Kenney Marlatt
@kenneymarlatt.bsky.social
Chicago-based journalist. Good food, cocktails and more at @americanweekender.bsky.social
Get (or gift) a subscription this month — we are donating all of your subscription dollars to charities on the ground in Jamaica cooking hot meals for those in need and helping hospitality workers get back on their feet. 🇯🇲
This weekend, we’re spending a day in Sonoma, California, where you’ll find seasonal breakfast plates, great Mexican food, world-class wines, and more. Plus, this month we are donating all funds from new subscriptions to the relief effort in Jamaica.
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
Overnight Stay: Sonoma, California
Visit this former Mission town in Wine Country for seasonal breakfast plates, great Mexican food, world-class wines, and more.
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November 28, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Get (or gift) a subscription this month — we are donating all of your subscription dollars to charities on the ground in Jamaica cooking hot meals for those in need and helping hospitality workers get back on their feet. 🇯🇲
Reposted by Kenney Marlatt
This weekend, we’re in Cincinnati talking with Mike Stankovich, the owner of Cincy hotspots Longfellow and Mid City Restaurant, about hospitality and building community in his adopted home.
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Hospitality Comes First at Cincinnati's Longfellow and Mid City
We catch up with Mike Stankovich, the owner of both popular spots, to talk about their role in the city's food and drink scene.
open.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:40 PM
This weekend, we’re in Cincinnati talking with Mike Stankovich, the owner of Cincy hotspots Longfellow and Mid City Restaurant, about hospitality and building community in his adopted home.
open.substack.com/pub/american...
open.substack.com/pub/american...
If you’re a Chicago person and you miss the heyday of Roister in the West Loop, be sure to look up Brochu’s Family Tradition next time you are in Savannah.
Andrew Brochu’s signature dish is unforgettable. Chamomile-seasoned fried chicken thighs. Charred chicken breasts. Chicken salad. Biscuits, gravy, honey butter. An exceptional sunchoke hot sauce. Read more about his Savannah restaurant, Brochu’s Family Tradition: open.substack.com/pub/american...
September 1, 2025 at 5:56 PM
If you’re a Chicago person and you miss the heyday of Roister in the West Loop, be sure to look up Brochu’s Family Tradition next time you are in Savannah.
Now’s your chance to snag a room at Lake Shore Resort. Details below.
This weekend we have a fresh update from Saugatuck, Michigan with a couple newly opened spots. Plus, if you want to stay at Lake Shore Resort this season, we have a small scoop. More details in this week’s issue.
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
August 26, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Now’s your chance to snag a room at Lake Shore Resort. Details below.
We went to Savannah earlier this spring and I was shocked by how much more impressive the food scene was now vs. just a few years ago.
This week we are headed to Savannah, where we’ll visit walk-up windows for fried fish sandwiches, sip beers in dive bars, and eat burgers in honky tonks. We’ll also hit Mashama Bailey’s The Grey and seek out a fancy cocktail or two. Let’s go!
open.substack.com/pub/american...
open.substack.com/pub/american...
August 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM
We went to Savannah earlier this spring and I was shocked by how much more impressive the food scene was now vs. just a few years ago.
I have been visiting Charleston for three decades and would never have guessed it would become one of my favorite cities for barbecue.
This week, we’re headed to Charleston, SC to hit up some BBQ joints. Along with classic Carolina ‘que purveyors, you’ll find pitmasters drawing inspiration from places like Puerto Rico, Texas, and China who are turning out superlative smoked meat. Let’s go!
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
Our Favorite Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina
These five places, including a Chinese-influenced spot and a classic Carolina joint, serve superb smoked meats and sides. Plus: It's our second birthday!
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July 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
I have been visiting Charleston for three decades and would never have guessed it would become one of my favorite cities for barbecue.
Reposted by Kenney Marlatt
The Pioneer Valley, a bucolic area tucked between the Berkshires and Central Massachusetts, is filled with colleges, farms, and great places to eat.
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Weekend Getaway: The Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts
The bucolic area tucked between the Berkshires and Central Massachusetts is filled with colleges, farms, and great places to eat.
americanweekender.substack.com
July 7, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The Pioneer Valley, a bucolic area tucked between the Berkshires and Central Massachusetts, is filled with colleges, farms, and great places to eat.
americanweekender.substack.com/p/pioneer-va...
americanweekender.substack.com/p/pioneer-va...
This was a fun one! Looking forward to Bill’s dinner series.
This week, we hit up some Portland food trucks with comedy legend @thatbilloakley.com. Bill is a food fanatic with a passion for regional dishes and snacks. We talk to him about his unusual food finds and his new traveling dinner series you won’t want to miss. 🍔
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
June 29, 2025 at 4:04 PM
This was a fun one! Looking forward to Bill’s dinner series.
Paducah is one of our favorite pit stops when we are on the road. Sara Bradley’s Freight House is a gem.
Paducah, Kentucky is at the crossroads of the Midwest and the South. This week, we bounce around the river town, grabbing old-fashioned doughnuts, eating BBQ sandwiches, and dining on shrimp with pimento cheese grits from a Top Chef All-Star. Let’s go!
