Eats.com - Foodie News Archive

Foodie News Archive

Here are the Archived entries for 8 2008

(7 votes)

Want to spot some celebrities as you dine? Your best bet is to head to a restaurant that’s owned by one. Located mostly in celeb meccas like Hollywood and New York City, these hotspots draw patrons based on the quality of the people-watching as well as the food.

Ago

8478 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood

Cuisine: Italian

Owner: Robert De Niro (left), Christopher Walken, Ridley Scott, Harvey & Bob Weinstein (Miramax)

This upscale Italian trattoria is named after head chef Agostino Sciandri. The restaurant is reminiscent of an Italian villa, complete with cypress and olive trees and terra cotta floors. Recent celeb sightings at Ago include Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Carrey.

Beso

6350 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

Cuisine: Latin fusion

Owner: Eva Longoria

Beso is conveniently located on the Walk of Fame, so naturally, it’s a celeb magnet. Many of Eva Longoria’s Desperate Housewives co-stars, including Felicity Huffman, Kyle MacLachlan and Nicolette Sheridan attended the opening. As if that weren’t enough, celebrity chef Todd English is in charge of the kitchen.

Experimental Carnivorism

(5 votes)

Steak, chicken, fish and pork may be great, but sometimes it’s worth exploring what else is out there. Taste at your own risk…

Llama tastes like a mix between beef and lamb, but slightly closer to beef. It is often described as a lighter, sweeter beef.

Yak (top photo) is a sweet red meat that’s not game-y. It is low fat and low cholesterol.

Kangaroo is often consumed by indigenous Australians but is exported to 55 countries. It is high in protein, low in fat and best served medium rare to rare.

Opossum used to be a popular game meat and is still eaten in the Caribbean a bit. It is usually smoked, then stewed.

Nutria (bottom photo), an invasive rodent somewhat popular in Louisiana, though it has yet to catch on for mainstream consumption.

Bear tastes dark and stringy, like a tough cut of beef. Not sure you should use this recipe though.

Rattlesnake is light and chewy, with a delicate flavor that resembles chicken.

For more information, or to order some of the above meats, visit ExoticMeat.com.

Connected Cravings: Popcorn at the Movies

(9 votes)

Ever wonder how peanut butter and jelly came to be? Or why we eat fruitcake on Christmas? Here in America, we’re so obsessed with food that we’ll associate it with anything, from an event or an activity to another food. If you’ve ever pondered why we eat certain foods in certain settings or contexts, or why we eat one food with another, the mystery is over. Each week in Connected Cravings, we’ll pick an everyday event or activity that’s synonymous with a particular food and delve into the intricacies of how the pairing came to be.

It’s that heady, salty smell that hits you right when you walk in. That oily substance that coats everything you touch. That incessant crunch punctuating the silent theater. It’s as essential to movie going as the film itself. We’re talking about popcorn, of course.

Believe it or not, there was a time when theater owners refused to sell popcorn, believing it was too messy. There’s a good chance they’re right, if the number of kernels lodged in the soles of patrons’ shoes is any indication. If that’s the case, though, how did this messy, noisy snack become so ubiquitous in theaters across the country?

In the early part of the twentieth century, popcorn was typically sold by street vendors. Because movie theaters drew steady crowds, popcorn vendors would often station themselves outside to sell popcorn to people on their way in. Theater owners, however, became frustrated with people leaving in the middle of the movie to buy popcorn, and many installed their own electric popcorn machines (an invention perfected by Charles Manley in 1925). Those who installed popcorn machines quickly saw their profits skyrocket, and many of those who didn’t went out of business. The late Samuel Rubin, better known as “Sam the Popcorn Man,” is remembered as the first theater owner to begin selling popcorn.

Throughout the Great Depression, popcorn sales actually increased due to the presence of the snack in movie theaters. Movies were the only form of entertainment that most families could afford, and a bag of popcorn cost only a nickel, making it a cheap treat that appealed to both children and adults. Some theater owners even lowered the price of tickets and saw their profit margins increase based on popcorn sales.

This trend would continue throughout the first half of the century. By the 1950’s, theater owners were making more money off popcorn than off the movies themselves. Today, less than half of movie theater profits come from films, with snack sales accounting for the bulk of the money. Because theater owners get to keep 100% of the profits made from popcorn and other treats (they must split the money made from ticket sales with filmmakers), the relationship between popcorn and movies appears to be a match made in butter-scented heaven.

Also check out last week's edition of Connected Cravings.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.moviestheaterdownloads.com and http://www.gourmetvendor.com.

-Elise Stern

Cows: 1, Corporate America: 0

(6 votes)

For once, it appears that “the man” is listening.

Monsanto Dairy Company was, for years, an ardent ally of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), a growth hormone given to cows to increase milk production. Sold under the brand name Posilac, the hormone had fallen out of favor among grocery store chains like Kroger, Wal-Mart, Publix and Safeway, all of whom cited consumer concerns over whether or not treated milk was safe. Still, Posilac earned FDA approval, and Monsanto took pains to assure the public that treated milk was the same as untreated.

But Monsanto’s stubbornness did not pay off. Despite their efforts, organic foods are trendier. Whole Foods branches continue to open throughout the country. The word “locavore” is making its way from the pop lexicon to the dictionary. And now, Monsanto has announced that they are ridding themselves of the Posilac brand, passing it off to Eli Lilly for a cool $300 million.

Why the sudden leap onto the bandwagon? Monsanto claims that it sold the Posilac brand in order to focus its efforts on its seed business, not because it wants to distance itself from the increasingly

taboo practice of treating cows with growth hormones. However, the decision to sell the Posilac name comes in the wake of a failed campaign by Monsanto to make it illegal for farmers who do not treat cows with rBST to advertise that fact.

Outwardly, it might appear that Monsanto is indeed listening to the public concern over hormone-treated dairy products. Still, that failed campaign is awfully suspect. Could it be that Monsanto doesn’t care what kind of milk we feed ourselves and our families, as long as they don’t go down with the ship if it ever appears that hormones like rBST really are harmful to humans, not to mention the cows?

Maybe, but despite all the whispering throughout the food blogosphere, none of us are going to get inside the heads of Monsanto officials. We may never find out if they know something we don’t about the safety of rBST. Still, humans were consuming untreated dairy products long before growth hormones came on the scene, and we’ve made it this far. If you suspect that consuming hormone-treated milk might not be the best decision, Monsanto just proved that you’re in good company.

Photos courtesy of http://www.gianteagle.com and http://alliesanswers.com. Giant Eagle milk is not treated with hormones.

-Elise Stern

<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next > End >>

Results 1 - 5 of 27

24 Hours
BYOB
Brunch Scene
Cheap Eats
Date Place
Delivery
Early Bird Special
Family Oriented
Fine Dining
Hip Bar Scene
Kid Friendly
Late Night
Live Music
Local Gem
Menu Available
Notable Chef
Online Ordering
Outdoor Seating
Perfect For Parties
Pet Friendly
Special Occasion Spot
Specialty Drinks
Take-Out
Tasty Dessert
Trendy

Username Password
Lost Password? No account yet? Register

Foodie News Archives