Gourmet News

Brooklyn’s Sungold Celebrates Spring With New Dishes, Drinks

Published April 24, 2025

The weather’s warming up, and at Sungold in Brooklyn, that means it’s time to grab a seat on the patio, order a Caprese Martini or Spritz (or both) and dig into something seasonal.

Tucked inside Arlo Williamsburg, Sungold is one of Brooklyn’s best-kept dining secrets — a chef-driven hidden gem with a serious commitment to local sourcing, standout wood-fired pizzas and a sun-lit dining room that opens out to a lush patio perfect for spring afternoons and cocktail-fueled dinners.

Executive Chef Michael King, known for his ingredient-first approach and love of the Union Square Greenmarket, has just launched Sungold’s new spring menu, continuing his mission of letting seasonal produce drive the dining experience. Returning favorites like the beloved Celery Root Latke (called the Best Latke in Town by Grub Street) and his signature Second Street Burger are staying on the menu, but this new lineup leans into what’s fresh, bright and bold to match the season.

New spring dishes include:

Charred Cucumbers with smoked roe, tomatoes, Calabrian chile and a dill pickle vinaigrette
Wagyu Tartare with miso dijon, pickled shallots and crisp sunchokes
Ramps & Ricotta Pizza with San Marzano tomatoes and Espelette pepper
Arrabbiata Pizza with spicy tomato, guanciale, Vermont mozzarella and a sunny farm egg
Potato Gnocchi with Jonah crab, sweet peas, poppy seed and sorrel
Harissa Roasted Carrots with farro, tahini, labneh and preserved lemon
Striped Bass with olive oil-crushed potatoes, rainbow chard and ramp vadouvan

Cocktails to match the mood:

Caprese Martini made with Ketel One vodka, tomato, basil, mozzarella cheese clarification and a blue cheese olive
Lucky Smash made with Jameson Irish whiskey, lychee, raspberry, ginger, lime and mint

Sungold’s menus are rooted in Chef King’s personal connection to ingredients— especially the humble shallot, which appears across seasons (and even on his forearm, in tattoo form). For spring, that means dishes that reflect the color and produce of the moment.

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CSI Offers Wild-Captured Seafood Certification

Published April 24, 2025

Certified Seafood International, Inc. has announced a new choice in the certification of wild-capture seafood. CSI will focus on delivering an affordable and effective eco-certification program that provides credible assurance, expands access to more high-performing fisheries and promotes greater transparency about the seafood that we eat.

“All of us want wild-capture fisheries to remain healthy and productive for generations to come,” said Christine Penney, chair of the CSI board and vice president of sustainability and public affairs at Clearwater Seafoods. “Credible third-party certification programs have an important role to play in recognizing responsible management practices and providing assurance to the market. We are pleased that CSI will expand the choices available to global seafood stakeholders.”

CSI was developed in partnership with credible regional certification programs and looks to build upon those successes. Most significantly, the certificates and standards of the GSSI benchmarked Responsible Fishery Management program are rolling into CSI, meaning that approximately 3 million metric tons of fishery landings are currently certified.

The program’s new global governing board includes individuals from Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“The CSI program will assess fisheries against a clear and rigorous Fisheries Standard grounded in the Guidelines of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization,” said Mike Kraft, CSI executive director. “We believe that a stable standard, focused on fisheries management and based on internationally recognized UN principles, provides clarity and consistency that is vital for fisheries striving to achieve certification.”

The association offers the ability to identify harvest origin on the eco-label, one aspect of the improved transparency that it is committed to promoting over time. More information about the CSI Program is available at csicertified.org.

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Bell Earns 3 Excellent Ratings in SQF Audit

Published April 24, 2025

Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. announced the company’s successful completion of its annual SQF Food Safety Program Audit, conducted by the Safe Quality Food Institute, across all North American facilities.

This past year, the highest possible Excellent’ratings were achieved by three of four locations, including its global headquarters in Northbrook, Ill. (96/100) in addition to Middletown, N.Y. (96/100), and Guadalajara, Mexico (100/100). Just shy of Excellent, its Brossard, Canada, facility secured a Good rating of 92/100.

“The SQF scheme recognized under the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is widely known across the food industry as one of the highest standards in food safety. Our exceptional ratings are a true testament to our unwavering commitment to food safety and quality. Bell’s collaborative, cross-functional efforts have contributed to our growth and positively impacted the programs that keep products safe for our customers,” said Martha Herrera, Quality Assurance Project Improvement Manager at Bell’s global headquarters.

The SQF Food Safety Program is a “rigorous and credible food safety and quality program geared toward businesses looking to satisfy their retailers’ and buyers’ GFSI requirements. Their program
includes 13 codes that are designed to meet industry, customer, and regulatory requirements from all sectors of the food supply chain. These codes provide sites with a HACCP-based approach to ensure that their products meet food safety requirements.” (SQF Institute, 2025)

Bell actively participated in the unannounced, three-day SQF Food Safety Program audit, covering key categories of focus such as food quality, employee training, product identification and traceability, allergen management and more as part of the Food Ingredient Manufacturing scope of certification. Bell follows the Approved Supplier Program with specific guidelines and requirements established by the SQF Institute, assuring consistent and safe production of products and services to strategic partners.

For more on Bell Flavors & Fragrances, visit www.bellff.com or follow Bell Flavors & Fragrances on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.

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