Latest news with #2025RestaurantsoftheYear
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Winning Wednesday: Wexford Irish Pub
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A local Irish spirited pub was named one of the best in the U.S. after being in business for a little over six months. The Wexford Irish Pub was featured as one of the 44 restaurants in the USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year in February. The feature described Wexford as close to an Irish heritage museum with architecture and food conveying the story of Irish immigration to the Hostess City. 'I think the first thing is that we were just astounded,' Co-owner Jennifer Strickland told WSAV. 'The second thing was grateful and the third was excited and maybe a little nervous.' Co-owner Tim said that he and Jennifer's father, Stan Strickland, previously worked on the building around 40 years ago. The bones of their restaurant is a testament to the work of their father. Co-owner Chris Swanson said he likes looking at the bigger picture and they are appreciative for all the hard work everyone has put into making Wexford a proper pub. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Do not read this if you're hungry
WARNING: If you're hungry, you probably shouldn't keep reading this. Had a snack? Ah. Now keep scrolling. Hi! 👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for USA TODAY subscribers (that's you!). This week, we're sizzling, grilling and serving up a food lover's dream and diving into the one-of-a-kind USA TODAY Network 2025 Restaurants of the Year (check out the 2025 list here!). We chat with Liz Johnson, a senior director at The Record and part of the USA TODAY Network. Johnson, who lead the Restaurants of the Year project, shares how USA TODAY's national newsrooms compiled these remarkable restaurants for our readers — and good news, many are no reservations required.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Yahoo
Restaurant of the Year, mental health facility, hiring freeze for Seashore: Top stories
It's time for another edition of the Cape Cod Times news roundup, where we highlight the stories on the Cape Cod Times website that our readers enjoyed the most over the past week. Currently featured on the site is a story about Cape Cod Times photographer Steve Heaslip's plans to spend a week at sea with Massachusetts Maritime Academy cadets, coverage of a cyber security breach in Bourne, and a look at piping plovers on the Cape. The Cape Cod Times sports page also has continuing coverage of high school sports scores with daily roundups, plus a feature about a basketball duo at Upper Cape. And for those looking for something to do during school break, we have a list of activities and events. Here are the most popular stories on the Cape Cod Times website last week. According to USA Today's 2025 Restaurants of the Year list, The Rooftop at Pelham House Resort is one of the top places to eat in America. Food writers across the country nominated restaurants that excited them, restaurants they would recommend to friends and family, and restaurants they'd return to again and again. 'We are so very grateful to be put on the map like this. I think this will give a lot more people the chance to hear about what we are doing here,' said John McCarthy, a managing partner at Pelham House Resort. What makes this Cape Cod waterfront spot so special? Click the story link to find out. More: This stunning waterfront restaurant named one of best in U.S. — here's what to try While The Rooftop at Pelham House made USA Today's 2025 Restaurants of the Year list, that doesn't mean we don't have other favorites that we wish had made the list. Food editor Gwenn Friss answers the call for all the Cape Cod foodies who want to check out other places worth visiting in addition to The Rooftop at Pelham House. Who made our wish list of Cape Cod restaurants we think could fit on USA Today's Restaurants of the Year list? Click the story link for the full menu. More: 10 best Cape Cod area restaurants we wish made USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year list In January, Gov. Maura Healey filed her fiscal 2026 budget which revealed budget cuts to the Department of Mental Health. That includes the closure of Pocasset Mental Health Center. Barnstable County Sheriff Donna Buckley said the closures and budget restrictions will "put more people in emergency rooms, in police cruisers or in jails." State Sen. Dylan Fernandes told the Times that the Center is funded through the fiscal year and there won't be an immediate closure. In the meantime, Fernandes said he's working on a budget amendment that could keep the Center open. Where will families go for help if the Center does close, and what happens next? Click the story link to read all the details. More: Cape Cod mental health facility to close, state budget cuts cited. 'There's nothing.' The Cape Cod National Seashore typically hires seasonal workers to handle its surge of visitors every summer, including rangers, lifeguards, fee collectors, shorebird researchers, maintenance and tram drivers. If a federal hiring freeze, announced Jan. 20, continues, then things could be looking a lot different at the Seashore. 'If there is much more of a delay in hiring these seasonals I think visitors will see the impacts in delayed response time to emergencies, reduction of ranger-led programs, reduction in hours and days open for visitor centers, and cases where trash accumulates and restrooms are not as clean,' said Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, on Feb. 5. Why is there a federal hiring freeze and what else does this mean for the Seashore? Click the story link to read the full story. More: Cape Cod National Seashore summer services may be at risk with hiring freeze Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Times top stories: Restaurant honored, Seashore not hiring
