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Consumer Reports Ranks Fast-Food Burgers
Filed under: Fast Food Photo: Dave77459, Flickr It's a tragicomic lament that hovers like a cartoon thought-bubble over the heads of many fast-food burger eaters these days: Why, oh why, does the Big Mac in my hand look almost nothing like the one pictured in the McDonald's ad? If any conclusion can be drawn from a new Consumer Reports survey, it may be that customers are getting fed up with chains that tantalize with mouth-watering pictures of plump, juicy burgers perfectly trimmed with all the fixings only to deliver a pallid simulacrum in reality -- sad, gray little patties topped with a loveless smear of ketchup and sandwiched between two tasteless buns. Because when you look at who fared worst in the survey of more than 28,000 Consumer Reports subscribers on their fast-food burger preferences, they seem to have one thing in common (other than, apparently, terrible burgers): outsized advertising budgets. Consumer Reports asked participants to rate the burgers at 18 different chains on a classic 1-to-10 scale. With a miserable average score of 6.3, Burger King and Jack in the Box both tied, vying for second-to-last place. (Maybe that's a sign that Jack in the Box needs to pick a "CEO"/spokesman that doesn't have an oversized ping-pong ball for a head.) Continue reading Consumer Reports Ranks Fast-Food Burgers
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When Will I Get to Eat a Candwich?
| In early July, the NY Times reported on an investor who was being sued by the SEC for allegedly taking money he had promised would be used to invest in real-estate, and instead investing in oddball business ideas such as a sandwich in a can. Turns out, no one gave a shit about the people [...] |  |
BE AMAZED GLAZED SCALLOPS
The only way to be a true player is to wow your date into submission. It needs to be clear that not banging you is their loss. That requires excellence in all that you do. Cooking is an obvious extension of the pursuit of perfection. Nail one or two recipes and you have a repertoire [...] |
Jennie Lorenzo to Pop Up at Le Truc
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Chef Jennie Lorenzo, who had her swan song at Fifth Floor on Saturday, will be popping up in the mobile kitchen of Le Truc at this Friday's Off the Grid, according to Le Truc co-owner Hugh Schick. Lorenzo says she plans to do a few more pop-up events before spending some time traveling and weighing a few offers. [Grub Street, Earlier] Read more posts by Jay Barmann Filed Under: truckin', hugh schick, jennie lorenzo, le truc, nonstaurants |  |
Lincoln Centric: First Look at Atlantic Grill, Plus Menu Changes at Picholine and A Voce
The opening of Atlantic Grill isn’t the only news coming from West 64th Street — several doors down, Picholine is now serving a $28 two-course and a $38 four-course lunch Wednesday through Saturday. Zagat Buzz reports that it’s also offering a $58 three-course pre-theater menu. Also nearby, the folks at A Voce Columbus tell us they’ve launched a new sandwich menu (at the bar only) in addition to adding an insalate section to their regular lunch menu. You can see both, along with Atlantic Grill’s menus, below. And to help you decide where you’ll be eating, here’s your first look inside Atlantic Grill, now open. A Voce Salumi Bar Menu [PDF] Atlantic Grill at Lincoln Center, 49 West 64th St., nr. Broadway; 212-787-4663 Read more posts by Daniel Maurer Filed Under: slideshow, atlantic grill, b.r. guest, chris lim, mike lim, openings |  |
Has Top Chef: All Stars Recruited Jennifer Carroll?
