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Herradura Tequila Makes a Bold Claim

Herradura Tequila has been around on the market since 1964, and today the company claims to be the largest holder of barrels in all of Mexico and one of the leading marketers of aged tequilas in the world. The company has five different brands of tequila, ranging from the Herradura Silver (aged for 40 days and perfect for margaritas), up to the Herradura Hacienda del Cristero (pure blanco and exceptionally smooth).

The top of the range is the Herradura Seleccion Suprema, deep amber in color, and aged in French Oak for four years, a highly complex tequila that the producers claim is the best of the world. Supporters of Don Julio Tequila might have something to say about that, but a recent tasting confirmed its quality to this writer.

It remains the only tequila to be 100% Estate bottled, and also the only tequila allowed putting “natural” on the label.

A recent effort to expand their presence in the USA market has seen the brand selling for about $13 a shot in the hot tequila bars of Hollywood.

link:  Herradura Tequila website 

July 27, 2006 in Spirits | Permalink | Comments (0)

See the Beauty of Honey Highlighted by BeeRaw

BeeRaw packages a line of artisinal honeys in a collection of clear vials to show off the color range of different honey varietals.  Founder, Anne Becker, first started Bee Raw simply because she thought the transluscent coloring was so beautiful.  Today, her company is committed to suppporting the community of small scale beekeepers in the United States who are passionate about artisanal honey.

The four pack gift set of honey varietals include orange blossom, raspberry, blueberry and cranberry.  Individual honeys are also available in 8 oz. bottles.

BeeRaw Varietal Honey Gift Set  |  $45 for 4 vials - $78 for 9 vials

[via Bon Appetit, August 2006] 

July 20, 2006 in A Food & Wine Gift Guide | Permalink | Comments (0)

Frank Gehry Designs His Smallest Project - A Food Stand

Frank Gehry's architecture studio is located in a quietly growing creative industrial area in Playa del Rey, California.  Needless to say, as with most developing industrial districts, there's a lack of eating places.  So attached to his 43,000 square foot studio, Frank Gehry designed a small food stand named Delicious as a place for his people and his creative neighbors to mix and mingle.  The menu was created by his longtime caterer, Lisa Fields, who makes the food offsite in her catering kitchen and transports it in.  Open just a few weeks, time will tell what kind of collaborations spring forth from the mash-up of neighbors that include special effects house, Rhythm & Hues, and ad agency giant, TBWA/Chiat/Day.

See the menu at www.delicious1.com.

Related:  The Tiny Food Stand That Could Change the World

See entire Gehry Delicious photo set at Flickr. 

July 17, 2006 in Restaurant News | Permalink | Comments (4)

Suspend Your Dinner Guests 150 Feet in the Air

So you've been invited to dinner, and when you get there, you're led to a dining table elegantly set for 22.  The host asks you to step into your seat and begins strapping you in like a race car driver.  You look around and realize that this dining table with a beautiful clear canopy over it has wires attached to it that's attached to a giant crane parked nearby.  Your heart races and you wonder what the heck is going on?!!  

It's Dinner in the Sky!  A new concept in Belgium started as an unique (and hairraising) dining event for those event planners who want their guests to have a truly memorable experience.

Belgian Dinner in the Sky offers event organizers a new way to make their event highly memorable: a table, with 22 seated guests, is suspended from a crane. The specially built table is surrounded by chairs of the type usually found on roller coasters, with four-point seat belts. Hoisted 50 meters (164 feet) above ground, safety is a reasonable concern.

Safely buckled up and floating mid-air, guests can enjoy a meal or meeting, with three chefs, waiters, presenters and/or entertainers standing in an open area in the centre of the table. One of the company's first events (pictured above) was a dinner for 22 chefs, hosted by San Pellegrino.

Table, crane, logistic and security staff are available for EUR 7900 for an eight hour session, which can be organized anywhere a large crane can be placed.

Could be that a sidewalk cafe is just enough open air for you?  At least the bathroom is closer.

via [Springwise]

July 14, 2006 in Parties & Entertaining | Permalink | Comments (2)

French Oak Wine Barrel Tray

Serve your fruit and cheese on a piece of French oak wine barrel recycled from the production of California wines.

