Eater: All Posts by Khushbu Shahhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2017-02-08T10:27:00-05:00https://www.eater.com/authors/khushbu-shah/rss2017-02-08T10:27:00-05:002017-02-08T10:27:00-05:00KFC's Fried Chicken Crust Pizza Is the Monster Hiding Under Your Bed
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<figcaption><a href='https://www.kfc.com.sg/whats-new/chizza/'>KFC Singapore</a></figcaption>
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<p>It's called the KFC Chizza and it's coming to steal your soul </p> <p><b>January 9, 2015:</b> KFC appears to be determined to take fried chicken to places it has never been (nor probably should go), especially in the Philippines. The chain is famous for its Double Down sandwich, which features buns made from fried chicken patties. The patties were then transformed <a href="http://www.eater.com/2015/1/26/7911011/kfc-double-down-dog-america-philippines-oh-god" target="_blank">into a hot dog bun</a> for the Filipino market earlier this year.</p>
<p>Now, the chain is selling the <a href="http://bgr.com/2015/07/08/kfc-kfchizza-fried-chicken-pizza/" target="_blank">KFC Chizza</a>, or a pizza that features fried chicken as the crust, in locations across the Philippines. A slab of fried chicken is covered in pizza sauce, cheese, and other toppings like pineapple and green peppers and is then baked. What will KFC fried chicken-ify next? Check out the ad below:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iD87qO-_rV8" height="720" width="960"></iframe></p>
<p><b>UPDATE,</b> <b>February 7, 2017</b>: This deep-fried, cheese sauce-slathered <a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/kfcs-unholy-fried-chicken-pizza-hybrid-chizza-spre-249916" style="background-color: #ffffff;">monstrosity has proved to be so popular that KFC is bringing it to Singapore</a>. The company also released this video — which bears an uncanny resemblance to a <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/tasty">Tasty recipe</a> clip — about how the<b> KFC Chizza</b> is made.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Watch how <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KFCChizza?src=hash">#KFCChizza</a>, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UltimateMashup?src=hash">#UltimateMashup</a> of Chicken and Pizza is made! <a href="https://t.co/Jw9ZBmruVI">pic.twitter.com/Jw9ZBmruVI</a></p>
— KFC_SG (@KFC_SG) <a href="https://twitter.com/KFC_SG/status/829142893428248576">February 8, 2017</a>
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<p>No word yet on whether KFC has plans to serve this calorie bomb stateside, but that would probably be a wise move considering that people are already plunking down cold hard cash <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WAk_rdzwYA">for a much fancier version of this dish at Quality Italian</a> in Manhattan.</p>
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<h3>Watch: This pizza’s crust is fried chicken</h3>
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Quality Italian's Chicken Parm Pizza | 23862" data-volume-uuid="711c3d015" data-volume-id="23862" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-9121" class="volume-video"></div>
https://www.eater.com/2015/7/9/8920669/kfc-fried-chicken-crust-pizzaKhushbu Shah2016-03-16T14:00:04-04:002016-03-16T14:00:04-04:00Can a Successful Food Blog Translate Into a Successful Restaurant?
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<figcaption><a href='http://www.shutterstock.com/g/nataliahubbert/sets'>All illustrations by Natalia Hubbert/Shutterstock</a></figcaption>
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<p>How some food bloggers have made the jump from internet to brick-and-mortar</p> <p>There are countless blogs on the internet today —€” popular blog service Tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/about">counts 284 million blogs among its ranks</a>, while publishing platform WordPress <a href="https://wordpress.com/activity/">reported that as of 2014</a>, "tens of thousands of new WordPress sites are created every day." The exact number of food blogs out there is similarly unknown, but according to a "<a href="http://www.foodista.com/blog/2013/05/29/results-of-the-2013-state-of-food-blogging-survey">State of Food Blogging</a>" survey conducted in 2013 by food blog community Foodista, <b>91 percent of respondents' blogs focused specifically on cooking and recipes</b>. But while the bloggers may have started their sites as a place to share their love of cooking, with enough followers, food blogs are often used as a platform to land a book deal and to join the ranks of food-blog success stories like <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Smitten Kitchen</a> and <a href="http://joythebaker.com/">Joy the Baker</a>.</p>
<p>Typically, bloggers with professional kitchen experience are those who started off cooking in restaurant kitchens, but started their food blog after leaving the industry. Many food bloggers are home cooks who have rarely cooked at the scale and speed of a restaurant kitchen. (In that same 2013 Foodista survey, 77 percent of respondents self-identified as "citizen bloggers" — ie, writing unconnected to any business or organization other than themselves — with <span>only 41 percent of respondents reported having a professional background in food or food service.)</span></p>
<p><q class="pullquote float-right">Rarely are cooking and recipe blogs used as an entry point into the restaurant world.</q></p>
<p><span>Rarely are these blogs used as an entry point into the restaurant world. But</span><span> over the past few years, a handful of ultra successful food bloggers —€” including </span><a href="http://sliceny.com/">Slice NY</a><span> founder Adam Kuban (now of buzzy pop-up pizza concept Margot's) and </span><a href="http://chezpim.com/">Chez Pim</a><span> blogger </span><span>Pim Techamuanvivit (whose San Francisco restaurant Kin Khao now has a Michelin star) </span><span>—€” have triumphantly made the massive jump from the internet to a brick-and-mortar space.</span></p>
<p>"Aside from having a baby, opening a restaurant is the hardest thing I've ever done," says Molly Wizenberg, the author of <i>A Homemade Life</i> and <i>Delancey</i>, as well as the person behind the James Beard Award-winning food blog <a href="http://orangette.net/">Orangette</a>. Wizenberg is the co-owner, along with her husband Brandon Pettit, of the popular Seattle restaurant Delancey, making her one of<b> a handful of food bloggers to find success</b> in both the blogging and restaurant worlds.</p>
<p>Loving food is enough reason to start a blog, but it isn't enough of a reason to start a restaurant, warns Wizenberg. She calls Orangette her "notebook," where she spends time writing and talking about her everyday cooking life, but she never dreamed it would lead to a career path as a restaurateur. <span>Neither did Isa Chandra Moskowitz of </span><a href="http://www.theppk.com/" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;">Post Punk Kitchen</a><span>, and </span><span>author of </span><i style="line-height: 1.5;">Isa Does It </i><span>and </span><i style="line-height: 1.5;">Veganomicon</i><span>.</span><span> </span><span>Moskowitz, who says her blog and TV series of the same name were created "simply for fun,"</span><span> now owns Modern Love, a vegan restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska</span><span>. </span><span>"I started my blog before blogs existed," she says with a laugh. </span><span>Nor did Ella Woodward, the blogger behind </span><a href="http://deliciouslyella.com/" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;">Deliciously Ella</a><span> (and a cookbook of the same name) and the recently opened Mae Deli in London. </span><span>Unlike Wizenberg and Moskowitz, who have both long had an interest in cooking, Woodward's entry into the blogging world was part of her journey to curb symptoms of a debilitating disease</span><span> </span><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Ffood-and-drink%2Ffeatures%2Fdeliciously-ella-interview-new-book-Deliciously-Ella-Every-Day%2F&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eater.com%2F2016%2F3%2F16%2F11206410%2Ffood-blog-recipe-deliciously-ella-vegan-orangette-post-punk-kitchen" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">through what she ate</a><span>.</span></p>
