Trend Pieces & Guides

Soul proprietors: Digging into Long Island’s soul-food scene Newsday

When Victor Hickson rolls his flame-colored food truck into the parking lot of Home Depot in Coram every Saturday, he parks it right in the center of the lot, fires up the fryer and readies trays of smoked chicken and brisket, candied yams and collard greens. Then he opens his takeout window.

The art of surrender: Tasting menus are on the rise on Long Island Newsday

It’s not every night that you stumble into a mystery, that you pull open a door with no name and find, at your seat, a gray envelope sealed with crimson wax.

Everything you need to know about eating at a raw bar Newsday 

Fall may be the time when cider doughnuts and pumpkin beer come into their own, but it’s also when oysters near their plumpest best.

Pub crawl: Tracking down Japanese bar food (izakaya) on Long Island Newsday’s FeedMe magazine

For fans of the thigh skewer, you have to try our bicep.” As was a frequent late-night ritual, I was scrolling through Instagram, scanning suggestive photos of izakaya. The caption, a haiku of sorts underneath a photo of charred chicken on a stick, was posted by a bar on the other side of the world.

Why ghost kitchens are on the rise on Long Island Newsday

Last January, when the pandemic was still just news trickling in from overseas, a new dish took shape in the kitchen of Local Burger Co. in Patchogue: crispy wings. The smell of chicken sizzling in hot oil might waft into the dining room…

Mezcal: What to know about the smoky sister to tequila  Detroit News and elsewhere [syndicated]

A drink writer’s inbox can sometimes be out of step with the world at large. For instance, I receive so many emails about new mezcals that it sometimes seems like the Mexican-made, smoky sister of tequila is taking over the world.

Noodles du jour: Long Island restaurants serving standout ramen Newsday

Ramen has been simmering on Long Island for years, but now it has reached a boil. These are not the ramen noodles that got you through college: The noodles are fresh and pliable, not molded into a brick.

Deep plant roots: Fresh twists on vegan food Newsday

When Yvonne Levy was growing up in the hills of Saint Andrew Parrish in Jamaica, she knew one thing for certain: She didn’t care for meat. “I’d pay my brother to eat it,” she jokes from the kitchen of her Elmont restaurant, Toma-Tis Restaurant & Grill.

In our time of knead: Long Islanders share their daily bread as home-baked loaves trend Newsday

Maybe you’ve noticed it, too. Loaves of bread have begun appearing in social media feeds — tops slashed, edges burnished — from people who you didn’t know to be bakers.  Was it a passing anomaly? I thought so, until I received an unexpected text from a friend.

Breweries going the distance; suppliers take on local beer delivery Newsday

Most Long Island breweries are still producing beer for to-go sales and curbside pickup, but a growing number will drive their IPAs, stouts and sours right to your doorstep, at least if you live nearby — or even a bit further.

Caribbean wave: Where to find Caribbean food on Long Island Newsday, 2017

It’s lunchtime at Elmont’s Yard Flavors, and the line is building. When a customer orders jerk chicken, the woman behind the counter grabs half a roasted bird, then hacks it apart with a few swings of a cleaver. “Extra gravy?” she asks. “Everything is better with extra gravy.”

Pop-up pride: A new crop of gay-centric events arrives in Vermont bars Seven Days

The knot of men smoking outside Charlie O’s in Montpelier is momentarily jarring to the eyes of a visitor arriving for Guerrilla Gay Bar, a lesbian “pop-up” event happening there on a recent Sunday night.

27 genevers: A longstanding Belgium spirit arrives in the North Country Seven Days 

“I’ll have a shot of genever.” Say what? Until recently, the only place you might have heard such a request was in Belgium or the Netherlands.

Demand for hard cider surges, and the industry organizes Seven Days 

Finding Citizen Cider isn’t easy. But a Friday night, dozens of people undertake the search, for the company’s weekly cider-tasting party. First they find the painted sign in Essex that reads “Drink Cider”; then they push open the heavy wooden door at the back of the building and enter a room that feels like a speakeasy, filled with the smell of fermenting apples.

Merging innovation with food trucks Convene

Ever since they rolled onto the culinary scene, food trucks have had an uneven relationship with meeting venues. Where many catering teams and planners see competition, however, Barrie Schwartz sees untapped symbiosis

8 tips for reducing food waste Convene 

Simple ways to reduce waste and save money at your next event.