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Time Out Market Chicago presents the second edition of Chefs on Tour!

Two acclaimed chefs – one fine dining experience. Chef Rodolfo Cuadros from Time Out Market Chicago and Chef Reif Othman from Time Out Market Dubai will come together at Time Out Market Chicago for one night to create an exciting, exclusive joint menu with 8-courses and specially-curated drink pairings.

For this installment of Chefs On Tour – Time Out Market’s distinctive chef’s table dinner series that showcases the unparalleled talent and singular creativity of chefs from different Time Out Markets worldwide – Chef Reif Othman from Time Out Market Dubai will be making his way to Chicago. He’ll be introducing the Windy City to signature offerings from Reif Kushiyaki, Time Out Market Dubai’s unique outpost known for its avant-garde Japanese street food. Chef Othman characterises his culinary creations as a limitless sensory journey; an excursion through a harmoniously balanced, one-of-a-kind cuisine that draws inspirations from both Asia and the Mediterranean. His dishes echo a fusion of the East and West, embodying the intricate flavors of the Mediterranean.

Joining him at Time Out Market Chicago is Chef Rodolfo Cuadros. His venture, Lil’ Amaru, brilliantly shines a spotlight on his Hispanic American roots, taking diners on a gastronomic tour that encompasses the eclectic flavors and ingredients representative of Latin, Caribbean, and American identities.

*All sales are final, no refunds

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Attention, foodies: top chefs are touring some of the world’s greatest food cities

Chefs On Tour brought together some of the world’s greatest culinary minds in Lisbon and Dubai

Foodies, this one’s for you. Several top chefs around the world just went on tour – and, who knows, they might well be coming to a city near you for the next iteration.

A new experience called Chefs On Tour brought together several top-tier gastronomists in a series of unmissable one-off collaborations. It all took place in our very own Time Out Market kitchens across the world. 

So who was the talent on display? Well, that’d be chefs Stephen Gillanders (of Valhalla at  Time Out Market Chicago ), Susana Felicidade (Cozinha da Felicidade at  Time Out Market Lisbon ) and Reif Othman (REIF at  Time Out Market Dubai ). They served up nosh at Time Out Markets in two cities and across two special dates: Lisbon   on March 16 and Dubai on March 19 .

Chefs On Tour provided a mix of signature favourites and completely new dishes, so diners sampled everything from Othman’s tartar date maguro to Gillanders’ grilled maitake mushroom, all with curated drinks pairings in front of a flashy open kitchen.

And if you don’t live in Lisbon or Dubai and missed out this year, don’t sweat. The seven Time Out Markets around the world bring together over 140 chefs, and there are plans to take Chefs On Tour global.

Here’s how it all went down (warning: this video will make you hungry). 

Looking for more travel inspo? Check out   Time Out Travel on Instagram .

• Ed Cunningham News Editor, Time Out UK and Time Out London

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Meet the Chefs Who Feed Beyoncé and Lizzo on Tour

Today’s artists travel with an elaborate entourage of culinary professionals making increasingly mindful meals.

Credit... Ryan Inzana

Supported by

By Soo Youn

• Published July 17, 2023 Updated July 20, 2023

In Stockholm, it was the cookies — the black sesame, wasabi and white chocolate, or maybe the gluten-free coconut almond dark chocolate — that signaled to Beyoncé’s dancers, crew and roadies that Grant Bird was back.

Mr. Bird is an English pastry chef and one of 14 culinary professionals on Beyoncé’s current Renaissance World Tour , which has also employed a vegan chef and three personal chefs just for Queen B and her inner circle.

After getting Covid during rehearsals in Paris, Mr. Bird had to take a weeklong break, leaving the dessert duties for the 400 to 600 crew members to two substitute chefs. By then, the crew had gotten used to his lavish desserts, which often featured a dozen different offerings at both lunch and dinner. A pared-down sweets menu spoke to his absence.

So when the crew once again saw his signature spread of hundreds of cookies in several varieties, they knew he had returned. “That was lunch, and the whole dining room applauded,” said Mr. Bird, who has also cooked for Carrie Underwood, Justin Bieber and Mötley Crüe. “They just thought, ‘He’s got to be back. Because they just knew from the style.’”

Yes, Beyoncé is one of the world’s biggest stars, but traveling with a cadre of chefs isn’t just a flex. Many touring artists now take several professional cooks, not to mention entire mobile kitchens, on the road with them for efficiency, health and morale.

While idiosyncrasies like Van Halen’s ban on brown M&Ms have become familiar lore, the suspension of concerts during the Covid years has prompted an industrywide reset, with a focus on wellness. Many tours now include a vegan chef, for instance, and place a priority on physical and mental well-being as well as lessening environmental impact.

