Posts Tagged ‘The Majestic’
Posted by ryan / Thursday, March 31st, 2011
Established restaurateur Cathal Armstrong, his wife Meshelle, and partner Todd Thrasher plan on adding another place to an already stellar repertoire. Restaurant Eve, The Majestic, PX, and Eamonn’s are all owned and operated by their EatGoodFood Group. This new property is located in Old Town Alexandria on South Union Street.
Renovation efforts are ongoing in the historic building that once housed Olsson’s Books. The finished product should be capable of accommodating over 300 people on two floors and an outdoor deck. See the vision for it below.
Virtue • Feed & Grain is an Irish-American themed tavern, a familiar model that continues to be praiseworthy and successful. The menu features some of Cathal’s personal favorites, and Todd’s inventive beverages.
Specialty dishes include pigs in a blanket, haddock soup, mussels, grilled cheese, steak, kidney pot pie, and roast pork belly. As the name implies, all ingredients are guaranteed fresh and organic. “Taste No Evil” is the trademarked motto.
They’ve obviously been doing something right with previous ventures. The James Beard Foundation recognized these men for their efforts by nominating them both for prestigious awards. Winners are announced May 9, which is around the same time this new restaurant opens.
-Ryan Robertson
(image: Virtue • Feed & Grain)
Back of the House: An Introduction
Posted by Warren Rojas / Friday, March 4th, 2011
Though I spend more hours than I care to admit skulking about our local restaurants, the truth is, I can only give you part of the dining story.
I report on everything I observe/hear/taste from the same vantage point every restaurant guest enjoys–the seat of a paying customer. But also season my commentary with insights and asides gleaned from interviews with the chefs/restaurateurs/servers charged with ultimately orchestrating the totality of the commercial dining experience.
Still, I’m not back THERE: where all the actual magic happens.
But Eat Good Food Group maven Meshelle Armstrong is.
And she has graciously agreed to shine a light on the restaurant’s side of the dining equation in what we hope will become a semi-regular feature, Back of the House.
Meshelle, the cyber-floor is yours …
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Back of the House: a Service Manual of The Divine and Diabolical ©
An insider’s guide to the navigating the fine dining restaurant world.
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“There are definite procedures to ensure a positive dining/restaurant experience. It all begins with this idea: Prepare for good dining karma.”
- Restaurant Eve Service Manual
Working the host desk on any given evening, I can immediately tell which of my guests will have the best time and which will not before they have even been seated. Working in restaurants for more than 20 years has given me an advantage here. But anyone who has been set up on a bad blind date can see the tell-tale signs of an experience about to go badly.
When a couple’s body language responds to my reception of, “Good evening and welcome. May I have the name of the reservation please?” as if I’m interrogating them or doubt my sincerity, I know that changing their tune will be an uphill struggle. The guests who will love everything and rave the loudest are easy to spot as well. When I welcome them with the same greeting as the previous couple, their response is completely different. Their agreeable ‘ready to go with your flow’ pheromones hit me; I sense their excitement and willing anticipation. It is infectious. The entire staff gets swept up by their eagerness, and even the couple arguing in the dining room softens slightly. These are the guests we live for, the ones who appreciate the whole experience, the ones who come to us prepared, ready to be delighted and won’t be swayed from their intention. Even if a chandelier were to fall on their table, they absolutely would still have a good time. If you are one of these people, know this: you make everything we do worth it. Keep on keeping on and the dining gods will smile on you from restaurant to restaurant.
My main goal is to make all of my guests as happy as these bon vivants, and I really believe the onus is on the restaurant to please you. But try as I might to get everyone from a #6—our restaurant group’s in-house code for guests who arrived unhappy—to a #1 (the happiest of guests) I can only control what goes on in the walls of my restaurant and not the attitude that you bring with you.
