Intelligence Briefs

A weekly compendium of food and drink-related news stories gathered from a variety of sources here and around the world. Published every Monday morning.

Intelligence Briefs

On the Sommeliers of Everything and How to Properly Complain In a Restaurant

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia consumes a great whisky list and has a laugh with Seth Meyers.

Intelligence Briefs

On the New Canadian Culinary Champion and the Return of Tableside Service

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia digs into homemade bread and looks at the politics of serving people in MAGA hats.

Intelligence Briefs

On Never Putting Parsley in Your Junk and the Genius of Italy’s Perfect Ingredient

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia hears tell of tidy kitchens and tries to imagine Donald Trump buying groceries.

Intelligence Briefs

On Instagram Closing Restaurants and Banning Solo Women From Barstools

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia remembers the Great Molasses Flood and finds a chef doing what's right.

Intelligence Briefs

On Corona’s Right to Be Pissed and the Bizarre Diet of President Richard M. Nixon

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia gets to the bottom of gabagool and learns what BC diners are really like.

Intelligence Briefs

On the Scourge of Fake Whisky and Wonderfully Terrible Restaurant Reviews

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia learns some food rules and wonders at the future of the term "organic".

Intelligence Briefs

On Ratty Trainwrecks and the Role of the Restaurant as a Political Space

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia returns from holidays with new lists, new predictions, and a tale of vermin woe.

Intelligence Briefs

On Kentucky Fried Christmas and an Arbiter of Truth Considering the Hot Dog a Taco

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia takes a long sip of punch and looks at food trends on the way out.

Intelligence Briefs

On the World’s Diversity of Funeral Foods and the Coming Extinction of the Black Truffle

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia learns of food-based myths, the year's best cocktails and more.

Intelligence Briefs

On Unopened Bottles of Trump Vodka and the Responsibilities of Food Journalists

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia learns of inchworm bandits, 'best of' lists and why Christmas trees need pickles.

Intelligence Briefs

On Stealing Butter and Canada’s Consequential Cultural Disdain For Fine Dining

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia worries over romaine and learns the lowdown on canned tomatoes.

Intelligence Briefs

On Trump Sandwiches, Creepy Donuts and Upcoming Vancouver Restaurants

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds meth in mashed potatoes and a pay-what-you-can revenue model.

Intelligence Briefs

On Eating Up Election Cake and Drinking Beer in Fancy Cocktail Bars

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds hot dogs being tested and restaurants turned into offices.

Intelligence Briefs

On Upcoming Restaurants, Champion Tippers and What It Was Like Working With Bourdain

In Talia's latest read of the food and drink headlines, we learn of venerable barkeeps, long lost dive bars and so much more.

Intelligence Briefs

On Pairing Wine With Candy and enRoute’s Picks For Canada’s Best New Restaurants

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia gets tempted by American dive bars and Halloween chocolate bars.

Intelligence Briefs

On Delivering Pizzas of Kindness and the Last Words of a Beloved Food Critic

In her latest read of the world's food and drink headlines, Talia finds the power of pie and how to eat on public transit.

Intelligence Briefs

On Sommeliers Behaving Badly and Restaurants Getting Sexually Suggestive

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia learns about Vij's taking reservations and Stephen Miller eating glue.

Intelligence Briefs

On Sending Steaks Back and Making Fake Dinner Reservations for Horrible People

In her latest read of the food an drink headlines, Talia finds drunk birds wreaking havoc and the end of a legend in Tokyo.

Intelligence Briefs

On the Coming Trouble With Bacon and How Hard It Is to Be a Bouncer

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds perfect coffee drinking light and an ode to the humble anchovy.

Intelligence Briefs

On Hotboxing Lobsters to Death and the Archaeology of Brewing in the Holy Land

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds avocados jumping sharks, a Pickle Juice Kool-Aid Sangria and much more.

Intelligence Briefs

On 19th Century Food Trucks and Finding Where All the Fish Have Been Hiding

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia learns of bagel wars and another reason to bar Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court.

Intelligence Briefs

On Finding Cheap Michelin Eats and Donald Trump’s Loathing of Tiki Bars

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia tempts the culinary fates and learns of an odd strategy to make old fish look fresh.

Intelligence Briefs

On Prohibition Drinks in Bombay and France Going to War With Britain Over Food (Again)

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia tries to understand the ramen beer trend and binge-watching food shows.

Intelligence Briefs

On Hot Coffee Falling From the Sky and Banning Children From Restaurants

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia sees rekindled love for the mojito and yearns for a coffee-delivering drone.

Intelligence Briefs

On Ancient Alewives and What You Think About the Drink of Douchebags Being True

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia learns about cherry-spitting athletes and the beer that angered a burger giant.

Intelligence Briefs

On Dealing With the Foodie Asshole at Your Table and Why You Can’t Just Eat a Single Oreo

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds Bill Murray misbehaving and alt-right conspiracy theories ruining donuts.

Intelligence Briefs

On Servers Returning Stolen Cash and Last Call for Deep-Fried Monstrosities

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia guffaws at Gordon Ramsay and learns about the etymological origins of some of her favourite cocktail names.

Intelligence Briefs

On Why Stinky Cheese Stinks and Being Short-Staffed During Patio Season

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds tales of sexual harassment and remembrances of Jonathan Gold.