“ Before, back in the early ’80s and ’90s, it was more of a party — cocaine and whatever they wanted. And now it’s just a business,” said Gray Rollin, Linkin Park’s longtime chef, who has also cooked on tours for Prince, Madonna and Tori Amos. “We have one job to do, and that job is to put that talent onstage. Make sure that the show goes flawlessly. And then do it again the next day.”

Joking about the 2014 tour by Linkin Park and Thirty Seconds to Mars, he added, “It was called the Carnivores Tour , but 14 of the 16 guys we cooked for were vegan.”

James Digby, a veteran tour manager who had just finished working the European leg of Avril Lavigne’s tour, is familiar with such demands.

“You cannot get a nonvegetarian meal in catering on a Paul McCartney tour. That’s a challenge. Because most roadies I know are carnivores,” Mr. Digby said. “If the artist is trying to change the world, one tour at a time, by saying everybody’s a vegetarian, my job is to echo that.”

Regardless of the cuisine, the production demands are significant. The industry standard for a sizable tour requires four meals on setup and show days: breakfast, lunch, dinner and an after-concert meal, often eaten on a bus.

“An army marches on its stomach, so you’ve got to feed the troops,” Mr. Digby said. By troops, he meant the band, the backup singers and dancers, stage builders, the pyrotechnics crew, security guards, managers, bus drivers and all the other people involved in the high-stakes business of live entertainment.

At a recent Lizzo show at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., lunch featured a juicing station with a blender-ready basket of vegetables. There were corn dogs, fried chicken sandwiches and plant-based Impossible sliders, as well as couscous, squash, carrots and cookies.

It was all prepared in the arena’s kitchen. Normally, though, Latitude 45 Catering , the company in charge of culinary operations for the vegan artist’s Special tour , cooks in an elaborate mobile kitchen that packs into specialized flight cases and is reassembled in each new city.

The custom-built kitchens, including cabinets, shelves, ovens and workstations were constructed to maximize space and efficiency, and provide an elusive sense of “sameness” on the road, said Chris Mitchell, the company’s owner.

“Everything has a place, and it goes back to that same place every single day,” he said. “If somebody in the kitchen needs a stainless steel bowl — and without looking most of the time — they can just point and say, ‘Would you please give me the third bowl in that stack over there?’”

HSG Catering , the Chicago-based company currently working on the Eric Church tour, uses a 53-foot mobile kitchen containing a walk-in freezer, a walk-in cooler and an 80-gallon water heater. The unit is also equipped with a meat smoker, a wood-fired grill, convection ovens and a machine that can “sous vide 300 steaks at once,” said Bob Schneeberger, HSG’s president.

While the chefs sometimes accompany artists on private jets or in armored cars, with police escorts, cooking and baking on the road can also put them in generator-powered makeshift kitchens in fields or parking lots.

Mr. Mitchell says the job calls for a particular type of person who enjoys troubleshooting and being constantly on the move, and who can endure sleeping on tour buses for months at a time. The conditions cultivate a fraternity of sorts — many chefs proudly wear T-shirts from previous tours.

There’s also a royal-food-tester aspect to the gig.

“One case of food poisoning, and you’re canceling shows for at least 48 hours,” Mr. Digby said. As shows become bigger spectacles and ticket prices soar ever higher, an incident like that can put millions of dollars at risk.

One thing that may not have changed much over time is the pickiness of the artists, who certainly have their idiosyncratic likes and dislikes.

“Gene Simmons used to like a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and pickles on the side,” said Mr. Rollin, who cooked for the Kiss bassist in 2008 and 2009. “But then he would never touch the lettuce, pickles and tomatoes, ever.” Jared Leto would want organic purple popcorn with every meal.

Travel can also make the desired foods hard to come by. In the 1990s, Marilyn Manson insisted on Kraft Mac & Cheese, so boxes were shipped to England, Mr. Digby said. “Guess what? Kraft manufactures a different variety of Kraft macaroni and cheese for English consumers.”

Mr. Bird, who cooked for the K-pop group Blackpink in Chicago last summer, said the band brought a separate truck just to transport its favored brands of instant ramen noodles. Like some other caterers who have worked K-pop tours, Mr. Bird was impressed with the emphasis put on the culinary operations, which always included a Korean buffet. “They have so many different food stations and stuff. I’ve never seen that before,” he said.

