• Why late summer might be the smartest time to book a ticket to Athens.

• The hotels, neighborhoods and islands I’d send my closest friends to.

• The restaurants that make Athens one of Europe’s most exciting food cities.

Why Late Summer Is the Best Time to Visit Athens

You heard me right. If you've been staring at airfare wondering whether to pull the trigger on Greece, I want you to just do it. There are some amazing deals to be had, and late August and September may be the single best time to visit Athens or the Greek islands in general. The city is still humming with summer energy, the sea remains warm and swimmable, restaurants are fully open, vineyards are beginning their harvest, the brutal heat of July has typically eased and, best of all, many Europeans have returned home after their August holidays. The city feels more relaxed without losing any of its energy. No pun intended.

Athens Has Become One of Europe's Great Food Cities

Athens has undergone one of Europe’s great culinary renaissances. Twenty years ago, many travelers treated it as a one-night stop before boarding a ferry for the islands. Today, that would be a mistake.

You can spend a week here and barely scratch the surface. Ancient monuments sit beside natural wine bars. Neighborhood tavernas that have barely changed in a century sit side by side with Michelin starred kitchens. Every market seems to produce another revelation in olive oil, seafood, mountain herbs, cheeses, fruits and anything your heart desires from a culinary standpoint.

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• Why I’m on a mission to convince more people to cook mussels.

• One of the greatest food stories you’ve probably never heard.

• Two classic French recipes and a toast you’ll be thinking about long after lunch.

• Why you should join me on my trips to Africa and Oaxaca.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the world through its food, culture and the people who make a place special, I’d love to have you join me. I don’t put my name on just any trip. Every one is thoughtfully curated with incredible partners and built around the kinds of experiences you simply can’t recreate on your own. The people who’ve traveled with me have had an absolute blast. So have I. These journeys are one of the most rewarding parts of what I get to do.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Oaxaca is one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet, and this trip is designed to help you experience it beyond the guidebooks. We’ll explore vibrant markets, meet remarkable artisans and cooks, dive into the world of mezcal and share unforgettable meals that tell the story of the region. It’s an immersive experience built with care, curiosity and plenty of fun.

Buy Your Ticket

South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

This is one of those trips you’ll be talking about for years. We’ll experience extraordinary restaurants, world-class wines and unforgettable safari adventures while exploring one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Every detail has been carefully considered to create a trip that is equal parts adventure, discovery and incredible hospitality.

Buy Your Ticket

Why Mussels Deserve a Place on Every Table

There is a reason the French have never treated mussels as a luxury. They’ve always understood something the rest of us are only beginning to rediscover, that few foods deliver more pleasure for less money, less effort and less environmental cost than mussels.

For centuries, probably longer, mussels have belonged to the working table. They appear in medieval records throughout Normandy, Brittany and the Atlantic coast, where they were gathered from rocks at low tide long before organized aquaculture existed.

The great leap came in the 13th century when an Irish sailor named Patrick Walton was shipwrecked in the Bay of Aiguillon. His bird-catching stakes became covered in mussels, leading to the development of bouchot culture, the practice of growing mussels on wooden poles driven into the tidal flats. Whether every detail of the story is true hardly matters. By the early 1400s, the technique was firmly established and France had developed one of the world’s earliest sustainable shellfish farming systems. That’s right... aquaculture in France is almost 1,000 years old. It’s even older in other places.

Today, mussels grown this way remain among France’s greatest culinary treasures. Smaller than many rope-grown mussels, they are prized for their dense meat, remarkable sweetness and consistency. Brittany, Normandy, the Vendée and the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel have built entire regional identities around them. I love this food story so much. I just had to share it with you.

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• Why America’s seafood problem has very little to do with the seafood.

• The surprising reason mussels, oysters and pollock are losing the dinner table battle.

• A bold idea for finally giving American blue foods the leadership they deserve.

• What you would be missing out on if you didn’t join me on my trips to Oaxaca and Africa.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the world through its food, culture and the people who make a place special, I’d love to have you join me. I don’t put my name on just any trip. Every one is thoughtfully curated with incredible partners and built around the kinds of experiences you simply can’t recreate on your own. The people who’ve traveled with me have had an absolute blast. So have I. These journeys are one of the most rewarding parts of what I get to do.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Oaxaca is one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet, and this trip is designed to help you experience it beyond the guidebooks. We’ll explore vibrant markets, meet remarkable artisans and cooks, dive into the world of mezcal and share unforgettable meals that tell the story of the region. It’s an immersive experience built with care, curiosity and plenty of fun.

Buy Your Ticket

South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

This is one of those trips you’ll be talking about for years. We’ll experience extraordinary restaurants, world-class wines and unforgettable safari adventures while exploring one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Every detail has been carefully considered to create a trip that is equal parts adventure, discovery and incredible hospitality.

Buy Your Ticket

America's Seafood Industry Has a Marketing Problem, Not a Supply Problem

A few days ago, I received a note from a friend who runs one of America’s finest shellfish companies.

“Our mussels are looking beautiful,” he wrote, “unfortunately, live sales are down nearly 40% from three years ago. Consumers are getting harder to reach.”

Read that sentence again.

Not harder to farm. Not harder to harvest. Not too expensive.

Harder to reach.

That should alarm everyone who cares about American food, especially the world of blue foods.

We spend endless hours arguing over sustainability certifications, aquaculture, wild fisheries, tariffs, imports, exports, marine protected zones and climate resilience. We hold conferences. We publish reports. We congratulate ourselves for sitting on panels with one another.

Meanwhile, Americans aren’t buying mussels during one of the seasonal peaks for the species. And I hear the same thing from fishermen on both coasts and seafood producers across the country. As home cooks, we remain fixated on a handful of celebrity species while hundreds of other extraordinary American blue foods barely register with consumers.

I think that’s the story.

The greatest threat facing American seafood today probably isn’t overfishing, at least not how I read all the annual global reports that just came out, specifically the United Nations annual FAO report. If you’re a food nerd like me, you know it was quite rosy. Statistically, we are managing our fisheries better than ever.

The greatest threat facing American seafood today is a lack of effective marketing and public relations.

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• Why pork belly went from an overlooked cut to Korea’s most beloved barbecue.

• A little history lesson that ends with you standing over a hot grill.

• A recipe that will make your neighbors suddenly “drop by” around dinnertime.

• What you would be missing out on if you didn’t join me on my trips to Oaxaca and Africa.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the world through its food, culture and the people who make a place special, I’d love to have you join me. I don’t put my name on just any trip. Every one is thoughtfully curated with incredible partners and built around the kinds of experiences you simply can’t recreate on your own. The people who’ve traveled with me have had an absolute blast. So have I. These journeys are one of the most rewarding parts of what I get to do.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Oaxaca is one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet, and this trip is designed to help you experience it beyond the guidebooks. We’ll explore vibrant markets, meet remarkable artisans and cooks, dive into the world of mezcal and share unforgettable meals that tell the story of the region. It’s an immersive experience built with care, curiosity and plenty of fun.

