Bon Apetit Bistro
American restaurant · Perimiter Center ·
Viral brown-butter-frosting sheet cake, plum salad
Viral brown-butter-frosting sheet cake, plum salad
"In the wake of the publication’s public reckoning over allegations of racism and inequity, multiple on-camera Test Kitchen contributors — including Priya Krishna, Rick Martinez, Sohla El‑Waylly, Molly Baz, Gaby Melian and Carla Lalli Music — announced they would stop appearing in the publication’s YouTube content. They cited being paid less than white colleagues, being pigeonholed into particular cultural cuisines, and being tokenized; failed contract negotiations and the absence of concrete diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments also motivated departures. Reported proposed contract terms that spurred backlash included a pay structure of $1,000 per day for hosted videos, $625 for videos with multiple contributors, $0 for appearances under two minutes, and a guarantee of 10 video appearances per year (compared with up to 60 guaranteed to some white peers). Some contributors said they will continue to contribute editorially, but many severed or paused video relationships in solidarity after negotiations did not yield what they considered equitable compensation or opportunities." - Jenny G. Zhang
"A communal test-kitchen spread featuring a plum salad with black pepper and Parmesan (described as great), a viral brown-butter-frosting sheet cake (the frosting called 'insane'), and macadamia-nut chocolate cookies — a generous, high-quality tasting selection that staff were invited to sample." - Emma Alpern, Adam Mazur
"Once a high-profile magazine test kitchen, its collapse amid summer 2020 media scandals prompted investigative articles and a short-lived Reply All miniseries (cut short after former Gimlet staffers revealed similar workplace issues). The saga is being adapted into Enjoy Your Meal, a half-hour scripted comedy for HBO Max that will satirize the toxic culture of the food-media industry and follow a cohort of young assistants of color who rise up against a cookie-cutter corporate environment. Former assistant Ryan Walker-Hartshorn will serve as a consultant on the series, and executive producers include Amy Aniobi and Galt Niederhoffer. The controversy also precipitated notable departures from the outlet, including Claire Saffitz." - Rachel Sugar
Tannu S.
Trudy M.
