Miscellaneous

🍥 Chef Alex Tronstad pairs fluke with strawberries, radish, and fermented tomato water at Maxwell Alley, Jersey City, N.J. Chef Chetan Shetty brings Indian flavors to hamachi in NYC's Flatiron District. At Meili, Brooklyn, Chef Peter He serves mala-spiced bullfrog. Nashville’s Gray & Dudley offers a banana bread-inspired cocktail. In Whitefield, N.H., Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa serves a gin, lemon, and lavender drink.

🍴 Starr Restaurant Group is set to open Pastis Nashville in summer 2025 at Wedgewood Houston, 512 Houston St. The 2,774 sq. ft. interior will seat 170, with an 18-seat bar, and a 1,300 sq. ft. patio for 75 opening late summer. Located in the historic May Hosiery Mills, it will offer French bistro dishes like onion soup and steak frites. Pastis, founded in 1999, will be the fourth location, joining others in D.C. and Miami.

🥃 Ad Gefrin in Wooler, Northumberland launches Tácnbora Limited Edition: Cognac Cask Finish on 14 June 2025. This small-batch whisky, finished for six months in ex-Cognac oak, is bottled at 58.6% ABV. Only six casks will yield 1,800 to 2,000 bottles. The release follows October 2023's Tácnbora Peated Islay Cask, which sold 1,629 bottles by January 2024. First access is for Corenkyn and Corengyst members, with benefits starting 7-11 June 2025.

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🍝 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor, has been with Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and joined Restaurant Hospitality in 2016. His career highlights include winning the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and serving as IFEC president in 2005. Thorn, a Tufts University graduate, studied at Le Cordon Bleu and in China. Notably, he contributed to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (2012) and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014.

🏨 SalesAndCatering.com has partnered with Champion Hotels, the largest privately-owned hotel operator in the U.S., to implement STS Cloud across 21 of its over 150 properties. Champion Hotels, based in Oklahoma, aims to optimize sales and event management with this cloud-based platform, which offers end-to-end event management, real-time collaboration, and comprehensive reporting. Mike Farney, Area Director, praised STS Cloud for enhancing communication and decision-making across departments.

🍴 Bret Thorn, host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, is the senior food & beverage editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999. He earned a BA in history from Tufts University in 1990 and studied at Le Cordon Bleu in 1986. Thorn has been involved in journalism since 1989, winning the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award. He was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014 and resides in Brooklyn, NY.

🍸 Restaurant operators and bartenders from Austin to Miami and Oklahoma City to Brooklyn are celebrating summer by launching frozen cocktails. From Memorial Day weekend, these creative and classic icy drinks will be available on patios nationwide. Expect to see a range of exciting glassware and garnishes as they experiment with bold new flavors. Don't miss the top 10 must-try frozen cocktails this season!

📰 Ron Ruggless, senior editor at Nation’s Restaurant News, joined in 1992 after a decade at the Dallas Times Herald. Expertise: foodservice mergers, operations, and marketing. Edited Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth. Frequently moderates panels like MUFSO and Horeca Professional Expo. Career includes roles at Dallas Times Herald (1982-1991), Charlotte Observer (1980-1982), and Omaha World-Herald (1978-1980). Connect with Ron via Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok: @RonRuggless.

🍮 Jessica McCormack and Nicolas Rouzaud launch a new patisserie, **Cerisier**, in Mayfair on June 2nd. Priced at £17 takeaway and £19 in-store, the dessert features almond and sakura mousse, almond sponge, and cherry confit. It mirrors McCormack’s Fruit Salad jewelry collection. Rouzaud, trained at Le Bristol Paris and The Lanesborough, brings expertise honed at The Connaught. Available through cherry season, this collaboration celebrates artistry and summer’s vibrant spirit.