The Market: What a Filet Costs in New York Right Now

Before you talk about whether the price is too much, here’s what the same cut runs across the city’s respected rooms.

Keens Steakhouse — 8 oz: $61 / 12 oz: $75

Smith & Wollensky — $65 / $72

Bowery Meat Company — 10 oz: $72

Carne Mare — 8 oz: $74

COTE Korean Steakhouse — $40 / $76

Hawksmoor — 8 oz: $75 / 12 oz: $98

And if you like to be hands on, Butcher Wizard shows you how:

Most people walk into a steakhouse obsessing over ribeye versus New York strip. But the conversation should start with grade. USDA Prime represents roughly the top 2% of all beef produced in the United States. Choice is solid. Select is what you’re getting at the supermarket and pretending you didn’t notice.

The difference is marbling, which is just a polite word for intramuscular fat. More marbling means more flavor, more juice, more of everything you showed up for. A Choice ribeye will always lose to a Prime strip.

“People come in and say they want the leanest cut, then wonder why it doesn’t taste like what they had last time when it was a steak with amazing fat marbling,” says David DiSalvo, Executive Chef at Bowery Meat Company. “The fat is the flavor. That’s not an opinion. That’s just how it works.”

A Quick Guide to the Cuts

Ribeye. Heavily marbled, rich, almost buttery when it’s cooked right. The spinalis (that outer cap of fat and muscle) is genuinely one of the best bites of beef on the planet. If your steakhouse serves a tomahawk, that’s a ribeye on the bone with a long frenched rib.

New York Strip. Firmer than a ribeye, with a thick cap of fat running along one side. This is the steak for people who want flavor but also want to feel like they’re eating actual meat, not beef butter. A strip tells you more about the quality of the restaurant than almost any other cut because there’s less marbling to hide behind.

Filet Mignon. Tender, yes. Flavorful, not especially. It comes from the tenderloin, a muscle that does almost no work, which is why it has the texture of a cloud and the beefy depth of one too. Great steakhouses will compensate with a serious sear and maybe a bone marrow butter.

Porterhouse and T Bone. Same cut, different sizes. You’re getting a strip on one side of the bone and a filet on the other. The porterhouse just has a larger filet portion. It’s the best of both worlds if you genuinely can’t decide and also don’t mind paying for two steaks at once.

Hanger. The butcher’s cut. There’s only one per animal, which is why you don’t see it everywhere. Loose grained, deeply beefy, and best at medium rare or below. DiSalvo calls it “the most under appreciated cut in the case. It eats like a ribeye at half the attitude.”

Dry Aged vs. Wet Aged: The Argument That Never Ends

Wet aging is simple. The beef sits in its own juices in a vacuum sealed bag for a few weeks. It gets more tender. It tastes like very good beef.

Dry aging is a commitment. The beef hangs in a controlled environment, losing moisture over weeks (sometimes months), while enzymes break down the muscle. The result is concentrated, funky, almost nutty. A 45 day dry aged ribeye tastes nothing like a fresh one. It tastes like beef that went to graduate school.

Most serious steakhouses dry age in house. If they do, they’ll tell you. Loudly.

The Temperature Conversation

Order what you want. But know this: rare to medium rare (120°F to 135°F internal) is where you get the fullest expression of what that cut actually is. Past medium, you’re essentially cooking out everything that made it worth the price.

A good kitchen will also let the steak rest before it hits your table. If it arrives in a pool of liquid, it wasn’t rested. That’s not juice on your plate. That’s money.

Table tip

Ask your server what the aging program looks like. Ask if they butcher in house. Ask where the beef comes from. Good steakhouses love these questions. Bad ones change the subject. And if you see a cut you don’t recognize, order it. That’s usually where the kitchen is showing off, and showing off at a steakhouse is almost always worth your time.

Our Five: The NYC Steakhouses Worth Your Time

These are five spots we keep going back to, each for a completely different reason. If you’re serious about steak in this city, start here.

Keens Steakhouse

72 W 36th St, Midtown Reserve on Resy

Open since 1885. Ninety thousand clay pipes hanging from the ceiling. A collection of Americana on the walls that could fill a small museum. Keens is the steakhouse that every other steakhouse in this city is quietly trying to live up to, and almost none of them do. The porterhouse is outstanding, but you came here for the mutton chop and you know it. Thick, almost absurdly tender, served with mint jelly that somehow doesn’t feel like a relic. The single malt scotch collection alone is worth a visit. This is old New York, the real kind, not the kind someone decorated to look that way.

Order this: The mutton chop. Always the mutton chop. Prime rib King’s Cut if you’re feeling reckless.

COTE Korean Steakhouse

16 W 22nd St, Flatiron Reserve on Resy

Simon Kim built something that shouldn’t work on paper: a Michelin starred Korean barbecue restaurant that also functions as a legitimate high end steakhouse. Smokeless Japanese grills are set into every table. There’s a dry aging room visible from the dining floor. The wine list runs past 1,200 labels. The Butcher’s Feast is the move for first timers, a prix fixe parade of USDA Prime and American Wagyu that the kitchen grills tableside.

Order this: Butcher’s Feast. Don’t overthink it.

Bowery Meat Company

9 E 1st St, East Village Reserve on Resy

Bowery Meat is the steakhouse for people who find most steakhouses a little boring. The room is moody and downtown without trying too hard. The cocktail program is genuinely good. And the menu wanders beyond the standard porterhouse playbook into territory that most traditional houses wouldn’t touch. The 40oz porterhouse is the anchor, and it’s excellent, but the octopus appetizer, the hash browns (crispy, shattered, almost potato rosti territory), and the bread pudding dessert are the things people actually can’t stop talking about. This is a New York Times two star Critics’ Pick running out of a space that feels more like a great downtown restaurant that happens to serve incredible beef.

Order this: Porterhouse for the table. Hash browns, no debate. Bread pudding to close.

Carne Mare

89 South St, Pier 17, Seaport Reserve on Resy

Andrew Carmellini’s Italian chophouse is doing something none of the other spots on this list are doing: making you forget you’re eating at a steakhouse. The space, designed by Martin Brudnizki, is two stories of Tuscan leather, Venetian mirrors, and views of the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge that genuinely stop conversation. The menu opens with oysters, carpaccio, and Sorrento arancini before it even gets to the beef. And when it does, the gorgonzola cured Wagyu strip is unlike anything else in the city.

Order this: Octopus carpaccio to start. The gorgonzola cured Wagyu strip. Tableside salad because the theater of it is half the fun.

Hawksmoor

109 E 22nd St, Gramercy Reserve on Resy

The London import that quietly became one of the best steakhouses in the city. Hawksmoor does things simply and does them extremely well. All natural beef from family farms across the Northeast, cooked over charcoal with nothing more than sea salt. No truffle butter. No wagyu flights. Just really, really good steak in a room with vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and emerald leather booths that make you feel like you wandered into a very expensive gentleman’s library.

Order this: Bone in prime rib or the porterhouse. Peppercorn sauce.

And a song on repeat this week:

1. Double Chicken Please

GN Chan and Faye Chen’s Lower East Side marvel is the bar that rewrote the rulebook. Two rooms, two worlds: the casual front room (Free Range) pours kegged cocktails on tap, while The Coop sleek, candlelit, intimate serves mind-bending cocktails modeled on dishes. Think Key Lime Pie and Cold Pizza, but in glass form. Ranked #1 in North America and #2 globally in 2023, the daily queue down Allen Street says everything.

Must order: French Toast or Key Lime Pie cocktail

Insider tip: Book The Coop specifically, not Free Range. Reservation slots drop on Resy at midnight, exactly 6 days in advance set an alarm. Over 70% of seating is walk-in only, so arriving right at opening is your other best bet.

#2 World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 · #1 North America. Reserve on Resy

2. Overstory

Sixty-four floors above the Financial District, Overstory is the city’s most dramatically situated bar and somehow the drinks match the view. Just 28 seats inside a jewel-box space, with a 360° panorama of Manhattan as your backdrop. The cocktail program is restrained, seasonal, and exceptional. Perched a floor above the Michelin-starred Saga restaurant, it’s one of those rare places that actually lives up to the hype. Come for the skyline, stay for the craft. A $75 per person minimum keeps things serious.

Must order: Whatever’s seasonal, trust the bartender completely.

Insider tip: Walk-ins are common and encouraged. Show up early on a weeknight and you’ll likely get a seat. Summer terrace reservations open for parties of 4–8 those views are worth planning ahead.

#7 North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023. Reserve on Resy

3. Superbueno

Nacho Jimenez’s Mexican-American bar is loud, red-lit, and genuinely joyful a rare combination in a city that often mistakes somber for sophisticated. The salted plum and tamarind milk punch (Bon Appétit’s favorite drink of 2024) is the kind of cocktail that makes you reconsider everything you thought you knew about flavor. Jimenez took home the 2025 James Beard Award for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. The bar earned every bit of it.

Must order: Salted Plum & Tamarind Milk Punch

Address: 13 1st Ave, East Village

Insider tip: It gets loud and buzzy on weekends which is half the fun. Weeknights feel more intimate and you’ll actually get to talk to the bartenders, which is worth doing.

James Beard Award 2025 Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

Reserve on Resy

4. Katana Kitten

Masa Urushido’s West Village bar is the platonic ideal of the Japanese-American cocktail bar: highballs on draft, yuzu spritzes, umami-laced creations, and a buzzy izakaya energy that keeps things from ever feeling precious. The retro J-pop decor is genuinely fun, the bar staff is world-class, and the Hinoki Martini — vodka, gin, fino sherry, junmai daiginjo, and hinoki tree essence is unlike anything else in the city.

Must order: Highball on draft or the Hinoki Martini

Insider tip: Grab a spot downstairs at the bar if you can — the energy down there is electric. Great for solo drinkers and dates alike.

#3 North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023 · #9 World’s 50 Best Bars 2022

Reserve on Resy

5. Bar Snack

Don’t let the name fool you, Bar Snack is not casual. Time Out named it the #1 bar in New York City in early 2026, and it earned that distinction with matcha mint frozens, salad Negronis, and a Spirited Awards nomination for Best New Cocktail Bar. The snacks are genuinely great: pickle-dusted cheese curds, and a Spice Bag hiding chicken tenders, fries, and curry sauce inside packaging printed with a Spice Girls-style logo. Only opened in November 2024. Already feels like a New York classic.

Must order: Matcha Mint Frozen or the Salad Negroni

Insider tip: No reservations needed just show up. Arrive early on weekends to skip a wait. This one rewards the spontaneous visitor.

Time Out NYC’s #1 Bar, 2026 · Spirited Awards Best New Cocktail Bar Finalist

Walk-ins only — no reservation needed

The Noma Crisis: Everything You Need to Know

René Redzepi built the world’s most celebrated restaurant. Then 56 former employees told a very different story — and it all unraveled on opening night in Los Angeles.

Compiled from 15+ outlets · March 13, 2026

At a Glance

WHO:

René Redzepi, 48 — chef and co-founder of Noma in Copenhagen (est. 2003 with Claus Meyer). Three Michelin stars. Ranked #1 on World’s 50 Best Restaurants five times.

WHAT:

Allegations from 35–56 former employees describing physical and psychological abuse between 2009–2017. Accusations include punching staff, jabbing cooks with kitchen tools, public humiliation, and threats tied to immigration status.

WHERE:

Noma Copenhagen and the Los Angeles residency at Paramour Estate in Silver Lake. The pop-up costs $1,500 per guest and sold out in 60 seconds. It runs through June 26, 2026.