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<p class="caption">Blogger Ella Woodward's Mae Deli, which opened in London in December 2015. Photo: <a style="line-height: 1.24;" href="https://www.facebook.com/themaedeli/photos/pb.1655867541334853.-2207520000.1457814311./1655872674667673/?type=3&theater">Facebook</a></p>
<p><span>Using successful blogs as a jumping off point into the restaurant business certainly has its advantages. </span><span>From opening day, the restaurants have had interested diners. "In the beginning, the blog was a tremendous help in getting people into Delancey," Wizenberg says. The restaurant opened in August 2009, the same year that Orangette was </span><a style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article5561425.ece">named the number one food blog</a><span> in the world by </span><i style="line-height: 1.5;">the London Times</i><span>, and when her blog was receiving </span><a style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/A-Homemade-Life/Molly-Wizenberg/9781416551065">9,500 pageviews per day</a><span>. She adds that, to a degree, readers would also come in out of skepticism: "I think a lot people came in sort of in disbelief, being like, 'Is this thing </span><span>actually going to be any good</span><span>?'" </span></p>
<p>Woodward —€” whose blog has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deliciouslyella/?hl=en">767,000 Instagram followers</a> and more than <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Deliciouslyella">200,000 Facebook fans</a> —€” says she's grateful for having "a customer base from day one" at her health-food concept, which features the Deliciously Ella brand in its name. (Having an estimated <a href="http://www.easycounter.com/report/deliciouslyella.com">30,000 page views per day</a> certainly helps.) For Woodward, who opened Mae Deli with her fiancé Matthew Mills, the restaurant simply came about as a way to share her food —€” which is notably colorful, unprocessed, and health conscious —€” "with everyone without them having to go home to cook it." Moskowitz —€” who has nearly <a style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.facebook.com/PostPunkKitchen">100,000 Facebook fans</a> — seconds the notion about the advantages of a built-in audience. "I think mostly we get fans of the blog and cookbook," she explains. "Modern Love is in Omaha, so there's not people coming in because they are vegan... We have a lot of people traveling across the country that are <b>stopping in because they have the cookbooks</b>."</p>
<p><q class="pullquote float-right">Moskowitz says she had difficulty securing funding, especially as a woman who did not go to culinary school. </q></p>
<p>While none of the bloggers initially set out to open restaurants, having a successful food blog certainly made securing funding much easier. Moskowitz started Post Punk Kitchen in 2002 but waited until 2014 to open Modern Love. She attributes the 12-year gap to the difficulty of securing funding for a restaurant, especially as a woman —and one who did not go to culinary school. "I had no money to open a restaurant [in 2002].<b> It's really inaccessible</b>. If you didn't grow up with money or accumulate a small fortune there's really no way to open a restaurant, especially in New York City." She adds, "When Post Punk Kitchen started to become my full-time job, and I gained enough recognition, it became more feasible to get back to open the restaurant." Wizenberg, Moskowitz, and Woodward all were able to save the thousands of dollars many hopeful restauranteurs <a href="http://www.eater.com/2015/7/23/9011517/culinary-school-costs-tuition-starting-chef-salary-worth">pour into culinary school each year</a>, and put the money towards their own projects instead. They were also able to skip over the years people spend working their way up in notable restaurants.</p>
<p>While the blogs helped get people in the door, for Wizenberg, Moskowitz, and Woodward, the blogs and the restaurants are completely separate beasts. Aside from style, there is little overlap. "There is no real cross over," says Wizenberg. "When we were in the process of opening Delancey, I would write occasionally about it on the blog, and sometimes I gave recipes for dishes we served in the restaurant like a plum crumble or a raspberry popsicle." For the most part, the recipes served at the restaurant — especially the pizzas — are created by Pettit.</p>
<p>Woodward keeps the items on her blog and the dishes served at Mae Deli relatively separate, too. "The Mae Deli recipes are new and exclusive to the restaurant." However, in anticipation of her soon-to-be released second cookbook Deliciously Ella Everyday, she did serve some of her favorite recipes from the book, like a chocolate ganache cake, at the restaurant for fans. If Moskowitz serves a recipe from one of her cookbooks at Modern Love, which is rare, she says she "swanks" them up. "It's a pretty different process because pulling a recipe from a cookbook or blog, they are meant for home cooks and are meant to be accessible," she says. "I <b>wouldn't necessarily use them in restaurant</b> because there, I try to serve food you wouldn't necessarily make for yourself, with ingredients you might not have. If I have a gravy recipe on the website, I might throw in truffles at the restaurant."</p>
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<p>Since the blogs and restaurants are two separate businesses, it's understandable that all three of the bloggers' brands took hits in the process of opening their respective restaurants. "I have been blogging for 11 years now, and for the most part, I've been posting once a week religiously," says Wizenberg. However, there have been "huge series of time where I have not been able to do that," most notably of which was during restaurant openings. Moskowitz admits that she is a year late on the manuscript for her upcoming holiday cookbook because she was so focused on the restaurant. "I haven't done my blog since I opened Modern Love because I haven't had the time. I've basically not blogged since May of 2014. <b>I had to prioritize the restaurant over that</b>." While Woodward has managed to keep up with her blog for the most part, she says that she is working around the clock and that there really isn't much downtime. Having a partner to split restaurant duties with is crucial to being able to run both brands, say both Wizenberg and Woodward.</p>
<p><q class="pullquote float-left">"With the restaurant, I don’t get a chance to think about cooking very much."</q></p>
