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
RIP to Michelin’s Green Stars
Plus, PFAS litigation, AI is failing home cooks, and we remember a Slow Food pioneer
Culture
Will Restaurants Face a World Cup Tourism Bubble?
Plus the attempted Hooters rebrand, the wild world of stadium food, and we revisit an LA bar helping its community
Culture
We’re Talking About Tipping at Restaurants Again
Plus, a protein powder crisis, tomato inflation, and the wonders of Route 66.
Drinks
The Best Gin, According to Our Taste Test
From soft and herbaceous to zesty and citrusy, these gins that stand out.
Culture
Everything We Know About the Bourdain Biopic
Plus, Rodney Scott's restaurant closures, Delta axes some snacks, and the creator cooking with their Hinge dates
Cooking
We Found the Best Store-Bought Breakfast Sausage
After tasting 19 varieties of fresh and precooked links and patties, these are the ones we’d bring home.
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.