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
Overnight Stay: Paducah, Kentucky
Head to this Midwest river town for barbecue, bourbon, and a terrific dinner spot from a world-class chef.
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June 23, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Paducah is one of our favorite pit stops when we are on the road. Sara Bradley’s Freight House is a gem.
The live stream of the James Beard awards is stunning. They are skipping acceptance speeches and entire awards in order to promote the snacks being prepared at the afterparty. This is an insane misunderstanding of what this event is about.
how many restaurant and bar staffs have gathered to watch this only to be presented with someone talking about popcorn instead of the acceptance speech they were waiting on
June 17, 2025 at 12:58 AM
The live stream of the James Beard awards is stunning. They are skipping acceptance speeches and entire awards in order to promote the snacks being prepared at the afterparty. This is an insane misunderstanding of what this event is about.
A few photos from lunch and a wine tasting at Soter Vineyards in Carlton, Oregon. 🍷
June 10, 2025 at 4:13 PM
A few photos from lunch and a wine tasting at Soter Vineyards in Carlton, Oregon. 🍷
With new cocktail bars opening every month around the country, it’s hard to know which ones to pay attention to. Pay attention to this one. It’ll be on all the best lists in 2026.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Walking into Seahorse is like walking into an old sea captain’s house. The turquoise building is a classic Charleston single house. Enter along the side porch to reach the lushly decorated bar, an evocative space that sets the tone for coastal cocktails.
Seahorse Offers a Tour of Coastal Drinking Traditions
The new Charleston bar, headed up by Christian Favier, is the sister spot to the lauded restaurant Chubby Fish.
open.substack.com
May 23, 2025 at 8:56 PM
With new cocktail bars opening every month around the country, it’s hard to know which ones to pay attention to. Pay attention to this one. It’ll be on all the best lists in 2026.
From gourmet gas stations to beloved burger joints, this week’s newsletter explores Charlottesville, Virginia, and shares some of our favorite places for cheap eats and happy hour deals. See you in C-Ville!
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
April 9, 2025 at 2:20 PM
From gourmet gas stations to beloved burger joints, this week’s newsletter explores Charlottesville, Virginia, and shares some of our favorite places for cheap eats and happy hour deals. See you in C-Ville!
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
Not to mention cocktails from Natasha David …
Pistachio doughnuts, wood-fired pizzas and a cozy natural wine bar are just some of the things you’ll find in this week’s fresh update to our Hudson Valley Field Guide, featuring some new favorites in Kingston, New York.
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Overnight Stay: Kingston, New York
Need a late winter getaway? The Hudson Valley makes for a great escape.
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March 22, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Not to mention cocktails from Natasha David …
Reposted by Kenney Marlatt
Philadelphia’s Friday, Saturday, Sunday manages to be both a special occasion restaurant and a neighborhood bar. Here’s how the crew behind this spot does it.
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Friday, Saturday, Sunday Always Feels Like Home
The Philadelphia institution is both a neighborhood bar and destination restaurant.
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March 14, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Philadelphia’s Friday, Saturday, Sunday manages to be both a special occasion restaurant and a neighborhood bar. Here’s how the crew behind this spot does it.
open.substack.com/pub/american...
open.substack.com/pub/american...
Reposted by Kenney Marlatt
This week, we take a snowy road trip through the mountains of West Virginia for slaw dogs and pepperoni rolls, visit a critically acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant, stop in at a local brewery for a chicory stout, and more.
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
Overnight Stay: Charleston, West Virginia
Coffee beers, paw paw ice cream, and Appalachian fare await on a visit to West Virginia's state capital.
open.substack.com
February 21, 2025 at 4:09 PM
This week, we take a snowy road trip through the mountains of West Virginia for slaw dogs and pepperoni rolls, visit a critically acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant, stop in at a local brewery for a chicory stout, and more.
open.substack.com/pub/american...
open.substack.com/pub/american...
Masters of the Air on AppleTV+ was pretty good. Should I go back and watch Band of Brothers?
January 21, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Masters of the Air on AppleTV+ was pretty good. Should I go back and watch Band of Brothers?
Reposted by Kenney Marlatt
Who’s up for pepperoni rolls and a Navy Grog? This week we are sharing our go-to Pittsburgh spots for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks. #travel #foodtravel
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
January 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Who’s up for pepperoni rolls and a Navy Grog? This week we are sharing our go-to Pittsburgh spots for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks. #travel #foodtravel
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
From picnic tables to chef’s counters, here are some photos from some of our favorite meals this year. Read more in this week’s newsletter.
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December 10, 2024 at 3:47 PM
From picnic tables to chef’s counters, here are some photos from some of our favorite meals this year. Read more in this week’s newsletter.
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open.substack.com/pub/american...
I see Kenney Games finally got the social media handle they’ve been chasing for a decade. Hats off to you, my friends. You win this round.
November 22, 2024 at 6:24 PM
I see Kenney Games finally got the social media handle they’ve been chasing for a decade. Hats off to you, my friends. You win this round.