Side Dish, the Shampoo Sandwich Edition

Hello and welcome to Side Dish, our weekly round-up of industry news, hot goss and things you might have missed. Now, let’s get to it...

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• The New York Times confirms shrimp towers are back, baby!

• Now we’re branding apples. Say hello to Ludacrisp.

• Avril Lavigne’s new pinot is complicated.

• This unexpected drink is blasting off with bartenders across the country.

• If you’re heading to Brunei, check out Pizza Hut’s new Coffee Pizza.

• Out of 12 grocery store butters, Trader Joe’s came out on top, melting the competition.

• From UV lights to hydrophobic dishware, self-cleaning tech is quietly reshaping the back of house.

• Forget fighting for reservations. Affluent millennials gather to eat and network at private dining clubs.

• Ever wonder who fuels NYC’s party scene? Meet the duo behind 10,000 Jell O shots a month and their technicolor craft.

• First star-chasing in the South, now the Southwest, putting AZ, NV, NM and UT on the map. Michelin is everywhere.

• Bill Addison finally shows his face, trading critic anonymity for video cameos and deeper IRL stakes in Los Angeles dining.

• Chipotle, Cava and Sweetgreen may be wobbling, but the country’s love affair with a $13 lunch bowl isn’t going anywhere.

• Kimpton drops its 2026 food and drink trends, from banana milk to botanical sweets, consider us intrigued.

• Butter bar? Don’t mind if I do.

• Denny’s x Mache decided drip should be literal as Sticky Kicks drop for National Maple Syrup Day.

• Observer just dropped its Nightlife & Dining Power Index, and spoiler: hospitality’s real flex is still humanity.

• Cheez-It turkey legs debut in Orlando because nothing says football like cheddar armor on a $25 drumstick.

• As Pinterest Predicts we’re going to book Darecations in 2026, all-inclusive adventure resorts are having a mo’.

• Luxury brands are going all in on luxury yachts. TBD if the anti-cruise crowd is all aboard.

• Cut to Hilton x Explora launching in 2026 and turning loyalty points into luxury ocean time.

• Here are the best airport lounges in the U.S. Curated cheeses and a speakeasy? Sign us up.

• The New Yorker checks out the new Babbo and feels all the feels: nostalgia, disappointment and intermittent moments of culinary magic.

• London’s new Hybrid Hotel pairs athlete-level recovery with a sneak peek at adidas’ next big tech.

• Christmas girlfriend getaways are calling from Gatlinburg to St. Simons so pack the sweaters and the sass.

• Mexico’s only legal nude beach now has a stylish stay, so pack light — very light.

• From seaweed hunts in Ireland to ceviche quests in Peru, 21 culinary trends are reshaping how we eat abroad.

• Gen Z is swapping PTO marathons for micro escapes and going global in 48 hours. See Airbnb’s 2026 travel predictions.

• 2026 is about to be hotel girl summer. From Charleston to Kyoto, new openings are ready to take over your feed.

• Antigua just got a little more glam. SJP’s exclusive cocktail lineup lands at Royalton CHIC’s overwater restaurant.

• Mytheresa opens a Wes Anderson dreamscape in St Moritz.

• The extreme day trip craze is booming, and so is your carbon footprint. Cute? Not really.

• Sleep like Ralphie in the actual A Christmas Story house, leg lamp and all, for the most nostalgic stay ever.

• Feeling burned out? Maybe you need a Hallmark job.

• Feeling like you just need a Pizza & Ranch candle? Bath & Body Works has gotchu.

• Meet the new holiday Debbie Downers: almond moms.

• Time’s Person of the Year is ruffling some feathers.

• The Duchess has a sweet tooth. Here’s As Ever’s new chocolate bar from Compartes.

• A sugar spike without the sugar, say hello to post-gourmand perfumes.

• Or...just try a new sugar-free Oreo.

• Hiding in the bathroom is self-care now. Bathroom camping is the new quiet luxury.

• TikTok’s newest wellness hack is the dark shower, a free reset for your nervous system.

• Ozempets is here to slim down your chonky BFF too.

• Stylists swear the shampoo sandwich is the easiest upgrade to your routine and your shine.

• Launching a brand next year? Go micro niche. It’s the only way to survive a broken supply chain and bored shoppers.

• Fashion’s newest consultant is the universe. Gen Z’s witchcraft wave is pushing brands to get spiritual.

• Jewelry is outpacing fashion four to one, and this report shows why shoppers are treating themselves.

• Fashion is already lacing up for 2026, and this preview shows brands treating the World Cup like runway season.

• Millennials rise again. Millennial pink is back and fashion is suddenly feeling very 2015.

• If winter has a denim uniform, it’s mom jeans.

• Fashion girls are living for Penny Lane coats, the fur-trimmed jackets making jeans look instantly expensive.

• Gap x Summer Fridays just dropped cozy knits and PJ sets with Barbie Ferreira fronting the collab.

• Abu Dhabi just gave classical horsemanship a glow up. Step inside the ADREA equestrian spaces redefined by design.

• Want to live like Martha? Her iconic houses are now pre-fab builds, starting at 150K and ready faster than a soufflé.

• Washable rugs that are actually cute. Ruggable x Anthropologie understood the assignment.

• Little Rock’s grandest tree gets 12,500 lights and velvet ribbon, and this guide shows how to bring the magic home.

• Glassdoor’s word of the year is fatigue, confirming the job market’s biggest trend is simply being tired.

• The Met Gala is going giga. Beyoncé, Venus, Kidman and Wintour are teaming up to host fashion’s biggest night.

• Pinterest just dropped its 2026 trend report and trends are growing 4.4x faster than they were 7 years ago.

• Nonnacore is fully legit as this 84-year-old Italian grandmother was named Italy’s TikTok “Creator of the Year.”

• Start deleting those inappropriate selfies now – travelers coming into the U.S. may be required to disclose five years of their social media history.

• Good news – Hinge is here to help with opening line anxiety as it launches Convo Starters.

• Parallel parking defeated Joe Jonas. TikTok documented the entire slow-motion meltdown.

• The latest must-have marketing strategy? More influencer-designed drops, fewer reasons to shop elsewhere.

• Adobe teams with Rachel Karten for 5 year-end social tricks, from top-performer reposts to stat-driven hooks.

• Netflix’s $72B Warner Bros deal could remake streaming math and crown one true content overlord.

• TikTok drops Shared Collections, a new way to trade inspo with friends before Shared Feeds land next.

• Shares are the new likes, and Adobe Express breaks down the 5 types of content people pass around nonstop.

• Bookmark this 2025 social image size cheat sheet so your posts stay crisp across social all year.

• Hashtag stuffing is out and Planoly breaks down what actually drives reach now.

• Instagram just flipped the script, letting anyone reshare any public Story.

• From Apple to Gap, this best ads of 2025 list crowns the campaigns that out-weirded and out-wowed the rest.

• Spotify ditches the AI experiment and brings back human-made Wrapped, complete with mixtape nostalgia.

• Meet Bowlmates, Cava’s reality-style love lab where matches mix grains and greens.