Published since 2005. San Francisco is a city that belongs to the people of the world. Hence this blog has a global focus. The name "Sam Spade's San Francisco" refers to an exciting era in the City's history, the time of Dashiell Hammett's fictional gumshoe and San Francisco character, Sam Spade. My name is Tom Dunn and I edit the blog. I'm not as exciting as Sam Spade, but I am definitely a San Francisco character.Contact or on Twitter -- Search blog below.
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Saturday, June 16, 2007
Chef Traci de Jardins - Iron Chef Victory
Congratulations to San Francisco's chef and restaurateur Traci de Jardins and her magnificent sous chefs Robbie Lewis and Peter Armellino!
Their remarkable performance on the Food Network's Iron Chef America won for them the show's top honor. Iron Chef America is based on a popular Japanese television program that each week pits a challenger against one of the show's stable of distinguished chefs.
In the episode featuring Traci de Jardins she challenged Iron Chef Mario Batale. Batale, who is not only one of America's most consistently excellent chefs, is owner of B&B Ristorante in Las Vegas, Babbo Ristorante in New York City, Bar Jamon in New York City, Casa Mono in New York, Del Posto in New York, Enotoca San Marco in Las Vegas, Esca in New York City, Italian Wine Merchants in New York City, Lupa in New York City, Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles, Otto Enoteca Mozza in LosAngeles.
Traci is executive chef and co-owner with Pat Kuleto of Jardiniere Restaurant in San Francisco.
Star Chefs, the magazine for culinary insiders, has this to say about Traci de Jardins:
Traci des Jardins exudes the grace and peace of someone at the top of her game, who has come full circle in her career. She has long mastered French techniques, and knows how to successfully "push the culinary envelope," and create show-stopping dishes.
"I think it must be the same way with other types of artists," des Jardins said, "you enter into any creative field because you have specific ideas and something to offer. But first, you must learn the discipline. For me that part was so critical, but the discipline and techniques only took me so far; as I've grown personally and professionally something has shifted in my cooking. I used to feel the need to make a bold statement with my cooking; now I'm just creating the food I love."
Lucky for Bay Area diners in San Francisco, then, that Jardiniere is des Jardins' canvas. She has made a consistent creative splash since she arrived in 1991, and her cooking, as well as the restaurant's design, have garnered a tremendous amount of national recognition.
In 1995 des Jardins was named "Rising Star Chef of the Year" by the James Beard Foundation, and in the same year was named one of Food & Wine Magazine's "Best New Chefs." She was recently chosen Chef of the Year by San Francisco Magazine's critics' panel.
For two consecutive years she was named one of the top three chefs in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1997 Jardiniere was nominated as "Best New Restaurant of the Year" by the James Beard Foundation, and has been named one of the "100 Top Restaurants in the Bay Area" by the San Francisco Chronicle two years in a row.
And now she has appeared on a major network television show and was the victor in acombat cookingcontest with one of America's top chefs.
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