocktail menu – just as in any metropolitan city, but…
Peru: More than ceviche, Pisco, and Machu Picchu
Many of you may be familiar with the adage, “It’s five ‘o’ clock somewhere.” To those of you struggling with what we hope are the last throes of winter: It’s summer somewhere. That somewhere would be the entire southern hemisphere, but specifically, it’s summer in one of my favorite culinary destinations, Peru. I’d like to…
Profile: Bordeaux’s Glouton, Le Bistrot
If I were to conceive the quintessential French bistro, it would look very much like Bistrot Glouton in Bordeaux, France. On a recent trip to Bordeaux, I had the pleasure of a lovely Saturday lunch there. A small, simple, and modern interior houses small wooden tables that place one in close proximity to fellow patrons,…
You, too, can make French macarons – trois façons
In honor of Chocolate Month and Valentine’s Day, I’m sharing a recipe for an exotic flavor trio of the romantic French macaron – a rich, sensual chocolate with rum ganache filling; a tropical basil-lime; and a buttery dulce de leche peanut. All three variations – the trois façons – are certain to impress. I have…
Olde Hansa – Medieval times in Tallinn, Estonia
Every now and then, one finds a tourist spot that more than lives up to the hype. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised by the cuisine and ambience of Olde Hansa, perhaps Tallinn’s most well-known restaurant catering to tourists. I expected a heavy hand of kitsch and cheesiness, but my experience was more understated…
Stockpot Riga: The Latvian spirit of The Culinary Diplomat
There are moments when I’m reminded why I started this blog. Moments that inspire me to share the joys of food – from the exotic to seemingly mundane Americana – with everyone. The first experience – well, ok, let’s be honest; all four visits – made me positively giddy with excitement to be able to…
Ribe Restoran: Another Estonian restaurant gem in Tallinn
Ribe Restoran tied with Neh for my favorite restaurant in Estonia. Perhaps it was the unexpectedly posh, yet unpretentious atmosphere – a staff who welcomed us on our first Friday night visit without reservations and when every other nice option on Vene street was booked. Perhaps it was that first glass of a French sparkling…
The Culinary Diplomat 