The Four Top: Wine News and Culture

Did you know that the hospitality industry is the profession with the highest rate of substance abuse? What's the deal with the new crop of beer spritzes, with names like Radler and Shandy? And finally, how did a brewery open in Flint, Michigan, during...

How rude can restaurant patrons be? Very. Next, food cart vendors and restaurateurs are battling. What role should city legislators play in this war? And marijuana can't be served in dining establishments—yet—so how are chefs working around the laws to...

What are the implications of a food journalist deeming a so-called "ethnic" cuisine a "trend"? What accounts for Portland's attraction to food tourists and tastemakers? And why is the restaurant industry such an unwelcoming world for women?

What is CRISPR (no, not that misunderstood drawer in your fridge), and can it win over the “NO GMOs” contingent? What common foods are destined to go the way of the dodo bird? And can someone please help us understand the Global Seed Vault?

Cutting it up with us this week are Heather Arndt Anderson, culinary historian, botanist, and food writer; Virginia Gewin, an award-winning journalist covering food security and agriculture for publications such as Nature, Popular Science, and Modern Farmer; and Tove Danovich, a freelance food and agriculture journalist and author for Eater, Bon Appétit, and The Atlantic.

We got three food critics together to talk about… food critics, and what happens when reviews go viral. We also pick their brains about the new state of food journalism, and ask the age-old question: Why are some restaurants reserved about reservations?

Helping us along this week are Roger Porter, a restaurant critic, professor of English at Reed College, and the editor of Eating Words: A Norton Anthology of Food Writing; Michael Zusman, a dining critic, food writer, and the co-author of The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home; and Mattie John Bamman, a freelance lifestyle and travel journalist and the former editor of Eater Portland.

What do wine, sushi, and coffee have in common? Pregnant women can’t enjoy any of these delights without risking public condemnation. Have we gone too far with these restrictions? Plus, we dive into the world of fake meat, and get the dirt on clean eating.

Helping us wade through it all this week are Tove Danovich, a freelance food and agriculture journalist and author for Eater, Bon Appétit, and The Atlantic; Juno DeMelo, a freelance health and wellness writer for publications such as Bon Appétit, Vogue, and NPR; and Virginia Gewin, an award-winning journalist covering food security and agriculture for publications such as Nature, Popular Science, and Modern Farmer.

What do you picture when you hear the word "salad"? What is a cookbook for? And what does the ideal kitchen look like? In Episode 24, we overturn our assumptions about everyday things, and our panelists might surprise you.

Flipping the script this week are Julia Sherman, founder of Jus Jus Verjus and the Salad For President blog, and author of a book of the same name; Peter Miller, cookbook author and owner of Peter Miller Books; and Megan Scott, editor, recipe developer, and project manager for The Joy of Cooking.

Do wines and craft beers belong in aluminum cans? We taste a few and find out. Next, we get the lowdown on natural wine from the author of the book Naked Wine. Finally, we discuss the push to put nutritional information on our booze bottles, and wonder: Do we WANT to know?

Filling us in on all things alcohol this week are Alice Feiring, James Beard Award-winning wine writer and author; Jim Meehan, James Beard Award-winning author and mixologist; and Christian DeBenedetti, author, brewer, and founder of Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery.

Everyone is talking about kombucha, and some are… going to jail over it? We investigate this fermenting craze. Next, what is the Taiwanese food concept “Q,” and can we try some, please? Finally, can someone please get these politics out of my food?

Joining us for this “booch” cruise are Liz Crain, a culinary author, fermentation expert, and the co-organizer of the annual Portland Fermentation Festival; Ivy Manning, a food educator, cookbook author, and contributor to publications such as Cooking Light and Fine Cooking; and Laura Russell, a cookbook author, food writer, and recipe developer.

Are you ready to ditch the pot brownies and embrace… deviled eggs à la Mary Jane? We brought together a renowned cannabis cookbook author, the former editor-in-chief of Fine Cooking magazine, and a libertarian journalist for some serious talk about marijuana's role in the food world, and how the heck to cook with this extremely fragrant herb (hint: it's not easy). As an added bonus, we get up-in-arms about arbitrary food-labeling laws—you’ll be surprised by how controversial they can be.

Our panelists are Jacob Grier, a prominent mixologist who is also a political writer for publications such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Daily Beast; Martha Holmberg, CEO emeritus of the International Association of Culinary Professionals; and Laurie Wolf, cannabis cookbook author and owner of Laurie & Mary Jane, a producer of small-batch, cannabis-infused edibles.