There’s something about fish dip: creamy, briny, smoky, and utterly irresistible, it’s my favorite lunch or snack when the weather is warm.

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It doesn’t hurt that most times, fish dip is on the menu at seaside eateries. Watching the sun glisten on the water while loading a saltine with fish and capers is one of the greatest pleasures in the world.

Now that it’s officially Spring, thoughts turn to longer days, good weather, and waterfront dining.

If you want to channel good times and sunny days, try this redfish dip recipe by Mike Dilonno. The executive chef/owner of Beggars Banquet in New Orleans uses local redfish and Creole spices to give the classic recipe new life. Serve with saltines, crudite, or chips and garnish with lemon wedges and capers. Pair with a cold beer and you’ve got a great snack that’s perfect for a Spring day.

Redfish Dip

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 cup softened cream cheese

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 8 oz. redfish filet or scrap

• 1/2 cup Creole seasoning

In a sauce pot, bring heavy cream to a simmer and reduce its volume by half. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Season redfish liberally with Creole seasoning and place in a smoker preheated to 265 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the fish from the smoker and cool completely.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine cream cheese, reduced cream, mayonnaise, and Creole seasoning, Blend until smooth.

Break up the smoked fish into small pieces and add to the mixture in the food processor. Pulse blend five or six times until the fish is fully combined with the dip base.

Garnish with lemon wedges, fresh dill, and capers and serve with your favorite chips, crackers, and crudite.

Alon Shaya Opens a Restaurant in Paradise

James Beard-winning chef, Alon Shaya, has finally opened his anticipated restaurant, Silan, at Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas. Silan, which means “date syrup” in Persian, merges Shaya’s Israeli heritage with Bahamian flavors, as evidenced in dishes like hummus with local Bahamas lobster and herbed curry butter, marinated conch salad with chilled yogurt, and local grouper with slow-cooked garlic and tomatoes.

Atlantis is becoming quite the culinary destination. The resort is home to restaurants by Nobu Matsuhisa (Nobu), José Andrés (Fish), and Michael White (Paranza),

Last year, it hosted the Nassau Paradise Island Food & Wine Festival, a multi-day food and wine festival, attracting big names like Jose Andres, Andrew Zimmern, and Alex Guarnaschelli. The festival returns March 13-17, 2024 with an even more impressive lineup of talent including Martha Stewart, Duff Goldman, Robert Irvine, JJ Johnson, and Nobu Matsuhisa.

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Franklin Becker’s New York Seafood Palace

Franklin Becker has opened Point Seven, at New York City’s MetLife Building. The restaurant was inspired by coastal cuisines around the globe, which is displayed by the diverse array of menu items such as shrimp and grits with Benton’s Ham, garlic-chili butter, and scallions; steamed Bangs Island mussels in Thai curry with fresh herbs; Caribbean fish stew with achiote, tomatoes and coconut; and spaghetti alla chitarra with sea urchin and Calabrian chili bread crumbs. Becker has tapped pastry chef Sam Mason (formerly of wd~50 and current owner of Oddfellows Ice Cream) to create the dessert menu, and Max Green (formerly of Death & Co.) has created the cocktail menu.

Michael Beltran’s Coconut Grove Oyster Bar

Michael Beltran has opened the Oyster Bar at CocoWalk, the multi-use dining, shopping, and entertainment center in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood. The Oyster Bar is phase one in Beltran’s one-two Cocowalk “punch” of culinary spots: his restaurant Eva will open at CocoWalk in a few weeks. The Oyster Bar will serve, apropos of its name, raw bar items, small plates, and cocktails. Beltran’s restaurants are highly lauded in Miami: his restaurants Ariete, Brasserie Laurel, and Navé have all received a Michelin Star and a Bib Gourmand was awarded to his more casual restaurant, Chug’s Diner.

Last evening (Tuesday, September 12), Colorado’s culinary professionals took the night off from behind the burner to celebrate the state’s first-ever Michelin Star ceremony, held at Denver’s Mission Ballroom.

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Colorado is the eighth Michelin Guide in North America, joining New York, Chicago, California, Florida (Miami/Orlando/Tampa), Washington D.C., Toronto, and Vancouver. It was announced earlier this year that Atlanta will receive its own Michelin Guide, as well.

Michelin Guide's international director, Gwendal Poullennec, said of the Colorado Guide, “Our inspectors have enjoyed their culinary journey through Colorado, and we can’t wait to share the inaugural selection with the world.”

In total, three Denver-area restaurants were awarded one star, one Apen restaurant received a star and one restaurant from Boulder received a star. No Colorado restaurants received two- or three-star designations during this inaugural ceremony.

