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vodka martiniPhoto: Jupiterimages


Is cocktail culture losing its buzz? Last fall, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that bartenders were mixing up a host of cocktails with a lower alcohol content -- drinkers are looking for beverages with fewer calories, and a lower alcohol level also means patrons can consume more without fear of the breathalyzer. The trick behind many of these cocktails? Fortified wines, which are substituted for stronger spirits.

Last week, Grub Street SF dug a bit deeper into the world of low-alcohol beverages by tasting an array of lower-alcohol spirits made without distillation. After sampling fermented vodka and agave wine (think tequila, but instead it hovers around the ABV limit for wine), they proclaimed themselves impressed with the flavor -- and the added benefits. ("You've got yourself a decent drink that, after a half dozen or so, will have your college-age cousin buzzed but not barfing," was one enthusiastic response.)

The trend carries over into alcohol levels in wine. In a market reversal, California vintners are pulling back after years of producing juicy, high-alcohol wines, writes ZesterDaily. NPR reports that Kutch Wines and Vineyards owner, Jamie Kutch, is lowering the alcohol content of his winery's pinot noir to balance our the flavors -- and also prevent people from falling asleep on the couch after dinner.

Though these low-alcohol drinks may be growing slightly in popularity and distribution, they are far from mainstream -- particularly in the realm of beer: The Sunday Times tried to find to find moderate-alcohol beer in London and struggled due to "low demand." Colorado actually banned the sale of low alcohol beers in bars, albeit for complicated political reasons (and legislators are working to overturn the bizarre measure).

As with most matters booze-related, it's largely a matter of preference. But if you like your cocktails on the lighter side, it's nice to know you have options.

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]]>low-alcohol boozelow-alcohol drinksSlashfood EditorTue, 26 Apr 2011 16:00:00 ESTE la Carte: Restaurants' Electronic Menus Revolutionize Orderinghttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/21/e-la-carte-restaurants-electronic-menus-revolutionize-ordering/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/21/e-la-carte-restaurants-electronic-menus-revolutionize-ordering/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/21/e-la-carte-restaurants-electronic-menus-revolutionize-ordering/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Photo: E la Carte

Technology has managed to make all manner of service employees practically obsolete -- bank tellers, travel agents, grocery store checkers. Are waiters next?

When you think about it, the newfangled gadget that tech startup E la Carte released this week has been sort of a long time coming. It's basically a more rugged version of an iPad that allows you to touch-screen your way through a restaurant menu, order and even pay.

The crotchety misanthrope might ask, "How is it that I've been able to scan and bag my own groceries for years, but still I have to make chit-chat with the waiter at Applebee's?"

Right now, reports our our sister site TechCrunch, only about 20 eateries have the device, mostly in San Francisco and Boston. But E la Carte says it has a long waiting list of restaurant owners eager to try the thing. One reason is because restaurants that have tested it have reported a 10 to 12 percent spike in overall revenue, since E la Carte is great at up-selling. ("Would you like a side salad with that for only $3 more?" Here's a lovely picture of the side salad. All you have to do is press this button.)

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]]>e la carteelectronic menumenusJason BestThu, 21 Apr 2011 16:00:00 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: ,

making siphon coffeePhoto: 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.

Continue reading Food from the Edge: The End of Espresso?

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]]>brewed coffeeBrewedCoffeeClovercoffeeRebecca RothbaumWed, 09 Mar 2011 11:00:00 ESTFoodieRegistry.com Expands to New Citieshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/08/foodieregistry-com-expands-to-new-cities/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/08/foodieregistry-com-expands-to-new-cities/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/08/foodieregistry-com-expands-to-new-cities/#commentsFiled under: ,

newlyweds at dinnerPhoto: Jupiterimages

Does the planned expansion of FoodieRegistry.com spell doom for the electric waffle cone maker?

Let us explain.

FoodieRegistry.com is the result of a genius idea by husband-and-wife team Ben and Jennifer Reid. Basically, the whole concept was to give betrothed couples an alternative to registering for more stuff by allowing them to register for gift certificates to high-end restaurants.

