Welcome to Open Tab, a weekly roundup of the news, gossip, and stories that have stayed open in my tabs all week. Last time we covered The World’s First 3 Michelin Star Mexican Restaurant.
And we’re back! How did you spend our two-week Open Tab hiatus? I spent our short break in coastal Connecticut where I ate more lobster rolls than any single person should. Generally, I try to grab lobster rolls from whichever beat-up roadside spot is nearest to the water. But I broke my own rule at Mystic’s Oyster Club and was glad I did—there, the hot lobster roll arrives with an exceptional savory-sweet rhubarb butter.
Other things I tried this week: A progressive Thai tasting menu at the newish Hed NYC (good!) and the very hot influencer favorite Loonen water (unremarkable!). You should also know that The Rizzler appeared on Subway Takes with a screed against peanut butter. If zero words in that sentence make sense to you, congratulations, you have a healthy, working brain.
This week, Thomas Keller’s Restaurant Group paid a $2 million settlement this week in a federal sexual assault lawsuit. It’s not the first lawsuit the company has faced this year. In March, a former employee at Keller’s French Laundry brought a suit against the company over wage disputes.
Also this week: The James Beard Foundation eyes new host cities for its awards program, the cyclospora parasite outbreak has us all worried about what’s safe to eat, a brisket sandwich debate gets out of control, and we meet the people who stand in lines for a living.
Where will the James Beard Awards be in 2029?
Since 2015, the James Beard Awards have been held in Chicago, and over more than a decade they’ve become nearly synonymous with the city. Every year chefs, bartenders, and other miscellaneous food folks flock to the Windy City hoping to win one of the culinary world’s highest honors.
The Beards are a big deal for restaurants and chefs, but they’re also a big deal for the city of Chicago—and Chicago’s contract with the James Beard Foundation ends in 2028. Now the foundation is on the hunt for the next city, which will host the awards starting in 2029.
According to reporting shared by the James Beard Foundation, the awards bring in $8.3 million in direct spending, and more than a $1 million in state and local tax revenue. That could be major funding for a lot of cities. And, if the ever-expanding Michelin guide is any indication, cities will pay big bucks to create the kind of buzz that draws tourism and recognition.
Breaking: Everything is terrible
This week General Mills recalled nearly a million Pillsbury bread rolls because they may contain glass. Throughout parts of the Midwest and in the Northeast, skies have been clouded over with wildfire smoke. And you’ve probably heard that the parasite cyclospora is making people across the country sick—although New York restaurants, at least, still seem to be slinging salads with their usual vigor.
The parasite is often found on berries, lettuce, snow peas, and other produce. While our infectious disease expert, Peter Chin-Hong, MD, says it’s best to be wary of fresh produce if you’re living in an area with many cases of cyclosporiasis, you don’t need to cut out it out altogether. Fruits and vegetables that you peel before eating—bananas and avocados, for example—are mostly safe as long as you wash the produce and your hands before eating.
We’ve got more questions answered in the full (unpaywalled!) article, which you can read here—stay safe out there folks!
The brisket debate heard round the world
At the Los Angeles restaurant Yerord Mas, the basturma brisket sandwich costs $38 dollars. Does that seem expensive for a single sandwich? Would it change your mind to know that the sandwich is made with about a half pound of Wagyu beef? What about if I mentioned it’s slathered with a Gruyère mornay sauce?
After creator Richie Gaines posted a less-than-favorable review, which gained some traction online, owner Arthur Grigoryan declared he’d no longer serve the sandwich. Suddenly, the internet was ablaze. Was it overpriced? Was it worth it? Commenters went back and forth debating the sandwich, its merits, and what food deserves a high price tag. “It looks like a war,” Grigoryan told the Los Angeles Times. “Half the people are defending us, and then the other half are just like, ‘Oh, they're hiding behind the curtain of culture to justify the price.’”
After a deluge of messages and calls begging him to reinstate the sandwich on his menu, Grigoryan began serving it once more. Now, he told the Times, it’s once again the restaurant’s top-selling dish.
How much would you pay to have someone stand in line for you?
If you’ve read an edition of Open Tab before (and I certainly hope you have), you’ll know that I have a lot of feelings about lines. Namely: I love good food as much as the next guy (maybe more?), but I am loathe to stand in a line. Why spend your one wild and precious life, I find myself asking, standing behind some schmuck?
But what if someone else could stand in line for you? It’s not a new idea, per se—around the hazy Obama years, line standers queued for iPhones and Cronuts—but it’s one that’s been fueling Same Old Dude Lines for nearly 15 years. You can also source line standers from sites like Task Rabbit, which is where I found Catherin A., who proudly boasts that she “will wait in line even in the most random situations!” One wonders what random situations Catherin A. has waited for in the past (Madonna Club Confessions ticket queue? Whole Foods cashier line on Thanksgiving morning?).
Readers, can we all promise each other that we’ll try our best to eschew lines and simply cling to our Resy notifies for dear life?
Facts Only
* The author ate lobster rolls in coastal Connecticut.
* The author tried a progressive Thai tasting menu at Hed NYC.
* The author noted the Rizzler appeared on Subway Takes with a peanut butter screed.
* Thomas Keller’s Restaurant Group paid a $2 million settlement in a federal sexual assault lawsuit this week.
* A former employee at Keller’s French Laundry sued the company over wage disputes in March.
* The James Beard Foundation is seeking new host cities for its awards program.
* The awards program will begin in 2029.
* The James Beard Awards have been held in Chicago since 2015.
* The awards bring in $8.3 million in direct spending and over $1 million in state and local tax revenue.
* A General Mills recall of nearly a million Pillsbury bread rolls occurred this week due to potential glass contamination.
* The cyclospora parasite is associated with produce like berries, lettuce, and snow peas.
* A brisket sandwich at Yerord Mas cost $38 and was made with about half a pound of Wagyu beef.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The narrative balances high-profile legal and financial news with everyday consumer anxieties regarding food safety and social behavior. The contrast between the massive corporate settlement involving Keller's and the localized, personal food debates—like the brisket sandwich pricing—reveals a tension between systemic accountability and individual experience. The discussion around queues introduces a subtle critique of modern life's reliance on waiting, framing patience as an elusive commodity rather than a neutral state. The public health warning regarding cyclospora exposure against the backdrop of high-end culinary pursuits suggests a dissonance: systems are addressing large-scale biological threats while individuals focus on curated sensory experiences. This juxtaposition hints at a pattern where complex social and environmental realities are often filtered through highly consumable, anecdotal narratives designed for immediate engagement.
Bridge Questions: How does the tension between systemic financial accountability (the settlement) and micro-level food safety concerns (parasites) reflect broader societal priorities? What role does the framing of public waiting as an inconvenience serve in contemporary cultural narratives? If we accept the premise that high-value experiences require high barriers to entry (expensive food, long lines), what shifts would be necessary to foster a shared sense of collective agency over these structures?
Sentinel — Human
The text exhibits strong signs of a human writer establishing an engaging, personal voice while weaving in current events and food commentary, indicating a journalistic or opinion-based editorial style rather than pure synthetic generation.