Food Pages
THE BOSTON GLOBE
What She’s Having: Devra First indulges in blini and caviar at Café St. Petersburg in Brookline.
Alex Hall reports on Portland, Maine’s cocktail culture, citing The Bearded Lady’s Jewel Box, Verna’s Fizz House and the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club as superior sipping spots.
Sheryl Julian advises on a homey Christmas menu sure to delight.
Ann Trieger Kurland visits the charming Elmendorf Baking Supplies & Café in East Cambridge and recommends Bono olive oil for purity and quality, as well as peanut sauce from Hapi African Gourmet.
Getting Salty: Kara Baskin chats with Linh Aven, executive chef of b.good, who traded a career in science for one in food.
Bottles: Gary Dzen considers Athletic Brewing Co.’s non-alcoholic beer offerings and likes their IPA best.
By the Glass: Ellen Bhang speaks with Laura Stanley of Island Creek Oyster Bar Burlington about her favorite Beaujolais wines, which were featured at the restaurant’s recent Beaujolais Soiree.
Recipes: Chocolate Pudding Pie (Karoline Boehm Goodnick); Buttermilk dinner rolls (Lisa Yockelson); Honey-roasted harissa carrots (Sally Pasley Vargas).
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Cover Story: Sam Sifton pens an ode to the Red Cat, which will close on 12.23 so its owner, Jimmy Bradley, can return to Rhode Island and then welcome whatever comes next.
Priya Krishna speaks with Jessica Craig, pastry chef at L’Artusi, about her mother’s journey from Jamaica to the U.S. and how they make Christmas their own,celebrating even in the face of adversity.
A Good Appetite: Melissa Clark shares a sheet-pan dinner in the form of Cider-Roasted Pork Loin with Pickled Apples and Chiles. Eric Asimov recommends pairing with an Alsatian Riesling or other apple-friendly wine.
Front Burner: This week, Florence Fabricant spotlights Bien Cuit’s sourdough starter kit; tasty chocolates from Valerie Confections; bespoke spirits from Harlem Haberdashery; a fashion-forward toaster from Italy; seafood stock from Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co.; charcuterie subscription boxes.
City Kitchen: David Tanis shares a recipe for scallops with crushed peppercorns.
Wines of the Times: Eric Asimov explores wines from Spain’s Ribera del Duero region.
Off the Menu: Barca, a seafood restaurant on Staten Island, headlines; we look forward to Madame Vo BBQ and Chicks Isan. Cornelia Street Café will close.
Restaurant Review: Pete Wells awards Bluebird London no stars, citing foibles that range from lackluster dishes to an outright lack of many things listed on the menu.
Melissa Clark shares Diana Dávila’s (chef at Chicago’s Mi Tocaya Antojería), recipe for Chiles Rellenos.
Yotem Ottolenghi shares a recipe for a Yule Log to rival the best French pastry chefs.
BOSTON HERALD
Roger Berkowitz shares a recipe for Cioppino from Legal Sea Food’s Chef Rich Vellante to celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
J.Q. Louise shares holiday food and drink recipes from Boston chefs, perfect for entertaining.
SF CHRONICLE
Justin Phillips chats with Tony Garnicki on the concept behind his recently opened restaurant and supper club, Berber, in Russian Hill.
Jonathan Kauffman explains how crab feeds became an essential part of Bay Area culture.
Tara Duggan spotlights Pillar Point Fish House, an abalone-focused restaurant and seafood market, opening in Half Moon Bay.
Justin Phillips shares details on Marshawn Lynch’s new restaurant and lounge, Rob Ben’s, featuring soul food in Emeryville.
Jonathan Kauffman highlights SoundPrint, a new iPhone app that measures the noise level in bars and restaurants.
Justin Phillips reports on Shake Shack’s first Bay Area restaurant, which recently opened less than a year after announcing its West Coast expansion plans.
Tara Duggan details Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson’s “Nordic Baking Book,” spotlighting the Nordic baking culture with buns, breads and season’s sweets.
Justin Phillips shares updates on the ongoing plans for the Elbo Room’s closure, now set for New Year’s Eve.
LA TIMES
Hadley Tomicki chats with Sabastian Karyadi, one of four chef/owners at the new Iki Ramen in Koreatown, on what to expect from the new restaurant.
Scarlett Lindeman sits down with Chef Somsri Raksamran of Galangal on her signature Thai dishes and road to success.
Jenn Harris spotlights the famous #19 pastrami sandwich from Langer’s Deli with a video.
Hadley Tomicki rounds up what’s happening in the food and drink world:
- Peruvian restaurant Los Balcones has opened a second location, taking over the former Studio City site of Girasol
- Singkawang Café, a new El Monte Thai, Malay and Indonesian restaurant, devotes a portion of its menu to cuisine from the Kalimantan region of Borneo
- Blackship, a new restaurant merging Japanese and Italian cuisines, features homemade pasta and inventive cocktails
- Haemaru is now open in Koreatown, featuring dishes like sul lung tang and galbi tang
- Popular lunch spot Wax Paper, known for naming its sandwiches after famous National Public Radio hosts, now has a second location in Chinatown
- Joe’s Pizza continues its local expansion with the recent opening of a Sherman Oaks shop
- San Ysidro Ranch hopes to gradually reopen both of its restaurants in mid-January, more than a year after their closures due to last winter’s destructive Montecito mudflows