Today In Blogging Chefs: Bayless on Xoco's Opening Week; Achatz on Wine

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Sep 14, 2009 7:40PM

The most restaurant story last week with the most oversaturated coverage was the opening of XOCO. Taking a break from Twittering, Rick Bayless analyzed the good and the bad from the highly anticipated opening on his website:

I am a chef who likes to cook more than proliferate and manage restaurants. That’s why Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and, now, Xoco are all together. I can slide from one kitchen to another, tasting and training and coaching and cooking. Cooking is why I became a chef, and I never want to get too far from it.

It's a very good read showcasing a master chef at his most self-critical. Check it out.

Meanwhile, over at the Atlantic Monthly's food blog Grant Achatz tells the story of his time working at a vineyard and the litany of revelations he discovered about the importance of olfactory senses and why wine pairings matter when related to food.

Wine lovers speak of a wine's "nose," and compare the aroma to the eventual flavor on the palate. The "finish" is often tasted when you breathe in again. These are all part of the language of wine, and yet we do not typically speak of food in the same manner. I wonder why that is?

Achatz uses this post to set up what will be an 8-part series on wine pairings running on the Atlantic in the next month. Read today's post here.