Plus cyclospora safety guidance, a fiery sandwich debate, and the people paid to stand in lines |
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Welcome to Open Tab, a weekly roundup of the news, gossip, and stories that have stayed open in my tabs all week. Last time we covered The World’s First 3 Michelin Star Mexican Restaurant.
And we’re back! How did you spend our two-week Open Tab hiatus? I spent our short break in coastal Connecticut where I ate more lobster rolls than any single person should. Generally I try to grab lobster rolls from whichever beat-up, roadside spot is nearest to the water. But I broke my own rule at Mystic’s Oyster Club and was glad I did—there, the hot lobster roll arrives with an exceptional savory-sweet rhubarb butter.
Other things I tried this week: A progressive Thai tasting menu at the new-ish Hed NYC (good!) and the very hot, influencer-favorite Loonen water (unremarkable!). You should also know that The Rizzler appeared on “Subway Takes” with a screed against peanut butter. If zero words in that sentence make sense to you, congratulations, you have a healthy, working brain.
This week, Thomas Keller’s Restaurant Group paid a $2 million settlement this week in a federal sexual assault lawsuit. It’s not the first lawsuit the company has faced this year. In March, a former employee at Keller’s French Laundry brought a suit against the company over wage disputes.
In this week’s Open Tab: The James Beard Foundation eyes new host cities for its awards program, the cyclospora parasite outbreak has us all worried about what’s safe to eat, a brisket sandwich debate gets out of control, and we meet the people who stand in lines for a living. We’ve also got the most recent installment of The Receipt, our food diary series following one anonymous reader’s week of expenses related to groceries, restaurant meals, coffee runs, and everything else they put in their mouth.
If you have any food gossip to share, please send me a note or a DM. |
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Since 2015, the James Beard Awards have been held in Chicago, and over more than a decade they’ve become nearly synonymous with the city. Every year chefs, bartenders, and other miscellaneous food folks flock to the Windy City hoping to win one of the culinary world’s highest honors.
The Beards are a big deal for restaurants and chefs, but they’re also a big deal for the city of Chicago—and Chicago’s contract with the James Beard Foundation ends in 2028. Now the foundation is on the hunt for the next city, which will host the awards starting in 2029.
According to reporting shared by the James Beard Foundation, the awards bring in $8.3 million in direct spending, and more than a $1 million in state and local tax revenue. That could be major funding for a lot of cities. And, if the ever-expanding Michelin guide is any indication, cities will pay big bucks to create the kind of buzz that draws tourism and notoriety. |
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BY BON APPÉTIT CONTRIBUTOR |
Welcome to The Receipt, a series documenting how Bon Appétit readers eat and what they spend doing it. Each food diary follows one anonymous reader’s week of expenses related to groceries, restaurant meals, coffee runs, and every bite in between. In this time of rising food costs, The Receipt reveals how folks—from different cities, with different incomes, on different schedules—are figuring out their food budgets.
In today’s Receipt, we follow a 53-year-old writer in Austin, Texas, who might make six figures one year and $0 the next. Keep reading for her receipts. |
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