While NYC has no shortage of celebrated restaurants, sometimes we must yield to the call of the quaint, and this seaside town more than delivers. In a recent roundup of the best small towns in the country, Travel + Leisure crowned Mystic, Connecticut, as the best of the best for destination dining. Made famous by … Read more
From Pad Thai to padlocked. Lotus of Siam, long revered as the “best Thai restaurant in America” by influential food critics, will shutter its outpost at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas after roughly four years. And Sin City insiders say there’s a drama raging behind the scenes of the shock closure — publicly … Read more
Islands in the mainstream. For its 59th anniversary, NYC’s legendary West Indian American Day Parade will dance down Eastern Parkway this Labor Day to celebrate all things Caribbean culture — and its biggest champions have a whole new reason to party this year. With packed restaurants, culinary accolades, star chefs and book deals galore, Caribbean … Read more
A beloved Los Angeles pizza joint is closing up shop at its Las Vegas Strip outpost — prompting devastated fans to beg the shop to open another in Sin City. Mulberry Street Pizzeria is wrapping up a five-year run at Resorts World Las Vegas, serving its last slices on Sept. 14, they announced on Instagram … Read more
Laid-off Silicon Valley tech workers searching for new opportunities are applying for Bay Area dishwashing jobs — but one local restaurant owner claims that many of the hopefuls simply don’t have what it takes. “Most are not qualified,” Phong Nguyen, proprietor of popular San Francisco Vietnamese restaurant Pho de Nguyen, told SFGATE. “We’re looking for … Read more
I first encountered Pugliese hospitality years ago while working as a journalist in Milan, where I had the great fortune to befriend a gaggle of twentysomething Apulians. They plied me with pasta, wine and conversation, inviting me to visit their native region on the heel of Italy’s boot. The area was still fairly sleepy in … Read more
Southern California’s brutal restaurant shakeout showed no signs of cooling off in August. A wave of closures swept from Los Angeles down to San Diego throughout August 2026, claiming everything from a decades-old taco institution to a beloved West Hollywood watering hole, some longtime favorites were squeezed out by crippling overhead, shifts in consumer spending … Read more
Videos of people eating at Korean convenience stores are racking up millions of views on YouTube, with new quirky products constantly hitting shelves, turning each visit into a treasure hunt. Now, that viral convenience-store culture has arrived in Los Angeles with the just-opened Mokja in Highland Park. Mokja is a cafe, restaurant, market, and neighborhood … Read more
The rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs could be changing more than what Americans put on their plates, as restaurants increasingly look to wellness drinks and other alternatives to traditional alcoholic beverages. The National Restaurant Association’s new 2026 Restaurant Beverage Trends report found growing interest in a wider range of drink choices, particularly among younger consumers, as restaurants … Read more
These diners have got major beef with the steakhouse. The beef behemoth is facing growing boycott calls after a TikTok went viral alleging a Facebook group called “White and Proud” was targeting black customers. The TikTok, posted by user Sannie Yeanay, read aloud that white servers were deliberately contaminating food. The user said that the … Read more
Afternoon tea is having a moment in California, with luxury hotels across the state putting fresh spins on the centuries-old British tradition. At the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, the oceanfront property serves its afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, warm scones, pastries, and Fairmont’s signature Lot 35 loose-leaf teas. The experience returned … Read more
Ordered at the court! Every year the US Open draws tennis fans from all over the world to Flushing Meadows in Queens — they pour in to gawk at ace players like Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff, all competing for prestigious titles. But those in attendance (Aug. 23-Sep. 13, this year) are also very … Read more
Not the kind of “secrete” ingredient she was looking for. A Brazilian tourist in Italy was shocked and appalled after waitstaff at a restaurant instructed the chef to “spit” in her food as an alleged goof. “I’m still in shock, I can’t believe this happened to me,” victim Maria Clara told local media. The receipt … Read more
French cuisine has always had a special place in New Yorkers’ hearts. Next month, they’re getting even more options for steak tartare, coq au vin and more. From fine dining in Tribeca to more casual fare from Daniel Boulud, the new offerings will have New Yorkers saying, formidable! “I think French restaurants are so popular … Read more
The San Antonio-based chain Whataburger, beloved by fans for its five-inch toasted buns and fresh, never-frozen beef patties, has served customers a new one-upper in its recent efforts to compete with larger fast food chains — a $4 value meal menu, aptly coined “More for $4.” The high-value, low-cost selections on the freshly released menu … Read more
America’s vineyard dining scene has more to offer than cheese and crackers. The West Coast has emerged as the place to eat while you sip, dominating a new ranking of the best winery restaurants in the country — while an under-the-radar pizza joint tucked into the Arizona desert also managed to crash the top 10. … Read more
As more diners end 24-hour service, a handful have managed to keep the tradition alive, keeping their lights and griddles on around the clock. The original Red Arrow Diner opened its doors in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1922. Over the decades, the business expanded, changed ownership, and moved locations. Currently, the historic diner is the flagship … Read more
The area around Sutton Place has been a culinary dead zone ever since the beloved Irish pub Neary’s closed two years ago. Now, at last, the area has fresh life with the opening of The Derby Club in the former Neary’s space at 348 East 57th Street. The new spot from chef/partner Ed Cotton is not … Read more
As Anthony Bourdain’s legend continues to grow — the latest jolt coming from the new A24 biopic Tony, which focuses on the man-about-the-world’s formative years — fans, both old and new, are hungry to learn more about who the real Tony was. And his close friends and colleagues would know best. “Everybody asks, ‘Was he really … Read more
We’ve reached a tipping point: self-service kiosks are asking for tips, while shoppers feel pressure to tip cashiers who don’t cook a thing. At restaurants, where a tip of 15 to 20% has been standard for decades, suggested tips are climbing higher and higher. In a viral incident earlier this month, TikTok creator BD Powell … Read more