Check out the new and noteworthy in this week’s news, from a list of the best waterholes and an upcoming cookbook, to a new website that’s making waves in the food community.

• Playboy has scoured the country in search of America’s best bars. They’ve covered everything from underground dives to the hippest happenings in mixology.

• Do you dream of a career as a food critic? Here, five of the top critics from across the country, including Tasting Table’s very own Jonathan Kauffman, divulge 25 tips for those interested in eating for a living.

• For hardcore ‘cue fans, Eatocracy gives a brief history lesson on the origins of barbecue sauce.

• Mark Bittman, who has been a practicing part-time vegan since 2009, has landed another cookbook deal set for release in March 2013. Fittingly, the book is called, B6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health…for Good.

• The trickle-down effect in dining, as explored in this Wall Street Journal article, somehow makes the prospect of a $75 appetizer less hair-raising.

• The Taste Savant, a new restaurant review site, has just launched. It claims to be the “anti-yelp”.