Starbucks founder Howard Schultz got very little love after announcing his inclination to run as an independent for President of the USA.

Filmmaker Michael Moore is asking that we boycott the coffee company until the former CEO agrees not to throw his hat in the ring.

Honour is due to Ottawa-Gatineau chef Yannick LaSalle of Les Fougères restaurant who just bested 10 of the best toques in the country to win the gruelling Canadian Culinary Championships:

“I am so happy I just can’t stop smiling,” the 31-year-old chef at the Chelsea, Que. fine-dining restaurant said after his victory. “My team did a great job and I’m so honoured to be here.”

In an interview, LaSalle attributed his win to working with the freshest ingredients possible and putting as much love and positivism in every step. “I feel that if I’m negative, the food I cook won’t be as good,” he said. “I knew this was going to be challenging but my main goal was to have fun and enjoy every moment.”

In addition to the prestige of winning, LaSalle will receive a trip to West Africa or South America to visit a Cacao Barry chocolate plantation.

LaSalle qualified to compete in Kelowna by besting nine Ottawa chefs last October at the Ottawa edition of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, the fundraiser formerly known at Gold Medal Plates.

This week in food and drink podcasts: Gastropod recounts how Jack Daniel’s white washed its history by writing out the enslaved man who taught the founder the craft of distillation.

“For much of the brand’s 150-plus years, the story went that the young Jack Daniel learned his trade from a pastor named Dan Call. In reality, he was taught to distill by an enslaved African, Nearest Green, whose contributions had been written out of history.”

Mind the toothpick! How the tiny wooden spear holding together that sandwich can wreak havoc on your digestive system if accidentally consumed.

Surprise surprise! A former Mar-a-Lago employee is suing the Trump company for wrongful dismissal after he supported two colleagues who experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

A look back at Mosquito — the cozy and romantic dessert bar in Gastown that quietly closed its doors last August.

After years of mass production, delicious, crusty, homemade bread is making a triumphant return!

The old school practice of tableside service seems to be having a moment in our fair city: CBC reports.

While Fyre Festival laid bare so much of what is wrong with the world, the fundraiser to reimburse the caterer who lost her savings to d-bag extraordinaire Bill McFarland offers a glimmer of hope.

Only in Florida: a Taco Bell is shut down after a couple who spent the day “magnet fishing” caught a grenade and brought it to the fast food joint before calling the police.

Eating via Instagram this week goes to @pearlthefoodie because while there may be snow on the ground, there’s no better way to will the city into warmer days than with a handful of ice cream:

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A post shared by Pearl Lok | Vancouver Foodie (@pearlthefoodie) on Feb 1, 2019 at 6:48pm PST

From a fried chicken sandwich and duck confit to sour pork noodles, Chef Juno Kim loves good food and shares a few of his favourite spots to hit up around town.

It might be a bit of a pain in the ass to make, but clear ice does have its merits: Robert Simonson explains.

Everybody can calm the f*ck down now: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt isn’t going anywhere!

SweetHearts will be hard to come by this Valentine’s Day after the closing of the New England Confectionery Co.. Of course, if you’re ok with eating year-old candy…then by all means, stock up!

“SweetHearts, the colorful, heart-shaped candies with sugary messages like “Kiss Me” and “My Love” will be scarce this year. If you’re lucky enough to find them, they’ll be from last year’s batch.”

It seems Ariana Grande missed the memo about not getting tattoos in a language you, yourself, can’t read.

If there was ever a list of foods you should never try, ketchup caviar may just take the number one spot.

This week in food and politics: one restaurant owner grapples with what it means to serve (or not serve) MAGA hat-wearing patrons.

From a total ban to a cash grab, here is a detailed history of popcorn’s journey in and out of movie theatres.

“When silent films came out, the theater managers banned popcorn because the noise and the smell would distract moviegoers from keeping up with the plot.”

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