The couple launched their site a year ago in their hometown of Chicago. They now have 65 participating eateries in the Windy City, and last week, they began offering gift certificates to restaurants in San Francisco. There are plans afoot to expand to five other cities as well: New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami and Las Vegas.

So what does all that have to do with electric waffle cone makers? Well, as anyone who's ever killed time wandering around a Williams-Sonoma knows, there's a whole bevy of miscellaneous kitchen gadgetry whose only conceivable market must be the modern engaged couple. Think about it: you've got to register-there are a hundred-odd people on your guest list, and if you don't give them some guidance, that's a hundred-odd chances for you to end up with, say, a hundred matching his-and-her Snuggies.

Continue reading FoodieRegistry.com Expands to New Cities

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]]>featuredfoodieregistrywedding registryJason BestTue, 08 Mar 2011 16:00:00 ESTBreast Milk Ice Cream: Would You Try It?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/24/breast-milk-ice-cream-would-you-try-it/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/24/breast-milk-ice-cream-would-you-try-it/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/24/breast-milk-ice-cream-would-you-try-it/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Icecreamists Ice Cream parlor in LondonPhoto: EverJean, Flickr

We weren't that crazy about the savory dessert craze -- bacon ice cream? no thanks -- but the Brits have a new idea for something tasty to end your meal: Breast-milk ice cream.

The Daily Mail reports that each helping of the frosty dessert is served in martini glass by costumed "Baby Gaga" waitresses at a shop called The Icecreamists, in London's Covent Garden, and we're sure the Baby Gaga itself, a combo of breast milk and Madagascan vanilla with lemon zest, will prove to be a winning formula. (At least when it comes to getting attention.)

Continue reading Breast Milk Ice Cream: Would You Try It?

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]]>breast milk ice creamBreastMilkIceCreamfeaturedBill SertlThu, 24 Feb 2011 15:00:00 ESTDitching College Cafeteria Trays Reduces Food -- And Poundshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/18/ditching-college-cafeteria-trays-reduces-food-and-pounds/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/18/ditching-college-cafeteria-trays-reduces-food-and-pounds/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/18/ditching-college-cafeteria-trays-reduces-food-and-pounds/#commentsFiled under: ,

school lunch traysPhoto: John E. Lester, Flickr


A portrait of Henry VIII hangs in the Tudor dining hall at Oxford's Christ Church College (a stand-in for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films, by the way), which the famously large King founded in 1532. We may never know why Henry had so many wives, but his obesity is almost surely the result of never having to get up from the dining table.

While university students don't have servants to feed them, they do have cafeteria trays, which allow them to pile on the pork as they proceed to pork up. But The Washington Post reports that Virginia Tech, whose new dining hall is filled with gourmet treats like Belgian waffles and brick-oven pizza, has now banned the enabling trays in an effort to cut down on the eyes-bigger-than-the-stomach syndrome.

The school says it's trying to stop food from being wasted, while other colleges in the Washington area (notably Georgetown and George Washington) cite environmental reasons-saving water, soap, electricity. But the side effect is weight -- students now have to get off their rears if they really want that second plate of tiramisù for dessert. And that can only be a good thing. Hopefully, no college co-ed will ever have to look in the mirror again to pose the heart-wrenching question: "Does this tray make my butt look big?"

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]]>cafeteria traysfeaturedFreshman15Bill SertlFri, 18 Feb 2011 15:00:00 ESTHome Food Delivery from TakeThemAMeal.comhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/16/home-food-delivery-from-takethemameal-com/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/16/home-food-delivery-from-takethemameal-com/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/16/home-food-delivery-from-takethemameal-com/#commentsFiled under:

lasagnaPhoto: cibomahto, Flickr


When a friend's daughter was hospitalized recently, offers to help the family poured in. "What can we do for you?" we all asked. "Can we bring you some food?" The offers were heartfelt, and the meals truly appreciated, but sometimes taking the phone calls and organizing the home food delivery was overwhelming for a family already overwhelmed with the health care of their child. Enter website TakeThemAMeal.com, which makes simple work of bringing food to those who need it.

