It’s been such an exciting year since we launched The Chef’s List. We’ve explored 16  cities and regions, taking you from Spain to Peru to Turkey to Dubai and so many places right here in the U.S.! Together we’ve shared almost 500 recommendations! 

I am amazed at what we’ve created together and I can’t wait to bring to you more places loved by me, by my friends and family, and by the Chef’s List community as a whole.

Today, I wanted to announce an exciting change that I think you’ll love—we are combining The Chef’s List and my other Substack, Longer Tables! What does this mean for you? It means more content, more community, and more opportunity to learn and discuss. You will still have access to all of the Chef’s List content from the past, and in addition, you’ll be able to access Longer Tables content, which includes amazing stories about ingredients, wine, regions of Spain, and the world of my restaurant group, as well as a weekly recipe. We will still publish Chef’s List periodically, it will just be under the umbrella of Longer Tables!

Please keep an eye out for another email that includes details about your Chef’s List subscription.

This has been an amazing year and I appreciate all of your support as we grow this community…I’m really looking forward to seeing how you like being a part of the Longer Tables family.

Let’s keep this going!

-José

One of the great things about a bar is that so many times you find them by accident, because you’re on your way to somewhere else, a different end destination. You have dinner reservations, or you’re walking around a neighborhood with a friend, your partner, or a coworker, and it appears and invites you in. You find a seat, have a chat with the bartender, maybe you try something new or a twist on one of your old favorites. Whatever happens, and however long you’re there, you’ll remember that place.

Today, I’d love to hear from you about some of the best cocktails you’ve had, and where they were (feel free to tell the whole story if you want!). It could be anywhere. The world gets a little smaller when you’re greeted by a great bar, and this community knows how to give the best recommendations! As always, we will add your suggestions and stories to the map.

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There is something so poetic about a great cocktail before an amazing dinner—it relaxes you, gives you the opportunity to socialize with the people you’re about to enjoy food with, and transports you to a different place, even if only for a few hours. Of course, a great cocktail can be enjoyed on its own…sometimes that’s the occasion! But regardless of where you are or what you plan to eat, you can always count on the bar to start the journey with you.

Today we’re going to hear from my beverage team about their favorite drinks around the U.S. and the world. Specifically, I wanted to know their answers to four questions:

For you, what are the most memorable bars in the U.S.? Most memorable in the world?
What makes those particular bars stand out in your mind?
What makes a good bar to you?
What’s your first order at any bar you visit?

Let’s hear what they have to say, and I think you’ll notice a few patterns (who wants a daiquiri?)

From Alan Grublauskas, our GM at Zaytinya in DC:

Most memorable U.S. bars: Yacht Club in Denver, Sip & Guzzle in New York, PCH in San Francisco, Estero in Chicago, and Roosevelt Room in Austin.

Most memorable bars around the world: Carnaval in Lima, Peru, De La O in Guadalajara, Mexico, Handshake in Mexico City, NoMads in Vilnius, Lithuania.

What makes them stand out
They are all very serious about their cocktails but more importantly, they’re not too stuffy. The welcome nature and the people are the elements that make these bars great.

What makes a good bar to you?
The people first—personalities and vibes can make or break a bar. Creating a balanced back bar is great but if the atmosphere isn’t there, it won’t mean anything.

What’s your first order at any bar you visit?

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While so many of these amazing chefs that I talk about still have restaurants in Spain (like Paco Morales, whose 3-star restaurant, Noor, features the culinary traditions of Al-Andalus—the region of Spain controlled by the Moors for almost 800 years)—some of the ones I mention this week have brought elBulli’s influence across the pond, right here in the U.S.!

So, read on to learn more about some of today’s most inspiring Bullinianos, and let me know if you have enjoyed any of their restaurants!

Ruben Garcia (First year: 1999)
Casa Teresa
919 19th St NW, Washington, DC 20006, United States

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You may have heard about elBulli, and of course I talk about it in my show—maybe you have even been there! 

But just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the elBulli with three Michelin stars that was considered one of the greatest restaurants in all of the world started out as a dream and a plot of land in Roses, a tiny town about two hours north of Barcelona, up the Costa Brava and just south of the border with France. 