As for Beyoncé, Mr. Bird sent fruit platters and cookies to her dressing room. And while he couldn’t say for sure what the pop star’s favorites are, he did note: “As far as I’m aware, the ones that are particularly eaten are the Reese’s cups cookies” — a specialty of Mr. Bird’s that have a vanilla base with Belgian milk chocolate and bits of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups folded throughout.

In addition to having his confections in high demand, Mr. Bird was touched to see his name in the online credits for the Renaissance tour .

“At the end of the show, they normally give recognition to the lighting, the staging and people a lot closer to them,” said Mr. Bird, who is currently touring with the country singer Sam Hunt . “But they never mention that they travel with us catering.”

Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , TikTok and Pinterest . Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice .

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Pete Wells, our dining critic, has unveiled his annual ranking of the 100 best restaurants in New York City .

At Shaw-naé’s House on Staten Island, the owner and chef Shaw-naé Dixon serves up Southern classics  and a warm welcome to her “living room.”

Once the pre-eminent food court in Flushing, Queens, for regional Chinese cuisines, the Golden Mall has reopened after a four-year renovation. A new one in Manhattan  is on the horizon.

At Noksu, dinner is served below the street, a few yards from the subway turnstiles. But the room and the food seem unmoored from any particular place .

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Chefs on Tour 2022

September 15th 4pm-9pm.

The 9th Annual BNCW Chefs on Tour has become a not-to-be-missed event in the Wenatchee Valley! This exclusive and limited Tour-within-the-Tour will be featuring four (4) area chefs; two (2) area breweries, one (1) area winery and one (1) hard cider set up at four of this year’s seven beautiful BNCW Tour homes!

VIP attendees will tour from home to home, getting an exclusive preview of these beautiful Tour Homes, all the while enjoying samplings of superb fare, local beers, wine and hard cider at each of the four homes! At the end of the evening, each VIP attendee will vote on their favorite chef, winery/brewery/cidery!Who will be crowned? As always, our VIP (yep, that’s you!) attendees will decide!

Tickets to this event provide you not only with exclusive access to the VIP Chefs on Tour night but give you admission to the rest of the homes on the Tour! Enjoy visiting all of the Tour homes at your leisure over the remaining three days of the BNCW & Banner Bank Home Tour!

Please note that, because there are only 300 Chefs on Tour tickets available to the public, they will go very fast! You won’t want to delay! Purchase your tickets now to ensure that you and your friends are part of this VIP event!

Note that this is a 21-and-older-only event and you will be required to provide identification when checking-in.

This event is proudly sponsored by:

E.D.Y. Construction Corp

2022 Central Washington Tour of Homes™ Event Series

The Central Washington Tour of Homes™, presented by Yakima Federal Savings & Loan, is an opportunity to explore the craftsmanship of our region’s finest new custom homes and remodels! 

2022 Event Series

Select the tabs below to learn more about the Central Washington Tour of Homes™ Event Series

Attendees will have a chance to physically tour homes on display and will be guided to each destination via a free mobile app, and an event guide that includes a map. $10 tickets, 13 and under FREE.

(1) Celebration Homes – 209 N Birch St, Tieton, WA 98947

(2) Maggs Construction – 505 Freestyle Ln, Yakima, WA 98908

(3) Baron Homes – 7301 Crestfields Rd, Yakima, WA 98908

(4) Hayden Homes – 6114 Judd Avenue, Yakima, WA 98903

(5) Catalyss Homes, LLC – 4403 Tayhill Way, Yakima, WA 98908

(6) Tim Lovelass Construction, LLC – 90 Dwinell Dr, Selah, WA 98942

(8) Royal Pacific Homes – 20 Kyler Ln, Ellensburg, WA 98926

(9) Royal Pacific Homes – 171 Stone Tree Ln, Ellensburg, WA 98926

(10) NW Roots Construction – 471 Southern Star Ln, Cle Elum, WA 98922

(11) NW Roots Construction – 200 Rocking Chair Rd, Cle Elum, WA 98922

(12) NW Roots Construction – 70 Carbide Ct, Cle Elum, WA 98922

(A) New Creation Construction, LLC

(B) Diaz Brothers Construction

Wednesday, September 21, is the exclusive Chefs on Tour ™ night with an opportunity to explore select tour homes featuring local chef and beverage companies for you to enjoy! This is a 21+ event.

• Chefs on Tour™: Wednesday, September 21 from 4 pm to 9 pm, the participating Chefs on Tour™ homes are open in Yakima County ONLY.
• Yakima Steak Co.
• Masset Winery
• Warehouse West Grill
• VanArnam Vineyards
• The Fat Pastor
• Valley Brewing Co.