Founded in 2007 by Adina Bailey and Scott Rogers, a pair of Virginians who designed the site amid a friend's health crisis, Take Them A Meal lets you easily provide a wish list for your loved one, a simple calendar where people can choose the dates they'll cook and deliver food (as well as list the dish they'll bring), and the address of and directions to the delivery location. One quick step allows the person administering the site to send emails to all who may be interested in participating.

Now, my friend has twice-weekly meals lined up for a couple of months, and she never had to pick up the phone. Wherever there's a need -- an elderly family member, a too-busy new mom, a noncooking college student, a family that's suffered a loss -- Take Them A Meal can help spread the love.

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]]>Featuredfood deliveryTakeThemAMeal.comSlashfood EditorWed, 16 Feb 2011 13:00:00 ESTUSDA Food Map Tells Us How We Eat Across the Countryhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/usda-food-map-tells-us-how-we-eat-across-the-country/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/usda-food-map-tells-us-how-we-eat-across-the-country/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/usda-food-map-tells-us-how-we-eat-across-the-country/#commentsFiled under: , ,

USDA food atlas mapsPhoto: USDA.gov/FoodAtlas


Last week the updated USDA food map was released, detailing our country's food environment by county -- who has better local food, more farmer's markets, better availability to grocery stores? What are people eating most per capita in each county? How much food assistance are we getting? And who goes out to restaurants more? It's all right here.

The updated tool is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative to end childhood obesity, reports the Washington Post. And it's a treasure chest of information. According to the map, Oakland County, Michigan, had 983 fast food restaurants in 2009, and 1,042 in 2010. In 2009, Minnesota's Hennepin county had 15 farmers markets -- and by 2010, they had 39. Impressive. That's more than San Diego, which lost 7 percent of its farmers markets over the same time. Washington Post contributor Jennifer LaRue Huget spent an hour on the site and found some interesting facts about Montgomery County, Maryland, where she was born. Among other statistics, she discovered that in 2006, residents there consumed 230 pounds of produce per capita at home and 320 in prepared foods.

You can search by state or see the entire country lit up in color-coded categories. And the data is seemingly endless -- you can investigate anything from how far households are from the nearest grocery store to how many stores accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Lose a very investigative hour of your own at USDA.gov.

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]]>Michelle ObamaSNAPusdaUSDA food mapJessie CacciolaFri, 28 Jan 2011 14:00:00 ESTThe Demy Recipe E-reader: A Clumsy Cook's New BFFhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/18/the-demy-recipe-ereader/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/18/the-demy-recipe-ereader/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/18/the-demy-recipe-ereader/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Demy e-reader on display at 2011 Consumer Electronics ShowPhoto: Libe Goad

Cookbooks and recipes have gone virtual, and while it's great to have that extra shelf space back, the digital age of cooking comes with a slew of new (and expensive) hazards. If you've ever taken your laptop or iPad into the kitchen, you know exactly what I'm talking about. One big oops!, and it's game over for what's most likely one of your most prized possessions.

That's where Key Ingredient's Demy digital recipe reader enters the picture. The $200 touch-screen tablet was on display at the recent Consumer Electonics Show in Las Vegas, and it's specifically designed to serve up your favorite internet recipes. Made with even the clumsiest cooks in mind, the 5x7 device has an extra-sturdy rubber base, and the sealed glass screen is completely spillproof, according to Key Ingredient President Wendy Jenkins. You can flip the Demy horizontally or vertically and the screen will reorient itself to the new position.

Keep reading and see a video demonstration of Demy after the jump.

