Since late April, Next Restaurant, run by the Alinea Group, has celebrated Bobby Flay’s first restaurant and channeled the ‘90s spirit that made Mesa Grill a hit in New York City. The restaurant opened in 1991 when Flay was 25.
Alinea Chef Grant Achatz has touted Flay as one of his influences. Mesa Grill was where Achatz first dined during a maiden trip to Manhattan. A Las Vegas location would open in 2004 inside the Caesars Palace casino; it closed in 2020. Achatz hails Flay as one of the first chefs, along with Brendan Walsh, the chef at New York’s Arizona 206, to bring Southwestern cuisine to the masses.
“Looking back now, nearly 30 years later, it is easy to see the similarities of approach our food at The Alinea Group has with that out-of-the-box, risk-taking, new style that chef Flay (helped) introduce to the American culinary scene,” Achatz writes to Eater.
Achatz adds: “Pre-Internet and culinary globalization, most Americans had never been exposed to the ingredients and techniques featured in his dishes, as French was still the dominating cuisine in American fine dining. The deeply flavored layering of chilies, blue corn, tamales, empanadas, mole — and even margaritas — were still not common.”
Flay dined at Next earlier in May and enjoyed the trip down memory lane. 2024 is the year of the tribute for Next, which honored Julia Child in January. Chicago’s own Charlie Trotter will be featured from September through the end of the year. Next will embrace the Mesa Grill motif until September 1. The common thread for the trio is TV and food.
While Child may have pioneered the role of TV chef, Flay’s presence shows an evolution with the birth of Food Network. He’s brought Next a different sort of attention — Flay’s fans flying into Chicago from across the country for another taste of Mesa Grill. Achatz mentions Flay’s role in “educating and influencing so many home cooks at a critical time in American eating.”
The Alinea Group’s co-founder Nick Kokonas tells Eater that Flay was flattered and graciously gave them his blessing. They considered titling their effort “Next: Mesa Grill” but weren’t sure if most Americans make the connection to the celebrity chef without Flay’s name in the title.
“We emailed him and had a conversation about Mesa Grill and the fact that it was hugely impactful for the industry, but a bit lost to history because of all of the TV work he has done,” Kokonas writes. “He said he was honored that we wanted to focus on his cuisine and he’d let us do the menu without any strings attached — and he’s been very generous with his time, opinions, and historical documentation of the Mesa Grill recipes and ideas.”
Achatz says Flay encouraged the staff at Next to “take some liberties” with their menu: “It was important to both of us that we show some of TAG’s fingerprints within the foundation of his food,” Achatz says. “We were very careful to make sure the flavor profiles and backbone of all the dishes represented on the menu had all the touchstones of the originals.”
The menu provides opportunities for fans to enjoy nostalgia while giving younger diners a chance to see what made chefs like Flay household names.
“I would say that all food and travel-related TV programs raise awareness, education, and create passion within the viewers for food and beverage,” Achatz writes. “This creates and continually builds the group of people that make traveling to dine out a hobby, thereby making our restaurants busier.”
“Getting people curious, educated, comfortable and excited to experience restaurants through TV is a fantastic commercial for all hospitality regardless of the specific theme of the show.”
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, you may want to find a special gift for that special someone, and there are so many romantic and heartfelt gifts out there that can match the personality of your valentine.
We took a look at some great gift ideas that break the stereotypical Valentine’s Day gifts so your special person will know that thought and consideration went into what you got them.
This is the best gift overall because it speaks to the child inside all of us. LEGOs have always been a fun and exciting toy for children, but this flower-building kit is also a simple yet romantic idea for that special adult in your life. The best part about these flowers is that they will never die, unlike real flowers that look nice for a couple of days and then begin to wilt.
We love that this kit comes with two flowers so you and your significant other can build them together. If your Valentine isn’t a fan of roses, that’s okay, because Lego also has a Sunflowers Building Kit and a Lotus Flower Building Kit so you could buy the flowers your special person will love the most, or you can mix and match!
Are you buying for someone who needs a daily dose of love? We recommend this cute bottle of love capsules. This decorative and colorful glass bottle with capsules makes for a unique and fun gift perfect for a Valentine who could use daily affirmations since every day a capsule can be opened, revealing a new message.
This bottle contains 90 capsules, all of which have a piece of paper on which you can write personalized, romantic messages. The mix of colors makes this a decorative gift as well and can be a great conversation starter for guests. They also have the option of smaller bottles with pre-made messages.
If you are looking for a unique Valentine’s Day that you can look back on years from now with the one you love, we recommend the I Wrote a Book About Us since you can experience writing the book together and come back to it later in your relationship for a romantic reminder.
This book has a neutral design so it is perfect for any couple and it is lighthearted, opening the door for a fun and unique gift. It allows you to record your special love story in any way you see fit, whether it is rooted in romance, laughter, fun, or all of the above.
A KitchenAid mixer is an amazing gift for any holiday and for anyone, especially if they are passionate about cooking. It’s the perfect gift for home cooks since it opens the door to multiple recipes, especially for baking. Best of all, it is a great gift that a couple can benefit from.
We personally love getting the pasta roller attachment since it allows for plenty of nights where you can make homemade pasta with the person you love. The KitchenAid is perfect for couples that love to cook together and gives the opportunity for plenty of date nights spent comfortably indoors with that special person.
Looking to buy something daring and exciting this Valentine’s Day? We think this Spice It Up card game is perfect for couples who want to step up the fun in their relationship because it has spicy dares and intriguing conversation prompts that are not only fun but can help you get to know your partner better.