One Star Restaurants

Beckon, Denver

Bosq, Aspen

Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder

Bruto, Denver

The Wolf's Tailor, Denver

Four Colorado restaurants (two in Boulder and two in Denver) received Green Stars for their sustainable practices

Green Star Restaurants

Blackbelly Market, Boulder

Bramble & Hare, Boulder

Bruto, Denver

The Wolf's Tailor, Denver

Nine Colorado restaurants (all located in Denver) received Michelin’s Bib Gourmand designations, which recognize eateries that offer meals at a “good value” — generally a two-course meal with a glass of wine or dessert for about $50, before tax and tip.

Bib Gourmand Restaurants

Basta, Boulder

AJ's Pit Bar-B-Q, Denver

Ash'Kara, Denver

The Ginger Pig, Denver

Glo Noodle House, Denver,

Hop Alley, Denver

La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal, Denver

Mister Oso, Denver

Tavernetta, Denver

In addition, nearly three dozen Colorado restaurants made it into the Guide in the “Recommended” category.

Recommended

A5 Steakhouse, Denver

Barolo Grill, Denver

Blackbelly Market, Boulder

Bramble & Hare, Boulder

Dio Mio, Denver

Dushanbe Tea House, Boulder

Element 47, Aspen

Fruition, Denver

Hey Kiddo, Denver

Guard and Grace, Denver

Marco's Coal Fired, Denver

Mawa's Kitchen, Aspen

Mercantile Dining & Provision, Denver

Mirabelle, Beaver Creek

Noisette, Denver

Oak at Fourteenth, Boulder

Olivia, Denver

Osaki's, Vail

Potager, Denver

Prospect, Aspen

Q House, Denver

Safta, Denver

Santo, Boulder

Smok, Denver

Splendido at the Chateau, Beaver Creek

Stella's Cucina, Boulder

Sweet Basil, Vail

Temaki Den, Denver

Wyld, Beaver Creek

Zoe Ma Ma, Boulder, and Denver

After a lengthy search throughout the United States, a tiny Miami restaurant has been found to have the best tacos in the country.

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Uptown 66, a Mexican restaurant in Miami’s MiMo neighborhood won the Good Morning America (GMA) “Ultimate Taco Spot” competition last Friday. The competition visited Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and Miami. The winners from each city were flown to GMA’s New York City studios for a final showdown last Friday, September 1.

Uptown 66’s chef/partner, Nuno Grullon aced the on-air competition, winning a cool $20,000 in the process.

Grullon confides he almost didn’t even know about the competition since a GMA producer reached out to an old email address. “I normally don’t even check that email, but every once in a while I go through it.” Grullon, who usually declines reality shows, decided to call the producer back. “I had a conversation and it seemed like a fun competition and they decided to have me compete,” he adds. Grullon easily won the first local round, held in Miami Beach, and was flown to New York City for the finals.

Grullon says that he was ready for a tough competition, so he came prepared with his recipe for birria tacos, a rich taco made with a blend of short rib, beef cheek, and oxtail. Grullon braises the meat with Mexican chilies for 16-20 hours before adding to a homemade tortilla with a cheese blend. He then sears the taco on the grill with the chili oil fat rendered from the cooking process. The tacos are served with the rich broth from the slow-cooked meat.

And, although Grullon says he was confident in his tacos, winning was still a shock. “I was a little confused. Your mind goes a little blank. Everyone is telling you to smile and I just thought, oh my God, this is amazing. I didn’t have many words to say.

Grullon says Uptown 66’s birria tacos are a top seller, and that he doesn’t skimp on the quality of the ingredients. “I use beef cheek because it’s a delicious piece of meat and it cooks down well. Oxtail is something I grew up eating — it’s fatty, it’s soft, and it falls right off the bone.”

I’ve been to Uptown 66 several times and it’s one of Miami’s best deals. To say the menu is concise would be an understatement — Uptown 66 offers a single-page menu of tacos, elote, nachos, burritos, and a few other items. Take your tacos and a cold beer out back, where an old tree provides shade for your meal. The restaurant is solid proof that you can get a delicious and authentic meal for under twenty bucks in Miami.

Grullon plans to open a second restaurant about a mile up the road from Uptown 66.

Grand Central will open in late September, focusing on burgers. The restaurant opens in a small but charmed location. It was home to Cake Thai — a small 30-seat restaurant that was home to some of the best Thai food in Miami before the chef decided to move back to Thailand to further his culinary education. Grullon says he’s looking forward to his burgers in a city he says is ripe with potential. “Michelin is in Miami, [Lionel] Messi is in Miami and I’m happy to be part of the city’s growth.”