OUTCOME:

Redzepi resigned as head chef and stepped down from the MAD nonprofit board. Sponsors including AmEx, Resy, Blackbird, and Cadillac withdrew. The Los Angeles residency continues without him.

Full Timeline

2003

Redzepi and Claus Meyer open Noma in a Copenhagen warehouse. The restaurant eventually earns three Michelin stars and becomes the most decorated restaurant in the history of the World’s 50 Best list.

2008

The documentary Noma at Boiling Point shows Redzepi screaming at cooks on camera. He later apologizes publicly.

2009–2017

Former employees later describe years of alleged abuse. More than 35 staff members report incidents including punching, jabbing with utensils, public humiliation, and threats related to immigration status.

2015

Redzepi publishes a MAD essay describing himself as a “beast” who bullied staff and promising personal change.

January 2023

Redzepi announces Noma will close as a traditional restaurant and transition into a food research and development lab that stages global pop-ups.

February 2026

Former Noma fermentation head Jason Ignacio White begins posting anonymous testimonies from former workers on Instagram and launches a website documenting the allegations. More than 50 former employees come forward.

March 7

The New York Times publishes an investigation by Julia Moskin featuring 35 former employees on the record. Hours before publication, Redzepi posts an apology on Instagram, widely criticized as pre-emptive damage control.

March 10

Caper Media reports that crisis PR strategist Risa Heller — known for representing figures including Mario Batali and Harvey Weinstein — is reportedly advising Redzepi. Cadillac quietly removes its sponsorship from the Noma website.

March 11

Noma’s Los Angeles residency opens. Protesters from One Fair Wage gather outside Paramour Estate. Sponsors including AmEx, Resy, and Blackbird withdraw support.

Later that evening, Redzepi announces in a video to staff that he will step down as head chef.

March 12–13

Global media confirm his resignation. Redzepi also leaves the board of the MAD nonprofit.

Eater LA reports that Noma has implemented workplace reforms including a four-day workweek, paid internships, a dedicated HR team, and an external workplace audit.

The Allegations

Physical violence

According to the New York Times and other outlets:

• Redzepi allegedly punched employees in the face and chest and jabbed them with kitchen tools.

• One female chef said he punched her in the ribs while she was adjusting dining-room music. She fell against a metal counter, cut her hip, and continued working while bleeding.

• In February 2014, Redzepi reportedly marched the kitchen staff outside in freezing weather to humiliate a sous-chef for playing techno music before punching him in the ribs.

A former cook told The Drinks Business:

“He just went down the line and punched us in the chest. It was hell, but I learned so much I can’t say I regret it.”

Psychological abuse and threats

Former staff members also describe an environment built on fear.

• Entire brigades were allegedly forced to stand in a circle while a single employee was publicly shamed or attacked.

• Workers say they were threatened with industry blacklisting or immigration consequences for themselves or their families.

One former employee told the Associated Press:

“Noma destroyed my passion for the industry. I had intense anxiety and panic attacks at night. The trauma led me to walk away from my career.”

Jason Ignacio White, the former fermentation head who helped surface the allegations, said:

“Noma is not a story of innovation. It is a story of a maniac who bred a culture of fear, abuse, and exploitation.”

“The staunch system that Noma has used — treating workers as expendable, as disposable — is a direct legacy of slavery.”

Sara Jayaraman, One Fair Wage — Los Angeles protest, March 11, 2026

Key Statements

René Redzepi — New York Times (March 7)

“Although I don’t recognize all details in these stories, I can see enough of my past behavior reflected in them to understand that my actions were harmful to people who worked with me.”

René Redzepi — Instagram statement (March 11)

“An apology is not enough. I take responsibility for my own actions. After more than two decades building and leading this restaurant, I’ve decided to step away and allow our extraordinary leaders to guide the restaurant into its next chapter.”

Noma statement reported by Eater LA

Noma says it has introduced:

• a four-day work week

• paid internships replacing unpaid stages

• a dedicated HR professional

• an external workplace audit

• a new employee handbook for the LA residency

Insider Coverage

Eater LA

René Redzepi Steps Away From Noma

Published March 11, 2026. One of the first reports confirming Redzepi’s resignation and detailing the workplace reforms introduced for the Los Angeles residency.

Caper Media

On the Noma Crisis

Published March 10, 2026 by Chris Crowley. The most revealing insider coverage so far, including reporting that crisis PR specialist Risa Heller was brought in to manage the fallout and that Cadillac quietly removed its sponsorship.

Major Media Coverage

New York Times

Punching, Slamming, Screaming: A Chef’s Past Abuse Haunts Noma

Irish Times

Punching, Slamming, Screaming

CNN

René Redzepi Resigns as Head Chef of Noma

Washington Post

Chef René Redzepi Resigns from Noma

Bloomberg

Noma Head Chef Steps Down

ABC News / Good Morning America

Famed Chef Steps Down From Noma

NBC Los Angeles

Noma’s Head Chef Resigns as Protesters Gather

ABC7 Los Angeles

Noma Pop-Up Prompts Protests Amid Abuse Claims

San Francisco Standard

Maybe We Don’t Need Restaurants Like Noma

New Statesman

Noma and the Tyranny of Angry Chefs

Daily Beast

World-Renowned Chef Steps Down Amid Shocking Abuse Scandal

The Drinks Business

Noma’s René Redzepi Resigns After Abuse Allegations

Parade

What We Know So Far About the Noma Abuse Allegations

Daily Caller

The Epitome of High-Minded Liberal Grandeur Goes Up in Flames

A table opened because someone finished early. A bartender slid two stools together. A host looked at the room, did some mental math, and said, “give me fifteen minutes.”

Dinner was never supposed to be perfectly organized.

It was supposed to move.

New York’s restaurant culture grew out of that motion. You finished work late, texted a friend, and wandered somewhere. Some nights you landed somewhere incredible. Other nights you ended up at a late-night dumpling spot because everything else was slammed.

That unpredictability was the ecosystem.

What most people are noticing now is that the ecosystem is changing.

Dining rooms across New York are no longer shaped primarily by the host stand. They are shaped by software weeks before the first customer walks through the door. Platforms like Resy and OpenTable map the floor in advance. Every table gets assigned a time slot. Every seat gets priced according to demand. Every reservation becomes a predicted revenue block.

From a restaurant’s perspective the system makes sense.

Margins in hospitality are brutal. Empty seats are expensive. If software can help forecast demand, reduce no-shows, and maximize turnover, operators are going to use it.

But technology rarely stops at solving the problem it was built to fix.

Reservation platforms did not simply help restaurants manage traffic. They reorganized how access to dining works in the city.

In the old system, demand happened inside the room.

A restaurant might look full at seven and wide open at nine. A cancellation created opportunity. A bar seat turned into dinner. The host stand functioned like an air-traffic controller, constantly adjusting the room in real time.

Today demand happens before service even starts.

When reservations open online, the dining room is effectively sold hours or days in advance. The algorithm allocates the seats. By the time the doors unlock, the software already decided who gets to eat there.

The person walking down the block hungry is no longer part of the equation.

The winners in this system are planners.

They set alarms for reservation drops. They refresh apps the moment tables release. They subscribe to cancellation alerts and race to grab the opening before someone else does.

The losers are the people who used to define New York dining culture.

The walk-ins.

For decades walk-ins were not an inconvenience. They were the backbone of the room. Bars existed for them. Small tables existed for them. Restaurants expected that a certain percentage of the night would arrive through the door rather than through a booking system.

That flow created the accidental energy that made restaurants feel alive.

You waited next to strangers. Someone recommended a dish. A bartender overheard a conversation and sent something over. The couple next to you told you about a place three blocks away that was even better.

Those moments cannot be programmed.

When the entire dining room becomes pre-allocated inventory, the restaurant stops behaving like a social organism and starts behaving like a logistics system.

And the experience changes.

Dinner begins to feel less like a night out and more like navigating a schedule. You get an alert. You confirm the slot. You show up at exactly the assigned time. Ninety minutes later the system turns the table and moves the next group in.

Efficient. Predictable. Slightly sterile.

Restaurants did not choose this culture intentionally. They followed incentives. If the reservation grid increases revenue stability, it becomes difficult for operators to reject it.

But the consequences ripple outward.

Reservation culture compresses attention toward a small cluster of restaurants. Once tables become scarce, everyone chases the same handful of places appearing on social media feeds and “best of” lists. The result is artificial scarcity in a city with thousands of restaurants.

You see it every week.

Reservation drops behave like sneaker releases. Apps crash. Tables disappear in seconds. Bots scrape cancellations. People trade notifications like concert tickets.

Meanwhile the neighborhood restaurant down the street still has open seats.

The irony is that the restaurants that tend to last twenty years rarely surrender completely to the grid. They protect bar seats. They leave space for regulars. They keep a few tables off the system.

Not because they hate technology. Because they understand what the software does not. Restaurants are not simply revenue machines. They are social infrastructure.

New York built its food culture on movement. The ability to wander through a neighborhood and discover somewhere unexpected is part of the city’s DNA. Some of the best restaurants in the city built their reputation because people stumbled into them by accident.

Reservation culture slowly flips that model.

Instead of discovering restaurants while moving through the city, people now scroll through apps waiting for openings. Instead of wandering into dinner, they chase alerts.

The city becomes more scheduled and less lived in.

This shift also changes who participates in restaurant culture.

Access now favors diners who have time to track reservation drops, flexibility to plan weeks ahead, and constant phone access to chase cancellations. The system quietly filters out the late-shift worker, the spontaneous friend group, and the person who simply decides at eight-thirty that they want to go eat.

The algorithm does not recognize those differences.

It only recognizes inventory.

None of this means reservation platforms should disappear. Restaurants need tools to manage demand. Technology solved real operational problems inside an industry that already struggles with profitability.

But when the tool becomes the authority running the room, something essential disappears.

The restaurants that still feel like New York almost always leave cracks in the system. They protect bar seating. They hold tables for the neighborhood. They allow the unexpected customer to exist.

Those decisions are not inefficient.

They are cultural maintenance.

Because once a city loses the ability to walk around hungry and find somewhere to eat, it loses something deeper with it.

New York was never supposed to run on reservation alerts.

It was supposed to run on people.

Originally published March 11th, New York Eats Here

Marc Shalma is the Editor-in-Chief of We Eat Here. Food culture from the operator's view. 20-year NYC hospitality veteran.

A sandwich by any other name is a paltry excuse for dinner. But the club sandwich, that defiantly satisfying declaration of taste and style, is a true classic.

WHAT MAKES THE ULTIMATE CLUB SANDWICH?

It’s a very personal subject. Not unlike lasagna, barbecue, and Bloody Marys, it’s purely subjective—a recipe to which countless people have claimed authority. White or wheat? Turkey or chicken? Open or closed? As with any recipe, there is no right answer, only what you prefer. Here’s my favorite: an adaptation of the sandwich we offer on the room service menu for guests at the Trump International Hotel and inspired by the tastes of Thailand.

Like any much-heralded recipe, the origins of the club are a little fuzzy, but we can thank the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis for introducing it to the public at large. The sandwich’s early fans championed its complete-meal benefits—meat, bread, mayo, and veggies claim four of the basic food groups (though mayo is hardly an ideal source for dairy). I added avocado and an egg to give it an Eastern appeal.

Remember, though, it’s the layering that defines a club sandwich; the ingredients depend on the cravings of its creator. Just don’t forget to add toothpicks.

