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Slashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.comSlashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gifSlashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Thieves Prey on Starbucks Customershttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/05/02/thieves-prey-on-starbucks-customers/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/05/02/thieves-prey-on-starbucks-customers/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/05/02/thieves-prey-on-starbucks-customers/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, Chain Stores / Restaurants

laptops temp thieves at starbucks Photo: Andrew*, Flickr

Starbucks has done just about everything it can to make you as comfortable as possible and to turn its ubiquitous coffee shops into your home away from home--but maybe it's made you too comfortable.

One important difference between your living room and your local Starbucks is (presumably) you don't have an army of strangers traipsing through your living room as your kick back with your iPad and your morning cup of coffee. It seems obvious enough, but apparently, according to the New York Times, it's a distinction that's increasingly lost on a number of people -- and they're losing their purses, wallets and laptops, too.

Continue reading Thieves Prey on Starbucks Customers

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]]>starbucksstarbucks stolen laptopsstarbucks theftJason BestMon, 02 May 2011 13:00:00 ESTWill Starbucks Kill the Cake Pop?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/29/will-starbucks-kill-the-cake-pop/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/29/will-starbucks-kill-the-cake-pop/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/29/will-starbucks-kill-the-cake-pop/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Starbucks cake pops Photo: Starbucks

Please say this isn't the beginning of the end for cake pops.

Starbucks, America's largest coffee retailer, has begun serving cake pops -- and it's got the baking community up in arms. The pops are made by crumbling fresh cake and mixing the crumbs with frosting, then forming them into a ball and placing them on a stick. To make them pretty (and keep them fresh), they're dipped into a colorful candy coating.

The little pops have caught on like wildfire. (Cake that's portable, adorable, and has fewer calories than a whole slice? Sweet!) They're quickly overtaking cupcakes as the "must-have" item for baby showers, weddings, and birthday celebrations. And that's what has the folks over at Honest Cooking are worried. They know that anything that shows up at Starbucks is likely to experience backlash (and the pops they're serving up are no great shakes), and they don't want their favorite treat to meet that fate.

In an attempt to keep the pops in good favor, they've posted a killer recipe for Lemon Cream Cheese Cake Pops.

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]]>cake popsfeaturedstarbucksSlashfood EditorFri, 29 Apr 2011 11:00:00 ESTStarbucks Responds To Video Showing Rat On Store's Counterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/28/starbucks-responds-to-video-showing-rat-on-stores-counter/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/28/starbucks-responds-to-video-showing-rat-on-stores-counter/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/28/starbucks-responds-to-video-showing-rat-on-stores-counter/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, Chain Stores / Restaurants

rat at Starbucks Photo: YouTube

Despite a local resident finding what is believed to be a black rat inside a Starbucks located in Richmond, British Columbia, there is no cause for alarm, reports the Richmond Review. The YouTube video shot on April 21 shows the rodent scuttling around syrup dispensers.

As a result of the video, an environmental health inspector met with Starbucks management and quality assurance employees. Steve Chong, Richmond's chief public health inspector, told the Richmond Review that there is no indication of a rodent infestation. Pest control is now visiting the store daily, instead of weekly.

See the video of the rat below.

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]]>starbucksstarbucks ratSlashfood EditorThu, 28 Apr 2011 14:00:00 ESTCoffee Drinkers More Loyal to McDonald's Than Starbuckshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/14/coffee-drinkers-more-loyal-to-mcdonalds-than-starbucks/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/14/coffee-drinkers-more-loyal-to-mcdonalds-than-starbucks/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/14/coffee-drinkers-more-loyal-to-mcdonalds-than-starbucks/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, Chain Stores / Restaurants

McDonald's coffee Photo: Old Shoe Woman, Flickr

It looks like America's favorite place for burgers may be on its way to becoming America's favorite place for cappuccinos.

Master strategists overseeing the nation's coffee wars will likely be pouring over the results of a recent independent study that finds those who get their (ever fancier) morning cup of joe from McDonald's are more loyal to the Golden Arches than coffee drinkers who visit rivals Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, an independent market research firm surveyed 15,000 customers. Of those that frequent either Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts most often for their daily brew, 53 percent said that they also sneak off to other competing chains during the course of a month, while only 29 percent of respondents who identified McDonald's as their primary source of hot java said the same.

