I started out in search of an omakase experience for our Fine Diners Over 40 New York group. That I serendipitously landed on Yamada Chikara was manna from heaven: The restaurant’s well-known Japanese chef-owner, Chikara Yamada, trained under chef Ferran Adrià at the legendary El Bulli, which closed in 2011. From its perch in Roses on Spain’s Costa Brava, the Michelin-three-star El Bulli wowed diners over a 47-year run. For its last 26 years, under the tutelage of Ferran Adrià and his brother, Albert, a cadre of El Bulli chefs regularly debuted new feats of molecular gastronomy. Experimenting with the chemical and physical aspects of cooking, theyRead More →

I wish I could say I learned of this novel take on a peanut butter sandwich while reading some serious book about Ernest Hemingway. But alas, I read about it in Trader Joe’s August 2019 Fearless Flyer. It was tucked in a snippet about TJ’s Creamy Salted Peanut Butter, which has spoiled me for life: Since I discovered it years ago, I’ve been unable to consume any other mass market brand. Made with only, exclusively peanuts from the southeastern U.S. and salt – no sweeteners or additives – TJ’s makes a strong case for “Simple really is better.” Now, the Hemingway part: “If you have aRead More →

What’s the old saying, “never say never”? For years I’ve said I’d never go to Las Vegas. Okay, I might swing through on my way to the Grand Canyon. But I doubt I’d ever spend time in a casino or go to a show – they just don’t interest me. To date, I’ve never been. On the other hand, I used to say I could not see myself composting because I live in a Manhattan apartment. I’m a devoted recycler, but was uninformed about composting. I automatically assumed food scraps would attract bugs or other critters. For this same reason, I never understood why theRead More →

There are a few things in life that drive me bonkers. Like when someone walking in front of me discards a paper on the sidewalk instead of holding it until she sees a trash can. Or the person who lets the lobby door close in my face — blissfully unaware that I’m behind intent on slowing him down a few precious seconds. Catch me in a cantankerous mood and I might make a snide remark to register my extreme annoyance. And then there are noisy restaurants — these take the cake in the category of “things-we-could-do-to-increase-customer-satisfaction-but-just-won’t.” I’m not talking about the cavernous spaces with sound-reflectingRead More →

Yoga is a robust and still-growing sector of the health and wellness industry. Its popularity is being driven in no small part by boomers and healthcare providers who see it as an eminently accessible way to increase flexibility and muscle strength. Yoga is also known to improve cardio and circulatory health, reduce stress, shed pounds, shore up mental health, and more. Here is a rundown of some of the yoga trends catching on in 2018. Yoga with Small Animals I’d be surprised if we ever see the day when lions and tigers and bears arrive on the yoga scene. But animals of the small, sweetRead More →

Our Seattle Fine Diners Over 40™ (FDO40) are always eager to experience the chef’s creativity at each successive venue. On Saturday, August 25th, we headed to Capitol Hill and Marjorie, Donna Moodie’s tribute to her beloved mom — a welcoming hostess and inspired home cook. Donna Moodie has been turning foodie heads since 1993 when she opened her first restaurant, Marco’s Supperclub, to widespread acclaim. A few years later she branched out to regional Italian with Lush Life, in Belltown. In 2003 Lush Life morphed into Marjorie, which relocated to Capitol Hill in 2010. Joining Leslie, our Seattle host, at dinner were seven members andRead More →