Gail Simmons: 5 Restaurants to Dine at Before You Die

July 1, 2013

It’s almost impossible to narrow a list of best restaurants down to five, but here are a few of my favorites!

Daniel in New York because it’s the ultimate New York fine dining experience and Daniel Boulud is a master.
Etxebarri just outside of San Sebastian, which is an amazing spot for grilled everything. They’re known for their grilled beef, but they literally grill everything from caviar to ice cream.
Le Comptoir du Relais in Paris is perfect for the ultimate French bistro lunch experience.
In Saigon, they have an amazing night market called Ben Thanh where you can find incredible food stalls. I love getting local dishes like shrimp simmered in coconut water and lime, and they also have tons of incredible fruits and vegetables.
Breakfast at Daiwa Sushi at the Tsukiji Fish market in Tokyo – go at six or seven in the morning after touring the market and there’s no fresher fish in the world.

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef. Now entering its eleventh successful season, Top Chef is rated the #1 food show on cable television. Gail is also the new head critic on Top Chef Masters, airing this summer, and was previously host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spin-off of the Top Chef franchise.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education. She then trained in the kitchens of legendary Le Cirque 2000 and groundbreaking Vong restaurants, and worked for esteemed food critic Jeffrey Steingarten at Vogue. Gail joined Food & Wine in 2004 and directs special projects for the magazine, acting as liaison between the marketing and editorial teams on magazine events and chef-related initiatives, working closely with the country’s top culinary talent.

| The best piece of advice I ever got was: keep your mouth shut so you learn how to listen, but open it enough so you learn how to taste.