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Slow food, Thanksgiving meal in a bun, and secret restaurants

Maira Kalman at nytimes.com has a quirky essay about food and the pursuit of happiness, fast food versus slow food, industrial versus agrarian. She meanders around the U.S. and makes her case with poetic phrasing, sly humour, drawings and photos.

Maira Kalman at nytimes.com has a quirky essay about food and the pursuit of happiness, fast food versus slow food, industrial versus agrarian. She meanders around the U.S. and makes her case with poetic phrasing, sly humour, drawings and photos. It's an interesting and engaging experience. And a little child-like.

In California, you can buy a Thanksgiving meal on a bun for $7 at Dave's Chillin-n-Grillin. At latimes.com, it's described as: "a French roll filled with grilled turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and turkey gravy." Available every Thursday (except American Thanksgiving when Dave's is closed) from September to April. No explanation about why you can't get it in July.

Buenos Aires is home to numerous restaurants that operate out of homes, says a story at guardian.co.uk. People like the home cooking, the intimacy, the personal care, the often humble surroundings. You'll need local contacts to seek them out, partly because some of them operate without permits. I've read about this happening in other cities, but can't remember the specifics.

And another Guardian story — Tokyo is the new Paris, says Michelin. The Michelin Guide — revered in some circles, scoffed at in others — has awarded three stars to 11 restaurants in Tokyo, to 10 in Paris.

Mia Stainsby at the Vancouver Sun writes about eating homestyle Japanese meals at a restaurant in Burnaby that also serves as the dining room for a seniors' home and heritage centre. Meals for under $10, long waits to get in on weekends. The restaurant is run by the same people who own the Fujiya grocery chain, which has an outlet in Victoria on Shelbourne Street. Sounds like the food might be a bit like some of the offerings at Fujiya.