The Importance of Hearth

Generosity, philanthropy, community and love all affect flavor. This is why our mother’s roast beef tastes better. It's why we we wait on absurd lines during free cone day at Ben & Jerry’s. It's why we can stomach bad food at good weddings.*

And this is why, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy -- which left scores without heat, hot water and electricity -- I like to think we’re rightly being drawn toward restaurants that don’t simply serve good food (of which there’s a surfeit), but rather toward restaurants that are linchpins of our society, that give back to those who are down on their luck.