Food & drink

Food & drink

The food is as artful as the flavors are enticing,

One of our mandates at Grub Street is to take an obsessive approach not only to the pleasures of restaurants but the business of building and running restaurants. The year's most popular stories demonstrate it's a topic that interests you, too: reports on a restaurant group's debt, industry memoirs, woes at the Tin Building, reservation worries, and even a look into how much salt we're all eating (spoiler: it's too much) were part of our 20 most-read articles, defined by total minutes of audience engagement.

I stopped by Bánh by Lauren, a warm and cozy third-culture bakery and cafe nestled in the Two Bridges neighborhood of NYC's Chinatown. Lauren Tran, a former Seattle native, is the baker and owner. What truly fascinated me during my visit were Tran's famous and viral pandan chiffon cakes, an elegant, cloud-soft creation filled with delicious coconut mousse layers that, as Tran informed me, takes up to three days to bake, set, assemble, and finish.

For your consideration: Jalapeño popper pizza. This awe-inspiring monstrosity comes loaded with any combination of fresh or pickled jalapeño slices, cream cheese, bacon crumbles, sour cream, cheese, and any array of seasonings from oregano to cumin. Tasting Table's three-ingredient jalapeño poppers recipe also includes smoky chorizo, which would also perform fabulously atop a pie. Although, for arguably the best jalapeño popper pizza currently on the market, it's worth making the trip to SliceWorks.

Depending on where a seafood chain is located, diners may prefer certain dishes. For example, patrons of restaurants in Maryland may be out for crabcakes, while Florida customers could be on the hunt for stone crabs. Up in Maine? One would assume that the state's most popular dish is the lobster roll. And while that may be true for many restaurants, it isn't true for Legal Sea Foods, where diners have fallen in love with its fried fish.

Chef Christian Irabién brings a Mexican Christmas Eve tradition to the table with fresh tamales ($79 to $89 per dozen) available for takeout. Choose from chicken with salsa verde, pork with chile colorado, and roasted poblano chiles with mushrooms, or a mix of those options. Order for pickup at the Dupont restaurant on Tuesday, December 23. 974 Palmer Alley, NW

Seafood City is the largest Filipino supermarket chain in North America with a new location that opened in Daly City less than 5 months ago. Since then, the store's "Late Night Madness" events have been drawing people from all across the Filipino community as a celebration of identity, belonging, and a shared heritage. Videos show everything from late night specialty food, live dj's, karaoke and dancing.

When it comes to appetizers, Chili's is no stranger to the notion of combining a few on one plate. Chili's appetizer platter, aka the Triple Dipper, features a customizable medley of three starters in one order. Choices range from burgers to wings, and from fried mozzarella to crispy chicken, so one can enjoy a variety of flavors and textures at once.

Ravioli en brodo appears in Garten's most recent cookbook, "Go-To Dinners." She said the key to its flavor is "rich homemade chicken stock." I usually take the quicker option because, as the Barefoot Contessa herself says, "store-bought is fine!" But since the broth is clearly the star of this dish, I decided to try her homemade chicken stock instead. To make Garten's homemade chicken stock, you'll need: 3 (5-pound) roasting chickens

There are few labels cringier than being dubbed a "foodie." It's ironic how earnest the designation has become, given that the term supposedly asserts a person's taste. Still, whole personalities have been built on the title: Anthony Bourdain helped usher the idea into the mainstream, defining the modern foodie as someone both curious of the world and its diverse cuisine, and who is willing to venture out into it.

For 35 years, Palio has been a fixture in San Francisco's Financial District, an Italian restaurant built on family legacy, craft, and the deep-rooted belief that dining is about far more than food. Owner Martino DiGrande, son of an immigrant Italian restaurateur, says he was raised with hospitality in his DNA. As he puts it, "when someone walks in the restaurant, I view it like they're walking into my home."

When you think of Utah, Mexican food probably isn't the first menu option that comes to mind. But one Mexican restaurant chain began its journey in St. George and has since grown to more than 160 restaurants across 11 states, including California, Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado. Cafe Rio Mexican Grill opened in 1997 when founders Steve and Patricia Stanley wanted to bring their take on Northern Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors to southern Utah. Little did they know how big it would become.

I reflected on the dozens of new releases I tried throughout this year, compiling a list of the 14 best liquors of 2025. Many are expensive; I have noted those that were exceptionally pricey. Many are also extremely rare, so the likelihood of finding them today may be on the secondary market. However, I found the quality and pedigree of each is worth it. To make the list, I utilized my knowledge, experience, and training as a Certified Sommelier and long-time spirits writer.

