Food & drink

Food & drink

One of my absolute favorite winter drinks is the après-ski classic verte chaud - also known as hot chocolate with a shot of emerald Green Chartreuse. This 300-year-old monastic liqueur is flavored with over 130 different botanicals, making it fabulously complex, with reviving notes of anise, mint, ginger, aromatic woods, pepper, tobacco, and lemon zest. It brings real lift to hot chocolate or dishes with earthy cocoa and creamy notes.

We needed these recent and endless rainstorms to symbolically wash away as much of 2025 as possible. But what a friggin' mess-so sorry for everyone impacted by the storms and king tides and power outages. While looking at Fortuna contentedly basking in her sunbath this morning, I'm not the only one thankful blue skies have returned after the deluge. The air is so clean and crisp.

The food and beverage industry loves a good slam dunk, and Shaquille O'Neal just delivered one that's turning heads from coast to coast. The NBA legend's latest confectionery creation, Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS, isn't just another celebrity candy launch: it's a multi-textural, interactive experience that's redefining what gummy innovation looks like in 2026. For food and beverage professionals watching the confectionery space, this launch represents more than just another SKU hitting retail shelves.

There's a whole universe of unique pizza toppings to choose from and, depending on what state or city you're in, your pizza could be round, square, or rectangular. Even the pizza base has moved on from flour-yeast-water to using more exotic ingredients like millets and cauliflower. Point being: the insatiable appetite for pizzas lies in its versatility - but that still doesn't explain why a slice of pizza costs so much in the state of Washington.

Restaurants The new year is already off to a great start when it comes to restaurant openings and fresh updates in Greater Boston's dining scene. In the months ahead, we have major restaurant openings from Michelin chefs and famous New York restaurateurs, as well as a swell of diverse and delicious smaller restaurants joining our neighborhoods. Each week, Boston.com will highlight the restaurant openings worth knowing about across the region.

Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica is a quintessential neighborhood restaurant dedicated to centering California's unrivaled produce and micro-seasons. The restaurant, opened in 2006 by Josh Loeb, not only feels fresh and relevant nearly two decades in, but continues to deliver the kind of dynamic flavors that rival what young guns are cranking out across town.

If you've dined out in London in the past 20 years, chances are you've eaten at one of Jeremy King's spots. The serial restaurateur has been involved in the making of (literally and figuratively) classics such as Le Caprice, The Wolseley, The Ivy, and J Sheekey, and his more recent projects include The Park and Arlington. But despite being a legend of the London scene, King has never brought his expertise over the pond - until now.

Chef Keith Sarasin - the founder and chef of pop-up restaurant the Farmer's Dinner, who grew up in New Hampshire - has been immersing himself in the art of Indian food for decades. And Boston benefits from his dedication to the culinary culture at Aatma Curry House, a new restaurant inside Brighton brewery Widowmaker Brewing Co. Here, he endeavors to make high-quality Indian food with fusion flavors, while educating diners about the cuisine with a glossary of Indian terms in the menu.

to make way for new ownership and a revitalized concept,

Japan's 7-Elevens are well-known for having all sorts of delicious and unique snacks that you just can't find in the United States. While the convenience store chain got its start in the U.S., it first opened locations in Tokyo in 1974. As of 2025, there were over 22,000 locations across Japan, which vastly outnumber the approximately 12,300 in the U.S.

Pierogi Boys started as a Polish food stand in the DeKalb Market Hall, where co-owners and partners Krzysztof Poluchowicz and Andrzej Kinczyk honed in on crafting their signature dish in Brooklyn. Now, they've expanded with a full restaurant and market in Ridgewood, where they serve those dumplings alongside other exciting, modern Polish dishes, while selling their favorite produce and products in Queens.

Alter worked at The Habit Burger Grill for the past seven years, most recently serving as chief operating officer for three years, according to her LinkedIn profile. While at Habit, she worked on strategy and operational planning processes as well as improving the guest experience through new channels and touchpoints and new processes and training, according to Alter's LinkedIn. She also worked on digital and technology integration to support the guest and team member experience.

I remember standing in rapt attention at the edge of the stovetop as my mom tossed fresh, thinly sliced beef into an oiled pan set on maximum heat. The steak hissed and leaped in a dramatic dance as flames licked the pan from underneath. My mom turned to me and said, "This is why it's called lomo saltado: the lomo is the steak, and watch how it's saltando - jumping."

If you fancy lunch in one of the City of London's ancient livery halls, it's possible. Livery Halls are usually only open to members or hired out for events, but the Livery Hall of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, near the Barbican, holds monthly(ish) public lunches. Guests are welcomed with a drink reception from 12:15pm on the Ground Floor, before ascending to the Great Hall, where lunch is served at 1pm.

The Volcano Quesarito (an upgrade of the restaurant's beloved Quesarito) is Taco Bell's way of highlighting its new condiment, and it's a loaded combo creation that promises a flavor explosion. It consists of seasoned beef, seasoned rice, and sour cream, wrapped inside a ques

Buitoni Instant Pizza (aka "Tosterinos") hit the market during the late 1970s, available in cheese, sausage, and pepperoni flavors. What made this toaster pizza special was its unique toppings-catching design. Buitoni's wrapped its cheese and toppings in a protective sheath of dough, like a calzone or a foldover, thereby preventing the gooey accouterment from sliding off during while being heated in a toaster. This PopTart-esque structure made the pie round, flat, and (apparently) unforgettable.

