Welcome to Open Tab, your weekly digest of the food world's most compelling stories, controversies, and curiosities. Last week: the surprisingly extensive hot sauce collection aboard Artemis II.

This week's New Yorker investigation into OpenAI CEO Sam Altman delivered plenty of revelations, but one detail stands out: According to Ronan Farrow's reporting, Altman paused his "war room" sessions every evening at six for a round of Negronis. Every single night? Someone needs to expand this man's cocktail repertoire. In other news, Danny Meyer has another book dropping in late September. What Could Possibly Go Right? promises insights on business, hospitality, and the hustle. How it differs from his previous titles remains to be seen.

This week's roundup: A brutal takedown of Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes' steakhouse goes viral, Philz Coffee pulls Pride flags from select stores, pizza data emerges as an unlikely forecasting tool, and grocery chains experiment with in-store raves.

Celebrity steakhouse gets roasted

Nicole Rose had expectations when she visited 1587 Prime, the Kansas City steakhouse backed by Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Those expectations were not met. Her martini arrived 45 minutes late. The $15 steak sauces she ordered? Never showed up. In a TikTok that's now racked up millions of views, Rose details a $650 dinner that delivered mediocre food and spotty service.

Here's the thing: Celebrity restaurants are essentially theme parks where the theme is fame itself. As a restaurant spokesperson confirmed to me earlier this year, Kelce and Mahomes have minimal day-to-day involvement in operations. You're paying for the name on the door, not necessarily what's on the plate.

Philz Coffee drops Pride flags ahead of June

The New York Times recently published a piece questioning whether wokeness made us worse off, sparking debate about how progressive values translate from rhetoric to reality. Whether or not "woke" is truly dead remains up for discussion, but one thing's clear: the highly visible corporate liberalism that defined the early 2020s is fading fast. Case in point: San Francisco–born Philz Coffee announced this week it's removing Pride flags from all locations—just eight weeks before Pride Month. The timing raises questions about whether this shift stems from the chain's private equity acquisition last year, and whether we're watching another beloved brand succumb to the familiar pattern of PE-driven decline.

In a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle, Philz's CEO insisted the company's "longstanding support of the LGBTQIA+ community is unchanged." Words are easy—actions tell the real story.

Pentagon pizza orders as geopolitical intel

Forget traditional news sources—just watch the pizza joints near the Pentagon. That's the premise behind Pentagon Pizza Report, an X account monitoring activity at pizzerias near the Defense Department. A spike in orders? Something's brewing. But pizza parlors aren't the only canary in the coal mine. Gay bars near the Pentagon have also become unlikely indicators of military overtime and government crisis response.

The idea that global events might unfold to a soundtrack of Kim Petras over vodka sodas is both absurd and oddly fitting for our times.

Grocery store raves are now a thing

DJs spinning in the snacks aisle. Friends texting "where r u" from frozen foods. Late-night raves are popping up in grocery stores, bodegas, and coffee shops nationwide. "There would be moments where you're eating a tray full of lechon, then look over and see people line-dancing together," says Kaithleen Apostol, describing after-hours events at supergrocer Seafood City. It's an unexpected fusion of mundane errands and nightlife culture—and apparently, it's catching on.