Mind: Blown
Tyler Cowen turns your head inside out by arguing that you should eat at empty restaurants instead of waiting around at popular ones. [Tyler Cowen’s Ethnic Dining Guide] —Jessica Voelker
Wait, wait, WAIT. Soylent is about to be a real thing?! [The Verge] —Chris Campbell
If you’ve seen The Happening this will come as no surprise, but sometimes plants attack. Luckily we’re more than equipped to fight back. [NPR] —Sophie Gilbert
There is a person in the world who paid $14,000 for a dozen cronuts. Don’t worry, it was for charity. [Grub Street] —JV
Friends With Benefits
Billionaire businessman Steve Cohen supposedly once paid Guy Fieri $100,000 to be his friend for the day. Which goes to show money may not buy happiness but apparently can buy the opposite. [A.V. Club] —Tanya Pai
Boo!
It’s a shame monster cereals only arrive on shelves at Halloween. It’s more shameful that people hoard this garbage. [NPR] —CC
Sexy pizza, anyone? Kristen Schaal details her favorite sexy Halloween costumes on The Daily Show. [Slate] —Anna Spiegel
As a child of the Midwest, I recall well the years when drug-laced Halloween candy put the fear in all parents in my neighborhood. Surprise, it was all overblown paranoia. [Smithsonian Magazine] —CC
This “smart” sushi restaurant is virtually waiter-free. Also there are gifts for finishing your food. [Jezebel] —JV
Lists
Eater DC rounds up an excellent listicle of “sh*t millennials like,” according to the Washington Post’s ongoing millennial coverage. The former will save you the pain of reading the latter. [Eater DC] —AS
The grass is always greener . . . in Asia
A Japanese company is taking the sad cat lady stereotype to a new level by introducing feline wine. Yes, that’s wine for your cat. [Laughing Squid] —TP
Does anyone know where to get frisbee duck in DC? Josh Ozersky has inspired me with this Chinese barbecue meats guide. [Esquire] —JV
Let us all hang our heads in shame as Japan gets all the good Doritos. [Huffington Post] —CC
McNews
Chicken nuggets are gross. This isn’t news, but now there are nice microscopic pictures to show us exactly how gross they are. [Gizmodo] —SG
The McDonald’s coffee lawsuit is (more than) 20 years old! Here’s a look back at its legacy. [New York Times] —SG
Mark Bittman: deep-frying advocate. “Of course, the key word is moderation.” [NYT] —SG
Quick Pickle
House-made pickles aren’t just for “hipster farmhouse” restaurants. Here’s a helpful abbreviated guide to the globe’s pickled veggies. [Guardian] —AS
