Latest news with #BadIdea
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Proposed 200% Tariffs on European Wine Could Be Disastrous for Restaurants
On Wednesday, Bobby Stuckey got a message that was jarring and succinct. The acclaimed restaurateur and Master Sommelier had an email from the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance with a subject that read: HALT ALL E.U. WINE SHIPMENTS. The organization was telling its members that the risk of President Trump imposing 200 percent tariffs on alcohol from Europe was too high right now for business to operate as usual. Importing wine from overseas this close to the proposed April 2 implementation date could hit with a levy so punitive that they'd be stuck with inventory they couldn't sell. It was an ominous sign for businesses, such as Stuckey's, where European wine is a major revenue driver. If the tariffs went through, it could upend many a restaurant. 'They're taking away a right of mine to run a business the way I want to be able to run the business,' Stuckey says. 'President Trump and his advisors are making a lot of stress for business owners. That's not meant to be political, that's just a fact.' More from Robb Report Suspect Arrested in $1.5 Million Theft of Cadillac Escalades Bugatti Just Made the New Tourbillon Hypercar Even Better This $10 Million Brooklyn Townhouse Blends Historic Charm with Bleeding-Edge Sustainability Trump first threatened the 200 percent tariff on all wine and spirits from the E.U. a week ago, when Europe declared it would enact a 50 percent levy on American whiskey starting April 1 (the E.U. announced Thursday it would push that back to mid-April, thus delaying America's potential response), which was a retaliation against Trump tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. Regardless of its origins, this international trade standoff has left American restaurants in the crosshairs. In this industry where profit margins are so slim, wine helps keep many places solvent. 'This is a stat from before the pandemic, but the average profitability of an American restaurant is around 6 percent,' Stuckey says. 'It's not uncommon for restaurants in our company to have 30, 35, maybe even 40 percent of its top-line revenue come from spirits and wine.' Like with Stuckey's hospitality company, at many restaurants around the country, wine—especially selections from abroad—is intrinsic to the experience. 'Bad Idea serves Lao-inspired cuisine and primarily European wine, and those are two elements that set us apart from the restaurant scene in Nashville,' says Bad Idea's owner and wine director Alex Burch. 'Thirty to 40 percent of our ingredients and a much higher percentage of our wine come from outside of the United States. These potential tariffs are horrendous.' For Chase Sinzer, co-owner of the hit restaurants Claud and Penny on New York's Lower East Side, echoes Burch's sentiments. 'It would impact us greatly because revenue wise, our business is based on wine sales,' Sinzer says. 'We've been lucky enough to amass a network of people who trust us in the wine department, and that's what enables us to be in business.' Sinzer's bistro Claud has amassed a comprehensive wine list with nearly 2,000 selections, and his newer spot—the seafood bar Penny that's directly upstairs from Claud—offers a similarly large list with upwards of 2,000 wines. 'We're buying wine in very complex ways, from a variety of sources—private collections, wholesale distributors, auction houses—we run the gamut of everything available to us because we're looking to offer the best of the guests and tariffs effect every single part of that ecosystem,' Sinzer says. 'What is so integral to these restaurants is a big wine list, and it will be damaged by tariffs because it will damage every part of how we buy wine.' When first floating the 200 percent tariff, Trump argued it would be a boon for American wine, as drinkers would turn to stateside producers instead of European vintners. But at restaurants like Stuckey's Tavernetta in Denver, only Italian wine and Champagne is served, so just stocking American wine doesn't really fit with the ethos of the place. And besides that, Sinzer doubts that people who prefer wine from abroad will just adjust their preferences accordingly. 'When you want orange juice in the morning, and someone runs out of orange juice because it's more expensive, you don't just consume the same amount of apple juice,' Sinzer says. 'There is no pivot for guests who enjoy wine from Burgundy, the Rhône, or Champagne to switch to domestic sparkling wine or California Cabernet. The idea this is going to incentivize domestic production is a falsehood.' Great wine is finite. The best bottles that arrive on American shores are the result of importers, sommeliers, wine shop owners, and restaurateurs building relationships with winemakers abroad in order to receive an allocation of a winemaker's yield. With a 200 percent markup on bottles, it would be incredibly difficult to sell those wines in America, so those European vintners will just build relationships with other markets. So even if the tariff turns out to only be temporary, there's no guarantee wine producers will begin shipping to America again. 'Our country will be the biggest loser from this,' Burch says. 'Don't get me wrong, America produces some amazing, world-class wine, but part of the joy of wine is that you can't just recreate the place or history of other regions around the world. The U.S. produces roughly 10 percent of the world's wine. Do we really want to turn the lights off on 90 percent of what the world has to offer?' Many restaurateurs have told us that they are taking a 'wait and see' approach with these tariffs, hoping its merely saber rattling. Sinzer has been proactive just in case the worst happens. 'We've been buying wine at an increased clip since election day because of the threat of tariffs; we've been filling every nook and cranny we have with wine coming to the States pre-tariff,' he says. 'The people this will hurt most are the ones without the liquidity or storage space to stock up.' But even with the buffer, extended time with a 200 percent wine tariff would be detrimental to Sinzer's businesses and restaurants across America. And worries abound about the potential economic impact. 'Restaurants are the biggest private sector job creator in our country—12 times the size of the airline industry,' Stuckey says. 'Our industry is already so fragile and all of a sudden you add something else that could kill a lot of restaurants? It's just bad math. You're not hurting the Europeans. You're hurting taxpayers and small businesses in United States.' Best of Robb Report Why a Heritage Turkey Is the Best Thanksgiving Bird—and How to Get One 9 Stellar West Coast Pinot Noirs to Drink Right Now The 10 Best Wines to Pair With Steak, From Cabernet to Malbec Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
