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 Complicated History of Curry and the Great Mashed Potato Mystery of Mississippi

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds terrible dining advice and feasts on Game of Thrones.

Intelligence Briefs

On the Millennial Drinking Problem and Dads Stealing All the Girl Scout Cookie Cash

In her latest read of the food and drink news, Talia finds new food court eats and a food writer who thinks hard about word choice.

Intelligence Briefs

On Dive Bars as Endangered Species and Discovering New Ways to Hide Vodka

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds shrooms in marshmallows and good coffee in all the right places

Intelligence Briefs

On Killing the Craft Beer Buzz and Restaurants Asking Guests for Stool Samples

In her latest read of the food and drink news, Talia gets grossed out by a new restaurant concept and looks behind the lens of a famous bartender.

Intelligence Briefs

On Loving Terrible Booze and Setting Venerable French Restaurants on Fire

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia balks at expensive "vintage" water and wonders at pizza-eating pigs.

Intelligence Briefs

On Bad Days With Champagne Towers and Restaurants That Love MAGA Hats

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia revisits the Night Cafe and ponders booze journalism's relationship to social justice.

Intelligence Briefs

On Dinosaur Restaurant Critics and How Politicians Gain from Hospitality Experience

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia sips a Mai Tai and finds a sommelier dissing wine and food pairings.

Intelligence Briefs

On Drinking All the Expensive Whisky and Deep Thoughts on the McRib

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia hears of famous chefs going sober and the origins of our food aversions.

Intelligence Briefs

On Drive-Thru Groceries and Writing About Beer in Ways That Get You Fired

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds a gummy bear monster and a misogynistic clusterf*ck.

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.