TL;DR
- Michelin named 94 Burgundy estates its first-ever wine award winners, nine earning the top three grapes, at the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy on July 7.
- Keiran Mustafa and Dom Hamdy opened Kismet, an Istanbul-style meyhane above Borough Market, serving meze and mangal-grilled kebabs at £48 per head.
- Detroit chefs Jared Gadbaw and Cory Barberio are opening Angelo's Fine Italian in Grosse Pointe this fall, bringing elevated Italian-American cooking to a new neighborhood.
- Doug Hewitt of Freya and Chartreuse Kitchen joins the James Beard Foundation's 2026-27 TasteTwenty, leading culinary events nationwide through March 2027.
Openings and closings
Istanbul meyhane lands in London, Italian ambition launches in Detroit
Two dining concepts with serious pedigree: one bringing Mediterranean sharing culture to Borough Market, the other top Michelin-trained chefs reuniting in a neighborhood trattoria.
Turkish meyhane culture has arrived at Borough Market. Chef Keiran Mustafa and restaurateur Dom Hamdy opened Kismet above The Globe Tavern on July 16, a year-long residency serving meze and charcoal-grilled kebabs either à la carte or as a set menu. Mustafa, who grew up in a Turkish-Cypriot family, describes the meyhane as "generous, lively and built around sharing," and the space includes live traditional Turkish music weekly (via The Upcoming).
Detroit pairing opens this fall. Two culinary heavyweights are teaming up: Jared Gadbaw, chef-owner of Oak and Reel, and Cory Barberio, executive chef at the Shinola Hotel, will open Angelo's Fine Italian in Grosse Pointe's Village in September or October. Both trained under the heaviest hitters—Gadbaw spent nine years at two-Michelin-starred Marea; Barberio worked under Andrew Carmellini at Locanda Verde—and they're leaning into Italian-American classics "with a higher level of craftsmanship" (via Crain's Detroit Business).
Cadillac Straits shuts down. Detroit lost Cadillac Straits Brewing Company in Madison Heights on July 18 after seven years, one of the month's notable closures in the region (via Hour Detroit).
Chefs and restaurants
Michelin-trained chefs plant flags, Beard honors emerging talent
Chef moves rippling from London bistros to Detroit kitchens, with the James Beard Foundation spotlighting the next generation of voices.
The meyhane revival goes deep: Keiran Mustafa, who worked at BiBi and the Harwood Arms before taking the helm at Kismet in Borough Market, represents a generation of London chefs rediscovering Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions. Opening at 16 July through a partnership with restaurateur Dom Hamdy, Mustafa is channeling both his Turkish-Cypriot heritage and the convivial spirit of Istanbul's tavern culture (via Restaurant Online).
Detroit's Doug Hewitt earns Beard nod. Chef Doug Hewitt, owner of Freya and Chartreuse Kitchen and Cocktails in Detroit, joined the James Beard Foundation's 2026-27 TasteTwenty class, a cohort of 20 chefs the foundation identifies as leaders in sustainable sourcing, team-building, and food-system advocacy. Hewitt will lead Taste America events in Detroit beginning in September as part of a national culinary tour running through March 2027 (via James Beard Foundation).
Food trends
Summer's biggest bets: local sourcing, functional drinks, forgotten fats
As restaurants face pressure from ingredient costs and labor, chefs are doubling down on seasonal produce, wellness-forward beverages, and ancestral cooking techniques.
Restaurants nationwide are pivoting hard toward locally sourced produce and direct farm partnerships, chasing both economics and flavor as beef and ingredient costs climb. Seasonal summer produce—tomatoes, peaches, corn, berries—dominates menus and farmer's markets, with chefs leaning on what's plentiful to offset supply-chain pressure (via Hour Detroit).
Wellness takes over drinks and snacks. Functional beverages and nutrient-dense snacks are colonizing both retail and bar programs, with brands adding adaptogens, collagen, and nootropics to sodas and cocktail mixes. The trend reflects consumer appetite for everyday drinks that double as health tools, a pattern accelerated by the GLP-1 era (via TrendHunter).
Beef tallow makes its comeback. Cooks and home cooks are rediscovering this ancestral fat for its nutritional profile and nostalgic appeal, part of a broader consumer interest in forgotten ingredients and regenerative food systems (via PSU Extension).
Guides and awards
Michelin crosses into wine, crowning Burgundy's finest
On July 7, the guide expanded its reach beyond restaurants to honor 94 wine estates in Burgundy, marking a historic first for the storied ranking system.
The Michelin Guide made its long-anticipated leap into wine on July 7, unveiling its first-ever selection at the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy in Dijon. The inaugural ranking honored 94 estates across Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, and Côte Chalonnaise, with nine estates earning the top distinction of three grapes—joining names like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, and Coche-Dury. Twenty estates received two grapes, and 33 received one. The expansion mirrors Michelin's restaurant ranking, applying its precision-grading system to Burgundy's world-class producers (via Michelin Guide).
Drinks
New Orleans crowns its cocktail champions at Tales of the Cocktail
The 20th Spirited Awards ceremony, held July 23 at Tales of the Cocktail, honored the year's best bars, bartenders, and brands across North America and globally.
New Orleans hosted its largest gathering of the spirits and cocktail community this month as Tales of the Cocktail returned for its 24th year, July 19-24, under the theme "Spark." The 20th annual Spirited Awards took place on July 23 at the Fillmore New Orleans, recognizing excellence among beverage professionals, establishments, and brands from the United States and internationally. The competition drew nominations from across the global cocktail scene, celebrating bartenders and concepts pushing hospitality forward (via Tales of the Cocktail Foundation).