<p>The biggest difference between running a successful blog versus a restaurant is the sheer time commitment, says Wizenberg. "There is nothing to ready you for just how all-encompassing the responsibility is. You eat, sleep, and breathe that business." Woodward and Mills didn't have a manager for the first month their restaurant was open. "We open and closed every day, so we were working pretty much 24/7," she says. "It was insane... I don't think I could ever have been totally prepared for it."</p>
<p>"It's totally different mindsets and mentalities between blogging and running a restaurant," adds Moskowitz. "With the restaurant, I don't get a chance to think about cooking very much —€” something is always wrong with the plumbing or something is out of stock or I have to worry about customer service. Honestly, it makes me cook a lot less than when I was just blogging."</p>
<p>Still, the crazy stress levels and the non-traditional route appear to have paid off. Wizenberg and her husband <a href="http://seattle.eater.com/2016/3/9/11184478/dinos-tomato-pie-now-open-delancey">just opened</a> their third Seattle establishment,€” a bar-cum-pizzeria called Dino's Tomato Pie. She says that her work on the restaurant "is very much in the background," and she's enjoying the time to get into a "rhythm with the blog again." Mae Deli has only been open for three months, but it has received rave reviews, and Woodward says she has "big plans" for her blog in the works.</p>
<p>Moskowitz is in the process of opening a second outpost of Modern Love, this time in Brooklyn. She says that as soon as she hands in her cookbook manuscript and the restaurants are running smoothly, she <b>wants to get back to putting recipes back up on her site again</b>. "I really am a home cook, not a restaurant chef," she says. "It's really my first love."</p>
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https://www.eater.com/2016/3/16/11206410/food-blog-recipe-deliciously-ella-vegan-orangette-post-punk-kitchenKhushbu Shah2016-02-16T13:00:03-05:002016-02-16T13:00:03-05:00How Pandesal Became a Filipino Breakfast Staple
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<figcaption><a href='http://dinaavila.com'>Dina Avila/Eater</a></figcaption>
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<p>The soft and airy flour roll is as close as it comes to a national dish.</p> <p><i>This is <a href="http://eater.com/tags/the-pastry-basket">the Pastry Basket</a>, a Breakfast Week series in which Eater profiles noteworthy breakfast pastries. Next up: <b>pandesal</b>.</i></p>
<p><i></i>While the Philippines doesn't officially have a national bread, if it did, it would be <i>pandesal</i>. A soft and airy flour roll, <i>pandesal</i> —€” which is sometimes spelled out as "pan de sal" —€” is Spanish for "salt bread." However, contrary to its name, the bread is actually relatively sweet. The yeast-raised bread is similar to the Mexican <i>bolillo</i>, and is the breakfast bread of choice throughout the Philippines.</p>
<p>Regardless of their socioeconomic status, all Filipinos eat <i>pandesal</i> regularly, says Nicole Ponseca, the restaurateur behind Maharlika and Jeepney, two successful Filipino restaurants in New York City. "It's not a celebratory food, but one that is eaten every day, and it's consumed regularly up and down the country by the rich and by the poor," she says. "Even if you're just scraping by, you can still afford a <i>pandesal</i>."</p>
<p><q class="pullquote float-left">"It’s consumed regularly by the rich and the poor. Even if you’re just scraping by, you can still afford a pandesal."</q></p>
<p>Ponseca explains that Filipinos "eat many small meals throughout the day," and having two breakfasts —€” one lighter, one heartier —€” is not uncommon. <i>Pandesal</i> is typically consumed as part of the first, simpler meal Filipinos sit down to before <span>a heartier breakfast known as </span><i style="line-height: 1.5;">almusal</i><span>. During the earlier morning meal, <i>p</i></span><i>andesal</i><span> is frequently consumed plain with a cup of black coffee or hot chocolate for dipping, says Ponseca. </span><span>According to Filipino chef and food historian Ariel Layug, the bread also lends itself well to a number of spreads, the most popular of which are coconut jam, peanut butter, and butter or margarine (often with a sprinkle of sugar). </span></p>
<p>While some people do make <i>pandesal</i> at home, it's most frequently purchased from a local bakery, which are very common in cities and towns, explains Layug. Even small villages in the Philippines receive "daily deliveries of <i>pandesal</i> from city bakeries via motorcycle or bicycle," he says. The bread has been <b>a staple of the Filipino daily diet</b> for generations.</p>
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<p class="caption">A bakery in Manila. Photo: Jay Directo/AFP/Getty Images</p>
<h3>Origins</h3>
<p><i>Pandesal</i> is essentially a Philippines <b>history lesson in bread form</b>, though its origin stories are a bit murky. Until the Portuguese arrived in the Philippines, the indigenous diet was primarily focused on rice. "Wheat isn't native to the country," explains Ponseca. The majority of Filipino historians agree that the earliest version of wheat-based bread was introduced by Portuguese explorers and early settlers in the 1500s.</p>
<p>With the Portuguese, and eventually the Spanish colonizers, came strong ties to the Catholic church, which according to Layug, needed wheat to produce "the <i>hostia</i>, or sacramental bread, in their quest to convert indigenous people." Layug notes that not much is known about the first iteration of bread introduced to the Philippines, but it likely used <i>tuba</i>, an alcoholic coconut toddy, as a leavening agent, because yeast was not widely available yet. But this early bread iteration would have been quite different from <i>pandesal</i>.</p>
<p><q class="pullquote float-right">Modern pandesal and other wheat-based foods flourished in the Philippines when the price of American wheat became cheaper than rice. </q></p>
<p><a href="http://www.pepper.ph/panaderia-eats/">According to the Manila-based food site Pepper</a>, wasn't until the Spaniards attempted to "create <b>an answer to the French baguette</b>" that the original <i>pandesal </i>was born. That version was made with whole wheat flour and baked in a <i>pugon</i>, a wood-fired oven that rests on the floor — also known as <i>pan de suelo</i>. Ponseca says the <i>pan de suelo</i>, or "floor bread," is still popular in the Philippines today, but it is much crustier and sturdier than the modern <i>pandesal</i>.</p>
<p>Due to the fact that the Philippines <a href="http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Grain%20and%20Feed%20Annual_Manila_Philippines_3-18-2015.pdf">does not grow wheat and imports most of its supplies</a> — something that remains true today — bakers had to turn to a more affordable version of flour, resulting in the soft, doughy bread that is recognized as<i> pandesal </i>today. Modern <i>pandesal </i>and other wheat-based foods really flourished in the 1900s when the price of American wheat became cheaper than rice. The wheat of choice is typically grown in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, has less protein, and can be stored for a year.</p>
<p>Layug says the influx of American immigrants to the country during first half of the 20th century also helped to lower the production costs of <i>pandesal </i>through the "introduction of commercial yeast, canned dairy, and baking pans." Americans also brought with them their health program which "promoted better hygiene" (baking bread in pans, not on the floor), and a "healthier" American diet, which was heavy on the wheat and dairy.</p>
