Food & drink

Food & drink

For what I'd say is the fourth time this competition, Sieger delivered a somewhat lackluster, but properly cooked dish, and ended up squeaking through to next week because another person failed more definitively. This time around, that person was one of our favorites and someone who I thought was getting a clear finalist edit. Sieger, my guy, how much longer are you going to keep getting away with this?

In January of 1982, George McKerrow, Jr. was struggling to keep the first LongHorn Steakhouse afloat. Having opened just a year earlier, the restaurant was still trying to establish itself in a competitive market, and early traffic had been slow. When the snowstorm halted the city, the restaurant decided to keep its doors open. The decision might have seemed questionable to higher-ups at the time, but enterprising employees posted a simple sign outside that read "Drinks $1 While It Snows."

Ward's history dates all the way back to 1958 with owners Richard and Ed Ward, who started a franchise of the regional chain the Frostop in Hattiesburg. For over 20 years, it was one of the go-to destinations for locals whenever the craving for all things chili and root beer struck. It was then resold in the early '80s, a few years after the brothers opened their first Ward's restaurant branch.

Once they sat, Choe bit into his meatball tacos - a salad bar hack that the artist had created and demonstrated to Bourdain. Soon after, they also received a complimentary order of cheese toast. Choe introduced the dish with a little anecdote from his childhood, and explained that his family used to order stacks of it once they realized it was free with the meal. "It's delicious. I totally get why this would be a Wonderland," Bourdain said after trying it.

The tucked-away bakery is only open Friday through Sunday, but its committed customers flock to the shop early to form lines. Even some locals have yet to uncover this gem. "The fact that I work in Port Jeff and didn't even know. Thank you!! Will be trying them soon," commented a TikTok user on a video of the bakery.

June marks a significant occasion for food lovers and industry professionals alike-National Steakhouse Month. This month serves as a tribute to not only the culinary artistry of steakhouses across the nation but also to the rich histories behind them. One establishment that stands out in this celebration is Bern's Steak House in Tampa, Florida, which proudly celebrates 70 years of impeccable service and culinary excellence.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is one of the most beloved fried chicken restaurants in America, having spent more than 50 years winning over fans with its extra-crispy wings, thighs, drumsticks, and, of course, its iconic chicken sandwich. Today, it boasts almost 3,200 restaurants across the United States, with Popeyes locations in nearly every state.

Founded in Montana in 1999, HuHot now boasts over 50 locations primarily concentrated in the Midwest and Mountain West. A build-your-own set-up allows visitors to choose from proteins like tofu, shrimp, beef, and chicken, along with an assortment of fresh vegetables, rice, and noodles. Dozens of sauces can flavor these individually-selected stir-fry recipes. Chosen ingredients are passed to on-site cooks who prepare them on an open grill, turning the process into part of the dining experience.

If you want a plant-based dupe for a bag of Cheetos, Hippeas' Cheezy Vibes Chickpea Puffs would be a good buy. I didn't want to rank these in second-to-last place, but again, the competition was fierce! I was wary of this flavor at first because many plant-based cheese flavors use nutritional yeast as a base, and I've never been able to get accustomed to the flavor.

Braum's can trace its roots back to 1968, when founder Bill Braum decided to turn his family's history as small dairy farmers into an ice cream storefront based in Oklahoma City. Ten years later, they decided to add a bakery, selling freshly baked buns, bread, and cookies along with dairy products created from their private herd. If you've never heard of Braum's, it's probably because the chain has a pretty limited geography due to its mandate for all locations to be within roughly 300 miles of its Oklahoma processing facility.

Aurelia at Castle Hill Inn is thrilled to announce its reopening on May 22, 2026, with reservations now available. This celebrated restaurant, known for its Forbes Five-Star status, is poised to captivate diners once again under the expert guidance of the new Chef de Cuisine, Quentin Diez.

Rick was a mainstay in the North Bay cheese world. His family has been on the land there for over a hundred years and Rick and his family have been heavily involved in the movement to save farmland, among other things, working with the Marin Agricultural Land Trust and serving on their Board of Directors for about a decade.

Yes, Wendy's uses fresh, never frozen beef on every hamburger, every day. You'll notice those two asterisks there. Those are there for Hawaii, the only state where you can't get one of those famous square burgers fresh instead of frozen. Head to the bottom of that Wendy's page and you'll see this disclaimer next to the two asterisks: Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S. and Alaska, as well as Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the U.K., and other select international markets.

Flat toast traps steam underneath, and steam is basically just soggy on a countdown. Stand it up, let the air get at both sides, and you've got crunch that actually survives the journey to the table.

The rise of plant-based diets is not just a fad; it's becoming a staple in the foodservice menu. As consumers increasingly seek healthier and more sustainable options, restaurants are expanding their offerings to include innovative plant-based dishes.

Baking at home can be an isolating craft in a lot of ways. Obviously, it's really early mornings. Especially when you're a one-man show baking at home, you don't really have access to community in the sense of other bakers as much as you do your customers.

According to a January 2026 survey conducted by the Motley Fool, 24% of Boomer respondents admitted to discarding leftovers or expired food, highlighting a significant waste issue among this generation.