Ingredients

• 3 slices sourdough bread

• 8 oz skinless, boneless chicken, pounded thin

• Mayonnaise

• 3 slices bacon (2 oz)

• ¼ avocado, sliced

• 1 large romaine lettuce leaf

• 4 slices tomato

• 1 egg, cooked over easy

Method

Toast bread. Season and grill chicken. Spread mayonnaise on each slice of toast. Then add the following to the first slice:

First Layer

• Chicken

• Bacon

• Avocado

Then, cover with second slice of bread and add:

Second Layer

• Lettuce

• Tomato

• Egg

Top with final piece of bread. Press sandwich down firmly, then skewer toothpicks into each corner. Cut on the diagonal, twice, to create four triangles.

Next up, Installment Three:

LIQUID LUNCH: Forget the bowl. Ditch the spoon. When a crock of hot stew seems out of the question on a steamy summer day, a shot of chilled soup is all you need. By Jean-Georges Vongerichten

After 120 years on West 46th Street’s Restaurant Row, Barbetta will close its doors tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 27. The decision to shutter the eatery, which is also the longest-running family-owned restaurant in the city, comes after the death of longtime owner Laura Maioglio. She ran the institution until she passed away last month at age 93. Read full story in the New York Post.

Two Texas Barbecue Megastars Are Opening an NYC Restaurant: Barbs B Q’s Chuck Charnichart and Goldee’s Jonny White are opening Kirbee’s in Greenpoint

From industry newsletter: Short Order

Origin Story: How an Insta-friendly appetizer went from clever to classic.

You know how when you learn a new word, you start noticing it everywhere? That’s how we’re feeling these days about Sicilian Sashimi.

A tri-color pastiche of pristine raw fish dressed in vinaigrette, the dish got its start as an off-menu special at San Francisco’s century-old Swan Oyster Depot. Sometimes known as Sicilian Crudo, sometimes just Crudo Plate, it depends whether you’re at one of MML’s six outposts of Clark’s, or Found Oyster in LA, Fish Shop in Austin, Seahorse or Crevette in New York or Matty Matheson’s Prime Seafood Palace in Toronto.

We think the expansion of the dish started with Clark’s, which opened in Austin in 2012. No surprise, given the team acknowledges Swan as its main inspo for the raw-bar cafe. A lemon vinaigrette bolstered with wasabi, agave and shoyu introduces a sushi flavor profile. How a chef can make the dish their own is what makes its evolution interesting.

At Seahorse, John Villa starts by aging whole fish for 10 days in a chilly walk-in, a sushi technique that concentrates flavor and tenderizes the flesh. From there, he dresses salmon, tuna and (usually) hamachi with a gently stirred-together vinaigrette of first-pressed Tuscan olive oil, lemon juice, shallots and chives. He likes the dressing a bit broken, with beads of lemon juice glistening atop a pool of oil.

Some spots stick with three fish for the crudo, some add scallops to the mix, as Swan does. Most include minced onion and chives, fresh herbs or capers. It’s a simple dish—sort of. “Here at MML, it’s an inside joke,” says Jedd Adair, the group’s VP of Culinary. “That dish is the fastest, single evaluation we can do. Walk into any Clark’s, and if that dish is slightly off, we have larger problems. The fish needs to be impeccable, the onions cut just right, the chives need to be super fresh. It’s a dish that represents the backbone of operations, one that defines a restaurant.”

Bon Appetit: The 11 Best Bars in New York City Right Now by Andrea Strong

Led by a brash batch of stylish Lower Manhattan watering holes, these spots inspire us to stay out all night. Read and drink here

“THE BEST” MEANS NOTHING NOW

How algorithms, SEO, and infinite rankings flattened taste. ELLA QUITTNER

Instagram: The En of An Era (I really miss En Brasserie)

To the uninitiated, a frittata is nothing more than a failed omelette. But what Americans call an omelette is accurately a “French omelette,” while the frittata is its unfolded, Italian counterpart and arguably the better one.

Why do we praise the frittata? Because it’s an infinitely flexible recipe: easy to prepare and update season to season. It can be served warm or cold, for breakfast or dinner, with tinned corn or truffles. The frittata can be high- or low-brow, and it never judges you for it.

Since eggs cool quickly, serving en cocette benefits both presentation and taste. As the protein base of the dish that breaks apart and re-bonds, the egg melds with the ingredients which makes timing crucial. Don’t fold the frittata in half like the French omelette. Rather, allow the dish to heat until nearly solid, then, as it nears completion, move it to the oven or broiler and let the top achieve a crispy finish. Then it’s ready to serve.

Below are two versions from Jean-Georges Vongerichten one a classic spring combination, the other a study in simplicity. Jet off to the greenmarket or rummage through the crisper. Either way, you’ll have dinner on the table in under 20 minutes.

Frittata of Black Trumpet Mushroom and Asparagus

Makes one hearty serving

Ingredients

• ½ cup black trumpet mushrooms, several heads

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup shallots, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• ½ cup parsley, chopped

• ½ cup chives, chopped

• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• 4 asparagus spears — cut 2” tips and the 2” section just below

• Asparagus tips, 2”, pre-cooked

• 2 eggs

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add shallots and garlic. Toss in mushrooms and cook through. Add parsley and chives. In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs seasoned with salt and pepper. Add to a heated pan with olive oil and cook until firm. Garnish the top with Parmesan and asparagus tips. Finish under the broiler or in the oven until the top is golden and set.

Frittata of Zucchini and Basil

Makes one hearty serving

Ingredients

• 1 medium, firm zucchini

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

• ½ cup basil, finely chopped

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Cut zucchini into quarters lengthwise, remove the seeds, then chop on an angle about ¼” thick. Heat olive oil in a medium flat pan. Add zucchini and garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Add basil, salt, and pepper. Beat eggs, season with salt and pepper, and mix together with the zucchini. Cook until firm. Add additional zucchini for garnish and top with Parmesan and fresh basil. Finish under the broiler or in the oven until set.

Originally published in CITY, February 2005. Photography by Mary Ellen Bartley.

Rachael Ray and Brooklyn Beckham might have hosted the South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash last evening, but the real stars of the show were the meat and cheese that chefs and restaurateurs from across the country served up to thousands of guests.

Subscribe now

Smash burgers, grilled burgers: If you could put some meat between bread, chances are it was served at last night’s Burger Bash as servers campaigned and cajoled ticketholders to vote for their burgers.

Of course, there can only be one (actually two) winners at the Burger Bash.

The first winner was voted on by a panel of judges that included Miami restaurateur Matt Kuscher, comedian Bert Kreischer, model Ashley Graham, Gayle King, DiGiovanni, and influencer Samantha Schnur. Their task was to find the “Very Best Burger” of the evening. The winning burger: Dunwoody, Georgia’s NFA Burger for its Billy’s Classic - a smashed cheeseburger with mustard, pickles, and housemade “sassy” sauce on a Martin’s potato roll.

The all-important “People’s Choice” award was presented to Miami’s La Birra Bar, which, besides having a hometown advantage, had a very good burger. The Crispy Dubai: wagyu patties with American cheese, crispy onions, chimichurri mayo, and black truffle, served with Dubai Fries (skin-on fries with white cheddar and truffled chimichurri mayo).

There you have it — a tale of two burgers: The classic burger was preferred by a panel of judges, while the flashy burger with the catchy name won the hearts of the attendees.

The moral of this story? For every burger, there’s a mouth that craves it.

More festival news to come.

This February 19-22, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Subscribe now

Let that sink in for a moment. For 25 years, the festival has celebrated food, wine, spirits, and chefs in one of the most beautiful places on earth - Miami Beach. The festival takes a village to become a reality. There are hundreds of chefs, cooks, engineers, workers, volunteers, and people working together to create a seamless experience for ticketholders. If one person is serving as ringmaster to this beautiful circus, it’s festival founder Lee Brian Schrager.

Schrager has been with the festival since its modest beginnings as the “Florida Extravaganza”, a one-day event to raise funds for Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Travel Management. The festival still serves as a school fundraiser. To date, the festival has raised more than $45 million to benefit students at its Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management — a feat worth celebrating.

That philanthropy — coupled with the warm weather and good vibes of Miami — makes the festival one of the most loved and visited in the world. In 2024, SOBEWFF generated an estimated $31.2 million in economic impact in Miami-Dade and supported more than 6,200 jobs.

But, enough about numbers. People go to a festival for a good time. And this year promises to deliver, according to Lee Scrager.

“We’re bringing Diplo to the festival,” says Schrager. He’s referring to the 25th anniversary bash, featuring the DJ and Grammy-winning producer on Thursday, February 19. Tickets start at $229 and go up to $12,000 for South Beach ballers who want a VIP table for 12 of their closest friends.

Schrager is also enthusiastic about Foodiecon, the annual event for influencers and the people who follow them. Held on Saturday, February 21, the event promises guests the opportunity to mingle with @keith_lee125, @the_pastaqueen, @realchefrush, @brunchwithbabs, @maxthemeatguy, @owen.han, @healthygirlkitchen, @foodbymaria, @andyeastcoastkitchen_, @cookingwithshereen, @logansfewd, @okaycoolgigi, @succulentbite, @onestopchop_, and @thenaughtyfork.

For Schrager, the most anticipated event is this year’s tribute dinner, honoring venerable Miami chef Michelle Bernstein. The James Beard-winning chef has been pivotal in shaping Miami’s food scene. Bernstein opened her eponymous restaurant, Michy’s, with husband David Martinez in 2006, gambling on a spot on Biscayne Boulevard at a time when it wasn’t a hotbed of culinary activity. But Bernstein persisted, and her food put the neighborhood on the map. That led to other chefs and restaurateurs taking a chance on the area, which is now a thriving neighborhood. Schrager says that Bobby Flay gave him the idea to fete Bernstein. “I didn’t need to be sold, she was already on my mind,” says the SOBEWFF bigwig, adding, “It absolutely should have been Michelle, but with Bobby agreeing to endorse it, it was a home run.”

Schrager is also looking forward to having Sofia Vergara make an appearance at the Grand Tasting Village — always a highlight of the weekend.

I asked Schrager to share his fondest memories of festivals past. “I think when I look back, one of the things I’m most nostalgic about is having Anthony Bourdain here. We went to school together at CIA, and he was just so influential. Losing Tony was a big loss to the entire culinary community.”

And looking forward to another 25 years? Schrager and his team manage to keep the festival fresh and vibrant by incorporating classes, music, and more. The future is as bright and bubbly as the champagne that will be flowing in Miami this February.

The Biggest Anticipated NYC Restaurants of the Season in 2026

What Really Happened to Horses: When the controversial L.A. restaurant closed, everyone began pointing finger

Gourmet Magazine Is Back. It’s Not Exactly Sanctioned.The defunct food publication is re-emerging as a newsletter, with new leadership and zero approval from its original owner

A look back at an early BP feature:

Remembering the Restaurant That Shaped How We Dined: La Côte Basque and Jean-Jacques Rachou

Today, the James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 semifinalists for its Restaurant and Chef awards.

Subscribe now

This is the first stop in the road to the Beard Awards. On Tuesday, March 31, the list will be whittled down to nominees. Then, on Monday, June 15, the winners will be announced in the annual ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Here are the James Beard Award semifinalists for 2026.

