Ben Starr

The Ultimate Food Geek

Tag: local

  • MasterChef Where Are They Now: Tracy Kontos

    For the next installment of my MasterChef: Where Are They Now? series, I’ve chosen one of my personal favorites from Season 2…Tracy Kontos.  Tracy is one of those people that, upon meeting, you instantly feel like you’ve been bosom buddies for decades.  She immediately sweeps you into this comfortable familiarity and makes you feel like…

  • Field Trip: The Olive Garden

    My partner is Brazilian, and we have a fairly constant stream of friends and relatives from Brazil through our house year-round.  It’s a delight, and I especially love the gifts of honey, guava jam, cachaca (Brazilian rum), and other treats that keep my pantry fairly well stocked.  My season of MasterChef just finished airing in…

  • NEWS FLASH: Once upon a time…meat was ALIVE!!!

    As you all know, I run an underground restaurant here in Dallas with the stunning Jennie Kelley.  We met on the set of MasterChef and have become incredibly close friends.  FRANK is a celebration of fresh, local, sustainable food.  And for our upcoming French-themed Bastille day dinners, our main course is coq au vin, a…