Rest Magazine

Best Table in the House

Coast to Coast And In Between

By Frank Cutrona, with contributions from
Katerine Brockman and Jojo Deneroff

Fortunately, I have a business lifestyle that takes me to places where there’s
plenty of great bistros, cafés and restaurants.

What I like to do is take one fabulous meal and roll it around over in my mind for a while before I lay one word down in my journal. It takes time to enjoy what comes over the palate and turn it into a qualified opinion I can communicate to readers.

I weigh the mix of experience, ambiance, the feel of the location and the service. Sometimes I’ll mull over a meal for weeks before I can comfortably say the establishment has all the unique qualities that make it a “Best Table” topic.

Before you go off thinking I’m some kind of snoot… some of my “Best Table” candidates have no tables at all, like that terrific stand-up joint on Hollywood Boulevard that serves up the best burritos you can get in gringo-land. Or the sauerkraut dog I bought from a street vendor while tooling around Times Square. What matters is the experience. You can eat anywhere you like, but if you don’t enjoy it, then (in my opinion) you’re just not living right.

Here’s to you, from the best table in the house. I hope you enjoy my collection – in San Francisco, Aspen and New York City.

Cheers!

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