Introducing Deep Dish, your weekly summary of culinary and entertainment updates. In our previous discussion, we highlighted the newest cities earning Michelin stars.
Wine has long played a vital role in Michelin’s mission—its highest-rated establishments feature extensive wine selections and expert sommeliers to enhance the dining experience. This week, Michelin unveiled a new award category specifically for wine producers. While restaurants earn “stars” and hotels collect “keys,” vineyards and wineries will now be recognized with “grapes,” available in one, two, or three increments.
In other news this week, George McNally, the son of famed restaurateur, memoir writer, and Instagram storyteller Keith McNally, is set to open his inaugural restaurant. Additionally, we have updates on an influencer’s dine-and-dash incident at Riker’s, a resolution to a complex recipe copyright dispute, and more happenings.
George McNally, son of restaurateur and memoirist Keith McNally, is launching his first eatery, as reported by Emily Sundberg on her Substack Feed Me. This yet-to-be-named restaurant will be located in Tribeca at 277 Church Street, just a short distance from his father’s original restaurant, The Odeon. The dining concept will focus on “French, but potentially, due to uncertainty, leaning towards a more coastal and Mediterranean vibe,” George shared with Sundberg.
Having worked in restaurants throughout his upbringing and serving as a bartender at Balthazar for the last four years, the younger McNally aims to open in May. He will collaborate with architect-designer Ian McPheely, who has partnered with his father on several restaurant projects over the past 30 years including Pastis, Minetta Tavern, Morandi, and others. While George refrained from elaborating on specifics, he mentioned: “I believe anyone familiar with Lucky Strike or Pravda will have a nostalgic experience when they first see it.”
Proud of his son, Keith stated that he has not been directly involved in the restaurant’s development. “While I greatly admire George for establishing his own venue, I’ve had no input—financially or in terms of construction or operational support—at all,” Keith conveyed in an email. “George and I share a close bond, and the fact he hasn’t sought my assistance makes me respect him even more.” —Andrea Strong, contributing editor
Michelin has significantly broadened its scope in recent years, expanding into new cities nearly every week. This week marked an expansion into yet another area…or terroir, more specifically. A new award category will grant one, two, or three grapes instead of stars to wine estates and vineyards, evaluated on five criteria including “identity” and “consistency,” as detailed in a press release. The awards will commence in 2026, starting with Burgundy and Bordeaux. —Li Goldstein, associate newsletter editor
There’s a con artist among us. A recent report details how an influencer, Pei-Yun Chung, hopped from pricey Williamsburg restaurant to pricey Williamsburg restaurant, ordering numerous dishes, capturing influencer-style photos, and then simply leaving—occasionally attempting to use a credit card that would inevitably be declined. Allegedly, after receiving the check, she would propose to post pictures on Instagram in exchange for her meal. Since late October, Chung has faced arrest and been charged seven times, accused of misdemeanor theft of services. She is currently detained at Riker’s Island jail with a $4,500 cash bail. —Sam Stone, staff writer
A few weeks prior, we reported on the ongoing copyright lawsuit against British cookbook author Yasmin Khan regarding her cookbook, Sabzi. The owner of a chain of Cornish delis holding the same name had filed the suit. The case attracted considerable public interest as observers debated the ethics of copyrighting a word that is commonly used for vegetable dishes in Urdu and Farsi. After weeks of advocacy, the lawsuit has now been dropped. Khan shared her experience in the Guardian, stating, “Food is something we share, not something we own, and it should remain in the hands of all those who sustain it.” —S.S.
