Guides
Guides
Dispatches from artisan workshops, kitchens, cellars, and benches — on method, place, and the work itself.
Which guides and features cover dining, wine and travel?
The Guides hub lists editorial guides and features on dining, wine and travel. It is for readers planning meals, wine or stays.
- Field Notes
The Executive Chef of Casa Playa: Sarah Thompson's Story
The Executive Chef of Casa Playa: Sarah Thompson's Story At Marea, Sarah Thompson learned to break down fish, then worked the fish roast station for a year under Amador Acosta.
Hugo MarchettiSeptember 25, 2026 - Field Notes
Lisa Goodwin-Allen at Northcote: Pass and Provenance
Lisa Goodwin-Allen puts provenance on the bench first at Northcote, where producer effort and the discipline of the pass shape the work.
Hugo MarchettiSeptember 24, 2026 - Field Notes
Chef Ton Opens Saam SoMA restaurant: Thai Craft in SF
Chef Thitid 'Ton' Tassanakajohn brings Le Du's Thai discipline to San Francisco, with hand-pounded curries and California produce.
Hugo MarchettiSeptember 22, 2026 - Field Notes
Sean Brock Pivots Darling West Hollywood Menu Back to Southern Roots
Two months after opening with California cuisine, James Beard winner Sean Brock returned Darling to Lowcountry cooking after guests asked for grits and cornbread.
Hugo MarchettiSeptember 22, 2026 - Field Notes
Ellie Bouhadana Opens Dafina Seaside Grill St Kilda
Ellie Bouhadana's first restaurant will take over Claypots' old 213 Barkly Street room in early 2027, with Rapha Tamir alongside.
Hugo MarchettiSeptember 19, 2026 - Field Notes
Six Sommeliers Earn Master Diplomas; Deke Dunne Moves to New Orleans
The Court of Master Sommeliers crowned six new masters in Vienna, including the first recipients from Mauritius, Bosnia, and the Czech Republic. Deke Dunne left Allegory after eight years to launch a New Orleans residency.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 30, 2026 - Field Notes
Marcus Jernmark Bets on Four Courses at Lielle
Swedish chef Marcus Jernmark moved his family to Los Angeles in 2022, spent four years learning California markets, and opened Lielle in February 2026 with a compressed $150 four-course format that changes every five weeks.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 29, 2026 - Field Notes
Inside Saison’s Live-Fire System: The 54 Producers Behind the Kitchen
Chef Richard Lee’s live-fire Saison is powered by 54 producers, from custom-grown caviar and exclusive crop plans to almond wood, ceramics, and wine.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 27, 2026 - Field Notes
Burnt Hill Farm Opens in Maryland With Tae Strain
At Burnt Hill Farm in Montgomery County, Tae Strain cooks a 12-seat counter menu beside estate wines from the Old Westminster siblings.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 25, 2026 - Field Notes
Kyo Kim Gets the Kitchen She Needs at Beaconsfield Wine Bar
Korean-born head chef Kyo Kim now has more hot plates, fridge space, and room to push Beaconsfield Wine Bar's food program beyond pasta after owner Matt Sharples expanded the kitchen.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 24, 2026 - Field Notes
Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship: 12 Selected
Romané Basset led a four-judge panel that reduced 53 applications to twelve UK wine professionals for the 2026 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship, covering Champagne Masters study, sales training, and house tastings.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 21, 2026 - Field Notes
Inside the Great Cheese Caves: How to Visit the Affineurs
How affineurs control cheese cave access, who gets inside, what visitors see, and how to ask Antony, Maison Mons, or Roquefort producers.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 20, 2026 - Field Notes
World's Best Bartenders and the Bars They Built
Ago Perrone spent over a decade refining his trolley service at The Connaught Bar. Monica Berg and Alex Kratena built Tayēr + Elementary after years at Artesian. These world's best bartenders, and the hundreds who staff the World's 50 Best Bars, shape the access and experience at counters that seat only a handful of guests.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 19, 2026 - Field Notes
Jaejun Kim Brings Fine-Dining Tonkatsu to Katsumo Glen Huntly
Jaejun Kim, former head chef at Kazuki's, opened Katsumo Glen Huntly last August as a 25-seat answer to a childhood craving: tonkatsu made with the attention he carried from fine-dining kitchens.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 17, 2026 - Field Notes
David Hirsch Dies at 81; Andrew McConnell Buys Stokehouse
David Hirsch, who spent 45 years decoding Sonoma's coastal terroir, died Tuesday at 81. Andrew McConnell bought Stokehouse, the 36-year-old St Kilda institution where he once worked as a young chef.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 11, 2026 - Field Notes
David Hirsch Sonoma Coast: A 200-Year Ridgetop Plan
According to La Times Food, David Hirsch spent 45 years studying faultline soils near Fort Ross, turning an 860-acre sheep ranch into a Pinot Noir source.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 11, 2026 - Field Notes
Yukinori Yamamoto Opens His Own Bench After Eight Years With Mina
Yukinori Yamamoto opens Dining Yamamoto at 167 11th Street in SoMa, his first restaurant after eight years as executive sushi chef with Michael Mina's group.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 11, 2026 - Field Notes
Bradley Kilgore's Transamerica Pyramid Restaurants Close
Chef Bradley Kilgore closed Cafe Sebastian, MadLab, and Ama on May 4 after ownership change at the Transamerica Pyramid made rent unaffordable and demolition plans left no future for the rooms.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 10, 2026 - Field Notes
Sézanne Michelin Stars Removed After Calvert Exit
Sézanne lost its three-star listing after Daniel Calvert left on March 31, 2026; Stephen Lancaster now takes the pass under inspection.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 9, 2026 - Field Notes
Adam Wolfers Returns to Sydney to Lead Aalia After Paul Farag
Adam Wolfers, raised on Sydney's north shore, returns as executive chef of Aalia after years across Brisbane, New York, and Spain, taking over from the departing Paul Farag.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 9, 2026 - Field Notes
Hobart Winter Restaurants: Eight New Rooms to Know
Eight Hobart winter restaurants and nearby rooms to know, from Bear With Me's evening service in Sandy Bay to Brine, Bird in Hand and Gotham.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 8, 2026 - Field Notes
Damian Murgatroyd Takes Graham's Kitchen Flip to Porto Final
Damian Murgatroyd, bar manager at The Blind Pig in Jersey, won the UK round of the Graham's Blend Series with a dessert-style Port cocktail. He competes in Porto on 12 May.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 8, 2026 - Field Notes
Brian Tapera Builds Kudu's Wine Program on Heat, Acid, and Access
Zimbabwe-born sommelier Brian Tapera brings Cape Town training from FYN and Restaurant Beyond to Kudu Marylebone, building a wine program on Riesling, texture, and serious by-the-glass pours.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 7, 2026 - Field Notes
Michael Cimarusti and Sam Baxter Close Connie & Ted's July 3
Michael Cimarusti and Crisi Echiverri will close their West Hollywood seafood restaurant July 3 after 13 years, citing costs that no longer match the model they built around wild shellfish and New England craft.
Hugo MarchettiAugust 6, 2026
