Douglas Keane originally opened Cyrus in Healdsburg, California, earning two Michelin stars and many accolades. But during the pandemic, a burned-out Keene did not want to reopen it as a traditional fine dining restaurant with an upscale tasting menu. So he sat down and figured out how to change the business model and staffing model to provide a living wage for all his team members and a distinctive dining experience for guests. 

At the new Cyrus, located in the Sonoma County town of Geyserville, the evening is choreographed like a dinner party in someone’s home, starting with drinks and bites in the Bubble Lounge, then proceeding into the kitchen where guests interact with the chefs over a first course, followed by a multi-course hyper-seasonal tasting menu in the dining room and ending with a sweet finish in the Chocolate Room. And every team member makes an annual salary of $75,000. 

Raheem Sealey is the corporate chef of Kyu Restaurant, which has locations in Las Vegas, Miami, and New York City.

Sealey is based in Miami, where he moved from the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix in 2009. He attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and worked in a variety of restaurants, including Caribbean concept Sugarcane and Zuma, which offers modern Japanese food in a stylish setting, as well as Pao by Paul Qui, which, similar in a way to Kyu, also offers Asian-inspired cuisine from a wood-fired grill. He eventually landed at Kyu in 2016 as a sous chef, and has been there ever since.

There, Sealey offers items like smoked brisket rubbed with a shichimi pepper-based spice mix and served as a lettuce wrap, yakiniku baby back ribs, and whole roasted cauliflower in green chile vinaigrette.

Sealey discussed his menu development process and shared that the restaurants will soon have a crispy duck salad and a grilled pork chop with sweet chile sauce and smoked eggplant relish.

He also shared a trick for catering to customers who don’t like cilantro.

The average workplace catering order size is up 12% to about $420. That’s good news for restaurants, said Cindy Klein Roche, chief growth officer for ezCater, a platform that connects workplaces with dining concepts. 

But restaurants must optimize their online presence and present an appealing menu to get a piece of that growing pie. About 59% of those who place workplace orders are swayed by the menu, with budget-friendliness following close behind at 37%.

While companies have been using catering as a return-to-office incentive, food has now evolved into a vehicle to drive productivity and collaboration, Roche explains. And employees who first try a restaurant at work will then return to that restaurant on their own or with a group for lunch or dinner. 

With B2B catering on the rise, she offers valuable insights as to how restaurants can boost that revenue stream, why breakfast and afternoon treats are growing as catering opportunities and where workplace catering is heading next. 

Marc Sheehan has long been interested in the history of food. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park, N.Y., the Massachusetts native worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Dan Barber’s farm, restaurant, and hotbed for culinary innovation in upstate New York, before working at Menton, a French-Italian restaurant by Barbara Lynch. Previously, he earned national acclaim at Loyal Nine in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

There he served food based on what people cooked in the region from the Colonial era onward—not what was in cookbooks, which catered to a wealthy audience, but what normal people grew in their gardens. It turned out that they grew a lot of cayenne pepper, coriander and other robust flavors that were toned down by the likes of Fannie Farmer and other purveyors of food for the well-to-do.

Now Sheehan operates Northern Spy, a restaurant in the Boston suburb of Canton, located in a copper rolling mill first opened by Paul Revere. 

Sheehan recently discussed the restaurant, which opened in December of 2020, as well as how the food that his ancestors likely grew up on is different than what you might have thought.

Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, visited Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort, which just opened two new concepts from restaurateur Stephen Starr. Bret had a chance to sample menu items from Sunny’s, a breakfast-lunch spot, and Chez Frites, a bistro offering the familiar French plate of steak and fries along with a selection of seafood. 

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, was taken with the number of chains offering burgers and hot dogs as specials, iconic July 4th food that’s extending throughout the month. The pair discussed new offers from Carl’s Jr., Applebee’s, Shake Shack and other concepts. 

