Skift Take

Chef's Take: You can make a difference and eat well too.

Editor’s Note: In September we announced that Skift was expanding into food and drink with the addition of the Chefs+Tech weekly newsletter.

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We see this as a natural expansion of the Skift umbrella, bringing the big picture view on the future of dining out, being fanatically focused on the guest experience, and at the intersection of marketing and tech.

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Foodtank’s 2017 List of Organizations to Watch

Given the current political climate and Obama’s mandate last night to Americans to get out there and do something about the stuff they care about, we thought we’d share this slightly more food + tech news  from Foodtank, which outlines a very interesting list of organizations to watch in 2017. Whether sustainable farming, women’s rights, or school lunch are your jam, here are the folks out there fist-pumping “Yes, We Can.” And, yes, we can get out there and help them.

Amazon Now Accepts Food Stamps

In a release from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announcing the USDA’s retail volunteers for SNAP (that’s “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program” or food stamps) online purchasing pilot, our favorite maker of drones, provider of nearly instantaneous toilet paper delivery, and otherwise everything store tops the list. Amazon along with other online grocers (FreshDirect in New York, Safeway all over) will now start accepting food stamps. Big social safety net meets technology win, no?!

“Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities where access to healthy food choices can be limited,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “We’re looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of the online market to low-income Americans participating in SNAP.” We’re glad to see the benefits of this, let’s face it, remarkable service reaching people of all income levels.

Airbnb Invests in Resy in Play to Dominate Hungry Travel Bookers

While the international home-sharing company has yet to announce the investment on its blog, the good ol’ WSJ tells us that Airbnb is playing VC these days, leading a $13 million funding round in New York-based Resy’s restaurant reservation service. Skift also has the scoop. The play is pretty obvious—to become a one-stop shop for travelers looking for a local bite or dinner at Chez Panisse—but definitely signals a big ol’ hello to OpenTable, whose parent company, The Priceline Group, is the market leader in travel bookings.

Priceline owns Booking.com whose bookable home service remains hugely large relative to Airbnb, but it remains to be seen if SF’s travel darlings will capitalize from the relatively small inventory on Resy as it relates to OpenTable’s 32,000+ restaurants internationally. Given that Resy restaurants will now be bookable through the Airbnb app, this natural partnership signifies that the company believes, not only do you belong anywhere, you belong at a restaurant near you. With pasta. And wine. And your iPhone.

Eater’s Helen Rosner Takes Bourdain’s Post-Trump Pulse

If you love Helen’s writing (as we do), do not miss this highly entertaining read of food’s best bad boy on post-Trumpian America, in restaurants and beyond. The two share countless Asahis and yakitori skewers, and the whole thing’s a great reminder of how the kitchen, no longer confidential, extends far beyond your table these days. Check, please.

Digestifs

  • Ever wonder how The Infatuation comes up with stuff? Here’s how, in their rating’s explainer.
  • Get your gastronomic travel on with Tasting Table’s tastiest cities in 2017.
  • Remember the commercial where eight year-old somethings ran around to a highly catchy diddly while the sky actually rained Raisinets down on them, catching them in their 80’s tee-shirts? No? If so, this one’s for you.
  • Why are people pod-obsessed? Aside from being terrible for the environment and generally disgusting, how convenient is it really when you could just grab a beer… I ask you.
  • Here’s lookin’ at you and the pile of corks on your counter this morning.
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The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

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Tags: airbnb, anthony bourdain, resy, skift table

Photo credit: Resy received and investment this week from Airbnb and others.

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