Guest Explorers

We recruited 10 Guest Explorers—people who aren’t food or wine professionals, but make dining choices all the time for different types of occasions.  We gave them a 2009 MICHELIN Guide, and sent them out to discover, asking them to report back after using their 2009 MICHELIN guide for two days.  Every week until the end of the year, we will feature the discoveries of a different Guest Explorer— from the single gal in New York City to entrepreneurial executives in the Bay Area!

Disclaimer: Guest Explorer do not represent the opinions or views of the MICHELIN guide editorial staff or Michelin North America, Inc.  All testimonials are the opinion of the author.  The above testimonial is displayed without compensation to the author.

Julia Vitullo-Martin is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and Director of the Center for Rethinking Development, where her work focuses on urban planning issues. Prior to joining the Manhattan Institute, Vitullo-Martin held several positions working for the city of New York and has taught on the graduate level at both the New School University and Hunter College.

Vitullo-Martin has been published in notable publication including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and Fortune, as well as academic journals. She has authored and edited three books, including Breaking Away: The Future of Cities (Century Foundation Press, 1996). She also created and wrote an eating guide to Lower Manhattan for New York State jurors, The Jury is Out to Lunch.

Vitullo-Martin holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago. She lives on the West Side of Manhattan with her husband.

After years working as a fashion publicist in Paris, Marie Saeki moved to New York following her love for the city.  Prior to opening her own public relations agency in 1998, working with young independent designers and established brands, she worked as an editor in a fashion magazine.  In 1997 she secretly married Takamichi Saeki in New York and a year later in Tokyo. They currently live in Manhattan, on the Lower East Side.

When Tokyo native Takamichi Saeki gave up his job as a contemporary art dealer in New York, he was at a loss for what to do.  So he took up a pair of scissors at a friend’s salon and learned to cut hair.  “I’ve always been interested in form and shape,” says Saeki.  After 5 years as a stylist in a Nolita hair salon, he opened Takamichi Hair in 2000 now located on Great Jones Street.  As a New Yorker of 20 years and a social life lover, he enjoys discovering new places and has never lost his curiosity for the ever-changing city of New York.

Jason Klein is President and co-CEO of Special Ops Media, a full-service interactive agency he co-founded in 2002.  He is an expert in online marketing, strategy, media planning, creative services and publicity.  His passion for the entertainment industry initially spurred Special Ops to lend its expertise to both mainstream and independent cinema – with industry clients including Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Lionsgate Entertainment, First Look Studios, and 20th Century Fox.  As Special Ops continued to evolve, Jason began lending his branding expertise to the spirits industry – starting with highly successful campaigns for Reyka Vodka, Hendrick’s Gin, and Glenfiddich. 

Jason regularly speaks on interactive and digital marketing at international festivals and conferences. Jason was named in Variety’s Indie 50 list as one of the “top movers and shakers” in independent film.  Recently, he was named one of OMMA Magazine’s Rising Stars of Digital Media. Jason graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brown University in 2000.

Mr. Baijal is a Founding Member, Portfolio Manager and General Partner of Aravali Partners LLC, which specializes in fixed income relative value strategies.  Mr. Baijal was a Founder, Member and Portfolio Manager at Havell Capital Management, LLC, from 1996 to 2006, where he was the principal investment advisor of the UBF.  From 1993 to 1996, Mr. Baijal was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Neuberger & Berman (“N&B”) where he managed $700 million in international and $550 million in multi-sector accounts. 

Prior to joining N&B, Mr. Baijal worked for Banca Di Roma, The First Boston Corporation and Merrill Lynch & Co.  Mr. Baijal holds a B.A. (Honors) in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, India and an M.B.A. in International Business and Finance from the Columbia Business School.

Anna Billstrom

Anna Billstrom is a CRM consultant, email expert, and blogger.  She blogs- at banane.com, SF Metblogs (sf.metblogs.com), a professional blog at Adventures in Email Marketing (banane.com/workblog and MarketingProfs, (marketingprofs.com), as well as online murder mystery series, the most recent: hom.i.c.id.e (banane.com/homicide). She resides in North Beach, in San Francisco, and can be found swimming in Aquatic Park, sipping cortados at Caffe Sapore, or shopping with her sisters on Grant St.

