The 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
Wondering what to get for all the beloved but quirky, picky, fancy, practical or eccentric people in your life? Our experts have curated the best gifts to help you check everyone off your list.
A Brunch for Both the Living and the Dead
Stepping into the courtyard of Bombera, the acclaimed Mexican restaurant in Oakland, Calif., always feels like arriving at a party. Papel picado in marigold orange and saffron yellow flutters overhead, seemingly waving guests into the space, an airy former firehouse. But the restaurant reaches its full splendor in the fall, when the dining room is…
Keith Lee’s TikTok Videos From Atlanta Shake Its Dining Culture
When a food critic comes to a city that is proud of its dining scene, restaurants and their devotees take notice. But rarely does a traditional reviewer cause as much excitement as Atlanta has seen with the recent visit of Keith Lee, a food obsessive with a vast army of 14 million followers on TikTok.…
Classics for a Reason: Crispy Mustard Chicken, Singapore Noodles and Ambrosia Salad
Classics for a reason: crispy mustard chicken, Singapore noodles and ambrosia salad My column this week mines the past for crispy mustard chicken with bread crumbs, a fresh take on a retro classic that I confess I never tasted until I was an adult. When I was growing up, my mother was far too busy…
Unlocking Culinary Versatility with the Santoku Knife and Stay Sharp
In the realm of culinary arts, having the right tools can make all the difference between a decent meal and a masterpiece. One such versatile tool that has gained popularity among both professional chefs and home cooks is the Santoku knife. Derived from the Japanese words “San” (three) and “Toku” (virtues), the Santoku knife lives…
Setting a Table at the Whitney With Art
Culinary passion and art-making can flourish together in the right hands, such as those of Rirkrit Tiravanija, who has explored meals-as-art-medium, and the artist-founded restaurant Food, started in SoHo in the early 1970s by Gordon Matta-Clark and others. Now, the Whitney Museum of American Art is rebooting its restaurant spaces with commissioned artworks by two…
An Old Fashioned With Brandy? This Must Be Wisconsin.
So you’re at a classy party and you approach the bartender. You adjust your tie and ask for an old-fashioned. The charismatic bartender smiles knowingly and reaches for his finest bourbon. But no, you interrupt. You’d like it with brandy. You are either A. a contrarian. B. wrong. or C. from Wisconsin. If the answer…
An Orange Cake From a Revolutionary Chef
Sal, Aaron and Big Country (given name: Jesse) were my chef-brothers in that kitchen. We talked everything through, every day, over cereal bowls and test recipes and, eventually, finished dishes. I learned how to make Sal’s father’s salsa in that kitchen, and Big Country’s mama’s oatmeal bread, a recipe he wrote down for me as…
After Decades in the Restaurant Business, Andrew Carmellini Opens Café Carmellini
Headliner Café Carmellini The chef Andrew Carmellini’s trajectory has been a steady climb, not a rocketing blastoff. Now, having reached cruising altitude after 30 years at the stove in New York, a city where his family has roots, he’s finally putting his name on a restaurant. It’s in a first-class building, formerly a bank and…
Let’s Make Some Meatballs
Everyone has comfort food. Here’s mine: juicy meatballs done Italian American style, served with homemade tomato sauce or piled on top of a spaghetti heap. I used to make a pot of meatballs when friends came over for dinner because it was cozy but not frumpy and everyone loved it. It was also very easy.…