Hard to Swallow: 8 Taboo Delicacies

(NEWSER) - You might suspect a sushi restaurant that doesn’t specify what sort of tuna you’re eating of trying to pawn off an inferior species. Not so. Researchers using novel DNA barcoding technology found that though nearly a third of tuna sold in 31 US restaurants was the prized—and endangered—bluefin. But just 8 of the 22 bluefin samples were accurately labeled. More»

Pies in new 'stratosphere of respect'

(NEWSER) - In recent years, a new culture has developed around pizza: “It’s scrutinized and fetishized, with a Palin-esque power to polarize,” writes Frank Bruni in the New York Times. That means debates over oven types, varieties of flour, the virtues of buffalo mozzarella. The new “stratosphere of respect” for the pies is reflected in countless classy new restaurants that have sprung up all over New York. More»

Esquire lists the hottest trends you'll be seeing at a bar near you

(NEWSER) - If you’re going to consume conspicuously, you may as well imbibe in style. Esquire distills eight drinking trends coming to a bar near you:

• The Enomatic, a high-end wine vending machine. This auto-sommelier pours a perfect glass every time, leading some bars to cut out the middleman (in this case, the bartender) and let you help yourself.

Chef served dangerous dish without license, cops say

(AP) - World travelers, take note. Blowfish testicles prepared by an unauthorized chef have sickened seven diners in northern Japan, three of whom remain hospitalized. The owner of the Tsuruoka restaurant had no license to serve blowfish and was being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence. Blowfish poison, called tetrodotoxin, is nearly 100 times more poisonous than potassium cyanide. It can kill in 90 minutes. More»

With 12-15% slump forecast in fine dining for '09, some close down, others plug deals

(NEWSER) - Lean times are perhaps leanest in the restaurant business, and fine-dining establishments are bracing for a particularly tough year while improvising strategies to remain afloat, the Wall Street Journal reports. Sales, $7 billion last year, are expected to plummet 12-15%; the industry could shed 12,000-18,000 restaurants, a 2-3% decline compared to usual growth of 1-2%. More»