Brains, Intestines, Pizzle

It’s what’s for dinner. (By Eric Slatkin)

Batali, High and Low

Mario Batali’s new cookbook, “Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style,” targets a different audience altogether. (By Sara Dickerman)

Celebrities and Portable Microwaves

Products we loved at the International Home & Housewares Show. (By Louisa Chu)

Destination: Denver on the Cheap

Kingpin food on a volunteer budget at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. (By Ruth Tobias)

Grit and Grub in San Francisco's Tenderloin

From down-and-out to up-and-coming— the city’s next Mission District. (By Lessley Anderson)

Destination: Twin Cities Crawl

Well fed and hung over at the 2008 Republican National Convention. (By James Norton)

Bistro Verdu closed abruptly on June 24, but hopes to open in a new location soon. (By Cicely Wedgeworth)

A French press that keeps coffee warm for two hours. (By Meredith Arthur)

The sticky-sweet pleasure of atayef.
 (By Cicely Wedgeworth)

Accept the Prince Cafe for what it is: American and European food, made by Chinese folks especially for Chinese audiences. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Did you go vegetarian but miss meat? A bunch of Asian vegetarian restaurants can fill the void with dishes using “fake meat” with fairly convincing taste and texture. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Boulangerie Zaatar (151 rue de Castelnau Est, Montreal, Quebec; 514-274-4775) may be the find of the week. To all appearances, it’s a generic little Middle Eastern bakery. The owner, a sad-eyed older Lebanese gentleman,... (By Jim Leff)