This unique Valentine’s Day gift comes with 150 cards that start mild and get spicy depending on the level of intimacy you’re looking for. A great nighttime activity, this card game is not only designed to spice things up physically but can also help a couple bond with the discovery of new and interesting facts about the other person you may not have anticipated.
If you are a couple that doesn’t take Valentine’s Day too seriously but still wants to take part in the holiday, we recommend these personalized socks. These socks are customizable, just send in single pictures of you and your partner, and they will print them on the socks with hearts.
We like the quality of these socks, as well, which are made of polyester and spandex so they are stretchy and breathable. These are a great gift idea for the couple that doesn’t want to splurge on Valentine’s Day or don’t take it as seriously as other couples. Its personalized nature still makes it a meaningful gift, and one that can be worn and enjoyed for years to come.
We love this gift for date nights since it is loaded with activities for couples to get closer to and spend quality time together. This book has recipes that are great for two people to work on together, making it a great catalyst for dates spent inside on a relaxed night. It also contains various games that couples could play to become closer and to find out more about each other.
We find this to be a romantic and unique gift since it isn’t just something to put on the counter to look nice but can help a couple create memories and build a stronger relationship. We also love the simple design of the book, and how it makes every night date night.
This easy-to-set-up picture frame is perfect for the person who loves creative gifts since it uses pixels to create images like from classic video games. Hang it on the wall or put it on your dresser or desk to display pixelated images throughout the day.
We love this little picture frame since it can display the weather, temperature, and time in a creative and alluring way. There are plenty of crowd-sourced images so you can display pixel art from various creators, or you can use your own images, sending them from the app on your phone so your Valentine can get reminders throughout the day.
Why not show your love for your partner this Valentine’s Day with something that will help them destress at the end of the day? These shower steamers from Body Restore are the best for self-care because they provide aromatherapy and a spalike experience without needing to leave the house.
With no artificial colorings or chemicals, these shower steamers use natural essential oils from eucalyptus and peppermint to clear up your sinuses and provide rejuvenating effects. This pack comes with 15 individually wrapped shower bombs that will last the entire length of your shower. This is the perfect gift for a girlfriend or wife this Valentine’s Day and is a unique way to show your love and appreciation.
This is the best gift for a Valentine who loves to travel because it is easy to travel with and can help guarantee sleep while on a plane, train, or bus. This eye mask is weighted with glass beads to aid in deeper sleep but doesn’t put pressure on the eyes.
Velcro on the sides allows you to attach it around the head, but it can also be used without connecting the ends and laying them on the side of your head. We love that this cuts out 99% of light so you can fall asleep faster and more easily.
If you are looking for a unique sentimental gift for Valentine’s Day, this wood music box is an excellent choice, and we find it to be the best for sentimental gifts because it has a handcrafted look and feel, and plays “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.
It doesn’t require any batteries or electrical power and is driven by a crank, which when wound up will play the song. We like that it comes in three different colors – black, blue, and wood – so it can match whatever decor you may have in the house.
We find this to be the best gift for decoration because it looks modern and tasteful while also providing light and serves as a safe way to use candles. This candle lamp comes with a 50W bulb that melts the candle without the use of flame and has four different brightness levels and a timer.
We like that this candle warmer lamp is a safe option for your home and that it can fit any sized candle – just readjust the lamp pole to your desired height. This is a cute gift for a girlfriend or wife, and could also make a great birthday or Christmas gift.
Out of all of the unique gifts on this list, we find this to be the most exciting because upon opening it the receiver gets a big surprise. Paper butterflies will burst forth from this box when opened revealing beautiful fake flowers and a mini chocolate chip cake.
Not only is the event of opening the box a great memory, but you will be able to keep the beautifully designed box. This gift is a unique option for someone who would appreciate something sweet on Valentine’s Day but would like something more eventful than a box of chocolates.
Our final item on this list of unique gifts is this pair of fuzzy pink slippers from Metog. We think this is the best gift for her because they are comfortable and have a non-slip sole. The person you get these slippers for will never want to take them off and will be able to wear them inside and outside.
We love the cross band on these slippers, which are fuzzy and soft and match the Valentine’s Day spirit. Of course, they come in three other colors, black; white; and gray, just in case your Valentine isn’t interested in the classic pink.
How We Chose the Best Unique Valentine’s Day Gifts for 2024
We chose these unique Valentine’s Day gifts by looking at products that had a sentimental touch that could amplify the connection within a couple. Products that had some romantic touch or could show a level of care and consideration for a partner were at the top of our list.
We also ensured that many of the products had positive reviews and were a popular choice. A variety was important to us so that anyone could find something intriguing that would match the style or interest of their Valentine.
Introducing Fotospot, the first road trip app for iOS that focuses solely on “photo-worthy” tourist attractions.
Press Release –
updated: Jul 12, 2017
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, July 12, 2017 (Newswire.com)
– Looking for something to do this weekend? Considering a road trip but not sure where to go? Visiting a new town and don’t want to miss that perfect photo?
With over 2,600 curated attractions in all 50 U.S. States (plus Washington D.C.), Fotospot helps you discover amazing waterfalls, giant donuts (and one bagel), unique museums, film locations from your favorite movies and TV shows, scenic and historic locations, plus loads of other attractions featuring the wild, the wonderful, and the just plain weird.
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Fotospot also lets you save attractions so you can visit them later, suggest new spots, add photos and comments, check into existing attractions, compete on the leaderboard, and follow your friends’ adventures.
