Talking Shop
This is really fascinating, mostly because it shows how insanely cheap Trader Joe’s is. Chow compares TJ’s own items to other grocery store staples to try to figure out who’s supplying them. [Chow] —Sophie Gilbert
Oddly Mesmerizing Video of the Week
BuzzFeed investigates what that ambiguous “2,000 calories” on dietary labels actually looks like in food. [BuzzFeed] —Anna Spiegel
The Hard Stuff
Eight reasons it sucks to own a bar. By a guy who’s addicted to owning bars. (Related: Our Joe Englert profile from the magazine last year.) [The Scribe] —Shane Harris
This will make you want go to London and drink gin. [Daily Telegraph] —Jessica Voelker
Are hops addictive? Not really. But it can feel that way. [The Dish] —JV
That urge you feel to reach for another drink? That’s because it is fueling your brain. [Science News] —JV
I’ll be bookmarking this one: The owners of Manhattan’s Charlie Bird offer wine pairings to go with roast chicken. [Food & Wine] —JV
Chef-lebrities
Mario Batali jumps shark, ends up in bathtub. Or, why the guest editor trend needs to end NOW. If we want to know what Batali is drinking, we’ll read his column. [Splendid Table] —SH
Mario Batali is making his own horchata? [NYT] —SH
What, No Fluffernutter?
Suddenly ubiquitous porn star James Deen, who’s working on an online food show, talks to Bon Appétit about his favorite foods—notably French breakfast. Keep the baguette jokes to yourself, please. [Bon Appétit] —Tanya Pai
Odd Jobs
Texas Monthly hires a barbecue editor. With this guy in the picture, however, that barbecue editor may only have the second best job in the world. [NYT] —JV
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