Kelly Wanser is the Chairman and CEO of eCert Inc., established to protect financial, government and other critical email from fraud. Kelly also serves on the Board of ColdSpark, an email software company she founded in 1991, and is the author of several patents in electronic messaging. She is avid traveler, writer and advocate for research on climate management. Kelly has lived in London, Belize City, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Dallas and Boulder, and currently resides in San Francisco

Born in Tokyo, by age three Mika Takeuchi was already dining at the world’s finest sushi bars in her favorite designer outfits. Now based in California, she has forged a career out of her passion for food and dining and her love of style and fashion.

Mika is founder and editor in chief of FoodFashionista.com (www.foodfashionista.com), a food blog dedicated to sharing all things fabulous and food related. She is also the owner and creator of online boutique, Fashionbliss.com (www.fashionbliss.com). In her Hollywood Hills kitchen you will find Sub-Zero and Viking and in her closet you will find Manolos and Choos.

Mika is the ambassador/spokesperson for Luce della Vite wines from Tuscany-a collaboration of the Frescobaldi and Mondavi families. In addition to being a fashion buyer and personal style shopper for high profile clients in the U.S, Asia, and Europe, Mika has worked in restaurants with top chefs, and has dined in many of the world’s top restaurants. Mika and her companies have been recognized and featured in a number of publications such as, The Washington Post, San Francisco Magazine, AOL Stylelist, Daily Candy, Lucky, Florida Today, 7x7 and many more.

Andrew Kaplan works for a national west coast-based real estate developer. Currently working on a mixed-use project in the old downtown section of Las Vegas, Andrew travel regularly to the area.  A foodie and former travel writer, with a penchant for dives serving immigrant comfort food, Andrew enjoys exploring the Las Vegas food scene – on and off  “the strip”.  Andrew is a fan of Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma but wonders if it’s humanly possible to be a locavore in the state of Nevada.

Andrew lives in Los Angeles with his wife who is a film director.

Robert Verdi. He’s a self-made machine. He’s got his hands in everything. He’s a whirlwind of opinion and pop culture. He’s a Jersey boy-cum jewelry designer-cum television host-cum lifestyle expert-cum rising superstar. Design denizens adore his keen eye for color, homemakers hail his quick fixes for fixer-uppers, and fashion experts cling to the edge of their front row seat during fashion shows anticipating his kiss of couture death or delight. Robert Verdi’s name is synonymous with style.

Currently, Robert can be seen as a judge on TVLand’s original series, She’s Got The Look, but his infamous television career started in 2000 when Robert changed the way America sees fashion when he co-created and co-hosted the groundbreaking show Full Frontal Fashion on Metro TV. It was the first show to bring non-stop coverage of Fashion Week into America’s living rooms. In 2002, Robert began co-hosting Surprise by Design, which would become the Discovery Channel’s highest rated daytime show. Then Robert joined E! Entertainment Television as their voice of fashion and was charged with covering the red carpet. He also began hosting Fashion Police, a weekly insider’s look at the world of fashion and style. Robert is one of the most highly recognizable faces in the world of fashion today and has been invited to guest star as himself on UPN’s Eve, ABC’s Hope & Faith, and had a cameo in the motion picture The Devil Wears Prada, where Verdi played himself opposite Meryl Streep. Verdi has also appeared as the in-the-know interior design and fashion expert on network heavy hitters such as The View, Regis & Kelly, The Today Show as well as cable’s CNN Headline News and VH1’s The Fabulous Life.

Robert’s talents aren’t limited to television or the big screen, he’s also written columns for the magazines InsideTV and The Daily.  Verdi has also used his design virtuosity to help update the digs and the duds of A-listers like Eva Longoria, Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Sandra Bernhard and Mariska Hargitay as well as Bobby Flay and Jolie Fisher.