Inside Anthony Bourdain’s bromance with Eric Ripert — and his emotional cameo in new movie ‘Tony’ about his pal

Inside Anthony Bourdain’s bromance with Eric Ripert — and his emotional cameo in new movie ‘Tony’ about his pal

Eric Ripert didn’t meet and befriend Anthony Bourdain until Tony was well into his 40s, but, in a new film, he gets to have a moment with a teenage version of his late buddy. In the A24 biopic “Tony,” out Aug. 7, a wayward teenage Bourdain, played by Dominic Sessa, 23, works as a dishwasher … Read more

Iconic Calabasas staple since 1998 serving its last meal Sunday

Iconic Calabasas staple since 1998 serving its last meal Sunday

A beloved cafe in Calabasas is closing its doors after nearly three decades of business. The Marmalade Cafe at The Commons will serve its last meal this Sunday. The cafe has been a regular spot for people in Calabasas for California-inspired cuisine and classic American comfort food. They serve signature items like Marmalade Spicy Chilaquiles, … Read more

Crustacean Beverly Hills gets last-minute extension after closure announcement

Crustacean Beverly Hills gets last-minute extension after closure announcement

Shortly after the legendary hotspot announced it was being forced out of its longtime home after nearly 30 years, Crustacean Beverly Hills has scored an eleventh-hour reprieve that will keep the garlic noodles flowing a little bit longer. The Vietnamese-fusion eatery announced it will remain at its North Bedford Drive location through Oct. 31, after … Read more

LA restaurant carnage claims 8 beloved eateries — including a celeb hotspot

LA restaurant carnage claims 8 beloved eateries — including a celeb hotspot

Los Angeles’ restaurant scene is getting cooked. A brutal wave of closures has swept across the city this summer, knocking out everything from decades-old celebrity haunts and chef-driven institutions to buzzy newbies that barely survived a year. At least eight notable restaurants closed or temporarily shuttered between May and late July, with the latest casualty … Read more

Chicken wing prices are down —but your favorite restaurant may not cut costs

Chicken wing prices are down —but your favorite restaurant may not cut costs

It’s National Chicken Wing Day, and fans of one of America’s most iconic foods have reason to celebrate: Wing prices have fallen after years of soaring costs. Wholesale whole wing prices are down from a year ago. There’s also a steady supply available, according to a July market trend report published by Performance Foodservice. It’s likely chicken … Read more

Baby back booths: Chili’s brings back its iconic retro look in restaurant redesign

Baby back booths: Chili’s brings back its iconic retro look in restaurant redesign

Baby Back Ribs made Chili’s famous. Now, it’s the baby back booths making a comeback. The iconic casual dining chain is serving up a hefty side of nostalgia this year, rolling out a retro-inspired glow-up that revives the signature red booths, colorful décor and quirky details that made Chili’s a ’90s dining institution. The nationwide … Read more

Legendary Beverly Hills restaurant suddenly shutters after 30-year run — as celeb clients demand answers

Legendary Beverly Hills restaurant suddenly shutters after 30-year run — as celeb clients demand answers

Beverly Hills is losing one of its legendary celebrity hot spots in a few days — and fans on social media are completely heartbroken. Crustacean, the glitzy Asian fusion restaurant famous for its top secret garlic noodle recipe and a koi fish aquarium walkway, is leaving its longtime Santa Monica Boulevard and Bedford Drive location … Read more

Candy Land Cafe opens in San Diego, bringing iconic board game to life

Candy Land Cafe opens in San Diego, bringing iconic board game to life

The classic Candy Land board game has jumped off the tabletop and into real life for the first time with the Candy Land Cafe, a pop-up that has transformed a San Diego restaurant into a whimsical life-size version of the childhood favorite. But it comes with a harsh policy for guests who break the strict … Read more

McDonald’s employee reveals secret menu hacks — and customers’ jaws are on the floor

McDonald’s employee reveals secret menu hacks — and customers’ jaws are on the floor

They’re lovin’ it. A former employee of everyone’s favorite fast food chain revealed some clever ordering hacks for your next Golden Arches run. In a now-viral video with over 2 million views, the employee shared secrets “you probably don’t know about,” including how to get the freshest fries with your order. Supposedly, if you order … Read more

Annoyed customer accuses McDonald’s of shrinkflation after receiving an ‘action figure-sized’ soda

Annoyed customer accuses McDonald’s of shrinkflation after receiving an ‘action figure-sized’ soda

They’re not loving it. McDonald’s is getting flak for supposedly joining other restaurant chains and supermarkets in jumping on the shrinkflation bandwagon. The fired-up conversation was sparked by a Reddit user who shared a side-by-side photo of a small McDonald’s soda and a small blue plastic cup, pointing out how tiny the chain’s drink size … Read more