When Christine Moore followed her Yalie boyfriend to California, she walked off the plane, felt the sunshine, so unlike the dreary East Coast weather she left behind, and decided never to go back. She spent the rest of her life in Southern California, ending up in Altadena, where she lived, and Pasadena, where her popular cafe and bakery, Little Flower, serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week.

Campbell's advertised the fruit soup as an ultra-versatile secret weapon. It could be poured over cottage cheese, ice cream, or even meat as a sauce. It was a perfect addition to the Jell-O salads popular at the time. And it could be incorporated into desserts like chiffon pie. Not to mention its value as a standalone dish; Campbell's claimed a bowl of the stuff, hot or cold, in some fine dishware was about as classy and nutritious as it could get.

To achieve that physique, Damon said he cut one thing out of his diet. "I literally, just because of this other thing I did with my doctor, stopped eating gluten," Damon said. "I used to walk around between 185 and 200. I did that whole movie at 167. And I haven't been that light since high school. So it was a lot of training and a really strict diet."

If you're piling your already-damp lettuce with beans, wet salsas, sour cream, and the like, you could be compromising the structural integrity of the container and setting yourself up for a less-than-optimal eating experience. One of the hacks for ordering at Chipotle that you can try to combat this moisture is to order a bowl, but ask for the lettuce to be added to the dish last.

When it comes to party favorites, homemade beer cheese hits the spot by offering a tangy, hoppy dip that is more complex than it sounds. Served with soft pretzel bites or pizza rolls, any beer cheese recipe can disappear fast on game day. For those who have experienced a batch of leftovers, beer cheese can be cleverly incorporated into a variety of recipes.

This chewy and taffy-like chocolatey candy came into being in 1896 and was even the first individually-wrapped penny candy sold in the U.S. The log-shaped vintage candy maintained its spot in the cultural zeitgeist all the way throughout the 1900s and even into today, but not without a little innovation and variety being added to the mix. In 1970, the Tootsie brand launched a brand-new take on its famous chewy confection with Frooties, becoming an instant hit with youth.

If you want a meal that brings huge flavor with hardly any effort, these Instant Pot Beef Brisket Tacos absolutely deliver. As the weather cools and schedules get busier, having a recipe that practically cooks itself feels like a lifesaver. The Instant Pot turns brisket into tender, juicy strands in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven or slow cooker. Even better, the result tastes like it simmered all day.

This braised cabbage recipe is one of the easiest, most delicious ways to cook a humble ball of greens until it's falling-apart tender. Cut into wedges, the cabbage chars before getting bathed in a broth made from spiced tomato paste. The result is a comforting, flavor-packed dish that works equally well as a vegetarian main or as a bold side, especially when finished with yogurt, served over grains, or paired with roasted meats.

Filling my cheeks with crisp puffed shells packed with spiced potatoes, chutneys, and tamarind water is a core Delhiite memory, and one that comes rushing back at Gokul Sweets in Decatur. The no-frills, counter-service spot is a longtime vegetarian Indian street food staple, complete with a bakery case stacked with dozens of sweets. North Indian treats abound, but the massive South Indian dosa is the envy of the canteen.

The road to ramen paradise ends in the unlikeliest of places. At Men Endo, located in a suburban street, next to a school and a low-rise apartment block, bowls of noodles disappear in a flurry of slurps, gulps and hurried but heartfelt exchanges of appreciation between customer and chef. On a cold afternoon in Yamagata, a city in Japan's northeast, the wait for a seat at Men Endo's counter is mercifully short.

Lush jewel tones and floral wallpaper make this Montavilla cocktail bar an escape from the Portland gloom all winter, while its patio is a lovely summertime hang. It also delivers on the drink front, with an impressive menu of original drinks and well-executed classics. The menu is broken into sections, including a tight list of nonalcoholic cocktails that go beyond fruit juices and sodas.

Food trends for 2026 include sweet-and-spicy flavors, as well as bite-sized menu items. Cabbage and Indian food are gaining popularity on fast-casual and restaurant menus. Value meals and nostalgic foods, such as chicken tenders, remain important for fast-food chains. The new year brings a fresh crop of food trends, from sweet-and-spicy sauces to the hottest new vegetable hitting menus. We looked at trend reports from Tastewise, Pinterest, Yelp, and more to identify nine of the biggest food trends you can expect to see in 2026.

After slicing your bagels, spread soft butter on the cut sides and place them butter-side-down in a skillet. Then toast them for three or four minutes, or until the bagels are a golden brown color. You can let them cool, or add toppings while they're still hot. Any of your favorite bagel toppings will work, whether you prefer plain cream cheese, a drizzle of honey, or a full bagel sandwich.

And it makes sense, as Indian culture and cuisine are alive and well in the city - Washington is one of the top states of residence for Indian immigrants, and Seattle itself is among the U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest number of Indian-Americans. Meanwhile, the state offers great growing conditions for Indian staples such as rice, lentils, chickpeas, eggplant, okra, onions, peas, potatoes, and much more.