The restaurant was originally created as a resort and chiringuito (a casual bar on the beach) by a German-Swiss couple, Hans and Marketa Schilling, who moved to Spain as refugees after World War II. They named it elBulli after their French bulldogs, and opened it 1964. In the early 70s, they hired a French chef, who helped them earn their first Michelin star. In 1984 my future friend Ferran Adrià joined the kitchen team, and by 1987 he was in charge (he got his second star in 1987, and his third in 1997). His brother Albert joined in 1985 as a pastry chef.

Which is where I come into the picture, people! Ferran, Albert, and I have more than three decades of history. I worked at elBulli for three seasons in the late 1980s, and while I worked there, I also lived there, above the restaurant (I like to call it my other military service, after my days in the Spanish Navy) before I left to move to New York. 

Of course, Ferran and Albert are some of my best friends (and business partners! We are all partners at Mercado Little Spain in New York), but they are also geniuses who inspired a “big bang” of creativity in the culinary world. There is no way to describe briefly what they did over the course of that restaurant—especially the incredibly creative period of the 1990s—in terms of pure culinary innovation. There are books and movies and now a museum dedicated to those stories, which if you’re interested, I highly recommend you pursuing on your own!

One of the most amazing things they did, though, was to make sure their discoveries were available to everyone—they wanted to spread the word, not keep what they were doing to themselves. It was the definition of “open source.” They published every single one of their dishes in books—huge volumes cataloguing every innovation that happened in that kitchen. Me and many other chefs around the world have these books bookmarked, dog-eared, and written-in, with so many moments of exploration and enlightenment happening in their pages. Ferran would also attend conferences, he would give lectures, he spoke at Harvard with me—always with the intention of sharing his huge amount of knowledge with the rest of the world. He is maybe the least selfish chef in the history of the world!

Over the years, the concept of elBulli evolved beyond the four walls of the restaurant. There was an atelier, for research; a catering company; commercial projects; and more. The restaurant was open six months out of the year, and only about 8,000 diners would get to enjoy it every season (but it received about 2,000,000 requests for reservations each year!). It ultimately closed in 2011, but when Ferran and the elBulli team closed the doors of the restaurant, they opened the elBulli Foundation, which is dedicated to the legacy of elBulli and its contributions to the world of food. And just last year, they reopened the restaurant as elBulli1846, a museum where you can see the space as it once existed, overlooking beautiful Cala Montjoi.

Cooking of course is art, and what Ferran did at elBulli is nothing short of genius. He is one of the few chefs in the world—in history—who can be considered a true pioneer of this art form.  Many people might wonder why it is worth spending so much money on something that only lasts for a little while…you’re literally making the thing that you’re spending money on disappear! But you are also absorbing a piece of history, and becoming a part of a community that has come together over revolutionary ideas. elBulli itself may be gone, but its impact will live forever in the legacies of the Bullinianos…those who trained there, worked there, and went on to create their own masterpieces. The people you read about here are only a few of the hundreds who shared in the journey of elBulli, but they all represent Ferran’s original vision, and continue to grow the amazing web of culinary creativity.

Did you ever visit elBulli…or have you experienced one of these other restaurants? What did you enjoy the most?

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So, here are the Bullinianos…part 1!

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Before we start the discussion, though, I have to thank you for all of your amazing comments about Spanish wine! The community really weighed in on that discussion, and I love it when you all share knowledge with each other (and me). Here are some of my favorites.

Ann R. discovered Mixtura Blanco at Bazaar in DC, which led her to find even more great wine when she arrived in Spain:

We had Mixtura Blanco, a bland of Treixadura and Albariño Blanco, at Bazaar in DC and loved it. While in Spain last month we asked for this wine but it was hard to find and we were introduced to La Casa de Las Locas Treixadura and their Godello!! Special bonus is that they have women and cats on their labels and corks!!!

Ramonna R. had an amazing experience in Haro (home of the famous wine battle):

Tempranillos from the Rioja region are some of my favorite wines in the world. And visiting Haro is a fabulous way to experience several bodegas in one or two days. You can walk to so many of them and have a fabulous day. Some of my favorites were Gomez Cruzado, R. López de Heredia, Muga and CVNE. Enjoy!

Rita V. has a few recommendations around the country:

While in the Basque region, we visited Casa Primicia and enjoyed a silky and sexy Tempranillo they call Cofradia. AMAZING. Can't go wrong with Txomin txakoli as one other person said. Love Godello, Lopez de Heredia, stayed at Marques de Riscal and sampled some very rare reds that made my toes curl... Ah! SPAIN!

