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Posts from the ‘Corporate Culture’ Category

Aug 16

Meat, Spice, Fire

If you barbecue Every summer I complain about the barrage of grilling-themed food magazines that land in my mailbox. So useless, I don’t have a yard. I’m in the minority, however. Lawry’s “What's Your Flavor" survey found that barbecuing outdoors is Americans’ favorite cooking method and that 63% do so all year round.

Maybe I’m just unhappy because according to additional Lawry's findings, I’m a spicy food-lover, a so-called “Self-Assured Adventurer,” when the happiest cohort, “Joyous Joiners,” prefers tart flavors.

I love it when companies get all targeted with their food marketing. Lawry's has two special sections on their site: Food For the Soul and Cocina Latina. Steak with chimichurri sauce (if there's any population that grills more than the US, it's Argentines) doesn't sound half bad, though I don' t know that I'd describe it as having "Latin flare."

Also, Fisher wants you to take a quiz to see what kind of nut you are. I'm not crazy about being a walnut.

Image from Embroidery by Jean

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Jul 27

The Bee’s Knees

Bonefish I didn't sense a large chain restaurant presence at Tales of the Cocktail. In fact, the only one that seemed to participating in any of the programs was Bonefish Grill. Fortuitous, because they are one of my favorites.

"Bonefish Grill’s Search for the Best Cocktail Featuring a New Spirit" wasn't really for the public (I did poke my head in) or for the average bartender (I just can't say mixologist). The competition was for liquor brands that had been launched within the past year to come up with a cocktail to be featured on Bonefish's menu.

And that's the twisted thing about my relationship to Bonefish Grill. Highly suburban, the seafood chain (whose nearest location, Secaucus, is eight miles from my apartment—I prefer to drive the 17 miles to Iselin) "invites guests to enjoy a 'big city bar' in their own backyards."

Yet, I live a short subway ride away from Manhattan's cocktail heavy hitters like this year's best cocktail bar in the country, Death & Co., and walking distance to Clover Club (also a nominee). There is no shortage of $12+ beverages using herbs, tinctures and homemade bitters in my environs.

The weekend before last, I took advantage of my free Bang Bang Shrimp birthday gift card in East Brunswick and was looking forward to some of their oddly priced $6.90 cocktails. I wouldn't necessarily call a list of martinis, all but one of the 12 sweet and/or fruity, "big city," though. Second-tier city?

I do see what they're going for. My Bee's Knees Martini was flavored with honey and lemon juice and garnished with a basil leaf. They'd only need to lose the martini glass and swap gin for the vodka to get something more appropriately old-timey and historic. But of course, fedoras, moustaches and suspenders aren't exactly de rigueur in Witchita or Boise (at least I hope not). Bonefish states that they are "blending our country's rich cocktail history with inventive, modern twists." They know their audience.

Square One Botanical Spirit, a vodka made from organic American rye and infused with "pear, rose, chamomile, lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, coriander and citrus peel," won their sponsored contest. The winning cocktail, however, wasn't announced. I'd love to know what it is and I'd order one even though it will likely be sweet and fruity.

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Jul 10

Smooth Operators


Strawbanana McDonald’s has been marketing to minorities, figuring out their tastes and preferences. All well and good, but what does this vague statement mean?

“The fruit combinations in McDonald's latest smoothies, for instance, reflect taste preferences in minority communities.”

As long as they don’t mean strawberry-banana, the foulest ‘80s yogurt flavor combo ever, I’m ok with this.

Update: Oh hell, I was just kidding, but yes, strawberry-banana is, indeed, one of the new smoothie flavors. Would this be the handiwork of blacks, Asians or Latinos?

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Jul 3

Using Your Noodle

Pasta logos It's hard to imagine a time, oh say, six years ago, when bread baskets were shunned and New Yorkers were eating scrambled egg whites on scooped bagels (oh right, they're still doing that).

Three is a trend, and it looks like carbs are coming back in a big way. (I’m much preferring the proliferation of country western bars: Branded Saloon, Viva El Toro and Lady Jay’s.) By the end of July, Manhattan will be home to three pasta bar chains: homegrown Hello Pasta, German Vapiano and French Nooi. It's a Small World of noodles. Is there really such a pent up demand for pasta lunches?

