Remember that trend, over the last year or so, of restaurants moving away from bottled water because it's bad for the environment with all its packaging, not any better than the tap and sometimes even harmful because it often is subject to more lax regulations? Did you think that was going to stick? Come on, how much money is there in not selling something?

This is more like it, from today's Washington Post:

Desalinated seawater from Hawaii, meanwhile, is being sold as "concentrated water" -- at $33.50 for a two-ounce bottle. Like any concentrated beverage, it is supposed to be diluted before drinking, except that in this case, that means adding water to . . . water.

And from Tennessee, a company named BlingH2O -- whose marketing imagery features a mostly nude model improbably balancing a bottle of water between her heel and her hip -- is retailing its water at $40 for 750 milliliters, with special-edition bottles going for $480 -- more than a million times the price of the liquid that comes from your tap.

What's Colorless and Tasteless and Smells Like... Money? [Washington Post]
The snob appeal of tap water [Slate]
Water Sommeliers [Fine Waters]

[Photo: Tap via id/flickr]

Confession: We didn’t know where Mission Beach Cafe was.

For months people have been telling us to check out this café when we’re in the Mission—“They have great coffee,” “It’s a good place to work remotely.”—but something about the name made it hard to process. Mission Beach? Where can you access beach or ocean in the Mission? It didn’t matter how many times people said, “It’s on 14th and Guerrero. Right on the corner,” we just couldn’t wrap our head around the idea.

Well, it’s a good thing our sweetie lives a block away because we would never have checked this place out, which is absurd because it really is worth checking out. First of all, it’s not just a café; it’s a full-blown restaurant serving lunch and dinner as well as brunch on the weekends. In fact, we would say that the ambiance is much more upscale dining rather than casual café, but there’s no reason this should stop anyone from going for a to-go cup and a pastry. All of the pastries are made fresh on-site everyday and we can highly recommend the raspberry turnover seeing as we had it two days in a row. Like many specialty coffee places these days, they brew coffee per cup with each cup getting it’s own drip filter and as one would expect from this process the result is pretty darn satisfying.

We haven’t had a meal here yet, but it’s on the schedule. The menus look impressive and if their entrees are given the same attention as their coffee and pastries we’re sure this will quickly become a favorite for us.

Mission Beach Cafe [Official Site]

[Photo: Tea at Mission Beach Cafe via SanFranAnnie/flickr]

We've all heard Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is a beer drinker. He sure likes his Pabst Blue Ribbon, at least on the campaign trail. But now word comes that he's actually going to have his own brew. From Chow's Grinder:

In Kenya, Barack Obama’s father’s homeland, they’ve been drinking Obama beer for months, and now one American brewery is offering its own Obama-inspired suds. Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Craft Ales is now brewing small batches of Hop Obama ale, to be available in bars and restaurants in New York and Massachusetts.

Wouldn't it be hilarious (and harmonious!) if Hensley picked up Six Point's Obama brew as a product? Somehow, though, it doesn't appear McCain would approve. Aside from his obvious political differences with the brew's namesake, he's apparently not so hot, in general, on the nation's favorite sudsy treat:

It's going to be a long, weird election season. Better lay in a stock of cold ones early, whatever your brand or distributer.

Punchy, Straightforward, Totally Obama [Grinder]
The Audacity of Pabst: Barack Obama, PBR Lover?
Is Barack Obama the Messiah [Official Site]
McCain beer ties might brew conflicts

• As N. Korea normalizes, food aid flows freely [Reuters]
• Global food export curbs hurt poorest people [UPI]
• Energy efficient milk jugs confound consumers [NYT]
• Artisanal bottled water won't survive peak oil [WaPo]
• What if salmonella wasn't caused by tomatoes? [Bloomberg]

• These tacos will change your life. [MP: Boston]

• Congratulations are in order for our own Adam Peltz, Chicago Reader's food writer of the year! [MP: Chicago]

• French fries are the best sandwich ingredient ever. [MP: Philadelphia]

• Is there any better use of white beans than cassoulet? No. [MP: San Francisco]

• Steak salad with more of the former than the latter? Sign us up! [MP: South Florida]

Earlier this week we meet up with a regular happy hour partner for Monday martinis at Martuni’s. Martuni’s has long been a favorite watering hole for us—the martinis are strong, the glasses well frosted, the clientele is as colorful as one would expect at an Upper Market gay martini bar and the piano in the backroom keeps the showtunes flowing as freely as the vodka and gin.

