| The Comm Sheet
Sonoma’s Beauty Shines in Jiun Ho’s Restaurant Design
A reported feature exploring the design of Jiun Ho’s Enclos restaurant in Sonoma, focusing on architecture, interiors, and the relationship between design and dining.
Food & Drink Writing
Food and drink writing spanning restaurants, recipes, products, and lifestyle coverage. These samples reflect a service-oriented editorial approach grounded in audience needs.
| The Comm Sheet
Craft, Cuisine, and Culture Unite at Houston’s ChòpnBlọk
A reported feature on ChopnBlok’s Houston restaurant design by Gin Design Group, exploring interiors, branding, and culturally driven spatial storytelling.
| Eat This Not That
29 spring beverages hitting shelves this season
If you’re stuck at home in quarantine, it can be easy to fall into a routine. Cooking the same things, eating the same snacks—there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s fun to add some new flavors into the mix, too. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the newest drinks hitting store shelves […]
| Eat This Not That
Only 1970s kids will remember these restaurants
You probably have a go-to favorite restaurant, whether it’s a chain or just a local eatery in your town. But many food lovers also know the heartbreak that comes with your favorite restaurant closing for good. And if you grew up in the 1970s, you might have had to bid farewell to a number of […]
| Eat This Not That
The least popular fast-food chain in every state
We all have foods we love and hate—but fast food seems to create even stronger feelings of adoration or loathing. (After all, Taco Bell is so adored by fans, the brand was able to successfully launch a pop-up hotel and resort in Palm Springs in 2019.) And with most things these days, people often turn […]
| Eat This Not That
I tried 7 non-alcoholic spirits & this was the clear winner
“Non-alcoholic spirits” might sound like an oxymoron, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving them a try. Despite 2021 being one of the hardest years on record to make it through Dry January, there is a growing trend in going sober or being sober-curious. The good news about non-alcoholic spirits is that it doesn’t matter […]
| Eat This Not That
We taste-tested 8 instant coffee brands
With $7 lattes becoming the norm and boutique coffee shops around every corner, it’s easy to become a coffee elitist. And if you fancy yourself a coffee snob, you may look past instant coffee blends. But instant coffee has made strides in the past few years. And with new brands offering up varieties and bringing an […]
| Eat This Not That
We tried 8 spinach artichoke dips & this is the best
If you go to any American-style chain or hometown restaurant throughout the U.S., there’s one thing you’re bound to see on the appetizer menu: spinach artichoke dip. The great thing about this favorite food is that it’s versatile. Yes, it’s an “appetizer,” but you could make it a meal. You can have it with tortilla […]
| Eat This Not That
Only 1990s kids will remember these restaurants
Ah, the 1990s. People were still using dial-up internet connections, frosted tips were in style, and boy bands were all the rage. But fast forward a few years, and you’ll see that the decade wasn’t always kind. These 1990s restaurants may be familiar to people who grew up in the decade, but they aren’t what […]
| Eat This Not That
17 new snacks hitting shelves this spring
Almonds, popcorn, cheese sticks… sometimes the same ol’ snacks can get a bit, well, stale. Don’t have time to peruse the grocery store shelves to find the hottest new items? Don’t worry—we’ve done it for you. Here, we’ve rounded up the best new sweet and savory foods that are hitting the supermarket shelves this spring. With all of […]
| Grok Nation
Canned wines are worth the pop of attention
Before corks became so popular, vintners would often stop bottles with a rag. Yes, a rag. And although this switch happened way back in the 1800s, it’s not hard to imagine people having a hard time getting on board with cork… just like it’s taken people a while to accept that a screw-top doesn’t mean […]
| Grok Nation
‘The New Pink Wine’ author recommends affordable, delicious rosés
For years rosé got a bad name. The syrupy sweet, poorly made white zins of the world gave anything pink a reputation—and not a good one. Luckily, in the past few years, rosé’s popularity has been on an uptick. Maybe it’s because millennial pink is trendy or maybe it’s because winemakers have improved the offerings, […]
| Grok Nation
Morgan Calcote weekly wine goes great with ‘heat and humidity’
“A bottle starts a conversation,” says Morgan Calcote, general manager and beverage director of FIG Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. She says what first drew her to wine—and what keeps her in the industry—is “how it connects you to other people.” Morgan got her start in the restaurant industry while a student at the College […]
| Grok Nation
Which food subscription box should you try?
If you’ve been reading Grok Nation for the past few months, you’ve probably seen my biweekly We Tried It reviews of meal delivery services. When I started this recurring feature, I didn’t realize just how many boxes are on the market. It’s a bit overwhelming to sift through which service is right for you and […]
| Grok Nation
WineGame’s Sarah Munson says the new app allows for wine exploration
“Don’t overthink it.” That’s WineGame Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Munson’s no. 1 piece of advice about drinking wine. And it’s solid advice. Too often people feel overwhelmed when making selections at wine stores or when browsing a restaurant’s wine list. That’s exactly why we started this column—and why WineGame was created. The phone app is […]
| Grok Nation
11 recipes for rum cocktails crafted by mixologists around the U.S.
You may associate “rum” with beach drinks and college kids—and while that might be true, rum is much more than that. It’s actually an excellent spirit for making cocktails at high-end bars or at home. The truth is, if you’ve found yourself not enjoying rum in the past, you probably need to get a better […]
| Grok Nation
Charles Krug winemaker Stacy Clark highlights a ‘lovely’ summer wine
It might not have been his intention, but Stacy Clark’s high school biology teacher prepared her for a life in the wine industry. The winemaker for Charles Krug first dipped her toe in that world when Mr. Holm took his class on a field trip to Concannon Vineyards in California’s San Francisco Bay area. There […]
| Grok Nation
Marley Spoon delivers Martha Stewart-approved dishes that anyone could make
If you’ve ever dreamt of cooking like Martha Stewart, well, Marley Spoon is the food box service for you. The service is similar to those we’ve tried at Grok Nation in the past, with one catch: the recipes get the Martha Stewart seal of approval. In all my meal service testing, the ones that require […]
| Grok Nation
Wine Access VP Vanessa Conlin on a ‘new generation’ Napa wine
Like many young people, Vanessa Conlin was led to New York to pursue a passion. She was on a “hard-core path to be a classical musician,” so she went to the Manhattan School of Music. But once she was in the city—as is the case with many transplants—she developed a love of food and wine. […]
| Grok Nation
Try this rose-gold rosé that’s like summer in a bottle
Karen Van Guilder Little is first and foremost a learner. She’s always had a passion for knowledge and taking classes “of any sort.” After earning her bachelor’s in Clarinet Performance and a master’s degree in Musicology, she moved to NYC where she worked for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the Lincoln […]
Dalene Rovenstine
Writer, editor, and content marketing leader with a journalism background and experience across media and brand platforms