And Barnaby G., who spends half the year in San Sebastián, has the local recommendations:

We live in San Sebastian 6 months of the year. So we get a lot of txakoli. Can't go wrong with the txomin tx which you will find more often. But we strongly recommend the katalin if you see it. Also look out for white rioja (typically viura). Happy to share a glass with anyone passing through.

Thanks again to everyone who made this such a fun discussion! Now, where do you go in Valencia?

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Before we talk about paella, I want to talk a little bit about Valencia itself, because it is rich in history—both culinary and agricultural. Valencia, overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, has been a central hub of trading for hundreds of years. It’s one of the oldest cities in Spain and is now the busiest port in the Mediterranean! Because there have been so many foods and goods traded through here, it has become a paradise for people who love to eat.

Valencia is also unique because it has some of the best produce in the country. The city is surrounded by wetlands known as the Albufera, which is a large agricultural area where farming has been the way of life for centuries. It’s a low water space that is flooded or drained depending on the season, and it’s perfect for growing rice, which of course is the main ingredient in paella. There are a few types of rice that grow here—bomba, calasparra, and J. Sendra, to name a few—which are short-grain rices that evolved from grains originally brought to Spain hundreds of years ago from the Middle East.

And of course Valencia is also famous for its amazing sweet oranges, but did you know that artichokes are also everywhere in these farm lands? And so many other amazing ingredients that helped create the culinary traditions we love in today’s Valencia…it’s called la huerta (the orchard) for a reason, people!

And now…what to say about paella? This is the birthplace of paella, but did you know how it first started? In the 18th century in the Albufera, farmers would get together for lunch and bring whatever they could harvest that day to cook over an open fire. It eventually grew into one of Spain’s richest traditions, and even today, true Paella Valenciana is cooked over a wood fire with ten ingredients: local shortgrain rice, olive oil, rabbit, chicken, garrofó and ferradura beans, saffron, tomato, salt and water. Of course there are other ingredients that you could put on top, like seafood, but it is not a true paella Valenciana—it is an arroz (rice). And there are plenty of delicious, authentic, incredible arroces out there, so explore and try as many as you can!

To spend time in Valencia is to understand a whole region, not just one (amazing) city. You really have to go out into the wetlands, into the fields, and around Alicante and Murcia to fully understand what this place is all about. If you plan on coming to Valencia, I suggest you build in a couple extra days to explore these other places (make sure to rent a car!), not just the city, and try everything! Meet some local farmers, eat wherever you can, take a paella to go (yes, this is possible, you’ll see in the recommendations) and soak in everything you can about this amazing place. 

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Before we start the discussion about your favorite Spanish wines, I wanted to share a few community recommendations from our Dubai Chef’s List:

Tracy K. has a taco for for anyone from the U.S or Mexico who might be homesick:

Lila’s Wood Fired Taqueria—heirloom nixtamalized corn from Mexico, locally sourced and grown produce and protein from as local as possible and delicious flavors!!

Julia K. knows the scenic places to go:

Check out the Aquarium Restaurant in Jumeirah Burj Al Arab and also the Skyview Lounge in the same place!

Donna W. is a fan of Jaleo (thank you Donna!!!!) and also has an amazing Indian recommendation:

l love Jaleo in Dubai, especially the tomato tartare. The service is just so friendly and the food is always impeccable, and we got some different items that we normally don’t get in the US. Try Trèsind Studio if you like Indian and a Michelin star restaurant that is a production.

And Courtney B. loves Trèsind Studio and Orfali Brothers as well, and also has a few other recommendations:

BOCA, 21 Grams, and Jun's are all some of my favorites!

Thank you to everyone who contributed recommendations for Dubai! Back to Spanish wines….

I’d love to hear from you about your experience with Spanish wine, whether it’s a bottle you had at a restaurant (maybe one of mine???), one you picked up at a local wine store, or one you had in Spain. I’d also love to hear about any wine experiences you’ve had in Spain (have you visited wineries, or a specific region like Rioja or Rueda?). Whether you are looking for a bottle recommendation for a dinner party, or some ideas for your next trip to Spain, let’s give our community some amazing ideas!

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When the Romans conquered the Iberian Peninsula around 200 BC, they saw a lot of value in Spanish wine, and began exporting it. Most of it was produced in Tarragona and Andalucía and exported throughout what is the modern-day European continent…to Rome of course but also to the soldiers at the frontlines of many battles, and to Gaul…which today of course is France. I wonder what my friend Eric Ripert would have to say about French soldiers drinking Spanish wines!

