dines at l'Arpège in Paris...

l‘Arpège is the tiny Lalique-panneled restaurant owned by the legendary Alain Passard.  In 2001 Monsieur Passard declared that he would be be focussing on a more vegetable driven menu, but more importantly a seasonal, home-grown menu.

This statement seems to have lost something in translation, because in 2012 it seems perfectly reasonable, indeed appropriate.  But in Paris a decade ago, turning your back on a very protein-heavy menu, seems to have caused considerable ripples.  Alain had held three Michelin stars since 1996, but maintained those stars after swapping over to his new style - clearly the inspectors felt that the standards were maintained.

dines on the Land and Sea menu by Tom Kitchin...

Perched high above the South Bank, The Cube pop-up was sponsored by Electrolux.  Many of our favourite chefs, including Daniel Clifford, Simon Rogan and the very lovely Tom Kitchin held weekly court at The Cube for several months in 2012, providing a snapshot of their usual menu.

lunches at The Royal Oak in Paley Street...

The Royal Oak is a quaint Michelin starred pub out in Paley Street, close to Ascot, Marlow and Bray.  The chef, Dominic Chapman comes to the Oak via the Hinds Head at Bray, and the manager, Mo Gherras is ex Petrus.

Lots of my chums had been to the Royal Oak at Paley Street, and I was very happy when Steve Whitelock suggested we meet there.

Ascot 2012 in the Parade Ring Restaurant

Dining at racecourses can be a bit of a hit and miss affair, and is a very difficult thing to get right. Over the years I've eaten in many different courses, and at many different levels - from the sandwich stalls to lobster, and everything in between.  For the last couple of years we've used the Parade Ring restaurant at Ascot, and I continue to be impressed by their commitment to innovate, titivate, and more importantly facilitate dining between races.  This is much harder than it sounds, and the task falls to the in-house management team and to Sodexo, who are the main caterer at Ascot.

Manhattan's Union Square Greenmarket

In one of Manhattan’s few green and open spaces lies the world-famous Union Square Market. Established 36 years ago, the farmer’s market runs four times a week and is a must for local shoppers and foodies. Open on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, there’s ample time for a visit in even the briefest of schedules. It’s also open all day, but jet-lagged Europeans can head there early to see the stallholders setting up - it’s the perfect way to start your day. It’s also just one of dozens of markets run in the city by the non-profit New York Greenmarket initiative.

dines at Aqua Grill in Soho, New York...

I'm in New York - hurrah! City to some of the finest restaurants in the world, and a mecca for foodies everywhere.  Every street corner boasts a diner or deli, and with produce coming in from all over the country and overseas, it's no surprise that it also has restaurants like Aquagrill.

On the day that we visited, Aquagrill had no less than 27 kinds of oysters available on its huge ice-packed counter... And that's just the oysters. There were also countless kinds of fish, produced in a myriad of different ways.