Restaurants

I don't imagine any fancy chef sets out to be known for his burger. Similarly, I bet Hemingway, who wrote his fair share of classics--For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises--didn't think his 100-page novella, The Old Man and the Sea, would win him the Nobel Prize in Literature.

I'm not one for brunch, which is rather unfortunate since I live in the City of Brunch, New York. Don't get me wrong, I dig eggs Benedict, smoked salmon and bagels, and Bloody Marys--when they are properly prepared.

In the October issue (on newsstands now), I profiled the food-savvy town of Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the farmers, chefs, restaurants, and food community that make the area so special. In the end, it was our top pick for America's Foodiest Small Town.

Dear Foodist:
I'm going to Denver in August for the Democratic National Convention (August 25-28) for work, and wanted to get your opinion on where to eat in the city.

What's the culinary scene's next ramp? Is ricotta the new burrata? Grits the new polenta? Menu Spotting searches the country's restaurants, bars, and farmers' markets, revealing the next big ingredient coming soon to a plate near you.

In Seattle, a neighborhood restaurant that satisfies on all counts—plus the dish that keeps our columnist coming back.

Diners at David Chang's latest New York restaurant, Momofuku Ko, might be surprised to find the menu of haute ingredient mash-ups (kimchi consommé, anyone?) backed by a solid roster of rock and hip-hop tunes. But what better example of Chang's inspired approach to fusion? Herewith, the deliciously eclectic music and dish pairings from a recent dinner.

Navigate Japan's mixology epicenter—as tipsily traversed by writer Hugh Garvey in "Tokyo, Cocktail Capital of the World"—with this helpful map.

In the city's back alleys, subbasements, and skyscrapers, Japan's bartenders have perfected the fine art of mixology. For a slideshow of images from this story, click here. And check out an annotated map of Tokyo showing where to taste the best of the city's cocktail revolution.