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mabel Gray, a cult-favorite metro Detroit hotspot, named one of America's best restaurants
In the fall, Mabel Gray, the Hazel Park hotspot that packs its dining room with faithful diners every night of the week, will celebrate 10 years in business. This week, a new honor gives chef-owner James Rigato and the entire restaurant staff another accolade to take pride in. According to USA Today's 2025 Restaurants of the Year list, the cult-favorite metro Detroit staple stands out as one of the top 44 places to eat in America. 'I appreciate the opportunity to be featured,' Rigato said. 'The barrier to entry for an independent chef only gets harder every year, so when we get celebrated, you're making a vote for the kind of restaurants you want to see. This is for Ali, my pastry chef, for Max and Kylie, the bartenders — this is an accolade for all.' More: What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year. More: Inside look at how USA TODAY chose its Restaurants of the Year for 2025 Despite having a larger-than-life personality and the kind of insatiable energy reality television producers would kill for, after appearing as a contestant on Bravo's 'Top Chef' in 2014, James Rigato had no ambition to join the ranks of competition TV chefs. Instead, his sights were set on opening a restaurant in his home state of Michigan that embraced his identity as a self-identified 'blue-collar guy' and a fine-dining chef. His ambition led him to a former Coney Island in Hazel Park, Michigan, a humble suburb just outside of Detroit. In 2015, at just 31 years old, Rigato shook up the culinary landscape from this no-frills outpost with a concept he'd seen along his travels across the globe — the restaurant would center on a daily-changing tasting menu with a rotation of à la carte options. Today, many Detroit-area restaurants offer fixed menus and a focus on seasonal dishes, but at the time, the approach was fresh. And in the decade that followed, Mabel Gray's technique has been buffed and polished into utter perfection. Here, a whimsical menu, handwritten by Sam Stanisz — Rigato's partner also dubbed 'founding mother' of Mabel Gray — features up to 12 items with a large focus on creative interpretations of Michigan produce, plus delicious meat, fish, housemade pastas and breads in between. Mabel Gray is the kind of place where you'll get a taste of luxury on your plate, and a home-y sensibility in your experience. You're bound to walk away with a friend among fellow diners at the tightknit tables throughout the dining room, or with the mixologist behind the bar. And that's half the draw. Aside from the fine fare, well-crafted cocktails and exquisite wine program, it's the jovial, communal energy that keeps reservations booked night after night at Mabel Gray. Be sure to book yours well in advance. More: What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year. Steak frites. A defining quality of the menu at Mabel Gray is its seasonality, rotating roughly every two weeks. But, there are some staples — and for good reason. The steak frites, for example, is an ever-present dish sought after for its impeccable execution and bold flavor. A 60-day dry-aged, bone-in American wagyu strip steak is fanned across the plate with Béarnaise aioli and tallow zip sauce. It's served with an equally flavorful, generous bowl of housemade fries topped with pecorino and fresh rosemary clippings. Seasonal veggies. There's an opportunity to taste the bounty of Michigan here. In the fall, a harvest of sweet corn gets tossed with a medley of umami miso butter, citrusy preserved lemon and salty, crispy, crunchy bits of chicken chicharrónes. In spring, a cheesy pasta carbonara is updated with wild ramps. Dessert. Pastry chef Ali Sesnovich's post-dinner sweet treats are not to be missed. Following the restaurant's seasonal approach, Sesnovich spins pumpkin into creamy, spiced Basque cheesecake and tops buttery blondies with slivers of crisp apples. Bonus: The restaurant's most recent addition, a dungeon-like wine cave, is the lair of Paulina Schemanski. In this red-hued room, the skilled sommelier seduces diners with the restaurant's assortment of wines and Champagnes sourced from around the world. Champagne vs Everybody, a fun blind tasting series in the wine cave, allows participants to learn the flavor profiles of the elixirs in Schemanski's arsenal. Details: Mabel Gray, 23825 John R Road, Hazel Park, MI; 248-398-4300, This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mabel Gray makes 2025 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wolcott upscale home-cooking-style restaurant named one of the best in U.S.
