Tastings

Chatting with the Latest 'Top Chef All-Stars' Exile

by Nichol Nelson, Posted Feb 25th 2011 @ 12:00PM

Top Chef elimination February 23, 2011 Photo: David Giesbrecht / Bravo

Here's this week's installment of Slashfood's exclusive exit interviews with the latest "Top Chef All-Stars" contestant to get the boot. In an effort to prevent spoilers, we've included the text after the jump.

Filed under: Chefs, Tastings

America's Best Hot Dog is Crowned

COMMENTS 75

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Feb 3rd 2011 @ 10:30AM

a double dog at Gene and Jude's Photo: supafly, Flickr

It's hard to beat the Windy City when it comes to hot dogs, and Chicago proved its sausage supremacy again yesterday when Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine and SeriousEats.com named local favorite Gene & Jude's "Depression-style" dog the best in America. After narrowing the search down to 64 finalists, judges from both publications used a "March Madness"-style bracket to determine that Gene & Jude's dog -- topped with mustard, onion, relish, sport peppers and (here's the kicker) french fries -- deserved the crown.

Read more about the search for America's Best Hot Dog at Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Filed under: Restaurants, Tastings

Edible Gifts: Holiday Gift Guide 2010

COMMENTS 0

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Dec 17th 2010 @ 11:00AM

For as many people who love to cook, there are probably five times as many people who don't -- but they do love eating. Edible gifts are therefore almost always appreciated -- especially if you know your recipient's favorite treats. But who said fruit baskets, popcorn and chocolate-covered-everything are the only gifts worth giving? We've compiled some of the best giftable foods we could get our hands on (and sink our teeth into) -- nary a stale mail-order item in sight. Flip through our gallery of gifts to whet your appetite.

Want gifts that don't come with an expiration date? Check out our gift guide for foodies and cooks. Also, check out all of our Christmas menus, recipes and entertaining tips. If you're all about cookies (who isn't?), we've got 25 days of Christmas cookies. If you want other sorts of sweets, check out Gail Simmons' Christmas desserts.

Filed under: New Products, Tastings, Frozen Food

#WineWednesday =Tweet-ups for Wine Lovers

COMMENTS 1

by Kristine Hansen, Posted Nov 17th 2010 @ 2:00PM

Photo: Cesar Rubio, Four Seasons

If you've got a Twitter handle, love to drink wine, and own an iPhone or Blackberry, chances are you might already be tweeting your tasting notes.

Why not take that energy and passion to a virtual tasting? Several hotels around the country are hosting a tweet-up tonight, in fact. #WineWednesday is the hashtag, borrowed from TweSommelier, a Twitter feed run by a guy named Eric in New England who describes himself as a "wine and food enthusiast."

And because it's no fun to drink alone, several hotels around the country are providing the venue to sip wines.

At Four Seasons hotels and resorts in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas (Las Colinas), Houston, Miami, New York, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto and Washignton D.C., all you have to do is show up with a thirst for trying new wines. Kick-off -- er, the pours -- start at 7 p.m. EST and last until 8 p.m. EST. Three sommeliers within Four Seasons will host the tasting from their virtual spots. Use the hash tag #FSWine

Filed under: Drinks, Events, Tastings

November Food Festivals

COMMENTS 2

by Jose Ralat Maldonado, Posted Nov 1st 2010 @ 12:00PM

baked macaroni and cheese Photo: tlboyd05, Flickr

There's still plenty of time before turkey and stuffing is upon us. These are the days of food fests, from mac-and-cheese (above) to pork cracklins, of the venerable chili cook-off in Terlingua, Texas, and the over-the-top gingerbread house DIY face-off in North Carolina. Here are seven festivals you won't want to miss.

Denver International Wine Festival, Denver, Colo., Nov. 3-7: Colorado is much more than beer. Its about pinot and Burgundy as well. Denver Wine Week, the Mile High City's annual event, now in its sixth year, offers up more than 400 wines. The festival kicks off with an Iron Chef-style bout in which local chefs will go toque to toque pairing food and wine. The Grand Tasting of International Wines and Food on Friday will showcase wines from more than 100 wineries selected by the editors of Wine Country International magazine. The festival isn't exclusive to oenophiles, though. Craft beer and artisan spirits are also on the tasting menu.

Original Terlingua International Chili Championship Cook-Off, Terlingua, Tex., Nov. 4-6: In addition to one whopper of a 44th annual chili cook-off, there will also be contests for the best ribs, black-eyed peas, margarita, as well as the ugliest hat. In a party as big as Texas, you can also dance to live music, and cruise the arts and craft show.

Romanian Food Festival, Colleyville, Tex, Nov. 5-7: If you just happen to be in Texas for the Terlingua Chili Cook-off, head to the Dallas-Forth Worth area for what may be the delicious opposite of chili -- Romanian food. The fifth annual celebration is organized by the parishioners of St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church, and will feature traditional fare like ciorba (hearty soups), sarmale (cabbage rolls), and mamaliga (a cheesy polenta dish), as well as folk dancing, a show by Romanian singer George Rotaru and boxing. Let's hope the boxers leave the cabbage rolls alone before the match. As they say in Romania, "Pofta Buna!" Bon Appetit!