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Elizabeth Blau, Blau + Associates (Buddy V’s and Honeysalt), Las Vegas, NV

• Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, Atomic Workshop (The Anchovy Bar, The Progress, and State Bird Provisions), San Francisco, CA

• Mike Brown, Bob Gerken, and James Winberg, Travail Collective (Travail Kitchen & Amusements, i.e., by Travail, and Dream Creamery), Robbinsdale, MN

• Frank Callero, Joe Flamm, and Steven Zaleski, Day Off Group (Rose Mary, il Carciofo, and BLVD Steakhouse), Chicago, IL

• Rachel Cope, 84 Hospitality (Elisabetta, Gorō Ramen, and Burger Punk), Oklahoma City, OK

• Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You), Washington, D.C.

• Brett Evje and Michael Ochsner, PLONK Bozeman, J.W. Heist Steakhouse, and PLONK Missoula, Missoula, Bozeman, MT

• Holly Fox and Adam Weisblatt, Last Word Hospitality (Found Oyster, Rasarumah, and The Copper Room), Los Angeles, CA

• Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar, Ettan, Copra, and Eylan, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Altos, and Menlo Park, CA

• Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani, Chai Pani Restaurant Group (Chai Pani and Botiwalla), Asheville, NC

• Simon Kim, Gracious Hospitality (COTE, Undercote, and COQODAQ), New York, NY

• Tommy Lee, Uncle, Hop Alley, and Molino Chido, Denver, CO

• Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, Link Restaurant Group (Pêche Seafood Grill, Herbsaint, Cochon, and others), New Orleans, LA

• Tom Main, Freeland’s and Tinker Street, Indianapolis, IN

• Leslie McCrorey Wells, Pizzeria Verità, Trattoria Delia, Sotto Enoteca, and others, Burlington, VT

• Peter Merriman, Merriman’s, Monkeypod, and others, O’ahu, Maui, and Big Island, HI

• Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H-Town Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Xochi, Urbe, and others), Houston, TX

• Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, ME

• Greg Vernick, Vernick Philadelphia (Vernick Food & Drink, Vernick Fish, and Vernick Coffee Bar), Philadelphia, PA

• Jennifer Vitagliano and Nicole Vitagliano, Elizabeth Street Hospitality (The Musket Room, Raf’s, and Cafe Zaffri), New York, NY

Outstanding Chef

• Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis, MN

• Charleen Badman, FnB, Scottsdale, AZ

• Gilberto Cetina, Holbox, Los Angeles, CA

• Diana Davila, Mi Tocaya Antojeria, Chicago, IL

• Zachary Engel, Galit, Chicago, IL

• Manabu Horiuchi, Katami, Houston, TX

• David Kirkland and Ernest Servantes, Burnt Bean Co., Seguin, TX

• Gabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther, New York, NY

• Joseph Lenn, J.C. Holdway, Knoxville, TN

• Rob McDaniel, Bayonet, Birmingham, AL

• Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles, CA

• Dean Neff, Seabird, Wilmington, NC

• Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, CO

• Kwame Onwuachi, Tatiana, New York, NY

• Peter Pastan, 2 Amy’s, Washington, D.C.

• Missy Robbins, Lilia, Brooklyn, NY

• Alex Roberts, Alma, Minneapolis, MN

• David Standridge, The Shipwright’s Daughter, Mystic, CT

• Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco, CA

• Aaron Verzosa, Archipelago, Seattle, WA

Outstanding Restaurant

• Antico Nuovo, Los Angeles, CA

• Bar La Grassa, Minneapolis, MN

• Blackbird Kitchen, Bozeman, MT

• The Catbird Seat, Nashville, TN

• Centrolina, Washington, D.C.

• Chubby Fish, Charleston, SC

• EL Ideas, Chicago, IL

• FarmBar, Tulsa, OK

• Foreign Cinema, San Francisco, CA

• The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, NY

• Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA

• Kasama, Chicago, IL

• Le Pigeon, Portland, OR

• Mixtli, San Antonio, TX

• Nonesuch, Oklahoma City, OK

• O Ya, Boston, MA

• Oberlin, Providence, RI

• Via Carota, New York, NY

• Vianda, San Juan, PR

• Vicia, St. Louis, MO

Emerging Chef

• Hector Garate, Palmira Barbecue, Charleston, SC

• Anthony Jones, Marcus DC, Washington, D.C.

• Steve Joo, Joodooboo, Oakland, CA

• Fátima Juárez, Komal, Los Angeles, CA

• E.J. Lagasse, Emeril’s, New Orleans, LA

• Max Lappé and Jacques Varon, Baso, Houston, TX

• Sunny Lee, Sunn’s, New York, NY

• Kyle Lussier, The Pines, Grand Rapids, MN

• Nicolai Mlodinow, Class Act, Chicago, IL

• Ellie Parker, Main Street Provisions, Las Vegas, NV

• Rasheeda Purdie, Ramen by Rā, New York, NY

• Frankie Ramirez, Amá, Philadelphia, PA

• José Olmedo Carles Rojas, Si! Mon, Venice, CA

• Vanessa Rose, Mother’s, Milwaukee, WI

• Ahmed Suliman, Cafe Suliman, Seattle, WA

• Bailey Sullivan, Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, Chicago, IL

• Pao Thampitak, Gaaeng Supper Club, Boston, MA

• Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, TX

• Bao Tran, Giovedi, Honolulu, HI

• Jasmine Watson, Audette, Newport, RI

Best New Restaurant

• 1033 Omakase, Milwaukee, WI

• Agnes and Sherman, Houston, TX

• Anacacho Coffee & Cantina, San Antonio, TX

• Anjin, Kansas City, MO

• Bong, New York, NY

• Café Monette, St. Albans, VT

• Claudine, Providence, RI

• Echelon Kitchen & Bar, Ann Arbor, MI

• Emmett, Philadelphia, PA

• Evviva, New Orleans, LA

• Far-Out, Dallas, TX

• The Happy Crane, San Francisco, CA

• Indibar, Scottsdale, AZ

• Junah, Salt Lake City, UT

• Kabawa, New York, NY

• Ki, Los Angeles, CA

• Kizaki, Denver, CO

• Lei, New York, NY

• Little Beast Ballard, Seattle, WA

• Maison Bar à Vins, Washington, DC

• Merci, Charleston, SC

• Nadu, Chicago, IL

• Nic & Junior’s, Chicago, IL

• Peregrine, Raleigh, NC

• Robin, St. Louis, MO

• ROLi, New Haven, CT

• RVR, Venice, CA

• Saint Claire, New Orleans, LA

• Tamba, Las Vegas, NV

• The Wayland Mill, Seattle, WA

Outstanding Bakery

• Bánh by Lauren, New York, NY

• Born & Bread Bakehouse, Lakeland, FL

• The Burque Bakehouse, Albuquerque, NM

• Bywater Bakery, New Orleans, LA

• Café Dear Leon, Baltimore, MD

• Cultured, Sister Bay, WI

• Dan The Baker, Columbus, OH

• DeLuxe Cakes and Pastries, Iowa City, IA

• Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, Anchorage, AK

• Gusto Bread, Long Beach, CA

• Librae, New York, NY

• The Local General Store, Honolulu, HI

• Mercado Sin Nombre, Austin, TX

• Niedlov’s Bakery Cafe, Chattanooga, TN

• Night Moves Bread, South Portland, ME

• Poulette Bakeshop, Parker, CO

• Starship Bagel, Dallas, TX

• Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH

• Weltons Tiny Bakeshop, Charleston, SC

• Wild Crumb, Bozeman, MT

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Renata Ameni, Birdee, Brooklyn, NY

• Neale Asato, Asato Family Shop, Honolulu, HI

• Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.

• Youssef Boudarine, J’adore Pastry, Indianapolis, IN

• Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Nicosi, San Antonio, TX

• Monique Feybesse and Paul Feybesse, Tarts de Feybesse, Oakland, CA

• Monica Glass, Verveine Cafe & Bakery, Cambridge, MA

• Maggie Huff, Lucia, Dallas, TX

• Courtney Kenyon-Snider, Obélix, Chicago, IL

• Helen Jo Leach, The Town Company, Kansas City, MO

• Eunji Lee, Lysée, New York, NY

• Justine MacNeil, Fiore, Philadelphia, PA

• Claudia Martinez, Bar ANA, Atlanta, GA

• Kimberly Mcintosh, MILKFISH Bakeshop, Las Vegas, NV

• Lucia Merino, Lucia Patisserie, San Juan, PR

• Oscar Ortega, Atelier Ortega, Jackson Hole, WY

• Whitney Stancil, Cuvée at Chatham Inn, Chatham, MA

• Emily Thompson, The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver, CO

• Christina Wood, Temple Pastries, Seattle, WA

• Hannah Ziskin, Quarter Sheets, Los Angeles, CA

Outstanding Hospitality

• Ammatoli, Long Beach, CA

• Ansots Basque Chorizos & Catering, Boise, ID

• Aria, Atlanta, GA

• Barley Swine, Austin, TX

• Bottega, Birmingham, AL

• Bresca, Washington, D.C.

• Cosme, New York, NY

• Daisies, Chicago, IL

• House of Prime Rib, San Francisco, CA

• Joan’s in the Park, St. Paul, MN

• Louie, Clayton, MO

• Mallorca, Cleveland, OH

• Ostra, Boston, MA

• Providence, Los Angeles, CA

• Red Hook Tavern, Brooklyn, NY

• Restaurant Olivia, Denver, CO

• Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY

• State Road, Martha’s Vineyard, MA

• Tailor, Nashville, TN

• Tutka Bay Lodge, Homer, AK

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• Ada’s Wine Bar, Las Vegas, NV

• Amara at Paraiso, Miami, FL

• Apteka, Pittsburgh, PA

• Brasero, Chicago, IL

• Caruso’s, Montecito, CA

• Chambers, New York, NY

• Coquine, Portland, OR

• F.L.X. Table, Geneva, NY

• Field & Main, Marshall, VA

• Kalimotxo, Austin, TX

• Kato, Los Angeles, CA

• Le Bouillon, Omaha, NE

• Le Caviste, Seattle, WA

• One Legged Magpie, Red Lodge, MT

• The Port of Call, Mystic, CT

• The Progress, San Francisco, CA

• Stems and Skins, Charleston, SC

• Sway Brewing & Blending, Baileys Harbor, WI

• Taconeta, El Paso, TX

• Talulla, Cambridge, MA

Outstanding Bar

• Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, New York, NY

• Ayahuasca Cantina, Dallas, TX

• Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

• Double Chicken Please, New York, NY

• Drastic Measures, Shawnee, KS

• Graft Wine Shop & Wine Bar, Charleston, SC

• Highball, Phoenix, AZ

• Hopleaf Bar, Chicago, IL

• Lady Jane, Denver, CO

• Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA

• The Mothership, Milwaukee, WI

• Onyx Coffee Lab, Rogers, AR

• Post Office Place, Salt Lake City, UT

• Realm of the 52 Remedies, San Diego, CA

• Roquette, Seattle, WA

• Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR

• Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco, CA

• Spoke Wine Bar, Somerville, MA

• Watch Hill Proper, Prospect, KY

• Wild Child Wines, Lafayette, LA

Best New Bar

• Almanac, Philadelphia, PA

• Bar Bucce, Miami, FL

• Bar Chenin, Detroit, MI

• Bar Please!, Boise, ID

• Bar Snack, New York, NY

• Clemente Bar, New York, NY

• The Contrary, Des Moines, IA

• Daisy, Los Angeles, CA

• Daydream Rum Bar, Albuquerque, NM

• The Elbow Room, Vancouver, WA

• Later Bye, Oklahoma City, OK

• Lee’s, Houston, TX

• Loma, Providence, RI

• Lucky Star, Atlanta, GA

• Madeira Park, Atlanta, GA

• Nocturno, Las Vegas, NV

• Pink Flamingo, Baltimore, MD

• Public Parking, Madison, WI

• The Valley Club, San Francisco, CA

• Van Atta, Telluride, CO

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

• Zac Adcox, Kid Sister, Phoenix, AZ

• Nader Asgari-Tari, Zurito, Boston, MA

• Bank Atcharawan, Jipata, Las Vegas, NV

• Jack Benchakul, Endorffeine, Los Angeles, CA

• Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY

• Andrea Ciavardini-Royko, Jianna, Greenville, SC

• Paul Einbund, The Morris, San Francisco, CA

• Ryan Fletter, Barolo Grill, Denver, CO

• Braithe Gill, Brennan’s, New Orleans, LA

• Joel Gunderson, Heavenly Creatures, Portland, OR

• Brent Kroll, Maxwell Park, Washington, D.C.