When Mariana Cortez announced she was closing her vegan bakery, Bunnie Cakes, she wasn’t expecting the warm sendoff she received. The baker, who became a Miami favorite for her bite-sized plant-based cupcakes and treats — all topped with a heart — was overwhelmed when she saw the familiar faces at her rainbow-hued shop. “I saw all the friends I had made over the years. I really felt good to know the impact we made in the community.”

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For Cortez, closing the cake shop wasn’t easy, but she realized that it was a necessary step in order to grow Bunnie Cakes. “I came to the realization that keeping the shop wasn’t helping the brand. It was a difficult decision, but it was the right decision. We have a lot of things in the pipeline.”

The bakery, which first opened in 2009 in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, is taking a national turn.

According to Cortez, Bunnie Cakes is ready to ink an agreement with a national grocery chain that would take the company national with a line of vegan, kosher, and soy-free ready-to-bake batters and frostings. The collection of family-friendly bakeables includes refrigerated cake batter in vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet; and vanilla and chocolate frosting. Cortez is currently tweaking the packaging in anticipation of an early 2024 release nationwide.

The baker has also worked a deal with Miami International Airport to offer Bunnie Cakes at vending machines at various locations throughout the bustling travel hub. The vending machines are located at gated B21 and G15 and a third machine is opening at B49. The machines offer four- and six-packs of mini cupcakes, cake sundaes (cakes in a cup), and mini cakes. Cortez said the four-inch cakes are a surprise hit, with travelers purchasing them as souvenir gifts.

In addition to the nationwide batters and frostings, Bunnie Cakes delivers locally from Miami to West Palm Beach through Uber Eats. In addition, local Miami Whole Foods Markets sell Bunnie Cakes cupcakes, cakes, and cake sundaes.

Cortez also hosts a YouTube channel, sponsored by Florida Crystals Sugar. Cortez and her team traveled to Mexico to film various segments for the channel, which help people up their vegan baking game. The goal, according to Cortez, is to upload a new video every Friday.

The vegan baking entrepreneur opened Bunnie Cakes back in 2009 after learning her then two-year-old son, Luke, had a host of allergies. Cortez had been making vegan options at home for several years and decided to open a small bake shop in Miami. Word spread quickly about her bite-sized vegan cupcakes, unicorn cakes, and other colorful vegan treats among both the vegan community and parents who found Bunnie Cakes to be one of the few treats that could accommodate most children’s dietary restrictions. “We positioned Bunnie Cakes in Miami very well, but my goal now is to position the brand as a vegan household name.”

Cortez says that she’s up for the challenge of taking Bunnie Cakes national. “I’m very excited. There’s a lot of room to grow. I saw that little space 14 years ago and saw an opportunity. Now I see the opportunities for the future.”

Michelin has just announced that it is coming to Colorado.

The Guide, which inducted Florida into its prestigious roster in 2022, will hold its first Michelin Star Ceremony in the Rocky Mountain State in September 2023.

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Colorado’s first Star Revelation Ceremony will be held Tuesday, September 12 at Denver’s Mission Ballroom. As in other cities, chefs will receive an invite to the soiree not knowing the placement of their restaurant in the 2023 guide. It is in real-time that chefs learn whether their restaurant has received a Bib Gourmand, Green Star, or a coveted One- Two- or Three-Star designation.

Michelin is rapidly expanding its presence throughout North America. Currently, New York, Chicago, California, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, D.C. have Michelin Guides. When it was introduced in 2022, the Florida Guide focused solely on Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. In May, Michelin held its second Star Ceremony in Miami. An Atlanta Guide was also recently announced.

 “Colorado has a dynamic culinary scene, one that’s perfect for the Michelin Guide,” says Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the Michelin Guide, adding, “The state’s locations feature many creative restaurant teams and an exciting mix of flavors."

Colorado’s cuisine is eclectic and varied with cultural influences taken from Native American (especially the Ute, Navajo, and Apache tribes), European, and Latin American cultures. Colorado also boasts a thriving farming community that raises everything from grain and fruits to lamb and beef. In addition, its lush landscape and dense forests yield fresh fish, elk, and waterfowl.

The state is also a hotbed for tourism with visitors traveling to Colorado to ski in tony mountain resorts, hike its vast greenways, and even tour the haunted Stanley Hotel that is the real star of Stephen King’s The Shining.

As with past Michelin Guides, the state’s tourism authority has wooed Michelin to the state. In a statement, the Colorado Tourism Office’s director, Timothy Wolfe, said, “Colorado residents have long enjoyed the expanding food scene of our incredibly talented chefs, who bring locally harvested ingredients to life.”

