London : Dining News Elsewhere

Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:17:00 GMT

– By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
– Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
– The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]

– Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
– First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
– The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
– A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
– Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
– Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
– Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
– NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
– Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
– Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
– If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
– Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
– Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
– The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
– Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
– Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
– Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]

Dining News Elsewhere: Koodies, Samuelsson Goes to Washington

BuzzEditor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:21:00 GMT

– Marcus Samuelsson will be working the kitchen at Obama's first state dinner. [Obama Foodorama]
– The fight for Cadbury intensifies. [WSJ]
– Chipotle sets its sights on London, Europe. [NRN]

– Costco drops Coke. [AP]
– Related: Coke bottles, 1899–1986. [Pixdaus]
– Milk producers wish they could sell their product "raw." [NYT]
– Hooters is having trouble in Vegas. [Eater]
– A canned pumpkin shortage looms. [Diner's Journal]
– Putting things in perspective with the Fat Map. [HP]
– Jamie Oliver wants to help you find a date. [Marketing]
– A Shake Shack in Boston looks increasingly possible. [GS:B]
– What a $20 Thanksgiving feast from Walmart gets you. [The Awl]
– A word we'd like to quickly forget? "Koodie." [SE]
– Foods named after people. [Mental Floss and Cakespy, via SE]
– They found water on the moon...can you drink it? [Slate]
– Making mushrooms with coffee grinds. [Chronicle, via Coldmud]
– Making art with meat, some wires, a videocamera and a stove. [EMD]

Dining News Elsewhere: Buzzy Booze, Subway in the Sky

BuzzEditor — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:49:00 GMT

– The FDA is targeting caffeinated booze. [WSJ]
– Meanwhile, its efforts to ban eating raw oysters didn't work out so well. [NYT]
– Burger King franchisees lose 10¢ for every $1 double cheeseburger sold. [NRN]

– A special Subway franchise is set to rise up with the Freedom Tower in New York. [NYP]
– U.S. chicken production is set to fall for the first time in 36 years. [Reuters]
– Champagne sales are a bit flat these days. [NYT]
– Musicians do covers of other bands' hits, why shouldn't chefs cover other toques' recipes? [Guardian]
– Pinkberry's further expansion plans include Boston, DC, New Orleans and Mexico. [Eater]
– Why we read cookbooks. [The New Yorker]
– Want a new drug? Synthetic alcohol isn't out of the question. [Scotsman, via ColdMud]
– Just when we've gotten used to twist-off tops, get ready for wine in a plastic bottle. [Stuff]
– Things a restaurant patron should never do. [Applesauce]
– Related, 10 dirty restaurant tricks. [Slashfood]
– Peace through hummus. [Economist]
– Hard to turn down a "love dessert" made with passion fruit and...Viagra. [NYDN]

Dining News Elsewhere: Drink Preferences, Raw Oyster Brouhahah

BuzzEditor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:04:00 GMT

– A whole lot of info on what diners like to drink. [R&I]
– Should the FDA try to prevent you from eating raw oysters? [NYT, Slate]
– Burger King franchisees are suing over $1 double cheeseburgers. [Miami Herald]

– Meanwhile, McDonald's plans for the future. [CNN]
– The backlash to the list of waiter no-nos is on. [XX, Server not Servant]
– How to act around a celebrity chef. [Atlantic]
– The U.K. now has its own version of the Food Network. [Eater]
– Related: Emeril Lagasse is planning a prime-time variety show not on the Food Network. [ABC]
– Mario Batali makes his film debut in The Fantastic Mr. Fox. [WSJ]
– Heston Blumenthal plans a wildly expensive Christmas dinner for a TV special featuring ambergris, aka whale vomit. [Sun]
– Jamie Oliver has seen a backlash for the salt content of his pasta sauces. [Guardian]
– Cooking With Coolio, the cookbook, is now on sale. [EMD]
– Remembering New York City's 1935 ban on baby artichokes. [Diner's Journal]
– Don't be embarrassed to dine out alone. [Between Meals]
– Raising a vegetarian child without the conflict. [LAT]
– Can drunken fruit flies help cure alcoholism? [Wired]
– Looking to find free grub for the rug rats? Try here. [Kids Eat For, via SE]
– Deep-fried turkey disasters. On video. [EMD]