Buy Your Ticket

South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

This is one of those trips you’ll be talking about for years. We’ll experience extraordinary restaurants, world-class wines and unforgettable safari adventures while exploring one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Every detail has been carefully considered to create a trip that is equal parts adventure, discovery and incredible hospitality.

Buy Your Ticket

Korea's Favorite Barbecue Is Easier Than You Think

Samgyeopsal proves that some of the world's greatest dishes come from simple ingredients treated with respect. Once you understand how grilled pork belly became Korea's favorite communal meal, you'll want to fire up the grill and make it yourself.

The Story Behind Korean Grilled Pork Belly (Samgyeopsal)

It’s called samgyeopsal (삼겹살) in Korea, and you should be making this tomorrow.

If there’s one dish that captures modern Korea as completely as pizza captures New York City or barbecue brisket captures Texas, it is grilled pork belly, samgyeopsal (삼겹살). The name translates simply to “three-layered flesh,” referring to the alternating layers of meat and fat that define the cut itself. It is now Korea’s favorite meat for communal dining. That wasn’t always the case.

For much of Korean history, beef occupied a special place in the national imagination, although it was rarely eaten. Cattle were too valuable as working animals to slaughter casually, particularly during the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted until 1897. Laws even restricted beef consumption. Pork, meanwhile, was available for rural families who typically raised pigs for holidays, weddings, ancestral rites and major celebrations. Every part of the animal was used, reflecting Korea’s deeply practical culinary traditions.

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• A road trip through Italy where cheese is your GPS.

• Twelve stops that are worth planning an entire vacation around.

• Yes, we’re ending with cheese that has live maggots in it. You’re welcome.

• Why you should join me on my trips to Africa and Oaxaca.

If you've ever wanted to experience a destination through its food, culture and the people who bring it to life, I'd love for you to join me. Every trip is carefully curated with trusted partners and built around experiences you simply can't create on your own. I've loved every one of these journeys, and I think you will too.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Oaxaca is one of the world’s great culinary destinations, and this journey goes far beyond the usual highlights. We’ll wander bustling markets, meet talented artisans and homegrown culinary legends, explore the rich traditions of mezcal and gather around unforgettable meals that reveal the soul of the region. Thoughtfully curated from start to finish, this is an immersive adventure filled with incredible food, meaningful connections and plenty of fun.

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South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

South Africa is the kind of destination that stays with you long after you return home. Together, we’ll experience extraordinary restaurants, exceptional wines and unforgettable safari encounters while exploring one of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes. Every moment has been thoughtfully planned, blending adventure, culinary discovery and warm hospitality into one remarkable journey.

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The Great Italian Cheese Trail: A Different Way to Travel Through Italy

Forget checking boxes and chasing postcard views. If you really want to understand Italy, follow the cheese. Every wheel tells a story about the land, the people and the traditions that have shaped it for centuries.

I love to travel. I love lots of places. Lots. And I use a hundred guideposts that dictate where, when and how I travel.

How I Choose Where to Travel

Skiing and food? Japan.

Beach getaways off the grid? Greece...or Samoa.

Family adventure with some great beach hangs, fishing and nature? Costa Rica.

You get the picture.

Why Cheese Is the Best Way to Experience Italy

So I was thinking about how to show you a different way to see a country. And I love Italy. If you’re like me, you’re inundated with pictures, texts and social media filled with Italian summer fun. So what if I showed you a different way to see Italy?

You can do it in summer and end up on a beach in the south. Or visit during the shoulder seasons, when there are fewer people to fight for restaurant reservations. See Italy through cheese.

Italian itineraries get built around the same obsessions: food, wine, museums and which coastline photographs best at golden hour. That’s the old algorithm.

Cheese is the ingredient that tells you where you are in Italy. Geology, grass, altitude and a few centuries of local grit all compressed into a wheel. Nobody markets a cheese trail here the way the French sell wine country or the Scots sell whisky.

So here are twelve stops, north to south, islands included.

Twelve stops. Twelve cheeses. One country.

Pack your stretchy pants.

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• Why these two Vietnamese classics are way easier than you’ve been led to believe.

• The grilled chicken recipe that’s going to earn a permanent spot in your dinner rotation.

• A bright, crunchy mango salad you’ll start craving long before mango season.

• Why you should join me on my trips to Africa and Oaxaca.

If you've ever wanted to see the world through its food, culture and the people who make a place special, I'd love to have you join me. I don't put my name on just any trip. Every one is thoughtfully curated with incredible partners and built around the kinds of experiences you simply can't recreate on your own. The people who've traveled with me have had an absolute blast. So have I. These journeys are one of the most rewarding parts of what I get to do.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Oaxaca is one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet, and this trip is designed to help you experience it beyond the guidebooks. We’ll explore vibrant markets, meet remarkable artisans and cooks, dive into the world of mezcal and share unforgettable meals that tell the story of the region. It’s an immersive experience built with care, curiosity and plenty of fun.

Buy Your Ticket

South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

This is one of those trips you’ll be talking about for years. We’ll experience extraordinary restaurants, world-class wines and unforgettable safari adventures while exploring one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Every detail has been carefully considered to create a trip that is equal parts adventure, discovery and incredible hospitality.

Buy Your Ticket

Why Vietnamese Food Is Easier to Cook at Home Than You Think

Americans have a puzzling relationship with Vietnamese food. We order it constantly whenever we’re out at restaurants, but we cook almost none of it at home. Pho gets treated like a once-a-year Sunday ritual requiring bones and a stock pot. Banh mi demands a bakery relationship that most of us lack. So most people default to takeout menus and assume the whole cuisine runs on that energy.

Guess what? It doesn’t.

Two of the dishes that show up on most Vietnamese menus are green mango salad (goi xoai) and grilled lemongrass chicken (ga nuong sa). They are some of the fastest cooking, most forgiving things you can put on a table. Neither of them requires a special trip beyond a well-stocked grocery store or a minute or two online.

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• Why everyone suddenly thinks lettuce is the enemy.

• What we actually know about the Cyclospora outbreak, and what we don’t.

• Three sources worth trusting when everyone else is guessing.

• Why you should join me on one of my upcoming trips to Africa and Oaxaca.

If you've ever wanted to experience the world through incredible food, culture and unforgettable moments, I've got something special for you. I've partnered with some of the very best travel providers to create once in a lifetime journeys to extraordinary destinations, all curated by yours truly.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Experience the vibrant markets, legendary mezcal, rich traditions and unforgettable flavors that have made Oaxaca one of the world’s greatest food destinations. This immersive trip offers exclusive access to the people, places and dishes that make the region so extraordinary. There’s only a few spots left so don’t miss your chance to buy your ticket.

