Miscellaneous

🍴 Bret Thorn serves as the Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, reporting on food and beverage trends and guiding F&B coverage. He hosted a podcast, wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), and contributed to Manager magazine and Asia Times in Thailand (1992-1997). A magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University, Thorn studied at Le Cordon Bleu and in China. His work earned the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, he joined IFEC as president in 2005, and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014.

💎 On Valentine's Day 2025, AMANO Covent Garden's Penelope’s restaurant offers a special evening with a four-course menu by Executive Head Chef Fez Ozalgan. The set menu, priced at £180 for two, includes Charles Heidsieck Reserve Brut Champagne and an optional drinks pairing for an additional £100 per person. The dining experience is complemented by a DJ, with the menu featuring oysters, tuna pastrami, duck jamon, pistachio lamb cutlets, seared scallops, and a dessert assortment.

🍴 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.