I tend to think of most root vegetables as the foods of a once-desperate people. Looking at a gnarly head of celeriac, or celery root, it’s obvious that a very brave and very hungry person decided it would be dinner. But what the humble celeriac lacks in looks, it makes up for in flavor. Wildly [...]
seasonal
Trending on Recent OpenTable Restaurant Reviews: Fiddlehead Ferns
Fiddlehead ferns are another beloved blink-and-you’ll-miss-them springtime treat. There are different kinds of fiddlehead ferns, but only several are actually edible. Local to several areas in North America, including the Northeast and Great Lakes regions of the U.S., restaurants on OpenTable are serving this wild treat to the delight of diners. * 80 Thoreau, Concord, Massachusetts: [...]
Trending on Recent OpenTable Restaurant Reviews: Soft-Shell Crabs
The weather has been wacky this spring, particularly on the East Coast. Back in February, there were days during which the temperatures reached well into the 80s. A lot of my fellow New Yorkers enjoyed this, though the Master Gardener in me considers it a sign of the ecological apocalypse. One happy by-product of this [...]
Trending on Recent OpenTable Restaurant Reviews: Asparagus Salad
Spring hasn’t yet officially sprung, but asparagus is springing up at OpenTable restaurants, starring in salads! See what diners are saying about this fresh twist on a perennial favorite in select OpenTable reviews from the last seven days! * Bijoux, Dallas, Texas: “The warm asparagus salad with egg and hollandaise was hands down the best appetizer in Dallas.” * Bouchon, [...]
Endless Summer: Do Diners Tire of Tomatoes and Other Seasonal Ingredients?
I was dining with a good friend recently, and as we looked over the menu, I noted that there was an heirloom tomato salad on it that I must try. I usually attempt to order something different than my tablemates, so I asked if he were interested in it. “No,” he said, “You get it. [...]
Garden-to-Plate: More Restaurants Grow Their Own
Coast to coast, more chefs are adding pitchforks to their batterie de cuisine as they create gardens to feed their culinary imaginations — not to mention their diners. From Dan Barber, the doyen of delicious, just-picked ingredients and owner of New York’s Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, to ambitious and environmentally conscious [...]