Then again, why not pasta? Salad bars are ancient history. I was alive enough in the '80s to have witnessed the mania first hand. And when my middle school got a baked potato bar? I knew I'd arrived when all the sour cream, grated cheese and imitation bacon bits you could cram onto one spud was deemed a healthy lunch.

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Jun 29

Made in China

Eating-paste Americans are all upset that our McNuggets are less healthy than Britain’s and contain “tBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, a petroleum-based product” and “dimethylpolysiloxane, ‘an anti-foaming agent’ also used in Silly Putty.”

Meanwhile, in China they’re adding donkey hide glue to almonds on purpose.

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Jun 29

Summer in Berlin

American ethnic food in Berlin. Everyone is linking to it. Me too. Campbell’s soup, maple syrup, Betty Crocker cake mixes…it’s all so right on. They should’ve had Smucker’s Magic Shell instead of Hershey’s Shell, though.

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Jun 16

A Senior Moment


Seniors

This is the headline: Kraft Gets Grandma to Upload Her Videos

This is the hook: “Kraft is breaking down the conventional wisdom about demographics and user-generated video. In a successful promotion for Philadelphia Cream Cheese, the company succeeded in getting over 5,000 women mostly age 35 and older to upload videos of themselves preparing their favorite recipes.”

Grandma, here, almost soiled her adult diaper–and is having an uncontrollable urge to put cream cheese in her Thai curry. Where would she have gotten such a notion?

Image from DesignerOnline.

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Jun 8

Start Spreading the News

Philadelphia-cookbook Kraft and whomever else can put ads on every page corner of Bon Appetit for all I care—they lost me months ago. Gourmet loyalists have already proven that they won’t be won over the by the BA, and at least now there is no pretense of publishing a sophisticated food magazine. Let it all hang out.

One of my only concerns with Taste of Home, my latest subscription, is their rampant abuse of cream cheese. Philadelphia cream cheese is the anti-raw milk Époisses. I happen to like both, but please don’t make me puree the soft white block into a pesto. Thanks.

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May 20

The Poor Man’s Macaroni Grill Chianti

Chianti I don’t give much thought to wine lists in chain restaurants, though at a white tablecloth joint like Bonefish Grill (I mean that literally, not metaphorically, though on my last visit they’d stopped using tablecloths) I will order a glass or two even if the rest of the diners are drinking Diet Coke in glass tumblers. Bonefish also has inexpensive martinis with blue cheese-stuffed olives, but that is getting off track…

Little did I know that Macaroni Grill has had its own house wines—Chardonnay, Chianti and White Zinfandel—since 1988. Maggiano’s Little Italy started their own label, Salute Amico, last month and un-Italian P.F. Chang’s just launched two private-label wines under the name Vineyard 518.

A few days ago this search string landed a poor misguided stranger here: I need names of wines that compare in quality to Macaroni Grill’s Chianti but not as expensive. That is awesome and so very specific. I wish I could help but the prices aren’t listed on their online menu so I’m not sure what not as expensive might mean.

Lilliputian Chianti bottle photo from Miniature Cottage.

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May 18

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb


Heinz israel

I thought I might be the only one who wanted to know more about Israeli-style burgers, i.e. what are they?  But no, based on my search logs, strangers are clamoring (ok, in my world five people is considered clamoring) for the scoop. And luckily, someone has since written about it.

Ruvy, a current resident of Israel who used to manage a Burger King in the US, claims that the only difference between Burger King and Burger Ranch is the condiments. Heinz is used by the American chain.

“Heinz catsup is not as sweet as the Israeli catsup sold here; the Heinz mayonnaise has a different flavor from the local brands; and the local mustard is sharper than the mild Heinz mustard used on the hamburgers and double hamburgers at Burger King. The result is that there is a distinctly different flavor of the Burger Ranch hamburgers compared to the analogous Burger King products.”

Meanwhile, old folks in Bay Ridge are upset that Heinz is reducing the salt in their classic ketchup. Says, Joe Oliva: "I'm 80 years old, and I haven't died yet. It's really hard for me to eat without salt. I think it's infringing on our rights!

Israeli Heinz ketchup ad from Coloribus.

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