I’ve been sitting at the bar for more than an hour, patiently waiting to be seated at a table in the dining room. “I’m sorry it’s taking so long,” the hostess says. &l…
Grilled octopus salad with cactus pico de gallo (Photo by Brad A Johnson) I travel to Mexico frequently???mostly for the food. And whenever I come across a cooking class in Mexico, I almost always give it a shot. Last month I wrote about a class i...
Grilled octopus salad with cactus pico de gallo (Photo by Brad A Johnson) I travel to Mexico frequently???mostly for the food. And whenever I come across a cooking class in Mexico, I almost always give it a shot. Last month I wrote about a class i...
The scent of Little Saigon hits me in the face. An intoxicating perfume of jackfruit and bananas and the vanilla-y scent of pandanus leaves wraps itself around me in a warm, tight embrace. It’s a s…
I don't believe there's a better restaurant in Santa Barbara than Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch. The food is truly outstanding. The service, impeccable. The wine list, world-class. And the atmosphere? Nothing else compares. Chef Matt Johnson might be the most underrated chef in California. It makes no sense to me that the Michelin Guide
San Miguel de Allende’s restaurant scene reached critical mass and global acclaim when celebrity chef Enrique Olvera opened Moxi in 2012. It followed hot on the heels of the five-star Rosewoo…
I don't believe there's a better restaurant in Santa Barbara than Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch. The food is truly outstanding. The service, impeccable. The wine list, world-class. And the atmosphere? Nothing else compares. Chef Matt Johnson might be the most underrated chef in California. It makes no sense to me that the Michelin Guide
I don't believe there's a better restaurant in Santa Barbara than Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch. The food is truly outstanding. The service, impeccable. The wine list, world-class. And the atmosphere? Nothing else compares. Chef Matt Johnson might be the most underrated chef in California. It makes no sense to me that the Michelin Guide
A gourmet weekend in Mexico City? Great idea. These are my favorite fine-dining restaurants right now in Mexico’s capital.
Tacos! Elote! Tortas! Birria! Churros! Chicharrones! The best street food in San Miguel de Allende.
Tacos! Elote! Tortas! Birria! Churros! Chicharrones! The best street food in San Miguel de Allende.
There's a stunningly beautiful new hotel opening in Los Cabos. It's called Mar Adentro, and it is currently in its soft-opening phase. The resort is designed by Miguel Angel Aragones, one of Mexico's most incredible architects. Here's a quick look around. UPDATE: Mar Adentro is now Viceroy Los Cabos. Viceroy has changed the decor slightly,
A foodie's guide to Matera, Bernalda and Rionero in Vulture, Basilicata, Italy. Where to eat, where to stay and more.
Koh Pha Ngan is where Leonardo Dicaprio's The Beach was filmed. The snorkeling is great, just don't expect luxury.
Besides the obvious.
The Orange County Register has begun rolling out the sixth edition of my guide to the Best Places to Eat. The previous five iterations have served as an annual scavenger hunt in the form of a bucket-list ranking of the 75 best restaurants in OC. But it looks a bit different this year because 2020 changed the way we eat. So this year we offer a guide to dining in the pandemic.
It's here! This is seriously the most 'mouth-watering' worthy cook up we have ever done. We take the iconic Aussie duo (Vegemite & Cheese) to the next level! So sit back and enjoy as Sammy shows us just how to whip up a delicious Vegemite & Cheese Damper!
Mexico's newest member of the global Design Hotels portfolio is a 10-room hideaway in Troncones, 25 miles north of Zihuatanejo on a remote stretch of the Guerrero coast.
Telluride is a great place to ski. It's also a great place to eat.
I have often credited chef Frederic Castan as a key figure in my life who put me on the path that inspired me to open a restaurant and eventually to become a critic. He taught me how to make the perfect Caesar salad, among other things.
The scent of Little Saigon hits me in the face. An intoxicating perfume of jackfruit and bananas and the vanilla-y scent of pandanus leaves wraps itself around me in a warm, tight embrace. It’s a s…
Mole poblano at Mesones Sacristia in Puebla, Mexico (photo by Brad A. Johnson) I???ve taken dozens of cooking classes throughout the years in towns across Mexico. And among my favorites were two classes I encountered just last month, days apart. T...
My love affair with Four Seasons runs deep. I've been fortunate enough in my travels to stay at 26 different Four Seasons hotels and resorts, the latest being the beachfront/hillside resort on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand, which I visited earlier this year. Overview: The Four Seasons Koh Samui comprises 70 free-standing villas sprawled across dozens of acres
When Cala de Mar debuted in 2008, it bore a different name, Capella Ixtapa. But Capella pulled out last year and the resort changed its name to Cala de Mar. Same owner, but new name and management. I returned to see how things have changed, if at all.
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, here's a flashback to the time I challenged the chef at Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos with my tortilla soup, which ended up on the resort's dinner menu for a while.
Welcome to critic Brad A. Johnson’s sixth edition of this guide — a road map to the best places to eat in Orange County.
"Somebody has been studying their Vermeer," wrote a respected colleague when I shared this photo on my Instagram feed. I'm no Vermeer, but he's right. That Dutch Baroque mood of still life is exactly what I was striving for with this image, inspired by a loaf of freshly baked sourdough from a beautiful new bakery called Rye Goods in Newport Beach...
Bahia at Four Seasons Punta Mita (photo by Brad A Johnson) A small fishing boat glides up the beach in front of the Four Seasons Punta Mita, just north of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico's Pacific Coast. A beach butler and one of the hotel???s lifeguards ...
If you haven't already done so, you really must take a ride on the High Roller the next time you're in Las Vegas. Topping out at 550 feet, this is the world’s tallest observation wheel. It moves really slow, and the ride takes about 30 minutes. The views of Las Vegas and The Strip are
