Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #59

Michelin in Italy was in the news last week following the decision to remove a star from Davide Scabin. It has been a controversial decision among Italian foodies given they consider this chef to be one of the most inventive in Italy. Social media was all the rage after designer Bob Noto created a graphic called Je Suis Scabin to show support to the Italian chef. If you missed it, we have written about it here.

Brussels is the New Berlin according to this article in the New York Times. The article says that Brussels has quietly emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting creative hubs.

Nicholas Lander reviews what is considered to be one of the best restaurants in France, the Maison Troisgros. It has held three Michelin stars since 1968.

We have written about Nuno Mendes and his attempt to crowd-fund a restaurant recently. Here you will find some Portuguese Christmas recipes from this talented chef.

Jay Rayner takes a look at the world of Instagram and does not necessarily like what he finds. He says that in the world of Instagram, everything looks delicious. Here is his take on the subject.

A movie, In Defence of Food will be released shortly. It is based on a book by author Michael Pollan. Here is a really interesting article about the 10 things Food52 learned from the new movie. One of the lessons involves getting away from processed food. “If you can afford organic, fantastic – but the first step is to move from processed food.” We could not agree more.

Food reviews on websites can have a huge impact on a restaurant business. Read about the restauranteur who responds to about 50 online reviews each day, both positive and negative.

Jancis Robinson has a list of white wines for the value-conscious wine lovers in her article in the Financial Times.

Wine glasses make a difference when you are drinking wine. Read about it here.

Here is a list of five grain whiskies you may want to check out.

Don’t miss our review of Noma, My Perfect Storm on Food and Wine Gazette this week. We will also be reporting on the Michelin release in Belgium tomorrow (14 December) and also have a great interview with chef of restaurant Pure C Syrco Bakker.