Chefs on Tour™ Tickets are $60 each, but each ticket also grants access to ALL events in the Tour of Homes™ series.

Beginning on September 16th, you will have the opportunity to explore the skilled craftsmanship and unique features of ALL tour homes, including a full photo gallery, video highlights, and 360° interactive tour in our complete web catalog. The online web catalog will be FREE to navigate and will include both online features and in-person tour homes.

Thank you to the sponsors that make this event possible!

Chefs on Tour™

Builder Bus Blast

Appreciation & awards dinner.

Yakima Tour of Homes™

Saturday & Sunday

September 17-18 AND 24-25

10 AM – 5 PM

Kittitas Tour of Homes™

September 24-25

Tour of Homes™ Web Catalog

Goes LIVE September 17

Chefs on Tour™ Yakima

Wednesday, September 21

4 PM – 9 PM

The 2022 Central Washington Tour of Homes™ is presented by

Yakima Federal Savings & Loan.

Central Washington Home Builders Association

Since 1955, the Central Washington Home Builders Association (CWHBA) has served as the leading not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to residential construction and remodeling throughout Central Washington.  We help support local businesses and aim to transform the association experience, connecting members to other members and to those looking to hire a professional.

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Chefs on Tour: culinary event Time Out Market

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The Tourisme Montréal newsletter gives you the inside scoop on everything happening in the city.

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Neighborhood Eats: Meet the private chefs on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- In this week's Neighborhood Eats, Eyewitness News anchor Shirleen Allicot goes behind the scenes with the private chefs on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

This dynamic chef duo sat down with Shirleen to talk about what it's like being on tour with the band.

Chef Corrina Becker is the band's personal and tour chef.

"I started making chocolate and I sold it at a local grocery store in Los Angeles called Erewhon," said Becker. "Then the guys found it through friends and just through knowing them, and they decided to take some on tour, but I didn't start cooking for them for a long time."

When it comes to each band member, each one has a different, specific diet they stick to.

"When people ask me what do you cook? What do they like? Or what's your specialty? I often say my specialty is listening. Food is so personal. So you there's no blanket statement. What's good for one person is good for everybody. Food is our first medicine or it is our first poison," said Becker.

Chef Tanya Collyer works for the band through the UK-based tour catering company called Rockpool. Tanya has worked with many other bands - from Florence and the Machine to Pink - to name a few.

Tanya explained how far the industry has come in terms of a healthier diet and lifestyle.

"People now in the Rock and Roll industry, are focusing more on - not only what they eat - but their habits," said Collyer. "It's all health driven these days is more centered on health. Whereas, 20 years ago, it was definitely not centered on health."

When Shirleen met with Tayna and Corrina, they were gearing up for the band's performance at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City. Being in the middle of Manhattan, presented it's own set of challenges. But nothing they aren't used to on the road.

"The festival doesn't really have a place for us to set up a full kitchen. So normally we travel with huge road cases of in-pantry items. And this festival has a very limited space. So tomorrow we're going to be just cooking a very simple meal. And we're not doing a full day of cooking like normal. So that is the number one challenge of touring. As you don't know there are so many variables, so many unknowns. And you really, really truly have to be very resourceful and willing to pivot," said Becker.

To give Shirleen a sense of their day, the chefs took her shopping at Citarella on the Upper West Side.

After gathering their grocery items, they did a short demo of preparing a favorite recipe of the band - Romesco dressing.

---------------------------------------------------------

Romesco, a la Coco

1 roasted red bell pepper

1 clove garlic, rough chop

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 cup tomato puree or 1 TBSP paste

2 TBSP parsley, chopped

2 TBSP sherry vinegar

1 tsp Zanzibar Curry

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Pulse first 8 ingredients in a food processor until very finely chopped. With Motor running, slowly add the olive oil. Process until smooth. If you prefer a less uniform texture, keep some oil to the side and stir in with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Pairs well with fish, egg dishes, rice bowls. Use any nut you enjoy the flavor of.

Spice Mountain, of London, makes a blend called Zanzibar curry, but your favorite curry will do here.

Try it with Maldon or another flake salt brand.

So what's after life on tour?

Tanya hopes to open a restaurant one day, while Corrina is working on a cookbook.

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Searching high and low to find the perfect food tasting tours

W e started A Chef’s Tour with one simple aim: to create and curate food experiences good enough for chefs.

After travelling the world over, we became bored with the same mediocre food tours. We wanted a tour which helped us truly understand regional food, its history and ingredients. A tour which pushed our limits and didn’t pander to western palates.