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]]>Dunkin DonutsMcDonaldsMcDonalds coffeeStarbucksJason BestThu, 14 Apr 2011 14:00:00 ESTStarbucks New Coffee Drinks: Taste Testhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/10/starbucks-new-coffee-drinks-taste-test/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/10/starbucks-new-coffee-drinks-taste-test/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/10/starbucks-new-coffee-drinks-taste-test/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, Reviews

starbucks cup with new logo Photo: Simon Q, Flickr

We already reported on Starbucks' new coffee, cappuccino and cakes, part of the company's 40-year anniversary celebration that kicks off today, but I've now actually tasted them-yesterday, at its store in Manhattan's Soho. And I can report that the brand-new Tribute blend had subtle berry notes, perhaps hinting of currant. One sip and it was obvious that the brew was low in acidity. But what really surprised me was the realization that Tribute, which is only being offered in a limited quantity, obviously had beans from all three of the world's major coffee-growing regions-Asia (Sumatra and, if I was correct, Papau New Guinea), Africa (Ethiopia) and South America (Colombia). That seemed unusual, and I sensed that this must be the first time Starbucks had ever done such a globe-spanning blend.

Okay, all of the above is true, but the only reason I know is because the guy who manages the New York stores told us, teaching us how to taste coffee at the same time-sniff, to catch the aroma, followed by a quick gulp, to check the acidity. (Be careful the coffee isn't too hot before you gulp.) On my own, though, I can honestly report that Tribute was really good. Really good coffee, man. I also liked the new Cocoa Cappuccino, with only 150 calories, which surprised me, because I'm no chocolate fan. (My idea of a sweet treat is a pretzel.) Even more amazing, I loved the Petites, pretty little confections that give dessert a good name, and with only 200 calories each themselves.

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]]>starbucksstarbucks anniversaryBill SertlThu, 10 Mar 2011 11:00:00 ESTFood from the Edge: The End of Espresso?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/food-from-the-edge-the-end-of-espresso/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/food-from-the-edge-the-end-of-espresso/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/food-from-the-edge-the-end-of-espresso/#commentsFiled under: Trends, Coffee Shops

making siphon coffee Photo: tyrone warner, Flickr

Lattes are so last year. As a matter of fact, so are cappuccinos and macchiatos.

At least, that's what the emergence of a new kind of coffee bar suggests. Oh, this new breed has the requisite La Marzocco machines for those who really must have their shot, but the emphasis is on brewed coffee made using a variety of venerable counter-top contraptions, from the simple ceramic cone to the laboratory-like siphon, two glass bulbs perched above a Bunsen-burner. (Sorry, Mr. Coffee: the automatic drip still hasn't made a comeback.)

One of the latest entries into this category is WTF Coffee in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood. The bar, which opened late last year, is a sleek little storefront with no seating, only narrow shelf-like bars along the walls. All the action happens at the counter, where customers choose from a long menu of beans and roasts, and half a dozen ways to have that coffee brewed, including the siphon and pour-over cone, as well as the Chemex, a modernist hour-glass, and the more popular French press.

Billing itself as a "coffee lab," WTF invites patrons to watch as their java is made on the other side of a glass sheet. (Behind all of this, one might catch a glimpse of the espresso machine.) Not coincidentally, owner Asio Highsmith, is also behind the nearby Hideout, a modern speakeasy that also draws an audience interested in old-fashioned, fussed-over drinks. A newcomer to coffee, Highsmith cast WTF as kind of café-cum-educational center, noting that all of its coffee-making devices are available online and most cost little more than $20 a piece. In a kind of anti-marketing pitch echoed at other home-style brew bars, he added that anyone could recreate their WTF experience home.

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]]>brewed coffeeBrewedCoffeeClovercoffeeRebecca RothbaumWed, 09 Mar 2011 11:00:00 ESTRegional Foods You Don't Know Abouthttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/08/regional-foods-you-dont-know-about/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/08/regional-foods-you-dont-know-about/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/08/regional-foods-you-dont-know-about/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, Local Delicacies

Cioppino fish stew from San Francisco Photo: Food Thinkers, Flickr

One of the greatest things about eating in America is the wealth of regional specialties. Seems like every city has something brag about, from gumbo in New Orleans to cheese curds in Green Bay. Some have spread across the country (who hasn't sampled a version of a Philly cheesesteak?) but others have stayed under the radar. AOL Travel has two lists of regional foods you might not know about, from Rhode Island's creamy Coffee Milk to Buffalo, New York's savory Beef on Weck -- and all of them are worth a road trip.