Dining News Elsewhere: Arby's Troubles, Food-Fight Arrests

BuzzEditor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

– Trying to save New Orleans' po' boys. [NYT]
– 25 children were recently arrested in Chicago for...a food fight. [NYT]
– The recession has been especially hard on Arby's. [Slate]

– Meanwhile, Uno Express has opened 160 locations in the past 15 months. [BG]
– Consumers expect to spend less on dining out next year. [NRN]
– Starbucks tries a new look out in London. [BrandRepublic, via Eater]
– Obama's pastry chef, the "Crustmaster." [AP]
– Top Chef contestant Dale Levitski takes over Chicago newcomer Sprout. [GS: C]
– Despite being an international restaurateur himself, Gordon Ramsay blasts international restaurant chains. [Daily Record]
– The Food Network seeks America's worst cooks. [Variety]
– Related: What Would Brian Boitano Make? gets picked up for a second season. [EMD]
– Health-wise, is chocolate milk the new red wine? [NYT]
– Related: finally, a scientific reason why red wines (mostly) don't go well with fish. [Economist]
– Actually? French women do get fat. [Reuters]
– Why must restaurant websites be so terrible? [Between Meals]
– An undrinkable beer from the Hindenburg disaster is up for sale. [NYP]
– A tofurky-flavored soda? [SE]

Dining News Elsewhere: Kraft Goes Hostile, Food Cart Love

BuzzEditor — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:54:00 GMT

– Cadbury has rejected Kraft's hostile £9.8 billion bid. [WSJ]
– McDonald's is set to launch a $1 breakfast menu. [WSJ]
– How did food carts become media darlings? [BlackBook]

– Related: a clever Pratt student comes up with a way to eat street food on the street. [Midtown Lunch]
– Ruby Tuesday has spent upwards of $100 million to upgrade its brand. [NYT]
– The birth of Subway's $5 foot-long. [Bussiness Week]
– Celebrating Veteran's Day with restaurant deals. [NRN]
– It had to happen: a Twitter-based reservation service launches in SF. [GS:SF]
– Frank Bruni's Born Round, the TV show?. [GS:NY]
– David Chang blogs his book tour for GQ. [GQ]
– Did Gossip Girl stop the "speakeasy" trend in its tracks? [The Atlantic]
– Foods that can cause headaches. [Divine Caroline]
– One angry diner. [NYP]
– American fast food you can't get in the U.S. [SquidInk, via Eater]

Dining News Elsewhere: Obesity and Cancer, Bacon-Wrapped Matzoh Balls

BuzzEditor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:55:00 GMT

– A baguette dropped by a bird stopped the Large Hadron Collider. [Times]
– Linking obesity and cancer. [MSNBC]
– Scripps (which owns the Food Network) sets its sights on the Travel Channel. [EMD]

– Jamie Oliver, upholder of justice. [Telegraph]
– How wine became a "fast food." [Daily Beast]
– Daniel Boulud sets his sights on London. [Bloomberg]
– LA's Orso prepares for a final bow. [NYT]
– A long chat with Gordon Ramsay. [Telegraph]
– Not kosher: Ilan Hall's bacon-wrapped matzoh balls. [Jewish Journal]
– 7-Eleven gets ready to roll out its own wine. [MSNBC]
– Why Guinness can taste different in Ireland (and elsewhere). [Accidental Hedonist]
– Will laser etchings replace fruit and vegetable stickers? [Gizmodo]
– Portion sizes, then and now. [DivineCaroline]
– How exactly does Jell-O work? [BG]
– Meat, the fabric. [EMD]
– Cookie monster cupcakes love cookies. [Leila Cohan]

