A new column: Where Restaurateurs Eat
Dedicated to interviews with Dubai-based, female restaurant leaders. Plus an update to my newsletter schedule with more content!
Remember the ‘Where Chefs Eat’ doorstopper tome? Well I’ve always wanted to apply a similar news angle here. So, inspired by this ingenious guidebook, I am launching a new monthly column today ‘Where Restaurateurs Eat’ dedicated to interviews with Dubai-based, female leaders running their own independent restaurant enterprises or helming large organisations – whether as owners, founders or CEOs. These talented bosses are front-of-house operators or chef-proprietors. And we have plenty!
I asked each super woman for her five go-to, favourite restaurants encompassing:
Three in the UAE
One in her home country
One located elsewhere internationally
They have free reign to nominate any restaurants, apart from their own, or those with a business interest. Obviously.
With these recommendations, I guarantee you’ll have heaps of local and global dining inspiration with top tips from real experts. Further down the line, I might expand to include talented females who are not necessarily owners-cum-leaders of their businesses, but powerhouses all the same. So expect this column to continue for a while!
Please feel free to nominate aspirational female restaurateurs leading their businesses. You never know, they might not be on my radar. And could land themselves a feature here.
But first…
Given the introduction of this new column, I have reviewed and rejigged my Substack schedule from next month to the following approximate dates, allowing for weekends and holidays.
1st: Regular monthly newsletter continues as is. Free-to-read.
10th: Dubai Restaurant Reviews and/ or Culinary Travel Guides. Paid subscribers.
20th: Where Restaurateurs Eat. Free-to-read. This month’s column has landed a tad early - scroll down to read.
Breaking News, as it happens: For instance, expect an analysis and opinion piece on the new Michelin Dubai guide to land in your inboxes on the 5th July, the day after the big reveal. Paid subscribers.
Free and paid subscribers, you’ll now have access to lots more content! Click here to see the additional perks paid subscribers also receive. All these newsletters are a mammoth time commitment for me, so, if not already, I hope you might consider upgrading to a paid subscription for only US$8 a month.
Time to showcase our first restaurateur…
To ensure fairness, I am scheduling these interviews in the order that the replies arrive. Kicking off with the first to respond. As you can see, she managed to sneak in more than five tips. Cheekiness is a leadership quality, I believe ;)
I’ve also created a Google Maps link here with these UAE restaurant recommendations which will be updated monthly as each column is published.
You’ll be able to find all columns linked on the FooDiva website HERE.
Shaw Lash - chef/ co-founder, Lila Taqueria & Lila Molino + Café
Top three go-to, favourite restaurants in the UAE:
21grams forever has my heart. Stasha is a soul sister, and I think every server knows our order and greets us by name. We love it too much.
For a special out of town guest or date night, it just has to be Jun's. I love chef Kelvin's food, his team is perfection, and everything they do is so delicious and yummy.
Lowe transports me outside of Dubai. The peace and quiet of the outdoor garden, the celebration of local farmers and ingredients. A perfect winter night for us is perched on the outdoor couches, a bottle of rosé, and a wide mixture from their menu. We love it.
As an added bonus, for delivery, it has to be Pitfire Pizza and Sticky Rice. I just can't get enough of both.
One home country restaurant:
I grew up in Austin, Texas, and I would argue Austin now has one of the most world-class Mexican food scenes outside of Mexico. Friends that own Suerte and Este (same group) are making super delicious modern Mexican food; working with local Texas farmers and ranchers; and creating restaurants that I continue to crave when I'm back home.
One international restaurant:
If I look to Mexico City, I am in complete admiration for the empire that Gabriela Camara has built. Contramar is the classic, but her newer projects in the old city centre, Caracol De Mar and Itacate Del Mar, have quickly become huge favourites of mine. She leans in on heirloom corn nixtamal, wild Mexican seafood, and her flavours are always flawlessly on point.
If you’ve recently joined me on Substack, you may have missed…
The next group Zoom chat for paid subscribers is scheduled for Monday 27th May at 6pm UAE time for one hour where you can ask me any restaurant and broader food-related questions. If you’re able to join, please drop me an email so I have an idea of numbers, and I’ll send you the Zoom link. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, there’s still time to upgrade now.
My welcome launch newsletter.
A special edition newsletter in support of all things Palestinian.
My opinion piece on MENA 50 Best Restaurant Awards.
Past newsletters: November; December; January; February; March; April; May.
My 2024 guide to Dubai’s top restaurants. A record 45 homegrown concepts. Paid subscribers also receive a PDF of this guide.
I update My Little Pink Lifestyle Book with new finds every month.
A private one-hour Zoom call with me to pick my brains. More info here for F&B industry enquiries - and here for foodie/ diner queries.
Looking for a gift for a foodie friend? Perhaps consider an annual subscription to this newsletter, breaking news and the added perks. You’ll have my forever love.
A bientôt.
FooDiva. x