One of the things that makes Spanish wine so interesting (besides how good it is, of course) is that it has seen a lot of ups and downs over hundreds of years. For example…the al-Andalus dynasty ruled in Spain for almost 800 years, and while its leaders openly followed Islamic law, many of them loved to drink wine and actually owned their own vineyards. 

In the mid-1800’s, the pest known as phylloxera, which is devastating to vineyards, wiped out many of the other wine-producing regions in Europe, especially France. Phylloxera eventually made its way over to Spain as well, but not before winemakers from those other countries discovered the terroir that makes Spanish wines so amazing…laying the groundwork for some of the best producers in the country to this day!

The wines of Spain reflect the spirit and character of Spaniards…they are creative, they are romantic, they are whimsical, and they are RESILIENT. I am so proud to share with you some of my favorite wines from some of my favorite places and producers, some of whom are like family to me. It is my hope that when you open a bottle of Spanish wine, you can feel the sun on your face, you can smell the soil, and you can picture yourself enjoying tapas. No matter where you are in the world, our wines will always bring a little bit of Spain to you.

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Last week, you read about my brother Mariano’s favorite places in Dubai, and people, there were some amazing ones! Before we get to yours, we put together a very special Chef’s List for Madrid, which includes so many places that are so important to me. The community also had some great recommendations, from where to get the best hot chocolate (a Madrid specialty if you haven’t tried it yet!):

“San Gines for churros and hot chocolate always!” -Carolyn H.

…to great places for french fries (and more!)

“La Salsaria Paseo de los Olmos, 6, is a french fry bar! The sauces are served on a painter’s palette. Simple and delicious.” -Pam D.

…to more creative neighborhood spots!

“Sala de Despiece never disappoints in Madrid, always an imaginative and fun menu where they create everything in front of you. They just opened another restaurant called Sala Cero that I need to try! Had a delicious meal at Los 33 as well, the steak is cooked to perfection.” - Hannah R.

But back to Dubai! Where have you enjoyed a great meal? An amazing view? A unique cocktail? Send us your recommendations and we will add your suggestions to the map.

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Dubai has become a really special place to me—not only because Mariano is here, but also because we opened a Jaleo location here early last year, at Atlantis the Royal on Palm Jumeirah, where Mariano oversees operations. Dubai to me is the city where it happens. I always say that food has the power to bring people together, and I think in a city that in some ways is a crossroads of the whole world, food plays a really important role in bringing together people from all different cultures, religions, backgrounds and traditions. 

I am so proud of Jalelo Dubai—it’s in a beautiful space with a big bar, a wood fire station for cooking paella, and lots of tables for more intimate dining experiences. There is also an amazing terraza with 100-year old olive trees! And when you’re eating there, if you’ve been to other Jaleo locations, you’ll find many familiar menu items, and of course I would recommend the Chef’s tasting menu so you can try lots of different things. One of our amazing chefs, Avinash Agarwal, will compete at World Paella Day in Valencia next month (and we’ll be talking to him over at Longer Tables in a few weeks, so you should definitely head over there to check it out!).

So, now let’s hear about some of Mariano’s favorite places to eat in Dubai!

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This week, we are talking abo…

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I would love to hear all about your summer travels. Where have you been? Where are you going? What did you eat? Who did you meet?

I can’t wait to see what you have been up to! And be sure to check in next week for a new Chef’s List post from a big city in Spain…I’ll let you guess which one! Maybe start looking at flights?

You also came together as the amazing community I already knew you are, and you shared a lot of your Chicago favorites, so I want to share a few of those here. Remember, the more you share, the bigger our community map gets!

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A couple of you mentioned Purple Pig, North Pond and of course Alinea. Listona J. also loves Alinea and has a few other suggestions as well—Giant, the Girl and the Goat, Honey Butter Fried Chicken, Publican Quality Meats, Longman & Eagle, Mako, Momtaro, and the Green Mill!

Sara N. also mentioned North Pond, but has offered a few other Chicago classics, including Obélix, Le Bouchon, Frontera, and Gage.

Pamela C. is looking out for the Spanish food in Chicago:

“Go to Geja’s for the great wine selection, fantastic (live!) flamenco guitar, and consistently delicious food. Romantic date night restaurant.”

