Weekly A to Z, September 28th.
The one with water in the pool. 🤿
Thank you for all the support in my new role at Tresind Studio** — I sincerely appreciate being part of such a fantastic F&B community!
A sincere appreciation to the Tasca and Takahisa teams for making Hubs’s birthday last weekend extra special.
Wanting to focus on my new role, it was a relatively quiet week for me (by choice — there are plenty of amazing events going on in Dubai). Venturing out on Thursday, I double-dipped by visiting Le Dame de Pic’s launch of their lounge menu experience (“Do you drink French fluently?”) before heading to the Four Seasons event in Jumeirah. This is my fourth year attending, and there is always outstanding networking. With four properties in the World’s 50 Best Hotels list, the team at Four Seasons is clearly doing something right (that’s a lot of 4’s). #invited
On Friday, I was delighted to accept an invitation to finally try some of the brilliant new dishes at BOCA ☘️ by Chef Patricia (my first for camel cheese — in a dessert, no less). Best of all? The team has partnered with a company to offset the entirety of the carbon impact of the meal, something I’d love to see more of in other restaurants. I also had a peek at the beautiful wine Ishigaki/wine room at Zuma, which is now open for reservations. #invited
Links, please.
RIP, Greg Malouf — you will be missed in the Dubai F&B community. Find a lovely write-up by The Guardian here.
Is the tasting menu in need of a trim? Taste
I will keep my light at the table, thanks. Threads
The turbulent skies of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. CNN
I need this puzzle. Piecework Puzzles
And this ice bucket and shaker for the pool.
What type of fish is the Filet-O Fish at McDonald’s? Yahoo
The healthiest vegetable surprised me. Food & Wine
This is certainly one way to cook. (yikes) Forbes
What is the most potent alcoholic drink? The Takeout
Talk to me about Chinese farm influencers. Ambrook
The dark secrets of seafood. NYT
Food costume ideas for Halloween. Food Beast
What should a restaurant give you on your birthday? Eater
How do spirits companies credit cocktail creators? VinePair
Women of cava. Wine Enthusiast
Nothing says I love you like a $10k, 28-ounce lobster engagement roll. The Takeout
You do you, girlfriend: Tasting dog food is more than a job – it’s my passion. Telegraph
Obsessed with this insanely light Johnnie Walker whisky glass. The Spirits Business
The wine list for Jeremy Clarkson’s pub. The Drinks Business
Some thoughts about pairing Doritios and caviar. The Takeout
Is sea moss the next superfood? Food Dive
The most sought-after travel guide is a Google doc. Thrillist
“What I eat in a day as a line cook at Eleven Madison Park.” Threads
What were my favorite dishes in September? It’s been a fabulous month for food! The naan souffle broth on the new menu at Tresind Studio was exceptional; at the Takahisa x Le Du collab, I loved the hairy crab dish. From moonrise, while the Grilled Cheese is a forever fave, the new “Roots,” a tomato-forward dish, was an instant classic. Did you have any favorites? Let me know in the comments!
This weekend? Celebrating a friend’s birthday. SWIMMING IN OUR POOL? Keep those fingers crossed, friends. We’re waiting for the chiller to get the temperature down before jumping in.
Next week? I’m hosting the UFS Future Menu Trends event on Monday evening, and I expect to see many of you there! I’m also flying to Bangkok for a gastronomy-focused press trip, and there will be plenty of updates.
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C.
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So, sea moss is sold throughout the Caribbean as a virility drink targeting men—and the women who love a man on sea moss. It got to the point where there’s a type of guy that would OPENLY drink bottles of sea moss at a bar as a kind of flirting aid like “hey, have you seen what I’m drinking?”. It was the late 90s.
It is quite disheartening that there’s no new data championing vegetables that are also monstrously tasty. It’s always these hipster green stuff. But good for beets to make the list. I am a believer. The birthday piece is quite interesting - it is built on the premise of loyalty - at a restaurant (not a chain) is there loyalty?