A monetary incentive by the Colorado Tourism Office (if any), has not yet been divulged. In 2022, Visit Florida and the Tampa, Orlando, and Miami tourist boards paid Michelin $150,000 to produce its Florida Guide. California’s tourism board paid Michelin $600,000 to produce a statewide guide in 2019.

For many, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer season with the weekend spent at the beach or the backyard.

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For Anne Burrell, summer means entertaining with her husband Stuart Claxton at their home in Brooklyn. “My husband and I love living in Brooklyn. After a million years of living in the City, this is my first out-of-borough experience. I feel like Brooklyn is what the West Village was years ago,” she tells Broken Palate, adding that she had lived in that Manhattan neighborhood for years before a desire for more room and outdoor space led the couple to Brooklyn.

Burrell turned the outdoor terrace in her new home into an urban oasis. “It’s funny, I feel like New Yorkers and city dwellers make so much use of every inch of space,” she adds. Burrell started by mapping out the area and installing astroturf and grass. She then added a table with a patio umbrella for entertaining and a cozy couch. “It became my outdoor living room. I love to entertain.”

When guests come over, Burrell likes to keep the party delicious yet simple — especially in the summertime.

Rather than a sitdown affair, the host of Worst Cooks in America will push two tables together to fashion a buffet with food. Then she’ll put the bar in a different place: “That way we don't create a bottleneck,” she explains. Burrell is also about easing cleanup. “My go-to are red Solo cups and bamboo plates and silverware. It makes things so easy at the end of the day.”

Burrell also likes to greet guests with a cocktail before showing them where the bar is. “My rule when I entertain is that I make them the first drink and it’s on your own after that.” She does add that, as a good hostess, she makes sure the ice is fresh and the mixers are replenished.

When planning the menu, Burrell is all about foods that speak of summer. Her favorite ingredient to plan a menu around? “When I think of summer, I jump to watermelon. It takes me back to being a kid. At every picnic, the person who brought the watermelon was the hero. It’s the friendliest of melons.”

Burrell’s go-tos are a refreshing watermelon salad with feta (see recipe below), paired with a watermelon drink. “I would rim a glass with a sugar and chili powder rim, add ice, spirits, and watermelon juice. You can go vodka, tequila, or gin — there are a lot of different directions you could take this cocktail,” she says.

Burrell also loves stone fruit like peaches and nectarines to add to salads. “they just say summer, to me,” she says.

Expect to see lots of veggies at Burrell’s dinner parties. Favorites include leafy greens from the farmer’s markets, asparagus, and radishes. “I go for the big standard radishes. I cut them in half, toss them in olive oil and salt them. Then roast them in a 325-degree oven until you can put a fork in and out.” Burrell says they retain their crunchy texture but turn sweet.

For protein, Burrell turns to pork, which can adapt to flavor profiles like Asian, French, or Mexican. “You can buy a pork tenderloin really cheap and one is enough for me and my husband for dinner. Pork is everyone’s friend.”

Anne Burrell’s Watermelon Feta Salad

Ingredients

1/2 medium watermelon, rind removed, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Juice and zest of 3 limes

1 bunch mint, leaves picked and cut into chiffonade

10 to 12 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Directions

“In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients together. Let sit 30 to 60 minutes before serving. This will allow all the flavors to marry together. If you just can't wait and need to eat the salad immediately...I SOOOOO get it!!” - Anne Burrell

If you’re a renter in New York City (or any major city, for that matter), you’re keenly aware of how expensive it is to simply have a roof over your head.

According to Rent Hop, New York rentals average $3,300 for a studio rental to $7,495 for a 4-bedroom rental, with a median rate of $4,263. According to the 2021 U.S. Census, the average household income for New York City residents is $75,157.

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If you enjoy dining out, a new program actually can help you enjoy a bowl of pasta while contributing to your rent.

Bilt Rewards’ “Bilt Dining” program recently launched in New York, allowing diners to earn “Bilt Points” and more than 1,300 New York City restaurants. These points can be used for travel, shopping, and even paying your rent.

Bilt Dining is part of Bilt Rewards, the program that rewards members for paying their rent. Bilt Dining is available only in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and New York City for now, but expect that list to grow in the future.

The program works like most rewards programs: you sign up and connect your credit card to the Bilt Dining wallet. When you dine at a participating restaurant, you’ll receive five Bilt points on the total bill. Sign up for the Bilt Mastercard, and you’ll get three extra points (but you can use any card you like, so don’t feel pressured).