Dining News Elsewhere: An Illy Invasion, Iron Chef in the White House

BuzzEditor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:10:00 GMT

– Illy is making inroads into U.S. coffee shops. [WSJ]
– Gordon Ramsay is planning to bring the popular MasterChef to the U.S. [THR]
– Sam Kass: assistant White House chef, policy wonk. [NYT]

– Related: Iron Chef America heads to the White House. [NYT]
– After 17 years, Jean-Georges is shutting down Vong. Though maybe not for long? [Eater]
– Learning to compost in Chicago's public schools. [Chicago Tribune]
– More on the affect of calorie counts on menus. [NYT]
– The Kogi Truck folks in LA have their own custom car now. [Mouthing Off]
– Kids menus should grow up. [BG]
– What does your beer choice say about you? [AdAge]
– Yellow Tail isn't the only Aussie wine, y'know. [WSJ]
– One 225,000-ton ship, more than 24 dining options. [EMD]
– Grant Achatz stands sternly in front of an airplane. [GS:C]
– Is it a steak house or a gay bar? [SteakHouseorGayBar]

Dining News Elsewhere: PBR For Sale, Wading Into the Tip Pool

BuzzEditor — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:43:00 GMT

– Talking with the troubled Ciprianis. [Vanity Fair]
– The brewery behind PBR and Schlitz is for sale. [NYP]
– Restaurants seek to better manage tip pools. [NRN]

– Western foods are gaining in China. [ABC]
– Where have all the Angostura bitters gone? [Bostonist]
– Who gets all of those 7 PM reservations, anyway? [Between Meals]
– The last days of Gourmet. [Last Days of Gourmet]
– Nation's Restaurant News to go biweekly. [Food Writer's Diary]
– Who needs to tip when you can buy the chef a beer? [GS:C]
– 222.5 pounds? Now that's a big meatball. [MSNBC]
– Could you eat 78 pieces of cutlery? Would you? [Daily Mail, via EMD]
– The manually operated hamburger vending machine. [JapanProbe]

Dining News Elsewhere: Menu Labeling Goes National, No More Kitchen Nightmares

BuzzEditor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:50:00 GMT

– Menu labeling hops onto health-care reform. [NRN]
– 2009 had the worst honey crop on record. [Daily Green, via GS:C]
– Not with a bang, but a whimper. Ramsay kills Kitchen Nightmares. [The Sun]

– The return of the milkman. [WSJ]
– Restaurants look to Halloween for a boost. [NRN]
– The White House garden, by the numbers. [Obama Foodorama]
– Europe's eel population is slipping away. [WSJ]
– Costco is getting ready to accept food stamps. [CityRoom]
– Hooters is facing a lawsuit for making its waitresses buy their uniforms. [NYP]
– Just try and top this Halloween dish. [Not Martha]
– 100-year-old whiskey, anyone? [GlobalPost]
– In Illinois, 100 hours of community service or...a tray of jerk chicken? [Chicago Tribune]

Dining News Elsewhere: Meatless Mondays, McDonald's Drops Iceland

BuzzEditor — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:28:00 GMT

– Baltimore's "Meatless Mondays" has drawn ire from, wait for it, meat producers. [Atlantic]
– McDonald's bails on Iceland. [NYT]
– No, really, now is a good time to open a restaurant. [Entrepeneur]

– Is the media ignoring French culinary innovation? [Independent]
– Gordon Ramsay loses his head of finance. [Daily Mail]
– Meanwhile, Botox has given Gordo a new face. [Mirror]
– Jelly Belly to launch a sugar cane–based soda. [BevNet]
– Starving in North Korea. [NYer]
– Heston Blumenthal is in the clear after the Fat Duck's food poisoning. [Telegraph]
– Cancer-killing curry? [BBC]
– Pigging out at Chicago's Baconfest. [SE]
– Related: bacon-fat candles. [Gothamist]
– Necco goes all natural. [Boston Globe]
– Martha Stewart has her own line of turkeys. [EMD]
– Jonathan Safran Foer made Natalie Portman go from vegetarian to vegan. [HuffPo]
– David Chang shares his favorite cookbooks. [Al Dente]
– Colonel Sanders invades the U.N. [Gothamist]