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South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

Join me for an unforgettable adventure through South Africa, where world-class cuisine meets breathtaking wildlife and stunning landscapes. From exceptional dining and award-winning wines to incredible safari experiences, this is a journey unlike any other.

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What Is Cyclospora?

Every summer there’s a food scare that ricochets around social media before the facts can catch up. This year Cyclospora is the horror show everyone is talking about. This microscopic parasite has already sickened more than 2,000 Americans across dozens of states. If you’ve heard people telling you to stop buying lettuce, berries, herbs or some other produce, I’d beg you to keep reading.

Right now no farm, grower, brand, importer, retailer or specific food has been identified as the source of this outbreak. The FDA and CDC are still trying to connect the dots. There is no recall because investigators don’t yet know what food all these people have in common.

That uncertainty frustrates people. It makes me angry. We’d all like a simple answer, but there isn’t one yet.

Cyclospora isn’t Salmonella or E. coli. It’s a parasite, and that makes it a different kind of detective story. It usually reaches us on fresh produce that became contaminated somewhere between the field and our plate. Unlike many other foodborne illnesses, it doesn’t spread easily from person to person. It has to mature in the environment before it can infect someone else, which makes outbreaks harder to trace and easier to miss.

Should You Stop Buying Fresh Produce?

Don’t swear off produce. There’s no evidence that all lettuce, herbs, berries or leafy greens are suddenly dangerous. In previous years outbreaks like this have been linked to foods ranging from cilantro and basil to raspberries, spinach, snow peas and romaine lettuce. None of those foods have been confirmed in this outbreak.

So what am I doing?

I’m washing my produce well. I’m peeling it when it makes sense. I’m cooking it when I can. While none of those steps are foolproof, they’re still smart habits. I’m also buying as much of the produce I eat raw, especially lettuces, herbs and berries, from local farm stands whenever possible.

Cyclospora Symptoms and When to See a Doctor

If you develop persistent watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue or symptoms that simply won’t quit, please see a doctor. Cyclospora is treatable, but your physician needs to know to look for it because it isn’t always included in routine testing.

But there’s a bigger piece of this story that deserves more attention.

Why Foodborne Outbreak Investigations Take Time

Finding the source of an outbreak like this isn’t magic. It takes epidemiologists interviewing sick patients, laboratory scientists testing samples, investigators tracing supply chains across states and countries and enough people on the job to follow thousands of leads that often go nowhere before one of them finally does.

That work depends on a vibrant public health system. By definition, we don’t have one today.

In July 2025, one of America’s most important foodborne disease surveillance programs was dramatically reduced. For nearly three decades, the CDC’s FoodNet program actively tracked eight of the nation’s most significant foodborne pathogens. Today it routinely conducts active surveillance for only two: Salmonella and E. coli.

Active surveillance for Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio and Yersinia was discontinued through FoodNet, although those diseases continue to be reported through other public health systems.

Technically, that doesn’t mean the government stopped looking for them. It does mean the country’s most robust early warning system for those six pathogens became far less comprehensive. Many infectious disease experts warned that fewer data and fewer investigators could make outbreaks harder to recognize, harder to understand and harder to stop.

Whether those changes affected this particular Cyclospora outbreak remains unknown. Investigators are still working the case and there’s no evidence the surveillance changes are responsible for the delay.

But I will say this: public health is one of those investments you only notice after it’s been cut.

When an outbreak happens everyone wants immediate answers. Those answers depend on systems that have been built, funded and maintained long before anyone got sick

Stick to Facts, Not Rumors

For now the facts are simple.

There is a significant outbreak.

Investigators have not identified the food or foods responsible.

There is not a list of products consumers should avoid.

When it comes to public health issues, I’m telling my friends and family to ignore the rumors. Pay attention to credible updates instead.

And remember that the people protecting our food supply can’t solve outbreaks without the budget to support the people, laboratories and surveillance systems that make these investigations possible.

Protecting our food system remains one of my top priorities whenever I’m talking with local and national politicians, especially as we head into the election cycle this November.

Reliable Sources for Cyclospora Updates

Don't get your information about public health outbreaks from social media. Here are the sources I trust.

CDC Cyclospora Surveillance

The limitation is obvious. By the time the CDC posts something, state epidemiologists have often known it for days. That's frustrating, but it's still the authoritative national data source.

FDA Active Foodborne Outbreak Investigations

The FDA investigation table is updated whenever traceback investigations advance. It’s the first place you’ll see:

• Whether investigators have identified a suspect food

• Whether traceback has begun

• Whether inspections or sampling have started

• Whether recalls become necessary

Right now the FDA lists multiple active Cyclospora investigations with products still listed as “Not Yet Identified,” which tells you investigators are actively working the problem but haven’t reached a defensible conclusion.

That’s far more useful than rumors blaming cilantro, lettuce, berries, basil or whatever happens to be trending that day.

Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)

This is the one I read every day.

Minnesota for the win, once again.

CIDRAP has earned enormous credibility because it reports what is known, points out what isn’t known and isn’t afraid to criticize weaknesses in surveillance when warranted. Their reporting on this outbreak has highlighted the growing case numbers while also explaining how changes in federal surveillance have complicated national tracking.

Unlike many news organizations, they write for physicians, epidemiologists, infection prevention specialists and public health professionals rather than chasing clicks.

Sources I'd Ignore

• TikTok

• Instagram Reels

• Facebook posts

• Anonymous physician accounts

• Wellness influencers

• Food influencers

• Anyone confidently naming a food before the three sources above do

• Why too much zucchini is actually a pretty good problem to have.

• The Italian pasta that turned one humble squash into something unforgettable.

• My richer take on Pasta alla Nerano, built after years of eating my way through zucchini season.

• What you would be missing out on if you didn’t join me on my trips to Oaxaca and Africa.

If you've ever wanted to see the world through its food, culture and the people who make a place special, I'd love to have you join me. I don't put my name on just any trip. Every one is thoughtfully curated with incredible partners and built around the kinds of experiences you simply can't recreate on your own. The people who've traveled with me have had an absolute blast. So have I. These journeys are one of the most rewarding parts of what I get to do.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Oaxaca is one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet, and this trip is designed to help you experience it beyond the guidebooks. We’ll explore vibrant markets, meet remarkable artisans and cooks, dive into the world of mezcal and share unforgettable meals that tell the story of the region. It’s an immersive experience built with care, curiosity and plenty of fun.

