On The Menu In Print

A Spirited Renaissance
Ann Haigh
For Fanfare Magazine
Seasonal produce, fresh herbs, exotic spices, organic fruit purees, house-squeezed juices, homemade syrups – coast to coast a colossal cocktail craze is moving kitchen ingredients and techniques into the bar. There, a new breed of celebrity bartender, sometimes called a bar chef or master mixologist, crafts fresh and unconventional ingredients into sophisticated, vibrantly flavored libations. Even more cutting-edge are the “molecular” mixologists, using the techniques of avant-garde cooking, produce powders, foams and gels that challenge the very essence of a “drink.”

[Read the Story]

In Manhattan, dining choices are top-notch
Ann and Peter Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Which city is the world's best dining destination? Guide Michelin would undoubtedly favor Paris. But France-born Jacques Pepin, without hesitation, says New York City. And few in-the-know disagree. But how to navigate such a vast sea of options? Eat, brother, eat! And here's the dish.
[Read the Story]

Lamb's Tales
Ann Haigh
For Fanfare Magazine

John and Sukey Jamison are not sheepish about sharing their passion for lamb. Call these proprietors of Jamison Farm, in Latrobe, "accidental farmers," or, as Sukey more precisely puts it, "providential" lamb producers. "It's weird," she says, "how one thing leads to another."

[Read the Story]

Ewe Knew It!
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Please Edit/Find or scroll down the piece as far as Ewe Knew, its the 2nd story in this column.

When Sukey and John Jamison host a party at their famed Latrobe sheep farm, it’s sure to be sumptuous supping and sipping. And the Bastille Day event, benefiting the Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation, certainly raised the roof on raves.

[Read the Story]

The Return of the Grand Dame
Ann Haigh
For Fanfare Magazine
Restored to its turn-of-the-century splendor, the Bedford Springs Resort is a luxurious winter getaway. It was the ultimate escape for presidents, first ladies, socialites and industrialists. President James Buchanan used it as a summer White House, and received the first transatlantic cable (from Queen Victoria) in its lobby. In its heyday, the Resort rivaled Europe as a premier spa destination, and over its 200-year history played host to notables from around the country.
[Read the Story]

Update Downtown
Ann Haigh
For Fanfare Magazine
Tune in to the Cultural District buzz. As eating options multiply, young chefs add edginess to a happening scene. Here are four fresh faces to watch.
[Read the Story]

High Fashion Foods
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
This year's Summer Fancy Food Show, an annual noshfest, is the largest in its 53-year history. Produced by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, the show shoe-horned 2,300 exhibitors from 72 countries into New York City's vast Javits Center.
[Read the Story]

Food Fancy
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Wylie Dufresne looms large in today's food media. He's the award-winning chef behind such sensations as warm ice cream, pretzel consomme and a much-publicized pirated -- from him -- "egg" dish. But way beyond the news-grabbing, wacky-sounding -- though highly sophisticated -- dishes, this young chef is achieving international recognition for his future-forward cuisine.
[Read the Story]

Sophisticated International cuisine spices up London diners Palettes
Ann and Peter Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Centuries of dominance in world commerce shaped London into a cosmopolitan city. But until recently, the food scene remained notoriously a culinary wasteland. The exception was non-native cuisines -- especially French, Indian and Chinese. But these foods came from small ethnic eateries and served only as a footnote to tourism. Not so today: The British dining market hungers for global cuisine and world-class local fare. Offering a cornucopia of modern, sophisticated restaurants, London now attracts destination diners.
[Read the Story]

UUBU6: Slope-side dining
Ann Haigh
For Fanfare Magazine
Rising south of the Monongahela River and the South Side Flats, the South Side Slopes is a quirky community that was once the domain of immigrant, mainly German, mill workers arriving in Pittsburgh in the late 1800s. Recently, it's been dubbed "a neighborhood on the brink of trendy" by the New York Times.
[Read the Story]

