(NEW YORK) - We were sitting at the counter that looks directly into the open kitchen, so when chef George Mendes began assembling the sardine appetizer I had a clear view of it.

(SAN FRANSISCO) - With a name like RN74 (the highway through the Burgundy region in France), you’d expect to find French fare.

(HOUSTON) - What happens when an avant-garde chef throws in with an old-guard restaurant? Love, May–December style.

This week, we fall for an old favorite in Houston and gorgeous Iberian-inspired food in New York City. Plus, Michael Mina’s latest in San Francisco and a go-to spot for seafood in Barcelona....

Not one to rest on his laurels, chef Ferran Adrià makes a sea change.

(SAN FRANCISCO) - Kitchenette’s pedigreed chefs—including Brian Leitner and Douglas Monsalud—call their food “spontaneous organic covert nourishment.” I’d like to add “delicious.”...

This week’s roundup includes Govind Armstrong’s much-heralded New York entrance, a covert lunch operation in San Francisco, a Mississippi spin on small plates, and a down-home tapas bar in...

(NEW YORK) - Nothing needs to be adjusted about the food at Govind Armstrong?s sleek New York version of Table 8, ensconced in the super-modernist Cooper Square Hotel.

(OXFORD) - The Snackbar vibe is straightforward: shellacked wainscoting accessorized by taxidermied deer heads; louvered blinds to filter the parking lot light; raw bar in front; drinking bar in back.

(MADRID) - Estado Puro translates as “pure state,” which gives you an idea of what Paco Roncero is up to—as long as you believe that the pure state of, say, salt cod is to be rolled into chestnut-sized balls and deep-fried to a...