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<p class="caption">Photo: Paolo/<a href="https://flic.kr/p/B6eEcb">Flickr</a></p>
<h3>How It’s Made</h3>
<p>To make a modern <i>pandesal</i>, according to Layug, yeast is first bloomed in either warm water or milk. It is then added to flour mixed with sugar and a pinch of salt, then formed into a dough that is left to rise. The dough is then rolled out to form a log known as a <i>baston</i>. The log of dough is then sliced into individual pieces known as <i>singkit</i> — which translates to "narrow eyes." This is a reflection of how the dough looks, says Layug — oval with a "noticeable cut ridge." Unlike other bread rolls, there is no shaping of the individual pieces when making <i>pandesal </i>(the rolls are not scored on top either, like they would be in a baguette). The cut sides of the <i>singkit</i> pieces are instead<b> dipped into breadcrumbs</b> — a distinct feature of <i>pandesal </i>— and are left to rise for a second time. The rolls are then baked until golden and crusty.</p>
<p>If not consumed at breakfast, <i>pandesal</i> is a popular choice for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack time known as <i>merienda</i>. Then, the bread is transformed into a simple sandwich which is often filled with just a piece of a fried Spam, says Ponseca. Other variations include mayonnaise spiked with chicken or tuna salad or a layer of sautéed corned beef. Regardless of what time of day people consume <i>pandesal</i>, the key is to eat it hot out of the oven. Once the bread cools, it changes texture and becomes much more crumbly, warns Ponseca.</p>
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<p class="caption">The "Eggs Benigno" at Maharlika in NYC. Photo: erin/<a href="https://flic.kr/p/9E49MZ">Flickr</a></p>
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<h3>Modern Iterations</h3>
<p>One of the most famous spots for pick-up <i>pandesal</i> in the Philippines is <a href="http://www.nognoginthecity.com/2015/02/22/kamuning-bakery/">Kamuning Bakery</a> in Quezon City. The bakery, which is one of the oldest in the city, has been producing <i>pandesal </i>since it opened its doors in 1939. (It also happens to be one of Ponseca's personal favorites.) In the capital city of Manila, <a href="http://www.pepper.ph/what-to-eat-pan-de-manila/">Pan de Manila</a> is one of the most common places to pick up a bag of<i> </i>the bread.</p>
<p>But in recent years, a number of bakeries across the Philippines have gotten creative with <i>pandesal</i>, offering riffs on the popular bread roll. Layug is a huge fan of the variations, especially the ones flavored with <i>ube</i>, the bright purple yam beloved by Filipinos. Companies are now making healthier versions with whole wheat flour, <a href="http://www.pepper.ph/gardenia-hotdog-pandesal/">as well as versions</a> flavored with items like carrots, garlic, and even hot dogs.</p>
<p><i>Pandesal</i> is now also used <b>as a base for more playful dishes</b>, like a take on a peanut butter and jelly, bread pudding, or a Bagel Bites-like <i>pandesal</i> pizza. Ponseca pushes the bread one step further at Maharlika and uses it as the foundation for her very Filipino makeover of the brunch classic eggs benedict. Dubbed "Eggs Benigno," Ponseca swaps <i>pandesal </i>for the English muffins, and tops each piece with crispy Spam (instead of ham), poached eggs, and a drizzle of a kalamansi-spiked hollandaise. She has also transformed day-old <i>pandesal </i>into croutons for a Filipino take on a panzanella, tossing the bread with tomatoes and a fermented shrimp paste.</p>
<p>In the Philippines, it's not uncommon to use <i>pandesal </i>as a vessel for ice cream, either. "You could save a couple of pesos by going to an ice cream man and giving him <i>pandesal</i> instead of a cone," Ponseca says<span>. "He would take it and stuff it with ice cream," an item that she fondly calls a "dirty ice cream" and often serves at her restaurants.</span></p>
<p>As for where to find great <i>pandesal </i>in the U.S., Ponseca turns to <a href="http://www.valeriosbakery.com/locations/index.html">Valerio's City Bakery</a>, a Filipino bakery chainlet with five locations in California. The bakery first opened in 1979 and serves a full range of Filipino baked goods. However, the<i> pandesal</i>, its first menu item, is still legendary. Ponseca confesses: "My mouth waters just thinking about them."</p>
https://www.eater.com/2016/2/16/11007854/pandesal-philippines-bread-filipino-breakfastKhushbu Shah2015-12-30T12:30:02-05:002015-12-30T12:30:02-05:00Pastries Born in France, Raised in South Korea
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<p>How two South Korean bakery chains popularized treats combining Eastern flavors and Western techniques.</p> <p>At first glance, Tous Les Jours's outpost in Flushing, Queens looks like just another charming bakery, with its pale green walls, refrigerated pastry cases brimming with an assortment of cakes, signage that reads "boulangerie," and rows of wooden tables displaying an assortment of breads and other baked goods. A quick look around the space reveals piles of baguettes, canelés, and croissants. </p>
<p>But upon further inspection, small differences begin to reveal themselves — bread loaves are drizzled with condensed milk, buns are stuffed with red bean-flavored fillings, and dough is baked around hot dogs. That's because Tous Les Jours has its roots in both South Korea and France.</p>
<p>"There are well over 30 items, and they are all baked in-store fresh daily," says Mi Young Lee, the East Coast manager for South Korea-based bakery chain. At one of the bakery's 1,500 global locations, visitors will find everything from light sponge cakes to pain du chocolat, many of which resemble items found in a French bakery. However, most items also feature Asian flavors — namely Korean and Japanese — fused with Western baking techniques. The result is a fascinating array of pastries, both sweet and savory, that appeal to both Eastern and Western palates.</p>
<div class="float-right hang-right"><p><q class="pullquote">"Only a few people knew about French baked goods back then, in the 1970s and 1980s, with a few small bakeries making the products in the country."</q></p></div>
<p>The concept of the "French-Asian" bakery chain first came about in 1988, when Hur Young-in opened the first <strong>Paris Baguette</strong> in South Korea, says Jessie Sou, the chain's marketing director. <span>Similar to its competitor Tous Les Jours, Paris Baguette, the largest bakery chain of its type with more than 3,000 locations in South Korea alone, also specializes in goods that mix Korean, Japanese, and French baking styles. </span>(The idea proved lucrative for Young-In, who <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/hur-young-in/">ranked #24 on Forbes' 2015 list of Korea's richest people</a>; he's worth $1.4 billion.)</p>
<p>Unlike in Vietnam — where French colonization from the 18th century until 1954 led to the deep integration of French dishes into Vietnamese cuisine — Korea remained relatively untouched by French colonizers, and thus foods from France were completely foreign. According to Michael J. Pettid, a professor at Binghamton University and author of <em>Korean Cuisine: An Illustrated History</em>, baked goods were pretty much nonexistent in Korean cuisine until recently. "Traditionally, Koreans didn't eat bread like in the West," he says. "They did have some types of steamed breads — often made from a mix of rice flour and wheat — but these were introduced from Central Asia in the 13th century and not really a regular meal item."</p>
