Contributor: Talia Kleinplatz
Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Talia Kleinplatz fell in love with food at the apron strings of her mother and grandmother whose kitchens wafted the intoxicating aromas of fresh dill, homemade pies and painstakingly slow-cooked brisket. She completed her degrees at Concordia and McGill, graduating with a Master’s in Social Work in 2009. Her six years in Montreal taught her to eat well but it was her move to Vancouver in 2011 that taught her to drink well. In 2013 she launched her award-winning cocktail blog, Two For The Bar. She lives in South Granville with her husband and her three-legged, curmudgeonly cat.
On Who’s Allowed to Dine Out Together and Home Cooks Suffering From Culinary Burnout
In her latest read of the food and drink news, Talia finds a pile of donuts and a veteran food writer feeling bummed out.
On Restaurant Bailouts and Anti-Maskers Threatening Hospitality Workers With Violence
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia Kleinplatz finds new restaurant models and people being the worst.
On Ghost Kitchen Futures and Putting Portland’s Restaurant Scene Out of Its Misery
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds extra comfort and plenty of pandemic pop-ups.
On Fearing Another Restaurant Lockdown and the Prospect of Running out of Butter
In her latest read of the food and drink news, Talia finds winter markets and racism in restaurant dress codes.
On Restaurant Critics Going Back to Work and Ghost Kitchens Working Chefs to the Bone
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds smaller turkeys and trouble in the Court of Master Sommeliers.
On Going Down in Flames and the Attractive Escape of the High End Dining Experience
In her latest read of the food and drink news, Talia learns about Coffee Crisp and of local chefs leaving the city for good.
On Seattle’s Restaurant Ruins and the Hidden Threat to Hospitality Professionals
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds hospitality on the brink and diners making odd choices.
On Fine Dining’s New Directions and Reserving Patio Tables During Snowstorms
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds trouble in Toronto and a bar scene that needs to change.
On Sugary Bread, Sexist Drink Writers and How to Spot Indoor Dining Risks
In his latest read of the food and drink news, Talia finds beloved eateries closing for good and Canadian cities shutting down again.
On Floridian Insanity and Awarding Restaurants for Public Safety Measures
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds people baking weird things and stockpiling refrigerators.
On New Restaurant Surcharges and How Covid Is Changing the Lives of Hospitality Workers
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia learns of street vendor bummers and the wintry patio season to come.
On Wildfire Smoke Closing Restaurants and Where the Hospitality Industry Will Be in Five Years
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds new restrictions and Biden's plans for the tipped minimum wage.
On Dinner for Rich People, Tiki Time Bombs and All the Patio Heaters in the World
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds doughnut-style bannock and fewer people Instagramming food.
On Restless Sous Chefs and Imagining a Country With Half As Many Restaurants
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds little relief for an industry navigating increasingly perilous waters.
On Cancelling Food Awards and Favourite Last Meals at Closing Restaurants
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds dire consequences and whispers of a tiki reckoning.
On Food Media Finding New Futures and Restaurants Adapting to Weirdness
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds helpful navigation tools for the uncertainty ahead.
On Intentionally Coughing on Servers and New Rules for Outdoor Drinking
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds food media disparities and party bussers being refused service.
On Digging All the New Spots and Restaurants Hoping There Won’t Be Another Lockdown
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds talk of tipping and restaurants opening and closing.
On Electrocuting Careless Customers and the Costs of Reopening a Restaurant in a Pandemic
In her latest read of the food and drink news, Talia finds new levels of trolling and more toxic work environments exposed.
On Burning Matchsticks and Wondering How Long It Will Take the Restaurant Industry to Recover
In her latest read of the food and drink news, Talia finds reckonings aplenty and local Covid case counts growing.
On Racism in the Wine World and Regulating Street Vendors Without Police
In her latest read of the food & drink headlines, Talia awaits an overdue rebrand and finds restaurant working trying to stay safe.
On Admonishing Cops With No Donuts and Fast Food’s Hollow Declarations of Solidarity
The hospitality industry continues to make moves towards recovery as protests against police brutality and racial injustice rage.
On the Scourge of Racism in Hospitality and Navigating Routes Towards Equality
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia focuses on the ongoing global protests against racism and inequality.
On Thomas Jefferson’s Slave Chef and the Slow Reopening of the World’s Restaurants
In her latest read of the food/drink headlines, Talia finds an uncertain immediate future for hospitality both at home and abroad.
On Getting Ready to Reopen Restaurants and the Long, Hard Road Ahead
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds contrasting reopening schemes and predictions.
On Farmers Destroying Food and Seeking Ways to Safely Reopen the Restaurant Industry
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds new patio options and farmers destroying food.
On the End of Foodora and the Race to Reopen a Broken Restaurant Industry
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia learns of impending shortages and finds some silver linings in the darkness.
On Cautious Optimism and Chain Restaurants Hogging the Government Cheese
In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia wonders at government help and what's permanent in the new normal.