Those points can be redeemed for travel, shopping, or even rent at one of Bilt’s 2.5 million rental units that recognize the program. Amazon recognizes the program, so your next dinner at your favorite restaurant can even fund your midnight Amazon binge, and various fitness clubs like SoulCycle and Rumble accept Bilt points, so feel free to add fries to that burger (you’ll burn it off with a workout tomorrow).

The best part? Well, the participating restaurants seem to be places that you’ll actually want to dine at. New York City restaurants include Carbone, Torrisi, Blue Willow, Emmett’s, Black Ant, Fausto, Bar Tulix, the Lambs Club, and more.

In a world where everything requires you to pull out your credit card, you might as well get whatever perks you can.

Back in November 2010, a group of friends opened a restaurant in Miami’s Westchester neighborhood, selling pinchos (snacks, usually small kebobs) and burgers. What made the restaurant so different were its weekly outrageous specials that turned typical burgers into Miami-centric meals.

In today’s standards, these burgers — made with guava or fried queso, or substituting tostones for a bun — would become viral stars in their own right on TikTok or Instagram. Instead, Miami blogger Sef Gonzalez, better known as Burger Beast, was the catalyst to drive Pincho (then named Pincho Factory) to local fame.

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CEO and founder Otto Othman explains, “We became well known after Sef wrote a review on Burger Beast. We became famous. That was the beginning of it all.”

Soon, all of Miami started knocking on the restaurant’s door — and the awards started rolling in. Pincho Factory’s fries were named the best by a local television station, and its burgers won the coveted South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash twice — a title usually reserved for restaurants owned by Food Network celebrities like Bobby Flay and Michael Symon.

Pincho Factory continued to grow, with Othman finally quitting his “day job” at an ad agency in 2013. The company was poised to expand, but there was one setback, according to Othman: Many people outside Miami who weren’t aware of Latin culture didn’t equate the name Pincho Factory with delicious fast casual food. “I would attend food conferences out of state to meet different restaurateurs and they thought ‘Pincho Factory’ was some factory named Pincho.” Othman decided to conduct a completely unofficial survey. “I hopped on a plane to O’Hare Airport in Chicago and asked random people what they thought of the name. Most of them didn’t understand the name. I realized then I would have to change the name if we wanted to grow outside of the Miami area.”

Othman and his team changed the name to Pincho Burgers and Kebobs. The restaurant, fueled by a new name and delicious food, grew to ten locations throughout Miami, including on campus at Florida International University and one located inside LoanDepot Park (the home of the Miami Marlins).

Last year, Utah-based Savory Fund partnered with Pincho, investing $20 million dollars into the company. The first move for Othman was to buy back his franchised restaurants. “Franchising did well for us but I really wanted to keep control of the consumer experience. I think there’s a time for franchising, but when it’s an emerging brand, it’s tougher,” he says.

Pincho’s next move is to expand outside of Florida, opening six restaurants in Houston, Texas. “Houston sounds like a perfect market,” says Othman, adding, “It’s massive. It’s ten times the size of Miami and a melting pot of different cultures.”

The first Houston Pincho is scheduled to open mid-June in the Cypress neighborhood, with a Memorial City restaurant following soon after. The other four will open strategically. “We’re being very thoughtful about it,” says Othman.

Othman is excited to bring a taste of Miami to Houston. “The last time a big brand came out of Miami it was Burger King. That was a while back.”

More than the food, Othman says his greatest accomplishment is creating new jobs for people — and nurturing the people who work at Pincho. “If I can look back and say I created 1,000 jobs and built a company where people are respected, I’ll be proud.”

Othman is also looking forward to showing the rest of the country the best of Miami. “This is a Latin fast-casual concept where we can put a focus on the Miami that locals know — Hialeah and Little Havana and all the places that make Miami special.”

Othman says Pincho’s growth reflects the company’s motto: Born in Miami. “We’re going to say, Born in Miami, now in Houston. We take a lot of pride in our city. We now get to set the tone of what the flavors of Miami are. As long as we stay true to our north star, we’re going to do well.”

Finish Reading RH x Aspen

»DAILY DISPATCH

DINE | NEW YORK | LA RESIDENCE

Twelve floors above Crosby Street, Yann Nury has created a fine-dining haven with the feel of your most stylish friend’s living room. The 39-year-old French chef started his career cooking alongside Daniel Boulud at private events in Upper East Side penthouses and SoHo lofts.

