Sam Stone
Staff Writer
Sam Stone reports on nearly everything for BA, including food culture, restaurant news, and sneaky cooking ideas that (hopefully) make your life easier. A Rhode Island native, he’s currently based in New York City where he can usually be found searching out the city’s best bakeries. Before BA, he spent years working in fine dining while also writing for several publications about food, queer culture, entertainment, and how they intersect. In his free time, Sam occasionally writes humor pieces like this one. samstone.nyc
Culture
Critics are Still Dining at Noma for Some Reason
Plus, pizza drama in the pizza capital, a podcast about your espresso machine, and Goop Kitchen arrives in New York.
Culture
Why Is a Pasta Sauce Company Recording Your Conversations?
Plus, some light shoplifting discourse, the Wagyu scam, and the fate of lab-grown meat in restaurants
Culture
Trump DoorDashed McDonald’s to the White House
Plus, Crumbl’s slowing down, much ado about rotisserie chickens, and the incoming tide of private equity-funded bagels
Cooking
The Best Sweetened Condensed Milk for Your Pantry
One brand made coffee, ice cream, and more taste perfectly balanced.
Culture
Two Famous Football Players, One Scathing Restaurant Review
Plus, Philz Coffee’s Pride flag controversy, pizza place prediction powers, and grocery store raves.
Restaurants
Inside Hong Kong’s Ever-Evolving Eateries
These ubiquitous quick-service, genre-defying restaurants are capturing the attention of global travelers.
Lifestyle
My Afternoon of Lifemaxxing at the Protein Slop Potluck
Perhaps the real macros were the friends we made along the way.
Culture
The Artemis II Mission Has Five Separate Hot Sauces for Some Reason
Plus, Sysco’s immense acquisition, updates in the David Protein lawsuit, and Burlap & Barrel gets litigious
Cooking
The Best Greek Yogurt, According to Our Taste Test
From mellow to tangy, here are Greek yogurts (and skyrs) that stood out.
Culture
Remember the Cat Murder Allegations from that LA Restaurant?
Horses, the Los Angeles celebrity magnet, imploded in 2023. Now one of its owners has the last word.
Culture
Hilary Duff Is a Diet Coke Truther
Plus, Blank Street is launching bigger stores, Chiptole’s chatbot is shockingly intelligent, and more.
Culture
The Burger CEOs Are Beefing
Plus, RFK Jr. is coming for Dunkin’, Keith Lee is a restaurant investor now, and more
Cooking
We Tasted 8 Brands to Find the Best Frozen Mac and Cheese
These are the trays worthy of your freezer space.
Culture
Inside Sam Smith's Newly Public Food Finsta
Plus, Resy and Tock are uniting, ‘boy kibble’ is a thing, unfortunately, and more.
Culture
Has Reese’s Actually Changed Its Recipe?
It's possible the years-long Reddit theory was right. Plus, a boneless wings suit is settled, Grana Padano’s star turn, and more.
Culture
How Much Would You Pay for Used Chipotle Furniture?
Plus, Dimes Square is dead (again), The Wall Street Journal shamed Gen Z for eating rotisserie chicken, and more.
Cooking
We Tasted 16 Ranch Dressings. These Are the Ones Worth Buying
Our latest taste test was very tangy—and highly opinionated.
Culture
Caviar Has Jumped the Shark
Plus, Kalshi and Polymarket are popping up with “free” grocery stores, Cape Cod chips is leaving Cape Cod, and more.
Culture
Restaurants Shutter Nationwide Friday in Support of General Strike
Plus, food influencers protest ICE, Trump threatens tariffs against French wine, and more.