Buy Your Ticket

South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

This is one of those trips you’ll be talking about for years. We’ll experience extraordinary restaurants, world-class wines and unforgettable safari adventures while exploring one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Every detail has been carefully considered to create a trip that is equal parts adventure, discovery and incredible hospitality.

Buy Your Ticket

The Italian Pasta That Solved the Zucchini Problem

Every summer it happens. Not mosquitos. Not unwanted relatives at the beach house. The zucchini show up.

First it’s a few from the farmer’s market. Then your neighbor leaves a bag on the porch. Then your garden decides to produce enough to feed a small village. We all eventually run out of ideas. Grilling it. Roasting it. Baking another loaf of zucchini bread that nobody really wanted in the first place.

The Italians solved this problem more than 70 years ago.

Pasta alla Nerano isn’t an old peasant recipe that’s been around forever. By Italian standards it’s a modern creation. The dish was officially created in 1952 at Ristorante Maria Grazia, a family-run restaurant in the tiny fishing village of Nerano on the Sorrento Peninsula. According to the family’s story, Donna Rosa improvised the pasta for Prince Pupetto di Sirignano, what a great name, a regular customer who had dropped in for lunch. Whether every detail is exactly true doesn’t matter anymore. The restaurant is still there, the family is still making it and the dish has become one of Campania’s great culinary gifts.

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• Why the closing of Craft matters far beyond one restaurant

• How the restaurant business quietly became a very different game

• The question I can’t stop asking about the future of American dining

• What you would be missing out on if you didn’t join me on my trips to Oaxaca and Africa

If you've ever wanted to see the world through its food, culture and the people who make a place special, I'd love to have you join me. I don't put my name on just any trip. Every one is thoughtfully curated with incredible partners and built around the kinds of experiences you simply can't recreate on your own. The people who've traveled with me have had an absolute blast. So have I. These journeys are one of the most rewarding parts of what I get to do.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Oaxaca is one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet, and this trip is designed to help you experience it beyond the guidebooks. We'll explore vibrant markets, meet remarkable artisans and cooks, dive into the world of mezcal and share unforgettable meals that tell the story of the region. It's an immersive experience built with care, curiosity and plenty of fun.

Reserve Your Spot

South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

This is one of those trips you'll be talking about for years. We'll experience extraordinary restaurants, world-class wines and unforgettable safari adventures while exploring one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Every detail has been carefully considered to create a trip that is equal parts adventure, discovery and incredible hospitality.

Reserve Your Spot

Craft’s Legacy Changed American Dining Forever

Craft closed after 25 years. It leaves a gaping hole in the restaurant world. Some of my most memorable meals were in that room and obviously Tom Colicchio is a friend of mine, so I carry some bias for sure. Let’s also objectively look at the outpouring of grief from the restaurant world. Tom didn’t simply open a successful restaurant. He changed the language of American dining.

Before Craft, a chef’s composed plate was king. Craft shifted the conversation toward ingredients, restraint and the notion that luxury could be defined by ingredients of all types cooked impeccably rather than culinary gymnastics performed by spendy components. He placed a platter in the middle of the table. Sometimes the whole meal was there. Then everyone borrowed from his playbook.

Countless chefs absorbed those lessons. You don’t write the history of American dining in the 21st century without devoting some serious real estate to Tom and his career, especially Craft.

American Restaurants Have Never Been More Exciting

Ironically, Craft closes during one of the most exciting periods American restaurants have experienced in decades, while also existing alongside one of the most difficult moments in restaurant history.

Dining destinations like Kabawa, Dogon, Kalaya, Diane’s Place, Indigena, Smith, SingleThread and so many others are expanding the vocabulary of American eating in thrilling ways. They are deeply personal, culturally specific, ambitious and far more representative of who we are than any era of dining I can remember in my lifetime. Their success, and the achievements of so many other restaurants, deserve celebration.

Why Opening a Restaurant Is Harder Than Ever

They also exist in a completely different economic universe.

When Craft opened in 2001, restaurants were still built with permanence in mind. The goal was to become an institution and be around forever. Twenty-five years may have been an impossible dream for many, but it was still the business plan.

Today, the incentives feel very different. The restaurant economy increasingly rewards novelty over performance. Investors want immediate momentum. Social media demands constant reinvention. Diners chase openings, reservation drops, collaborations, pop-ups, chef appearances and limited runs in ways I never imagined even a decade ago.

It seems to me that restaurants are expected to become cultural events before they’ve even learned to become functioning businesses.

The economics have become almost absurdist. Construction costs have exploded. Interest rates have transformed borrowed money from a useful tool into a crushing expense that should often be avoided. Insurance, utilities, labor and food costs all continue to escalate dramatically.

A restaurant that cost $2 million to open in 2019 could easily require three times that today before serving its first guest.

Who Can Afford to Build the Next Great Restaurant?

So who can open a restaurant now?

Who has access to enough capital to survive the first 24 months?

Can independent chefs build a lasting business, let alone an institution in the historical sense? Will they increasingly need celebrity partners, hotel groups, private equity or luxury real estate developers standing behind them? And if they do, is the new model simply to extract as much revenue as possible over five years before closing?

Simon Kim and a New Restaurant Business Model

Simon Kim’s extraordinary new New York City project is fascinating because, off the top of my head, it tests all of those questions and more.

It is a sprawling multi-concept dining complex at 550 Madison Avenue that features two new concepts, Cote 550 and Bar Chimera, with Sushi Yoshitake opening later this year.

It is an ambitious undertaking built around concepts that have already demonstrated remarkable commercial strength. Korean barbecue, luxury hospitality, nightlife, premium beverages, multiple revenue streams, third place gathering and Kim’s globally recognized brand all create advantages that almost no one else possesses.

He is also a brilliant operator.

It may prove that scale can still work brilliantly. It currently proves that not everyone gets to play the same game.

Kim earned that. I was at the original Cote during opening week and no one could have predicted how brilliantly he would navigate and create what came next.

The rules have never been fair to everyone. These days they seem even more uneven.

Restaurants Built to Last Versus Restaurants Built for Content

As I watch so many restaurants close after spending nearly 50 years paying attention, I find myself thinking more about the difference between a restaurant built to last and one built primarily to generate content.

Craft was built to last.

It earned its status slowly and accumulated trust over the years it was open.

Today, many restaurants are expected to become popular content before they even open.

I wrote about Amalfi at the Emery Hotel a few weeks ago. It’s a perfect example.

Those restaurants have to build buzz before they generate revenue. They need viral videos before they establish regulars. They require endless novelty simply to remain part of the conversation.

I assume that’s because they have little else to rely on.

I also recognize that some restaurants are trying to split the difference to level the playing field and hedge their bets. I understand it. The economics almost require it. Some truly excellent cooking is happening within that part of the restaurant world.

It also raises important questions about the kind of restaurant culture we’re creating.

