Food

The Best Outdoor Griddles Can Have You Cooking Outside Every Day

Most of the outdoor griddles I’ve encountered, both in this review and elsewhere, have been made of cast iron or carbon steel, so the Solo Steel Fire’s stainless steel construction is intriguing. Add the fact that you can basically pluck it out of the box, wash off the dust, and fire it up, and it’s a slacker’s dream. But it performs well enough to compete with brands with longer track records.

What we love: It comes in two sizes (22 and 30 inches). The smaller Solo uses a camping-size propane tank, which can easily sit on a tabletop. The smaller Solo is a great choice for smaller spaces. The larger size could technically go on a tabletop or a heat-safe surface if you want to maximize your outdoor cooking space. It uses a standard-size propane tank, though, so you’ll need to find somewhere to put it. Solo sells a stand for the griddle, though it’s expensive at $300.

The Solo shone in the pancake test. My flat top experience has primarily been with carbon steel or cast iron, so I was worried about a lot of sticking on a stainless-steel cooking surface. However, when I went to flip the pancakes, they were so slippery that they practically skated across the cooktop. It may have been the most nonstick of all the surfaces. Even more astounding, it required no seasoning. This alone makes it the best outdoor griddle for people who don’t want to season anything. Who wants extra homework? It’s also notable that this is a good choice for cooks in more humid climates, where carbon steel can rust.

Clean-up was also the easiest with this brand among others. You really just need to wipe up the crusty bits and shine it with a per towel. If you’re a little more detail-oriented, one of the best features is that the cooktop comes out of the unit so that you can wash it in the sink. That’s especially useful for households with food allergies that need deeper cleaning to avoid cross-contamination.

Finally, you can’t mention Solo products without discussing their design peal. This was one of the sleekest-looking griddles in the test, and it definitely matters if your setup is a point of pride that is visible year-round.

What we’d leave: The Solo is one of the priciest models in our test, and that’s before you add the cart, which is an extra charge. The cart can feel a little flimsy compared to one-piece griddles, but it doesn’t bother us much. Some users may find the rounded corners of the grill strange at first if they are used to rectangular-shed grills. But I didn’t have any problem during cooking or cleaning.

Food

Mai Tai

Among the most iconic tiki cocktails, the classic mai tai is widely credited to Victor Bergeron of Trader Vic’s, though some cocktail historians trace its roots to the tropical rum drinks pioneered by Donn Beach (a.k.a. Don the Beachcomber) a decade earlier. Whatever its origin, the drink has earned its place in the cocktail canon.

Despite its reputation as a sugary beach-bar drink, a proper mai tai is crisp, citrusy, and unologetically rum-forward—not neon-colored or overloaded with sweetened fruit juice. Fresh lime juice, orange curaçao, and nutty orgeat bring balance and complexity, while a blend of white and aged rum delivers layered tropical-fruit, vanilla, and caramel notes that define the drink.

This classic mai tai recipe keeps the focus where it belongs: on great rum. Ready in just five minutes, it’s equally suited to a solo hpy hour or a backyard gathering.

Tips for making the best mai tai

What rum is best for a mai tai?

A combination of white rum and aged dark rum creates the best balance. White rum is lighter-bodied and fruity, while aged rum brings notes of banana, vanilla, and burnt sugar, along with a richer mouthfeel.

Seek out producers who are transparent about sourcing and production methods, then choose bottles with enough character to stand up to the lime and orgeat. We like Denizen Merchant’s Reserve for the dark rum and Planteray 3-Year for the white. Merchant’s Reserve was developed specifically to cture the flavor profile of a classic mai tai, while Planteray is affordable, easy to find, and packed with tropical fruit flavor.

Orgeat is a sweet almond syrup flavored with orange flower water that gives a classic mai tai (among other tropical drinks) its signature nutty flavor and silky texture.

We like Small Hand Foods for its rich flavor and floral complexity, but L’Orgeat and Liber & Co. are also excellent options. For a sweeter, more traditional tiki-bar profile, BG Reynolds is another favorite. You can also make your own orgeat. Read more →

Can I use Cointreau instead of curaçao?

You can, but orange curaçao (not the blue stuff) delivers a fuller citrus flavor that complements the rum better. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao is exceptional and makes for a balanced, classic mai tai profile. Cointreau will lend brighter citrus flavors, but overall, make the drink taste less complex.

You can also use Grand Marnier, which tends to be sweeter than most curaçaos and brings warm, jammy flavors reminiscent of orange marmalade.

Can I use bottled lime juice?

We don’t recommend it. Lime juice provides bright acidity that balances the sweetness of the rum, orange liqueur, and orgeat. Bottled juice won’t deliver the same vibrant, fresh citrus flavor.

Can I make a big batch of mai tais for a crowd?

To make about 8 servings, sw the recipe’s ounces for cups and stir everything together in a large pitcher. The cocktail will keep well for about 8 hours (keep refrigerated).

