To Lauren and Alex Benward, sixth-generation owners of the Beltane Ranch vineyard in Glen Ellen, Calif., the word “sustainability” does not adequately convey the agricultural measures that they and many of their fellow vineyard owners have adopted in recent years. Steering clear of pesticides and industrial tillage is a no-brainer. They also use roving chickens…
Bear Robotics, which makes the Servi robot, has seen demand skyrocket, said Juan Higueros, co-founder and chief operating officer. Aside from Sergio’s restaurants, he’s fielded inquiries from casinos, restaurant chains, arenas and even senior living residences, desperate to assist overworked staff. “Burnout is becoming a very big problem for restaurant staff,” he said. Peanut Robotics,…
There are many ways restaurant décor can say welcome: fresh flowers, linen tablecloths, soft lighting. At Terror Tacos in St. Louis, the welcome is rendered in blood — actually, lurid red paint that covers one wall in long drips, like the macabre drapery that Satan’s gnarled hand might pull back to usher the damned into…
Heath Ceramics has history. The company was created in Sausalito, Calif., in 1948, by Edith Heath, a potter and artist, and her husband, Brian Heath. It has long been known for its simple, utilitarian shapes and often neutral glazes; the pieces fit seamlessly in the midcentury aesthetic. The company suffered some hard times, but in…
You cannot help but be drawn to “Gastro Obscura,” a compendium of culinary oddities. Organized geographically, it offers thumbnails of the uncommon food experiences that exist across the globe, including in all 50 states. There is the remote eel smokehouse in Hancock, N.Y., east of Binghamton, and the list of Chinese restaurants in the most…
Smoked salmon has a new edge. Acme Smoked Fish, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, has introduced smoked salmon seasoned with shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice blend, giving it a subtle but distinctive chile and citrus kick. The blend includes red chile, sesame seeds, orange peel, seaweed and other spices. This is not the salmon to put on…
In their series of discussions called the Next Big Bite, Les Dames d’Escoffier NY, a nonprofit educational and advocacy organization, has scheduled a one-hour virtual panel on Oct. 21 to explore the ever-evolving changes that the pandemic brought about for home cooking and restaurant dining. The lineup includes the chef Marcus Samuelsson and the writer…
In the rolling farmland outside New Paltz, N.Y., is a former gristmill, now the Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery, where Hudson Whiskey is made. One of New York’s first craft distillers, it started with bourbon more than 10 years ago and now it has introduced its longest-aged example, Four Part Harmony, a seven-year-old bourbon made with four…
Shelf-stable risotto kits, some even dressed with a whiff of truffle, are fairly common. A new one from Tasty Ribbon is designed for a rank beginner to master. Created by Fratelli Desideri with Andrea Larossa, a chef at the Michelin-starred Larossa in Alba, Italy, the kit incorporates some high-end flourishes like Carnaroli rice, a connoisseur’s…
Serious is not the word that springs immediately to mind when you arrive at Mariscos El Submarino, a seafood restaurant on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. It would be easy for a business to get lost in this part of Jackson Heights, where the sidewalks are crowded with vendors selling embroidery, homemade bread and tropical-fruit nieves,…