In the sprit of Pride, we suggest Martuni’s if you decide to head off for a drink before or after Cindy Lauper does her "Girls Just Wanna Fun" encore. You may even be able to do your own rendition at the piano. After two or three Raspberry Lemon Drops you’ll more than likely need some food, so you can either saunter next door for the refined cafeteria-style delicacies of Delessio or go for a short stroll over to Hayes Valley for an endless array of upscale dining options.

There’s lots to eat in Hayes Valley and it’s probably going to be super crowded this weekend, so Caffe Delle Stelle for a little Italian (no Pride-inspired joke intended) might be a good option because it’s not as high profile as say Sauce or Absinthe. We split the warm pear salad and had the lobster ravioli on Monday. We also went overboard and split the tiramisu (not too dry, not too wet) at the end of our meal. We enjoyed ourselves and our overindulgence.

Happy Pride!

Delessio [MenuPages]
Delessio [Official Site]
Caffe Delle Stelle [Menupages]
Absinthe [Menupages]
Absinthe [Official Site]
Sauce [Menupages]
Sauce [Official Site]

[Photo via FredoAlvarez/flickr]

Leave it to the Ethicurean to turn one of the world's great comedy props into a serious political issue. Dear me, they increase our carbon footprint! Oh, noes, a banana crisis looms! Okay, they had a little help from the stuffy old New York Times, but still, how can anybody stand reading this about Bananas:

The history of the banana is fascinating, involving technological innovation (it’s not easy to bring bananas from the tropics), oppression (terrible labor conditions), geopolitics (the U.S. sponsored overthrow of the Arbenz government in 1954 at the behest of United Fruit), marketing (bananas were too phallic for polite society in the late 19th century, so attitudes needed to be modified), and more.

Snorezville, right? Yes, yes, there are real issues about bananas and their associated republics and also their environmental impact, but what do we cares? It's all about the comedy, right? So just because it's Friday and we like you, reader, here are some videos that remind us where bananas really fit into the national psyche:

The banana telephone bit ranks right up there with pretending to walk down the stairs behind a counter. It's even got its own song:

More after the jump

Here's a gigantic banana scaring mall customers. Would this be as funny if it were a cucumber? No:

You're writing a comedy bit and you don't have a punchline? Just stick a banana in there. Instant funny:

And, of course, slipping on a banana peel!

Finally, the world gets turned upside down:

The banana situation in Montreal [Ethicurean]
The slippery slope of banana disasters [Ethicurean]
Yes, We Will Have No Bananas [New York Times]

• Hezbollah-dominated Beirut eats at 'Buns and Guns' restaurant [AP]
• New Yorkers discover edible comestibles at Disney World [NYT]
• Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis not going quietly in the night [Trib]
• Legendarily cheap Vegas casino food succumbs to reality [LAT]
• Ice cream among many food products threatened by bee die-off [NBC/DC]

Former pro wrestler Abdullah the Butcher may just run the coolest restaurant of all time.

It's called Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs & Chinese Food. Located in a converted 7-11 on the outskirts of Atlanta, the menu includes everything from rib tip and chicken combo dinners to almond chicken to some killer fish sandwiches. The sides include some great southern greens and, of course, the sweet tea is free-flowing.

The food isn't bad. However, the highlight is the floor show. Unlike some other celebrity restaurant owners, Abdullah (nee Lawrence Shreve) frequently hangs out at his own restaurant. While he's there, the former wrestler lets guests put quarters into his head. You see, Abdullah has deep grooves in his forehead from self-inflicted wounds he gave himself to bleed more in the ring.