Want to see if your local delicacy made the cut? Check out both lists on AOL Travel.

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]]>featuredregional foodsRegionalFoodsSlashfood EditorTue, 08 Feb 2011 15:00:00 ESTStarbucks Introduces New VIA Guaranteehttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/01/starbucks-introduces-new-via-guarantee/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/01/starbucks-introduces-new-via-guarantee/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/01/starbucks-introduces-new-via-guarantee/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, Drinks

Starbucks VIA coffee Photo: cafemama, Flickr

You have to give them credit -- Starbucks is putting their money where their mouth is. The coffee giant is so convinced that consumers will embrace their new VIA instant coffee that they've issued a guarantee: If you don't like it, they'll replace it wth a 12-ounce bag of their house roast.

The company has been working hard to get coffee drinkers on board with their new brew -- this is a nation deeply scarred by bitter Sanka crystals, after all. But we've tasted it, and VIA actually tastes like ... coffee. They use arabica beans, but the real trick is the microgrind that transforms the beans into an aromatic powder with all of the oils and flavor intact. And if you try it and it's not your thing, now Starbucks will ensure you get your caffeine fix one way or another.

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]]>starbucksvia coffeeSlashfood EditorTue, 01 Feb 2011 16:15:00 ESTFestivus Food: Is There An Official Donut?http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/20/festivus-food-is-there-an-official-donut/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/20/festivus-food-is-there-an-official-donut/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/20/festivus-food-is-there-an-official-donut/#commentsFiled under: Bakeries, Coffee Shops

krispy kreme glazed donuts Photo: Claire Sutton, Flickr

Among my many duties as the world's foremost expert on Festivus is monitoring my website www.festivusbook.com. On the site, all of the many fine points of Festivus are debated, and many grievances are aired.

One point of contention that has raged for years is whether there is an official Festivus donut. Of course a larger question is whether there should be an official Festivus anything. Festivus, of course, is an alternative holiday made famous by an episode of Seinfeld and now celebrated at parties across the country. According to the show, its essential elements are an airing of grievances, feats of strength, and instead of a tree or a menorah, an unadorned aluminum pole is the symbolic object placed in your home. In other words, Festivus, often celebrated on December 23, is a cheap, somewhat bitter holiday that requires no gifts be bought, no tinsel hung and no cards sent.

Over the years, those who throw Festivus parties have added many of their own rituals and foods. There was Festivus wine crafted in Oklahoma, St. Festivus Ale brewed in Baltimore, and, in my book, a recipe for Festivus Ham with Junior Mint and Snapple Glaze (delicious, I assure you.)

All of this stuff is homespun. Since Festivus is a holiday with no intrinsic meaning, made famous by a show about nothing, the very idea of anything being "official" about it offends many Festivus friendly folk. And so when on December 22, 2006, someone with the user name Fifi posted the following, it started a storm: "Declaration by reason, that the Krispy Kreme donut be the donut for all Festivus parties!"

Continue reading Festivus Food: Is There An Official Donut?

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]]>festivusAllen SalkinMon, 20 Dec 2010 16:00:00 ESTStarbucks Holiday Brews Are Back (With a Two-for-One Deal)http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/17/starbucks-holiday-brews-are-back-with-a-two-for-one-deal/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/17/starbucks-holiday-brews-are-back-with-a-two-for-one-deal/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/17/starbucks-holiday-brews-are-back-with-a-two-for-one-deal/#commentsFiled under: Holidays, Coffee Shops, Deals / Free Food

Starbucks Product Red mug by Jonathan Adler Photo: Business Wire

Your eggnog jones is about to be satisfied. Tomorrow Starbucks is bringing back their holiday specials, including the Eggnog Latte. Gingerbread Men (and Women) can go for the Gingerbread Latte, and there are Caramel Brulée Latte and Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, too. The Christmas Blend (regular and Espresso Roast) is also back, with its hints of pumpkin pie and gingerbread, and this year you can try it in an instant with the new VIA Ready Brew version. And from November 18 to 21, you can buy one of the holiday joes and get one free. For a chic kaffeeklatsch, sip your spicy brew from designer Jonathan Adler's new ceramic STARBUCKS (RED) To-Go Cup (above). As with all the STARBUCKS (RED) offerings, part of the proceeds from sales go to the Global Fund, which helps combat AIDS in Africa.