Our story started with a single chef in Bangkok who designed a street food tour which has since become the highest rated in the city. Since inception, we've expanded to offer unique culinary experiences across Asia and Latin America.

Meet our team

While we come from different backgrounds, all of our team members around the world share a passion for food, and providing you with the most amazing food experiences.

Christine Gardner

& simon webster.

Since 2015, Christine & Simon have led small group culinary tours to the Amalfi Coast where they share the flavors and beauty of one of their favorite places in the world. 

This is their opportunity to offer a taste of Italian culture and food through exclusive tours, personal service and a unique vacation experience. 

Due to their busy schedule at home, they only offer two tours per year. The rest of the time they’re back home in Texas running a relaxing culinary getaway named Sabor a Pasion Estate & Vineyard. Click here for photos of Sabor a Pasion and all their activities throughout the year. Also, read below to learn more Christine & Simon.

For questions, please send an email . They can't wait for you to join them in Italy or come to visit in Texas. 

Click here to visit the Sabor a Pasion website.

Christine Gardner finds joy in sharing food and creating, in many different ways, a delicious diversion from everyday life. As a cookbook author, recipe writer, food stylist/photographer and chef instructor she presents food and recipes in a relatable way and encourages everyone to have fun in the kitchen and around the table.

Her love for Italy and the Amalfi Coast area began after living there while completing her culinary school internship in Sorrento. As a student with Le Cordon Bleu, she apprenticed there with a chef and learned to utilize the simple techniques and fresh ingredients the Italian culture uses to create delicious, handmade food and classic Neapolitan recipes.

It was a life changing journey and the picturesque Amalfi Coast left a permanent longing for delicious Italian meals enjoyed with the most beautiful backdrop in the world. After returning to the U.S., she found ways to share the experience and flavors through food writing, cooking classes and special events catering. 

A previous degree in journalism from Texas A&M and a career in creative services and television production with Fox Sports provided her with professional expertise in media and marketing. She used these skills to launch a culinary platform that combines a variety of cultural influences, the best ingredients and simple techniques to create a myriad of flavor.

For nearly four years Christine was the Food Editor for The Tyler Morning Telegraph and was responsible for the weekly FLAVOR section. She has written two cookbooks. "Favorite FLAVOR", a compilation of the best and most-talked about recipes created by Christine for the Tyler newspaper. Also, "Celebrations from a Cowgirl's Kitchen", a gift book that represents Texas-style entertaining and contains party themes, entertaining tips, menus and classic recipes to become the perfect Texas hostess. She has started work on a third cookbook that will feature favorite recipes from travels to Southern Italy.

For five years, Christine hosted FRESH Ideas & Everyday Gourmet every week on KYTX-CBS19. Currently, Christine teaches cooking classes at Sabor a Pasion and Sweet Gourmet, a specialty food store in Tyler. She also does blog entries, promotional writing and food styling for FRESH by Brookshire’s. You can also find recipes written and developed by Christine in the Brookshire’s in-store magazine, Celebrate Cooking.​

Simon Webster

Born in England and raised in New Zealand, Chef Webster was classically trained at the New Zealand Culinary Institute through the City & Guilds of London and apprenticed with some of the finest chefs in the area.

His experience in the kitchen spans 40 years and includes chef & developer for five-star restaurants in New Zealand, chef and food & beverage manager for prestigious wine bars and pubs in London & Manchester, catering consultant for Nestle corporation, first class chef for BMI Airlines and owner of his own restaurant and catering company in Derbyshire, England and now the United States.

He opened Sabor a Pasion in 2004, and single-handedly transformed it into a restaurant, bed & breakfast, event center, wedding venue, catering headquarters and vineyard.

Well-respected throughout the area, Chef Webster has made a name for himself through his attention to personal service and detail to food & flavor -- proving dreams, passion and hard work are the foundation for visionary success.

Simon & his recipes have been featured in Texas Highways, Conde Nast Traveler, AAA Texas Journey, Fort Worth Magazine, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Houstonia Magazine, Great Day Houston County Line Magazine, Tyler Today, BScene Magazine, Tyler Morning Telegraph, Palestine Herald Press.  Sabor a Pasion has also been featured on the Outdoor Channel and food networks in Canada and Japan. He frequently appears on KLTV7-ABC, demonstrating recipes, and other television shows as a culinary brand ambassador.

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

Reviving classic Russian cuisine

Oct 19 2018.

Roads & Kingdoms talks to Russian chef Vladimir Mukhin of Moscow’s super-restaurant, White Rabbit.

