Food Notes: 8/13
Barbecue cookbooks, pizza history, hot peppers, and more.
When in Rome…
Gone are the days when the whole city shuts down. Katie Parla has some restaurant recommendations for people visiting Rome this month. She suggests confirming with the restaurant though, since although they may be generally open, there are a few holidays when they might close.
Who Was the Original Ray and Was He Famous?
There was once more than three dozen places named for Ray. Somewhere there was an original pizzeria with the name, and it wasn’t all that famous. I looked into the history behind Famous Original Ray’s pizza.
A New Barbecue Cookbook
Paula Forbes announced on Stained Pages that she has a new cookery project on the horizon for 2026, focused on barbecue.
Wenwen Is A Fun Place to Eat
Wenwen has been a hot destination restaurant for a while. I had a chance to snag a table, have a fun dinner, write up the experience, and then forgot to post it. I gave it an extra edit and now its up.
Restaurants Have Changed
As now former New York Times food critic Pete Wells steps down, his final essay laments some of the changes happening in restaurants, namely the introduction of technology, warnings against viral food sensations, and the end of telephone reservations.
That’s a spicy pepper
Maggie Hennessy at Food & Wine goes into the details of Hatch Chiles, a cultivar found only in New Mexico, at least, officially.
A Book That Has Teeth
Today is publication day for Bill Schutt’s Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans. Strictly speaking, this isn’t food related, but just try having an extensive conversation about eating without any teeth.
Science Has Gone Too Far: Hot Fudge Sundae Seltzer
Buzz-kill seltzer company Liquid Death is teaming up with Van Leeuwen, the Brooklyn-based ice cream company responsible for Ranch-flavored and Mac and Cheese-flavored ice cream, and delivering the soft seltzer nobody asked for: hot fudge sundae.