Miscellaneous

🍴 Bret Thorn is a Senior Food & Beverage Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, part of Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group. He hosts "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, wrote "Kitchen Dish” for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008, and reported from Thailand for Manager magazine and Asia Times newspaper. A graduate of Tufts University, he studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was president of IFEC in 2005. He authored entries for the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and the Oxford Companion (2015). Inducted into Disciples d'Escoffier (2014). Contact: [email protected], LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

🍇 Native Grill & Wings recently added a Spicy Guava Rita, priced at about $12, featuring Espolòn Blanco tequila, guava, jalapeño, and a Tajín rim. KFC's new Saucy concept includes a Passionfruit + Orange + Guava Refresher. Guava's popularity coincides with an increased interest in Latin American and Southeast Asian cuisines. Datassential reports 76% of the U.S. population recognizes guava, and 48% have tasted it. A Miami restaurant is creatively pairing guava with chicken.

🍳 Shine TV is calling UK chefs for the 18th series of "MasterChef: The Professionals" on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, hosted in Digbeth, Birmingham. Dan Merriman won the 2024 series. Applications for the 2025 series, closing on March 31st, 2025, are open to professionals with diverse culinary skills and backgrounds. Details at www.masterchef.com/professionals.

🎉 From January 29th to February 2nd, Covent Garden brands like AWAY and Charlotte Tilbury offer bespoke red packet gift sets. Din Tai Fung presents a special menu, including "Lion’s Head" Pork Meatball Soup and a 'Golden Twist' cocktail. RedFarm boasts "London's biggest dumplings". 100 lucky diners at Din Tai Fung could win free Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings. Exclusive Lunar New Year products are available from Charlotte Tilbury, Strathberry, and more. Interactive experiences and complimentary services are scheduled between January 25th and February 2nd. The Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown, London's West End, occurs on February 2nd, featuring a parade and performances.

🍴 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]