WOLCOTT, Ind. — Owning a restaurant was a pipe dream for Amber Farrington, growing up on a farm in rural Reynolds with a self-sustaining garden in a family that loved to cook from scratch. That dream became a reality for Farrington, co-owner of Roots Eatery and Pub alongside her brother, Luke Furrer, in 2018 when the siblings opened their farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Wolcott, using beef and pork raised right on their parents' farm just down the road in Reynolds. And now, that dream has landed on USA Today's 2025 Restaurants of the Year list, standing as a local favorite and one of the 44 top places to eat in America. "Food has always been a big part of my family, and the main thing I wanted to do with Roots was make it feel like you're eating a meal at your parents' dinner table, but elevated to where it's restaurant worthy," Farrington said. "If we've succeeded in that, and you feel like you're right at home here while you enjoy a comforting meal, then I feel like we've succeeded." More: What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year. More: Inside look at how USA TODAY chose its Restaurants of the Year for 2025 The stars of the plates ordered in this Wolcott restaurant are the pork and beef, produced locally in Reynolds on Farrington's childhood farm. The commitment to using local products in her restaurant was one Farrington said she's passionate about, which is part of the inspiration behind the eatery's name. "Being able to use the meat from my mom and dad's farm really helped this restaurant feel like it's connected to the area, and that's how the name Roots was formed," Farrington said. "Through the name Roots, it allows us to highlight some of the best Midwestern food out there in a small town." Classic items like their hamburger are top sellers, Farrington said, but it wouldn't be an Indiana eatery and pub without a pork tenderloin on the menu, which is also a top seller. It can be a bit difficult to find a well-rounded salad in small-town restaurants, so Farrington said she wanted to be sure their menu offered one, beyond a typical bowl of iceberg lettuce and shredded cheese. "It is interesting being in a small town, because you're trying to appeal to a meat-and-potatoes crowd, but keeping things interesting with the menu is a tricky balance," Farrington said. "We do use a lot of bacon and cream cheese in our dishes, which aren't necessarily great for you, but offering good salads on the menu, too, was important to me as someone who loves a good salad." Classic burger. It's hard to go wrong with a classic burger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. This top seller is made with beef from Farrington's family farm, and paired with fries, it's easy to see why. Tenderloin. A Hoosier favorite that can be ordered breaded or grilled, this house-made sandwich is not quite as big as some of the viral sensations that have graced the internet, Farrington said. Riding the line between paper thin while still juicy, you can top this one with your preferred favorites. Parmesan haddock. Fish that isn't fried at a Midwestern eatery may sound a bit odd, but this dish is one you'll be cleaning your plate after. A baked haddock filet topped with parmesan cheese and a tomato-garlic garnish, this plate comes with two sides to complete your meal. Brown sugar cream pie. A German twist on a Hoosier favorite, Farrington said this sugar cream pie is partly inspired by a recipe by her grandmother's old German recipe for a sugar cream cake. Recognized as the Indiana state pie, this sugar cream pie is one that can't be passed up after a comforting meal at Roots. See the full menu here. More: What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year. Details: Roots Eatery and Pub, 114 N. Range St. Wolcott, Indiana; 219-747-0051, Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Lafayette Journal and Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@ This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Wolcott restaurant named one of best by USA TODAY