I can’t tell you how many times (and it still amazes me) guests arrive at a fine dining restaurant and have no idea where they are. I don’t mean that they don’t know where they are, physically. I mean that they have not done their research. Or, even worse, one or all of them arrives in a bad mood. Double whiplash if the evil forces converge. Chances are these guests, be they a couple celebrating a milestone birthday, or budding socialites, or highbrow wheelers, will soon be penning those 2:00 am letters, rife with their discontent, or, even worse, drunk-blogging on unmoderated message boards.
“What?!” you say. “Cheeky!” Or maybe: “Research!? Why is that necessary? I shouldn’t have to do homework to enjoy the dinner I’m paying for.”
But you would be wrong.
Everyone arrives at a restaurant with expectations. But unless you know what to expect, your evening will probably turn out very differently than planned. Dashed expectations make for a disappointing experience. You’ll be left wondering what all the hype is about and, more importantly, why everyone else seems to be having such a good time.
My intention is not to diss my own very valued customers or mockingly expose the dining challenged. Restaurants, and the people who work there, want to make you happy. It is also our job to set you at ease and make you feel like we are welcoming you into our home. All right, you may be paying to visit our “home,” but we still want you to be comfortable, relaxed and ready to receive the food, wine and the sequences of service we have earnestly prepared just to impress you.
Whether you realize it or not—and many of you don’t—when you consent to the host’s nod as she leads you to your table, you have just accepted your role in an elaborate choreography that not only includes you and us, but everyone else who is dining in the restaurant.
In a perfect evening all of this is invisible and happens without you realizing it. But once someone misses a step, it throws everyone off. This awareness piece, per se, is my way of reaching out to you and being your host even when I can’t be with you at the restaurant.
I wish to share with you the inner workings of the fine dining world to help you navigate your place in the script so this won’t be said about you: “They just don’t get it.”
Now, if you don’t mind playing that unfortunate role or being on the receiving end of that line then okay, may bliss be with you. However, I’ve been thinking of all the dining issues that often take place through the course of the meal—issues that could have been avoided because you planned for good dining. So consider this your own “how-to,” an insiders’ guide to *enlightened dining though improved restaurant karma (© Eat Good Food Group).
I must confess that at times you may not like what you read, nor agree with me.
But here’s hoping we can keep you from starring in your own “that sucked” restaurant story. And I can hopefully keep your fingers from finding their way to those unmoderated restaurant review boards.
I have my own selfish reasons for being so helpful, of course: if I can help you understand how it all really works, ultimately it will make my job much easier. But there is an even greater benefit to you.
By better understanding how restaurants work, you can better learn to enjoy them.
You can start banking restaurant karma before the reservation. Before making that call or launching that Open Table app, just a little bit of research on your part can save you much annoyance and discomfort. So don’t think of it as homework. It’s a five-minute investment to ensure your experience will be the one you intended to pay for—your happiness and debit cards will be in harmony.
Know Who Is Feeding You
Chef’s cooking styles differ. Some are driven by very distinct inspirations. If the tags, “hydrochilled,” “gastro-anything,” or “foodie-trend,” are the buzz words that describe where you want to be, then it’s best to not to dine with us—at least not this time.
Nope, not our style. But if you didn’t know that, unfortunately you’ll spend the whole evening wondering when the kitchen is going to start their side of the theatre by having a waiter spray some dehydrated food “mist” into the air or pop a “side of crazy” into your mouth. And when it doesn’t happen, there it is: dashed expectation. You expected something different, we didn’t deliver. Not because we didn’t want to, or that we lack ability. It’s simply not our thing. The cooking style of our particular kitchen is ingredient driven, not contrivance based. Gizmos are fun and do have their place. Don’t get me wrong, I like eating bacon suspended from a wire as much as the next “show-me-something-new-so I-can-tweet it-first” diner. But even if the world’s best pork belly—fed only on acorns, massaged by the Queen of England, cooked expertly—were served by the most gracious and attentive waiter on a plate, instead of the high wire act, you would be deflated.