Visiting one client’s Wooster Street apartment with round windows and exposed brick, Nury began to dream of creating something similar. Designed in collaboration with Parisian architect Charles Zana, La Residence is complete with 16-foot ceilings, a custom Molteni stove, and sleek furniture.Mouthwatering dishes include Malossol Astrakhan caviar with avocado, Wagyu-beef Wellington, tender Dover sole, and grilled cheese made with Comté.While La Residence is available to book out for events, it’s invitation-only. There is no phone number to call. Instead, like with anything good in the city, you have to know somebody who knows Nury. (instagram.com) —Elena Clavarino @ Air Mail

SAVOR | LOS ANGELES | LAYLA BAGELS

In the last decade, Los Angeles went from having zero adequate bagel shops to a handful of delicious ones (Courage and Maury’s, in Silver Lake; Hank’s, in Burbank; Belle’s, in Highland Park). The latest edition is Layla Bagels, in Santa Monica, which opened in early February.

The sourdough-bagel recipe was developed by Sergio Espana, formerly a baker at Tartine and Gjusta. Layla’s toppings are just as delicious as the bagels themselves: fresh heirloom tomatoes (far better than tomatoes you can get in Manhattan), house-whipped herb cream cheese, satsuma mandarins from the Santa Monica farmers market. The only issue is the line, which often stretches out the door. (laylabagels.com) —Jensen Davis @ Air Mail

OPENINGS | NEW YORK | REVELIE

Raoul’s is expanding. Owner Karin Raoul is crossing the street to 179 Prince Street and is now open with Revelie, a French American diner featuring an old-school soda fountain counter. Expect burgers, omelets, milkshakes, and other diner classics. - JM (Revelie)

»IN CASE YOU MISSED

Is this the best small restaurant in America? By Alan Richman (Find out here)

5 Minutes with Chef Chris Bianco: Talking 'Chef's Table,' pizza, life lessons, Jimmy Kimmel, and canned tomatoes (Read)

»MUSIC: In celebration that DeLa Soul is now on Spotify, I curated a playlist with their music included. Enjoy below, just click play.

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(Special content post in collaboration with AIR MAIL, a digital weekly from Graydon Carter featuring some of the world's finest journalists. Enjoy and please share with your food and culture loving friends.- John McDonald )

London’s sky is “impeccably grey, a denial, really of the very concept of colour,” as Martin Amis wrote in Money. The de-saturation of English life reaches its peak in January and February. But there is one bright foodstuff fighting against the drab: winter-harvested forced rhubarb, a dazzling pink gem of British farming.

The first person to try to wrangle rhubarb into pleasing edibility was certainly an adventurous one. It’s a plant with large, poisonous leaves similar in appearance to chard, while its stalk is texturally akin to extra-stringy celery when eaten raw. However, with plenty of cooking, and plenty of sugar, it can be transformed into a distinctly tart culinary treasure, used in crumbles and sweet pies. It’s one of the few vegetables that has been retrofitted into becoming a de facto fruit.

While ordinary, outdoor-grown rhubarb is harvested during the fruit-rich period spanning April to September, the rarefied, indoor-grown “forced” kind arrives from late December to the end of March. It hails from Yorkshire’s “Rhubarb Triangle”—the area between the industrial cities of Leeds, Wakefield, and Bradford—which became an E.U. Protected Designation of Origin in 2010.

Back in the 1970s, there were around 200 farms cultivating this crop in the area. Now there are only 10, of which R. Tomlinson & Son, a fourth-generation family firm, is considered the Cadillac of the remaining growers.

“Everyone wants Tomlinson rhubarb,” says Bella Tubbs, head pastry chef at the Michelin-starred River Cafe in London. “It’s a dying art, but because it’s growing so much in popularity now I wonder if more and more people will choose to grow it.”

It’s one of the few vegetables that has been retrofitted into becoming a de facto fruit.

The crop is typically planted between September and March and spends two years outside, where exposure to the cold establishes the roots and strengthens the stalks. When the second summer comes to a close, the dormant rhubarb is laboriously transferred into pitch-black “forcing sheds,” which offer heat and water but no light. The plant has just enough sun-derived energy stored from its time in the fields to sustain it through this last stage of maturation.

Here, in total darkness, the rhubarb stops producing chlorophyll, and gains a perfect upright posture as it stretches in search of illumination. The picking, which starts after Christmas, is such a delicate labor of love that it is, remarkably, undertaken by candlelight. Relying solely on the gentle flicker of a candle’s flame ensures that the rhubarb retains a pink stalk that is more sweet and tender than common field-grown rhubarb.

“It’s just the most surreal thing to see in person,” says Tubbs of her recent visit to the farm, where Robert Tomlinson and his wife cut and clean every stalk by hand before sending out the in-demand produce in bright-red boxes.

It’s not just chefs in England who are enthusiastic about it. The high-end food distributor Natoora delivers Tomlinson rhubarb to restaurants around the world, including to Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-starred Per Se, in New York.