Continue reading The Demy Recipe E-reader: A Clumsy Cook's New BFF

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]]>consumer electronics showNew Electronicsrecipe readerLibe GoadTue, 18 Jan 2011 13:00:00 ESTLuxury Spa Offers Chocolate Bath for Valentine's Dayhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/12/luxury-spa-offers-chocolate-bath-for-valentines-day/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/12/luxury-spa-offers-chocolate-bath-for-valentines-day/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/12/luxury-spa-offers-chocolate-bath-for-valentines-day/#commentsFiled under: ,

Auberge de Soleil hotel in NapaPhoto: Auberge du Soleil


The Christmas decorations are down and the New Year's Champagne bottles hauled to the recycling bin: it must be time to start planning for Valentine's Day! This year, why settle for a heart-shaped box of chocolates when you can literally bathe your sweetheart in milk chocolate?

And by literally, we mean literally.

Throughout the month of February, the ultra-luxe Auberge du Soleil hotel in Napa Valley will be offering what you might call the crème de la crème de cacao of romantic spa treatments. The decadent, multi-stage, chocolate-themed treatment for two begins with "a delectable cacao and grape seed exfoliation" and ends with a full-body massage using chocolate-and-spice massage oil, according to our sister site Luxist.

In between the exfoliation and the massage is the real coup: the smitten couple steals away to a private outdoor garden where (we kid you not), they slip into a milk chocolate bath for two "while indulging in dessert and specially paired wine." ("Dessert"? Aren't they already swimming in the stuff?)

Continue reading Luxury Spa Offers Chocolate Bath for Valentine's Day

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]]>chocolatespaspa treatmentsvalentines dayJason BestWed, 12 Jan 2011 13:00:00 ESTAppliances That Talk Back, Even to Jane Lynchhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/11/appliances-that-talk-back-even-to-jane-lynch/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/11/appliances-that-talk-back-even-to-jane-lynch/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/11/appliances-that-talk-back-even-to-jane-lynch/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

LG smart fridge from CES 2011Photo: Robyn Beck / Getty Images, AFP


"I smell awful; would U clean my crisper and wipe me down ASAP?" Are we ready for a refrigerator that tweets its most intimate thoughts? How about, "Does my butt look big since I gained 20 lbs.?" That's right, a bathroom scale with WiFi, so you can tweet to friends about life's ups and downs.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this year was all about smart technology in the home, reports CNN. And just to make sure everyone got the message, Jane Lynch, who plays Sue Sylvester on the hit Fox show, Glee, was hired as the LG spokesperson to sing the praises of its washing machines that send text messages ("R U trying to put me through the wringer?") and ovens that download recipes and can even teach you to cook ("Add a pinch of salt and whip it. Whip it good.") The new LG fridge even keeps tabs on how fresh your food is. (Shades of Lost in Space? "Danger, danger, Will Robinson. Spoiled milk on Shelf 2!")

Continue reading Appliances That Talk Back, Even to Jane Lynch

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]]>appliancesconsumer electronics showfeaturedjane lynchBill SertlTue, 11 Jan 2011 14:00:00 ESTTruffles Worth Dying For?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/10/truffles-worth-dying-for/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/10/truffles-worth-dying-for/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/10/truffles-worth-dying-for/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Photo: Claude Paris, FILE / AP Photo


How much is a black truffle worth? At $30 an ounce, a slim shaving can make decadent a dish as simple as scrambled eggs or plain old linguine. Right about now, a kilo of the fungi that looks like coal could soon land a muck-digger a cold 800 Euros at France's biggest market, Richerenches -- that's more than $1,000, twice what it was worth a decade ago. But word is that stocks are low and prices are inching ever higher. And to one Frenchman, a good truffle is worth a life.

Just before Christmas, farmer Laurent Rambaud was charged with shooting down a would-be truffle thief. "Black diamond" bandits are so often expected that one hunter sleeps with a rifle across his legs and another considered implanting GPS chips into his stock, reports the Global Post. The paper notes that climate affects truffle accessibility (ideal conditions call for light summer rains), as does construction, which "paves over rare hunting grounds." And "few young people take the time to learn the skills of unearthing truffles."

