Can’t get a reservation at Thomas Keller’s famed Napa restaurant? Consider this alternative. (By Tea Austen Weaver)

Ranch dressing is making a comeback. (By Miriam Wolf)

From Bismarck to St. Paul to Madison, new high-end restaurants are embracing such local cuisine as fried walleye and wild-rice porridge. Call it the birth of northwoods chic. (By James Norton)

Is it OK to send restaurant dishes back to the kitchen when you simply don’t like the taste? (By Helena Echlin)

Tiny tools help with obsessive details. (By Louisa Chu)

It’s not just for jousting tournaments anymore. (By Lessley Anderson and Roxanne Webber)

Americans have historically hated bitter tastes, while other cultures loved them. Until now. Chefs are playing with bitter in new ways, and U.S. diners are finally appreciating it. (By Lessley Anderson)

An interview with chef Christopher Styler, author of "Working the Plate." (By Lessley Anderson)

The 10 worst drink concepts of all time. (By James Norton)

What’s worth doing in the Napa Valley: a travel guide to the wine country. (By Ella Lawrence)

Warming, filling, and comforting. (By Aida Mollenkamp)

Gadgets for perfect julienne and curls. (By Louisa Chu)

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

From bad spinach to exploding lattes: The tastiest moments of 2006.

Buenos Aires’s up-and-coming San Telmo neighborhood. (By Ella Lawrence)