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Jennifer Carroll There’s a good chance that 10 Arts’ Jennifer Carroll may be a part of the forthcoming Top Chef: All-Stars that the Grub Street mothership reported on several times last week. The Northeast Philly-raised cheftestant, who proved to be a formidable contender in Season 6, is not returning phone calls, and her agent is not commenting, according to the Inquirer’s Michael Klein. Plausible? Sure Confirmed? Not yet. But unlike Carroll, former Top Chef competitors Angelo Sosa, Tiffany Derry, Spike Mendelsohn, Michael Isabella, Dale Talde, and Carla Hall have been spotted doing Top Cheffy stuff in New York. [Inqlings] Read more posts by Collin Keefe Filed Under: top chef, 10 arts, jennifer carroll, season 8 |  |
The Cage Debates: The Egg Industry Pushes Back
Filed under: News Photo: Orin Zebest, Flickr Egg producers are having a tough month. Not only has the latest salmonella outbreak led to bad press and recalls for dozens of different egg brands, but there's also been increasingly strong opposition to battery cages, which are the standard across the industry. The Humane Society decries them; California has moved to ban them. Even the Dalai Lama has spoken out against the 67-square-inch cages in which many hens are destined to spend their lives. Paul Shapiro, a senior director at the Human Society's End Factory Farming campaign, told the Washington Post, "The cage-free movement is not only about providing a humane environment for animals. There is also a strong food-safety component as well." In fact, the HSUS makes the case that battery cages lead to unsanitary conditions, which in turn lead to a tainted food supply. The fact that 550 million tainted eggs involved in the last outbreak appear to have originated in battery cages adds fuel to that fire. Egg producers are now pushing back a bit, though. United Egg Producers, the industry's top lobbying group, is speaking up about what it calls the myths and facts about battery cages, asserting that free-range hens are no healthier than caged, and that other industry practices, such as beak-trimming, are not as cruel as they sound. Continue reading The Cage Debates: The Egg Industry Pushes Back
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Haight McDonald’s Kills Dollar Menu, Homeless Get Angry
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Several regulars. In an effort potentially aimed at deterring indigent/homeless patronage, the Upper Haight McDonald's got rid of its Dollar Menu last month, raising the prices of most items about 50 cents. The Chron gets the scoop from Nicholas Newhart, "a 29-year-old with a Confederate flag tattooed on his head," and several of his "colleagues" who frequent the stoop out in front of the restaurant and are just as frequently hassled by the cops about whether they've purchased a cheeseburger recently. "Yeah man, it ... sucks," quoth Newheart regarding this de facto sit/lie measure. "I eat less. I have to get more money." The McDonald's corporation, for their part, says the price increase was a "business decision with a number of contributing factors." Hassle in Haight over McDonald's menu change [Chron] Read more posts by Jay Barmann Filed Under: beef, mcdonald's |  |
Tabloids Determined to Ruin It for Underage Drinkers
It’s 2 a.m.— do you know where your kids are? According to the Post, if they’re “beautiful girls who look a tad too young to be out past midnight,” they’re probably topless at Le Bain, the Jacuzzi atop the Standard hotel where “everyone gets naked.” Meanwhile, the Daily News (rehashing an earlier Post story) tries some fake I.D.'s out on hapless nightspots. The News interns don’t get into Tenjune (no wonder — the club is being investigated after the falling death of 17-year-old Nicole John), but they do score a drink at Bill’s Bar and Burger. Guess Steve Hanson’s secret underage shoppers need to step up their game. Anyway, if the tabloids keep running these stories, the city’s young’uns will have nothing to do other than chase Justin Bieber around. Crazy Sexy Pool [NYP] Read more posts by Daniel Maurer Filed Under: nightclubbing, bill's bar and burger, fake ids, le bain, standard hotel, tenjune, underage drinking |  |
PETA Gets Live Shrimp Taken Off Sacramento Menu; Atkins Diet Once Again Proven Bad For You