<p>Young-In and Tous Les Jours's founders thus helped usher in major shift in how Koreans ate, says Paris Baguette's Sou. "In Korea, dishes are typically made from rice, noodles, and soup," Sou says. "We brought bread and croissants to their breakfasts, changing the format of the morning meal." The trend was helped along by American fast-food chains, notes Pettid, which introduced foreign items like pizza and burgers. Eventually, younger populations in large cities started seeking out coffee shops and bakeries. "We helped Korean people to comfortably accept French baked goods," Sou says. "We introduced the croissant to Korea, and made it mainstream. Only a few people knew about French baked goods back then, in the 1970s and 1980s, with a few small bakeries making the products in the country."</p>
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<p>These days, Paris Baguette is ubiquitous in Korea, similar to McDonald's presence in the United States. "Paris Baguette for Koreans — especially those born in the 1970s — it's a very nostalgic brand. They grew up with Paris Baguette, everyone knows Paris Baguette." That's why when the bakery made the leap to the United States in 2005, it opened its first location in Los Angeles, where there's a large community of Korean immigrants. The brand now has 45 American locations, as well as outposts in China, Singapore, Vietnam — and <a href="http://www.eater.com/2014/7/23/6182229/korean-bakery-paris-baguette-opens-a-location-in-paris">as of last year</a>, Paris, of all places.</p>
<p>In the process of adapting French goods for the Korean palate, Paris Baguette and its competitors started introducing treats that harness flavors like red bean, green tea, and sesame. "Some of the items are quite unlike what one might expect to find in a bakery in the West," Pettid says. "Like they always have done in the past in terms of introduced cultures, Koreans modify that to match their own tastes." Other goods are an amalgam of French dishes, but with a subtle twist. For example, Tous Les Jours' <em>croque monsieur</em> features béchamel and ham like the French classic, but it's served on milk bread, a light and fluffy white bread widely popular in Japan.</p>
<p>Other notable items include various riffs on buns — which are popular in Japanese and Korean cuisines — but instead of being steamed, they'e made from a variety of pastry doughs, stuffed creams, and custards that are the building blocks of French baking guides. Also popular are pastries that fuse savory items (like hot dogs and cheese) with sweet ingredients (like condensed milk and honey). Lee says that while many of these flavor combinations are popular in Asia, they come as a surprise to many American customers. Sou explains that only a few items sold in these bakeries are replicas of what a diner would find in France. In general, Sou characterizes Asian-French baked goods as being "less sweet and less greasy, but fluffier."</p>
<p>Not familiar with the chains? Eater sat down with Peterjae Choi, the kitchen manager and head pastry chef at Tous Les Jours' location in Queens, New York, to learn about six of the shop's most popular baked goods:</p>
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<h3>Whipped Cream Pan Bread / Milk Bread</h3>
<p>Fluffy and incredibly soft (think softer than Wonder Bread), the whipped cream pan bread — which is similar to a Pullman loaf — is a riff on a Japanese milk bread. The process involves making a <em>tangzhong</em>, which translates to "water roux." Flour and milk are cooked, similar to how a<em> choux </em>dough is made. It's then mixed in with the rest of ingredients, which can include eggs, butter, sugar, and whipping cream, the latter of which Choi notes makes the bread "extra soft." The dough is then baked in a square pan and cut into thick slices. The bread is much richer than the Pullman loaf it resembles thanks to the eggs and butter.</p>
<p>Not only is the bread sold as loaves in the bakeries, but it's also offered in many bakeries as "honey toast." Popular in Japan and Korea, honey toast is frequently topped with ice cream, fruit, and a variety of sauces. Tous Les Jours sells a version that requires no silverware: A thick slice of milk bread is scored into a four-by-four grid of squares and then brushed with a mixture of condensed milk, sugar, butter, whipping cream, and of course, honey. The bread is then toasted in an oven until the mixture caramelizes, creating a golden, crunchy, and sweet crust.</p>
<h3>Twin Egg Bread</h3>
<p>A riff on a Korean street food <em>gyeran bbang</em>, per Choi, the Twin Egg Bread is a savory item that rings true to its name. It's made from a <em>pain de mie </em>(a sweetened bread)<em> </em>dough, which is rolled out, shaped into an oval, and then layered with ham ("from a store similar to Costco") and two hardboiled eggs. The dough is then folded over itself and cut in half to form two pastries with visible egg yolks. The pastry is then baked, drizzled with garlic sauce, and sprinkled with parsley for a touch of healthy green. According to Choi, it's a popular breakfast choice.</p>
<h3>Twisted Doughnuts</h3>
<p>While it does feature a yeasted dough, the "Twist Twist" — which is known as <em>kkwabaegi</em> in Korean — is much lighter and fluffier than a typical American-style raised doughnut. The "Asian-style doughnut" is only lightly sweetened, made with melted butter, always twisted, and is fried in corn oil, notes Choi. When it is pulled from the frier, it is immediately placed in a container of cinnamon and sugar which is shaken to coat the doughnut. While Americans often eat the doughnuts at breakfast, Choi says that in Korea they are frequently an after-school snack for students, and many visitors to Tous Les Jours purchase them in the afternoon.</p>
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<h3>Soboro Pastry</h3>
<p><em>Soboro</em> is a Korean streusel that's a popular topping for many baked goods. It has the usual elements of a streusel — flour, butter, and sugar — but most importantly, it also has peanut butter. The base of the <em>soboro</em> pastry, which is a style of bun, is made from a laminated Danish pastry dough, Choi says. It is rolled out, shaped, and then topped with streusel before being baked off. Once baked, it is filled with a classic creme patisserie and dusted with confectioner's sugar. The result is a soft bun with a creamy center and a slight peanut flavor.</p>
<p>Another streusel-based riff: the crispy cream cheese bread, which shares a number of similarities with the <em>soboro</em> bun, including its shape and base dough. However, instead of a peanut butter-spiked streusel, it gets a double dose of cream cheese: The bun comes topped with a chunk of streusel made with cream cheese; and the dough is also folded around a slab of sweetened cream cheese before it is baked. "Koreans really love cream cheese," notes Sou.</p>
<h3>Custard Bun</h3>
<p>Like milk bread, the custard bun finds its origins in Japan, where it's known as a "cream pan." Fluffy white bread dough — made with a <em>tangzhong</em> — is rolled out and wrapped around a filling of thick, sweet, and eggy custard cream. The buns are then shaped, proofed, and brushed with an egg wash before being baked until golden brown. This bun gets no streusel topping, though it is often decorated with a few sliced almonds.</p>
<h3>Hot Dog Pastry</h3>