Still in his mid-30’s, Vladimir Mukhin is already one of Russia’s best known chefs and the leading culinary light of the White Rabbit Group, which has 16 restaurants around the country. The most well-known of these, Moscow’s  White Rabbit , was named one of the 50 best restaurants in the world last year. Roads & Kingdoms’ Nathan Thornburgh talked to Mukhin in Moscow about being a fifth-generation chef, reviving classic Russian cuisine, and finding good product in the age of embargoes.

Nathan Thornburgh: Tell me about White Rabbit, what is the food? What are you trying to accomplish there?

Vladimir Mukhin: The White Rabbit is a big restaurant. We’re trying to revive Russian cuisine. I’m a fifth-generation chef, so I’m passionate about the food we create. During the Soviet Union period, we killed Russian food. Classic Russian recipes became too simplified. For example, usually you drink tea, but if you want to be, just to be creative, want to make the tea with milk, you can’t. It would be like stealing milk from the government. People went to jail.

When I was growing up, I remember my grandfather coming to the kitchen and crying because he couldn’t experiment with his food.

Thornburgh: Wow. I remember this famous photo session with Che Guevara which came up with some of his best pictures, maybe two incredible iconic portraits came from an entire roll of film, and the photographer went to him and showed him this roll of film and Che said, What the hell are you doing? You wasted all of these images. You took 30 pictures to get one? That’s the government’s film. It’s a similar mentality.   So you’re telling the story of a kind of cuisine that was lost on the Soviet history and now you’re playing with this idea of finding it again. What does your process look like? Do you get as many grandmothers as you can round up and just kind of shake recipes out of them? How were you doing this?

Mukhin: I just try to work with as many local farmers and producers as I can, so we can use as many Russian ingredients as we can.

Thornburgh: So this is a close relationship.

Mukhin: Yes. I traveled throughout Russia—not just the big cities, but also the villages to talk with older people.

Thornburgh: You know I think people don’t understand the vastness of Russia, and how big it’s collection of cultures and languages and cuisines is. What parts of the country influences your food?

Mukhin: I’m inspired by the whole country. It’s a big territory, and sometimes it feels like it’s too big. I try and use different techniques and ingredients from all over the country, which I think makes my menus distinct.

We have an a la carte menu with about 50 dishes of classical Russian food. Everything looks modern because I’m a young chef. But if you close your eyes and try these dishes, you’ll taste 100% classic Russian flavors.

I want to highlight all aspects of Russian cuisine. Before the Olympic Games in Sochi, we opened a restaurant there, not just to make money, but to expose people visiting for the Olympics to Russian food. That’s why we opened The Red Fox restaurant. It’s all about Russian ingredients.

Thornburgh: Sochi, at least when I’ve been there, is like a Miami Beach. It’s like a place to get pizza and sushi, and go to the nightclubs.

Mukhin: You been?

Thornburgh: Yeah.

Mukhin: It’s crazy.

Thornburgh: It’s a little crazy, but it’s interesting to bring in Red Fox and sort of say okay, because people are coming out, let’s bring Russia to Sochi.

Mukhin: It was incredible. We had thousands of visitors at the restaurant.  

Thornburgh: So you really looked internally for inspiration. Did working outside of Russia motivate you to focus on Russian cuisine?

Mukhin: Yes. I spent time working in Avignon, France. I worked with Christian Etienne, and he would make a special Russian meal once a year.  It was crazy.

Thornburgh: How was the food?

Mukhin: It was shit. I told him that I would cook real Russian food for him, and I did. I cooked borscht, blinis, and other classics. He liked it and said that once a year we should use my recipes, but with his influence. I agreed, and we went on to make amazing food. Eventually, I wanted to come back to my motherland. So I left and I started working on making White Rabbit a reality.

Thornburgh: When people go to White Rabbit, what are they going to find?

Mukhin: Someone once told me that there is a new Russian cuisine and an old Russian cuisine. I think Russian cuisine is going through an evolution. So I hope people will come and see evolution at White Rabbit.

Thornburgh: Great. Always good to end on an invite. Thank you.

Mukhin: Thank you so much.

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This minneapolis chef doesn't like tasting menus but launches one to save his restaurant.

With two of Minneapolis' most lauded, always-packed restaurants in their portfolio, it's a mystery to chef Isaac Becker and his wife and partner, Nancy St. Pierre, why their North Loop restaurant, Snack Bar, isn't anywhere near as busy as Bar La Grassa and 112 Eatery are.

"It's been a struggle to get to where we want to be," Becker said in a candid phone call. "It's just, we don't understand why we're not busy on weekdays."

