Soba, Oyster Bars, Chef Coats Sucking: 10 Hot Topics On Food Republic This Week

The week on Food Republic (clockwise from top left):Eventide oyster bar in Portland, ME, the dry aging room at Gallaghers in NYC, Three Dots and a Dash, Greg Baker does not like chef coats.

We started out the new year with a bang. Well, more like the sound of Greg Baker torching a chef's coat. In his story, Why Chef Coats Suck: A Story Of Fake Professionalism And Very Bad Fashion, the Florida-based chef argues that the coat is not just passé, it's a detriment to health and personal safety. Many chefs agreed. And speaking of health, this week marked the traditional detox period that begins with New Year's Day (unless, of course, you're a college football fan) and ends sometime in the spring. Or, the second week of January. Next week we officially kickoff Healthy Living Month with a bunch of stories related to diet, exercise, Paleo things and making smart choices. Because we all know that December might have been a month of the exact opposite. Anyways, to the 10 hot topics on Food Republic this week:

1. The 2.5-year foie gras ban in California was lifted. And chefs, including Ludo Lefebvre, are very happy.

2. Bottle service, long a VIP fixture a red velvet roped clubs, is entering the cocktail scene. We spot three examples around the country.

3. To celebrate Cassoulet Day, we scored a recipe from New York-by-Provence restaurant Claudette.

4. You should really think about eating some oysters right now .Here are 9 places around the country upping the oyster bar game.

5. A grill-cleaning robot made some noise at CES.

6. New York City is a city of dying historic restaurants. Yet one man is keeping them alive.

7. Tiki bars have reemerged in what we are calling a third wave Renaissance.

8. What the hell is Colorado whiskey? We sorted it out pretty nicely.

9. You should be eating a lot of soba right now.

10. Eater Restaurant Critic Bill Addison most certainly doesn't have the best job in the world. Are you kidding?