<p>This is just one of several pastries that are stuffed with an American favorite — hot dogs. The sausages were <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2011/1109/US-troops-brought-South-Korea-democracy-hot-dogs-and-Spam">first introduced to Korea</a> through U.S. Army bases during the Korean War. Since then, Korea has utilized hot dogs in <a href="http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/10/28/koreas-kogo-is-the-ultimate-french-fry-encrusted-corn-dog/">ways that go beyond the bun</a>, such as serving them in a stew (<em>budae jigae</em>), encrusting them with french fries, and wrapping them in pastry.</p>
<p>Essentially, the hot dog pastry is a play on a hot dog in a bun, except everything is one self-contained unit. A <em>pain de mie</em> dough is rolled, stretched, and layered with hot dog pieces. The savory item is then shaped and topped with a squeeze of mayonnaise and diced onions before it is baked. When it's golden brown, it's removed from the oven and drizzled with ketchup and flecks of parsley. Unlike in America, where the "hot dog is reserved for special occasions like a baseball game or barbecue," says Sou, Koreans love snacking on the meaty pastries on a daily basis. "They are like a complete meal, with protein and carbohydrates all in one."</p>
https://www.eater.com/2015/12/30/10685588/korean-bakery-paris-baguette-tous-les-joursKhushbu Shah2015-10-30T15:00:02-04:002015-10-30T15:00:02-04:00Book Deals: Paula Deen, Questlove, and More [Updated]
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<p>Plus more information about Chrissy Teigen's upcoming cookbook. </p> <p>Here are your Friday book deals. It looks like butter queen and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2015/10/20/9573305/paula-deen-eliminated-dancing-with-the-stars">former <i>Dancing With the Stars </i>contestant</a> Paula Deen is reissuing her old cookbooks under her own label. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Sons-Too-Recipes-Savannah/dp/1943016011/ref=sr_1_114?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445879769&sr=1-114&keywords=food&tag=eater0c-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">According to Amazon</a>, <i>The Lady and Sons Too!: A Whole New Batch of Recipes From Savannah — </i><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lady-Sons-Too-Savannah/dp/140006824X?tag=eater0c-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">which<i> </i>was originally published in 2008</a>, and is now out of print — will be reissued by Paula Deen Ventures and is set to hit shelves June 14, 2016. <br><span><br>Next up, Roots drummer and </span><a target="_blank" href="http://ny.eater.com/2013/11/4/6337029/questloves-fried-chicken-stand-is-dunzo">former fried chicken restaurant owner</a><span> Questlove is publishing a book.</span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/10/questlove-book-chefs-creativity.html?mid=twitter_grubst#"> Grub Street notes</a><span> that it is called <i>somethingtofoodabout: Exploring Creativity With America's Most Innovative Chefs</i>. Co-written by journalist Ben Greenman, the book "will feature conversations about the creative process with chefs and food-world luminaries," including chef Daniel Humm of NYC's Eleven Madison Park and Los Angeles-based chef Ludo Lefebvre (Petit Trois, Trois Mec). The book will be released in April 2016. </span></p>
<p>Ayesha Curry, the wife of basketball Stephen Curry and the mother of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.etonline.com/news/172589_riley_curry_doing_the_nae_nae_with_her_dad_is_so_cute_we_can_t_even_handle_it/">viral star </a>Riley Curry, has landed a cookbook deal. Curry <a target="_blank" href="https://instagram.com/p/9GyJ1muTME/">announced the deal</a> through Instagram where she revealed the book will be titled <i>The Seasoned Life</i> and will be published by Little, Brown. Curry writes that her book will be about "faith, food, and family" and that it will contain "recipes and funny stories all from my heart and home." The book is set to hit shelves next fall.</p>
<p>There are now <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Cravings-Recipes-What-You-Want/dp/1101903910/?tag=eater0c-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">more details</a> available about swimsuit model and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2015/10/27/9620746/chrissy-teigen-guy-fieri-costume-nightmare">Guy Fieri impersonator</a> Chrissy Teigen's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2014/11/13/7216903/swimsuit-model-famous-person-chrissy-teigen-lands-cookbook-deal">upcoming cookbook</a>. Titled <i>Cravings: Recipes for What You Want to Eat</i>, it will be published by Clarkson Potter and edited by Francis Lam. Last November, it was revealed that the book will feature more than 100 recipes "peppered with hilarious anecdotes and photos from Chrissy's Instagram and Twitter profiles." The book will be released on February 23, 2016.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/" style="line-height: 1.24;">Publishers Marketplace writes</a> that Chicago-based pastry chef and James Beard Award nominee Dana Cree is writing a book all about ice cream. Called<i> Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream</i>, the book — which will be published by Clarkson Potter — explains the in-depth art and science "behind the making of homemade ice cream." There will also be illustrations from artist Anna Posey. <i>Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream</i> will be released in spring 2017.</p>
<p>Last but not least, Anthony Bourdain's Ecco imprint will publish California-based restaurateur James Syhabout's (Commis, Oakland) first cookbook. Publishers Marketplace notes that the book will be called <i>Hawker Fare</i>, after his Bay Area restaurants of the same name. Syhabout — <span>who moved from Laos to a Laotian community in Oakland when he was two</span> — learned to cook "by helping his mother." The cookbook will feature Southeast Asian recipes alongside "stories about his immigrant community and recipe tips." The book will hit shelves in 2017.</p>
<p><b><i>Update 10/30; 5:04 p.m.: </i></b>This post has been updated to reflect an error. Paula Deen's book, listed above, <i>The Lady and Sons Too!</i> is not a new book deal but a reissue of an old publication under a new label.</p>
https://www.eater.com/2015/10/30/9643700/book-deals-paula-deen-questlove-chriss-teigen-ayesha-curry-dana-cree-bourdainKhushbu Shah2015-10-30T10:27:21-04:002015-10-30T10:27:21-04:00Tickets to Noma's Pop-Up in Australia Sold Out in Under 90 Seconds
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<p>There were 5,500 seats available.</p> <p>It turns out people are really eager to eat <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2015/10/19/9568117/rene-redzepi-noma-pop-up-australia">crocodile fat and mud clams</a>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/noma-australia-tickets-to-hottest-restaurant-to-hit-sydney-sell-out-in-90-seconds/story-fni0cx4q-1227587946863?sv=bf473eea3af819953eb9b8f917190414">According to the <i>Daily Telegraph</i></a>, tickets to the Australian pop-up of the famed Copenhagen restaurant Noma sold out in under 90 seconds. Chef and forging king René Redzepi <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2015/7/26/9044533/noma-pop-up-australia-rene-redzepi">announced earlier this year </a>that he and his team will set-up shop at Barangaroo in Sydney on January 26 for 10 weeks. The reservations — which were available in tables of two, four, six, or eight — <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2015/10/29/9638124/rene-redzepi-noma-australia-tickets-on-sale">were released on Tock</a> (restaurateur Nick Kokonas'<a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2014/11/30/7294795/introducing-nick-kokonass-ticketing-system-tock"> proprietary tickets platform</a>) at 10 a.m. AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) today.</p>