Why Great Restaurants Endure

Good restaurants outlive trends.

Content can help them both.

The best restaurants become famous because they endure for many reasons. I increasingly see evidence suggesting that restaurants are now expected to endure because they become famous.

Salt Hank will be fascinating to watch.

It became famous first despite serving a superb product. It’s a great sandwich. Will it still be here in five years? The sandwich says yes.

The current game makes that a genuinely interesting question.

The Future of American Hospitality

Still with me?

That inversion may be the defining challenge facing American hospitality.

The food has never been more interesting. Opening a restaurant has never been harder or more financially intimidating.

To me, that only magnifies everything Tom Colicchio accomplished at Craft.

Craft reminds me that great restaurants are measured in decades, not opening week headlines. They become classrooms. They mentor generations of cooks. They influence restaurants that haven’t even been imagined yet. They earn every flower.

By the way, Craft is closed but Tom isn’t.

True artisans rarely retire from making things. They remain restless and curious. Tom has spent 40 years proving he is one of those people.

Businesses close.

Ideas don’t.

People don’t.

Will We Ever See Another Craft?

Those of us who loved Craft will miss it.

Will we ever see another restaurant that opens after 2025 and lasts 25 years? One that earns our trust, trains a generation of cooks, shapes how America eats and builds a business around excellence instead of the next funding round? One built for permanence?

I hope so.

Because if our restaurant economy only rewards novelty, attention, spectacle and artifice, we won’t simply miss restaurants like Craft.

We’ll lose the possibility of the next restaurant like it ever existing.

• Ten American summer resorts that actually live up to the hype.

• Why I couldn’t pick just one winner for the top spot.

• Beaches, golf, oysters, croquet, and a few places that make checking out feel like a mistake.

• Why you should join me on one of my upcoming trips to Africa and Oaxaca

If you've ever wanted to experience the world through incredible food, culture and unforgettable moments, I've got something special for you. I've partnered with some of the very best travel providers to create once in a lifetime journeys to extraordinary destinations, all curated by yours truly.

Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico's Culinary Capital

Experience the vibrant markets, legendary mezcal, rich traditions and unforgettable flavors that have made Oaxaca one of the world's greatest food destinations. This immersive trip offers exclusive access to the people, places and dishes that make the region so extraordinary.

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South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari

Join me for an unforgettable adventure through South Africa, where world-class cuisine meets breathtaking wildlife and stunning landscapes. From exceptional dining and award-winning wines to incredible safari experiences, this is a journey unlike any other.

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The Best Summer Resorts in America

The idea of naming the greatest summer resort in America is ridiculous, which is precisely why it is so much fun.

Greatness in a seaside hotel is not one thing. It is not thread count, marble acreage, the humidity level of the spa eucalyptus room or whether someone can produce a perfect Negroni at 4:17 p.m. while your child is melting down near the croquet lawn. It is the whole lunatic equation: food, privacy, beach, rooms, service, history, tennis, golf, spa, boats, pools, porches, rituals and whether the place still feels like itself after the money people have had their way with it.

Summer in America. Water nearby, preferably salt. A place with enough amenities to occupy a family, enough privacy to preserve a marriage, enough food to justify staying put and enough soul that you remember it after every bill has mercifully been forgotten.

So what is the greatest summer resort in America? It depends on what you mean by greatest.

If you mean the most complete, the answer is The Cloister at Sea Island. If you mean the one with the deepest emotional pull, right on the ocean with story in its walls, the answer is Ocean House.

That is why they tie. One is the great American resort machine. The other is the great American seaside memory. And if you are lucky enough to have stayed at both, you understand the problem. Greatness is not a ranking. It is the argument you keep having with yourself long after you check out.

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• Why South Africa keeps pulling me back, and why it might do the same for you.

• Safari mornings, unforgettable meals and a few bottles of Chenin Blanc along the way.

• The kind of trip that changes how you think long after you’ve unpacked.

The Best Way to Understand a Place Is Through Its Table

There are trips that entertain you.

There are trips that educate you.

And then there are the handful of journeys that quietly rearrange the furniture in your mind.

This is one of those.

Over the course of my career I’ve been fortunate enough to eat everywhere from roadside markets to the finest dining rooms on earth. I’ve hunted, fished, foraged, cooked with grandmothers, shared meals with shepherds, fishermen, farmers, scientists, Indigenous communities and Michelin-starred chefs. I’ve learned that the best way to understand any place is never through a guidebook.

It’s through its table.

That idea became the foundation of The Blue Food Cookbook. It’s the heartbeat of Hope in the Water. It’s the reason I’ve spent decades pointing my compass toward cultures that still understand the connection between land, water, wildlife and what eventually lands on the plate.

Now I’d like to invite a small group of you to experience that philosophy firsthand.

Not as tourists.

As travelers.

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Why South Africa?

South Africa has long been one of the places I return to again and again because nowhere else combines spectacular wildlife, extraordinary wine, world-class restaurants, Indigenous food traditions, breathtaking scenery and serious conservation quite like it.

We’re going to experience all of it.

Cape Town: One of the World's Great Food Cities

We’ll begin in Cape Town, one of the world’s great food cities, where Table Mountain rises behind a city whose cooking tells the story of Africa, Europe and Asia all at once. We’ll wander neighborhoods where history lives on every block, stand on cliffs where two oceans meet and eat some of the most exciting food being cooked anywhere today.

We’ll visit the Cape Peninsula, watch African penguins on windswept beaches, explore the Cape of Good Hope and spend time with one of South Africa’s great food visionaries, Roushanna Gray of Veld & Sea, whose work connecting wild landscapes to the dinner table has inspired chefs around the world. We’ll forage, taste, learn and, perhaps most importantly, change the way we think about what “wild food” really means.

Exploring the Cape Winelands

Then we head into the Cape Winelands.

I’ve visited wine regions across the globe, yet Franschhoek and Stellenbosch remain among the most extraordinary because they are still places where wine is inseparable from the landscape that created it. Vineyards tumble toward mountains. Historic estates sit beside modern architecture. The restaurants are among the finest in Africa. Every meal becomes an argument for why South Africa deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as Tuscany, Burgundy or Napa.

We’ll spend time tasting extraordinary wines, meeting the people behind them and enjoying one of the most beautiful agricultural landscapes anywhere in the world.

Safari in Sabi Sand: Wildlife Like You've Never Experienced

Then everything changes.

We leave the vineyards behind and head into the bush.

Our home becomes Sabi Sand, arguably the finest private wildlife reserve in Africa. Here the pace slows. The noise disappears. Dawn begins with coffee around the fire before heading into the veld in search of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, wild dogs and countless other species that most people know only from documentaries.

I’ve been lucky enough to experience safari many times.

It never gets old.