The trick is getting a good pig or canine to sniff out the goods from underneath oak trees as they mature from November to March, but it can take time to properly train your sniffers and longer to find the right oaks. And so goes high-class pick-pocketing. But, ye have been warned.

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]]>black trufflecrimefrancetrufflesJessie CacciolaMon, 10 Jan 2011 12:00:00 ESTYear of the Goat: The Universal High-Flavor, Low-Fat Meathttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/07/year-of-the-goat-the-universal-high-flavor-low-fat-meat/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/07/year-of-the-goat-the-universal-high-flavor-low-fat-meat/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/07/year-of-the-goat-the-universal-high-flavor-low-fat-meat/#commentsFiled under:

goat roll, shoulder, and wrapped in prosciuttoPhoto: avlxyz, Flickr


Goat meat, also known as chevon or cabrito, is prized all over Africa, India and the Middle East for its lean, low-cholesterol meat which breaks down like lamb and tastes like a cross between lamb, venison and beef -- with about half the fat. That's because, unlike most livestock, they won't overeat.

The Vancouver Sun, which predicts 2011 will be the year of the goat on our side of the Atlantic, spoke with Chef Nico Schuermans, who says it's very flavorful. "[Goats] don't eat a lot, like sheep, which is why it's hard to fatten them up," he told the paper. "It's been hard to find but butchers are looking for it. It's getting more and more popular in New York and Montreal but we'll get it sooner or later."

Would you (or have you) tried a bite of goat? We already hold their creamy cheese, or chèvre, high on the scale of decadent dairy, and if this week's episode of Chopped, where chef contestants found goat brains in their baskets, is any indication of its acceptance into mainstream America, we could find it in our butcher shops and staple dining menus sooner than we think.

But trust, we won't be the first ones after the offal. Goat can easily be swapped for any dishes that use lamb: in stews, curries or slow-roasted with herbs to eat off the bone or slice into tacos.

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]]>goatgoat meatGoatMeatLow-cholesterolMealsJessie CacciolaFri, 07 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST2010 Recap: Wine Trendshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/02/2010-recap-wine-trends/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/02/2010-recap-wine-trends/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/02/2010-recap-wine-trends/#commentsFiled under: ,

tetra pak boxed winesPhoto: niallkennedy, Flickr


How did 2010 stack up in terms of wine? Despite the economic recession, winemakers, wineries and wine bars came up with more than a few innovations -- making sure we keep our consumption up and our interest high. Here, our picks for notable wine trends.

1. Improvement in the quality of box wines
It used to be that boxed wines were just that -- boxed wines. End of story. Now, however, we are seeing wineries that formerly bottled only in glass switching to Tetra Pak. One such example is Big House Red and Big House White, both from California. [See our post "Boxed Wines for the Holidays."]

Packaging in a box is also an eco-friendly move for many reasons, including that the wine lasts up to 3-4 weeks (as opposed to 3-4 days in the bottle) and it costs less to ship paper than it does glass (bringing the cost savings to you). Some steller examples of vino-in-a-box include Black Box Wines (Wine Spectator gave the Chardonnay 87 points) and Bota Box Old Vine Zinfandel earned 95 points and a gold medal at this year's California State Fair.

2. Innovative bottle enclosures
R. Stuart & Co., a winery in Oregon, is one of the few wineries that has gone crystal. What, you say? Basically, no cork and no synthetic cork either. Instead, a crystal stopper, much like the ones used for cooking oils, is snug inside the bottle. Classy.

3. Upmarketing from some wine labels
Now before you flash back into your college years where you probably drank a lot of Yellow Tail, Alice White and Gallo (in a jug), hear us out. The famed budget label from the Casella family in Australia (we're talking about Yellow Tail) unveiled a reserve line this year. It costs a few bucks more but it's worth it. We tried the Shiraz and liked it. Due to increasing economic concerns on behalf of consumers -- coupled with more and more sophisticated palates -- it is very likely that we will see more budget wineries going upper-end with a few of their wines.