<p>The paper writes that all 5,500 seats "were snapped up instantly." The dinner tickets to Noma Australia sold out first, in just under 50 seconds, followed by lunch seats. More than 25,000 people from around the world registered to get tickets to the pop-up.</p>
<p><span>The hefty price tag of $485 AUD ($343 USD) of the meal did not appear to deter any interested diners, even though that price is for just the food alone. The beverage pairings, both alcoholic and non, which are composed only of wines and drinks made in Australia, are an additional fee. However, it is still cheaper than chef Heston Blumenthal's </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2014/10/9/6951539/heston-blumenthal-fat-duck-pop-up-australia">Fat Duck pop-up</a><span> which took place earlier this year in Melbourne. Diners had to fork over $525 AUD ($475 USD) for a meal by the British chef. </span></p>
<p>Noma is the second major pop-up to sell out incredibly quickly in Australia over the past year. Last fall, hopeful diners managed to jam the reservation site for chef Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck pop-up in Melbourne, which ran earlier this year, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2014/10/9/6951539/heston-blumenthal-fat-duck-pop-up-australia">within 20 minutes</a> of tickets going live. However, Blumenthal offered tickets on a lottery basis, and because it ran much longer — six months compared to ten weeks — he was able to offer diners 16,000 spots.</p>
https://www.eater.com/2015/10/30/9642928/noma-australia-pop-up-tickets-sold-outKhushbu Shah2015-10-30T09:26:55-04:002015-10-30T09:26:55-04:00Watch Puff Daddy Compare the Release of a Ciroc Vodka Flavor to the Release of a New iPhone
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<p>Thankfully it is not pumpkin spice.</p> <p>Mogul Sean Diddy Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, stopped by <em>Late Night With Seth Meyers</em> yesterday<a href="http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-seth-meyers/video/sean-diddy-combs-on-his-new-vodka-innovation/2928751?onid=147636#vc147636=1"> for the "world premiere" the newest flavor </a>of his vodka brand, Ciroc. Combs makes a hefty claim that every time Ciroc releases a new flavor, "it is like when Apple drops a new iPhone." He then drops a number of obvious clues for Meyers as to what the new flavor is: "I eat applesauce at every meal... My favorite fruit is an apple." (The new flavor is apple, in case you weren't sure.) Combs compares the release of a new Ciroc flavor to the release of a new iPhone once again for good measure before the pair try the drink — which Combs calls "an already prepared martini." But, Combs warns, "You have to drink responsibly." </p>
https://www.eater.com/2015/10/30/9642668/sean-diddy-combs-ciroc-vodka-apple-late-night-with-seth-meyersKhushbu Shah2015-10-29T13:30:02-04:002015-10-29T13:30:02-04:00Gay Couple Claims They Were Asked to Leave Restaurant During Their Anniversary Dinner
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<p>Apparently a customer complained when the couple held hands. </p> <p>Two men celebrating their anniversary claim they were asked to leave a Dublin restaurant. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/male-couple-celebrating-anniversary-asked-to-leave-dublin-restaurant-362028.html">According to the <i>Irish Examiner</i></a>, one of men — who wishes to remain anonymous — says the couple was "holding hands and looking into each other's eyes" while dining. However, during the meal a waiter came over and told the couple that "customers at another table were complaining" and suggested the couple "stop showing each other physical affection."</p>
<p>The man says they asked for a manager who had a similar suggestion, but added that he "had no problem with gay people." The manager insisted the couple leave and said that he wouldn't charge them for their meal. The man says that as they were exiting the restaurant, "feeling humiliated," a woman at one of the nearby tables "said the word ‘disgusting.'"</p>
<p>In <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Brynmorbeer/status/659488966773731329">an anonymous letter</a> to the<i> Gay Community News</i>, the man expressed his disappointment at the situation: "We like to think of Ireland as a place where gay people are fully accepted and respected, especially since the landslide passing of the same-sex marriage referendum, but if my experience last week is anything to go by, this is still a surface image."</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This? <a href="https://t.co/IeSdXHBdCl">https://t.co/IeSdXHBdCl</a> <a href="https://t.co/jkd7jWs9Py">pic.twitter.com/jkd7jWs9Py</a></p>
— Brynmor Pattison (@Brynmorbeer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brynmorbeer/status/659488966773731329">October 28, 2015</a>
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<p>This is unfortunately not the first time a gay couple has been asked to leave a restaurant. Earlier this year, a bar in London<a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2015/5/6/8561841/london-gay-bar-allegedly-boots-gay-couple-for-kissing"> ejected two men</a> for publicly kissing. A friend of the couple who witnessed the incident wrote that they were asked to leave because "they had been seen kissing and that was offensive to the general people at the bar." Just days before that in New York City, a gay couple <a target="_blank" href="http://ny.eater.com/2015/5/6/8561149/gay-couple-brutally-beaten-by-two-diners-at-dallas-bbq-in-chelsea">was horrifically beaten</a> at a local restaurant chain.</p>
https://www.eater.com/2015/10/29/9638222/gay-couple-asked-to-leave-restaurantKhushbu Shah2015-10-29T12:47:13-04:002015-10-29T12:47:13-04:00Washington Redskins Rookies Forced to Foot $22,000 Steakhouse Bill for Veteran Players
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<img alt="Smith had to foot most of the bill. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UOyDDDANxXfaZGXkhGfol3luF8k=/215x0:3695x2610/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47545523/GettyImages-484657214.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Smith had to foot most of the bill. | Matt Hazlett/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The check included two Shirley Temples. </p> <p>It's a good thing Washington Redskin's rookie players make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, otherwise they would never be able to pay for extravagant dinner bills. Earlier this week, <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2583714-washington-redskins-rookies-get-stuck-with-22000-dinner-tab" target="_blank">according to Bleacher Report</a>, the freshmen players on the team had to pick up a $22,000 dinner tab at D.C. steakhouse Mastro's. It's part of a "rookie night" tradition where veteran players have their meal paid for by the new players on the team.</p>