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• PETA coerces Sacramento's Nishiki Sushi Bar to take its "dancing shrimp" dish — a common Japanese delicacy — off the menu because it featured the potentially cruel act of pouring lemon juice on live shrimp to make them writhe. [AP] • Members of the Pyramid Paiute tribe, whose tribal lands border the Black Rock Desert, make money each year selling tacos and other food and supplies to Burners. [Reno Gazette Journal] • A look at Thermidor's 60's-inspired cocktail menu (an P.S., bar manager Morgan Schick just departed). [Chron] • According to a Harvard study, protein-based diets like the Atkins Diet are really only healthy if they're plant-based, with meat-based diets raising heart attack and cancer risk. [Eatocracy] • Each country gives their own rations to troops in Afghanistan: the French supply cassoulet, while Americans hand out hamburgers. [NYT] • Coffee prices are currently at a twelve-year high. [NYDN] • Vegetable-based dishes and small plates will be trendy for menus this fall. [NRN] |
Five Must-Buy Cheeses While in France - Cheese Course
Filed under: Cheese Course Photo: cwbuecheler, Flickr In Paris, the end of summer means that some of the best cheese shops, including Fromagerie Barthélémy and Fromagerie Trotté, will re-open their doors for business after being on holiday for several weeks. American tourists and gastronomes alike should take up this opportunity to taste France's most celebrated cheeses -- varieties that are either unavailable stateside or poorly represented in American food stores. Here are five must-buy French cheeses travelers should try next time they're in France. Continue reading Five Must-Buy Cheeses While in France - Cheese Course
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Sammy Hagar Opens JFK Restaurant, Invites ‘OU812’ Jokes
Cabo Wabo is presumably served. JFK courted foodies when JetBlue’s Terminal Five opened a couple of years ago, and then La Guardia scored LaFrieda, Carmellini, White, and others. But now none of that matters because JFK has gone and opened a Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill, for those who need them some Sammy Hagar! So who will come to JFK next: Michael Anthony the Gramercy Tavern chef, or Michael Anthony the Van Halen bassist and hot-sauce gourmand? Sammy Hagar Opens New Restaurant [Noise Creep] Read more posts by Daniel Maurer Filed Under: openings, jfk, sammy hagar, sammy's beach bar and grill, van hagar, van halen |  |
Most U.S. kids see fewer food ads on television: Study
| Most U.S. kids saw fewer TV food ads between 2003 and 2007, but black kids were bombarded with more calorie-rich advertising than whites, a study showed Monday.
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Saint Honoré Boulangerie
| Saint Honoré Boulangerie 2335 NW Thurman Street (location visited) 315 1st Street Lake Oswego Portland, OR To those who haven’t realized yet, whenever I drive down to I-5, on my way back, I always bring in goodies for close friends and fellow food bloggers. So far, from the two places I have brought goodies from [...] |  |
Maple Corn Fritter - Feast Your Eyes
Filed under: Feast Your Eyes Photo: (cup)cake_eater, Flickr The long weekend's over, you're back on the job, and maybe you need some comfort food to take the edge off. Our suggestion, via blogger (cup)cake eater, is to treat yourself to a good old country breakfast, and put a batch of fluffy maple corn fritters on the griddle. Comfort food is the star in Joni Marie Newman's vegan cookbook Cozy Inside, and you can check out her fritters recipe here. Want more corn? It's the height of the season, and we're going to be featuring corn for the rest of the week in recipes that take it off the cob and into a chowder, a relish, and some very spicy muffins. Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
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Garces Debuts Guapos Tacos at Amis Industry Night
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Guapos Tacos Last night Jose Garces unveiled his highly anticipated taco truck, Guapos Tacos, at Amis’ monthly industry night. Garces and company co-hosted the event with Marc Vetri, Brad Spence and their staffs. Inside the Amis crew served porchetta, housemade mortadella sandwiches, bianca pizza and poured dark and stormies mixed with fresh, housemade ginger beer. Garces’ taco truck, which was parked out back on Waverly Street, doled out guacamole con cotija, tacos de carnitas, tacos de lengua and veggie tacos. Don’t expect to see Guapos Tacos truckin’ through a neighborhood near you; it will be used mostly for special events. Click through to see it on its maiden voyage and some of the dishes served. Earlier: Garces’ Taco Truck Won’t Roll Until Fall Read more posts by Collin Keefe Filed Under: slideshow, amis, brad spence, guapos tacos, jose garces, marc vetri, tacos, truckin' |  |