• Jared May, Vida, Indianapolis, IN

• Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale, The Koji Club, Boston, MA

• Celia Pellegrini, Este, Austin, TX

• Taurean Philpott, Avize, Atlanta, GA

• Amy Racine, La Marchande, New York, NY

• June Rodil, March, Houston, TX

• Sara Sergent, Alpine Distilling Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Park City, UT

• Derek Stevenson, Auro, Calistoga, CA

• Dan Suro-Cipolloni and David Suro-Piñera, Tequilas and La Jefa, Philadelphia, PA

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

• Anu Apte, Rob Roy, Seattle, WA

• Doug Atwell, Southpaw, Baltimore, MD

• Eric Bennett, Continental Drift, Birmingham, AL

• Hastings Cameron, Imaginary Factory, Madison, WI

• Diana Condori, Fern Bar, Kansas City, MO

• Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA

• Nicky Fas, Pantera, Caguas, PR

• Jesse Hedberg, Club Frills, Providence, RI

• McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver, CO

• Christine Kim, Service Bar, Washington, D.C.

• Jason Lee, Darling, Los Angeles, CA

• Miles Macquarrie, Kimball House, Atlanta, GA

• Christopher Marty, Best Intentions, Chicago, IL

• Mariena Mercer Boarini, Aft Cocktail Deck, Las Vegas, NV

• Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, Brooklyn, NY

• Kristine Nguyen, Bludorn, Houston, TX

• Gabe Sanchez, Midnight Rambler, Dallas, TX

• Ross Simon, Little Rituals, Phoenix, AZ

• Mike Stankovich, Longfellow, Cincinnati, OH

• Kate Wise, Juniper Bar, Burlington, VT

Best Chefs (by region)

Best Chef: California

• Eric Alexander and Courtney McDonald, Restaurant Josephine, Auburn, CA

• Kim Alter, Nightbird, San Francisco, CA

• Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA

• Eric Bost, Lilo, Carlsbad, CA

• Harrison Cheney, Sons & Daughters, San Francisco, CA

• Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu, Sun Moon Studio, Oakland, CA

• Geoff Davis, Burdell, Oakland, CA

• Brian Dunsmoor, Dunsmoor, Los Angeles, CA

• Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer, Kismet, Los Angeles, CA

• Zareen Khan, Zareen’s, Palo Alto, CA

• Emma Lipp and Stephanie Reagor, Valley Bar & Bottle, Sonoma, CA

• Tara Monsod, Animae, San Diego, CA

• Andrew Muñoz and Michelle Muñoz, Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Los Angeles, CA

• Charles Namba, Camélia, Los Angeles, CA

• Viet Nguyen, Nep Cafe, Fountain Valley, CA

• Brandon Rice, Ernest, San Francisco, CA

• Daisy Ryan, Bell’s, Los Alamos, CA

• Fik Saleh and Reka Saleh, Fikscue Craft BBQ, Alameda, CA

• Kosuke Tada, Mijoté, San Francisco, CA

• Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles, CA

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

• Javier Bardauil, BARDA, Detroit, MI

• Michael Bowe, Red Yeti, Jeffersonville, IN

• Vinnie Cimino, Cordelia, Cleveland, OH

• Thai Dang, HaiSous, Chicago, IL

• Sarah Dworak, Sudova, Cincinnati, OH

• Andy Elliott and Emily Stewart, Modern Bird, Traverse City, MI

• Danny Espinoza, Santa Masa Tamaleria, Chicago, IL

• Norman Fenton, Cariño, Chicago, IL

• James Galbraith, PostBoy, New Buffalo, MI

• Luz Gonza and Omar Gonza, Macizo Restaurant, Indianapolis, IN

• Aaron Hansen, Lone Pine, Carmel, IN

• Hideki Harada, Kiki, Cincinnati, OH

• Jeffrey Harris, Nolia Kitchen, Cincinnati, OH

• Christopher Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading, Chicago, IL

• Mari Katsumura and Adam Sindler, SHŌ, Chicago, IL

• Nick Kleutsch and James Sanders, Sanders BBQ Supply Co., Chicago, IL

• Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir, Mirra, Chicago, IL

• Ben Lustbader and Sarah Mispagel, Loaf Lounge, Chicago, IL

• Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago, IL

• John Yelinek, Ladder 4 Wine Bar, Detroit, MI

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

• Matthew Adler, Cucina Morini, Washington, D.C.

• Darmyelesh Alemu, Beteseb, Silver Spring, MD

• Jamilka Borges, Lilith, Pittsburgh, PA

• Leah Branch, The Roosevelt, Richmond, VA

• Russ Cowan, Radin’s Delicatessen, Cherry Hill, NJ

• Nathan Flaim, Luca, Lancaster, PA

• Fernando Gonzalez, 2Fifty TX BBQ, Washington, D.C.

• Ian Graye, Pietramala, Philadelphia, PA

• Miguel Guerra and Tatiana Mora, Mita, Washington, D.C.

• Johanna Hellrigl, Ama, Washington, D.C.

• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA

• Dwain Kalup, La Fia, Wilmington, DE

• Matthew Oetting, Marta, Baltimore, MD

• Cagla Onal, My Little Chamomile, Washington, D.C.

• Randy Rucker, Little Water, Philadelphia, PA

• Tarik Sengul, Smyrna, Charlottesville, VA

• Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA

• Suresh Sundash, Taipori, Washington, D.C.

• Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle, Philadelphia, PA

• David Viana, Judy and Harry’s, Asbury Park, NJ

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

• Zak Baker, Ca’Lucchenzo, Wauwatosa, WI

• Nick Bognar, Sado, Pavilion, St. Louis, MO

• Kasey Lee Cooke, Mint Mark, Madison, WI

• Philip Day, Root Food + Wine, Augusta, MO

• Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado No Mise, Minneapolis, MN

• Nick Hanke and Phil Shires, Masao, Des Moines, IA

• Alex Henry, El Molino del Sureste, St. Louis, MO

• Camillia Hjortnaes and Erik Hjortnaes, Hjem A.M., Custer, SD

• Lisa Kirkpatrick and Paul Zerkel, Goodkind, Milwaukee, WI

• Johnny Leach, The Town Company, Kansas City, MO

• Adam Marty, Ellinor, Appleton, WI

• Zach Midgett, Casa Bovina, Lincoln, NE

• Diane Moua, Diane’s Place, Minneapolis, MN

• Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO

• Swetha Newcomb, Of Course, Overland Park, KS

• Jason Rickard and Jordan Rickard, FioRito, Wichita, KS

• Ian Robertson, Oak Park, Des Moines, IA

• Gustavo Romero and Kate Romero, Oro by Nixta, Minneapolis, MN

• David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Ota, Omaha, NE

• Yia Vang, Vinai, Minneapolis, MN

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

• Theo Adley, Marigold, Lyons, CO

• Alex Cardoza, Susina, Boise, ID

• Milo Carrier, Arlo, Salt Lake City, UT

• Remle Colestock, Glorietta Trattoria, Jackson, WY

• Brandon Cunningham, Pangea, Missoula, MT

• Johnny Curiel, Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, CO

• Brandon Dearden, Ember, Hamilton, MT

• Cal Elliott, The Avery, Boise, ID

• Andrew Fuller, Oquirrh, Salt Lake City, UT

• Dave Grant and Rocky Hunter, Gladys, Edgewater, CO

• Travis Herbert, Felt Bar & Eatery, Salt Lake City, UT

• Tommy Nguyen, The Pearl, Salt Lake City, UT

• Miles Odell, Odell’s Bagel, Denver, CO

• Bo Porytko, Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails, Denver, CO

• Earl James Reynolds, Herb and Omni, Whitefish, MT

• Kenneth Wan, MAKFam, Denver, CO

• Nathan Whitley, Terroir, Boise, ID

• Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO

• Jarrett Wrisley, Shan, Bozeman, MT

• Nick Zocco, Urban Hill, Salt Lake City, UT

Best Chef: New York State

• Fariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar, New York, NY

• Christophe Bellanca, Essential by Christophe, New York, NY

• Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha, Ha’s Snack Bar, New York, NY

• Fidel Caballero, Corima, New York, NY

• Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, New York, NY

• Aretah Ettarh, Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY

• Efrén Hernández, Casa Susanna, Leeds, NY

• Corwin Kave, Deer Mountain Inn, Tannersville, NY

• Vikas Khanna, Bungalow, New York, NY

• Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY

• Yvan Lemoine, Tourmaline, Forest Hills, NY

• Nate Limwong, Chalong, New York, NY

• Cheng Lin, Shōta Omakase, Brooklyn, NY

• Buddha Lo, Huso, New York, NY

• Angie Mar, Le B, New York, NY

• Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, New York, NY

• Joshua Pinsky, Claud, New York, NY

• Mads Refslund, Ilis, Brooklyn, NY

• Rafiq Salim, Rolo’s, Queens, NY

• Stefano Secchi, Rezdôra, New York, NY

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

• Tiara Adorno, The Crooked Ram, Manchester, VT

• Jeremy Broucek, Bread & Friends, Portland, ME

• Sāsha Coleman, Comfort Kitchen, Boston, MA

• Amarilys Colon, La Padrona, Boston, MA

• David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, CT

• Luke Fetbroth, Tonino, Boston, MA

• Chris Gould, Central Provisions, Portland, ME

• Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH

• Bolivar Hilario, Community Table, New Preston, CT

• Sara Jenkins, Nina June, Rockport, ME

• Shi Mei, Lenox Sophia, Boston, MA

• Peter Nguyen, Lê Madeline, Quincy, MA

• Kevin O’Donnell, Giusto, Newport, RI

• Annie Parisi, Jayd Bun, South Kingstown, RI

• Jake Stevens, Leeward, Portland, ME

• Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, ME

• Shilimat Tessema, Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant, New Haven, CT

• Paul Trombly, Fancy’s, Burlington, VT

• Max Vogel, Ondis, Montpelier, VT

• Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI

Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

• Janet Becerra, Pancita, Seattle, WA

• Nathan Bentley, Altura Bistro, Anchorage, AK

• Johnny Courtney, Atoma, Seattle, WA

• Logan Cox, Homer, Seattle, WA

• Michele Di Bari, Sale Pepe, Lahaina, HI

• Mike Dodge, Whisky & Ramen, Anchorage, AK

• Josh Dorcak, MÄS, Ashland, OR

• Ed Kenney, Mud Hen Water, Honolulu, HI

• Jordan Koplowitz, Starla’s, Bellingham, WA

• Andrew Le, The Pig and the Lady, Honolulu, HI

• Taylor Manning and Siobhan Speirits, Cafe Olli, Portland, OR

• Melissa Miranda, Musang, Seattle, WA

• Kristen Murray, Måurice, Portland, OR

• Thai Nguyen and Trinh Nguyen, Ramie, Seattle, WA

• Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado, Portland, OR

• Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR

• Sheldon Simeon, Tiffany’s Restaurant and Bar, Wailuku, HI

• Jack Strong, JORY Restaurant at The Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, OR