The first elephant that silently appears from behind an acacia tree still stops my breathing. Watching a leopard move through golden grass at sunset still feels impossible. Sitting around the fire after dinner under a sky so crowded with stars that it barely resembles the one back home reminds you how astonishing this planet really is.

That perspective is worth crossing an ocean for.

Food, Conservation & Culture Are Connected

This trip isn’t about checking animals off a list.

It’s about understanding the relationship between biodiversity, conservation, food systems and culture. The same ecosystems that sustain wildlife also sustain people. That connection has become central to my work over the last decade, and nowhere is it easier to understand than here.

Of course, we’ll eat very well.

Exceptionally well.

The hotels themselves are destinations. Ellerman House is one of the finest culinary hotels in South Africa. Leeu Estates pairs extraordinary hospitality with remarkable wine and restaurants. Earth Lodge has become legendary among safari lodges for its food, wine and hospitality. None of these places were selected simply because they are luxurious, although they certainly are. They were chosen because they represent the very best of modern South African hospitality.

Small Group Luxury Travel in South Africa

Most importantly, we’ll have time.

Time to ask questions.

Time to linger over lunch.

Time to sit with a glass of Chenin Blanc overlooking vineyards.

Time to watch the sun disappear behind Table Mountain.

Time to stay silent while a herd of elephants decides whether we’re worth acknowledging.

Those moments never happen on oversized tours.

Which brings me to something important.

I intentionally keep these trips small.

I want conversations, not crowds. I want everyone to have access. I want shared meals, shared discoveries and the kind of friendships that often begin halfway around the world over a great meal or beside a campfire.

People often ask me which country I love most.

I never answer.

But South Africa always finds its way into the conversation.

Join Me in South Africa

If you’ve dreamed about Africa but weren’t sure how to do it...

If you love food, wildlife, wine, conservation and genuine cultural discovery...

If you’ve wanted to travel with people who are as curious as you are...

I’d love to have you with me. Some trips become vacations.The very best become part of who you are. This one has every chance to do exactly that.

I hope you’ll join me.

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• The surprising history of classic American macaroni salad with ham and peas

• How country clubs, frozen peas and mayonnaise shaped an American icon

• My updated Country Club Macaroni Salad recipe with fresh herbs and rye croutons

• An exclusive first look into my trip to Africa for my Spilled Milkers

Take a Trip to Africa With Me

A special first look at my trip to Africa for my fellow Spilled Milkers.

Before this experience is announced more broadly, I wanted to share it with this community first. Next year, I’ll be hosting an intimate culinary safari through South Africa for a very limited number of guests.

From private food experiences in Cape Town and world-class wine and dining in the Cape Winelands to luxurious safari lodges in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, every detail has been carefully curated for travelers who believe food is one of the best ways to understand a place.

This isn’t a tour. It’s an invitation into South Africa’s culinary and cultural landscape through extraordinary hospitality, exclusive access, and unforgettable shared experiences.

Space is extremely limited, and Spilled Milkers are getting one of the very first opportunities to join me before public promotion begins.

If exceptional food, meaningful travel, and once-in-a-lifeti

me experiences speak to you, I’d love to have you along.

Reserve Your Spot

The History of Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham and Peas

Macaroni salad with ham and peas sits at the intersection of several distinct American food traditions: pasta salads, luncheon salads and the postwar country club buffet. While no single inventor or origin story exists, its history is well documented through the evolution of American cooking from the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century.

How Macaroni Salad Became an American Staple

The foundation is macaroni salad itself, which appeared in the United States during the late 1800s as Italian pasta became more widely available. Early recipes were surprisingly simple. Cooked macaroni was dressed with oil and vinegar or, increasingly by the early twentieth century, mayonnaise. Many of these recipes appeared in church cookbooks, hotel menus and women’s magazines.

The mayonnaise connection is important. Commercial mayonnaise became

widely available after the success of brands such as Hellmann’s in the early 1900s. By the 1920s and 1930s, mayonnaise-based salads had become staples of American entertaining. Potato salad, chicken salad, Waldorf salad and macaroni salad all became fixtures of luncheon culture.

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• Why every restaurant suddenly seems to be serving the “experience of the summer”

• The difference between someone creating content and someone selling you a cocktail with better lighting

• Why trust may become the most valuable currency in food media by 2030

• Why you should join me on my trip to Africa

Take a Trip To Africa With Me

Some journeys are simply different.

Next year, I’ll be hosting an intimate culinary safari through South Africa for a very limited number of guests.

From private food experiences in Cape Town and world-class wine and dining in the Cape Winelands to luxurious safari lodges in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, every detail has been carefully curated for travelers who believe food is one of the best ways to understand a place.

This isn’t a tour. It’s an invitation into South Africa’s culinary and cultural landscape through extraordinary hospitality, exclusive access and unforgettable shared experiences.

I’m especially excited to share this experience with the Spilled Milk community. These are the kinds of journeys that stay with you long after you return home, where the people, places and meals become part of the story.

Space is extremely limited, and I expect spots to fill quickly.

If exceptional food, meaningful travel and once-in-a-lifetime experiences speak to you, I’d love to have you along.

Reserve Your Spot

The Amalfi Coast Problem

I found myself staring recently at yet another flood of Instagram posts celebrating a summertime Amalfi Coast-style pop-up operating inside a Minneapolis hotel restaurant.

The videos were nice. The lighting was perfect. Everyone seemed to be having fun. The cocktails glowed in the late afternoon sun. The tables looked as if they wanted you to believe they came directly from Positano. Captions overflowed with enthusiasm and declarations that this was the experience of the summer.

What was missing was almost everything else.

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• Me trying to convince my family that corn is a personality trait

• A quick history lesson on why fritters are basically edible diplomacy

• A dip so good you will start “accidentally” making extra batches

• An exclusive first look into my trip to Africa for my Spilled Milkers

Take a Trip To Africa With Me

A special first look at my trip to Africa for my fellow Spilled Milkers.

Before this experience is announced more broadly, I wanted to share it with this community first. Next year, I’ll be hosting an intimate culinary safari through South Africa for a very limited number of guests.

From private food experiences in Cape Town and world-class wine and dining in the Cape Winelands to luxurious safari lodges in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, every detail has been carefully curated for travelers who believe food is one of the best ways to understand a place.

This isn’t a tour. It’s an invitation into South Africa’s culinary and cultural landscape through extraordinary hospitality, exclusive access, and unforgettable shared experiences.

Space is extremely limited, and Spilled Milkers are getting one of the very first opportunities to join me before public promotion begins.

If exceptional food, meaningful travel, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences speak to you, I’d love to have you along.

