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
The COVID pandemic’s long shadow threatens the future of Fireman Hospitality Group, which runs some of Manhattan’s most iconic and venerable Italian restaurants. In a stunning move this month, Fireman filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing cash-flow problems that started before the 2020 lockdowns and turned critical when the group’s large restaurants lost much of … Read more
Here’s a tip that no one asked for. A self-identified waitress recently took to social media with a simple message for patrons: gratuity is not a tip. “Gratuity is gratuity, and a tip is a tip,” the woman said in a TikTok video that’s made the rounds on social media, reigniting the heated discussion surrounding … Read more
The Queen is dead. A popular West Hollywood restaurant and influencer mecca is closing its doors after five years in business. Queen Violet, an Asian fusion restaurant, announced the closure in a sign posted to its door this week. “To Our Queen Violet Family,” the sign reads. “Thank you for your love and support over … Read more
Cookie fans rejoice: an iconic NY-based bakery is opening in Newport Beach this fall. Levain Bakery, beloved for its gooey, slab-thick cookies, will make its Orange County debut this September at the Fashion Island mall. Levain began in 1995 as a small bread shop on West 74th Street; in the three decades since, the company … Read more
Diners at a busy restaurant in Sydney’s northwest were treated to a bit of a spectacle on the weekend when a woman stepped up to deal with a wayward bird that had made its way inside. In footage shared on social media, the woman, named Alice, can be seen calmly approaching the ibis, which is … Read more
Chef Edoardo “Edo” Baldi’s father, Giorgio Baldi, founder of the iconic Santa Monica restaurant of the same name, was not impressed when he first heard his son wanted to put corn inside pasta. “You give corn to chickens,” Edo recalled Giorgio telling him. Nearly 30 years later, sweet corn pasta has become one of the … Read more
They’re cleaning up their act. A restaurant that has been awarded one of the culinary industry’s highest honors is fighting its way back from a one-star hygiene rating. In 2022, Ynyshir Restaurant near Machynlleth became the first restaurant in Wales to receive a two-Michelin-star rating. Ynyshir is famed for its 30-course tasting menu that highlights … Read more
Golden State diners may be all about sunshine — but when it comes to tipping, they’re leaving servers in the shade. California diners tipped less than any other state in the nation, according to a new report that ranked the Bear Flag State dead last in restaurant generosity. The state’s overall tip rate came in … Read more
A tiny Central Coast seafood shack is making some seriously big waves. Mersea’s, the laid-back eatery perched on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, has landed the No. 4 spot on Time Out’s newly released list of America’s best waterfront restaurants — proving you don’t need a fancy tasting menu to reel in national acclaim. The … Read more
Peak, the 101st-floor restaurant atop 30 Hudson Yards, has reached new heights. Opened by London-based Rhubarb Hospitality just before the pandemic, the eatery never quite hit its stride. Last fall, Tao Group took over as management. After a thoughtful redesign, it reopened as Peak With Priceless at the end of May. It’s now the city’s … Read more
The Theater District is getting a new Rosa Mexicano restaurant that is slated to open in September. It will be the beloved hotspot’s 10th location and its fourth in the Big Apple — and will include a new taqueria concept within its doors: The Pink Door by Rosa Mexicano. The upcoming launch comes 42 years after its … Read more
Diner 24 is getting an encore of sorts, opening new digs in New York City’s Theater District where customers will be serenaded by singing waiters while chowing down on classic eats, Side Dish has learned. The new two-story space is slated to open late next month at 1674 Broadway, a landmarked building run by the … Read more
Here we go again. Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle is replacing jalapeños at some of its eateries amid a salmonella outbreak in Minnesota, the company said Tuesday. About 110 people have been sickened just in the Land of 10,000 Lakes — with 75 of the affected people having eaten at a Chipotle, Bloomberg reported. Mexican fast-food … Read more
Double Chicken Please is bringing its bizarrely brilliant food-inspired cocktails, hot honey chicken and buzzed-about bartending magic to West Hollywood this month. New York’s cocktail crown jewel is packing its shakers and heading west — giving Angelenos a taste of its wildly inventive booze-fueled madness. The wildly inventive Lower East Side bar ranked among the … Read more
California foodies are about to have 400-plus reasons to skip cooking. LA’s biggest restaurant week is back with $15 meals and Michelin deals, bringing two weeks of discounted prix-fixe menus to more than 400 restaurants across Los Angeles — from neighborhood classics and burger joints to exquisite, acclaimed dining destinations. Dine LA Restaurant Week returns … Read more
A popular ’70s retro bar known for its secret entrance through a refrigerator in Hollywood was temporarily shut down due to vermin infestation on Thursday. Good Times at Davey Wayne’s in 1611 N El Centro Avenue was shut down by the Los Angeles County Public Health Department on nine different health violations. Good Times at … Read more
Enough is enough. There’s no denying that tipping culture in America has gotten out of hand. It doesn’t matter if it’s a $7 coffee or a hefty bill at a bougie restaurant — everyone’s hands are extended out asking for a gratuity. It’s a hot topic that everyone seems to have an opinion on, including … Read more
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
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