My Favorite Places For Food And My Way To Becoming A Chef

The road to becoming a chef has been the best experience of my life. The places and people that I have encountered along the way have been unforgettable and helped to shape me into the chef that I am today. I would like to share some of my favorite places in the United States and in Europe.

El Bulli
Anyone who has studied food has at least heard of Ferran Adria and El Bulli. Adria has been named the Best Chef in the World in many different reviews, magazines and books, and his restaurant in Spain, El Bulli, was of course named the bese restaurant in the world many times over. I had the pleasure of visiting Adria and his kitchen a couple of years ago, and for a chef, it was a dream - the experience of a lifetime. definitly made it on my list of favorite places. Ferran Adria is known for his hand in creating molecular gastronomy and for creating extensive (often 20 plus course), interesting and entertaining fine dining experiences. If you plan on eating at El Bulli, plan for the year ahead because he is usually booked for about that long, sometimes longer. He has written many books that you can find on the website that make food seem more artistic than some pieces at The Louvre.
Visit El Bulli - One of my very favorite places

Tamarillos
When I was living in Montpellier, France, I ate here a few times and I will ever forget the first time I tasted the beautiful food work of Philppe Chapon. His lovely food creations are inspired by edible flowers and fresh, ripe fruits that he includes in almost every dish. The restaurant's fresh, modern astmosphere enhances the food experience, and Chef Philippe often manages to find time to speak with his clients. He has won many awards in France for his delicious, delicate, fine pastry arts and I agree that he deserved every one of them. The interesting food combinations and textures were flawless. Chapon also has many cookbooks and books on pastry, but they are not for newbies! However, they are beautiful and you can really get an idea of just how different his food really is.
Visit Tamarillos

Alinea
If you are ever in Chicago and looking for a food experience, this is the place to go. Grant Achatz, chef and owner, is also known in the field of molecular gastronomy, as well as creating his own modes of eating food such as plates and unique eating utensils that enhance his culinary delicacies. This is more than a fine dining experience and can be very inspiring for new chefs.
Visit Alinea

Bouchon Bakery
When I left France to come back to the United States there were many things that I missed, and among those things were certainly the bread and pastries that France is known for. I heard of a bakery in Yountville, California that was owned by Thomas Keller (chef of the French Laundry, also in Yountville) that had magnificent bakery and pastry items. Oh how I missed the macarons of France, and I found a pretty good replica at the Bouchon Bakery! My sister actually had me send her some to her house in Madison, Wisconsin because she couldn't find any quite as good, and this is now one of her favorite places too. The breads were also very good and very... French! This could be a great place for a new pastry arts student to visit because I know that I knew nothing of real pastries until I went to France. This is pretty close.
Visit Bouchon Bakery - favorite places


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