Last year an antique Depression-era neon sign was excavated in Pasadena—but it dug up a troubling story along with it. On Nat King Cole, hot chicken, and Malibu’s racist past.

An African-American-owned restaurant began making the spicy dish eighty years ago. Now it’s a viral sensation. Who’s getting the big money?

A trip to Nashville to sample the city’s signature dish and try to understand why we love food that hurts.