Combine 8 spent lime halves, 1 cup fresh lime juice, 1 cup aged rum, 1 cup white rum, ½ cup curaçao or Grand Marnier, ¼ cup orgeat, and ¼ cup simple syrup in a large pitcher without ice. Add 3 Tbsp. water and stir well to combine. Chill until very cold, at least 1 hour.

Divide cold mixture between 8 rocks glasses filled to the brim with crushed ice. Garnish each with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.

Preparation

Head this way for more of our favorite classic cocktail recipes →

Food

RIP to Michelins Green Stars

Welcome to Open Tab, a weekly roundup of news, gossip, and stories that have stayed open in my tabs all week. Last week we covered the World Cups’s tourism bubble

The weather is warm in New York, and I had my first oysters of the season last night at Bar Susanne, the new spot from Jackie Carnesi, who also runs the historic Kellogg’s Diner. The oysters were perfect—briny and sweet—but the real coup was the giant, fish-shed strawberry tart for dessert. This is all to say: Summer is here, folks! Get thee to a raw bar!

Now for the news. (Well, news.) One small item that tickled me this week: Los Angeles mayoral candidate, former reality TV star, and famously bad budgeter Spencer Pratt—you may remember him from The Hills?—has not one but two dishes named after him at Don Antonio’s, a restaurant on the west side of LA. It’s where a few important moments from the show took place, and according to this excellent piece in Vanity Fair, Pratt is still a regular all these years later.

In other Los Angeles news: If you spend $15,000 a year at Erewhon, you can get your smoothie made before anyone else’s, Eater reported. That is just one of the perks of the reserve tier of the chain’s membership program. That’s, what, a single strawberry a month?

Also this week: There’s PFAS drama brewing in the pots and pan-iverse, AI is failing home cooks (and many others), we remember Slow Food pioneer Carlo Petrini, and Michelin quietly institutes some changes to their stars.

In 2020, the Michelin Guide introduced Green Stars as a way to honor chefs’ sustainability efforts. Previous winners include The Inn at Little Washington, Kaya in Orlando, and Dan Barbour’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns. But just six years later, the guide is retiring this designation—you won’t see a green star on any of those restaurant’s listings on the Michelin website. Sustainable chefs the world over are pretty pissed off, but as I reported a couple years ago, Michelin’s main priority these days seems to be expanding into new territories. Instead of a Green Star, Michelin will be introducing Mindful Voices, an editorial platform to share the stories and pioneering practices of chefs, hoteliers and wine producers.

One interesting tidbit: eliminating the Green Star must have been a very recent decision. I received an email from a PR person as recently as ril announcing the awards in one US state which specifically mentions Green Stars. Much to ponder!

Big Pan strikes again. Caraway, a cookware brand, is being sued by two other cookware companies—Groupe SEB USA and Meyer—because it advertises its pans as free from toxic chemicals (PFAS), as Wired reported. PFAS, colloquially known as forever chemicals, break down very slowly and are linked to health issues. The gist of the suit is that if Caraway calls its pans free of toxic chemicals, it’s implying that the chemicals other companies use are toxic—which isn’t strictly proven. Between us girls, I’d skip Caraway and go with GreenPan anyway.

It’s been a banner week for AI haters i.e yours truly. Starbucks has retired its AI inventory system after it screwed up inventory, and Uber burned through its yearly AI budget in a few months—the company is saying AI spending is harder to justify.

Food

Our Opinionated Editors Say These Are the Best Coffee Mugs

I’m currently deep in the honeymoon phase with the espresso machine I got last year, so I’m reaching for mugs that allow me to practice my (not terrible but far from good) latte art skills. The one I use most often is a black-and-white number I made in my weekly pottery class some time ago. It’s large enough to accommodate a double shot of espresso and just the right amount of milk for a cpuccino, is wide enough to fit my milk art attempts, and the glaze on its striped handle dripped in the kiln in such a way that it feels molded to my hand—a hpy accident if there ever was one.

You can’t buy that mug, of course, but I’ve left my second favorite latte art-friendly mug for you below—along with recommendations from a host of other BA staffers.

Below you’ll find picks designed to keep your beverage hot through chaotic mornings filled with kid breakfasts and school drop-offs, as well as large vessels that are perfect for enjoying your coffee or tea while curled up on the couch with a book during lazy afternoons. It’s a sort of choose-your-own-coffee-adventure.

Haand 10-Oz. Short Mug

Haand’s 10-oz. Short Mug is by far the most stylish mug I own, in a sort of timeless way. I love the modern look of its straight sides and the somewhat unexpected proportions. It’s also handmade, so it’s perfectly imperfect and reminds me of something I might be really excited to find at a thrift store or flea market. But unlike my vintage treasures, the matte glaze on this porcelain mug is lead-free and dishwasher-safe (it’s microwave-safe, too, though I’d never microwave my coffee).

