Let's face it: dining out is a totally subjective experience, and I've often wished there were hard and fast rules in place for issues like splitting the bill or whether coat checks should be mandatory. The question du jour? Whether it's OK to bring a birthday cake to a restaurant.I've just turned 30, and I'm celebrating by having dinner with a dozen friends at a small, family-owned ethnic Read more

To kick off the third morning of the NYC Wine & Food Festival, four of the industry's top tastemakers, restaurateurs Mario Batali and Marcus Samuelsson, TV host Andrew Zimmern, and Food & Wine editor in chief Dana Cowin gathered for a panel discussion to talk about what makes the best restaurant experience. They all had plenty to say about the state of dining — especially the jocular Read more

Many new and popular restaurants do not accept reservations. While I understand an establishment's motivations for not taking reservations (it's more convenient, cost efficient, and eliminates the issue of no-shows), it can be incredibly frustrating as a diner to want to eat at a trendy establishment that is known for its long wait. As an avid girl-about-town, I've devised the perfect plan for Read more

We spent last weekend at the San Francisco Street Food Festival and didn't walk away with too much damage to our pockets, but that could be changing. According to SFoodie, the latest event to hit San Francisco is a Street Eats Benefit Gala that'll set attendees back as much as $225. The price tag — which is awfully steep to pay for something coming out of a cart or a truck — got me thinking Read more

San Francisco food festival SF Chefs is in full effect! Yesterday I attended an interesting panel discussion in which many of the Bay Area's most successful restaurateurs talked about what it's like to open an eatery. It was fascinating to learn the things that a restaurateur has to consider. It's not just about finding the right chef; everything from the location to the lease of the building Read more

It turns out that posted calorie counts on restaurant menus aren't always accurate. For those of you watching your weight, this might feel like a major blow, but it doesn't have to be. The next time you dine out, follow these easy tips to keep calories in check. Research the menu before you go A few days before the reservation, check out the restaurant's menu online. It gives you time to assess Read more

Starbucks doesn't just want its coffee drinkers to drop in for joe each morning; it also wants customers to stay for lunch. Today, the coffee company rolled out a new line of Bistro Boxes — all-day meals and snacks under 500 calories with a focus on healthier, more wholesome food — to approximately 5,400 Starbucks locations across the United States and Canada. The target? The 45 percent of Read more

Are you a frequent diner-about-town? If so, it could be making you fat. The USDA has been examining the relationship between restaurant food and obesity, and it turns out that eating just one meal a week outside the home correlates to roughly two extra pounds a year. Non-shocker: in comparison to homemade meals, restaurant portion sizes are larger, higher-calorie, and filled with inexpensive, Read more

For the past 18 or so years, Kate Krader has been the restaurant editor at Food & Wine magazine. If there is anyone who knows about dining trends, it's Kate! After she candidly described a day in her glamorous life, she spoke with us about cocktails, menus, and more. Here's how the conversation went down: YumSugar: You recently came out with Food & Wine Cocktails 2011. What's your Read more

Forget bacon flapjacks, bacon meat loaf, and maple bacon sundaes: Denny's has moved on to lighter pastures with Fit Fare, a new line of lower-calorie options. The items fall under four different classifications: "lean," with less than 15 grams of fat; "light," which comes in under 550 calories; "protein," for items with 20 grams of protein or more; and "fiber," with at least 8 grams of fiber. Read more