Cupids pantry: Gift ideas for the food-obsessed lover
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Plotting that "day of love" just got simpler. Try some of these tasteful gifts to please your special foodie Valentine.
[Read the Story]

Public notice: Chef draws attention with personal style
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Roaming the globe, Chef Brad Farmerie plucks flavors, culinary techniques and experiences from diverse cultures. He then filters these references through his personal, contemporary vision to realize a unique brand of fusion cuisine. The former Pittsburgher says his eclectic cooking style focuses on "richness, acidity and texture."
[Read the Story]

Bewitching Barcelona
Ann and Peter Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Regional pride is everywhere in Spain, but in this northeast corner of the country, citizens identify first as Catalan, then as Spanish. The local lingua references French, reflecting close historical ties between the two regions. Road signs and restaurant menus are distinctly bilingual: Catalan and Spanish. For most of its history, the region struggled through ping-pong politics, imposing external domination. In between strife, though, came periods of prosperity that shaped a rich cultural identity. Today, Catalonia and its vibrant capital, Barcelona, are hot!
[Read the Story]

Pure Indulgence
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
America's cravings for foodie thrills, convenience and health converged recently at the 52nd Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.  Sponsored by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, the event showcased a dizzying abundance of products that look good, taste good, save time and benefit both you and the environment.
[Read the Story]

J.P. Anderson combines his talents with Flair
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Chef-restaurateur James P. Anderson says he named his recently opened Shadyside restaurant "Flair" because the word implies discriminating taste.
[Read the Story]

A passion for process
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
This actor-turned-uber-fundraising executive values "process" -- even in the kitchen. After nearly 20 years in fundraising, Clyde B. Jones III, president of the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Medical Health Foundation, understands that successful results depend a lot on the progression of steps taken to getting there.
[Read the Story]

Anthonys: Cooking to the future in Leeds
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
At 24 years of age, wunderkind chef Anthony Flinn Jr. is transforming the dining scene in Leeds. His restaurant, Anthony's, in the heart of this formerly grim, but now trendy West Yorkshire city, draws accolades from dining critics and numerous awards.
[Read the Story]

Foodies will adore gifts for the kitchen
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Diamonds and lace, electronics and boxers -- fine. But today's hearts go aflutter over the Iron Chef competition and the latest William-Sonoma catalog. So branch out a bit this Valentine's Day. If your flame is a foodie, let cupid deliver some smashing kitchen jewelry and gourmet treasures.
[Read the Story]

Chicago: Stepping up to the plate
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
A banal gray-brick building belies the dramatic interior, edgy food and sophisticated service of Alinea. That's the recently debuted stage for wunderkind chef Grant Achatz -- and one in a new wave of dining establishments making Chicago way more than just a blip on the gourmet radar screen.
[Read the Story]

Rain or shine, Amsterdam is a city of substance
Ann and Peter Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Pack your galoshes and wind-resistant umbrellas. Amsterdam is a delightful destination, except for its frequently wet and blustery weather. Always historic, aesthetic and scenic, variously trendy, quirky, boisterous and serene, this European city appeals to diverse interests. It's easy to get to, frequently offered at bargain E-Saver prices, and compact - hence a good choice for an extended weekend.
[Read the Story]

Chef researches ways to fight ‘palate fatigue’
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
We're in Bray, England, taking tea with Heston Blumenthal, a celebrated British chef and restaurateur, in his recently purchased 17th-century Hind's Head Hotel. The snug room features a blazing fireplace that cheerfully warms the low-ceilinged, wood-paneled, worn parquet-floored space. Framed lists of royal guests and heads of state hang on the walls, along with photos of the smart soirees held here in the '60s.
[Read the Story]

Brad Kelly shines as chef de cuisine at Nemacolin's Lautrec
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
A conversation with Brad Kelly draws you into his passion for superlative food and distinctive fine dining. Intense, yet puckishly exuberant and unabashedly ambitious, Kelly is chef de cuisine at Lautrec, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort's flagship restaurant. His arrival there three years ago heralded the resort's commitment to catapulting this dining venue into the five-star/five-diamond culinary Big Leagues.
[Read the Story]