It's not for lack of acclaim. Shortly after Snack Bar opened, the Star Tribune's restaurant critic called it "a favorite new hangout," "one of those rare Twin Cities dining spaces where everyone seems to be nearly on top of everyone else, in a good way." These days, Becker will be the first to admit the space is much roomier during the week than it used to be.

But maybe it's not that much of a mystery when you consider that Snack Bar opened in late 2019, its honeymoon ending abruptly four months later with COVID. Becker and St. Pierre shut down all their restaurants for about 15 months, and one of them, Burch Restaurant, never reopened.

The other restaurants came back online mid-2021, and Bar La Grassa is pretty consistently "bursting at the seams." But just across the hall at Snack Bar, "we've kind of lost any momentum we had," Becker said. "We weren't getting any reviews or press, and it's just like we didn't exist."

Now, he and St. Pierre have a plan to fix that problem.

Starting May 7, Snack Bar will offer a spring tasting menu every Tuesday in May. The dinner will showcase new dishes that are joining the regular menu, giving diners a little window into the recipe development process in the kitchen of a James Beard Award-winning chef.

There will be a fish entree, a salad, spring vegetables, a featured slice of pizza and dessert. "Spring is a great time of year for restaurants and chefs because there's so much more to work with," Becker said. "It's probably my favorite menu change of the year."

The new, seasonal dishes will be available a la carte for the entire month, and a five-course tasting gives diners a chance to sample everything for $55. Tax is another $5; gratuity and drinks are not included, though there will be an optional wine pairing curated by Chris Foster of the Libation Project. Tickets are available for advance purchase at resy.com . (Snack Bar is at 800 Washington Av. N., Mpls.)

The price is notable even among Becker's top-chef peers. "Tim McKee said that's what they were charging for their tasting back when they opened La Belle Vie in Stillwater," Becker said. For context, that was 1998.

"We've always been very conscious of making sure that we give a good value. You know, 50 bucks isn't nothing, either. But it's kind of affordable," Becker said.

But if Becker and St. Pierre are going to do a tasting menu, they're going to do it their way — from the perspective of people who don't even really like the idea of them. They never implemented prix fixes in any of their restaurants, other than one brief period when Becker was testing recipes at 112 Eatery for the opening of Burch. Guests can expect the Snack Bar tasting to be relaxed, with seating times scattered throughout the night as opposed to a formal, all-at-once affair. They also plan to offer the tasting menus in September and January.

"I don't like tasting dinners," Becker laughed. "We don't do them. Nancy and I never order tasting meals if we don't have to. I like having choice."

Sharyn Jackson is a features reporter covering the Twin Cities' vibrant food and drink scene.

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The Wright Way

With no Quickfire this week, the chefs hit the road and take the Frank Lloyd Wright trail to Madison, touring a few of the Wisconsin native’s notable sites, including Burnham Block, Monona Terrace and Taliesin. For the elimination challenge, the chefs are tasked with creating dishes in teams of two that feature duality and celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy as “America’s Architect.” These dishes are more important than ever because this week is a double elimination. Kristen, Tom and Gail are joined by last season’s winner, Buddha Lo, and French chef Dominique Crenn at the judges’ table.

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The 16th Chef

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Doubting Doute

Chef Paul Wahlburg makes a stop at Grand Prairie Wahlburgers

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Chef Paul Wahlburg made a guest appearance Friday at a Far North restaurant that bears his name.

The chef went to the Wahlburgers at Hy-Vee on as part of a tour of similarly named eateries across the Midwest. He started in Iowa on Monday and wound up in Peoria on Friday.

The celebrity chef known for his reality show, dubbed Wahlburgers, and for being the brother of Mark Wahlburg, the star of Transformers movies and also the frontman for Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, is the executive chef of nearly 100 Wahlburgers across the nation.

The TV show was prompted by the brothers’ ownership of the restaurant chain.

Paul Wahlburg visited with Illinois Central College culinary students the night before and did a demonstration for the class. He said he makes it a priority to come out and visit his restaurants and those who eat there.

“It’s so nice because not only they’re coming out to see me and saying hello and support Wahlburgers as an idea, but they’re also, you know, to hear the kind words they say about, Mark and Donnie and my family and all of that, it’s amazing,” he said. “And then, you know, they bring up my mom. So it’s amazing that we’ve been able to impact people in that way, and they come out and show that support in the restaurants.”

Wahlburg said he was impressed with the culinary expertise shown by the ICC students.

“The product that came out was amazing. The staff there is unbelievable. The whole culinary team, and then just the leadership of the school. It’s a great, great program and really a real asset to the area. Just really fantastic,” he said.

More information on Hy-Vee is available on its website .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.