Beloved SoCal restaurant serving iconic California cocktail to close after 50 years

Beloved SoCal restaurant serving iconic California cocktail to close after 50 years

An iconic harbor restaurant In Orange County has promised to share the recipe for its signature mai tai before closing their doors for good after a half century. Located in Dana Point Harbor, the Wind & Sea restaurant has been serving guests since Bob Mardian opened the doors in 1972 at just 24 years old, … Read more

Popular upscale Asian restaurant known for its dumplings to open inside OC mall

Popular upscale Asian restaurant known for its dumplings to open inside OC mall

One of the world’s most beloved Asian restaurant chains is expanding in Southern California, with a massive new Orange County location set to open next month — bringing hundreds of jobs with it. Din Tai Fung announced Friday that its newest restaurant will debut at 1401 Brea Mall Lane in Brea on Aug. 31, following … Read more

Americans are paying people to wait in line for TikTok-famous food

Americans are paying people to wait in line for TikTok-famous food

People desperate to try viral food items are going so far as to pay others to wait in line for them at shops and restaurants. Line sitting, also called line waiting or line standing, has been a common practice in big cities like Los Angeles and New York, where people pay others to wait in line … Read more

Finney’s Crafthouse to open first location outside of California

Finney’s Crafthouse to open first location outside of California

Talk about dropping the Puck. A Southern California neighborhood favorite is skating into Las Vegas and taking over Wolfgang Puck’s former Downtown Summerlin sports bar. Finney’s Crafthouse will make its first move outside California this September, opening in the former Wolfgang Puck Players Locker space, the company announced Thursday. The sports-focused restaurant and bar will … Read more

Exclusive | Hold the lettuce! How NYC eateries are keeping diners safe — as crappy cyclospora crisis rumbles on

Exclusive | Hold the lettuce! How NYC eateries are keeping diners safe — as crappy cyclospora crisis rumbles on

Like NYC restaurant owners don’t have enough s–t to deal with. There’s tariffs and supply chain issues, inflation and rising rents — now, these mostly-small business operators are left holding the proverbial bag of salad, as customer fears over the explosive diarrhea epidemic create a new, unwanted set of nasty headaches. Talk about a crappy situation. … Read more

Michelin-starred chef facing jail after allegedly serving nearly 50,000 ants to diners

Michelin-starred chef facing jail after allegedly serving nearly 50,000 ants to diners

The owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea is facing up to a year in jail and a fine of roughly $13,510 after the eatery allegedly served ants atop its sorbets. The proprietor of the Seoul restaurant, not identified in court documents, acknowledged serving ants, which are not among the insect species approved for human consumption … Read more

NYC’s new hardest-to-get restaurant reservations all have one thing in common

NYC’s new hardest-to-get restaurant reservations all have one thing in common

Forget Japanese omakase, haute Korean set menus and trendy steakhouses. The city’s hardest-to-get restaurant reservations all have one thing in common — they’re Indian. And they’re all terrific. The Subcontinent’s kaleidoscopic, spice-drenched flavors are here at higher quality and in greater variety — from the rich curries of the north to the delicate dosas of … Read more

1975 Los Angeles restaurant guide is a trip down memory lane with prices from a bygone era

1975 Los Angeles restaurant guide is a trip down memory lane with prices from a bygone era

Forget $20 cocktails. In 1975 Los Angeles, that much cash could buy chateaubriand for two at the Brown Derby, two coffees — and still leave $2 in your pocket. Redditors ate it up this week when one user cracked open a vintage copy of “The Menu Guide of Los Angeles,” revealing the wildly cheap-looking prices once … Read more

Inside LA’s trendy new Japanese bakery with lines out the door

Inside LA’s trendy new Japanese bakery with lines out the door

Since opening in early July, Mikan Bakery has become an instant hit for pastry lovers across Los Angeles, drawing customers with Japanese-inspired baked goods, specialty matcha drinks and an unmistakable orange theme rooted in its founder’s childhood. The bakery was created by JINYA founder and CEO Tomonori “Tomo” Takahashi, who was born and raised in … Read more

Cracker Barrel closing remaining locations of sister restaurant as food chain restructures

Cracker Barrel closing remaining locations of sister restaurant as food chain restructures

Cracker Barrel is selling restaurant properties and exiting its Maple Street Biscuit Company business as it works to cut debt and improve profits. The Southern country-themed chain said Monday it sold the Maple Street brand and assets tied to 35 locations to Biscuit Belly LLC. Cracker Barrel will close the remaining 16 Maple Street restaurants. … Read more