Panda Express introduced Hot Orange Chicken, a limited-time spicy spin on its signature dish. Bret had a chance to try it at a pop-up at one of the chain’s New York City locations, where the item is being served in bao buns, wrapped in Chinese pancakes, and with bacon, in addition to its usual presentation over rice. 

We’ve also seen a lot of pickles this week. Del Taco launched a fried pickle taco and Saladworks has a new Chicken Pickle Crunch Salad with pickle ranch dressing. 

Then Pat shares her interview with Matt Banton, VP of menu strategy and innovation at Cracker Barrel. He’s been at the chain for less than a year, but hit the ground running, focusing on flavor innovation, building a robust pipeline and making sure the food and drink selection creates memorable guest experiences. This summer’s Campfire Meals are a favorite example of his. 

Chef and restaurateur BJ Lieberman discussed his career evolution, from his time at Husk and Little Pearl in Charleston, SC, and Washington, DC, to the launch of his restaurants in Columbus, Ohio. He opened his first Columbus restaurant, Chapman's Eat Market, at a difficult time — August 2020 — but that restaurant was later listed as one of the most exciting restaurants by the New York Times. He went on to open Ginger Rabbit, a jazz club, and Hiraeth, a fine dining restaurant, which he recently reopened as Metsi’s, a more casual Italian spot. BJ and guest host Gloria Dawson discuss how timing and larger changes outside of your control can impact a restaurant.   

Luckin Coffee is a massive concept based in China that is widely regarded as Starbucks’ chief global rival, although it just recently arrived in the United States. 

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business and co-host of Menu Talk, checked out one of the two New York locations, ordered a pineapple-and-coconut drink, and gave her impressions of the place: The drink was tasty, and the venue was small and takeout-focused.

Co-host Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, also had a busy week of trying food and beverage, including participating in a pastrami taste test.

David Burke, celebrity chef and inventor many years ago of salmon pastrami, has a new traditional pastrami at his restaurant Park Avenue Kitchen. He thought it was pretty good, so he invited restaurateurs, food writers, including Bret, influencers, etc. to come to the restaurant and do a blind tasting against the big-name NYC pastrami purveyors, including Sarge’s, 2nd Avenue Deli, Katz’s, and Carnegie Deli.

Whose pastrami won? Listen to this week’s podcast and find out.

And also listen to Bret’s interview with Tyler Florence, chef-owner of Wayfare Tavern, which recently relocated in San Francisco, and Miller & Lux, with locations in San Francisco and Hawaii. Florence shares his thoughts on the post-pandemic evolution of San Francisco, and why he limits his own celebrity chef persona at his restaurants.

Menu launches haven’t slowed down coming off the July 4 holiday weekend. Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality spotted many new items this week.

The beverage category continues to see a lot of action. Bret pointed out Starbucks’ release of a super limited-time Fireworks Frappuccino, a blend of their berry refresher with coconut milk and raspberry pearls topped with strawberry puree and sweet cream cold foam. And Buffalo Wild Wings launched a Mountain Dew Radler combining the branded soft drink and Goose Island beer. There are also new mocktails from Dutch Bros, a prickly pear refresher at Whataburger and a margarita menu upgrade at Condado Tacos.

From sauces to barbecue, our guest this week is Haim Asher, VP of culinary at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, a California-based restaurant with 19 locations. Lucille’s has a smoker in each location, where menu favorites like ribs and brisket cook low and slow. But the menu also offers other Southern specialties, including deviled eggs, the best-selling appetizer. Listen as Chef Asher describes how Lucille’s is keeping up with barbecue’s evolution in the U.S. while honoring its legacy.

Much of the country suffered from a punishing heat wave last week, including New York City, where Menu Talk co-hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, both live.

Earlier in the week, Bret went to Chili’s launch of three new premium frozen Margaritas, made with Patrón tequila, that was held in a heavily air-conditioned room appropriate not just for the beverages, but also for the unearthly temperatures outside (Bret joked that he felt like he was being poached).

