How Slutty Vegan Puts the Party in Plant-Based Food

Plus: the latest attack on abortion; a liberal victory in Wisconsin; and thirty years after Waco. View in browser | Update your preferences Wednesday, April 12, 2023 In today’s newsletter, making veggies fun, and then: • What the mifepristone ruling means for abortions • A liberal victory in Wisconsin • Thirty years after Waco How Slutty Vegan Puts the Party in Plant-Based Food Pinky Cole’s Atlanta-based burger chain is valued at a hundred million dollars. Can racy branding take vegan food mainstream? Photograph by Ross Landenberger for The New Yorker Even as the plant-based-proteins business has stagnated, the fast-food chain Slutty Vegan is thriving, with more than ten locations—many near its home base in Atlanta, but also in Birmingham and New York. In this week’s issue, Charles Bethea speaks to the company’s thirty-five-year-old founder and C.E.O., Pinky Cole, who has attracted celebrity cachet and high-profile hospitality money by promoting an ethos that mixes veganism, hedonism, and good old-fashioned vulgarity. We asked Bethea to describe his favorite order. “Like Snoop Dogg and Danny Meyer, I love the crinkle-cut fries coated in ‘slut dust.’ ” he said. “Unlike Meyer, I’m not inclined to eat the slut dust off the back of my hand on its own—although I suppose I can imagine doing so after drinking a couple of Slutty Slushies, which are quite boozy and sugary. As for the burgers, I like the Super Slut, which is topped with guacamole and jalapeños. I ask for it with a little extra char, which, for me, nudges it into “pretty good burger, actually” territory. Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk Daily Comment A New Phase in the Rollback of Abortion Access A Texas judge’s injunction on the use of mifepristone has further eroded the country’s standing as a leader in reproductive rights. By Stephania Taladrid Daily Comment A Liberal Victory in Wisconsin Last week’s election upended the ideological balance of the state’s Supreme Court, with big implications for abortion access, voting rights, and gerrymandering. By Dan Kaufman Q. & A. Texas’s Abortion-Pill Ruling and Its Disastrous Potential A nationwide ban on mifepristone would further erode doctors’ ability to provide—or learn how to provide—lifesaving care. By Isaac Chotiner Editor’s Pick Letter from the Southwest What Really Happened at Waco Thirty years later, an avoidable tragedy has spawned a politically ascendant mythology. By Rachel Monroe Culture Dept. Cultural Comment The Folly of Censoring “Joyland,” a Sublime Film About Family A new movie from the director Saim Sadiq, which depicts queer love against the backdrop of a Pakistani household, feels as familiar as our families are to us. By Mohammed Hanif Dept. of Preparation An Opera Singer Jabs and Weaves Speedo Green, named after his father’s favorite underwear, fell in love with “Carmen” at fourteen. Now he’s training to box for Terence Blanchard’s opera “Champion.” By Zach Helfand Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Will Nediger Daily Shouts Some Reasons That You Might Own a Collection of Fancy Third Reich Table Linens You’re sophisticated enough to separate the art from the artist and/or genocidal regime. By Bruce Handy Crossword A Lightly Challenging Puzzle Cancelled, as a project: eight letters. By Aimee Lucido Daily Cartoon Wednesday, April 12th By Jason Adam Katzenstein P.S. The gun-control activist David Hogg, who was a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in 2018, turns twenty-three today. In the days after the massacre, Hogg and other students emerged as powerful speakers calling for action from policymakers. As Troy Patterson wrote at the time, “Scoffing at hot air about thoughts and prayers, the very people being thought of and prayed for were righteously determined to force the story of their classmates’ massacre into a dialogue about gun violence.” Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.