It was a birthday bash of epic, chili-drenched proportions. Original Tommy’s, the legendary Southern California staple known for its famous famous bean-less chili, celebrated its 80th anniversary at its first location in Central Los Angeles Friday. To mark eight decades of serving hungry Angelenos, the iconic chain slashed its prices, offering its signature chili cheeseburger … Read more
It’s a meat-free miracle. In recent months, the decades-old pioneering vegan East Village restaurant Caravan of Dreams was living a nightmare. Saddled by debt, allegedly swindled by a business partnership turned sour, and bogged down by an evolving East Village along with the lingering effects of the pandemic, the oldest vegan eatery in NYC was … Read more
Forget French Laundry, Napa Valley has a new hotspot — and it isn’t even a trendy restaurant. The latest dining craze in California wine country is the Yountville home of chef Sarah Heller and her husband, master sommelier Jason Heller. The gourmet couple hosts an intimate, five-course meal for 12 guests roughly twice a month, … Read more
The dumplings that conquered Times Square are coming to downtown Brooklyn. Din Tai Fung, the giant Taiwanese soup dumpling restaurant where it can take weeks to get a reservation, signed a lease for a 20,000-square-foot jumbo at The Brook, Realty Check has learned. The 51-story rental apartment tower, which just started receiving tenants, is a … Read more
A Korean restaurant in Manhattan has claimed the ultimate culinary crown. Atomix, a critically acclaimed fine-dining spot in the NoMad neighborhood offering a $395 12-course tasting menu, was named No. 1 on the inaugural North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list, in a splashy Las Vegas ceremony earlier this week. Twelve other New York spots also … Read more
The increasingly toxic struggle to control the popular Bryant Park Grill is leaving a bitter taste for hungry visitors to the iconic Midtown oasis. The nonprofit Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), which manages the park, is booting longtime Grill operator Ark Restaurants in favor of world-famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. But Ark owner Michael Weinstein says he … Read more
Wegmans is betting that the cult-like devotion of its shoppers will carry over from the supermarket aisles to its first restaurant in the Big Apple. The Rochester, NY-based chain – which opened in Astor Place in 2023, with lines that began to form at 4 a.m. – will launch a Japanese-themed eatery adjacent to the … Read more
On a silver horse he rides to the rescue of the homeless and hungry. Jon Bon Jovi is not backing down in his mission to feed the poor even after a mayor in his home state slammed the singer for turning a public library into a “day shelter and soup kitchen.” Toms River Mayor Daniel … Read more
A video of drunk teenagers urinating into broth at a restaurant in China went viral — forcing the eatery to compensate 4,000 guests. Two 17-year-old males at the Shanghai branch of Haidilao, the country’s biggest hotpot chain, carried out the unsanitary act on Feb. 24 in a private dining room of the restaurant, according to … Read more
The year’s biggest restaurant story — at least by square feet — hid in plain sight for six months. The massive new Grand Brasserie will open next week in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall, replacing City Winery. The huge construction project unfolded behind a curtain for months without an inch of media coverage — even though … 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
The owner of a popular Sydney eatery has responded to revelations his restaurant has a “doppelganger” on the other side of the world. Known among rich listers for its classic Italian fare, Totti’s in Sydney has grown to become an institution in Australia’s culinary scene. Instagram account Miss Double Bay shared a post a few … Read more
He added insult to the menu. The New Jersey restaurant bashed by New York Times columnist David Brooks about its supposedly high prices — has created a cheeky blue plate special in the scribe’s honor. The “D Brooks” special at 1911 Smoke House BBQ includes a burger, fries — and what amounts to a virtually … Read more