• Aaron Tekulve, Surrell, Seattle, WA

• Yuya Yamanaka, Paris Hawaii, Honolulu, HI

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

• Cory Bahr, Parish, Monroe, LA

• Michael Beltran, Ariete, Miami, FL

• Bryce Bonsack, Rocca, Tampa, FL

• Ana Castro, Acamaya, New Orleans, LA

• Matthew Cooper, Conifer, Bentonville, AR

• Raúl Correa, René Marichal, and Xavier Pacheco, Bacoa Finca + Fogón, Juncos, PR

• Toni Elkhouri, Cedar’s Cafe, Melbourne, FL

• Hunter Evans, Elvie’s, Jackson, MS

• Maria Teresa Gallina and Nicolas Martinez, Recoveco, Miami, FL

• Kristen Hall, La Fête, Birmingham, AL

• Barry Honan, Lotus Noodle Bar, St. Augustine, FL

• Maria La Mota and Chason Spencer, Chancho King, Jacksonville, FL

• Wendy Lopez, Reyes Mezcaleria, Orlando, FL

• Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA

• Geri-Martha O’Hara and Ryan O’Hara, Pizza Grace, Birmingham, AL

• Jason Paul, Heirloom at 1907, Rogers, AR

• Charly Pierre, Fritai, New Orleans, LA

• Joerick Rivera, Bakku, Rincon, PR

• Jim Smith, The Hummingbird Way, Mobile, AL

• Austin Sumrall, White Pillars, Biloxi, MS

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

• Khaled AlBanna, Calliope, Chattanooga, TN

• Robin Anthony, Omakase by Prime Fish, Charlotte, NC

• Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh, Louisville, KY

• Joe Cash, Scoundrel, Greenville, SC

• Matt Dawes, The Bull and Beggar, Asheville, NC

• Steven Devereaux Greene, Herons at The Umstead, Cary, NC

• Mary Ellen Diaz, Alma Bea, Shepherdstown, WV

• Laurence Faber, Potchke Deli, Knoxville, TN

• Carlo Gan and Mia Orino, Kamayan ATL, Chamblee, GA

• Jimmy Gentry, The Lobbyist, Memphis, TN

• J. Trent Harris, Mujō, Atlanta, GA

• Philip Krajeck, Rolf & Daughters, Nashville, TN

• Cheetie Kumar, Ajja, Raleigh, NC

• Colin Marcelli, Renzo, Charleston, SC

• Freddy Money, Atlas, Atlanta, GA

• Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, NC

• Bintou N’Daw, Bintü Atelier, Charleston, SC

• Todd Schafer, Abel Brown, Augusta, GA

• Heidi Vukov, Hook & Barrel, Myrtle Beach, SC

• David Willocks, The Baker’s Table, Newport, KY

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

• Danny Calleros, Ardovino’s Desert Crossing, Sunland Park, NM

• Roberto Centeno, Espiritu, Mesa, AZ

• Jeff Chanchaleune, Bar Sen, Oklahoma City, OK

• TJ Culp, Progress, Phoenix, AZ

• Rochelle Daniels, Atria, Flagstaff, AZ

• Graham Dodds, NOSA Restaurant & Inn, Ojo Caliente, NM

• Oulay Ceesay Fisher, Calabash African Kitchen, Las Vegas, NV

• Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, Tacos Chiwas, Phoenix, AZ

• Scott Holmes, Little Miss BBQ, Phoenix, AZ

• Brian Howard, Sparrow + Wolf, Las Vegas, NV

• Kyle Kent, Chula Seafood, Phoenix, AZ

• Brian Momanyi and Stayce Momanyi, Plus254, Oklahoma City, OK

• Steve Riley, Mesa Provisions, Albuquerque, NM

• Yuri Szarzewski, Partage, Las Vegas, NV

• Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV

• Jamie Tran, Black Sheep, Las Vegas, NV

• James Trees, Bar Bohème, Las Vegas, NV

• Claudia Vindiola, La Frida Mexican Grill & Seafood, Tucson, AZ

• Zack Walters, Sedalia’s, Oklahoma City, OK

• Veronica Zelada, Café Kacao, Oklahoma City, OK

Best Chef: Texas

• Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk, Houston, TX

• Thai Changthong, P Thai’s Khao Man Gai & Noodles, Austin, TX

• Michael Che, Tsuke Edomae, Austin, TX

• Ali Clem, La Barbecue, Austin, TX

• Kent Domas and Seth Siegel-Gardner, Milton’s, Houston, TX

• Francisco Estrada and Lizzeth Martinez, Naco Mexican, San Antonio, TX

• Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston, TX

• Shawn Gawle, Camaraderie, Houston, TX

• Scott Girling, Osteria Il Muro, Denton, TX

• Patrick Hicks and Fasicka Hicks, Smoke’N Ash BBQ, Arlington, TX

• Sue Kim, The Magpie, San Antonio, TX

• Daniela Landaverde and Rosa Landaverde, La Santa Barbacha, Austin, TX

• Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre, San Antonio, TX

• Masayuki Otaka, Mabo, Dallas, TX

• Andres Pablos, Accá, El Paso, TX

• Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, Café Piro, Socorro, TX

• Michael Serva, Bordo, Marfa, TX

• Bob Somsith, Lao’d Bar, Austin, TX

• Finney Walter, The Nicolett, Lubbock, TX

• George Watts III, GW’s BBQ Catering Co, San Juan, TX

We posed the question below and have to say we were a bit surprised by the results. And further to that point, “Forget Resy and OpenTable: These Restaurants Are Bringing Back the Book” and Is it cringe to be extremely online now?

This weekend, we’re bringing you three essential reads covering the harsh realities of restaurant mortality, the surprising decline of plant-based dining, and the revival of a legendary food magazine.

That Restaurant You Love Will Close One Day. What to Do?

The New York Times

In a timely meditation on restaurant mortality, the Times explores what diners can do when their favorite spots inevitably shutter. It’s a universal truth we all face as restaurant lovers: nothing lasts forever, not even the places that feel like home. The piece offers practical advice and emotional guidance for how to cope with and even celebrate the restaurants we love before they’re gone.

Read the full article →

How Veganism Got Cooked

Grub Street

The plant-based boom that felt unstoppable just years ago is reversing fast. Grub Street‘s deep dive spotlights NYC vegan closures like Modern Love Brooklyn—and a nationwide drop in options.

Vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz couldn’t name a single spot in her own neighborhood for a vegan dinner meetup. The 2019 “Year of the Vegan” hype now feels ancient, with plant-based meat sales down ~7.5% in 2025 (SPINS data) and products vanishing from shelves. The piece probes why this once transformative movement is shrinking.

Read the full article on Grub Street →

Gourmet Magazine Makes an Unlikely Comeback

In an unexpected twist, Gourmet magazine is being resurrected but not by Condé Nast. In a stunning oversight, the publishing giant failed to renew the trademark for the iconic publication when it lapsed in 2021. A group of enterprising 30-something journalists who discovered the trademark had expired, claimed it for themselves, and are now relaunching Gourmet as a worker-owned newsletter on Ghost.

The story, which broke in Emily Sundberg’s essential newsletter Feed Me, is the kind of food media plot twist that makes you laugh out loud. Five journalists—Sam Dean (formerly of The Los Angeles Times and Bon Appétit), Cale Weissman, and three others are behind the revival. Unlike the original Gourmet with its Condé Nast infrastructure, this new incarnation will be lean, mean, and worker-owned, with profits shared among contributors.

Former Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl gave her blessing: “If Condé Nast has allowed the trademark to lapse and they’ve managed to secure it, more power to them.” (Though she also reportedly cautioned: “You’re going to get sued.”)

Read more on Feed Me →

Visit the new Gourmet Magazine →

Full coverage on The Wrap →

A bonus video from AI artist Kelly Boesch

Getting from Miami to Singapore takes about 24 hours of travel time. Most people will wait to travel such a distance until they have weeks of free time to justify the extended length of time flying. But time is fleeting, and there may never be a good opportunity.

Subscribe now

I learned a valuable lesson a long time ago: four days somewhere is better than no days there. So, I’ve traveled to distant places for short periods of time: a weekend in London, three nights in Alaska, four nights in Tokyo, and three glorious nights in the Masai Mara. So, when the opportunity arose to visit Singapore for four nights, I jumped at it.

The flight (in United’s premium economy) was one of the best I’ve been on. I won’t lie — these long-haul flights can take a toll (and there was one last year that almost wrecked my soul). I will absolutely seek out United next time I’m traveling for its comfortable seats, decent meals, and great service. If you can live without the bed/pods of first class, this is a comfortable alternative.

Singapore’s Changi Airport is often lauded as the best airport in the world for good reason. Immigration is automated and took all of five seconds (so quick that I thought there simply had to be another line awaiting me). I picked up my luggage in another five minutes, and was out the door from the airplane to the car in less than ten minutes.

Where to Stay

The Clan Hotel

This comfortable hotel is located across the street from Chinatown and just two blocks from La Pau Sat, a modern hawker market that’s open 24 hours a day. The hotel is centrally located, the rooms are lovely, and there’s an afternoon tea ceremony for guests. When I checked in, after having traveled about 27 hours at that point, Husaimi, the friendly person at the front desk, noted that it was my birthday on my passport. Not five minutes after I reached my room, there was a knock on the door with a delivery of a small pandan cake.

Where to Eat

I don’t think I’ve eaten as well as in Singapore. From soulful dishes at the hawker markets to a three-Michelin-starred lunch, this is a place where every meal (and every drink) was more memorable than the last.

During the short time I was in Singapore (for the Michelin award ceremony), I ate at one, two, and three-starred restaurants, worked my way through four or five hawker markets, and fell in love with the best coffee place ever. Here’s where I ate.

Culina Market

To call Culina Market the Erewhon of Singapore might be a fitting description. This market began as a purveyor of fine foods to restaurants and evolved into a combination market and café. Everything at this market — located at COMO Dempsey — is precision: a florist makes the most stunning arrangements you’ve ever seen, the wine market is impressive, the fishmonger offers oysters that taste like a mermaid’s kiss, and the produce looks as if a rainbow landed on earth. We didn’t eat there, but did have some fantastic oysters. It’s a lovely place to shop.

Candlenut (One Michelin Star)

Also located at COMO Dempsey, Candlenut is a gorgeous room with bamboo and rattan accents and greenery that gives it a warmth that some Michelin-starred restaurants lack. The food speaks to the chef’s Peranakan roots — descendants of early Chinese immigrants who settled in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia), intermarried with locals, and developed a distinct hybrid identity. As such, the dishes are familiar yet unique, and extremely soulful: curries, wing bean salad, baby squid, and a hearty soup with tofu balls were some of the dishes we were served. The restaurant offers a tasting menu that rotates, so your dishes might vary, but rest assured, the experience will be as memorable.

Willow (One Michelin Star)

Chef Nicolas Tam’s Willow is a lesson in precision. This intimate restaurant offers a pan-Asian tasting menu that combines Japanese restraint with French technique, and a great playlist. Chef Tam was on hand to supervise the chef’s counter, but really didn’t explain the dishes.

Meta (Two Michelin Stars)

Chef Sun Kim explores Asian cuisine with French influences at the sleek Meta. The tasting menu is seafood-forward, with courses that include tuna, cuttlefish, and abalone.

