Sip & Scene

Front of House vs. Back of House

Every restaurant has two countries sharing one border. One side runs on guest emotion, eye contact, and timing that has to feel effortless. The other runs on heat, tickets, prep lists, and physics. Front of house and back of house want the same thing, a packed room with happy people. But they often...

How to Review a Restaurant Like a Pro

Most people think restaurant criticism is about having a perfect palate and a dramatic pen. In reality, the best reviews are built on something way less glamorous: consistency. A pro critic is basically a reliable witness with a fork, clocking what happened, how it felt, and what it cost, then...

Ghost Kitchens and the New Delivery Economy

A few years ago, “opening a restaurant” still meant the familiar holy trinity: a lease, a dining room, and a staff that could run both without falling apart. Now, plenty of brands skip the front door entirely. They rent kitchen space, build a menu engineered for travel, and meet you at your...

Dining Out with Serious Food Allergies

I did not become “the allergy person” on purpose. It happened the way a lot of big life shifts happen in restaurants: suddenly, inconveniently, and with a side of humility. After years of directing beverage programs and trusting kitchens like they were an extension of my own hands, I was diagnosed...

About Julianne Rossi

Welcome to Food & Drink , the corner of Sip & Scene where we talk about what’s in the glass, what’s on the plate, and what all of it says about us when the check hits the table. I’m Julianne Rossi , a former beverage director, hospitality lifer, and Chicago-based writer who still instinctively...