10 best Nashville restaurants we wish made USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year list
The USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2025 list features 44 restaurants from temples to fine dining to seafood shacks on the Florida coast. And this isn't just another listicle. Just as they did for the inaugural year, USA TODAY Network food journalists from across the country for the second time pooled their expertise to assemble a list of the restaurants they love the most — and actually have dined in. The result: a comprehensive nationwide list made by people who live in the communities of the winning restaurants Bad Idea represents Nashville and is one of two Tennessee restaurants to make the list, and for good reason; it's a very good place to dine (and drink). There are, of course, many other restaurants worth celebrating in the Nashville area. Presented in alphabetical order, here are 10 other spots that we wish were on the Restaurants of the Year list. What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year Bad Idea review: Nashville restaurant focused on Lao cuisine, wine, named one of best in U.S. 2013 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, 615-297-4453, This creative and flavorful Thai restaurant has the seal of approval from the Thai government's Ministry of Commerce, somewhat of a Michelin nod in the Thai world. Try the impossibly umami-rich vegan mushroom larb, dumplings, fun cocktails and anything fried, from whole fish with punchy Thai sides to Hat Yai-style chicken. The classics are fantastic, but the inventive chef-driven dishes might be better. You can't lose. Book your reservation now on OpenTable 747 Douglas Ave., Nashville, This Japanese restaurant is a media darling for its deliciously comforting dishes including hand-pulled udon, slightly smoky grill-kissed onigiri and fried chicken katsu or egg salad sandwiches on milk bread. Locals love it too, and line up with seemingly the rest of the country to eat in the tiny dining room, at the counter or even in the hallway where the restaurant owners set up tables to handle the crowds. See last year's list: Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year 1008 Fatherland St., Nashville, Limo made a splash this year for its comfortable and beautifully executed Peruvian food from chef Marcio Florez. Highlights include the jalea, a dish of fried fish, shrimp, calamari, yuca, plantains and mussels, and the chupe de camarones, a shrimp bisque that's a masterful treatise on the European influence on Indigenous Peruvian food. Book your reservation now on OpenTable 2200 Osage Loop, Franklin, One of the best restaurants in Middle Tennessee is hidden in an exclusive inn called Southall, set among gorgeous grounds. The bar is exceptional and so is the service, but the restaurant really comes alive as soon as the food hits the table. The kitchen is piloted by chefs Andrew Klamar and Nate Leonard, and their collective talent is evident in beautifully prepared but playful modern-American dishes that lean on produce grown onsite. 608 Eighth Ave. S., Nashville, A food truck turned bright brick-and-mortar restaurant has quickly made its mark on Nashville after opening this fall in the exploding Gulch neighborhood. Expect Mexican food, elevated while it leans on the tradition of heirloom corn, an integral part of chef Julio Hernandez's heritage. The duck mole is extraordinary, but you'll be just as happy scooping up warm farmers' cheese with hand-made tortillas. For fans of the food truck: Yes, it's still parked in front of Chopper, don't worry. Book your reservation now on OpenTable 701 Porter Road, Fire is at the heart of this pan-Asian restaurant, where executive chef Dung 'Junior' Vo and his crew turn out nearly aggressively large wood-fired tomahawk ribeyes next to refined plates of crudo with delicate garnishes and fresh lobster bao buns dressed with garlicky aioli. It's all fun, not too serious but very, very good. It's affordable luxury in a neighborhood setting. Book your reservation now on OpenTable 1035 W. Eastland Ave., The Tennessean's No. 1 pick for the best restaurants in Nashville in 2024 is a truly exceptional foray through the food of the Iberian Peninsula, but in a way you'd never expect. Think maitake mushroom broth with pine that you'll think about for months. Or a beet roulade that could be the best thing you eat all year. Or mussels that are nothing like you'd expect, but rather fried somehow ethereally light and sauced with sweet summer peppers and crisp sage. None of it makes sense. But it's all incredible. Book your reservation now on OpenTable 605 Mansion St., What do you get when you cross Sicilian home-style pizza that became a take-home darling during the pandemic with exceptional but rustic hand-made pastas and delicate modern-Italian dishes? The small but mighty St. Vito Focacceria has become a must-visit in the Gulch district. Sit at the bar and enjoy the show if you can. But make reservations while you still can — Chef Michael Hanna's first brick-and-mortar is really taking off. 620 Taylor St., Chef Vivek Surti's Indian-inspired tasting menu is absolutely crammed full of memorable dishes that never shy away from heat or flavor. Tailor's fried squid with corn bhel and sweet and spicy pepper chutney was an absolute knockout in a summer of memorable meals. This dinner party-style restaurant changes with the seasons, but always starts with incredible Indian-inspired snacks and ends with a lovely spice-heavy cup of chai. In The Joseph hotel, 403 Fourth Ave. S., Fine-dining Italian is not hard to find in the culinary world, but such a restaurant executed to this level is. Highlight dishes have included spaghetti alla chitarra with ramp pesto, sweet corn and crab risotto and the always perfect cacio e pepe. The desserts here are gorgeous and not to be missed. Book your reservation now on OpenTable We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. See the entire list of USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2025 here: This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 10 Nashville restaurants we wish made USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year
