Miscellaneous

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, reports on food and beverage trends. Hosts the podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn." Wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008) and worked in Thailand as journalist and critic (1992-1997). Thorn's column won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award. In 2014, inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier. Educated at Tufts University (BA in History, 1990) and trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris (1986).

🔥 Every Saturday, a newsletter, 'Differentiated Design' by Hans Lorei, is read; recent California fires have impacted the content's resonance. On Tuesday, when the LA fires started, Hans was leaving the city. He reflects on the loss of homes, not just as structures, but as life and refuge. Hans, who has grown popular on Instagram, shares design insights that shape readers' perspectives, emphasizing observation, taste, and travel to better design and create.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor, has been with Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016. He hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast and wrote for "The New York Sun" from 2005 to 2008. Thorn was in Thailand circa 1992-1997, writing for "Manager" magazine and "Asia Times." A Tufts University magna cum laude graduate, he won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and became a Disciples d’Escoffier member in 2014. Lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Contact: [email protected]

💉 GLP-1 drugs, originally for diabetes, gain popularity for weight management and obesity-related health conditions. Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, is noted for blood sugar regulation and weight loss effects.

🍽 PostBoy, a modern American restaurant in New Buffalo, Michigan, launched its guest chef series "Abandon Ship" post-opening on November 1. January through May, a new chef features monthly. The inaugural event sold out with chef Zachary Engel. Upcoming is a $120 six-course dinner by Michelin-starred chef David Posey on January 12. Wine pairings cost an additional $50, with cocktails à la carte. The collaborative series aims to elevate local dining, capitalizing on the region's growth and attracting vacation traffic.

🍴 Boston’s Beacon Hill welcomed Zurito, a Basque-inspired restaurant by BCB3 Hospitality, opened in November. Occupying the former Bin 26 Enoteca, it is the fourth concept by the group led by Jamie Bissonnette, Andy Cartin, and Babak Bina. The space holds 64 diners and features a design reminiscent of San Sebastián pintxo bars. The menu includes bite-size pintxos, Spanish hams, cheeses, and a variety of traditional small plates, complemented by a 32-ounce bone-in rib eye. Wine director Nader Asgari-Tari curated a 400-bottle wine list with Spanish labels and rare vintages.

💎 Cameron House, a luxury five-star resort on Loch Lomond, offers romantic escapes for Valentine's Day including proposals, private champagne cruises, island picnics, and seaplane tours. The resort features 208 bedrooms, 28 suites, multiple dining options, a spa, and The Carrick golf course over 400 acres. Room prices start from £348 bed and breakfast per night. Bookings can be made at cameronhouse.co.uk.

🏡 Kirsten Visdal showcased Norwegian design in Paris's Musée d'Orsay's former smoking room, Le Fumoir, for three days. The exhibition, Et Hjem/Chez Soi, featured contemporary and classic Norwegian furniture and objects from designers like Ali Shah Gallefoss and Andreas Engesvik. Design and Architecture Norway (DOGA) led the project to distinguish Norwegian design from other Nordic styles, emphasizing eclectic, colorful, playful, and maximalist traits. Key pieces included Gallefoss's sand-casted table, Engesvik's steel Munch chairs, and the Gem sofa from Northern. The event ran from November 22 to 24.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016, reports on food and beverage trends. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast. Wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), covered business in Thailand for Manager magazine and Asia Times newspaper. Tufts University magna cum laude graduate, studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and worked for ABC News during Tiananmen Square protests (1989). Won the Jesse H. Neal Award (2006) and was president of the IFEC (2005). Authored entries in Oxford food and drink encyclopedias and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier (2014). Resides in Brooklyn, New York.

🍻 Luxury caterer Rocket launches Low & No Alcohol menu, responding to increased demand for non-alcoholic drinks at events. Michael Symonds, Rocket's Director & Co-founder, highlights the shift in drinking habits, aiming to provide sophisticated drink experiences. The menu includes complex non-alcoholic cocktails with Kahol's 0% spirits, Quarter Proof's low-alcohol spirits, Botivo Drinks' artisanal switchel, and French Bloom's non-alcoholic sparkling wine. All ingredients are sustainably sourced from British producers prioritizing quality and sustainability. The new menu is now available for all Rocket events.