Bourdain Gets Wonky, Celebs Tip Poorly, and Other Weekend Links

By Melissa McCart Mon., Aug. 15 2011 at 9:28 AM

Categories: Restaurant News

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There's a mid-August languor in food news. Despite the slow going, here's a handful of link-worthy stories on food and drink from around the internets.

@noreservations

Bourdain says his first tattoo in Greek reads, "I suspend judgment." Think he did when he saw his mug on someone's arm?

Not just for garnishes anymore, herbs are apparently the new vegetable, though the article isn't very convincing. In the Sunday Times Magazine, Mark Bittman suggests that herbs take center stage this time of year, yet ironically, the photo features not two but five meatballs and a giant plate of pasta that dominates a single dainty basil garnish and some herbs chiffonade. (Seems I'm not the one rationalizing a pinch of lettuce on a sub as a veggie serving.)

If Bittman has you hungry for spaghetti and meatballs, live vicariously through Jane Black in the Washington Post travel section, as she learns to make pasta like an Italian.

Also in the Times, Anthony Bourdain gets all intellectual on us in the opinion section, touting the book that inspired his first tattoo: Sarah Bakewell's How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer. He also talks up his stylishly nerdy McSweeney's project called Lucky Peach, the first issue of which is focused on ramen. Ah, how I love ramen. Locally, can it be found here or in this noodle shop in the works?

Last week, we learned that Justin Bieber skipped out on the tip. This week, Lee Klein calls out notoriously bad tippers in our sister paper, Miami's New Times.

Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place, but I've yet to find a transcendent margarita. I'd love suggestions, or I can take a cue from the Miami Herald and make one myself -- with Key limes for "a complexity that's kind of fascinating," says chef Norman Van Aken.

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