Food & Drink

Denver – September 08, 2026 -- The Mile High City has released its fall 2026 calendar, packed with art exhibits, beer festivals and new restaurant openings running from September through mid-November.

The Denver Art Museum opens "DIVA" on October 4

The exhibit runs through January 10, 2027, and features more than 200 objects and over 50 costumes worn by performers including Maria Callas, Cher, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, RuPaul, Prince, Tina Turner and Marilyn Monroe.

Soccer fans get a free fan festival at Union Station

NBC Sports and USA Sports partner for the Premier League Mornings Live event on October 10-11, 2026, at Denver Union Station. Attendance is free but requires advance registration.

Gaithersburg – September 07, 2026 -- Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen has officially opened its doors at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg, Maryland, marking its debut with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew local leaders and community members.

The restaurant blends Lebanese heritage with a Maryland twist

The menu features handmade mezze, fresh-baked breads, Lamb Mouzat, Farrouj and a signature hummus. A standout addition is an exclusive crab hummus made with Maryland crab, merging Lebanese tradition with a regional ingredient.

Chef Rachid Eido leads a family recipe legacy spanning generations

Chef Rachid Eido, a third-generation Lebanese chef, oversees the kitchen. His career includes work at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., and across the Washington region, along with helping launch the original Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen in Naples, Florida, in 2018.

Las Vegas – September 07, 2026 -- MGM Resorts International has unveiled the culinary lineup for Bellagio Fountain Club during the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix 2026, running Nov. 19-21, with tickets available through Ticketmaster.

Star chefs headline race-weekend dining

The roster includes José Andrés, David Chang, Mario Carbone, Masaharu Morimoto, Michael Mina, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and brothers Michael and Bryan Voltaggio. They're joined by television talent Maneet Chauhan (two-time "Tournament of Champions" winner), Rhoda Magbitang ("Top Chef" 2026 champion), and Britt Rescigno ("Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay" winner).

Also cooking: Executive Chef Eleazar Villanueva of Joël Robuchon, a two-Michelin-star restaurant at MGM Grand Las Vegas, and San Francisco's David Nayfeld of Che Fico, a World's 50 Best Discovery recipient.

Austin, Texas – September 03, 2026 -- Texas is rolling out a fresh lineup of hotels, outdoor attractions and dining honors aimed at giving travelers new reasons to visit the state.

Three new hotels target different types of travelers

1 Hotel Austin, a sustainability-focused property, opens in September. Morgan's Hotel in San Antonio is designed to serve travelers of all abilities through accessible technology and trained staff. Canyon Ranch Texas, an all-inclusive wellness resort on 600 acres overlooking Lake Travis in Spicewood, opens Oct. 15.

Two parks expand access to Texas' outdoors

Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, located 75 miles west of Fort Worth, opened in March as the state's newest park, spanning nearly 4,900 acres with hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing and stargazing. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area near Fredericksburg more than doubled in size with a new rugged backcountry section.

Austin, Texas – September 03, 2026 -- Texas is rolling out a string of new hotels, parks and dining honors this year, giving travelers fresh reasons to plan a trip to the state.

New hotels target wellness and accessibility

1 Hotel Austin, a sustainability-focused property, opens in September. In San Antonio, Morgan's Hotel is designed with technology and trained staff to serve travelers of all abilities. Canyon Ranch Texas opens Oct. 15 in Spicewood, spreading a wellness retreat across 600 acres overlooking Lake Travis.

State parks expand hiking and stargazing options

Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, 75 miles west of Fort Worth, opened in March as Texas' newest state park, offering nearly 4,900 acres for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing and stargazing. Near Fredericksburg, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area added a rugged backcountry section, more than doubling the park's size.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – June 17, 2026 – IHG Hotels & Resorts has kicked off the fourth edition of its Star Chef Gourmet Tour across Greater China, and this year's opening chapter puts a single, humble ingredient in the spotlight: rice. Culinary teams from nearly 50 hotels are taking part in a three-part series — Origin, Authenticity and Craft — designed for travelers and food lovers who want their hotel stays to double as cultural discovery. The first chapter, Journey of Origin, launched at Crowne Plaza Hangzhou Science City, where chefs from across East and South China built an entire tasting menu around rice's role in Chinese cuisine. For anyone who books a stay expecting room service and little else, it's a reminder that hotel dining has quietly become one of the more interesting reasons to choose where you sleep.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – May 12, 2026 – While the world often sees Ukraine through the lens of geopolitics, a much older story is currently unfolding in the craft spirits market: the survival of Vyshnivka. This traditional cherry liqueur, which once defined the hospitality of Ukrainian noble estates, is making a definitive comeback through the relaunch of Wild Cherry. After being forced into a hiatus by both a global pandemic and the outbreak of full-scale war, the brand is now restarting its production to bring a taste of Eastern European history to the United States.

In the glass, the liqueur carries a deep, ruby-red tone with a dense aroma of preserved fruit, leaning into the sharp tartness of real sour cherries rather than syrupy sweetness. For the modern consumer, it offers a profile far removed from artificial schnapps, representing a nation’s refusal to let its culinary heritage disappear.
 

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – April 14, 2026 – Gong cha, the international bubble tea franchise with Taiwanese roots, has expanded to more than 2,200 stores across 33 markets worldwide, bringing a menu built on freshly brewed, whole-leaf tea to customers in the United States. Unlike many competitors that rely on powder-based mixes or pre-made concentrates, the brand positions itself around in-store brewing and tea sourced from specific growing regions. For American consumers who have embraced bubble tea as an everyday drink rather than an occasional novelty, Gong cha's approach to ingredient sourcing and drink variety offers a clearer reason to choose a premium cup over a cheaper alternative.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – April 14, 2026 – TGI Fridays is making its Fridays Rewards loyalty program one of the most visible parts of its consumer push in 2026, actively inviting guests to sign up and start earning points on purchases at its restaurant and bar locations across the United States. The American casual dining chain, operating under TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC, serves American food alongside signature cocktails under the brand tagline "Eat Bold, Feel Good, Celebrate More." With online ordering, catering, large party dining, and accessibility tools all available through the brand's official website, TGI Fridays is positioning itself as a more digitally connected dining destination than a traditional sit-down chain.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – April 14, 2026 – Canadian organic energy drink brand GURU has introduced a new Dragon Fruit Cherry Sorbet flavor to its growing range and is currently running a limited-time 15% discount across its entire Zero Sugar lineup, with no promo code required. Founded in 1999, GURU has differentiated itself in the crowded energy drink market by using certified organic ingredients, natural green tea caffeine, and formulas free from synthetic additives and artificial sweeteners. The new flavor launch and the ongoing Zero Sugar promotion give both returning customers and first-time buyers a concrete reason to explore the brand's current offerings.