And that translates to a letter, or worse an anonymous online review: “I wasn’t that impressed with the menu.”
And now the team of chefs are grossly offended, the hosts flag a not-so-good profile about you, the managers reprimand the wait staff, the owner begrudgingly writes a response letter, and everyone complains to fellow industry mates about the people who “just don’t get it.”
No one wins.
Except for that everyone-loves-them couple—remember them?—who did their research.
Plan To Dine, Not Just Eat
This, too, might seem like a “huh?” statement, but I promise you it is not. For example, dinner for two in Restaurant Eve’s Tasting Room takes at least three hours. It’s a multi-course menu; the pace is intended to be leisurely. Even if you aren’t indulging in a tasting menu and plan to order a la carte, it is always worth asking the reservationist how much time you should plan to allow. Otherwise you just might miss out on a signature yum-yum that takes 20 minutes to make.
Sadly, I’ve seen too many celebrations cut short, guests trying to rush through their courses because the babysitter has to leave by 9:00 p.m.. No matter how special the occasion or how delicious the food, it is almost impossible to relax and enjoy your dinner if you are dining under a deadline.
All that relaxing during dinner feels like it is just taking forever if a later commitment is on your mind. You begin to glare at the couple next to you as they happily chat up the sommelier about their first trip to Bordeaux, and perhaps they should have him select a grand cru from the region because that’s where they got engaged. The sommelier is happy to oblige and share his knowledge of the terroir because, of course, this is his thing. He recently left your table to allow you time to peruse the wine list, because of course you couldn’t possibly be ready. The wait staff are all smiles as they approach you with the glorious amuse course, Hamachi flown in from so-and-so, and all you are thinking is: “What!? We’re not even on the first course!?”
And that translates to a letter, or worse an anonymous online review: “Service took too long.”
And now the team of waiters are grossly offended, the hosts flag a not so good profile about you, the managers reprimand the kitchen, the owner begrudgingly writes a response letter and everyone complains to fellow industry mates about the couple who, “ Just don’t get it.”
No one wins.
Except for … um, that couple who did the research.
Parking Matters
In an ideal world every restaurant would have valet service or a garage next door, and some restaurants do.
Find out.
Because spending 20 minutes searching for street parking, circling and circling, realizing you are going to get a ticket because you don’t even have any quarters, then hobbling over cobblestones in your fancy shoes after you’ve parked in Siberia, can get any evening off to a bad start.
Now you are agitated. You were already running behind to meet your date, who’s now been waiting a total of 30 minutes, and your heels are scuffed from being caught on the cobblestones. (Which, by the way, a guest once complained was our fault.)
The restaurant, too, is in a bit of a predicament. The timing delay has now caused a significant hiccup in the designated seating choreography—the diners who are to occupy the table after you need a table ready when they arrive on time. The host begins the shuffle dance, so it will be yet another few minutes until you are finally seated.
And that translates to a letter, or worse an anonymous online review: “I didn’t have to run around like a maniac, get a ticket and ruin my shoes, because my table wasn’t even ready.”
And now the team of hosts … Well, you know what happens next.
Any one of these scenarios could serve as strike one against the restaurant. And through the course of dinner, as I’ve seen happen again and again, you are subconsciously preparing yourself to find strike two.
It’s human nature. Being a dinner myself, I’ve done it, too.
These are some of the consequences when you neglect your restaurant karma.
No one wins.
Except for that over the moon, everyone loves them couple who are savoring the perfect oysters, onions and osetra they looked forward to all week, knowing it was a house specialty, not worrying about their ticketless car parked in the nearby garage, laughing with the sommelier and toasting each other with champagne since the babysitter isn’t expecting them until they decide it’s time to go home.
Their perfect evening didn’t just happen. It was a direct result of being prepared and having an attitude that creates good karma.
The day I realized this, all my dining experiences changed for the better. And yours can too.
–Meshelle Armstrong, co-owner Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s a Dublin Chipper, PX, The Majestic, Virtue Feed & Grain, Society Fair. *Edited for truth and consistency by Kate Ahner, my old reservations manager
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In the next BOH installment: “Everyone at one time or another, and most of us repeatedly throughout our life time, will allow their expectations to interfere with the joy a natural flow offers…”
Got a story/question/comment to contribute to the dining karma conversation? Your voice will be heard at: Eatgoodfood@me.com
Posted by Warren Rojas / Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
Local Girl Does Good Great:
(Image: Meshelle Armstrong)
That would be a perfectly fitting headline for any profile of toque Shannon Overmiller, the spunky hometown gal who’s helped lead The Majestic back to its former glory AND re/introduced folks to the Rockwellian notion of sitting down together for at least one wholesome meal per week with her much-lauded “Nana’s Sunday Dinner” program. Turns out, she’s as obsessed with weekend suppers as we are with her regionally-inspired cooking…
WR: Salt. Pepper. What other spices/herbs could you not live without?
SO: I love cumin/cayenne as a spice. I also love rosemary and sage, but in moderation.
WR: What’s the very first dish you ever mastered? How long did it take? Do you still make it today?
SO: My cream of crab soup. It took me 3-4 times to master it. I cooked it for my boyfriend who is a chef as well for his first cooked dinner because I knew it was right on. Since he is a chef, I knew I better get it right. I still make it today, for every Thanksgiving! I do it at certain events like ZooFari as one of my staples.
WR: What seasonal ingredient(s) get your creative juices flowing?
SO: Summer: tomatoes, crabs, corn. Spring: peas, asparagus, Meyer lemons, ramps. Fall: chestnuts, butternut squash, apples (of course). Winter: stews and braises.
WR: My latest cookbook obsession is …
SO: Sunday Suppers at Luques by Suzanne Goin or Bouchon by Thomas Keller
WR: What’s the most challenging dish you’ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?
SO: Foie terrine or torchon in puff pastry. I would make them again because they came out superb (as long as you follow instructions carefully). These are technical dishes that require following an exact method.
WR: If I could the spend the day working alongside any local chef, I’d love to collaborate with …
SO: Scott Drewno of The Source. He is such a good person and very talented. He is also very up and coming in the area. Another would be Fabio Trabocchi–I can’t wait to see his bistro food shine with his new restaurant, and I have a very Italian style with a lot of my cooking.
WR: What’s the easiest/quickest–but still wholly satisfying–meal you make for yourself?
SO: Bacon and eggs or sausage or scrapple and eggs. Your typical breakfast, served with buttered toast, coffee and o.j. Breakfast is really special, especially when you cook it for you and your honey on your day off –or even just yourself.
WR: In the next six months you won’t want to miss my …
SO: Our restaurant group opening our new expanding projects/restaurants!!! Coming in spring/summer this year.
WR: It’s quitting time. I’m pouring myself …
SO: onto the couch! With a glass of Pinot Grigio or any nice cool, crisp white wine.
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Many of Overmiller’s favorite ingredients mirror my own. Suppose I should frequent the Majestic more often to take full advantage …
Come back next Tuesday for another helping of Red Meat.
–Warren
NoVA Well Represented in 2010 RAMMY Race
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
(Image: RAMW)
Restaurant awards season is now officially underway, with the James Beard Foundation unveiling its 2010 finalists yesterday and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington shining a light on the D.C.-Metro area’s culinary superstars today.
Though they are two very different competitions, there are at least one pair of hometown hopefuls in the running for both the national Beard Awards and local honors: restaurateur Jose Andres–whose minibar has him in contention for a Fine Dining RAMMY and Beard’s Outstanding Chef award–and CityZen pastry chef Amanda Cook (nominated for her delectable sweets by both hospitality scrutinizing bodies).
Meanwhile, Northern Virginia restaurants figure prominently in nine of the 14 RAMMY categories, including:
* Fine Dining: 2941
*Upscale Casual: Liberty Tavern, Vermilion
* Neighborhood Gathering Place: EatBar
* New Restaurant: Eventide, Inox
* Chef: Bertrand Chemel/2941
* Rising Culinary Star: Liam LaCivita/Liberty Tavern, Shannon Overmiller/The Majestic, Jon Mathieson/Inox
* Pastry Chef: Anthony Chavez/2941, Josh Short/Buzz (Neighborhood Restaurant Group)
* Wine Program: 2941
* Beverage/Mixology Program: EatGoodFood Group (AKA Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve/PX/The Majestic fame)
You can browse the full list of 2010 RAMMY nominees here. The winners will be feted June 6th during an awards gala at the Marriott Wardman Park.
Northern Virginia Magazine would like to congratulate all the nominees–yes, even you D.C. restos–and wish you all the best of luck on awards night!
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Not to be outdone by the now near-constant flood of event dining opportunities, local vintners hope to take center stage during Virginia Wine Week (3/22 – 3/28).
Participating restaurants/retailers are obliged to feature at least three Virginia wines by the glass.
But many hospitality purveyors we’ve spoken to are taking the opportunity to trot out a bevy of regional pours, including:
* Capital Ale House: plan to offer Afton Mountain Vineyards Gewurztraminer (bottle only), Autumn Hill Vineyard Chardonnay ($6.95), Autumn Hill Cabernet Franc Vineyard ($7.95), 2005 Blenheim Vineyards Meritage ($8.95), Blenheim Star Chardonnay ($10.95), Burnley Vineyards Riesling ($8.95) and Green Springs Winery Sweet Rose ($6.95).
* The Dock at Lansdowne: plan to offer 2008 Horton Vineyard Viognier ($8), 2006 Barboursville Vineyards Cabernet Franc ($8), 2007 Breaux Vineyards Chere Marie ($8), Breaux Equation Merlot ($8) and 2006 Prince Michel Chardonnay ($8).
* The Majestic: plan to offer Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay ($18), Pollak Vineyards Cabernet Franc ($13.50), Pollak Chardonnay ($11), Boxwood Winery Boxwood blend ($14) and a wine flight ($18) featuring Thibaut-Janisson, Boxwood and White Hall Vineyards Viognier. “We have featured the wine flight before and it has been quite popular,” Majestic manager Maria Chicas said.
* Vinifera: plan to offer 2006 Horton Vineyards Viognier ($9), 2006 Gabriele Rausse Cabernet Franc ($9), 2008 Loudoun Valley Vineyard Vinifera Red and Vinifera White ($28 each per half bottle).
* Vintage 50/Vintage 51: chef Aaron McCloud assured me they’ll be pouring something from Fabbioli Cellars and said they were still vetting other potential wine partners.
* The Wine Kitchen: plan to offer Kluge Estate New World Red ($3.50 – taste, $9 – glass, $31 – bottle) , 2007 Michael Shaps Chardonnay ($3 – taste, $11 – glass, $42 – bottle) and Tarara Winery Long Bomb Edition Two ($4 – taste, $7 – glass, $28 – bottle), as well as a discounted flight ($7) featuring all three.
A Virginia Wine Marketing aide said they’ve recruited over 160 participants to date and hope to cross into the 200s before registration closes on Monday, March 15.
Meanwhile, we’d like to know: does your favorite restaurant serve Virginia wine? And if not, might this promotion entice you to sample something local?
–Warren
Majestic’s Overmiller Ready for Her Close-Up
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Sounds like Bravo’s casting folks may have blown into town a bit early (open auditions are scheduled for next Wednesday at the Occidental) to chat up Majestic toque Shannon Overmiller. Gut Check blogger Amy Loeffler was dining there this evening when she spotted camera crews tracking the Maryland native’s every move. Her curiosity piqued, Loeffler flagged down a server and inquired why Overmiller seemed to be getting the Hollywood treatment. “She said Shannon was being interviewed for a possible spot on Top Chef,” Loeffler reports. No word from Overmiller’s bosses over at Restaurant Eve as to how far along their protege might be in the Top Chef vetting process. But confidence is high “Red” would add a terrific splash of local color to the Season 7 cast.
Yes, there were cameras rolling last night at The Majestic.
But management now insists the puzzling media display beheld by Gut Check blogger Amy Loeffler on Thursday night wasn’t for Bravo’s benefit.
“[Chef] Shannon [Overmiller] was being filmed, but, not by Top Chef,” Meshelle Armstrong assured us.
Both Overmiller and Armstrong remained mum on who was doing the filming.
Local toques looking to make the leap into reality TV should make their way down to the Occidental next Wednesday for the Top Chef Season 7 casting call.
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
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- All Photos Courtesy: Melissa Blackall Photography
Last week we introduced you to Teddy Folkman, executive chef at Granville Moore’s and finalist on this season’s “The Next Food Network Star.” In passing we mentioned Teddy’s involvement in Brainfood, a D.C.-based non-profit that “uses food and cooking as tools to teach life skills and healthy living to teenagers in a safe and positive environment.”
Well, last Thursday (I know I’m late getting this up, please forgive me!) was Brainfood’s Third Annual Grill Off. Held at the Decatur House, the event featured nine area chefs who each captained a team of amateur chefs and Brainfood students. Competing teams had one hour to create two original dishes from a surprise pantry of fresh ingredients; dishes were judged by a panel of foodies. While there, I caught up with Teddy, Vermilion’s Anthony Chittum, The Majestic’s Shannon Overmiller, ABC 7′s Leon Harris (who was the event’s MC), and Brainfood student Vanessa Castro.
According to Brainfood’s executive director Paul Dahm, the event was projected to raise nearly $60,000. Thanks to contributions from participants, guests and other donors, 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to Brainfood.
In addition to competing, Folkman also raised nearly $8,000 during a live auction. The item up for bids? Folkman cooking dinner at your home for six people. As the bidding increased, Folkman began to include members of his staff. In the end, Folkman committed the services of his beer master, general manager, chef de cuisine, and sous chef to come to the winner’s home to prepare a meal for six. When the bidding came down to two finalists, Folkman decided to do both dinners.
Note: Originally I had planned to post the audio for each of the interviews, but it being a party and all, the background noise was too loud to do that. So, on to the interviews!
Afterwards, Folkman reflected on his team’s performance.
“We had a really great team. It went excellent, our student was pretty bad ass, every single person contributed,” Folkman said. “It was all about team work tonight. It was nice to sit back in a pseudo kitchen and give orders. I hope we did well. We did a rare seared tuna with a ragout of grilled vegetables and a coconut curry sauce. We’ll see what the judges say, but right now we’re all winners because we had such a good time.”
Asked what kind of response he’s gotten now that “The Next Food Network Star” has premiered, Folkman couldn’t help but laugh.
“The response has mainly been, ‘what were you doing wearing that orange shirt?’ and ‘I can’t believe you cooked raw potatoes.’ It’s been mostly positive. I have to make sure I don’t wear that shirt again in public. But as a guy known for his frites, potatoes, there could have been some creative editing done by the Food Network or they really could have been raw. But an hour and a half in the oven, I don’t know. You can bake a potato in less time than that, but they are the experts so whatever.”
Reflecting on his seven years involved with Brainfood, Folkman said, “Brainfood’s a big part of my life. … I’ve seen the hard times, I’ve seen the great times, tonight has definitely been one of those great times. I’d like to one day be on the board of directors. I plugged Brainfood as much as possible in “Star;” hopefully the editors will keep some of it in there. You look around and see all the chefs around here. Hopefully we’ll get them all back to volunteer throughout the year.”
Folkman’s student-chef Vanessa Castro never envisioned herself as a chef; her dream had always been to be a forensics scientist, but now, “the possibilities are endless.” Throughout the year, Castro and the other Brainfood students benefited from guest chefs, like Folkman, to teach them through lectures, cooking classes and field trips.
“We worked on our knife skills and learned to cook different cultural foods. … I got involved through my high school, it got my community service hours and have been able to meet people from new schools.”
For first-time Brainfood participant Majestic’s executive chef, Shannon Overmiller, the cause is close to her heart.
“I think it’s a great cause. It’s really important,” Overmiller said. “My background was not normal. I lost my parents when I was young. So I had a little bit of a struggle to get through and I needed help getting through everything I got through. So, I think this is the right opportunity for those that want it and see it and I would be more than honored to be a part of that.”
Asked how her team fared, Overmiller laughed. “We went a little riskier than some, we saw a lot of great ingredients get taken off the board,” she said. “We started with some calamari, then used the tentacles as stuffing with herbs, capers, olives, stewed tomatoes and balsamic white wine. Then added a white balsamic glaze and put it over a bed of artichokes, hearts of palm, and mixed greens.”
Vermillion’s Anthony Chittum, also a first-timer to Brainfood, took time away from opening Columbia Firehouse in Old Town after feeling compelled to sign up after reflecting to his start in food.
“I had just recently heard about the organization,” Chittum said, still sweltering from the grill’s heat. “It’s something that’s close to me, I grew up working in kitchens, working for chefs. I learned a lot, even as a dishwasher I learned about more than cooking, just life in general. This group centers around that and it’s a great thing.”
As for ABC 7′s Harris, this is his third year as the Master of Ceremonies and he can’t wait for next year.
“I love this group,” Harris said, mid-sprint from the stage to his car, attempting to make it to work on time. “It’s a good way to reach kids by sneak attack. They don’t know they’re learning. I’ve only seen a handful of programs like that and this exemplifies that. This is my third year doing the fundraiser; it’s been a blast the whole way.”
-Stephen Ball
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Photo by wwarby/Flickr
Save the bees with Todd Thrasher’s new honey-infused cocktail
Bon Appetit’s blog, The BA Foodist, reports that local mixologist Todd Thrasher is offering a honey bee-themed cocktail at all the Armstrong locations (Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s, The Majestic and PX) to support research on “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD), a serious threat to the nation’s population of honey bees. For every “Plight of the Honeybee” cocktail sold, Thrasher will donate $1 to CCD research at UC Davis.
U.K. bar renders chugging obsolete with new vaporized G&Ts
A couple of British guys transform a bar into a giant gin and tonic (complete with giant limes and the soundtrack of “the noise of liquid being poured over ice cubes”). Inside, patrons can simply breathe in the booze-y air:
“Just 40 minutes inside the venue – which delivers an intoxicating vapour of gin and tonic – will leave you feeling slightly merry.”
Screenshot of KFC's website.
KFC hopes to revamp its brand with healthier KGC
Original Recipe, Extra Crispy…or grilled? TIME reports on KFC’s effort to target health-conscious consumers with a new line of Kentucky grilled chicken (4-9 grams of fat per piece compared to 7-21 grams per piece of Original Recipe):
“They still have the credibility barrier to overcome,” [restaurant analyst Larry] Miller said. While achievable, “it’s tough when your name has ‘fried’ in the middle.”
Select KFC locations will be offering customers a free piece of its new grilled chicken on April 27.
Foodie reflects on her reluctantly gluten-free diet
Diagnosed with celiac’s disease, Boston Globe correspondant Louisa Kasdon learns she can no longer indulge in breads, pasta, French fries or even sushi:
“It may sound overly dramatic, but for someone who lives to eat, accepting these huge restrictions was very difficult…Was there anything left to eat?”
– Christina Lee