T. Barber loves Meli Cafe, Spanglish, Lou Mitchell’s, and Amarit Thai. 

Michelle S. recommends an Armenian place:

“Sayat Nova is an Armenian restaurant on East Ohio street. An authentic, 100% Armenian restaurant is hard to come by in the midwest and this one is awesome! The Armeni Tini cocktail is a must-have.”

Alex W. has a great steakhouse:

“My all-time favorite is Gene & Georgetti, the best steakhouse in Chicago.”

And because it’s Chicago, we can’t forget about pizza! You can trust Jason K. with this one:

“Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder. Been going there since I was a kid and it’s still just as amazing today.” 

Turning back towards Spain, now that you’ve seen Marti Buckley’s recommendations, do you have more to add to the map? Where do you go in San Sebastián and the País Vasco, the Basque Country?

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Today, I want to introduce (or re-introduce, if you already know her!) a friend of mine who we just featured over on Longer Tables—Marti Buckley. She is an amazing cook and cookbook author, and an expert on the food of the Basque Country. She adopted San Sebastián (Donostia in the Basque language, called Euskera) as her home, and we share similar missions…to bring the flavors of Spain to an American audience.

So, let’s take a look at Marti’s favorite places to eat and drink in San Sebastián!

Txepetxa
Arrandegi Kalea, 5, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain

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This week, I’d love to keep building out our map and hear from you. What are your favorite places to eat and drink in the Windy City? What do you want to share with our community?

I’m looking forward to hearing what you say!

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Today, we are talking about Chicago, one of my favorite cities in the U.S. It has everything you could possibly want in a city—amazing people! Beautiful architecture! A giant, shiny bean! And of course, some of the best food you can find in the entire country. It’s not all hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches and deep dish pizza, people (though you have to try those too when you’re visiting). You could eat at a different place for every meal for a year and still not even scratch the surface of Chicago food. Of course we also have my restaurants Bazaar Meat, Bar Mar, Pigtail and Jaleo, and we love when you come visit us. So people… are you hungry yet??

For this Chef’s List, I asked a few of my friends for their favorite places to eat in Chicago. First, Daniela Romero, our head chef at Bazaar in Chicago who has recently moved to our soon-to-open Bazaar Mar in Las Vegas. We’ll also hear from Emanuel Santiago, our lead bartender at Pigtail in Chicago.

So first, here is Daniela with a few of her favorite places to eat and drink in the Windy City: 

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Last week, I took you on a tour of some of my favorite American classics from around the country. This week, I would love to hear from you—what do you consider classics? Hometown spots that have been around for decades, ones that are embedded in the community, ones you’d drive an hour to visit?

We take a lot of pride in building this community online and in adding your recommendations to the map, and we love hearing from you! We’ve received incredible suggestions from Istanbul to Athens, from New York to LA, and lots of places in between. So, would you help us add some of your favorite “classic” eating and drinking spots to the map?

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So yes, since America’s Independence Day is next week, I wanted to reflect a bit on American food today. To me, American food means so many things…it’s about the history of this country, who was on this land first and who has moved here. It’s about has put down their roots here…whether indigenous or from somewhere else…and the influences they’ve had on the ingredients here, as well as on America’s appetites over the years. Some of my good friends, like Padma Lakshmi in her show Taste the Nation, have explored the corners of this amazing place and told stories of immigrants, of multiple-generation families, and everyone else who has come here and defined American food for themselves.

So today, I want to share with you some of my favorite places in America, places that define “classic” American food and American life. But what is “classic” American food? It could look so different depending on where you are! It could look like Sean Sherman’s Owamni, which explores and celebrates indigenous heritage and cuisine in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It could look like Berkeley’s Chez Panisse, Alice Waters’ iconic tribute to the simplicity of ingredients. (Of course, it could look like Jaleo, which just celebrated our 30th anniversary last year and are looking forward to the next 30 more!) Or it could look like your backyard or neighborhood corner restaurant.

As we move through some American classics, I thought it would be perfect to start in my hometown of Washington, DC. I have this philosophy that the DC food scene—and probably the scene in your own home town or city—is a bit like flying above a forest…if all you do is fly, you’re only going to see the trees, but if you actually go into the forest, you’ll see roots and bushes, animals and insects, and you’ll smell the trees and the soil. DC has been thought of as a meat and potatoes town for so long, that if you don’t go explore the forest, meat and potatoes may be all you find. So, people, go into the forest! So let’s go to DC first, and then we’ll explore some classics in other cities!

Ben’s Chili Bowl
1213 U Street, NW Washington, DC 20009

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