Continue reading 2010 Recap: Wine Trends

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]]>winewine trendsKristine HansenSun, 02 Jan 2011 11:30:00 ESTExtreme Couponing, or Do You Need 1,000 Boxes of Cereal?http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/30/extreme-couponing-or-do-you-need-1-000-boxes-of-cereal/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/30/extreme-couponing-or-do-you-need-1-000-boxes-of-cereal/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/30/extreme-couponing-or-do-you-need-1-000-boxes-of-cereal/#commentsFiled under: ,

extreme couponingPhoto: sdc2007, Flickr


At first glance, it hardly seems like Joanie Dener, an attractive, 27-year-old suburban mom from California belongs among the likes of those who populate cable TV's 24-hour freak-fest of bizarre human behavior (animal hoarders, toddlers in tiaras, Snooki, etc.).

Then you see her rifling through a dumpster searching for, of all things, coupons...with her toddler in tow.

Welcome to the world of Extreme Couponing, which debuted last night on Discovery's TLC channel. In the premiere episode, just as you're trying to wrap your mind around not only the fact that "coupon" can be a verb, a bona fide activity, but that it can be "extreme" (on par with heli-skiing and class V whitewater kayaking?), here comes a view of Dener in her garage, which looks kind of like a family-sized version of Costco.

"I could basically stop grocery shopping and be fine for a year," she says with the same sort of self-satisfied domestic pride with which Martha Stewart might finish off the perfect apple tart.

The fact that Dener's "hobby" ("addiction"?) leads her to collect 500 coupons a week makes it seem unlikely that she'll really stop shopping anytime soon, which of course begs the question: Are you really "saving" any money when you buy more toilet paper than you could ever use in a lifetime? And do you really feel safe by the fact that, like another couponer, Nathan, you have more than a thousand boxes of cereal that is so packed with preservatives that it won't give you food poisoning by the time you use it?

Continue reading Extreme Couponing, or Do You Need 1,000 Boxes of Cereal?

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]]>couponsExtreme CouponingtlcJason BestThu, 30 Dec 2010 13:00:00 ESTAged Cocktails and the "It" Pig: The New York Times In 60 Secondshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/29/aged-cocktails-and-the-it-pig-the-new-york-times-in-60-second/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/29/aged-cocktails-and-the-it-pig-the-new-york-times-in-60-second/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/29/aged-cocktails-and-the-it-pig-the-new-york-times-in-60-second/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Photo: vovchychko, Flickr


  • Believe it or not, it's still possible to make New Year's Eve reservations in Manhattan. You just have to know where to go.
  • Speaking of dining out, were you wondering which of 2010's fine restaurants were a cut above? Wonder no more.
  • Lots of great casual restaurants opened this year, too.
  • Orwell called it: Some animals are more equal than others -- especially pigs. Meet the Mangalitsa!
  • Barrel-aged cocktails? Say what? "Shaken, not stirred -- and aged for six weeks."

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]]>aged cocktailsmanhattan restaurantsnew years evepig breedsNaomi ShulmanWed, 29 Dec 2010 11:00:00 ESTA Man Canning, and Other Food Trends for 2011http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/28/a-man-canning-and-other-food-trends-for-2011/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/28/a-man-canning-and-other-food-trends-for-2011/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/28/a-man-canning-and-other-food-trends-for-2011/#commentsFiled under: ,

Photo: MCT


It looks like horny Baby Boomers and unemployed men with time on their hands will be leading the pack next year when it comes to the "most significant food trends that will drive how people eat throughout 2011." Here they are, in a report from the Food Channel (not to be confused with Food Network) compiled with the cooperation of Culture Waves (a data-collection group), Mintel International (market research firm), and Food Futurists (genetically modified foodies?).

Oh, we thought we'd weigh in, too.

1. The canning comeback. "Something grandma did is gaining popularity for both economy and health."

Hmm. Many Baby Boomers are grandparents now, so whatever Grandma was putting up back in the Sixties was probably a controlled substance.

