Romance. Art. Family. That’s what food means to me.

I love to eat. So does my family. For us, food is an art form and eating together is about camaraderie and connection.

My husband is the cook in the family, though I do know my way around a kitchen. When we first got married, he cooked at four-star French restaurants in New York City. Okay, that was a while ago, and his career has taken him elsewhere, but he still loves to cook, especially for me. Every meal we have is romantic, even at home, because being together over a meal is an expression of love.

While we enjoy our home-cooked meals, we treasure opportunities to eat out. We focus on restaurants that serve simple, comfort food cooked to perfection or where the cuisine is creative and inspiring. We love it when a chef surprises us with unexpected ingredients and nuanced technique.

At our favorite places, we not only enjoy connecting with each other, we also enjoy chatting with the staff and other customers. That’s why our favorite seats are at the bar or chef’s counter. Our passion for food deepens our relationship with chefs, servers, bartenders, and others who become our extended family.