Worth the Reservation

The reason for the reservation

Food and drink experiences worth making time for

I like restaurants with a clear point of view. That might mean a tasting menu introducing ingredients I haven’t tried, a chef making something familiar feel new, or a place that knows exactly what it does well and doesn’t need to overcomplicate it.

São Paulo has given me plenty of reasons to keep returning. Evvai is my favorite restaurant in the world. A Casa do Porco approaches pork with a level of imagination that makes the meal a destination of its own. Tan Tan has become part of every São Paulo trip, with food, cocktails and a room I look forward to spending time in.

Barcelona added a different set of memories. Mont Bar was my top meal there, with Disfrutar, Dos Pebrots and Botafumeiro giving me very different experiences. I want room for those differences. A long tasting menu and a seafood lunch don’t need to compete on the same terms to both deserve a place in a trip.

My destination guides put those meals into the context of the cities around them. This page is about what makes me pull up a chair.

The people across the table matter

The stories behind food and drink are a big part of the appeal for me. I enjoy learning why a dish exists. Where an ingredient comes from, what inspired a combination or how a chef’s background found its way onto the plate can make the experience more meaningful. I don’t need a lecture with every course. I appreciate a conversation that gives me something to notice.

At Evvai, the illustrated course cards became part of that experience. They gave the meal another layer of personality and left me with something tangible to bring home. It’s a small detail, but it helps explain why I remember far more than a list of ingredients.

Sushi by Sea brought that personal connection much closer to home. At the counter in Ridgefield, New Jersey, the conversation moved between São Paulo, Lima and the food in front of us. The conversation in Portuguese was part of an evening that felt welcoming as well as special.

The fish was excellent, the eel stood out and the seared miso salmon was the best salmon sushi I’d had to that point. Those are the details behind my Sushi by Sea review, rather than simply calling it an unforgettable dinner and leaving it at that.

What makes a great restaurant?

My food and drink reviews look at the whole evening. The food has to deliver, but I pay attention to much more than the plate. Service, pacing, comfort and the way a team treats its guests all contribute to whether I would want to return. Excellent technique means less if I spend dinner feeling rushed or uncomfortable.

My working life has been in automotive sales and leadership, so consistency and attention to people are things I notice. I appreciate someone who understands what a guest needs without turning every interaction into a performance. Warmth and professionalism can sit at the same table.

Botafumeiro’s service stood out during my time in Barcelona. At Evvai, the precision of the team is part of what I love. Those experiences have different personalities, but both show how much the people in the room contribute to the meal.

A cocktail can be worth crossing the city for

A bar can be a destination in its own right. I’m interested in the drink, of course, but also in the setting, the music and the people making it. I want to understand why a place has a following, then decide whether it deserves one for me.

Barcelona’s bars were an important part of that trip: Paradiso, SIPS, Boadas, Dr. Stravinsky and FOCO all found their way into my plans. In São Paulo, Tan Tan’s cocktails and 1990s hip-hop are part of the appeal that keeps bringing me back.

I’m also open to being surprised by wine or sake. Wine pairings at Mont Bar and the Dassai bottles we brought to Sushi by Sea were part of two very different evenings. I don’t want to choose the same experience automatically just because it is familiar.

For research, the 50 Best bars lists can provide ideas. A ranking is a starting point, though. My recommendation comes from what I actually experienced once I got there.

Curiosity usually wins

Exploring food and drink while traveling has made me more willing to try ingredients I might once have passed over. Eel, uni, beef tongue, pigeon and insects have all been part of meals I’ve experienced. I’m interested in how an ingredient is used and what I can learn from tasting it, rather than ordering something unusual just to say I did.

The dish that stays with me might be the most elaborate course on the menu, or something that seems quite simple until I take a bite. I like being reminded that I haven’t figured everything out. There is always another preparation, another tradition or another restaurant that can change what I think I enjoy.

Some of those ideas follow me home. My recipes are another way to keep exploring food after a trip ends. Eating somewhere memorable can be the beginning of an interest, rather than the end of an evening.

Honest reviews, with the details that matter

I’m happy to spend on an experience that earns it. I’m also happy to say when something doesn’t. An expensive ingredient, a beautiful room or an impressive reputation doesn’t automatically make a meal good value.

When I recommend somewhere, I want to explain what worked: a particular dish, thoughtful service, an interesting pairing or an atmosphere that made the evening better. If something fell short, that belongs in the story too. A great restaurant can have a disappointing moment, and an enjoyable meal doesn’t have to be perfect.

Guides such as the MICHELIN Guide are useful for discovering places. My writing is a personal account of a visit, not a substitute for checking a restaurant’s current menu, prices or booking rules. Those details change, and the experience I describe belongs to the time I was there.

If an experience is sponsored or part of a partnership, I’ll say so. The opinion will still be mine. I want these food and drink stories to help you make a decision, not just make somewhere sound expensive.