Reserve Your Spot

Oaxaca on My Mind and Corn in Season

Recently I’ve overwhelmed my family with a lot of Mexican food. My trip to Oaxaca has me thinking about those flavors constantly. Really good corn is hitting most markets right now and at the same time I’ve seen a lot of terrible fritter recipes flooding my feeds. I thought I would give you a good one.

Where Corn Fritters Actually Come From

Corn fritters are the offspring of two culinary traditions: indigenous American corn cookery and European frying techniques. The dishes we know today likely emerged in the American South sometime between the 17th and 18th centuries.

Corn itself belongs to Native American foodways. Indigenous peoples across North America had been cultivating maize for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Corn cakes, cornbread and various forms of ground maize preparations were foundational foods from Central America up through New England.

What native cooks did not have was the European tradition of deep frying in large quantities of fat. When colonists encountered indigenous corn preparations they adapted them using old world techniques including pan frying and deep frying. The result was a family of dishes: hoecakes, Johnnycakes, hush puppies, hot water cornbread and eventually corn fritters.

Johnnycakes vs Corn Fritters (They Are Not the Same Thing)

That distinction matters because a corn fritter is not a Johnnycake. A Johnnycake is a flat cornmeal cake descended directly from indigenous cornbreads. A fritter contains kernels of corn suspended in batter then fried until crisp.

By the 18th and 19th centuries corn fritters were firmly established in Southern cooking. Historic recipes from Virginia and other Southern states look remarkably similar to modern versions. Even recipes associated with the household of George Washington feature corn fritters that would feel familiar to any home cook today.

Why Fresh Corn Changed Everything

The modern obsession with crispy corn fritters owes a lot to seasonal sweet corn. Early fritters were often made from cornmeal. Once fresh sweet corn became widely available cooks began folding whole kernels into batter. The contrast between juicy corn and crunchy fried edges became the signature. That is the version dominating Instagram and restaurant menus today.

Corn Fritters Around the World

Corn fritters also show up around the world in different forms. In Indonesia for example bakwan jagung and perkedel jagung are corn fritters made with fresh corn, spices and aromatics fried in palm oil. These dishes developed after corn traveled globally through trade routes in the 16th century.

What a Corn Fritter Really Is

Here is the real truth. Corn fritters are not a trendy side dish. They are a living fossil of food history. The corn is indigenous. The frying technique is European. The sense of abundance and improvisation is distinctly Southern. Every golden fritter on your plate is a reminder that great food often comes from cultural collision and necessity.

That is why they feel just as at home at a church picnic in Mississippi as they do at a fish fry in Minnesota, a farm stand in Iowa or a Brooklyn restaurant charging twenty four dollars for three of them with avocado crema. The recipe changes but the idea is more than 500 years old.

Corn Fritters Recipe

Ingredients

• Kernels from 3 ears of corn, cut from the cob

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 3 scallions, finely sliced

• 2 fresh red chilies, finely sliced (Fresno works well, seeds and stems removed)

• ¼ cup crumbled Mexican Cotija cheese plus more for garnish

• 2 ½ Tablespoons all purpose flour

• 3 Tablespoons corn flour

• 1 large egg, beaten

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Mexican seasoning from Badia for garnish

Instructions

1. Mix the corn, shallot, chilies, Cotija, both flours, egg, salt and pepper until fully combined.

2. Refrigerate for one hour.

3. Heat about ½ to ¾ inch of oil in a skillet over medium high heat until it reaches 375°F.

4. Drop a small spoonful in to test the batter. If it does not hold together add a tablespoon or two of Mexican crema or sour cream and mix again.

5. Fry spoonfuls of batter in batches until deep golden brown on both sides.

6. Remove and place on a rack set over a sheet pan.

7. Season immediately with Mexican seasoning and a little Cotija.

Printable Recipe

Corn Fritters Recipe

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Creamy Serrano Avocado Dip

Ingredients

• 2 ripe Hass avocados

• 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped

• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and chopped

• ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems

• Juice of 2 limes (about ¼ cup)

• 3 Tablespoons Mexican crema

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust with more lime or salt if needed.

2. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent browning and keep chilled until serving.

Printable Recipe

Creamy Serrano Avocado Dip Recipe

131KB ∙ PDF file

Download

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• Why Portland picked a fight with foie gras while bigger food battles rage on

• A tour through the long buffet line of food system problems nobody seems eager to tackle

• My completely unsolicited thoughts on politicians who confuse headlines with progress

• Your first look at my new trip to Oaxaca and why you should come with me

I can’t imagine a better way to experience Mexico than this trip.

I’m going back to Oaxaca with a small group, and we’re going all in. Markets, mole, mezcal, tacos, tlayudas, agave fields, home kitchens, street food, cooking together, eating together and soaking up one of the most exciting food cities on earth.

Oaxaca is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been because it hits every sense at once. It’s loud, beautiful, delicious and completely alive.

And yes, we’re going to eat extremely well. But we’re also going to meet the people, traditions and flavors that make this place unforgettable.

I’ll be there with you for all of it.

Come hungry. Come curious. Come ready to have a very, very good time.

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Portland's Foie Gras Ban Raises a Bigger Question

Portland has banned foie gras.

Not homelessness. Not the hunger epidemic that forces millions of Americans to choose between groceries and rent. Not the mountains of plastic waste choking our waterways. Not the industrial farming practices that affect billions of animals every year.

Foie gras.

The city council has apparently looked across the vast landscape of modern food policy and decided that the most pressing issue demanding immediate legislative intervention is a luxury product consumed by a microscopic sliver of the population. Portland’s new ordinance bans the sale of foie gras and threatens violators with fines. The vote was close. The debate was heated. The headlines were triumphant. But I am left with a simple question.

REALLY?

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• Why crispy Cantonese noodles deserve a permanent spot in your dinner rotation

• The surprising history behind one of Chinese cuisine’s greatest textural achievements

• A foolproof pan-fried noodle recipe that’ll make you wonder why you ever ordered takeout

• Why you should join me on my trip to Thailand next March

Few places have influenced me as deeply as Thailand.

I’ve spent years returning to its cities, countryside, markets, and fishing communities, learning from the people whose knowledge, generosity, and traditions make this one of the most extraordinary food cultures on earth. Every trip teaches me something new.

Next March, I’m returning to Thailand and bringing a small group along for the journey.

Together, we’ll explore Bangkok and Chiang Mai through their food and the people behind it. From celebrated restaurants and iconic street food vendors to bustling markets, tea farms, family-run kitchens, and unforgettable cultural experiences, this trip offers access to the places and stories that have kept me coming back for decades.

This is more than a culinary tour. It’s an opportunity to experience Thailand in a meaningful way, through its history, traditions, and remarkable hospitality.

If Thailand has always been on your list, I hope you’ll join me.

