The Big 100
The world's greatest cultural icons and globetrotting experts plan the ultimate 2012 itinerary. Pack your bags, book your flights, and take off on an epic year of travel adventures.
TIM LOVE
FOOD
Chef Tim Love is as big as Texas. Not literally, of course — he's a pretty svelte fella — but his food is as wild as the rodeo and he's got more personality than a 10-gallon hat. In demand at food festivals around the country, he keeps a punishing travel schedule as culinary ambassador for the Lone Star State. Follow in his footsteps with these tasty discoveries from his last year on the trail.
Interview by JAY CHESHES
001 SON OF A GUN, LA
"I like the attitude — unpretentious, fun — but the food is very focused," says Love of this new seafood spot from the punk rock chefs behind Animal. "The shrimp toast has more butter in it than a full churn. The lobster roll is jam-packed with lobster and tastes like the sea." 8370 W Third St; 323-782-9033 www.sonofagunrestaurant.com
002 SCHWA, CHICAGO
"It's got the most party-like atmosphere of any restaurant I've ever been to," says Love of this eccentric BYO, one of the hardest reservations to score in Chicago (mostly because nobody ever answers the phone). The place serves hyper modern food, "crazy, fun stuff" in a "loud, vivacious" setting. The key, says Love, is to bring the kitchen something decent to drink: "A bottle of Patron worked pretty well for us." 1466 N Ashland Ave; 773-252-1466; www.schwarestaurant.com
003 MELROSE MARKET, SEATTLE
This new destination for Seattle foodies is the "super cool" antidote, says Love, to tourist-clogged Pike Place Market. The warehouse-style market is filled with great places to shop and eat. "It just feels like Seattle," says the chef, "guys cracking fresh oysters right there — sick-in-the-head good. We had killer sausage with creamed cabbage, too, from this restaurant with a big hearth they cook in." 1501-1535 Melrose Ave; www.melrosemar-ketseattle.com
004 PUERTO SAGUA, MIAMI
Mornings in Miami you'll find Love hunched over the counter at this divey institution, which opened just a few blocks from the beach back in 1962. "I get one of the egg dishes and extra Cuban toast," he says. "I can murder about ten pieces, they're so good." 700 Collins Ave, Miami Beach; 305-673-1115
005 THE GAGE, CHICAGO
After three days cooking barbecue for the performers at last year's Lollapalooza, Love found himself digging into a big plate of poutine at The Gage on Sunday morning. "Everybody's sitting there drinking martinis at 11 in the morning with their wristbands on," recalls the chef, "and I'm tackling fries with demi-glace and cheese curds and little pieces of venison. Really good." 24 S Michigan Ave; 312-372-4243; www.thegagechicago.com
006 SCALLOP POND PRESERVE, NEW YORK
Love spends time every summer out in the Hamptons, New York's beachfront playground, digging up shellfish himself in the Scallop Pond Preserve there. "It's a cool food sightseeing trip," says the chef. "You'll see loads of seafood — mussels, razor clams, scallops, they're all there. You can crack them open... as long as you have a permit, of course."North Sea, NY (93 miles from New York)
007 SECRET PIZZA SPOT, LAS VEGAS
One of the buzziest places to eat in the new Cosmopolitan Hotel doesn't even have a name (and you won't find it listed on any hotel map or website). But Love insists it's well worth the trouble of hunting down this "hole-in-the-wall" on the second floor, for "the best straight-up pepperoni pizza around." "It tastes just like New York pie," says the chef, "they even import the water." At Cosmopolitan Hotel, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-698-7000; www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
008 RED FARM, NEW YORK
Try the crispy spicy beef at this new creative Chinese spot in Manhattan's West Village, says Love. The long lines — they don't take reservations for fewer than 10 — are worth enduring, he insists, both for the food and the vibe. "I love that the place feels so un-Chinese," says the chef. "It's a great neighborhood joint." 529 Hudson St; 212-792-9700; www.redfarmnyc.com
009 DRAGO'S, NEW ORLEANS
For Love, no trip to New Orleans is ever complete without a gluttonous visit to Drago's, a Big Easy institution famous for its charbroiled oysters. "They're just stupid good," says chef. "Lots of butter and garlic and parmesan. So damn good. They must go through thousands of them a day, and I've probably had 100 myself." 2 Poydras St; 504-584-3911; www.dragosrestaurant.com
010 FATTY CUE, NEW YORK
Love's new international barbecue spot, the Woodshed (opening early 2012), shares the same unconventional spirit as this Brooklyn honky-tonk, with its mashup of all-American grilling and fiery Southeast Asian cuisine. "I love their new take on barbecue," he says. "I had the whole pig's head, and the duck was really good, too."91 S Sixth St, Brooklyn; 718-599-3090; www.fattycue.com
THE LONE STAR STEAK
No matter where he is, Love knows he can conjure the Lone Star State with a simple, expertly grilled Texas rib eye. It's enough to drive away both hunger and homesickness.
Grilled Texas Rib Eye
Three 1 1/2-pound, bone-in rib eye steaks, about 1 inch thick, at room temperature canola oil for brushing, Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions: Light a grill and heat, covered, until hot. Brush the steaks with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks over high heat for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer the steaks to a carving board and let rest for 10 to 30 minutes. Return the steaks to the hot grill, cover and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once; the steaks are done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 130° for rare or 135° for medium-rare. Return the steaks to the carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steaks across the grain and serve with a mixed green salad.
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