Rachael Narins

January 1st. The first day of the new year on the old Gregorian calendar. For most of the Western world, it's a day to start fresh, assess things, make pledges to change and maybe just beg the sweet merciful gods to make the room stop spinning because goddamn you over-indulged......

There are plenty of ways to celebrate the end of the year, and going out to dinner is certainly one of the best. Make a reservation while you can, put on your best party frocks and check out one of these options for your dining pleasure. Please also remember to......

Are you a jazz fan who hasn't made New Year's Eve plans yet? Have you bought yourself a Christmas present yet? Have you bought us a Christmas present yet? If any of those apply, we've got a delicious suggestion. The very talented and magically charming Jeff Goldblum and his jazz......

No matter what tradition you subscribe to, you still might want to eat out on December 25th. But, you know the drill, the stores are closed and you might not want what's in the fridge or on the table or at your mothers house and aren't planning a feast. The......

For those inclined to have someone else cook on Christmas eve, there is an incredible assortment of fine options available, but reservations are going quickly, so you'd better make one, soon, if that's your plan. Most hotels offer a standard up-scale Christmas dinner and pretty much every restaurant in the......

Cookies! Santa sent us on a mission to find the best Los Angeles has to offer, and much like his naughty and nice scroll, our list was long. More than 38 suggestions came rolling in, and that was for individual stores, not varieties. It was sugar-shocking. We instantly decided to......

Hanukkah is upon us, with its gift-giving, candle-lighting and most importantly -- a focus on eating fried food. For European Jews, that fried food is the latke. It's a time-honored dish and one that's tied to family memories and childhood. When it comes to making your own, you can pour......

There are so many worthy ways to give back this time of year. You can attend a fundraising event, donate food or write a check to help the less fortunate. All of which are needed and appreciated by the charities that depend on your generosity. But in case you need......

Nachos are party food, sporting event food, late-night soak-up-the-booze food or -- conversely -- kid food. Nachos are not aspirational food. At its most basic, this is a platter of chips covered with a neon foodstuff called cheese. Even when elevated, it isn't pretending to be much more. But it......

On a recent rainy Monday morning Squid Ink traveled to the Marriott Burbank, to learn more about the journey to becoming The Next Food Network Star -- and what sort of person hopes to make that happen. Popular shows have very little trouble luring people to open castings, even in......