Since entering the U.S. market in 2008, candy maker Hi-Chew has developed a loyal Gen Z fan base by building a lifestyle brand through key partnerships across fashion and gaming, as well as deploying buzz-worthy in-person activations. Such efforts helped U.S. product sales surpass $100 million in 2021. Last year, parent Morinaga America announced plans to expand U.S. production capabilities based on strong demand. Going forward, Hi-Chew - which is a top-selling candy in Japan and is celebarting 50 years in business - is hoping to connect with Gen Alpha, a cohort it is still learning about while maintaining a relationships with existing customers

Started by couple Farah and Sam in 2022, after Sam began making soft serve at Leila's Cafe where he was head chef, Soft & Swirly has been popping up across London at places like Rambutan, Netil Market and e5 Bakehouse. Over the years, the pair grew the brand from soft serve (they've done flavours like salted black sesame, malted milk & vanilla, watermelon & raspberry sorbet, and ginger & star anise) to include seasonal scoops, ice cream tubs, sundaes and pies.

McDonald's Holiday Pie first appeared on menus in 1999 and quickly became a seasonal tradition thanks to its colorful sprinkles and creamy filling. This year, the fan-favorite dessert returned for a limited time beginning in mid-November, giving longtime holiday pie loyalists a brief window to grab one before it disappears again. As an undeniable sucker for culinary nostalgia, I decided to try recreating the pie at home to better understand what makes it so beloved,

Making a full holiday feast for guests can be daunting, for some perhaps even terrifying. The world, and especially Hallmark movies, is full of holiday disaster stories: ruined roasts, failed desserts, steamed hams. But I'm not bragging when I say that the first holiday dinner I prepared for my extended family-a little early this year-was an unmitigated success. My aunt couldn't stop talking about the black pepper in the biscuits and the sage on the carrots.

Michelle Ivey brings over 20 years of beverage industry expertise to Lake Hour, with a track record that reads like a blueprint for modern brand building. Her most notable achievement was her 11-year tenure as Chief Operating Officer of Ilegal Mezcal, where she played an instrumental role in transforming the brand from a niche independent label into one of the world's most recognized mezcals. The journey culminated in Bacardi International's acquisition of the brand in 2023: a testament to the value creation Ivey helped drive.

If you didn't know, gin is in. Consumers are looking for premium-quality, craft liquor options with a unique flavor profile. They are interested in liquors that use non-traditional botanicals that bring a sense of place, highlighting local terroir by using regionally sourced ingredients, summarizing the basis of modern gin. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reports that in 2024, distillers generated nearly a billion dollars in gin sales, with the super-premium category thriving, increasing by 187% since 2019.

It's that time of year when cookies seem to fly out of the oven a mile a minute. Between office party potlucks and tins delivered to friends and neighbors, bakers put their cookie recipes to serious use during the month of December. And while the classics like chocolate chip, sugar cookies, and gingerbread never fail to please, when was the last time you dug farther back into your recipe collection and revisited Grandma's old-fashioned holiday favorites?

A simple joy to make in your air fryer at home and a delight with all kinds of sauces from sweet and sour to barbecue to ketchup, if you're so inclined. Whether you like them with a potato chip crust, made from all breast meat, or shaped like dinosaurs, kids and adults have been addicted to these things for years.

Regularly named world's best cheese at international competitions, Le Gruyere AOP has earned its place at the top thanks to its heritage, terroir, and above all, the hand of the cheesemaker. Since 1115, Le Gruyere AOP has been crafted in a small region of Switzerland, where time-honored methods are still followed today 160 village dairies carry on that legacy, and each cheesemaker has undergone years of training to become a true master.

Through trial and error, I've learned a few tips for making smoothies. First, start by adding liquid to your blender first: this prevents the blades from jamming on frozen fruit. I've learned this the hard way many times! For the creamiest texture, I like to use Greek yogurt because it adds a nice body as well as protein to keep you full. If you want a vegan smoothie, banana is best for achieving the creamy base.

"He's a young man who's gotten better as the season's gone on, and not only physically, but mentally, maturity-wise," Sarkisian said. "I would think he's going to want another year of that growth to put himself in position for hopefully a long career in the NFL. And he's got some unfinished business of what he came here to do and what he came here to accomplish."