Pat discussed an interview with the corporate chef of California Pizza Kitchen about that chain’s new salads, which led to a broader discussion about salad, and about pizza and whether pineapple belongs on it. Bret also pointed out that Mountain Mike’s now has a Hawaiian-themed pizza with mango, something neither co-host can recall seeing on pizza before. 

Next they shared observations about unexpected flavors at chains outside the United States, and Bret went on a tangent about the polarizing tropical fruit durian, which he said tastes like sweetened onion and garlic, but not necessarily in a bad way.

Finally, he introduced John Burns Paterson, the co-owner and operator of Frankies Nashville — an offshoot of the Brooklyn, New York, restaurants of that name. Enjoy the interview.

Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, recorded Menu Talk from Boston, where he checked out some of the city’s restaurants and took a short oyster tasting tour. He stayed at the Lenox Hotel, where Willow & Ivy is the on-premise restaurant.

The two editors also talked about the surge in shakes, beverages and desserts inspired by the TikTok-famous Dubai Chocolate Bar. The viral sensation is impacting menus at Shake Shack, Nick the Greek, Paris Baguette and other concepts, which have recently rolled out items with a combo of chocolate, pistachio cream and kataifi (crisp shreds of toasted phyllo dough)—all components of the chocolate bar.

We then shared an interview with Laura Camerer, senior manager of culinary, supply chain & facilities for Chicago-based Protein Bar & Kitchen. Protein is in high demand, and this fast casual incorporates the nutrient into many menu items as well as its name. Listen as Chef Camerer describes how she recently expanded the menu with eight smoothies and bowls while adding just two new ingredients to the pantry, and how steak is figuring into her next menu launch.

Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, joined the podcast fresh off of a trip to Las Vegas where he attended Starbucks’ Leadership Experience 2025, where 14,000 managers from the coffeehouse chain, as well as its top executives and other leaders, gathered to reinvigorate the brand, which has faced declining sales for the past year, making it an outlier in the otherwise booming coffeehouse segment. 

Bret shared some of Starbucks’ latest operational initiatives and discussed some of the new menu items he tried, including a layered “strato” Frappuccino, and a raspberry croissant, which he said was a foreshadowing of the raspberry syrup that was being brought back this summer.

Pat shared her observations of the latest trendy items of the week, including mocktails at Einstein Bros Bagels, tortilla-crusted chicken strips at Taco Bell, and a variety of new ranch dressings — both Taco Bell and Chipotle have new avocado ranch sauces — and seasonal barbecue-themed items. That led to a conversation between the two hosts about the proliferation of sauces, which are highly impactful in terms of taste and fairly easy to use operationally, both important factors in these times of expensive labor and declining traffic.

Then Bret shared his interview with Jonathon Sawyer, chef of Kindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails, a restaurant in Chicago’s Willis Tower.

McDonald’s had been teasing the return of its chicken Snack Wraps on social media, but Popeyes beat them to the punch with the launch of similar wraps of their own. 

That was the big menu news this week that was discussed by hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality.

Bret disdained the term “chicken wars” to describe the scenario: It’s the sale of food to customers, which in no way resembles the horrors of war. Nonetheless, people do enjoy referring to the situation that wy, so there you have it.

In other food news, several chains rolled out cookies this week, including a new lemon cookie from Jimmy John’s, chocolate chip cookies enrobing Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Oreos from Great American Cookies and an Espresso Martini-inspired cookie at Chip City Cookies that was only available for the June 6-7 weekend. There were also several beverage introductions of note, particularly Starbucks’ new Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso.

Then the co-hosts discussed the trend of pizza regionalization, particularly Connecticut’s push to attract New Yorkers to the suburbs to try that state’s coal-fired pies. That led them to Pat’s interview with Bret Lunsford, executive chef and culinary director of Sally’s Apizza, a small chain based in Connecticut, who has expanded the menu with creative pizza toppings, salads, and more. Give a listen.

