MinneapolisCake Eater Bakery / Sweet Retreat / Cocoa & Fig
Just when you thought the cupcake craze was over, the sugary puffs are back with a vengeance, like a yard full of dandelions you thought you’d mowed off. So if you and your gal pals are looking for a place to parse the incredible plot twists of the new Sex & the City sequel–the fab foursome riding camels in the Arabian desert, Carrie bumping into Aiden in Dubai–you have several new options. More >>
New York
Maima’s
The West African Republic of Liberia was founded in 1847 by freed American slaves, who named their capital Monrovia, after the fifth U.S. president. Constituting an elite class, their descendants ruled the country until a coup in 1980 threw the country into chaos. After a period of repression and civil war, in which an estimated 200,000 were killed, relative calm ensued in 2003, led by a group called Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. More >>
| Amelia Beamish |
| “Maima (right) and her crew bring some heat.” |
Orange County
House of Big Fish & Ice Cold Beer
The brainchild of Chris Keller, Takao Shinomiya and Richard Ham (the team behind the two K’ya locations), House of Big Fish takes its inspiration from such discount seafood eateries as California Fish Grill, a local chain that has made a killing inland. But when you bring the idea to the coast, where ocean views would otherwise dictate that you charge a premium, the concept becomes nothing short of revolutionary. More >>
Phoenix
Loving Hut
You can go vegan for a day or for a lifetime, and there are compelling reasons to do so. Perhaps it’s for ethical and environmental reasons, or maybe it’s just to keep your waistline in check.
But for me, it all boils down to one simple thing: Is it delicious? I’m living proof that it’s possible to win my heart through my stomach, and I’ll patronize a vegan restaurant as much as a steakhouse if I get a craving for it. More >>
Credit: Jackie Mercandetti – Even meat-eaters will enjoy the clever vegan cuisine at cheerful Loving Hut.
San Francisco
Ruchi
College students, travelers, and restaurant critics may feel the lack of home-cooked meals with the pain of a memory lost, a vital nutrient denied their systems. But most of America looks forward to a restaurant meal as a break from home cooking. So I generally find it disingenuous when restaurants advertise their “homestyle” food. More >>
Seattle
It happens to everyone eventually. For some, it is a particular nightmare.
No matter how much you get out, how often you dine, how far and wide your tastes range, eventually, you’ll come across a dish that you have no idea how to eat. There will be implements. There will be ingredients both familiar and strange. There will be plates and bowls and a whole crowd of gawking locals who you suddenly feel is watching you–just waiting for you to put the wrong thing in the wrong place and bring shame to yourself and your people. More >>
St. Louis
The Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar
On a Monday afternoon downtown, a woman stands at a sidewalk grill on Locust Street, flipping burgers. The heady aroma of smoke and seared meat wafts around us, a welcome respite from the rank exhaust belching from workday traffic. The sight is remarkable enough, given the city’s pathetic lack of street food, but later we learn that the burgers are made from grass-fed Missouri beef, an unexpected touch of the Slow Food ethos in the midst of downtown’s lunch rush. More >>
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