Inflation-battered diners are putting aside less time and money for extravagant chefs’ tasting menus – leading many Big Apple restaurants to ditch the pricey concept in favor of a la carte options that can be shared, Side Dish has learned. Industry insiders say new restaurants are not launching tasting menus, and many who do have … Read more
Brass is a restaurant that makes grown-ups feel younger. It has all the buzz of an Instagram-powered eatery aimed at the Gen Z trust-fund crowd but with a higher comfort level, professional service and a French-American menu that makes “traditional” seem trendy. Tucked deep inside the century-old Evelyn Hotel at 7 E. 27th St., plush-and-pretty … Read more
Record-high steak prices have forced savvy Big Apple restaurateurs to serve cheaper options — like steak frites — to lure cash-conscious diners still craving a red meat fix, Side Dish has learned. The popular French-inspired fare, usually made with a less-expensive cut of steak like hanger or top sirloin, has been popping up alongside pricier … Read more
Diners have been left horrified after footage emerged of pigeons feasting on ingredients at a major pizza chain. A video posted to TikTok shows three pigeons eating ingredients ready to be used to make pizzas at Crust in Sydney’s lower north shore. No staff members can be seen in the footage of the Neutral Bay … Read more
It was dinner and a no-show. British celebrity chef Simon Wood had no reservations about spit-roasting a group of diners online for allegedly neglecting to show up for their reserved table at his fine-dining restaurant, WOOD, over the weekend. He grilled them in an X post catching fire online. Wood, who won the hit cooking … Read more
This restaurant offers a lot of Bang-kok for your buck. Many venues aim to “transport” people to another country, but Bang Bang Bangkok is bringing Thailand to them. The Brooklyn-based fine-dining depot invites customers to eat their way around the Thai capital without leaving Gotham — thanks to immersive projection technology. In a trippy twist, … Read more
In a city where the cost-of-living crisis is spiraling, I’ve noticed that some of my friends have started resorting to some rather unconventional tactics to save cash. On one recent occasion, I was grabbing brunch at a cafe with my friend Sofia* on the Northern Beaches of Sydney when she whipped out her pre-prepared overnight oats and began munching … Read more
A furious diner has lashed out at the rising issue of “hidden surcharges” in restaurants after being stung with a $4 [$2.66 USD] transaction fee on their bill. The disgruntled Australian took to social media to complain about the additional charge after it was added to their meal unexpectedly, claiming there was no signage warning … Read more
Restaurant pros are spilling the tea — on their rudest customers. Surprisingly, how patrons treat waitstaff doesn’t top the list of bad behaviors — but rather, how guests behave towards the eatery’s host. “I don’t expect people to have an in-depth knowledge of how a restaurant operates — and the host, the maître d’, is kind of … Read more
It’s a fine dining food fight. The owners of a high-end Hamptons steakhouse are hitting back after two TikTok influencers accused the eatery of providing “the worst $2,000 meal they ever had.” Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens, who run the review page “The VIP List,” slammed Mavericks Montauk in a viral video shared on Tuesday … Read more
Fowl ball! Canadians are clucking their tongues after a counter-service chicken restaurant near Vancouver, British Columbia reportedly found a clever way to coerce customers into “guilt-tipping” for their meals. An irate local posted photo evidence to Reddit that shows the alleged eatery in suburban Burnaby deliberately covering up the “no tip” option on the payment … Read more
He’s raising the age of retirement. When New York City restaurateur Stratis Morfogen was hiring for his new Gramercy restaurant Diner 24, he didn’t look to hot young pastry chefs with culinary school diplomas. Instead, he asked friends at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul in West Hempstead, Long Island, near where he grew up, … Read more
It’s a soar point. Fast food lovers have been watching helplessly as the price of a burger and fries climbs ever higher — combo quaffers in NYC are now paying as much as $13.89 plus tax for a Big Mac pack, not to mention a whopping $13.99 for a Whopper meal at some local Burger … Read more
It pays to be a good parent at this restaurant. An unnamed eatery is awarding parents who know how to keep butts in seats, according to a viral post on Reddit. The threat, published in the sub-Reddit group r/mildlyinteresting, showed the cropped image of an ostensible restaurant receipt with an itemized discount line that reads … Read more
One diner learned a hard lesson when their breakfast bill came to $77 [$50.00 USD] after ordering just four items – two of which were coffees. The Reddit user said they were at a beachside cafe in Darwin when they ordered two bacon and egg rolls, adding avocado to each. The customer also got two iced coffees … Read more
The pasta is to die for. Last week, “Bright Lights Big City” author Jay McInerney almost ignored a hospital’s call to go to the ER immediately, after a CAT scan looked worrisome. McInerney, who had undergone brain surgery two weeks prior, wondered if he couldn’t grab dinner first — he had an impossible-to-score reservation at … Read more
This chef is laying down the rules: behave — or get chopped. The newly-opened Frog Club in the West Village features a list of 10 things that will get you “86ed” if you do them — including not kissing chef Liz Johnson without her consent. The list, published on the restaurant’s Instagram, sets out the … Read more
Tipped-off New York City diners are being asked to pay more and more gratuity — and now they say it’s time the owners of local eateries pay their share. Restaurant workers and people out to eat on Manhattan’s Restaurant Row this week largely backed a plan to can New York’s existing “tip credit” system, which … Read more
It’s brine dining. Pastrami has returned to the northwest corner of Sixth Avenue and West 57th Street after 28 years — thanks, surprisingly, to a colorful, upscale Middle Eastern restaurant. In December, Acadia opened at 101 W. 57th St., an address that belonged to the iconic Wolf’s deli for decades before it closed in 1996. … Read more
For when you need food in a scurry. The latest food trend to take over TikTok is “rat snacking” — eating small and random snacks with sometimes odd combinations as a guilty pleasure. As opposed to the appetizer course-inspired girl dinner — which looks like putting a plate together of some leftover slices of deli … Read more