$130 at Dean & Deluca 

July 11, 2006 in Parties & Entertaining | Permalink | Comments (0)

Redcliff Liqueur Makes a Stand for the Americans

There is a new liqueur on the block and looking to make a name for itself in the watering holes of America. Redcliff claims to be America’s “first premium liqueur”, and since it is predominately cola based, with a touch of vanilla and about 15 secret spices, that is not an unreasonable claim. Redcliff joins such other national treasures like Baileys Irish Cream (Ireland), Amaretto, Limoncello (Italy), Kahlua (Mexico) and Pimms (England) as the flagship liqueur of a country. It is 65 proof (32.5% Alc/Vol) and is particularly potent when served with equal parts of rum, bourbon, coffee liqueur, amaretto and flavored vodkas.

Site:  Redcliff Liquor

Coming in an attractive 750ml bottle (with other sizes to follow), that is shaped like an elliptically shaped cowboy saddlebag flask with petroglyph glass embossing with a southwestern style label by Colorado artist Stephen Reaves, Redcliff is the brainchild of former Seagram’s executive Franklin J.Arcella.

The complex and rich tasting liqueur can be served straight, chilled or on the rocks, with any kind of juice, Red Bull or Club Soda, and with any combination/percentage you choose. I tried it with a Kiwi juice and ice in parts 5 to 1 for juice, and found it a refreshing combination with just the right kind of punch. Mixologists will love Redcliff, although individuals trying it for the first time should sip a small amount in a glass by itself to get familiar with the spices, and then move on to whatever combination of spirits/juices to add.

Signature cocktails are likely to become familiar names in the not too distant future starting with Double Red Slammer (w/ Red Bull), Jagged Cliff (w/ Jagermeister), Kona Cliff (w/ coffee liqueur), and Doctor Cliff (w/ cherry flavored schnapps). The Redcliff Martini comes with citrus vodka, and the Redcliff All American comes all the way with whiskey bourbon.

July 10, 2006 in Spirits | Permalink | Comments (1)

Is there a dessert-only restaurant coming to your neighborhood?

Global new business spotting website, Springwise, reported recently on the opening of a second New York dessert restaurant, Chikalicious.  After spotting Room 4 Dessert in New York, and Espai Sucre in Barcelona previously, Springwise wonders if a third opening signals a growing trend.  Certainly, Chikalicious owners, Don and Chika Tillman, point out the rationale, "We wanted to create a place that would allow you to go have noodles across the street and then come here for a very nominal price to have a wonderfully treated dessert."

At $12 for a three-course dessert menu, they just might have a captured audience.  Who's up for a burger and a four-star dessert?

[via Springwise] 

July 7, 2006 in Restaurant News | Permalink | Comments (2)

Oenophiles... This one's for you

Unlike most traditional wine tours that come with the requisite showing of a temperature controlled barrel of a 95’ Cab—Cindy Newkirk of the Wine Yard takes it a step further, walking you through a step-by-step journey from an empty plot of land to a fruit-laden vineyard.

The vineyard has been in Cindy’s family for over a hundred years and she is steeped in wine culture. From the intricacies of pruning to pesticides Cindy is a wellspring of knowledge and explains things easily without relying on too much wine jargon. After the in-depth lesson on root stock, soil ripping and plotting Cindy takes you on a tractor-tour through the Steinbeck vineyard (no relation to the famous Steinbecks), and points out the differences in plots and plucks varietals for you to taste.

Located half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the WineYard is in Paso Robles—known as “Paso” to the locals—and it is an ideal spot for those craving an intimate wine tasting experience.

Paso, and nearby San Luis Obispo are both burgeoning cities with plenty to do and see. In addition to wine tasting (pasowine.com) and vineyard touring you can visit Hearst Castle, take long walks on the beach and if the season is right (from October through February) you can see the migrating Monarch butterflies at Pismo Beach.

July 6, 2006 in All Things Wine, Education, Food & Wine Country Travel | Permalink | Comments (0)