Have a little down time today? Read 20 of our favorite food stories from the past year, covering everything from diving for purple urchins in Mendocino to Pittsburgh’s own classic red sauce restaurants.
In no particular order…
The Secret Struggles Behind Instagram’s Most Beautiful Pies, the Huffington Post: Who would have thought that the gorgeous pie bakers that we all love to follow have such a contentious debate on their hands? Basically, it comes down to whether or not a pie should be photographed before or after it’s baked… and people have a lot of opinions.
A Plague of Delicious Purple Urchins is Taking Over the California Coast, and It’s Our Duty to Eat Them, Saveur. If this story doesn’t make you want to put on a wet suit, I don’t know what to tell you.
Afterburn, Cherry Bombe. The writer who originally reviewed Bill Buford’s Heat for Saveur shares her thoughts on the after-effects of our collective fed-up-edness of male-dominated kitchen culture, and how that dangerous narrative came to be.
The Last Curious Man, GQ. There’s a lot to say about Anthony Bourdain, and this tribute in GQ, offers a look at the good, the bad, and the inexplicable. And hey, while you’re over at GQ.com, check out this insanely good profile about Cardi B by Caity Weaver.
The Red Sauce Project, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The PG did an awesome job this fall with a look at some of the greatest red-sauce joints in the Pittsburgh area, and stories about local Italian favorites, like the history of fried zucchini.
Did Drinking Give Me Breast Cancer, Mother Jones. What links are there between alcohol and cancer? There’s clear science there, but it’s been downplayed for years.
Why Two Chefs in Small Town Utah Are Battling President Trump, the New Yorker. How to keep an insanely popular restaurant unspoiled in its wild home.
After The Apologies, Restaurants Struggle To Change, New York Times. The industry is in turmoil.
Disgraced by Scandal, Mario Batali is Eyeing His Second Act, the New York Times. Only because we should all know that this coming so we can work together to reject it.
Kaufmann’s Iconic Thumbprint Cookies Return… to Prantl’s Bakery, Good Food Pittsburgh. One of the sweetest stories we’ve done this year, on how the original baker of Kaufmann’s famous Thumbprint cookies is now baking them (with the original recipe) at Prantl’s Bakery.
Roy Choi Wanted to Start a Revolution with Locol. Two Years Later, the Fast-Food Chain Closes, Los Angeles Times. Sometimes really good things just don’t work out.
Come Winter, Cassoulet Offers Comfort in a Bowl, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Gretchen McKay (one of our favorite Pittsburgh writers) covers one of the coziest dishes around: the cassoulet.
Stretched Thin, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The PG’s Melissa McCart traveled to Taiwan to report this piece, about the ways that Donald Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” initiative is impacting restaurants in our area. It’s a must-read.
Ranch Nation, the New York Times. If you don’t love ranch dressing, I’m not sure that we can be friends. Here’s the story of how it became so insanely popular.
Four Pizza Makers Who Are Upping the Game in Pittsburgh, NextPittsburgh. Pizza in Pittsburgh is having quite a moment.
Los Angeles Times Restaurant Critic Jonathan Gold Dies at 57, Los Angeles Times. The food world lost a great this year, and Jonathan Gold’s own paper shared a stellar remembrance of the one writer that all food writers want to be. The New York Times’ obituary is also worth a read.
Your Season-by-Season Guide to Oakmont Bakery, Good Food Pittsburgh. Because honestly? This is just useful.
I Found the Best Burger Place in America. And Then I Killed It, Thrillist. Thrillist’s Kevin Alexander ate 330 burgers to find America’s best. After the piece aired, the number one burger joint on the list, Stanich’s in Portland, was overrun with business, and soon closed. This piece covers Alexander’s thoughts about the closing… then this story in the Willamette Weekly shed a little more light on the topic, and showed that there was much more to the closing than was reported.
Butter Tarts, Canada’s Humble Favorite, Has Much To Love. Do you know what a butter tart is? You really should.
The Best of 2018’s Bad Restaurant Reviews, Eater. Because here at Good Food Pittsburgh, we’re not restaurant critics… and because we have, um… a reputation as being Pittsburgh cheerleaders, we kind of guiltily love reading these horrible restaurant reviews that are so bad, they’re good.
What are your favorite food stories of the year? Share with us in our comments!
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