Food & drink

Food & drink

Montauk is what we call sophisticated coastal dining. The idea behind it is for us to put a more elevated fine dining concept in the traditionally casual Redondo Beach area,

Alto is new and fresh, but it sits on a block with roots. Alto is a restaurant with a curious schedule. It's open for dinner only, from Wednesday through Saturday. Considering the amount of work that went into the restaurant's creation, this limited availability makes a statement - which is that Alto is a very special occasion. An event, really. A meal to approach with anticipation and wonder.

Miami Beach's dining scene welcomes a vibrant new addition with the opening of Pauline, a seafood-forward restaurant, and its adjoining cocktail lounge, Little Torch, at The Shelborne By Proper, 1801 Collins Avenue. Officially opening on November 9, Pauline marks a defining new chapter in coastal cuisine and cocktail culture, blending Caribbean-Latino influences, Michelin-caliber technique, and the timeless allure of Miami Beach's Art Deco heritage.

Boulevard Hospitality Group proudly announces the long-awaited opening of Yamashiro Miami at Gale Miami Hotel & Residences, marking the legendary restaurant's first expansion outside Los Angeles in over a century. Set to open on October 29, 2025, this milestone moment brings Hollywood's iconic mountaintop restaurant to the heart of Downtown Miami, fusing Japanese-inspired cuisine, architectural artistry, and cinematic legacy with the bold, tropical energy of South Florida.

Floridians don't need to travel for New York-style bagels. New York-style bagels undergo a baking trick that results in a particularly chewy texture, and a small deli in Brandon, Florida has mastered the art. Online reviews heap praise on Brandon Bagels & Deli, claiming its bagels rival those found in New York. While these could be fighting words in some areas, Brandon Bagels delivers a texture and taste that rivals those on the East Coast. Whether slathered with cream cheese or served as a vehicle for sandwich ingredients, this tiny bagel shop has customers driving out of their way.

Yelp recently gathered data from its site to compile a list of the top 25 pizza chains in America, and Lou Malnati's claimed the top spot, beating out California Pizza Kitchen, Rosati's, and other fan favorites. The historic Chicago-based chain is known for its authentic deep dish pizza, which comes loaded with gooey mozzarella cheese and a signature chunky sauce.

In 1928, Huang's great-grandfather opened Tai Kee Wonton's original location in Hualien, Taiwan. The business skipped a generation with the unfortunate passing of his daughter. Huang's mother and aunt inherited the restaurant and ran it together for several years. Huang moved to the U.S. with his mother and his sister, Heidi, in 1990. Then, in 2008, the family opened Tai Kee Wonton on Saratoga Avenue, a San Jose neighborhood with heavy traffic near the border of Santa Clara.

San Francisco's Underdogs Cantina (right across the street from the ballpark) hosts a monthly "Booze School" with guided tastings, a complimentary cocktail and free snacks. There's limited spots so don't miss out. It's a tequila tasting with Don Julio (November 14)! Included with Booze School Includes spirit tasting Complimentary cocktail with spirit base of one from tasting Snacks (typically chips & salsa)

All national cuisines have history, but few wear their age as proudly as Italian food. The heritage, passed-down recipes, and restaurants run by multiple generations of the same family is a large part of what makes Italian cuisine so appealing: Eating food that's been made the same way for decades, if not centuries, feels like you're taking part in tradition.

Rewind to 2020, and the world was topsy-turvy. Yet, for Marie Callender's fans, there was an extra bone of contention: The shocking discontinuation of the humble Herb Roasted Chicken. This frozen meal was the definition of comfort cuisine, and honestly, with 450 calories for just $4.19, a total bargain. The exact motivations for the meal's untimely demise are uncertain. Its discontinuation was confirmed via Facebook, attracting a flurry of comments below.

NO CAP! is about rewriting what soda can be,

No matter what else is going on, I buy excellent coffee. It's the one thing I splurge on because I refuse to eat or drink subpar food or drink. I'll thrift everything else.

Even though it's been a few years since I worked at Trader Joe's, I still cannot unsee many of the rude (and often quite bizarre!) behaviors that customers repeated on a near-hourly basis. I'm no grocery sociologist, but I do believe the combination of generally chipper employees, 1950s surf rock blasting, and free-flowing samples of your favorite desserts, seems to bring out something in Trader Joe's shoppers that has them, well, not on their best behavior.

Beans are a hero ingredient for any salad. They're rich with protein and fiber and low in fat, so tossing them into any recipe is an instant health boost. They're also little flavor bombs - among the varying types of beans, you'll find different levels of nuttiness, richness, starchiness, earthiness, and sweetness. This explains why three-bean salad has been a favorite since the '50s, and why a whole new generation has embraced "dense bean salads" on TikTok.

Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San FranciscoThrough Oct 31Join us for a thrilling combo of bar hopping and ghost hunting through Gold Rush-era San Francisco! Starting in the historic Jackson Square-one of the few areas to survive the 1906 Earthquake and Fire-we'll journey through the notorious "Devil's Acre" and wrap up in legendary Chinatown. More info here.

Many traditional Hanukkah foods, like shallow-fried potato latkes and deep-fried jelly doughnuts, hinge on oil. Also called the Festival of Lights, the Jewish holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the story, there was only enough oil to fuel the menorah for one night, but somehow, someway, it lasted for eight.

Though it might seem like you need to shell out a decent amount of cash to sip a quality bourbon, it is possible to find some pretty great bottles for under $50. Unfortunately, among affordable bourbons, not all are worth opening your wallet. Though Old Fitzgerald is known as a decent bourbon brand, we ranked Old Fitzgerald Prime Bourbon as a wheated choice that is best left on the shelf.

Cheap Dollar Tree items can completely elevate your kitchen aesthetic. The Stoneware plates look lush and glamorous, without putting a dent in your wallet. They come in the same size as the Williams Sonoma plates, with a nearly identical design, but if one of them accidentally slips out of your hands, you won't be crying bitter tears.

Mount Everest Deli and Grocery in Ridgewood serves food that borders on fusion: saucy, bright red tandoori chicken heroes; bacon, egg and cheese paratha wraps. But you have to get the Jhol momo. It's a tall tub of dumplings sloshing around in a spicy, tomato-based broth. Part of the fun of eating it is scooping up these massive chicken-filled dumplings with a little plastic deli spoon.

At this sly encouragement, I order the Spirit Bomb, an Instagram-friendly coup glass filled with sake, rosemary vodka, elderflower, and lychee, and topped with a giant rosemary smoke bubble. Etiquette says: Don't you dare pop that bubble before everyone has their ring lights ready. The sweet cocktail tastes like I expect a pastel Labubu would if it were edible, but it lubricates the shift into going-out mode in this trendy neighborhood.

These streets were once stand-ins for the worst New York had to offer. In Martin Scorsese's After Hours, the leather bar Griffin Dunne stumbles into on his long night's journey into day is the old Emerald Pub at 308 Spring Street, and a pretty bartender played by Teri Garr lives across the street at 307. I, too, stumbled into 307 Spring recently. The apartments have sailed out of barmaid territory, and the ground floor is home to a sprightly restaurant called Kiko,

Meal delivery service-turned-restaurant, Yuja Kitchen, has landed in SoMa. The all-day fast-casual spot is all about Asian grain bowls and salads with Thai basil pork, shaking beef, and teriyaki. You can also grab craft beers and house-made frozen yogurt to round out your order. The airy space has a bunch of tables and window seating if you don't feel like taking your food on the road.

The calamari Provençal takes the basic fried calamari dish to new flavor frontiers: The squid is lightly breaded and sauteed, but the olives imbue an eye-opening salty savoriness to the garlic and herbs. The moules marinière are steamed and sauteed with shallots, garlic, herbs, butter, and cream. The resulting sauce doesn't get too thick because the juices from the mussels mix to create this delightful oceanic broth that you can dip your bread into.

In the bustling world of food and beverage trends, where viral flavors and plant-based dining dominate headlines, there's something refreshingly authentic about a humble noodle soup that has quietly sustained Hawaii's soul for over a century. Enter Aina Saimin, a culinary gem that represents more than just another restaurant concept: it's a living testament to Hawaii's unique food culture and the enduring power of comfort food done right.

Maido embraces nikkei techniques and culinary traditions of the Japanese diaspora, with flavors from every corner of Peru-fish from the waters of the Peruvian Amazon; chilis dried in the Andean sun; and fermented beverages made with endemic fruits that pair perfectly with ingredients like bluefin tuna, carved tableside like a Spanish jamón.

Pizza in padellino originated in Northern Italy but it reminded me of the first deep dish pie I tasted in my adolescence. Modeled after a Chicago-style pizza, it was served hot from the oven in a cast iron container with a highly risen crust. The dough got crispy and browned around the edges, bubbling up to form thin edible spikes. But the center remained a pliable and tender chew.

But one area where the city is less developed is barbecue, not in quality so much as quantity: The places we have tend to be excellent, but number few. So, when news arrived this summer that Austin's La Barbecue was opening a Portland offshoot, there was plenty of excitement. Originally planned as a brick-and-mortar, Lil' Barbecue instead landed this October at Woodlawn cocktail bar Tough Luck. Seven days a week, diners can find brisket, sausages, pork ribs, and vegan "beet ends."