“At the River Cafe we poach the rhubarb to go with our panna cotta, and it’s the most beautiful contrast of colors—that white panna cotta with the bright, candy-like pink rhubarb,” says Tubbs of what has become her favorite seasonal ingredient. “It’s No. 1. Everyone really looks forward to it.”

Forced rhubarb is on the dessert menu only until the middle of March, though, when in-season blood oranges begin replacing it. But the limited availability is part of its attraction.

“It has a season, and then it’s over. That’s kind of what we do at the River Cafe,” says Ruthie Rogers, the founder of the much-beloved institution. “We get excited when a fruit or vegetable arrives, and then we feel sad when it leaves. Everything reflects the seasons.”

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Spike Carter is a writer and filmmaker. His next project is a documentary about Eric Roberts

Photos: Kyrani Kanavaros/Redux; Scott Suchman/The Washington Post/Getty Images; Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images; Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images; Shop the River Cafe

The poll will be live for one week and we will publish the findings when completed.

Reservations, once here and there, are now everywhere all at once.

And if you missed it, the New York Times published a feature, “What Does Your Favorite Reservations App Say About You.” Check it out and give us your pick above.

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Michelin has just released its 2022 Michelin Guide California, with restaurants from Los Angeles to Paso Robles awarded stars— including one restaurant receiving a much-coveted three-star designation.

The famed guide employs its own team of anonymous inspectors tasked with the monumental feat of eating across the over 163,000 square miles of the Golden State. 598 restaurants made this year’s Michelin Guide — a staggering number of restaurants.

Among those, 18 restaurants were newly minted with stars. Here are the new California restaurants that have been awarded stars by Michelin, including links to the Michelin notes on each new entry.

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One Michelin Star

715 (Los Angeles)

Camphor (Los Angeles)

Citrin (Los Angeles)

Cyrus (Sonoma)

Gwen (Los Angeles)

Hatchet Hall (Los Angeles)

Kato (Los Angeles)

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Manzke (Los Angeles)

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Osito (San Francisco)

Press (Napa)

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Ssal (San Francisco)

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One Michelin Star and Green Star

Caruso's (Montecito) Green Star

The Restaurant at Justin (Paso Robles) Green Star

Three Michelin Stars

Addison (San Diego)

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In early December 2015, a small blue and white trailer set up shop in a parking lot in the Wynwood section of Miami. The trailer sold doughnuts and coffee and called itself the Salty Donut (the company has since changed its name to the Salty).

At first, partners in life and business, Andy Rodriguez and Amanda Pizarro, saw little activity. “The first couple of weeks, there was nobody there — just friends and family.” The couple closed the little trailer for the Christmas holiday and when they reopened a few weeks later, something remarkable happened: Lines of hundreds of people started forming each morning, with the couple selling out of doughnuts in just a few short hours. “When we came back it was like our customer base multiplied times a thousand,” says Rodriguez.

In a few short months, the Salty moved into a permanent brick-and-mortar in Wynwood. The lines continue to this day, with people waiting in the hot Florida sun for a chance to snag a brown butter and salt or maple bacon doughnut.

Just shy of the Salty’s seventh anniversary, there are now six locations in Miami, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Austin, and Dallas — with shops in Coconut Grove, Tampa, and Charlotte, North Carolina on the way.

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“We’re expanding all over the place,” says Rodriguez, adding that the company’s growth strategy is choosing cities that have a ton of growth potential. On the radar: Houston, Nashville, Atlanta, and Charlotte.”

Rodriguez says that he and Pizarro’s passion for doughnuts is also what drives the company’s success. “Amanda and I have also been obsessed with food and food experiences. This is going back to childhood. “ The couple first learned about artisanal doughnuts when they started traveling throughout the United States together. “We didn’t even know artisanal doughnuts were a thing,” the Miami native admits. Together, they decided to explore the country in search of the best doughnuts. “In California and Oregon on every other block there’s a cool bakery or a brewery,” says Rodriguez adding that as early as 2014, Miami wasn’t the hotbed of culinary activity it is today. “We didn’t have any of that stuff.”

So, the couple decided that if they were obsessed with doughnuts, Miamians would be, too. First, however, they had to perfect their product. Though neither had formal baking experience, Rodriguez said they both had good palates and a solid idea of what they wanted in a product. "From the beginning, we knew we wanted a brioche doughnut”

Different than traditional yeast or cake doughnuts, the Salty’s doughnuts eat more like a pastry: break open a Salty doughnut and you’ll see layers of brioche dough. This makes for a doughnut that’s also less sugary and allows for more creativity when it comes to fillings and toppings. “We wanted our doughnuts to stand on their own. We wanted a doughnut that felt like a pastry in your hand.”

