Adam Reiner

2 months ago | eater.com | Adam Reiner

Kriston Jae Bethel/Bloomberg via Getty Images In the spring of 2021, restaurants across the country were scrambling to find staff. After a calamitous year of intermittent closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many local governments were beginning to loosen indoor dining restrictions. As vaccine distribution widened, operators couldn’t keep pace with pent-up demand.

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Adam Reiner

Five years ago on 16 March, the sound of my cellphone buzzing on the nightstand jolted me awake around 8am. Unless you’re a morning prep cook or a baker, restaurant workers aren’t typically early risers. Sleeping late isn’t a luxury when you work in restaurants; it’s a necessity – essential to managing the job’s rigorous mental and physical demands. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we’re laying everyone off at the restaurant,” the gravelly voice on the other end said.

Feb 26, 2025 | punchdrink.com | Adam Reiner

A winding staircase from the ground floor of Eleven Madison Park leads to an inconspicuous door that conceals the nine-seat Studio at Clemente Bar. Inside, the bar team, under the direction of Sebastian Tollius, is pushing the boundaries of what a cocktail bar can be, designing a liquid degustation that marries the artistry of the kitchen to the craft of bartending over five courses.

Feb 20, 2025 | vinepair.com | Adam Reiner

January is historically a treacherous month for bars. Tourism dries up. Locals hibernate. Sales atrophy. It hasn’t helped matters that, in recent years, a new nemesis has emerged: Dry January. Over the past 20 years, drinking habits have shifted in the U.S., especially among young people who are consuming alcohol at a lower rate than in prior decades.

Jan 29, 2025 | grubstreet.com | Adam Reiner

In her 1998 Times review of Babbo, critic Ruth Reichl praised the restaurant, warning readers not to expect a typical Italian food experience: “Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich are not playing it safe,” she wrote. At a time when even the city’s toniest Italian restaurants could only pray for a starred review, Reichl awarded the charismatic and obstinate newcomer three stars, praising its chef and wine-savvy co-owner for bringing a fresh take on Italian cuisine to New York City.