Peaches, guava and Persian flavors are trending on menus this week, according to Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, co-hosts of the Menu Talk podcast.

Bret observed that peach-themed drinks are making a comeback this summer. Chick-fil-A returned its Peach Milkshake for the 16th year and added a new Peach Frosted Lemonade, and Pat reported that Piada Italian Street Food, a much smaller chain, launched a cooling Peach Basil Fresca. 

The beverage side of the menu continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Guava, a less-familiar fruit in the U.S., is moving into the mainstream. Bret pointed out that Dunkin’ introduced a guava, orange and passion fruit refresher, and A&W has a guava, orange and passion fruit freeze on the menu. 

On the casual-dining front, Texas Roadhouse just rolled out a line of tropical-flavored mocktails, the chain’s first foray into zero-proof cocktails.

We mentioned previously how pistachio is getting more play in both food and drinks, and Pat noted that Nick the Greek is highlighting the flavor in a frozen yogurt dessert later this summer. It’s called Pistachio Cream “Dubai Chocolate” Froyo and is a takeoff on the decadent Dubai Chocolate Bar that is a viral sensation on TikTok. Which spurred a discussion on whether frozen yogurt is making a comeback. Tune in to find out.

Persian food seems to be emerging as a Middle Eastern niche, even in fast casual. Dig teamed up with a Persian-American content creator to put a Sumac Yogurt and Chicken Plate on the menu, and halvah is flavoring coffee at The Caffe by Mr. Espresso.

Danny Grant, chef-partner in Maple Hospitality Group.

Our guest this week is Danny Grant, chef-partner in Maple Hospitality Group, which operates three Maple & Ash Steakhouses in Chicago, Scottsdale and Miami. The newest in Miami has in-house dry-aging equipment and offers the Sundae Tower, an extravagant shareable dessert inspired by Grant’s mom. Listen as he shares the secrets behind Maple & Ash’s signatures and his passion for all things culinary.

Bret and guest co-host Heather Lalley discuss the latest food and beverage trends and share an interview with Susan Bae, executive pastry chef of Moon Rabbit in Washington, D.C.

With the National Restaurant Show in the rearview mirror, Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, welcomed a guest co-host to the podcast, Heather Lalley, managing editor of sister publications Restaurant Business, Supermarket News, and CSP Daily News. 

With an expert in the retail space joining the show, Bret and Heather discussed the increasing presence of drinks made with cannabis in that channel. There was also an entire section at the Restaurant Show dedicated to those drinks, with both hosts visited with enthusiasm, and Heather also sat in on a presentation on the potentially thorny legal issues around cannabis, regulations of which vary from state to state.

They also discussed some of the plant-based options at the show, which are of particular importance to Heather, who’s a pescatarian. Often the meatless options she’s presented with at meals, though tasty, tend to lack protein, being made with ingredients such as cauliflower and mushrooms. 

Then Bret shared an interview with Susan Bae, the executive pastry chef of Moon Rabbit, a Vietnamese-inspired restaurant in Washington, D.C.

The annual National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago concluded Tuesday, and both editors spent the last four days walking the Show floor, sampling food and drinks from the thousands of exhibitors, recording podcasts and video interviews and attending events.

Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, was on stage at the 2025 MenuMasters awards Saturday, handing out awards to this year’s eight restaurant and chef recipients at a gala celebration held at Morgan Manufacturing. 

Michelin-starred chefs Dominque Crenn and Curtis Duffy were both honored, the former inducted into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame and the latter recognized as MenuMasters 2025 Innovator. Culinary directors from chains including Wendy’s, Chili’s, True Food Kitchen, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant also received awards for menu innovation. And restaurateur and social media expert Alexandra Lourdes won for Digital Innovation.

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, also attended the event and was impressed how all the awardees acknowledged the importance of team collaboration to menu innovation. 