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The History of Cantonese Crispy Noodles

There is something deeply satisfying about a plate of Cantonese crispy noodles. It arrives at the table hissing with trapped steam, a glorious tangle of seafood, chicken, mushrooms and vegetables draped over a golden disc of crackling noodles. The first bite delivers two textures at once: crisp and tender, crunchy and silky. It is one of the great achievements of Chinese cooking and one that deserves a spot in your monthly menu planning.

This is one of those dishes that everybody loves to order in restaurants, everybody loves to eat and nobody makes at home. I think that needs to change.

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Thailand has been one of the most important places in my life as a traveler.

For decades, I’ve wandered its markets, eaten at roadside stalls, cooked with families, explored fishing villages, and learned from chefs, farmers, and artisans who have shaped the way I think about food and culture.

Next March, I’m heading back and inviting a small group to join me.

We’ll eat our way through Bangkok and Chiang Mai, from Michelin-starred dinners and legendary street food to home kitchens, bustling markets, tea farms, and unforgettable meals shared with the people who keep Thailand’s culinary traditions alive.

This isn’t a checklist trip. It’s a deep dive into one of the world’s greatest food cultures.

If you’ve ever wanted to experience Thailand through the lens of its food, history, and the people who make it all possible, I’d love to have you along.

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Cookbooks and Products I Think You Should Check Out

One of the great pleasures of the last month has been spending time with a stack of new cookbooks from friends and colleagues whose work I deeply admire. The collection is wonderfully eclectic, covering everything from the surprising history and science of blue foods to deeply personal explorations of cuisines and culinary traditions from around the world. As always, my mailbox has also delivered a few other intriguing surprises along the way, so this week I'm sharing some of the books, ideas, and discoveries that have been keeping me entertained, informed, and hungry.

• Frontgate seasonal napkins, plate set, and apron created by Michael Symon

• AMMAZZA! Culinary Adventures from New York to Italy and Back Again written by Hillary Sterling

• Nothing Matters But Delicious: A Radically Honest Cookbook written by Greg Baxtrom

• A Kitchen on Goose Cove: Recipes from the Heart of Maine written by Devin Finigan

• La Copine: New California Cooking from an Oasis in the Desert written by Ben Mims, Claire Wadsworth, and Nikki Hill

• The Flavor of Fire: Recipes for Grilling & Smoking with Southern Flair written by Kelsey Barnard Clark

• The Lao Kitchen: Lao Flavors and Stories Told Through Family Recipes written by Saeng Douangdara

• A House in the Lebanese Mountains: Recipes and Stories from Beit Trad written by Sarah Trad

• Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide written by Will Guidara

• Down South + East: A Chinese American Cookbook written by Hugh Amano and Ron Hsu

• Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality written by Molly Irani

• Jacques Pépin Complete Techniques 50th Anniversary Edition: A Culinary Master Class from the Legendary Teacher written by Jacques Pépin

• Cooking from Scratch: A Careful Selection of Useful Recipes written by Toya Boudy

• My Greek Mom's Recipes: She Died. I Wrote This Cookbook. written by Gus Constantellis

• Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes written by Adeena Sussman

• Retro Recipes: Vintage Dishes with a Modern Twist written by Bobby Hicks

• Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States written by Claudette Zepeda

• Why my grocery bill is giving me heartburn and why yours probably is too

• The not-so-secret ingredients driving up food prices: drought, labor shortages and a whole lot of bad timing

• Why that expensive head of lettuce is telling us a much bigger story about America’s food system

• Your first look at my new trip to Thailand and why you should come with me

Thailand has been one of the most important places in my life as a traveler.

For decades, I’ve wandered its markets, eaten at roadside stalls, cooked with families, explored fishing villages, and learned from chefs, farmers, and artisans who have shaped the way I think about food and culture.

Next March, I’m heading back and inviting a small group to join me.

We’ll eat our way through Bangkok and Chiang Mai, from Michelin-starred dinners and legendary street food to home kitchens, bustling markets, tea farms, and unforgettable meals shared with the people who keep Thailand’s culinary traditions alive.

This isn’t a checklist trip. It’s a deep dive into one of the world’s greatest food cultures.

If you’ve ever wanted to experience Thailand through the lens of its food, history, and the people who make it all possible, I’d love to have you along.

Buy Your Ticket

America's Food System Is Under Pressure

There is a particular kind of American panic that has recently arrived. Many have ignored it for decades, until now, when romaine lettuce costs $6.99 a head.

American agriculture is entering one of the most precarious periods in the last century, and the warning signs have been everywhere. Fertilizer costs have been going up, remain elevated and are predicted to go higher. Farm debt has been steadily growing. Interest rates are still squeezing operators who borrowed heavily when money was cheap. Farm bankruptcies jumped 46% in 2025 alone. Let that sink in for a second. Labor shortages continue to haunt the fruit, vegetable, dairy and meat sectors. Add in drought conditions in half the country and a potentially significant El Niño event, and the picture becomes even more troubling.

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• One of the biggest misconceptions about that little salad at your local hibachi spot

• Why I’m willing to make the case for onion dressing as one of the world’s most underrated condiments

• Two ridiculously good dressings that have earned a permanent place in my refrigerator

The Two Japanese Salad Dressings Most Americans Know

For many Americans, Japanese salad dressings come in two forms. There’s the bright orange carrot-ginger dressing that arrives on top of a small bowl of iceberg lettuce before your hibachi chef starts juggling shrimp. Then there’s the darker soy-based onion dressing, thinner and more savory, that seems designed for grown-ups who discovered Japanese food early in life.

Despite often being grouped together, they come from very different traditions.

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• My favorite places to disappear for a few days without emptying your bank account

• The burgers, lobster rolls, pie and donuts that keep pulling me back year after year

• My case for why the best summer vacations are still the simplest ones

5 Affordable Summer Travel Destinations Worth Every Mile

The last few years have felt like a master class in collective exhaustion. Every day seems to arrive with a new burden. I could list them all, but frankly, I’m weary just thinking about it.

Vacations, especially summer vacations, once served as the antidote for this malaise. Lately they’ve become a source of stress as travelers confront luxury-level prices for increasingly ordinary experiences.

That’s why this list matters.

The best summer trips in America are not necessarily the most expensive, exclusive or difficult to reach. They are the places that remind us what travel is supposed to do. Travel should restore curiosity. Travel should leave us changed by the experience. It should reconnect us with landscapes that are bigger than our daily worries. We should be visiting communities that operate at a human scale.

A great vacation doesn’t require a private villa or a five-star concierge. I covered that version of travel last week for those who want it. Sometimes all it takes is a lakeshore, a lobster shack, a mountain road, a waterfall or a sunset that makes you forget about your phone for an hour or two.

These are the places where your money goes farther and the memories stick around longer. Here are five summer destinations that still deliver the kind of travel experience we all need right now.

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