"top ten" news and stories

Brunch menu at No 7. Photo: Arthurohm, Flickr

Bon Appétit's September issue has hit newsstands with its annual list of the nation's Top 10 Best New Restaurants. Featuring mouthwatering top dishes from Cleveland to Decatur, Ga., there are some interesting picks in the mix.

If you're located in -- or traveling to -- any of the cities mentioned, keep in mind that in this era of seasonally shifting cuisine, the dishes Bon App editors loved back when the issue was being put together might not be available right now.

We called Tyler Kord, chef and co-owner of No. 7, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to inquire about his pumpkin-seed-encrusted tofu, which editors sampled last winter and adored. A different rendition of tofu is on his current menu, but the pumpkin-seed version is gone. "I've never repeated anything," Kord says. Will he consider putting it back on? "Maybe."

Was Kord -- a fellow whose menu has featured luxe choices like bavette steak and grilled arctic char -- surprised by the editors' choice? "Yeah, definitely. I mean, they picked tofu. It's a delicious dish, but it was a little surprising."

The top 10 new eateries and dishes are after the jump.

Just about any diet will work if you stick to it, even if your diet consists of eating only banana bread. The problem with diets is that people do not stick to diets and even if you love banana bread, there are so many other good things to eat out there that it would just be too boring. Not to mention, of course, that very restrictive diets are not usually the healthiest ones.

Forbes has worked out their list of the top 10 diets that work. They correctly point out that restriction is the reason that many diets fail. Because most people will only have enough willpower (or interest) to stick to a diet for a short time, a very restrictive diet will produce maximum results quickly and is more likely to be selected by someone looking to lose weight. This is not the right way to lose weight. Diets are also a multi-billion dollar business, so there is a question as to whether the originators of some diets actually want people who try them to maintain their weight loss.

Source

Alongside their article about Trader Joe's opening in New York, last week's New York Times ran a list of the top ten most popular items at Trader Joe's by volume sold.

• Charles Shaw Wines
• Mandarin Orange Chicken
• Nuts About Antioxidants Trek Mix
• Lite Shredded 3 Cheese Blend
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Trader Darwin's High Potency Chewable Multiple Vitamin & Mineral Formula Dietary Supplements
• Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
• Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans
• Trader Giotto's Pizza Formaggi (Four Cheese Pizza)
• Cheese & Green Chili Tamales

Strangely, I only buy two out of the top ten items - Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans. My top trail mix pick would be the one that has all the peanut brittle in it, not the antioxidant mix. If I'm getting cheese, I'll go for the imported Feta or Parmigiano Reggiano, not pre-crumbled Gorgonzola. With only 10 out of the three thousand items, I supposed that I shouldn’t be surprised that I only regularly purchase two of these items. Which of these are your favorites?