Les Amis (Three Michelin Stars)

After multiple multi-course tasting menus — plus an entire day eating our way through various hawker markets, we almost cancelled our lunch at Les Amis. Thankfully, we thought better because this was clearly the best meal of the trip — and the best meal (for me) of 2025. The restaurant, located in one of Singapore’s bustling business centers, looks like any power-meal venue — sleek, pretty, and elegant in a nondescript way. In other words, you won’t remember the decor — but you certainly will remember both the service and the food. Chef Sebastien Lepinoy’s love letter for French fare is a lesson in “what to do” when you’re working in the high-stakes three-star galaxy. From the bread service to the amuse bouche to the wine pairings to your thank-you gift of chocolates in a perfect Les Amis tin (which I saved), this is an experience worth every dollar (and star).

Hawker Markets

Loud, boisterious, with tons of sensory overload, the hawker markets of Singapore are legendary. They’re also where local people eat. In many cases, Singaporeans frequent a hawker market daily — sometimes twice a day — for their meals. Here, you can find anything from fresh juices to fish soups with dumplings to bowls of noodles. I would suggest two different markets for their vast differences:

The Chinatown Complex

This massive, two-story market is where you can find just about anything from curry puffs to chili crab to Hainanese chicken rice. Some tips if you go: Bring Singapore Dollars (there is an ATM on the first floor, should you forget), and go at lunchtime at your own risk. We arrived at around 11:30 a.m., and the market quickly flooded with workers on their lunch breaks.

Lau Pa Sat

Open 24 hours a day (technically), Lau Pa Sat is home to Singapore’s famous Satay Street, which sees families grill and sell satay sticks. Most of the stalls are Halal-friendly, so you won’t find much pork — but you won’t miss it. Grab a beer at one of the stands selling beer (there’s one at the very front of the market), and a plate of satay (they’re sold at a minimum of ten), find a spot at a communal table, and enjoy under the stars. Yes — Singapore has some of the finest restaurants in the world — but this might be the most fun you’ll have.

Nanyang Old Coffee

There are a few Nanyang Old Coffee houses throughout Singapore, but the Chinatown location also houses a “museum” on the second floor. It’s more of a place to enjoy coffee surrounded by artifacts, and it’s pretty darn charming. A coffee and toast with kaya jam (a mix of coconut, egg, sugar, and pandan) is the perfect way to start the day.

Where to Drink

Singapore is home to some of the best bars in the world. Each is unique — from the classic to the innovative. Here’s where I drank:

Employees Only

I stumbled on Employees Only after trying to walk off one of my tasting menu dinners. Located on Amoy Street in Chinatown, you’ll pass by a Psychic sign to enter. I asked my bartender to make me something. After asking a few questions, I was handed an herbaceous martini that was exactly what I wanted. The place was bustling on a Tuesday at 11 p.m., and it was the perfect way to ring in the midnight hour.

Atlas

Atlas is simply the most stunning lounge I’ve ever encountered. Its decor is part Rockefeller Center, part giant library in a tribute to Art Deco architecture in all its glory. To mark that point in time, the menu is gin and champagne focused, with interesting takes on classics. Once again, allow your bar professional to assist you. Both my martini and gin and tonic were outstanding. Don’t forget a walk through the sculpture garden just outside.

Nutmeg & Clove

One of Singapore’s most interesting bars — each cocktail at Nutmeg & Clove is based on some aspect of Singaporean history, culture, or life. Your pink-jacketed bartender will hand you a book that tells the story of each cocktail and its flavor profiles. A take on an old-fashioned was perfection. If you'‘re into classic cocktails, visit Last Word just upstairs.

The Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel

Can you even say you were in Singapore if you didn’t get a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, bro? It might be Singapore’s second most touristy place (behind the Merlion) — so what? It’s a must-do. Sure, with a tip, the cocktail is about $40 USD. Sure, you won’t even be able to walk into the lobby, attended to by its famed Sikh doormen (that’s for guests only). You can, however, walk the grounds, and the bar is gorgeous.

What to Do

Singapore might be one of the most fascinating places I’ve been to, and you absolutely need more than a few days to explore. But I did manage to see plenty, and for that I’m grateful. Here are a few musts.

The Merlion

Half lion, half fish, the Merlion is Singapore’s symbol of a small but mighty island country. The Merlion — located in Merlion Park — offers grand views of the bay and a fantastic photo opportunity.

Gardens by the Bay

This massive park offers a variety of experiences, ranging from cloud forests to a flower dome. The most impressive thing to do is the twice-nightly Supertree show, which is completely free. Arrive early to avoid the crowds, find a spot to sit, and watch these giant electronic trees pulse in time to the music. Shows vary — we watched a 70s disco-themed extravaganza, but there’s everything from classical to holiday to pop music. Be sure your phone is charged — mine died right before the show.

Singapore Sidecars

Many places have tall double-decker bus tours or boats that traverse the harbor, but if you want to get a different view, then take a ride in a vintage Vespa’s sidecar. On my tour, we sped through the city in an exhilarating trip from Chinatown to Arab Street, and back to the Raffles Hotel for a photo op with the doormen (a Singapore sidecar exclusive).

Sri Mariamman Temple

Singapore's oldest Hindu temple is worth a visit. Place your shoes in a locker and borrow a shawl if you’re wearing a tank top. Visitors are free to marvel at the intricate and colorful temple, and even observe a ceremony, though please observe a few places marked for worshippers only.

Changi Airport

Airports are not exactly beloved. They’re filled with stress, usually. Except Changi. This airport is filled with walking paths, rope climbs, places to eat, a shopping mall (that includes a Popmart store for last-minute souvenirs), and gardens. Its masterpiece is the Vortex — the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. It’s a seven-story marvel with walkways at each level so you can discover it in different ways. Plan on getting to the airport HOURS earlier than your flight to explore.

It doesn’t matter that the stores have been playing “All I Want for Christmas is You” since Halloween. It doesn’t matter that you’ve been getting texts from everywhere you’ve ever shopped and credit card offers from Bloomingdale’s. You — like everyone else that doesn’t live inside a Hallmark movie — still have some holiday shopping to do.

Subscribe now

Not to worry, because there are still some great gifts you can get right now or have delivered in time for Christmas.

Savory Plant Based Broths For the Person Who Loves Comfort

Winter is coming. If you’re looking to provide some comfort, these Mala Girl broths are a perfect gift. These plant-based broths are gluten and soy-free and are a delicious alternative to hot cocoa or tea when you want an afternoon or evening “something”. The original tastes exactly like those Lipton soups you loved as a kid — but with better-for-you ingredients. They also serve double duty as seasoning for stews, stir fry, and chili. Give the variety pack as a gift, or break up the set for stocking stuffers. Available on Amazon for $14.99.

Electric Corkscrew

For years, I railed against the electric corkscrew, thinking true wine enthusiasts have to suffer to enjoy their wine. Then, someone gave me an electric corkscrew as a Secret Santa gift. I went home, secretly ashamed, and tried it. My life was changed forever. There are more expensive electric corkscrews, but why spend the money? This Target model is under $20 — pair it with a bottle of wine and you’re the best gifter of the season.

Deli Favorite Plates

If I could have one wish from Santa, I’d ask for this adorable set of “Deli Favorites” plates from West Elm. There’s a bagel, a black and white cookie, a pastrami sandwich, and more. They’re broken up into sets of four “sweet” and four “savory” plates or get all eight. Available for $60 each set of four at West Elm.

A Cocktail Shaker That’s Easy to Use

Here’s another gadget that every home should have. A cocktail shaker — but make it easy. Once again, I had the usual Boston shaker — the ones that bartenders use that you need to give a good tap to separate, then use a bar strainer. That’s all well and good, but when you’re making lemon martinis for your friends and the shaker parts refuse to pry apart, you just want something more friendly. That’s why I got a shaker with a silicone gasket: it keeps the liquid in when you’re shaking and it’s easy to take the lid off when you’re ready to pour. This one has a built in jigger for measuring and a strainer. Available on Amazon for $13.99.

Some Good Olive Oil

I use olive oil every single day of my life, and that’s not an exaggeration. A few times, I’ve been gifted olive oil and I was elated! Why? Because it’s something I both need and enjoy. The same goes for some good vinegar or spices. II’ve said time and time again — please get me olive oil for a gift! t’s super easy to either order some or just stop by your nearest good grocer and pick up a bottle. If your recipient loves food, they will be appreciative. I’ve enjoyed Heraclea’s EVOO in the past. It’s a well-priced bottle with a nice slightly-arugula-like finish. Available on Amazon for $23.99.

Start at Sea

Take premium bluefin tuna. These fish aren’t hauled in at dawn and rushed to a chef by sunset. A single high-grade tuna might be caught far offshore and kept aboard for several days under tightly controlled temperatures. This isn’t corner-cutting—it’s essential. Tuna needs time for rigor mortis to pass and the flesh to relax, develop texture, and settle into the quality sushi chefs want. Freshness isn’t measured in hours. It’s measured in handling.

Then the Real Journey Begins

When the boat finally lands, the tuna moves through expert graders, wholesalers, and global auctions before flying to cities around the world. It’s broken down, repacked, sometimes frozen at ultra-low temperatures, and eventually delivered to your local sushi bar.

From hook to nigiri, even the finest tuna often takes 5–10 days to reach a restaurant. In the right hands, that timeline isn’t a flaw—it’s the reason the fish tastes the way it does.The Irony? Monday Is Perfectly Safe

Here’s the real industry rhythm:

• Quality suppliers deliver multiple times a week, not just before weekends.

• Cold-chain logistics are highly reliable and built for consistency.

• Reputable sushi bars know exactly when and how every fish was harvested and handled.

So no, you’re not getting “old fish” on Monday. You’re getting product sourced through a global network that operates continuously, not around a weekend market schedule. Japan has long understood that fish often improves with controlled aging.

Snapper? Commonly rested a day or two. Mackerel? Salted and vinegared. Tuna? Allowed to settle for optimal texture and flavor. Many of the best sushi bites you’ve ever had weren’t “same-day” fresh—they were prepared with time and intention.

So, Can You Eat Sushi on Monday? If the restaurant is reputable, absolutely. Quality sushi doesn’t depend on the calendar; it depends on expertise, sourcing, temperature control, and respect for the ingredient.

The Final Cut

The Monday myth misunderstands how the sushi world works. Great sushi is the product of technique, not timing. Eat it whenever you want. The fish has traveled far, been handled meticulously, and become its best self—Monday included.

The truth is simple: shell color is about genetics, not nutrition. As long as the hens are raised the same way and eat the same feed, a white egg, a brown egg, and a blue egg are nutritionally the same. The drama is mostly in our heads, not in the carton.

The Color Question

Shell color comes down to breed. White-feathered hens like White Leghorns typically lay white eggs. Reddish birds such as Rhode Island Reds lay brown. Breeds like Araucanas and Ameraucanas lay blue or green eggs thanks to a pigment that’s deposited as the shell forms.

That pigment only touches the shell. It doesn’t change what’s inside. Large reviews and USDA guidance all land on the same point: there is no meaningful nutritional advantage to one shell color over another.

So why the myth that brown is “healthier”? Brown-egg layers are often bigger birds that eat more feed, which pushes up production costs and price. You’re mostly paying for the bird, not a better nutrient profile.

Taste follows the same logic. Shell color doesn’t affect flavor; freshness, diet, and handling do. A fresh white egg from a well-kept hen will taste better than a tired brown egg that’s been sitting in the back of the fridge.