2. More men cooking because of layoffs.

Good news for women. Sounds like they'll be keeping their jobs.

3. People wanting to get food grown locally.

HONK! Reject: This trend started about 10 years ago. (Please do not replace with "farm-to-table eating will be the next big thing.")

4. Americans are tired of being told what they can eat.

True. But we can't get enough of being told what we will eat.

5. Social media working as a food guide and coupon source.

The Social Network meets the Penny Saver

Continue reading A Man Canning, and Other Food Trends for 2011

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]]>food channelfood trends 2011Bill SertlTue, 28 Dec 2010 16:00:00 ESTRobots Replace Waiters in Chinahttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/22/robots-replace-waiters-in-china/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/22/robots-replace-waiters-in-china/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/22/robots-replace-waiters-in-china/#commentsFiled under: , ,

China's robot waiter restuarantPhoto: AP Photo

Are we entering the age when the first words we'll hear when we dine out are, "Hello, I'm Anne Droid, and I'll be your waiter"? Could be. A new technology may soon marginalize the need for humans in the restaurant industry. Earlier this month we reported on a questionable robotic butcher in Japan, and now there are robotic waiters in China taking orders with no need for a tip, reports the Associated Press.

We'd like to second Saturday Night Live 'Weekend Update' correspondent Seth Meyers from last Saturday -- "Because that's what the Chinese should be working on, ways to make their ten-trillion people unnecessary." -- and add that every rising actor, writer, artist and second-job-er in America would appreciate if those little electronic workers stayed right where they are.

According to the AP, "More than a dozen robots operate in the restaurant" -- Dalu Robot, billed as the first robot-staffed eatery in the country -- "as entertainers, servers, greeters and receptionists. Each robot has a motion sensor that tells it to stop when someone is in its path so customers can reach for dishes they want."

First-time patron Li Xiaomei told the AP: "They have a better service attitude than humans," who can be "temperamental or impatient, but they don't feel tired, they just keep working and moving round and round the restaurant all night." That may be true, but there's no chip for witty comebacks to the customers. Or flirting back. Not that we do that sort of thing.

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]]>chinafeaturedrestaurantsrobotservicewaiterJessie CacciolaWed, 22 Dec 2010 13:00:00 ESTThe Candy Store, San Francisco — Ask a Shopkeeperhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/15/the-candy-store-san-francisco-ask-a-shopkeeper/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/15/the-candy-store-san-francisco-ask-a-shopkeeper/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/15/the-candy-store-san-francisco-ask-a-shopkeeper/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Candy StorePhoto: The Candy Store


Diane Campbell wore many hats before donning the metaphorical purple stovepipe to become the Willy Wonka of San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood: She was a cook, a fundraiser, and a marketer for a dot-com, among other things. Her passion, however, has always been candy. As a little girl growing up on Long Island, she used to buy big sacks of the sweet stuff from the supermarket, carry her haul home on her bike, and repackage the candy into goodie bags for her family and friends. She turned this lifelong love of candy into a career five years ago when she and her husband opened what has since become the city's premier sweet shop, known simply as The Candy Store.

Read more about Diane and The Candy Store after the jump...

Continue reading The Candy Store, San Francisco — Ask a Shopkeeper

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]]>candycaramelssan franciscothe candy storeChris DudleyWed, 15 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST2010 Food Trends We're Overhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/10/2010-food-trends-were-over/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/10/2010-food-trends-were-over/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/10/2010-food-trends-were-over/#commentsFiled under:

cupcakes food trends 2010Photo: averagebetty, Flickr

Our friends over at Food2 pretty much summed up what the Slashfood editors are feeling: There are five food trends from 2010 that we are SO over. The tiny cakes above are just one of the things that make us weary. Vote in Food2's the poll and let them know if you agree.

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]]>2010 trends2010Trendsfood trendsFoodTrendsSlashfood EditorFri, 10 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST