The Umami Reader: Drake Learns Not to Eat Crappy Sushi in Amsterdam
- Seventeen-thousand disappointed Drake fans in Amsterdam learned 75-minutes into waiting for his Monday-night performance that the rapper would not be playing after all. The reason for Drake's abrupt cancellation: bad sushi. TMZ reports that he got a case of food poisoning so bad that he had to get medical treatment. Fans were angry and started throwing shit (not literally, luckily) on stage. They were especially peeved because this is the third time he's had to postpone in Amsterdam. (TMZ)
- It's undeniable that going out to eat can put a major dent in your wallet these days. But before you raise a stink about that $15 burger and fries that you know you could make yourself for less than half the price, read this response to an irate customer written by chef John Howie, owner of Beardslee Public House in Bothell, Washington. Howie breaks down the cost of running a restaurant, from the annual cost of products and supplies, rent, wages, maintenance, publicity, and so on. As any restaurant owner can tell you, the profit margins in the restaurant business are extremely slim, especially when attempting to pay staff a living wage and put out quality food for customers. This information might not help you pay for that $15 burger and fries, but it may give you a better understanding of why eating out costs so much. In most cases, it's a necessity for that business to just stay afloat.
- The Instagram sensation known as Bread Face has captivated millions with her artsy soundtracked videos featuring the anonymous 28-year-old New Yorker smashing her face into bread. Puffy Kings Hawaiian rolls, crusty loaves, pillowy sliced white bread, buttery croissants, crumbly cornbread – she's pushed her mug into all types of breads, started a #breadfacing trend, and fascinated enough people to get featured in Vice Munchies in 2015, the New York Times last January, earlier this month on Super Deluxe, and this week in Saveur. This latter interview with Bread Face is pretty gushy and fluffy like her preferred bread; the Saveur editors admit they're uber-fans. While they didn't get her to reveal anything about her true identity, they did get a few secrets for those who want to try the bizarro art of breadfacing for themselves. Also, her most requested breadface item: Twinkies. (Super Deluxe, Saveur)
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Photo by Andria Lo for East Bay Express[/caption]- KONO represent! Read up on this ode to Oakland supermarket, Koreana Plaza, where you can get "exactly what a Korean American needs to cook the food of our people." (East Bay Express)
- While I'm talking about Oakland, this week, news of yet another artisanal beer garden opening in North Oakland's Temescal District raised some hackles. The reason for the ire is several-fold: Not only are there a glut of beery places to wet your whistle in the immediate area (Hog's Apothecary and Temescal Brewing will soon be joined by Arthur Mac's and Rose's Taproom), but this particular watering hole will be run by Los Angeles-based Golden Road Brewing, a not-so-little brewery that's been owned by beer behemoth Anheuser-Busch InBev since 2015. This will be Golden Road's first Bay Area taproom, but its fifth overall beer garden and/or restaurant to open since its new ownership. And the last eye-roll worthy detail: The new brewery, to be located on 40th Street at Broadway behind Clove & Hoof, will be built in shipping containers. (Nosh)
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Image via The Onion[/caption]- Mrs. Butterworth, please don't tempt Mike Pence with your womanly shaped plastic curves. This Onion article is hilarious but the reality it references – a 2002 interview with The Hill, when Pence told a reporter that he never dines alone with another woman unless his wife is at the table and will not attend events serving alcohol without her by his side – is seriously disturbing. (The Onion)
- Not to stereotype, but most grandmas are down to cook whenever someone needs a little comforting. Of course, not everyone is so lucky to have a grandmother around, or maybe some of us have that atypical nonna who doesn't have a culinary bone in her body (Sadness!). Fortunately for everyone, there's a restaurant where you can experience grandmotherly cooking even if your own g-ma isn't around, or able, to cook for you. Enoteca Maria on Staten Island got its start as an Italian restaurant staffed by real-life Italian nonnas who could cook homey Italian comfort food. But in 2015, owner Jody Scaravella decided to expand his offerings and invited grandmothers from around the world to head his kitchen. Enoteca Maria is open Wednesday through Sundays weekly, and features a different cuisine every night. (Atlas Obscura)
- Here's a humor nugget that all of us of who grew up in the 'burbs can relate to: "The Saddest Places I've Drank While Visiting Home in the Suburbs." (McSweeney's)
The Umami Reader: Mining the internet for stuff about food worth reading and watching