And blue or green eggs? They may look special, but nutritionally they’re in the same league. Claims that they’re dramatically lower in cholesterol or uniquely “super” haven’t held up in research.

Myths We Can Retire

• “Brown eggs are healthier.”
  Not on their own. Color tells you breed, not nutrient content. Unless you change how the hen lives and what she eats, brown and white eggs are functionally the same food.

• “Color affects taste.”
  In blind tastings, people can’t reliably tell brown from white. What they can pick up is age and diet: fresher eggs and hens with access to better forage tend to give richer flavor and more vivid yolks.

• “Blue eggs are a nutritional upgrade.”
  They look great in an Instagram flat lay, but there’s no solid evidence they’re inherently more nutritious than other eggs from hens raised the same way.

What Does Make an Egg Exceptional

If color’s a red herring, what actually separates an average egg from a great one?

• Hen diet and access to the outdoors
  When hens are truly pasture-raised, with real access to grass and bugs plus a decent base feed, their eggs often show higher levels of omega-3 fats and certain vitamins (particularly A, E, and D), along with deeper-colored yolks. Multiple controlled studies comparing pastured flocks to standard commercial systems have found these kinds of differences.

• Specialized feed
  Feed enriched with omega-3 sources (like flax or fish oil) can push omega-3 levels up regardless of shell color or label. Same story for other nutrients: tweak the diet, tweak the egg.

• Farming system and labels
  “Organic” mainly speaks to how the feed is grown and what’s not allowed (certain pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, GM crops, routine antibiotics), plus basic access-to-outdoors rules. Some studies suggest organic or higher-welfare systems can shift aspects of the nutrient profile, but the differences are modest and not nearly as dramatic or consistent as the marketing implies.

• Freshness
  Fresh eggs hold their shape better, taste cleaner, and are the real driver in any “this one tasted better” anecdote.

So yes, a fresh white egg from a genuinely pasture-raised flock can absolutely “beat” a brown egg from a cramped indoor system on both taste and certain nutrients. That’s about how the hen lived, not what color ended up on the shell.

Crack the Right Code

Pick whatever shell color you like looking at, but don’t use it as a health proxy. If you care about nutrition and flavor, focus on:

• how the hens were raised (pasture access, real outdoor time)

• what they were fed (especially if you want higher omega-3s)

• and how fresh the eggs are

The best eggs come from the best conditions, not the prettiest shells.

Bonus: 45 Egg Recipes We’ll Crave Until the End of Time - By Joe Sevier and BON APPÉTIT contributors

Once again, the calendar has reached December. While the rest of the world is shopping for presents and drinking eggnog, Miamians are fighting inane traffic, vying to get their names on party lists, and generally trying to decipher the pomp, circumstance, and nonsense of Miami Art Week.

Subscribe now

What started as the sunny version of the Swiss art fair has morphed into a week of partying, C-list celebrity sightings (with the occasional A-lister spotted in a baseball cap actually buying art while trying not to be seen), and general tomfoolery.

Is there art at Miami Art Week? Yes, there are still legit pop-up galleries and shows.

But the main reason to go to Miami Art Week is to drink a $50 champagne in a plastic flute, take plenty of photos for social media, and eat at the pop-ups that sprout like weeds between the cracks of Miami Beach’s sunbleached sidewalks.

Honestly, the press releases read like something SNL’s Stefan would say. But in the middle of the madness, there are a few gems:

Brunch and Dinner Hosted by Jean-George Vongerichten at Matador Room at The Miami Beach EDITION

On Friday, December 5th, Jean-George Vongerichten will be hosting a tasting brunch and dinner at Matador Room at The Miami Beach EDITION (2901 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach). Brunch is from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and costs$175++/pp. Tickets & RSVP here. Dinner is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and costs $275++/pp. Tickets & RSVP here.

Michael’s Genuine Bistro at Design Miami

James Beard winner, Michael Schwartz pops up at Design Miami (Convention Center Drive and 18th Street, Miami Beach) with a French take on his Design District classic, Michael’s Genuine. Think escargot in parsley butter, croque madame, duck confit, mussels with fries, and braised short rib frites. The pop up runs from December 3 to 7.

Natural Born Grillers Apocalypse BBQ at Ray’s Hometown Bar

In celebration of Art Basel, Ray’s Hometown Bar Miami (inside the Freehand Hotel, 2727 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach) is hosting “Natural Born Grillers” for a South Florida backyard barbecue, in partnership with Apocalypse BBQ and presented by Resy on December 6 from 3 to 8 p.m. The menu includes BBQ brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and sides of beans, cole slaw, mac n’ cheese, cornbread, and esquites. Choose between a barbecue-only experience or barbecue and two specialty cocktails, wine, beer, or mocktails from Ray’s Hometown Bar menu. All tickets include a branded giveaway reusable cup, a trucker hat, and a poolside towel. Guests are welcome to bring their swimsuits for a cooling dip in the pool at Freehand Miami. Tickets on sale here.

Chef Andy Quinn Dinners at Oro

ORO (818 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach) will welcome Andy Quinn (The Noortwyck) for a two-night collaboration dinner timed to Art Basel on December 3rd and 4th. Guests will gather at ORO’s patio terrace starting at 8 pm to enjoy a six-course prix fixe menu by chef Andy’s and Oro’s chef Victor Muñoz. Reservations can be made via OpenTable here, and tickets are $225 per person.

Panther Coffee’s 16th Anniversary

While the rest of the U.S. runs on Dunkin’ or Starbucks, Miami runs on Panther Coffee. This coffee shop celebrates its 15th anniversary during Art Basel — and its flagship shop just happens to be right in Wynwood (2390 NW Second Avenue). On December 4, Panther invites everyone to celebrate with coffee, bites, and a toast with a special limited-edition sparkling wine made in collaboration with Michigan’s MAWBY Winery. RSVP HERE

Cherlato at the Faena Hotel

Let me preface this one by saying that, as a resident of South Florida, there’s only two things that could get me to venture out into Miami Beach during Art Basel: Dolly and Cher.

Now, the news:

Cher’s own gelato (yes, Cher has a gelato) CHERLATO!, is popping up at the Faena Hotel for Miami Art Week. The Faena partnership is a collaboration with Assume Vivid Astro Focus (AVAF), running through December 7.

Is there a chance that Cher, herself, might grace Miami Beach with her presence? Who knows? But, this is the one Art Basel event I am not missing…

Happy day-after-Thanksgiving. If you’re like millions of other people in the country, you’ve survived an entire day with the family, lapsed into a food coma, and are now faced with a fridge full of leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.

Subscribe now

Around this time of year, you’re likely to see “creative” ways to use that turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. I’ve seen it all — frittatas, omelettes, lasagna, casseroles, chili, and hash come to mind. There’s one problem with most of these recipes — you have to actually prepare them. I know the last thing on Earth I want to do the day after Thanksgiving is toy with my oven again. Besides, how can you possibly top the perfection that is the leftover sandwich?

The best part of the leftover sandwich is the fact that you have all the ingredients in your fridge to make a bespoke meal of your own: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, gravy, cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables, and that green salad that nobody touched. For bread, traditionalists use white bread (Wonder, IYKYK), but anything you have on hand works: a hoagie, leftover dinner rolls (for sliders), wraps, tortillas, pita, or homemade sourdough.

The assembly is also completely in your hands. I, for one, eschew tradition and don’t put cranberry sauce on my sandwich, preferring to save the fruity condiment as a mix-in for my Greek yogurt and oatmeal in the coming days.

But you do you. That is the entire point of the leftover sandwich.

If you’re looking for inspiration, here are a few suggestions, but the leftover sandwich is your unique personal creation. Thanksgiving might have been a day for gathering with family or friends, but the day after is your time. So, make a sandwich and enjoy.

Michael Mayer, Executive Chef of La Fuga and the Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, agrees that the sandwich is the only logical choice when it comes to a post-Thanksgiving meal. “The only respectable thing to do with Thanksgiving leftovers is to make a turkey sandwich”. Mayer starts with a quality sliced white bread, like a potato bread or a butter bread. (he recommends a large-sized loaf with thick slices like Pepperidge Farms.) One side of the bread is spread generously with mayonnaise (Hellmann’s is his brand of choice), and the other with cranberry sauce: “Homemade is great, but the canned variety is what I grew up on”, he says. White and dark meat should be used, sliced as thin as possible, and mixed to get all the flavor of both meats, along with a layer of stuffing (plenty of it, according to Mayer. The sandwich should be served COLD. “Don’t forget the salt and pepper,” he added.

Tamer Altillawi, owner of Sufrat Mediterranean Grill in Miami, makes a Mediterranean version of the lefyover sandwich — by stuffing everything in a pita. He starts by shredding the turkey and then tossing it in garlic, lemon, and spices. He then stuffs the turkey into a soft pita with pickles, tomato, and lettuce — but you can also add cold brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. Drizzle some tahini sauce instead of mayonaise, and you’ve got a twist on an old favorite.

The internet has been buzzing with the recipe for the Ross Geller leftover sandwich that has the most unfortunate name for a meal I’ve ever encountered: The “Moist Maker”. Parade Magazine assembled the sandwich from a recipe found in 2020’s Friends: The Official Cookbook. The ingredients include leftover turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, romaine lettuce, mayonnaise, and three slices of white sandwich bread. It’s basically a double-decker, and you can find the recipe here.

Finally, there’s the Fonzie version of the classic leftover sandwich. Two years ago, Henry Winkler shared his version of the leftover sandwich, which shall forever be named the Thanksgiving Fonz in my heart:

“Wonder Bread, mayo, turkey, stuffing, cranberry — out of the can, none of that berry shit, more mayo, Wonder Bread. Smoosh. Cut in half — and if there’s any left over, some creamed spinach.”

Gotta love the classics. Now go make a sandwich.

With Michelin expanding to include more and more cities in its eponymous dining guides, it’s understandable that cities are grouped.

Subscribe now

However, I can’t be the only one confounded by the Northeast Cities Guide, which encompasses newbies Philadelphia and Boston along with New York, Washington D.C., and….Chicago.

Chicago is clearly in the Midwest, and Washington D.C. is, technically, considered Mid-Atlantic. My prediction is that as the Guide grows, these cities will be categorised differently in the ever-expanding Michelin universe.

Even before the 2025 ceremony was held in Philadelphia (one of the country’s best food cities, in my opinion), there was drama with Michelin announcing that Alinea in Chicago, New York City’s Masa, and the Inn at Little Washington would be demoted from their Three-Star status.

It also felt like Michelin was reining in its stars, which at some point felt like they were being given out like participation trophies. For instance, Washington D.C. received no new stars, while only three restaurants in Philadelphia and one in Boston received a star.

As always, look to the Bib Gourmands for the treasures. Restaurants like Philadelphia’s 4th Street Deli and Boston’s Fox & the Knife are the way real people want to eat.

Below, find the Two and Three-Starred restaurants in New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C., along with the newly minted restaurants in Philadelphia and Boston.

New York

Three Stars

• Eleven Madison Park

• Jungsik

• Le Bernardin

• Per Se

• Sushi Sho
  

Two Stars

• Aquavit

• Aska

Chicago

Three Stars

• Smyth

Two Stars

• Alinea

• Ever

• Kasama

• Oriole

Philadelphia

One Star

• Friday Saturday Sunday

• Her Place Supper Club

• Provenance

Boston

One Star

• 311 Omakase

Washington D.C.

Two Stars

• Jônt

• minibar

• The Inn at Little Washington