David Chang’s Delivery Restaurant Ando Has Shut Down

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Momofuku kingpin David Chang’s delivery-only restaurant experiment Ando is done. Less than two years after launching, the company announced Monday that it’s shutting down both its short-lived fast-casual outpost on 14th street and its app. Instead, Ando’s team is integrating with Uber Eats, but food, such as the cheesesteak and fried chicken, will no longer be available starting today.

On Ando’s website, a statement notes that the company’s “team and technology” will still be playing role in looking at the future of delivery. “Even though we’re saying goodbye, we sincerely appreciate you inviting us into your homes and offices,” an email to customers says. Eater has reached out to Ando and Chang for more information.

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Cash Grants Provide a Lifeline for Houston’s Restaurant Community

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In the days leading up to August 26, 2017, James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu was getting ready to open a restaurant in Houston, Texas. He’d shuttered his iconic restaurant Oxheart earlier that year, and was close to debuting his latest, more casual concept Theodore Rex. But when Hurricane Harvey made landfall, those plans changed immediately. As the storm hit Houston, Yu’s building near Downtown was flooded with water.

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Ax-Throwing Bars, Explained

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Bid farewell to the cozy cat cafes of the Obama years. In 2018, America will be all about the ax-throwing bar. That’s right, establishments that pair alcohol with leisurely hurling deadly objects at targets exist, and they’re opening up everywhere.

The practice of chucking a hatchet into wood and hoping it sticks is as old as the lumberjack, but it’s relatively new as a “sport.” Unsurprisingly, its current status as indoor recreational activity began in Canada. Torontonian Matt Wilson, inspired by the fun that occurred when presented with an ax, a tree, some beer, and boredom, founded the Backyard Axe Throwing League (BATL) in 2006. The BATL spread ax-throwing venues throughout Ontario, and in 2016, Wilson established the National Axe Throwing Federation (NATF).

And now, maybe because there’s a lot to admire about Canada these days, America is catching on. Here’s everything you should know about the trend taking over bars and warehouses, and likely coming soon to a city near you.

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Despite Industry Efforts, Americans Keep Drinking in the Sugar

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The beverage industry is falling further behind in its drive to reduce the amount of calories Americans drink, as sales of diet sodas continue to slide and people consume more fountain drinks, energy drinks and sweetened teas.

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David Chang Teams Up With Netflix for New Series ‘Ugly Delicious’

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Momofuku emperor David Chang is headed to Netflix next month with a new show that will use food as a springboard for exploring the big ideas of authenticity and identity. Dubbed Ugly Delicious, the series will feature Chang eating and drinking with chefs, writers, artists, and entertainers at beloved restaurants around the world, all while discussing the traditions and shared experiences inextricably tied to comfort foods.

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Behold the Salt Bae NYC Restaurant, Opening This Week

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Salt Bae, the internet meme who’s managed to turn his viral fame into an actual business, is finally making his New York debut with the opening of Turkish steakhouse Nusr-Et this week.

Butcher Nusret Gökçe’s Midtown restaurant at 60 West 53rd St., near Sixth Avenue, was originally supposed to open on Monday, but now, a representative says it will only be available to the masses later, likely by Thursday. The flames are ready to go; a smaller crew of people have already sampled Gökçe’s selection of grilled meats at the 150-seat restaurant.

Expect lots of meat and lots of flair, including an extra-large reminder that New Yorkers are in fact dining in the establishment of a viral sensation. An illustrated version of Gökçe — particularly of his signature salt seasoning move — has been blown up and put on the wall as decor.

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An All-Day Restaurant With West Village Cred Opens in Flatiron’s Freehand Hotel

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Gabriel Stulman — who made his name as a neighborhood restaurateur in the West Village with cozy, all-day spots like Joseph Leonard — isn’t trying to go a different direction with his three new projects in the new Freehand Hotel in Flatiron. In fact, his primary goal at the new restaurants is to keep much of the same vibes from his other ones.

There’s the all-day restaurant on the second floor of the Sydell Group hotel, located at 23 Lexington Avenue, between East 23rd and 24th streets, called Studio, and a cocktail bar called The George Washington Bar, both of which open Tuesday. Then there’s a main restaurant on the ground floor, called Simon & The Whale, which opens next week.

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Nutella Maker Ferrero Buys Nestle’s Chocolate Business for $2.8 Billion

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The first Big Food merger of 2018 is poised to be a sweet one: Italian chocolate maker Ferrero SpA announced its intention to buy Nestle’s U.S. candy business for $2.8 billion. Bloomberg reported the rumor last week, and today Nestle confirmed the deal. In addition to its namesake foil-wrapped truffles, Ferrero Rocher also makes Nutella and Tic Tacs.

Nestle’s confectionery division includes numerous iconic candy bars such as Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Kit Kat, and Nestle Crunch. Though the world’s biggest food and beverage brand has long been synonymous with chocolate in the U.S., it’s pivoting away from sweets as sales of sugary products have declined in recent years. Nestle has instead poured its money into indie coffee brands, acquiring a majority stake in Bay Area-based Blue Bottle last year and also snapping up Austin-based Chameleon Cold Brew.

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Watch: Geoduck Is the Star of This Seattle Omakase

 

pratt_sushi-wataru-seattle_04_big1.jpgIn the Puget Sound, along the northwestern coast of Washington state, a clam known as the geoduck has been not-so-quietly residing for centuries. It’s native to the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, but coveted by sushi chefs around the world.

Kotaro Kumita recalls when the sweet clam was relatively inexpensive in 1991, around the time when he moved to Seattle from Japan to learn English. But as Kumita notes, high rates of exporting geoduck to Asia have lead the price per pound to nearly triple.

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Matriarch Behind Puerto Rican Mainstay Casa Adela Dies at 81

 

10612807_10152800913644064_3990038175959223294_n.0.jpgThe always-present matriarch behind Alphabet City mainstay Casa Adela has died, according to the Puerto Rican restaurant. Adela Fargas — long a fixture in the East Village and LES — was 81.

A memorial with a slew of candles and flowers has already popped up outside the restaurant, which has been open for more than 40 years at 66 Avenue C, according to EV Grieve. Hundreds of comments also poured out over social media, noting memories of both her presence in the Puerto Rican community and the way she perfected the spices of a rotisserie chicken.

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