Two Detroit-area chefs compete on new Food Network series "24 in 24: Last Chef Standing"

A new extreme and demanding cooking competition series makes its debut on the Food Network Sunday night, and two Metro Detroit chefs are in on the battle.

Hosted by Michael Symon and Esther Choi, "24 In 24: Last Chef Standing" will see two dozen chefs from across the country compete in 24 consecutive challenges in 24 consecutive hours. Michigan culinary experts Gabriella Baldwin, from Italian restaurant Testa Barra in Macomb, and self-employed area native Josie Clemens, who specializes in vegan and sustainable cuisine, are part of the action.

Both chefs have competed on televised battles before. Clemens was a cast member on season 20 of the Gordon Ramsay show "Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns" in 2021, and Baldwin has had many exciting Food Network appearances on shows like “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “Family Restaurant Rivals” and “Beat Bobby Flay.”

“This competition is as extreme as it sounds,” said Symon in a press release about the series. “Chefs often talk about the 24/7 nature of our industry, but this is the first competition to truly capture that intensity.”

The show's judges will be familiar faces for those who regularly watch the Food Network, and include Eric Adjepong, Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant, Stephanie Izard, Jet Tila, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio and Brooke Williamson.

Clemens will host a watch party for the premiere episode Sunday night at Hayes Social. The Shelby Township bar at 46793 Hayes, formerly Ciccarelli's, will have their big screens set to the show at 8 p.m. There’s no cover charge.

Baldwin is also having a watch party that is open to the public at 8 p.m. Sunday at Testa Barra, 48824 Romeo Plank in Macomb. The four-course dinner by chef Baldwin before the watch party is sold out.

Another local face will be on television next week when Detroit resident Jamal Williams, an Air Force veteran and ROTC instructor, appears as a contestant on the “Password” game show with Keke Palmer, Jimmy Fallon and Laverne Cox at 10 p.m. Tuesday on NBC.

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"24 In 24: Last Chef Standing"

Series premiere

8 p.m. Sunday

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Japanese Prime Minister's N.C. visit will feature bluegrass, barbecue and factory tours

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit North Carolina following his state visit with President Joe Biden at the White House this week. 

Japanese companies have made big investments in North Carolina recently, including the new Toyota battery factory in Randolph County and the HondaJet factory at that company's headquarters in Greensboro. Kishida plans to tour both factories during his visit to North Carolina, according to the governor's office. 

What You Need To Know

The japanese prime minister will visit north carolina this week prime minister fumio kishida will tour the new toyota battery plant under construction and hondajet thursday gov. roy cooper will host the japanese delegation for a state lunch japan is north carolina's largest source of foreign direct investment, according to the governor's office.

“Kristin and I are looking forward to showing Prime Minister and Mrs. Kishida what North Carolina has to offer,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a news release.

“Japanese investments in our state create thousands of jobs and these companies contribute so much to our communities. This historic visit provides a unique opportunity to showcase the best of North Carolina and continue to build this mutually beneficial relationship,” he said. 

Japan is North Carolina's largest source of foreign direct investment, according to the governor's office. 

The centerpiece of Kishida's visit will be a State Lunch at the North Carolina Executive Mansion in Raleigh Friday. 

Kishida's trip to North Carolina will mark the first time a head of state has visited the state's Executive Mansion, according to the State Archives. 

"Award-winning Raleigh Chef Ashley Christensen will prepare a menu that highlights North Carolina’s culinary tradition with contributions from Japanese fare," the governor's office said. 

“I am excited for the opportunity to cook for this group of outstanding leaders and to share some of North Carolina’s incredible bounty of ingredients, from land and sea, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida,” Christensen said in the release from the governor's office.

Sam Jones BBQ, which does eastern North Carolin-style whole hog barbecue, is preparing the Thursday lunch for other members of the Japanese delegation and Japanese media accompanying the prime minister on his trip.

“We are honored to be a part of this visit and most excited to share a tradition and foodway that is rooted in eastern North Carolina,” said Sam Jones BBQ's Mitchell Letchworth. “Whole hog BBQ is a North Carolina standard and Sam Jones BBQ is proud to have our food served at such a momentous event.” 

Bluegrass band Unspoken Tradition will play a set in the garden outside the Executive Mansion during the lunch. 

While the prime minister tours the factories in Randolph and Guilford counties Friday morning, his wife Yuko Kishida will meet with Japanese exchange students and Japanese language students at a high school in Chapel Hill and visit Duke Gardens in Durham. 

The prime minister and his wife will also meet with students at North Carolina State University in Raleigh Friday afternoon.