Food & drink

Food & drink

As a born-and-bred Southerner from the Mississippi Delta, where I spent childhood surrounded by cornfields, flooded rice paddies, and canopied pecan orchards, food was always central to the concepts of community, connection, and abundance. When shelling huge sacks of black-eyed peas or shucking corn on the front porch, it's a given that the bounty will nestle beside something fried by suppertime - preferably piled-high platters of crispy fried chicken. It's the unofficial multi-state symbol of Deep South cuisine, at least in my book.

I met my wife while working at Target, marking the beginning of what became a decadeslong career in retail. Over the years, I moved into leadership roles at several major brands before eventually joining a senior living company in a senior role. Then, in August 2019, I got a call that changed everything: I was being let go. At the time, my wife, Danielle - who'd also built a successful career - was home full-time with our four kids.

Prized for its presentation, this fancy French potato dish, Duchess potatoes, dates back to the 1700s, when it was created and given its aristocratic name to help elevate the reputation of the humble tuber in France, where it had yet to be widely embraced by home cooks. These are my squiggly duchess potatoes. For a new take on mashed potatoes, we're looking back on a classic French potato dish.

The king of cheeses is ready for the spotlight. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, the governing body of the Italian cheese, has reportedly signed with United Talent Agency in order to pursue product placement opportunities in film and TV projects. According to a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the organization is looking to "introduce Parmigiano Reggiano to a wide pool of partners [and] further its message of gastronomical excellence and high quality ingredients, production and distribution."

Beginning in the 1980s, when figures like Wolfgang Puck and Marco Pierre White ushered in the era of the rock star chef, we've taken an outsize interest in what chefs eat when they're off duty. Anthony Bourdain turned this notion into a second career, of course, and countless shows during the age of peak food TV, from Chef's Table to Ugly Delicious, have cast an eye toward where cooks choose to eat when they're not in the kitchen,

When Hollywood meets hamburgers, magic happens. Southern California's legendary Irv's Burgers has partnered with actor and producer Glen Powell's emerging condiment brand, Smash Kitchen, to create what might be the most talked-about limited edition burger of the season. The Friendsgiving Burger isn't just another celebrity collaboration: it's a strategic move that showcases how food and beverage companies are leveraging star power to drive menu innovation and seasonal sales.

In Bed-Stuy, Barker Cafeteria is a daytime spot run by a couple who've worked at places like Blue Hill Stone Barns and Superiority Burger. On the menu there are sandwiches, like a cold roast beef number with horseradish, watercress, and hickory sticks, soups, salads, and pastries, like currant scones with clotted cream and jam. We haven't been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists.

Waiters are dressed like charros, and the decor made me think it was designed to attract Americans eager to relive their Mexican beach vacation. During peak hours, Manchamanteles gets busy but never packed; the massive space means reservations aren't required. The staff is kind and attentive with steady service that doesn't feel rushed. Friends, dates, and large parties filled the space on Saturday night during my visit, while Bahena roamed the dining room speaking to guests.

Let's start with the obvious: all four drinks-the strawberry glaze skin, the Malibu mango, the coconut cloud and the vanilla matcha-looked beautiful. The colors were magnificent, especially the blue and the green (which couldn't be said about the flavors themselves, but more on that later). The Time Out team immediately scooped up some of the blue coconut cloud smoothie ($24), made with almond milk, pineapple, banana, avocado, almond butter, coconut cream and enhanced with vanilla collagen and blue spirulina (all organic).

Rush Creek - We wait all year for our two deliveries of Rush Creek (one in November, one in December). Rush Creek is one of the two main raw milk Vacherin Mont d'or-style cheeses made in the U.S. (Jasper Hill Winnimere, November-April is the other). And, seriously, if you haven't tried it, do yourself a favor. This is one of the best cheeses of the year and one of the best cheeses made in the United States:

A small bakery in the West Village is making rich, Halloumi cheese-filled pastries that are unlike any other. The brick-and-mortar launch of Hello Halloumi happened a few weeks ago and their savory pastries are bringing Cyprus' diverse flavors alive in the Big Apple. Originating from the birthplace of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, Cyprus is home to the production of halloumi cheese. Known for its unique savory, salty and slightly tangy flavor, the cheese has a growing market in the U.S. in recent years.

Tucked down a lane off super-central Dawson Street, on the site of a former wine bar, new arrival Comet is a European-style bistro that's got foodies in the Irish capital all aflutter. The pedigree of the team who run it is impressive: chef Kevin O'Donnell cut his teeth at Dublin favorite Bastible before working in starry kitchens in Denmark and returning home to roll out popular supper clubs.

That's right: the Portland Mercury's Holiday Drink Week returns for another glorious marathon of festive booze magic! From December 1 through December 7, the city's best bartenders are shaking, stirring, and summoning up brand new, holiday-themed cocktails- and they're only $10 each! We've once again teamed up with some of Portland's finest bars and restaurants-plus our spirited pals at Jim Beam and Travel Portland -to deliver a week-long sleigh ride of delicious, limited-edition cocktails!

