Here’s what you might have missed

A Bay Area restaurant went viral for its policy of fining parents for misbehaving children: Chez Xue, a Chinese restaurant in Foster City, California, made national headlines after an X post sharing the restaurant’s policy on misbehaving children went viral. Specifically, the restaurant explains that it will “hold parents financially liable for all damage caused by their children to restaurant property” and lists instances of damages, including a $327.03 charge in April 2025 after a child dropped a credit card machine, causing its screen to shatter, and a $5.47 charge in January of this year after another kid “bumped a teacup onto the ground, causing it to shatter” while playing on the booth seats. Owner You You Xue told SFGate that he doesn’t consider it an “anti-children campaign,” rather a necessary action after seeing too much bad behavior.
You should be washing your berries and herbs extra thoroughly right now: People in at least 21 states have now been sickened by a surge in cyclospora infections, caused by a parasite that’s spread through food and water and is responsible for severe diarrhea. An outbreak in Michigan alone has affected nearly 1,000 people; typically, the state sees only 50 cases per year. The Centers for Disease Control doesn’t yet know what’s causing the infections, and it can take weeks after eating a contaminated food for symptoms to start. The New York Times published a guide to preventing the stomach bug, including carefully washing foods implicated in previous outbreaks, such as snow peas, cilantro, and raspberries.
Bertrand Grébaut of Paris’s famous Septime has died: News of the influential French chef’s death, at 44, broke last weekend, following a cancer diagnosis last fall. The NYT described Grébaut, who opened the acclaimed and ever-in-demand Septime in 2011, as being part of a new wave of young French chefs shaking up French cuisine. The Michelin Guide, which awarded the restaurant one star, has described Septime as “the quintessence of the new breed of Parisian restaurants.” “Your legacy will not live only in your dishes, but in the countless people you inspired to cook with intention, to lead with kindness, and to remember that our craft is, above all, about caring for others,” chef Dominique Crenn wrote in a memorial post.
In Colorado, Casa Bonita workers find an ally in Brooke Shields: It’s been a long saga for Casa Bonita, the cult-classic pink restaurant that first opened in 1974 and then went bankrupt in 2021, leading to it being purchased by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who then spent over $40 million restoring it before reopening it in 2023 to massive interest despite it having many alleged workplace issues. This week, CNN reported that actress Brooke Shields is now helping to escalate employees’ demands for better wages and workplace safety, as its workers, who unionized in 2024, continue to negotiate their first union contract following a strike in October. Shields is the president of the Actors’ Equity Association, which represents many of the restaurant’s performers.
Alison Roman went to Taylor Swift’s wedding: People confirmed Roman’s presence at the much-talked-about event last weekend, which featured caviar-topped chicken nuggets and late-night pizza from Mama’s Too (among other selections and other food-world guests). As revealed in a 2021 New Yorker profile, Roman once received a handwritten fan letter from Swift, whose favorite Roman recipes include the famous shallot pasta and (my personal favorite) the tomato-poached fish.
Grant Achatz is doing something seemingly weed-related with Billy Corgan: The Alinea chef posted a picture of himself in the kitchen with the Smashing Pumpkins frontman playing guitar in the background, with the vague caption “collab coming soon.” Two more clues: Achatz also tagged his cocktail bar The Aviary and maker of portable “THC liquid drink enhancers” Hi-Snaps. In October, Corgan also partnered with Erewhon on an “OG Goth” smoothie that featured cacao, black sesame butter, and various adaptogens.
The Minnesota State Fair announced its unhinged new concoctions: When the country’s largest state fair kicks off next month, it’ll be serving white-chocolate-and-dill-pickle cookies, Dubai chocolate whoopie pies, ham sandwiches stuffed with deep-fried battered apple rings, waffle cones filled with mac and cheese, and more.
A Wishbone Kitchen video podcast is heading to Netflix: Cookbook author and content creator Meredith Hayden, whose videos while private cheffing in the Hamptons picked up millions of views, announced a new weekly series that’ll be available on the streaming platform.