November, 2006
New Era of the Recipe Burglar
Pete Wells explores the mysterious world of kitchen spies, copycat chefs and copyright lawyers who might, one day soon, change the way we eat.

October, 2006
A Wine Dummy Becomes Cellar-Smart
Pete Wells doesn't know a lot about wine, but he knows what he likes. Or so he thought before a tasting session with a pro challenged his assumptions.

September, 2006
The New Normal in New Orleans
For the city's restaurant community, the year since Hurricane Katrina hit has been a time to redefine their reality and reimagine their future. Pete Wells reports.

July, 2006
The Food Avant-Garde's Enabler
Gadget-obsessed inventor Dave Arnold may be just the kind of helper experimental cooks need.

June, 2006
What's at Stake at the Butcher Shop
Pete Wells visits a master butcher to learn how to carve up a steer and comes away with new insights into the best cuts and a fresh respect for a disappearing craft

May, 2006
The World's Best Chocolate
After trying a chocolate so good it leaves him speechless, Pete Wells goes on an urgent tasting mission to cult Tuscan chocolatier Amedei.

April, 2006
Does Wine Taste Better with Food?
To answer this question, Pete Wells explores the geeky world of sensory science—and learns taste is as much in the mind as the mouth.

March, 2006
In the Belly of the Blog
Columnist Pete Wells looks beyond the boring "cheese-sandwich" genre of blog to celebrate the idiosyncratic ones that make him say Wow.

December, 2005
Lard: The New Health Food?
Startled by news about the dangers of trans fats, writer Pete Wells happily contemplates the return of good old-fashioned lard.

November, 2005
Can a Great Restaurant Be Cloned?
When a restaurateur opens a second place—then a third, then a fourth—what's gained, what's lost? Pete Wells ponders this at Manhattan's Megu, the 32nd restaurant from Japanese visionary Koji Imai.

October, 2005
White Wine: Too Darn Cold?
It's a question so obvious that no one thinks to ask it: Why do we chill white wine? Increasingly puzzled by this practice, Pete Wells investigates.

July, 2005
Putting Le Bec-Fin to the Test
Pete Wells has fantasized about eating at Le Bec-Fin for over 20 years. But can reality ever live up to the dream?

June, 2005
Raising a Baby with a Four-Star Palate | Four-Star Baby Food
Determined to introduce his infant son to one of life's great pleasures, Pete Wells decides to learn everything he can about his baby's tiny taste buds. Dexter cheerfully cooperates.

May, 2005
Mixing It Up With a Cocktail Purist
In her reverence for vintage cocktails, mixologist Audrey Saunders is part scholar and part priestess. Pete Wells visits her sanctum.

April, 2005
The Pantry Forager
Pete Wells squeezes sustenance and pleasure out of stale bread, sprouting onions and a two-year-old box of lentils as he investigates a Brooklyn-style cucina povera.