<p><a style="line-height: 1.24;" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2015/10/27/the-22000-bill-at-redskins-rookie-dinner-included-two-shirley-temples/" target="_blank">The <i>Washington Post</i> notes</a> defensive rookies Preston Smith, Deshazor Everett, Kyshoen Jarrett, and Corey Crawford all chipped in for the pricey meal which included lobster tails, herb roasted chicken, steak sashimi and bone-in filet with truffle butter. Even the drink orders were spendy — they included a Macallan 25 and three sidecars made with Hennessy — except for the player who asked for two $5 Shirley Temples. All-in-all the meal was just over $17,000. Tax plus 17 percent gratuity brought the total to $22,159.04. Good thing Smith, who was responsible for paying most of the bill, signed a four-year deal worth well over four million dollars.</p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a target="_blank" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" href="https://instagram.com/p/9U0SvAr2-f/">Took the defense out tonight slight work lol not sucks to suck rookie #goodtimes #blessed #defense</a></p>
<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Trenton "Flash" Robinson (@trenton30) on <time datetime="2015-10-27T03:03:49+00:00">Oct 26, 2015 at 8:03pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>Smith tells the <i>Washington Post</i> that he was expecting the check to be worse: "I kind of had an expectation of what to expect and what I was going to see. It's kind of like my mind was at ease when I saw it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it may have been." Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, a veteran, has no guilt over his expensive order: "Dinner was great. It feels good being able to just eat and then leave. It's quite a bill, but I've got expensive taste."</p>
<p>Hazing new football players with pricey meals at Mastro's is apparently something other football teams do too. In 2012, veteran Chicago Bears players<a href="http://www.eater.com/2012/10/10/6536385/chicago-bears-prank-rookies-with-a-38k-mastros-check" target="_blank"> pranked rookie players</a> by giving them a bill for $38,091 from the steakhouse. However, the receipt contained three $10,000 orders of "Bears dinners," an item that does not actually exist. At the end, rookies only had to foot a $4,000 bill.</p>
https://www.eater.com/2015/10/29/9637982/washington-redskins-rookies-22000-restaurant-billKhushbu Shah2015-10-29T11:10:47-04:002015-10-29T11:10:47-04:00Arizona Restaurateur Launches All-Out War Against Yelpers
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YrinXJSksBp3ALcTi0cHRTC_evs=/0x0:960x720/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47544447/no-yelpers-vero-amore.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><a href='https://www.facebook.com/VeroAmorePizza/photos/a.171205612907687.44988.135316203163295/1131213940240178/?type=3&theater'>Vero Amore/Facebook</a></figcaption>
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<p>The restaurant owner has posted banners that say "No Yelpers" at the front of his restaurants. </p> <p>A restaurant owner has launched an all-out war with Yelpers. If this sounds like a scene from the recent <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2015/10/15/9538845/south-park-takes-down-yelpers-restaurant-critics">Yelp-themed episode of <i>South Park</i></a>, that's because it kind of is. Aric Mussman, the owner of Vero Amore — which has two locations in Tucson, Ariz. — <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/no-yelpers-tucson-restaurant-launches-all-out-war-with-yelp">tells KGUN9-TV</a> that he was inspired by the animated show's "You're Not Yelping" episode which makes fun of Yelpers on power trips because they think they are restaurant critics. Mussman's restaurants now bear "No Yelpers" banners near the entrances.</p>
<p>Mussman's restaurants have high four star ratings on Yelp, so why did he decide to hang the banners? He explains, "Our reviews are great and that's why I want to be one of the people to stand up and say something." Mossman continues, noting that Yelpers are in it for the "notoriety": "You earn badges for reviews they earn online acclaim. That's where their friends are and they feel like this self-entitled thing that they can bash" restaurant owners with no accountability for their claims. Mossman is upset that people can write whatever they want to without having to do "any fact checking."</p>
<p>The restaurant owner has plans to create a "No Yelpers" movement across the city and is hoping a "watchdog organization" will be created. He says that he has gone to Yelp but that the company has been unhelpful. "If you go to Yelp and say 'Hey, these people make up lies about us.' They don't care." He adds that they will only help you if you "advertise with them." The claim that Yelp manipulates reviews based on ad sales is something the review site <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2014/9/19/6573781/yelp-pinky-swears-it-doesnt-manipulate-reviews">has been fighting</a> in court for years. The FTC eventually ruled that Yelp <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eater.com/2015/1/6/7504023/ftc-concludes-that-yelp-is-not-up-to-any-funny-business">is not up to any funny business</a>. The review site tells the news station:</p>
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<p>"There has never been any amount of money a business can pay Yelp to manipulate reviews. Any claims that Yelp manipulates reviews for money or that advertisers are treated any differently than non-advertisers are completely false and have been repeatedly dismissed by courts of law, thoroughly researched and disproven by academic study, and investigated by government regulators, including the FTC, who closed a nearly two-year investigation without taking action.</p>
<p>Because of Yelp's influence, small businesses are realizing that online reviews are incredibly important. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to frustration, when businesses that don't like their reputation on a review site like Yelp realize they are unable to change it by trying to game the system due to our recommendation software. These businesses have only one last recourse: to discredit the site as a reliable source of information. At the end of the day, Yelp is a resource for consumers to find reliable information about how good or bad a business may be; the site would be useless to consumers if every business could buy a five-star rating."</p>
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<p>While Mussman's restaurants have four star ratings on Yelp right now, if enough pro-Yelp activists get involved, the restaurant's rating could tank. Already a few angry Yelpers have posted negative one star reviews on the<a target="_blank" href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fvero-amore-tucson%3Fsort_by%3Ddate_desc&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eater.com%2F2015%2F10%2F29%2F9636754%2Farizona-restaurant-war-against-yelpers-south-park-yelp" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener"> restaurants' Yelp pages</a>. One user even went so far as <a target="_blank" href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fvero-amore-tucson%3Fhrid%3DPNmkWBete0lxruDzORum7g%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eater.com%2F2015%2F10%2F29%2F9636754%2Farizona-restaurant-war-against-yelpers-south-park-yelp" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">to post a picture </a>of his middle finger with a review that reads, "Really though who do you think you are hanging a sign that says no Yelpers... go f-ck yourself and I will never be back." Watch the local news story below:</p>
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https://www.eater.com/2015/10/29/9636754/arizona-restaurant-war-against-yelpers-south-park-yelpKhushbu Shah