Filed under: Events, Tastings

Tom Colicchio's Riverpark Hosts Starbucks Unveiling of New VIA Coffees

COMMENTS 23

by Jennifer Lawinski, Posted Oct 7th 2010 @ 1:00PM

Photo: Jennifer Lawinski

A cup of instant coffee served with a high-end lunch and a spritz of perfume on the side? How many ways can we say this combination-event seemed off-the-beam? But this, in fact, was on the menu for the debut of the new Starbucks line of flavored VIA coffees.

The ubiquitous coffee company invited Slashfood to sample a tasting menu created by chef Sisha Ortúzar at Tom Colicchio's new Riverpark restaurant, in Manhattan, to highlight its four new flavors of Starbucks VIA instant coffees: Mocha, Caramel, Cinnamon and Vanilla.

The event was hosted by Starbucks and by New York Times Scent Critic Chandler Burr, who paired each coffee with a perfume that highlighted its flavor.

Filed under: New Products, Tastings, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Love Beer? Have We Got a Job For You...

COMMENTS 1

by Nichol Nelson, Posted May 21st 2010 @ 5:00PM

Photo: Bala, Flickr

For one lucky person in London, the 9 to 5 grind is about to be a thing of the past. Spitalfields Market, a collection of covered shops and dining venues just outside of London, has resurrected an age-old job, and they're taking applicants. The position? Beer taster.

Reps for the market call it simply, "the best job in the world." The employee would essentially stop at venues throughout the market and taste test the beers for quality. It's a role that's been around almost as long as the market itself -- almost 400 years. (King Charles I of England first gave permission for fish, poultry and produce to be sold on the site in 1638.)

Filed under: Food News, Tastings

Chocolate & Wine: The Perfect Coupling

COMMENTS 0

by Kristine Hansen, Posted Feb 5th 2010 @ 2:00PM

Photo: kamoda, Flickr

Unless you're hiding under a rock, you've noticed that, in the days leading up to Valentine's Day, chocolate varieties flood the market. Make your Valentine's more romantic and indulgent with these gourmet chocolate-and-wine varietal pairings.

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Peanut Bar ($3.50, 3.5 oz)
This smooth-tasting bar is a mix of milk chocolate (37 percent, to be exact), caramelized organic peanuts and sea salt. An Aussie Shiraz – for its fruit-forward, jammy notes – would stack up well with this bar. Or, if you're a fan of whites, consider Gewürztraminer; its sweet notes will contrast nicely with the sea salt.

Harry & David Bing Cherry Chocolates ($22.95, for a 16-oz box)
Embedded inside each of these double-dipped chocolate balls is a dried (but juicy!) bing cherry. Yet when paired with a festive, sparkling Rosé – such as Cupcake Vineyards Brut Rosé, $16, which has a nose of wild strawberries – the chocolate reveals a softer finish.

Filed under: Holidays, Drinks, Tastings

Le Fooding D'Amour Paris-New York Recap

COMMENTS 2

by Lisa Schweitzer, Posted Sep 28th 2009 @ 5:30PM

Diners at Le Fooding. Photo: Pabo76/Flickr

What happens when the best French and American chefs of the moment converge on New York City for a weekend of casual culinary madness, all in the name of charity?

It's called Le Fooding D'Amour Paris-New York. The two-day event took place in Long Island City, N.Y. at the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and included tasting stations by David Chang (Momofuku), Wylie Dufresne (WD~50), Yves Camdeborde (Le Comptoir du Relais), Sean Rembold (Diner), William LeDeuil (Ze Kitchen Galerie), Christophe Pelé (Bigarrade) and more.

Slashfood attempted to try as many of the dishes on offer as possible, considering the long, snaking lines and lack of lighting at the outdoor venue.

Check out our photos after the jump.

Filed under: Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants, Tastings

Are Austin Tacos the Nation's Best?

COMMENTS 16

by Jose Ralat Maldonado, Posted Jul 23rd 2009 @ 5:00PM

Chorizo tacos at Austin's Arandas #3. Photo: Jessica S. Ralat

A whopping 69 percent of poll respondents told this recent Brooklyn-to-Austin transplant that the Lone Star State's tacos were the best in the nation and relayed some excellent suggestions. We were able to sample some 40 tacos around Austin, setting them against the closest Sunset Park, Brooklyn, counterparts we could find. Here's one taster's subjective opinion. (Austin is growing on him.)

6. Austin's Arandinas (suggested by Slashfoodies Lacey and LP) pork taco vs. Brooklyn's Matamoros cabeza taco:
Arandinas' juicy, eminently scarfable pork taco went head-to-head with Matamoros', uh, cow head -- and triumphed.
Winner: Arandinas, Austin.

5. Austin's Mi Madre's Restaurant (suggested by Jodi and others) Pork Adobado vs. Brooklyn's Matamoros Enchilada taco:
Anticipating a chili steam engine from this red-sauced breakfast taco, we instead found spiceless goop in a flour shell ill-matched to its flurry of onions and avocado slices. The slightly spicy red enchilada taco at Matamoros is still the one we hold dear.
Winner: Matamoros, Brooklyn

Four more, including the winner, after the jump.

Filed under: Food Politics, Ingredients, Tastings