Chef Estevan’s Garcia prepares what he refers to as monastic food. He ought to know; he’s a former member of the Franciscan Order. But Garcia no longer cooks in the monastery, he rules as the Executive Chef at the elegant St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Both the hotel and their restaurants feature beautifully simple but refined taste.
Continue reading A Friar’s Flan
For those who don’t remember the acclaimed movie, “My Dinner with Andre,” the drama centered on the dialog between two restaurant guests. I have to say my meal with Harry was quite the opposite. Harry wore an invisibility cloak and stayed under the cone of silence. I felt his magical presence but our conversation lacked a certain spark. Some might have thought I ate alone. But remember, my dinner with Harry… Potter took place in The Three Broomsticks Restaurant at Hogsmeade, the snow-capped Victorian village within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The place is the sensational new draw at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida.
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Arthur Fonzarelli, aka “The Fonz,” would give two thumbs up and an “Aaaaay!”to the original Cheeburger,Cheeburger in Auburn, Alabama. The joint looks like a throw back to Arnold’s malt shop from the TV show Happy Days. I visited on Auburn University‘s opening football game day and the place was packed.
The atmospheric jive beats to the tune of oldies, food and frivolity: retro fifties to early sixties aluminum chairs with faux turquoise leather upholstery, Formica topped tables, neon lighting and a soda fountain. Tee shirts, college pennants and memorabilia hang upon the walls.
Continue reading Fonzie’s Kind of Place: Cheeburger, Cheeburger