October 2026 Food & Drink: Restaurants Are Closing, Coffee Is Getting Ridiculous, and Apparently We Need a Mortgage to Eat Lunch
FOOD & DRINK | OCTOBER 2026 | OPINION & COMMENTARY An irreverent look at restaurant closures, trendy cocktails, overpriced caffeine, comfort food, and the beautiful absurdity of America's dining culture. Source inspiration: Monthly Digest: Summary of Food & Drink for October 2026 by Alyssa Buckley, published October 29, 2026, in Smile Politely. The original digest covers Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, including Manolo's closure, new restaurant and café openings, plant-based dining, barbecue, cocktails, and seasonal drinks. This is an original opinion piece inspired by that local reporting, not a firsthand restaurant review. Champaign-Urbana's Culture Magazine October 2026 Food & Drink: Restaurants Are Closing, Coffee Is Getting Ridiculous, and Apparently We Need a Mortgage to Eat Lunch By Tony Hicks | October 30, 2026 Welcome to the Food Industry, Where Everything Is Artisanal Except the Paychecks I have reached a point in my life where reading the monthly foo...
