Weekly A to Z, Feb 26th.

The one where next week is March.

After some discussion last week with a few of my favorite foodies, I joined TikTok (even though I said I wouldn’t). Thus far, I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would, and I’m trying to figure out how to retrieve all previous content to make new content (if that makes sense). Honestly, I did this mainly as a way to protect my brand’s name, but I feel a lot less pressure on the platform than I do on others. Let me know if you have any tricks or suggestions!

On Saturday, I enjoyed a lazy lunch at Ce La Vi (and yes, I posed for a picture that must appear on countless feeds around the city). Overall, I thought the food was nice, and I would love to go back and check out the pool. Yes, it’s fun to be a tourist in your own city!

Sunday, after K9, I cleaned up, I met up with an excellent group of friends and foodies at BOCA for a preview of the Spanish guest chef’s dinner, which took place this week. Memorable dishes included ‘The Plum’ and ‘Spring in the Desert,’ and, of course, the Familia Torres wine.

On Monday, Carnistore came through with their new Philly Cheese Steak box (AED180), which was immediately consumed by Hubs, as I was over to Bistro des Arts to meet the book club. Come for the tuna tartare, stay for the range of desserts, and don’t always trust New York Times bestsellers.

Otherwise, my week consisted of editing, a few meetings, and soaking up the last of our beautiful winter before temperatures start to head upwards. I’m also looking forward to some projects that will hopefully gain traction in the near future (vague sentence is vague).

Finally, I didn’t attend Gulfood this year, but from everything I saw, it looked like a very successful event, which makes me optimistic for everyone in the industry.

Links, please.

• Let’s help Frying Pan Adventures. If you cannot support financially, consider sharing the post. Instagram

• Worth reading, how influencers determine rates (mostly US-based, but still interesting). Foodie Tribe

• Instead of a penpal, what about a snack pal? The Takeout

• Funny, but true. McSweeney’s

• How the past year changed restaurant critiques. Eater

• What’s your favorite messy food? A: Nachos. The Takeout

• Is blue rice the next food trend? NDTV

• Yes, but would you give up sex to travel again? Trivago

• But can you eat raw scallops? Food52

• I already want this Peeps Easter set. The Takeout

• Self-publishing in food media. Food52

• Chicken sandwich, but make it taco. Eater

• This is commitment. The Takeout

• Reading up the United States’ (fascinating) forgotten tea. BBC

• Just for the title: Spicy Ramen Breakfast Grilled Cheese. The Takeout

• And finally, below is a link to the podcast/video we recorded last week with Kef Connect. YouTube

This weekend and next week, I’m planning a bit of a reset as I’m in desperate need of one. I’m ready to get back to going to bed early and exercising more!

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C.