Stand-Up Coffee Shops; Making Messy Food Look Good

Michael White talks about his growing Italian restaurant empire, assuring us: “I eat, sleep, live and die Italian food.”
[NY Times]

A new breed of coffee shop prohibits laptops and instead of tables features a stand-up counter, encouraging conversation but a short visit.
[NY Times]

Food stylists used to try to make their subjects look perfect. Now, the trend is to make messy-looking dishes look delicious.
[Wall Street Journal]

Pepsi Max is going up against Coke Zero yet again, with a new campaign slogan: “Zero calories, maximum taste.”
[Crain’s]

A new study found that eating one to two servings of dark chocolate a week may help prevent heart failure.
[NY Times]

Josh Ozersky follows Eric Ripert, Ruth Reichl, and Sam Sifton on Twitter, but claims none of them has anything really interesting to say.
[Time]

The Vendys have apparently snubbed Brooklyn, with no nominations for popular food trucks like Asia Dog, Calexico, and Jen ‘n Outlaw’s Fish Fry Truck and Crawfish Boil.
[NY Post]

Chiles and Chocolate in Park Slope makes its guacamole with roasted grasshopper, an Oaxacan tradition.
[NY Post]