Local chef takes a bite out of the Big Apple
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
The media spotlight is shining on Portugal-born Toni Pais' native cuisine.
[Read the Story]

Sotiris Kitrilakis: From nuclear to nurturer
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Charisma describes attributes of personal magnetism, charm and leadership. It's a Greek word befitting a gorgeous Greek, Sotiris Kitrilakis, a man of warmth, sensibility and intelligence.
[Read the Story]

Glendorn
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Diamonds have four grading Cs: color, clarity, cut and carat. Members of Relais & Chateaux, an elite association of properties worldwide, must qualify on five "C" counts: courtesy, charm, character, calm and cuisine.
[Read the Story]

New Toques in Town
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Some are "boomerangs" -- born here, now returning to families and friends. Others come on Cupid's direction, accompanying partners. Still others see that Pittsburgh offers a window of opportunity as it transitions to a more forward-facing food town.
[Read the Story]

High Times in the Lowcountry
Ann and Peter Haigh
None
Bob Carter and Bob Waggoner share the same first name and culinary passion. And their establishments -- respectively, the Peninsula Grill and the Charleston Grill -- sit across the street from each other in South Carolina's timeless, charming city of Charleston.
[Read the Story]

Reaching for the stars
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Reaching for the stars certainly fits the profile of a young woman who once aspired to be an astronaut. Pittsburgh native Kelly Liken graduated from Fox Chapel High School, then launched into studying astrophysics at the University of Colorado, in Boulder.
[Read the Story]

Fresh Fare
Ann and Peter Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Just 15 years ago, San Diego was a sleepy Navy town distinguished mostly for its beautiful climate and proximity to Tijuana, Mexico. Fine-dining options were few, and mostly steeped in older European traditions.
[Read the Story]

The brothers Racicot: Cooking is in their genes
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
They're young, talented and passionate about cooking. Older brother Dave Racicot, 28, is chef de cuisine at Aqueous, at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, in Farmington. He's also Pittsburgh magazine's 2006 Rising Star Chef. Younger brother Ryan Racicot is executive chef of Trilogy, Downtown -- an enormous achievement for someone 25 year old.
[Read the Story]

Mod Oz - Sydney-Style
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
On a Sunday morning, stroll to Circular Quay for the ferry across Sydney Harbor. A bus meets the ferry and hairpins its way across a headland to Balmoral Beach. A short walk at water's edge brings you to brunch at The Bathers' Pavilion. Expect to be wowed!
[Read the Story]

Venturing Down Under? Get yourself off the beaten path
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
You've seen Harbor Bridge, Bondi Beach and the Opera House in Sydney, Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock -- now called by its Aboriginal name, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park -- and Melbourne's famous Victorian architecture.
[Read the Story]

How to relax and putter around in Southern Tuscany
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Tuscany's always ready for its close-up -- glorious landscapes, enchanting cities, matchless history, superlative art and great food and wine.
[Read the Story]

Eat your heart out: Tuscany tastes delicious
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Superior local ingredients and a strong culinary culture make traveling in this region of Italy a memorable gastronomic adventure.
[Read the Story]

A tale of three cities – Verona, Padua & Gorizia
Ann and Peter Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Italy's far northeast corner invites discovery. Beyond the bustle of Venice and the social cachet of Lake Garda, three fascinating destinations -- Verona, Padua and Gorizia -- anchor the exploration of a region frequently missed out by both American and European travelers
[Read the Story]

Countryside Dining UK
Ann Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
A new generation of chefs shoots for the stars in surprising places. Historically, most tourists, business travelers and even locals viewed dining in Britain as little more than a biological necessity. Then London began to emerge from under its culinary cloud.
[Read the Story]

UK properties combine fine dining and luxurious lodging
Ann and Peter Haigh
For the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
The concept of the "city or country house with fine dining" or "a fine-dining restaurant with rooms" is not entirely new. But the British are rapidly expanding this niche, updating it while adding considerable flair.
[Read the Story]