Beyond looking good, this is the mug I reach for when I want to feel cozy while I sit and savor my coffee. Because it’s shorter and wider than a classic diner mug, I can comfortably wr both hands around it. —Emily Farris, contributor

Emily Farris

Food

Everything BA Editors Tried, Tasted, and Loved in May

As people who write about food and kitchen gadgets for a living, Bon pétit editors are constantly surrounded by a wide range of products. Between our own purchases and the endless stream of samples sent our way, it means there’s always something new coming across our desks and into our homes. Every month, we’re rounding up the standouts we’ve tested or bought ourselves that changed the way we cook and eat.

This month, a mini salad spinner perfect for small households, a put-it-on-everything spice blend, and a compact espresso machine that does all of the work for you.

Read on for all of the products we’ve been obsessing over this May.

Oxo Small Salad Spinner

A salad spinner would probably make the top 10 most-used pliances in my household when I was growing up. It’s equally great for wringing moisture from greens, prepping shredded potatoes for crispy latkes, and keeping clean berries from going soggy. Strangely enough, it was five years into my relationship with my fiancé when I discovered he had never seen one before. That was because for those five years, I was washing lettuce and letting it dry (mostly unsuccessfully) on a towel in order to save space in my New York City artment. I finally gave in and got the mini Oxo salad and herb spinner. While this size was typically reserved for herbs in my more spacious childhood kitchen, it does the trick for a salad for two. Small enough to tuck into my colanders in the pantry, and if you’re feeding a crowd, just run it twice. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager

Rancho Meladuco Dates

I recently treated myself to a two-pound box of Rancho Meladuco Medjool dates and I don’t understand how they’re so good. Squidgy like a caramel-fudge hybrid, with a flavor that’s distinctly vanilla. I bring a couple on longer runs as a treat and a boost of carby energy (so much better than those gross gels). When I’m not mid-run or eating them straight from the box as I wander through the kitchen, I like to stuff them with a slice of cheddar or a swipe of nut butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt. —Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor

Food

These Are This Years James Beard Restaurant & Chef Award Nominees

Jack Benchakul, endorffeine coffee bar, Los Angeles, CA
Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY
Ryan Fletter, Barolo Grill, Denver, CO
Brent Kroll, Maxwell Park, Washington, DC
🌟 June Rodil, March, Houston, TX

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

Hastings Cameron, Imaginary Factory, Madison, WI
Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA
Nicky Fas, Pantera, Caguas, PR
McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver, CO
Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, Brooklyn, NY

Best Chefs (by region)

Best Chef: California

Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA
Harrison Cheney, Sons & Daughters, San Francisco, CA
🌟 Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu, Sun Moon Studio, Oakland, CA
Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles, CA
Daisy Ryan, Bell’s, Los Alamos, CA

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Vinnie Cimino, Cordelia, Cleveland, OH
Sarah Dworak, Sudova, Cincinnati, OH
Norman Fenton, Cariño, Chicago, IL
Jeffery Harris, Nolia Kitchen, Cincinnati, OH
🌟 Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago, IL

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Nathan Flaim, Luca, Lancaster, PA
Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA
🌟 Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA
Suresh Sundas, Tori, Washington, DC
Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle, Philadelphia, PA

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Zak Baker, Ca’Lucchenzo, Wauwatosa, WI
Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado No Mise, Minneolis, MN
Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
Nick Bognar, Sado, Pavilion, St. Louis, MO
David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Ota, Omaha, NE

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

🌟 Johnny Curiel, Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, CO
Travis Herbert, Felt Bar & Eatery, Salt Lake City, UT
Earl James Reynolds, Herb & Omni, Whitefish, MT
Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO
Nick Zocco, Urban Hill, Salt Lake City, UT

Best Chef: New York State

🌟 Fidel Caballero, Corima, New York, NY
Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, New York, NY
Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY
Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, New York, NY
Joshua Pinsky, Claud, New York, NY

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, CT
Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH
Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, ME
Paul Trombly, Fancy’s, Burlington, VT
Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI

Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

Nathan Bentley, Altura Bistro, Anchorage, AK
Johnny Courtney, Atoma, Seattle, WA
Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado, Portland, OR
Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
Aaron Tekulve, Surrell, Seattle, WA

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

🌟 Ana Castro, Acamaya, New Orleans, LA
Bryce Bonsack, Rocca, Tampa, FL
Maria La Mota and Chason Spencer, Chancho King, Jacksonville, FL
🌟 Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA
Jason Paul, Heirloom at The 1907, Rogers, AR

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Joe Cash, Scoundrel, Greenville, SC
Mary Ellen Diaz, Alma Bea, Shepherdstown, WV
J. Trent Harris, Mujō, Atlanta, GA
Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, NC
David Willocks, The Baker’s Table, Newport, KY

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

🌟 Jeff Chanchaleune, Bar Sen, Oklahoma City, OK
Brian Howard, Sparrow + Wolf, Las Vegas, NV
Steve Riley, Mesa Provisions, Albuquerque, NM
Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV
🌟 Zack Walters, Sedalia’s, Oklahoma City, OK

Best Chef: Texas

Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk, Houston, TX
Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston, TX
Scott Girling, Osteria Il Muro, Denton, TX
Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, Café Piro, Socorro, TX
🌟 Finn Walter, The Nicolett, Lubbock, TX