Dining News Elsewhere: Smart Choices Out, Top Chef Does Dessert

BuzzEditor — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:35:00 GMT

– The troubled Smart Choices program takes a hiatus. [WSJ]
– Top Chef to get its Just Desserts. Ba-dum-ching! [Variety]
– Behind the U.S., France is the second most popular home of McDonald's. [NYT]

– Home butchering hasn't cooled down yet. [NYT]
– Utz goes kaputz, gets snatched up by Snyder's. [WP]
– Gourmet's new book has gotten a boost from the magazine's demise. [PW]
– Why do Bay Area restaurants skimp on local wines? [SF Chronicle]
– A long chat with Momo cookbook authors David Chang and Peter Meehan. [Al Dente]
– Stop with the pick-your-own-apple orchards! [Slate]
– Guinness, not really that good for you. [Mail]
– Rachael Ray supports Hall and Oates. [Eater]
– Sandra Lee is sick of the haters. [EMD]
– Cocktail the musical? [Page Six]

Dining News Elsewhere: Bad Trends, Fast Food Flourishes

BuzzEditor — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:52:00 GMT

– McDonald's and Chipotle have done good business in the recession. [WSJ, NRN]
– Related: McDonald's tests a dual-lane drive through. [The Sun]
– Meanwhile, the number of hungry people in the world is on the rise. [NYT]
– The 10 worst dining trends of the aughts? [Chicago Tribune]

– Are these the best coffee spots in America? [GQ]
– Boulud to invade Singapore. [Diner's Journal]
– "C" is for cookie and that's good enough for a diet? [NYT]
– The Food Network, the game. [EMD]
– Should a restaurant tweet about its famous guests? [Diner's Journal]
– Top Chef Masters is set for a second season. [LAT]
– Young men like exotic flavors. [BU]
– Improv Everywhere does Grocery Store Musical. [Improv Everywhere]
– The most disappointing fortune cookie ever. [ColdMud]
– To celebrate Windows 7 in Japan, Burger King rolls out the Whopper 7. You have to see it to believe it. [EMD, YouTube]
– Fruit sticky notes. [GraphicHug]

Dining News Elsewhere: Fast Morimoto, Hot Matches

BuzzEditor — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:58:00 GMT

– Morimoto is going fast-casual at airports. [NRN]
– Restaurant matches are so hot right now. [NYT]
– LA, deli capital? [LAT]

– The Food Network Magazine should pat itself on the back. [AdAge]
– You want banking with your donuts? [Boston Globe, via GS:B]
– A "green" pizza box that turns into plates...and another, smaller, pizza box. [NYDN]
– Good news for fans of Bordeaux. [LAT]
– Craft breweries are on the rise. [Accidental Hedonist]
– Exploring Sydney's emerging food scene. [Atlantic]
– How many Guy Fieri impersonators do you know? [EMD]
– Exterminate...bread. [Accomplished, via ColdMud]

Dining News Elsewhere: Restaurant Weeking, Sour Carbonation

BuzzEditor — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:26:00 GMT

– Restaurateurs are coming up with creative ways to keep lucrative Restaurant Weeks alive. [NRN]
– Antique spirits for sale. [NPR]
– What does carbonation really taste like? Sour. [Wired]

– Is the iPhone the future of the cookbook? [EMD]
– Server troubles. [Dallas News]
– This could be your chance to compete in the Bocuse d'Or. [Bocuse d'Or USA]
– 12-year-old finds that energy drinks don't give you much energy. [CBS]
– A cannoli-stuffed cannoli. [TIWYF]