First Look at Valentino’s on the Green, Opening Tomorrow in Bayside
With all the attention focused on the fate of Tavern on the Green, another Parks Department property has escaped commensurate scrutiny: The Bayside mansion formerly known as Caffé on the Green, onetime residence of Rudolph Valentino and summer retreat of Fiorello La Guardia, abutting the Clearview Golf Course and overlooking Little Neck Bay. Almost two years ago, then-operator Joseph Franco was forced out of his concession contract in the aftermath of a city audit. (There was also a Department of Investigations probe into alleged Gambino-family ties and what appeared to be a suspicious shooting in 2002.) But that’s all water under the Throgs Neck Bridge. Tomorrow, after extensive restorations, the restaurant and catering hall reopens as Valentino’s on the Green, a tribute to the property’s most famous tenant. The new ownership includes Giorgio Kolaj, whose Albanian-immigrant family founded Famous Famiglia, the international pizza chain (and the “official pizza of the New York Yankees”). Kolaj recruited chef Don Pintabona, late of Dani and Tribeca Grill, as managing partner, and Pintabona’s plans far exceed the norm for outer-borough banquet halls. He admits to having known nothing about the silent-film star before this project. Now, he says, “I’ve really become obsessed with him.” Pintabona has amassed a sizable collection of Valentino memorabilia, from postcards and letters to a white-linen vest. He’s also intimately familiar with the actor’s life story — including that the Latin lover was trained not in performing arts but in agriculture, and that some accounts suggest he viewed show business as a way to raise money to buy a farm out west. It’s quite apropos, then, that Pintabona is deep at work on a plan to build a solar-and-biodiesel-powered vertical farm on the property, where he hopes to grow about 80 percent of his raw materials, from mushrooms and potatoes to farmed fish. He also envisions a teaching lab for local schools. For now, the chef wants to lure locals with dishes like “pasta al forno zio Vincenzo,” named for his Sicilian uncle Vincent, and “aragoste Zela Rambova,” Pintabona’s version of angry lobster. Some Valentino trivia: Natacha Rambova was his second wife, and Zela was her pet lion cub. Check out the menu below, and preview the space in our slideshow. Valentino's on the Green Dinner Menu [PDF] Valentino's on the Green, 201–10 Cross Island Pkwy., Bayside; 718-352-2300 Read more posts by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld Filed Under: openings, bayside, rudolph valentino, slideshow, valentino's on the green |  |
Faking the Big ‘A’
The Daily News notices that a Chinese takeout joint, Ming’s, has posted a counterfeit health-inspection grade. Better or worse than a fake Vendy award? [NYDN] Read more posts by Daniel Maurer Filed Under: health concerns, department of health, health inspections, letter grading |  |
Real Panini at Salumè; Olio’s Pizza-Calzone Hybrid
Salumè In the magazine this week, Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld award three stars to the hyperauthentic panini — served on lightly toasted rolls, not squish-grilled flatbreads — at Salumè, where owner Michele Colombo just might be "the sandwich equivalent of the Soup Nazi." At Olio Pizza e Più, try the mezzaluna, a half-pizza, half-calzone hybrid similar to the one on offer at Peppino's in Brooklyn. In openings, Bayside gets a newcomer in the form of Valentino's on the Green, a restored mansion named for onetime occupant Rudolph Valentino. (Fiorello La Guardia also hung his hat there.) Pegu Club celebrates its birthday with a special menu of all-star cocktails. And cantaloupe is in season — put it to its best use in a minty sorbet from Maialino pastry chef Jennifer Shelbo. Read more posts by Helen Rosner Filed Under: in the magazine, maialino, olio pizza e piu, pegu club, pizza, salume, valentino's on the green |  |
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