"She ordered three entrees. My manager knew about the scam. He went over there and told her, 'Hey, you're not going to keep this food unless you have a form of payment.' She laughed at him," Ross, a waiter at the eatery told the Post, declining to share his last name. He added Chung was already seated by 5:30 p.m when he arrived. Video obtained by The Post shows Chung seated at a corner table in the eatery, shortly after posting pics on Instagram, before heading to the bathroom.

An unexpected stop on a trip to Iran in the 1970s gifted Thomas a chance meeting with a Persian doctor and his breakfast: fresh labneh with soft, still-warm lavash. It was a revelation. On his return, Thomas got to work creating a fresh cheese from goat's milk (similar to chevre) and from cow's milk, marinated and preserved in oil, with an extra t to avert confusion with the Greek-style feta, that's still being utilised by cooks and chefs right across the world.

"We help F&B businesses build lean, profitable, and resilient models that give owners freedom, not burnout. Our focus is on streamlining operational structure, eliminating debt, and embedding robust financial systems that boost profit and cash flow. Ultimately, our goal is to help F&B owners step back, enjoy the reward of their hard work, and build a lasting legacy through their business."

Darden reported Q1 revenue of $3.04 billion, missing the $3.07 billion estimate, while EPS of $1.97 fell short of the $2.02 consensus. The company still posted 4.7% same-restaurant sales growth and 24.5% net income growth year over year. Olive Garden generated $1.30 billion in revenue during the quarter, and LongHorn added $776 million. CEO Rick Cardenas said the company had "a strong start to the fiscal year with same-restaurant sales and earnings growth that exceeded our expectations."

Tiki Ti is far from the picture of Hollywood glamour, or the tourist trap nightmare of Hollywood Boulevard itself. It's located on a mostly desolate strip of Sunset between the city's Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and East Hollywood neighborhoods. Driving by it would be easy to miss the tiny bar, but wedged next to the Scientology Media Productions studios, a (currently empty) cannabis dispensary, and a cool-sculpting fat removal service, the location does have a certain grim LA character.

Sesame oil comes in two varieties: regular and toasted sesame oil. Regular sesame oil will provide a mild nuttiness, but the fuller flavor is found in the toasted oil. You may have been advised not to fry with this oil due to its low smoke point, but the medium heat required for the perfect fried egg won't be enough to burn it.

This is brutal.

While based on an actual event between English colonizers and members of the Wampanoag Nation, the November holiday as many people celebrate it today actually took shape in the mid-nineteenth century, to help the United States heal after the Civil War.

As bird flu affects poultry supply and people grow tired of the usual spread, we ask chefs, artists and regular Christmas Day dinner hosts for their alternative take on the menu, from meaty to spicy, veggie and hassle-free Christmas is coming but this year it doesn't look like the goose, or the turkey, is getting fat as an outbreak of bird flu has led to the culling of thousands of birds in farms across the country, many of which were destined for the Christmas market.

When my kids were little, I couponed, planned meals around the weekly specials, and tried to keep a tight rein on our grocery budget. But as they grew, I began working more. We all got busier, and I let some of those habits go. Slowly, without really realizing it, our grocery costs inched up. A few months ago, I tracked every grocery expenditure for the entire month and discovered our bill totaled $2,300. I about had a heart attack.

Imagine hopping aboard a train with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hot chocolate in hand. But instead of heading to the North Pole, you're journeying through the Napa Valley in beautifully restored antique rail cars. The Napa Valley Wine Train is once again running its Santa Train experience, a magical journey aimed at kids, but enticing enough to lure kid-free couples and singles-especially when you get a peek at the onboard menu.

When you slice a sliver of fresh-baked sourdough bread, the crackle of the crust is heavenly. It's sad to think it's already started a countdown, but while nothing lasts forever, the fridge can certainly extend its shelf life. Refrigerated loaves can last one to two weeks, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and that's a big improvement on the standard two to four days you get on the kitchen counter.

It happens to all of us. Your parents get older, you get older, you go to visit home, look through the pantry, and you find some truly unexplainable stuff. I'm talking about something no one has seen in decades. Something that doesn't even resemble what it's supposed to be. Something that might kill a small Victorian child. Or a medium-sized Edwardian child. Or even a full-sized Stuart period boy.

Sushi Sho, the omakase hotspot helmed by Keiji Nakazawa, earned an additional star, bringing it to three Michelin stars-the guide's highest honor, given to restaurants offering "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey." It now joins the elite group already occupied by the perennially lauded Korean restaurant Jungsik, Eric Ripert's famed Le Bernardin, Thomas Keller's Per Se and Daniel Humm's Eleven Madison Park (which recently returned to its carnivorous roots).

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... It's been more than two years in the making, from concept to construction. The long-awaited restaurant from renowned chef Jose Andres will open in early December at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. Called Zaytinya, the contemporary Mediterranean venture from Andres and concept chef Michael Costa will focus on the flavors of Turkey, Greece and Lebanon.