The World's 10 Weirdest Eats

From onion blossoms to overhyped chefs, these things need to go away

(NEWSER) - Asked to name the decade's worst dining trends, chefs and other food experts couldn't shut up. There were too many (including "mache, water sommeliers, organ-meat entrees, unisex bathrooms, bacon tattoos on chefs, over-flaunted kitchen burns, chefs tables") for Christopher Borrelli to list them all, but he hits the top 10 in the Chicago Tribune:

• Fried onion blossoms: Too sweaty, too greasy, too little onion, and too much fried stuff.
• The $40 entree: When your neighborhood bistro has hit these heights, it's time to say enough is enough.

New York's most terrifying critic recalls his weight struggle

(NEWSER) - Frank Bruni endured a lifelong struggle with his weight, veering close to 300 pounds before getting a handle on it—and going on to a 5-year reign as New York City’s most feared food critic. Though his New York Times job required him to sample the city’s most decadent dishes, he found that “being a restaurant critic helped me maintain weight and not gain weight,” he tells Salon in an interview about his new book, Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater. More»

Rising culinary star left posh restaurant for rescue mission

(NEWSER) - At California’s Bay Area Rescue Mission, the homeless dine on grilled artichokes with garlic sherry vinaigrette or vegetable soup with creme fraiche, thanks to the culinary talents of Tim Hammack. The chef left a renowned French bistro to cook at the rescue mission. “I was cooking for very wealthy people and people of means,” he tells NPR. “But I just had a passion for people who didn’t have means.” More»

Long thought inferior to reds, greens are finally getting respect from chefs

(NEWSER) - It looks so innocent, but foodies far and wide detest the green bell pepper. One veggie-loving chef has never served a green pepper in her restaurant; Alice Waters of Chez Panisse calls them “a mistake.” The sweeter red version traditionally gets all the love, but some are starting to come around, the New York Times reports. “It brings freshness to the plate,” says one farmer. More»

They admit their last indulgence to Esquire

(NEWSER) - Sure, fast food gets a bad rap. But even famous chefs cop to eating it, and Esquire has the details. You may notice a certain theme:

• Alton Brown: Chick-Fil-A, last week
• Tyler Florence: In-N-Out double-double burger, the other day