Who Wants to Meet for Dinner in Peru?
Plus: breaking Taco Bell news
Welcome to Small Talk, an email I serve out every Monday morning exclusively to our Breakfast Club members in NYC, San Francisco, and Charleston. The premise is simple: my top of mind topics for the week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners ahead anytime some chatter is required. From now on, I’ll be sharing it with subscribers of The Supersonic as well. Enjoy, and crib topics as necessary.
It’s not easy to fill an awkward silence during a social event, but no one said being a hero would be easy. Here are some conversation starters about tech, Peru, and Taco Bell, among other things, guaranteed to momentarily fascinate a room full of people struggling to make small talk.
For consideration …
Restaurants, ranked
The “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” were just announced and the number one restaurant on the buzzy list is Maido—which means ‘welcome’ or ‘hello’ in Japanese—and can be found in Peru’s capital city, Lima. First opened in 2009, Maido is where celebrated chef Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura fuses Japanese techniques and Peruvian ingredients. Lima's culinary scene reappears in the top 10 with Kjolle, where chef Pía León creates vibrant dishes that celebrate local cuisine. The world's number two restaurant is tucked away in an idyllic Basque village. Asador Etxebarri grills masterpieces from a small kitchen. The highest-ranking U.S. restaurant is Atomix, here in New York, which is number twelve. The NoMad Korean spot is renowned for its sophistication. North America's first appearance on the list (at #3) is Mexico City's Quintonil, which aggressively experiments with local cuisine. Compiled by an "academy" of 1,000 members from all around the globe—fifty percent men, fifty percent women, all gastronomes—the annual list shines a spotlight on the most creative kitchens in every city. Restaurants from Thailand's capital, Bangkok, appeared six times on the list, with the avant-garde Indian eatery Gaggan at number six. I know what you're thinking. "What's number fifty?" Jan in Munich, a restaurant that honors and elevates German cuisine.Creeper peepers
From the creators of the social media platform that turned everyone's uncle into a meme-loving conspiracy theorist comes a new way to annoy family at dinner: $499 Oakley smart glasses from Meta. Like their Ray-Ban specs, Meta's new Oakleys are equipped with a camera, microphones, and speakers that are all connected to Meta AI, which is ready to chat with its wearers about anything, including who killed JFK. This new pair is sportier than the Ray-Bans, boasting high-rated water resistance and 8 hours of battery life. And the built-in camera? It shoots 3K video. These high-tech Foster Grants are being pitched to those of us who are athletically gifted, so get ready for more action-packed videos of wannabe parkour enthusiasts doing dangerous things. Paranoids will also love how smart glasses allow them to surveil the people they think are surveilling them. The buzz is positive, though. We’re all going to be wearing these, aren’t we?Live Mas
Twenty years after Taco Bell’s fast food doctors Frankenstein-ed life into the Crunchwrap Supreme—a portable hexagonal tostada stuffed with gooey goodness and grilled shut—the popular menu item is inspiring chefs, as well as satisfying the munchies of countless late-night party monsters. In an article that explores the legacy of Taco Bell’s now legendary Mexican food-esque item, the New York Times spoke with multiple chefs about Taco Bell's crunchy-slash-melty snack, an abomination to some and a tasty flavor bomb to stoners. From taquerias in Manhattan to Korean hotspots in Portland, professionals and home cooks are imagining their very own improvisational versions of the Crunchwrap Supreme. Check out the Crunchwrap Supreme hashtag on TikTok. The Crunchwrap Supreme's source code is open, which is great free advertising. The fast food giant has grown to embrace the imitations too. “In the past, you would develop things and you would keep it secret and you would launch it,” says Liz Matthews, Taco Bell's chief food innovation officer. A writer for the L.A. Times, Gustavo Arellano, finally gave in to the decades-long hype and tried a Crunchwrap Supreme. He was not impressed. "The tortilla had no flavor," he writes. "And once again, Taco Bell’s Achilles’ heel was its ground beef, which was as pebbly as gravel."
Quicker hits …
Two hundred eighty thousand eggs were stolen — a hard-boiled true crime story.
There are rules in this Waffle House, pal.
Forget Waymo. The future of transportation is robot horses.
Fifty years ago, Jaws became the first summer blockbuster. Here are the rest.
Finally, grape soda is having a moment.
Enjoy your week.
BL
Ben Leventhal
Founder + CEO
Blackbird
Never heard of Maido before this!