Categories
bar/drinking chinese

The Cottage – Free Unlimited Wine

I was thinking of chugging a Four Loco before seeing The Social Network, but instead Yasmin and I went to The Cottage for bad Chinese food and free unlimited cheap wine. The food actually ain’t that bad. The restaurant just looks fancy for what the food is. The House Duck dish ($11.25) was okay. The Singapore (Mei Fun) Rice Noodles ($6.95) was fine after some spicy chili sauce. The free wine can get you buzzed.

This the second time I’ve been here. I’m thinking it’s best to stick to a Chinese noodle. Affordable sit-down restaurant near Union Square with unlimited free wine was much wiser than chugging a Four Loco.

The Cottage – 33 Irving Pl (@ 16th St) New York 10003

Categories
bar/drinking concert/event

Chocolate & I, New York – Food For Art. Art for Thought.

Last night, I was invited to the press party for the week-long Chocolate & I, New York event presented by Migration of Senses. I lured by the promise of drinks and I get to eat chocolate? Well there were no chocolates for me to eat, no vender booths that I expected. There was an art exhibit.

And here I was a little confused. Some art made sense as far as food goes, like the candy dot paintings and the chocolate dripping piece. Some didn’t, like the LED wind blowing lights and the digital shadows that poked each other. They were all interesting and pretty cool, but I didn’t know what it had to do this food blogger. So I got my hands on some Tanteo chocolate-infused tequila and Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout, then proceeded to pet a music-playing box to calm it down. I spoke with the artist, Elim Cheng, about it and asked what it had to do with chocolate. She said it had to do with the feeling of what chocolate does to you. In this case, comforts you. In that moment, I think I got it. It could have been tequila though.

As for the drinks, the tequila and beer did have a chocolate taste to them. However it was more reminiscent of chocolate scratch n sniff –a faux chocolate taste. They were decent drinks. But since texture is such a big factor in what chocolate is to me, I missed it here.

There are different themed chocolate tastings each night this week, ranging from $25-65.  All sound intriguing. I wish I could have witness one of them. The art exhibition is free to view.

Check the Chocolate & I, New York website for more info and schedule of events.

Categories
Uncategorized

The Pepsi Refresh Project

Today Pepsi is launching the Pepsi Refresh Project, where they’re giving away up to $1.3 million monthly to fund projects with a positive impact on communities. You submit the ideas, you vote, you join on Facebook. It reminds me of the Chase Community Giving program going around Facebook as well. This concept of social network marketing meets corporate sponsorship of charities is interesting. Think about how you get free content on your favorite sites like Gizmodo or Hulu and only in return, you just have to give up some attention to sponsoring ads. Here you sit through advertisement (in this case, being constantly reminded of Pepsi or Chase) and you can do something good in the world. That’s a trade-off well worth my attention.

The Pepsi Refresh Project – Main site & Facebook

Categories
food battle

Pepsi Throwback vs Mexican Pepsi

I got curious after writing my last post, that I ran to the Mexican grocery in my neighborhood to picked up a Mexican Pepsi in what looks like an old recycled glass bottle (with scratch marks). It was next to the Mexican Coca-Cola and Fanta, all in recycled bottles as well. Also picked up one of those new Pepsi Throwbacks (the new retro-looking soda highlighting its use of real sugar) at another bodega.

Generally these Mexican sodas have real sugar in them. I’m not sure if some bottlers have switched to high-fructose corn syrup because of this lawsuit (Pepsi sues distributor for selling the Mexican version in the US), but there was a sticker label attached to the bottle possibly because of it. The label said it contains High-fructose corn syrup and/or Sucrose.

Comparing the Mexican Pepsi and Pepsi Throwback:
– They tasted very very similar, which leads me to believe this particular Mexican Pepsi has real sugar. If there’s a difference in flavor, it could be based on factors such as what stayed cooler (in the plastic or glass container), which stayed carbonated longer (with twist or pop off tops), and what I tasted first. It was almost psychological if I thought one tasted different.
– Both really sweet. Much sweeter than regular sodas I’m used to. Does that make it taste better? I guess so? It’s a different type of sweet. Like Russ said, “It taste like a Slurpee.”
– I didn’t know if I should be drinking out of the Mexican Pepsi bottle. How old is it? Who’s mouth has been on it?
– The Mexican Pepsi is more retro-cool. Being in an old bottle makes it more retro. And not trying to be retro, makes it more cool.

It’s a good thing Pepsi is bringing real sugar back to the U.S. It gives people the opportunity to taste what it used to be like or what it is like south of the border. I suppose you can debate the health benefits of sugar over HFCS. But I suppose you can debate the health benefits of not drinking soda at all.

Categories
bar/drinking concert/event

Global Kitchen: Beer with Garrett Oliver

Last night I got to attend one of the educational series at the American Museum of Natural History …about beer! It was a lecture by Brooklyn Brewery’s brewmaster, Garrett Oliver. Very informative, but started off pretty boring …maybe because I kept staring at the beer on the table next to him. It wasn’t until he started talking about opening your eyes to the Matrix of life in the supermarket that things started to get interested. He comments on how food and beer at some point years ago started to become less real. Like how cheese slices have become not real cheese and supermarket bread is not real bread and how American beer (once great in pre-prohibition) turned into stuff that was less like beer. For me, I always thought Buds and PBRs were more beer and the expensive stuff was too much flavor for me. Maybe that’s why I’m liking seltzer water a lot lately. I get those Canada Drys free at work. I feel like I’m cracking one open in the office. Well Garrett gets rolling and I’m well entertained, especially during the tastings of four special Brooklyn Brewery beers, one which is really rare (something like only 20 cases made). It doesn’t even have a label. They were at 9% alcohol content and pretty tasty. I feel like I’m learning to appreciate the good life lately. Thanks Antonia for hooking me up here.

Garrett Oliver has a new book out, The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food.
And the next in the Natural History series of food/drinks, Global Kitchen: The Magic of Pickling is Tuesday October 13, 2009.

01 Brooklyn Brewery Special Brews02 Tonight's Beers Program

Categories
bar/drinking

Patrón on Ice

I’ve been listening to too much T.I. and Flo Rida…

Brad: What’re you guys doing tonight?
Me: Getting some Patrón and putting it on ice
Brad: Tequila party at Jessica’s is on!

Dang. Patrón goes down smooth. Next thing you know, you’re playing bongos to Led Zeppelin, playing in the rain with our roommate’s bubble boy umbrella, and getting battle scars by hitting your head on the toilet. Shit. I gotta delete T.I. from my Zune …not setting a good example.

Categories
bar/drinking

Chaotic Energy Drinks

Alright. This post is getting into the nerdy, but from what I understand there are kids (and adults) that are into this card game/cartoon/upcoming video game. We had a tasting of the Chaotic energy drinks, which are only sold in Canada as of now. There is a code under each tab that can be used with the online card game. I guess first one to try the one pictured gets a freebie.

Each drink is enriched with different vitamins, minerals, and stuff. It doesn’t really say, but I’m assuming you have Chaor’s Power Pulse for power and energy, Maxxor’s Elixir of Tenacity for strength and stamina, Rath’tab’s Mind Strike for focus and mental clarity, Lord Van Bloot’s Fearocity for… intense fear? …It’s green and taste like grass. The yellow one is drinkable. I wonder if it’s a good idea to give kids energy drinks, although it does say the recommended dose is one can a day. Now that’s Chaotic.

Categories
bar/drinking

Shamrock Guinness

Somehow they got the Shamrock embedded into Rebecca’s beer. That’s pretty cool.
…now where are the Shamrock Shakes, MickyD’s?
shamrock-guinness