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]]>coffeedealsfree foodholiday drinksstarbucks coffeeSlashfood EditorWed, 17 Nov 2010 12:00:00 ESTEspresso Served in the Bike Lanehttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/10/28/Bike-caffe-food-trucks-for-coffee/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/10/28/Bike-caffe-food-trucks-for-coffee/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/10/28/Bike-caffe-food-trucks-for-coffee/#commentsFiled under: Fast Food, Coffee Shops, Eco-Friendly

Bike Caffe Photo: BikeCaffe

The trend in gourmet food trucks may still be going strong, with mobile units serving everything from tapas to dim sum. But wait! What do we spy? Is it the next generation in the mobilization of food?Get ready for BikeCaffe. That's right; as Mother Nature Network reports, the U.K.-based company is looking to unleash an army of its pedaling baristas on U.S. shores, with at least one BikeCaffe operating in Denver already and others planned for Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and (of all places) Phoenix. (Not sure we'd want to commit to trying to hawk hot coffee in the desert from the seat of a bike, but okay.)

The fancy, three-wheeled contraptions are outfitted with a full-service coffee bar in front, which serves 100-percent fair-trade coffee, Italian-style espresso, and most other coffeehouse staples. And as the fact that the story was picked up by MNN suggests, the company is billing itself as ultra-eco-friendly. (After all, this is a bike we're talking about -- no worries about global-warming emissions here.)

There would seem to be another side benefit of operating a BikeCaffe: after a few months of pedaling that thing uphill, you're pretty much guaranteed to be able to eat all the biscotti you can manage and never pack on a pound.

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]]>baristaBicyclescoffee shopfood trucksJason BestThu, 28 Oct 2010 13:00:00 ESTBarista, Please Show Me the Starbucks Wine List?http://www.slashfood.com/2010/10/19/barista-please-show-me-the-starbucks-wine-list/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/10/19/barista-please-show-me-the-starbucks-wine-list/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/10/19/barista-please-show-me-the-starbucks-wine-list/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, News, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Photo: USA Today

Have a little pinot noir before your grande cappuccino? Yes, you can. And you don't even have to go to a wine bar before you hit the local Starbucks...if you live in Seattle, that is.

As we told you in an April post on Starbucks, the company began experimenting with branching out into wines and beers at its Roy Street Coffee & Tea. Now, reports USA Today, another Seattle Starbucks, the Capitol Hill branch, on Olive Way, has received a groovy modern face lift and has jumped on the wine and beer train. Perhaps what goes down in Seattle will soon be coming to a branch near you. With 16 million of them, there's bound to be one nearby.

Is this a Starbucks move to take us up, take us down, fill us up with an artisanal-cheese plate and never let us go? Pop-culture professor Robert Thompson, of Syracuse University thinks so. He was quoted in the USA Today story as saying, "The idea of serving coffee all day to hype up consumers and alcohol at night to calm them down sounds like a perpetual motion machine." But maybe for the go-go joe and booze hounds, that's an answered prayer.

Continue reading Barista, Please Show Me the Starbucks Wine List?

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]]>coffeecoffee shopsstarbucksWineSlashfood EditorTue, 19 Oct 2010 16:00:00 ESTStarbucks Drops "Tall" Off Drive-through Menuhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/09/14/starbucks-drops-tall-off-drive-through-menu/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/09/14/starbucks-drops-tall-off-drive-through-menu/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/09/14/starbucks-drops-tall-off-drive-through-menu/#commentsFiled under: Business, Fast Food, Coffee Shops

Starbucks drive-thru window Photo: guruscotty, Flickr

In case you've never encountered the convenience yourself, there's a drive-through window attached to one-third of the nation's Starbucks outposts. And the company has recently taken some heat over the newly designed menus offered at those drive-throughs. On August 31, listed items dropped from about 70 to a mere 25, and leaves out the option to buy a Tall (translation: smallest and least expensive) cup of coffee.

The Tall is still an option, just not an obvious one. Company spokeswoman Deb Trevino tells USA Today the change came in response to customers' requests to simplify the menu -- they were "frustrating" to read -- adding that Talls don't sell as well as Grandes and Ventis. She also says the company is making room for calorie postings, which will be required next year.

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]]>calorie postingCaloriePostingcaloriescoffeedrive-throughmenustarbucksJessie CacciolaTue, 14 Sep 2010 15:00:00 ESTStarbucks is Having a Salehttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/12/08/starbucks-is-having-a-sale/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/12/08/starbucks-is-having-a-sale/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/12/08/starbucks-is-having-a-sale/#commentsFiled under: Holidays, Coffee Shops

Do you have a Starbucks lover on your holiday shopping list this year? If you do, you're going to want to get yourself over to a Starbucks store sometime in the next couple of days, because they are having a big old sale. Starting Tuesday, December 9th, all merchandise (this means tea, coffee, mugs, coffee makers, gift packs, ornaments and other 'bucks ephemera) will be 20 percent off. The sale runs through Sunday, December 14th.

Sadly, the bargains do not include your morning cup of java, baked goods, gift cards, newspapers, sandwiches or other in-store edibles.

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]]>christmashanukkahholiday shoppingHolidayShoppingstarbucks salestarbucks storesStarbucksSaleStarbucksStoresMarisa McClellanMon, 08 Dec 2008 16:59:00 ESTSnobby coffee interventionhttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/10/06/snobby-coffee-intervention/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/10/06/snobby-coffee-intervention/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/10/06/snobby-coffee-intervention/#commentsFiled under: Drink Recipes, Chefs & Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Fast Food, New Products, Restaurants

cup of fancy coffee

Unsnobbycoffee.com sounds like it might be something really good for your dad or uncle who still can't pronounce "grande" and thinks "frappuccino" is a made-up word (and to be fair, "frappuccino" is a made-up word, by Boston's The Coffee Connection chain which was bought by Starbucks).

Actually, unsnobbycoffee.com is the website for McDonalds' new ad campaign.

"McDonald's has made it simple and easy to get the delicious espresso drinks you crave. No crazy names or sizes. No second language required. So hang out and have some fun."

What? McDonald's wants to be a coffee house?

Continue reading Snobby coffee intervention

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]]>americacoffeecoffee houseCoffeeHouseespressofrappuccinolattemcdonaldsstarbucksAnnie ScottMon, 06 Oct 2008 10:01:00 ESTStarbucks launches the Piadini http://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/30/starbucks-launches-the-piadini/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/30/starbucks-launches-the-piadini/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/30/starbucks-launches-the-piadini/#commentsFiled under: Coffee Shops, Fast Food, New Products

Starbucks spinach piadini

For more than a year now, Starbucks has been working on improving their breakfast offerings. In spring of 2007, they launched a line of breakfast sandwiches, only to announce a year later that they were pulling them from the stores (they then changed their minds again, announcing that they were only going to retool the sandwiches). Earlier this summer, they started selling a line of whole grain pastries, cups of "perfect oatmeal" and a platter that lives in the refrigerated case that contains a hard boiled egg, a small whole wheat bagel, a few slices of cheese and some fruit.

This morning, they launched the latest addition to the breakfast line-up. Called the Piadini, this savory breakfast pastry comes in two varieties - Portobello Mushroom or Sausage, Egg and Cheddar. Energized by a Starbucks-led breakfast and coffee pairing event I attended last week, I stopped by my local Starbucks today to try out this new breakfast option.

Continue reading Starbucks launches the Piadini

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]]>breakfastfeaturedpiadini breakfastpiadini reviewPiadiniBreakfastPiadiniReviewstarbuckstaste testTasteTestMarisa McClellanTue, 30 Sep 2008 10:31:00 ESTCoffee compendiumhttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/15/coffee-compendium/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/15/coffee-compendium/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/15/coffee-compendium/#commentsFiled under: The History of..., Drink Recipes, Books, Coffee Shops

image of coffee beans

Has anything we eat or drink infiltrated our cultural vernacular as thoroughly as coffee? Maybe coffee can't help itself: just as caffeine enters our bloodstream, perhaps so must coffee itself work its way through our culture. Whatever your position in the dialogue over chain coffee houses versus the local coffee place, here is a cup of hot coffee culture to start your day.

Read about it. If you watch AMC's Mad Men, you just learned that a cup of joe is called that after Joe Martinson, a New York City street coffee vendor who went on to found one of the lynchpin coffee businesses of the early twentieth century. Like most urban legends, there is no definitive proof that we actually got the saying from Joe Martinson, but it's a great story, as is the story of coffee itself. Mark Pendergrast 's Uncommon Grounds: the History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World takes you through the global coffee scene, from the inception of coffee trading through American mass marketing. If you'd rather enjoy a good novel with your latte, then try David Liss' The Coffee Trader or Cleo Coyle's coffeehouse mystery series.

Continue Reading Coffee compendium . . .

Continue reading Coffee compendium

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]]>coffeecoffee compendiumCoffeeCompendiumcooking with coffeeCookingWithCoffeecowboy coffeeCowboyCoffeecup of joeCupOfJoedrinking coffeeDrinkingCoffeefallEric DieselMon, 15 Sep 2008 14:02:00 ESTThe New York Times Dining & Wine section in 60 seconds: Snobbery, specialty coffee, slow-cooked beanshttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/13/the-new-york-times-dining-and-wine-section-in-60-seconds-snobbery/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/13/the-new-york-times-dining-and-wine-section-in-60-seconds-snobbery/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/13/the-new-york-times-dining-and-wine-section-in-60-seconds-snobbery/#commentsFiled under: Business, Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds, Ingredients, Drink Recipes, Celebrities, Coffee Shops

waiters at waverly inn

Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter picks up his second restaurant, Monkey Bar. His first, the Waverly Inn, has been luring a high wattage crowd for two years, despite not being officially open.

L.A.'s fast food moratorium raises questions about choice and personal responsibility.

The Minimalist makes chapati, Indian flat bread.

A recipe for slow-cooked green beans.

Eric Asimov sips the crisp white wines of Spain.

Specialty coffee roasters hit New York.

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]]>americachapaticoffeeeast coastgreen beansnew york timesvegetableswhite winewineEmily MatcharWed, 13 Aug 2008 07:00:00 ESTCoffee: Suddenly, it's good for you!http://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/21/coffee-suddenly-its-good-for-you/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/21/coffee-suddenly-its-good-for-you/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/21/coffee-suddenly-its-good-for-you/#commentsFiled under: Science, Newspapers, Health & Medical, Guilty Pleasures, Drink Recipes, Coffee Shops

Over the years, I've had a love/hate relationship with coffee. On the one hand, when I worked in a cafe/bakery, the free, unlimited chocolate-covered espresso beans made it a lot easier to bake bread all night. On the other hand, when I developed acid reflux, coffee was the first thing that had to go. Over the years, I've repeatedly reunited with coffee, only to leave it again a few months later. Between warnings about digestion, blood pressure, and various other problems, I've learned to fight my deep love of the beloved elixir, settling instead for water or tea. Right now, I'm drinking one or two cups a day, which seems to be working well, although I have to fight my feelings of guilt and fear with every sip.

Recently, however, a 24-year study by the University of Madrid has given me hope that coffee and I might be able to enjoy a rich, guilt-free relationship. According to Esther Lopez-Garcia, the lead researcher, the scientists have discovered that up to six cups of coffee per day may have a positive effect on one's health. According to their data, coffee seems to lower the chances of heart disease and other illnesses.

The study, which followed the coffee-drinking habits 84,214 American women from 1980 to 2004 and 41,736 American men from 1986 to 2004 showed clear linkages between reduced heart disease and coffee consumption, although it was also clear that decaf had almost the same results as caffeinated coffee. Although I won't be able to drink the full six cups of coffee that the study seems to endorse, it's nice to know that my little 2-cup habit may actually be good for me. The only question remaining is what I'll use to toast the researchers: French Roast or something a little milder?

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]]>americaCoffeeEsther Lopez-GarciaEstherLopez-garciaguilty pleasuresHeart diseaseHeartDiseaseUniversity of MadridUniversityOfMadridBruce WatsonMon, 21 Jul 2008 13:00:00 ESTStarbucks releases list of stores to closehttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/19/starbucks-releases-list-of-stores-to-close/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/19/starbucks-releases-list-of-stores-to-close/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/19/starbucks-releases-list-of-stores-to-close/#commentsFiled under: Food News, Drink Recipes, Coffee Shops

a seattle starbucks location

As Shayna (and every major media outlet) noted a couple weeks ago, Starbucks is going to be closing just over 600 stores (616 to be exact) over the next year. Yesterday, they announced which stores, across 44 states and the District of Columbia, are going to get the axe. California, Florida, New York and Texas are losing the highest number of stores. The list on the Huffington Post is searchable, which makes it easy for you to check out and see if your local store will be closing.

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]]>closing listClosingListcoffeehuffington postHuffingtonPoststarbucks closingStarbucksClosingMarisa McClellanSat, 19 Jul 2008 10:01:00 EST