She also enjoyed a number of bites and sips on the Show floor. Standouts included the avocado toast bar at Avocados from Mexico, an everything bagel-seasoned brie from the California cheese booth and a pistachio latte made with pistachio milk at the Campbell’s booth. Speaking of non-dairy milk, Pat tried fermented oat milk that is processed into 2-D printed sheets that simply have to be rehydrated. It’s a high-tech, sustainable solution by  Milkadamia, a plant-based milk company.

Bret and Pat were judges for the National Restaurant Show’s Food and Beverage Innovation awards and had the pleasure of honoring the recipients on Monday, as they all came up to the Beverage Room stage for recognition and photo ops.

This week’s operator interview is with Kyle Knall, chef-owner of Birch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before moving to Milwaukee to be closer to family, Knall earned his culinary chops under celebrated chef Frank Stitt in Birmingham, Alabama, and at Gramercy Tavern in New York. Birch’s casual vibe and inspired, locally sourced menu have turned it into a popular dining destination. Another restaurant is in the works in Milwaukee’s Third Ward historic district. Listen to Knall’s culinary journey, mission and plans for the future.

Ube, the photogenic purple sweet potato from the Philippines, has been trending gradually in the United States. It got a boost recently when it made it onto the menu of the three Starbucks Reserve Roastery locations in Chicago, New York, and Seattle where it’s added to a coconut cold foam and spooned over an Espresso Martini.

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed the ube phenomenon, which also came up in Pat’s conversation with the operators of Tous Les Jours, a Korean-based pastry concept that’s growing quickly in the United States. Pat said they see ube and another trending Asian ingredient, matcha, as points of distinction for the brand.

Speaking of trends and Korean food, Bret went to a preview of a collab between fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen and fine-dining Korean steakhouse Cote. Sweetgreen has collaborated with fine-dining chefs in the past, including Dan Barber of Blue Hill and Nancy Silverton of Mozza, and this new one features Korean sauces and marinades that are used in three limited-time offers: Two salads and a more substantial plate.

The LTOs expand on Sweetgreen’s introduction of steak last year—another trend in fast-casual restaurants. While chicken, always popular, is gaining even further traction at limited-service restaurants, Pat and Bret discussed how steak really shines as LTOs, including these new ones at Sweetgreen and the Steak Stroganoff at Noodles & Company, which was discussed during that chain’s recent earnings call as a reason for the fast casual’s relative success during the first quarter. 

Bret also sampled the returning Campfire menu at Cracker Barrel. It’s become a harbinger of summer for the chain, which this year added a shrimp skillet with andouille sausage to the lineup. 

Bret also shared an interview with Indian chef Rasika Venkatesa, the former chef de cuisine of Mourad in San Francisco, who is now in New York City operating a series of pop-ups called Mythili, named for her grandmother. Venkatesa discussed her approach to cooking Indian food, and shared how she collected recipes from villagers from throughout the state of Tamil Nadu.

Cinco de Mayo is now in the rearview mirror, and restaurant chains are focusing on new tie-ins. Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, noted the launch of Sonic’s Unicorn Dreams Slush, a bubbly, bright pink drink that comes with a choice of four color-changing straws. It’s perfectly positioned for Instagram, as many new menu items are lately.

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, commented that beverages continue to be a hotbed of menu innovation.  Pizza also saw some action this week, with both Mellow Mushroom and &pizza debuting taco-inspired pies. 

Bret also pointed out the return of chicken and waffles to KFC and barbecue sandwiches at Shake Shack. At the latter, there’s a chicken sandwich and burger, each with a choice of either the Shake Shack’s signature barbecue sauce or a new Carolina-style flavor profile. Along with a new campfire s’mores shake and lemonade drinks, this is a menu that’s anticipating summer. 

Then we shared an interview with Mark Boyton, VP of global food & beverage for Puttshack, a mini-golf eatertainment concept with 16 locations. Boyton is an experienced restaurant chef and is intent on elevating Puttshack’s food, cocktails, beer and wine. Instead of the usual nachos and wings, the menu features globally inspired small plates and local flavors. Listen as he shares the tasty details.

