A Todd English Classic

If there's a celebrity chef in a city I'm visiting (or living in), I eagerly try to go to all of his or her restaurants to get a fair sense to see if the chef is really a chef or just a celebrity.

One of the my favorite chefs is Todd English. He makes fun, comfort foods. From his restaurant in NYC to Boston, to his Food Hall, and across the states to his restaurants in Las Vegas.. They are all quality and repeatable. The service is friendly, and the food is always surprisingly good with bold flavors that you'll remember.

After coming from the east coast and visiting his places in Boston and NYC, I really wanted to try the place that started it all - Olives. Olives serves Chef English's signature flatbread pizzas. If you're a Todd English, it's a place you have to check out. It's a great, memorable flatbread.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about the food photos.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Olives.

Revisiting Todd English's Ca Va

Each time I visit and revisit a Todd English restaurant, I become a bigger fan. In this past trip into the city, I made a point to visit his Plaza Food Hall in the Plaza Hotel. It's worth the trip! To rank the 3 celebrity chefs with food halls/food markets in the city.. #1, Mario Batali's Eataly; #2, Todd English's Plaza Food Hall; #3, Daniel Boulud's Epicerie. Actually, Daniel Boulud's Epicerie is really just a neighborhood corner market. It doesn't compare at all to Eataly or the Plaza Food Hall. So if you find yourself hungry and around the Plaza Hotel, check out his food hall!

After checking out his Food Hall, we went down to Hell's Kitchen to have dinner at Ca Va. My family enjoyed our Christmas lunch there just half a year ago, so we knew we'd have a good meal. Unfortunately, I was still full from a late lunch, so I only ordered a pasta course. When you eat here, you should come hungry and enjoy the 3 Course Prix Fixe Menu. It's such value - quality food with generous portions. The food was satisfying and filling. Chef English keeps impressing me.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about the food photos.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Boston's Todd English

I've been a Todd English fan for awhile now, especially after he opened up Todd English P.U.B. in Las Vegas. A modern pub with great food. That's my kind of place.

I've enjoyed all this restaurants from Las Vegas to New York (with our memorable Christmas day meal this past holiday season). So since we were in Boston, I had to check out at least one of his restaurants. Since it was a nice day, that put us in the mood for seafood. So we checked out his Kingfish Hall. It's in the tourist spot of Faneuil Hall, which is a great place for Chef English to locate himself to people visiting Boston. If you enjoy good food and celebrity chefs, you can't go to Boston without visiting a Todd English restaurant.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about some of the photos.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Todd English's Ca Va Brasserie

Christmas Day! So our choice for Christmas lunch had to be special - yes, I felt the pressure of choosing a great restaurant for our family's special meal. The problem is that my family books reservations (at restaurants, for trips, for flights, etc.) last minute. So for Christmas, it limited where we could go. A lot of places were closed and a lot more places were fully committed.

When I research places to eat, I tend to research restaurants of my favorite chefs. In that list of favorite chefs is Todd English. I consider him one of the earlier modern day celebrity chefs. Did you know he cooked some summer grills on MTV's Spring Break? (Do any of you still remember MTV's Spring Break?)

Chef English's latest restaurant is Ca Va Brasserie. It's his take on a modern day brasserie - and it's so well done! The restaurant is the connected with the Intercontinental Hotel in Times Square. He has great menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The whole atmosphere is modern and inviting. Overall, it was a great experience, especially for a special holiday meal.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about the food photos.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Todd English P.U.B.

When I think of pre-Food Network celebrity chefs, Todd English is one of the names that comes to mind. I mean, this guy was a guest chef on "MTV's Spring Break"! Shortly after City Center opened in Las Vegas, English's latest restaurant also opened in Crystals. Todd English P.U.B. is a fun place! They have a small outdoor eating area, a large bar area, and a back dining area next to the open kitchen. The place provides a great bar selection and a great menu with contemporary sports bar cuisine. Yum!

Beer Sampler
Ales of the United Kingdom: Bass Ale, Wexford Irish Cream Ale, Fuller's ESB Ale, Abbot Ale
Because we were in a "pub", I was in the mood for some British Ales. Smooth, mellow, caramel notes.

Dirty Chips
Kettle Chips with Bacon Bits, Blue Cheese Dressing, Scallions, Fried Chicken Livers. What a fun starter and a great take on nachos!

Corn Dog Puppies
Crispy Fried Mini Hot Dogs, With Fries, Ketchup, and Mustard. Yum! This took me back to my childhood. I love corn dogs!

Spicy Crispy Chicken Wings
Todd English Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese, Celery, and Carrots. Spicy! A tasty plate of classic sports bar food.

Grichebactom
The Workman's Grilled Cheese Sandwich. With Creamy Brie Cheese, Double Smoked Bacon, and Skinny Fries. Wow, this was such a hearty grilled cheese sandwich! I could only handle half because I was afraid for my arteries. What a way to go, though!