The Salty has several core flavors that are unique to each location. From there, there are several seasonal flavors that rotate continuously. The company also collaborates with local favorite restaurants and breweries.

More than anything, Rodriguez contributes the Salty’s success in the basics. “At the end of the day, we’re in the hospitality industry. The service has to be awesome, the product has to be great, and the place has to be clean. Sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how hard it is.”

The doughnut maven said that the company plans to grow strategically, starting through the south and southwest. From there, the skies the limit. “How big can we go? For me, it’s more a question of how many people can we get to have the Salty experience? That’s what it is for me. That’s what gets me up in the morning.”

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Miami-based Cindy Lou's Cookies is about to become the next cookie sensation, starting with its first NYC location, the first outside of Florida, followed by 30 shops in cities from Dubai to London.

The New York location for Cindy Lou's is now open in Manhattan West (385 9th Ave.), a six-million square-foot multiuse complex on Manhattan's West Side.

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For Cindy Kruse and her life/business partner Eric Paige, it’s a Cinderella story. Just a year ago, with COVID forcing many businesses to shutter, Kruse and Paige were fighting to keep their little Miami shop open. "The pandemic was so hard on us," said Kruse who says that in 2020, all of the bakery's wholesale business — which made up the bulk of their livelihood — were wiped out. "A month after the pandemic started, we had zero wholesale accounts," she said.

Kruse and Paige decided to keep the shop open anyway. "We just said, let's go in and bake and give it away," said Kruse. Like many other businesses, they started to make food for hospital workers. "That sustained us during the pandemic and kept our workers employed.”

Call it karma, good luck, or the result of years of hard work, but a few months ago, Kruse was contacted by hospitality group, SBE's C3 Division with an offer: Did they want to partner up to open Cindy Lou's Cookies at the Citizens Food Halls that were planned in about two dozen major cities including Seattle, Atlanta, and Chicago?

Kruse said the opportunity is life-changing for a small-business owner. "It's just Eric and me, and three people. We're here six days a week scooping, baking, taking out the trash. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Over the summer, Kruse found herself flying to New York City to train her first team. "We're bringing the concept, the recipes, and the energy," she says. The cookies in the New York shop— and beyond — will be made the same way as in the flagship Miami bakery. "We're using the same ingredients and the same procedures." What is different is that Cindy Lou's will have an entire branding team behind it. "They're doing boxes and T-shirts for us," she said.

Kruse said that each shop will offer about a dozen flavors at a time of the 35 different cookie recipes that Cindy Lou's is known for. "We're going to start small and go from there," said Kruse. Flavors include classics like chocolate chip, red velvet, and oatmeal raisin along with exotic cookies that bring a taste of Miami to cities like Chicago and Seattle. “We have to introduce our guava coconut macaroon to the world,” she said. According to Kruse, each cookie weighs about seven ounces — enough to share — and costs $4-5 each. “I describe them as an affordable luxury,” she says.

Kruse recently visited the site of the soon-to-open Citizens Food Hall in Downtown Miami and was flabbergasted by what she saw: A large mural was posted at the site, featuring famous chefs that were soon to have presences at the food hall. There, among Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, famed Italian butcher Dario Cecchini, and Spanish culinary sensation Dani Garcia was her picture. "I was in tears. It's surreal. I know that this is what people work their whole life for."

Kruse is thankful to SBE — and its leader, Sam Nazarian, for the opportunity. She calls him "Hurricane Sam" for coming into her life and changing it. After a quarter-century of baking for Miami giants like the Fontainebleau Hotel and Barton G., Kruse went on her own in 2013 to bake and sell cookies to local Miami coffee houses like Panther Coffee and Vice City Bean. 

In 2016, she and Paige raised $30,000 through a Kickstarter to fund their small Miami bakery. During the pandemic, Kruse had a moment of doubt whether Cindy Lou's could stay afloat. Then, SBE came calling. "It hasn't been easy. So many times I wanted to give up, but I worked my heart out."

Kruse said she's heard stories about small shops making it big — ice creamery Salt & Straw and Starbucks come to mind — but she never thought it would happen to her.

Now, faced with being the new cookie sensation, Kruse is taking it one store opening at a time, still grinding. Still baking. "I'm still pinching myself. But I have a little shuffle in my kitchen clogs these days."

Cindy Lou's Cookies is open in Miami at 7320 NE Second Ave. 786-505-2253 and is now open at Manhattan West. Cindy Lou's Cookies are also available through Goldbelly or at cindylouscookies.com.