Lots of LTOs and permanent menu items launched recently, as innovation accelerates. Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, started with the big news: Crispy Chicken Strips are now on McDonald’s permanent menu—the mega-chain’s first new menu item since 2022. 

Arby’s continues its LTO collaborations with celebs, this time partnering with Cedric The Entertainer and Anthony Anderson, slathering the comedians’ line of barbecue sauces on a brisket and pulled pork sandwich. And Cava introduced a spicy variation on its fan-favorite pita chips—Hot Harissa.

Pat had a first taste of a couple of sweets from soon-to-open Cinnabon Swirl, a dual-branded Cinnabon-Carvel concept from GoTo Foods. The highlight is a Bonini, an ice cream sandwich made with two cinnamon roll slices with a disc of Carvel vanilla in the middle. It’s placed in a panini press for 15 seconds and comes out all gooey—in a good way.

Bret attended a 4/20 party at Red Lobster, learning that the chain’s Cheddar Biscuits are a popular munchie for stoners. Instead of passing out joints, Red Lobster served cocktails featuring Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's gin mixed with orange juice, pineapple juice and guava juice with a garnish of Skittles on the side of the glass. There’s a recurring candy theme here.

Our guest this week is Jay Kumar, chef-owner of Lore in Brooklyn, N.Y. He specializes in the cuisine of the Malabar coast with masala dosas a signature, but the restaurant has a diverse and interesting menu. Give a listen.

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor at Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, together moderated a menu innovation panel at the Restaurant Leadership Conference last Monday in Phoenix. Participants included operators from Popeyes, Noodle’s & Company, Potbelly, Applebee’s and Velvet Taco, and we heard a lot about what’s in the works and what’s to come.

At RLC, we also heard from Kevin Hochman, CEO of Chili’s and our Restaurant Leader of the Year. He chatted about a lot of things on stage, including the Big QP Burger, Chili’s quarter-pound burger that launched that day. It’s a clear swipe at McDonald’s, and as a special introductory deal, it comes with fries and a soft drink for $10.99.

Then we shared an interview with Bob Johnston, CEO of The Melting Pot, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. When the restaurant chain started, there were only three fondues on the menu: beef, cheese and chocolate. 

Johnston, who began as a dishwasher at The Melting Pot, talked about how the menu has since expanded, with on-trend items like seafood and veggie fondues, a brie and fig variation, and steak fondue with mango-habanero sauce. There is also a full bar with craft cocktails and a varied wine selection, a far cry from Michelob—the only beer option back in the ‘70s. Listen as we hear how The Melting Pot has evolved but is still offering an interactive dining experience, which is exactly what many guests want these days when they visit a restaurant. 

Hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, had a busy week going to chain restaurants’ promotional events in New York City.

Pat had high tea featuring Portillo’s menu items, and Bret went to a preview of the first United States location of Chinese chain Pull-Tab Coffee, whose signature menu item is a sort of reversed iced cappuccino: Coffee foam on top of milk on the rocks. 

He also went to Bar Tender, a two-day pop-up in Brooklyn created by Wingstop, featuring the chain’s upgraded, crunchier chicken tenders in 12 different flavors (he didn’t try them all, but he did his best).

They also discussed the big chain news of Wendy’s new Frosty options. They can now be blended with syrups, and starting in May there will be mix-ins available — like Dairy Queen Blizzards.

Also big news: McDonald’s has upgraded its lemonade, doing away with Minute Maid (although its orange juice is still in stock), and replacing it with a beverage of lemon juice, lemon pulp and sugar. 

Then Bret shared an interview with Juan and Gee Smalls, the owners of three-unit Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar in Atlanta, featuring the food of the Gullah and Geechee people of the coastal areas from North Carolina to Georgia. They’re first-time restaurateurs, motivated by what they saw as a need for venues owned and operated by Black gay people. The couple discuss their learning process and plans for the future.