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Category / Foodaholics anonymous

A Virtual Dinner Date at the Parisian Restaurant That Inspired “Ratatouille”

Opening a restaurant is like playing service industry roulette. Yet, somehow, Paris’ La Tour d’Argent — quite literally, “The Silver Tower” — says it’s survived 436 years of history on the Left Bank, with a backside view of Notre Dame, as the unmatched king of posh Parisian cuisine. Whether it’s really that old is almost irrelevant; it’s become a…

Trick-Or-Treating for the Secret Truths About Candy

Beneath the wrappers, our favourite sweets are packed with many eyebrow-raising tidbits. So with Halloween around the corner, let’s go trick-or-treating for a few odd candy facts to spew at your friends & family while you devour your kids Halloween loot… So, Where Did Candy Begin? With the Egyptians of course! Historically, honeycomb has been…

The Dandy Suit that America Banned and Caused a Riot

You know the zoot suit. It’s the suit that bad guys are usually wearing in comical mid-century gangster movies, but there’s much more to this story than a stereotype. In the 1940s and 50s, zoot suits were worn by Mexican-American hipsters who embraced the flamboyant oversized style of dress to express their desire for freedom from discrimination and racism as an underclass. The zoot suiters became a…

Get in the Mood for Lurve with the Best Cookbook to Come out of the 80s

There were some things that were just accepted in the 80s and Barbara Cartland’s cookbook was one of them. Published in 1984, The Romance of Food features over 170 pages of kitschy technicolour plates that were all photographed at Cartland’s own Hertfordshire estate (the former home of Beatrix Potter), using her own antique porcelain and knick-knacks alongside the food.…

For Over 30 Years, a Tokyo Soba Chef Drew Everything He Ate

Sometimes, it’s the simple stories that stay with us the longest. Like that of Itsuo Kobayashi, a former Japanese soba chef born in 1962 who has recorded his meals in painstakingly detailed, hand-drawn food diaries of sorts for the past 32 years. In addition to recollections about taste, Kobayashi’s pen has accounted for every last…

How a Wine and Cocaine Cocktail Became Coca Cola

I think by now most of us have heard the story about our world-famous soft drink, Coco-Cola, once containing a significant dose of cocaine until it was removed from the recipe in 1903. But lesser known is the story about how Coca Cola originates from an alcoholic drink based on cocaine and wine, Bordeaux wine to be specific– a particular combination which made for…

Parisian Fast Food: Web Series Mini Bites

Okay, so we took a bit of a hiatus on the web series there. We’ve got tons of footage and not enough time to edit it. The good news is, we’re back– but with mini-bites … snackable little episodes of Don’t be a Tourist. In today’s mini bite, I’m sharing my version of Parisian Fast Food,…

Now That’s What I Call a Wedding Look

A guide to wedding dress inspiration isn’t exactly the kind of thing you’re likely to find on Messy Nessy Chic. Then again, it’s not everyday that the founders of the MessyNessy team get hitched! As Nessy and Alex tie the knot this weekend, we’re holding down the fort at the MNC HQ and thought we’d…

Here’s the Secret to Feasting your Way Through Italy like a Local

You’re invited to local food feasts all over Italy – if you know the magic word, that is. Sagre! That’s Italian for festival, one that centres around the annual harvest, celebrating local culture and most importantly – food! So what’s your weakness? Pizza? Pasta? Truffles? Fritto misto alla Piemontese? Whatever your preference, somewhere in Italy,…

A Forgotten Kitsch Supper Club is Reborn in New York

A few months ago, a man woke up to a disorientating view outside the window of his apartment in industrial Bushwick, New York. He suddenly found himself face-to-face with a tender childhood memory and the exact glowing neon sign of the storied “Turk’s Inn” supper club from Hayward, Wisconsin, 1,250 miles away. That the recently…

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