Tim Hortons takes Manhattan, critic vs. restaurateur, eels on the decline

• After Tim Hortons closed 11 underperforming stores in the U.S., we were skeptical about the company’s plan to open a location in Times Square. The company’s chief of operations is more upbeat, however, claiming that if people try Timmie’s coffee three times they’ll be hooked for life. [National Post]

• A lacklustre review on the New York Journal blog sparked furious comments from chef Joe Dobias, who also banned Eater.com from his restaurant after it gleefully reported on the kerfuffle. New York magazine interviews the slighted chef, who likens food critics to a high school clique (while whining about how long it takes to get reviewed). [New York]

• European eel populations have ebbed so drastically that certain traditional meals have started to disappear from English menus. The Telegraph is concerned that jellied eels could go the way of haslet, stotty cakes and bara brith, but we feel that with no shortage of blood pudding, England’s culinary legacy is safe for now. [Telegraph]

• Matty Matheson, the alliteratively named chef at Oddfellows, tells BlogTO what makes him a “salt dude,” which leftovers are the best and why he’d like to be a drunk suckling pig. [BlogTO]