Here's what Atlanta alt-weekly Creative Loafing had to say:

The best attraction is Shreve, who is usually present -- and pleasant. He kindly thanks people for coming and eating, hanging out in the dining area smiling and answering questions in his sweet voice.

Abdullah's culinary split personality represented by two registers for orders -- an African-American woman at one, and an Asian woman at the other. If it's busy, line integrity disintegrates and either cashier will take your order. But the duality is strangely disturbing.

Barbecue selections are kept simple: Ribs, rib tips and chicken. The ribs are smoked in a small building next to the main structure. Thankfully, the rib meat is soft, pink and tender. [...] I wasn't at all tempted by the thought of Chinese food at a rib shack. Finally, though, I bit the bullet and ordered a serving of "Abdullah's Favorite" (6.99) from a list that includes standards like kung pao chicken and lo mein. The mix of miniature shrimp, beef strips, green peppers, baby corn, carrots and mushrooms was sauteed in a sweet sauce and served with a side of fried rice. [...] But honestly, it's generic Chinese for the masses -- and like Abdullah himself, it's not half as scary as you might suspect.

Pro wrestling, barbecue and Chinese food? Sign us up.

Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs & Chinese Food [WFMU]
Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs & Chinese Food [Creative Loafing]

(Photo: Abdullah's House of Ribs via WFMU)

With all of our attention focused on libations earlier this week we neglected to notice that there’s more than one food focused event going on at Fort Mason.

Bay Area locavores have something to celebrate because CAFF is releasing the 2nd edition of the Bay Area Local Food Guide. And what better way to celebrate then with a release party? This event takes place today on the upper level of Fort Mason (the Officers Club) from 4:30 to 8:30.

Tickets are $30 and you can purchase them online through Brown Paper Tickets though the website notes that tickets are limited so if you’re interested we would definitely recommended checking on ticket availability. Even better, if you’re in the food industry (“farmers, restaurateurs, retailers and other local food related businesses”) you can score yourself 2 free tickets by RSVPing to BFBL@caff.org.

This event sounds like yet another educational and tasty time. From 4:30 to 6:00 attendees get the pleasure of not only sampling some of the fantastic food and wine from the local vendors present (Serpentine, Slow Club and Chez Panisse to name a few), but you also get the opportunity to meet the people behind the producing. From 6:30 to 7:30 there’s a special food panel called “Why Local Is The Answer” and panelist include Jered Lawson from Pie Ranch /Mission Pies and Simon Richard of Bi-Rite Market.

Slow Club [MenuPages]
Slow Club [Official Site]
Serpentine [Menupages]
Serpentine [Official Site]
Chez Panisse [Official Site]

[Photo via peretzpup/Flickr]

We've got a new record, folks. Chances are, you won't have a hard time reserving a table at the Damascus Gate restaurant in Syria, the newly certified largest restaurant in the world. But God help you if they mix up your order. According to the blog World Amazing Records,

During the busy summer months up to 1,800 staff are employed in the 54,000 sq-m dining area and 2,500 sq-m kitchen. The open air area complete with waterfalls, fountains and replicas of archaeological ruins for the summer, and there are separate themed sections for Chinese and Indian cuisine.

The Damascus Gate, which serves 6,014, replaces Bangkok's Mang Gorn Luang, which only holds 5,000 diners. Talk about your hole in the wall! Check out this BBC video of the new champ.

So yes, it's very big. But is it any good? Well, that was harder to pin down. Two commenters on a Topix post said it was great, and the BBC quoted the manager as saying, "In this part of the world, all people care about is their stomachs, so the food has to be the best." Not exactly a Michelin star, but definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

The (Current) Largest Restaurant In The World [Google Sightseeing]
Damascus Gate — The Largest Restaurant In The World [World Amazing Records]
Size is all for Syrian Restaurant [BBC]
Damascus Gate Restaurant [Topix]

[Photo: via World Amazing Records]

• S. Korea to accept U.S. beef again; future of gov't unsure [NYT]
• Japanese/Chinese food row reenacted by Olympics team [Reuters]
• Texas Gov. comes out hard against food-crop ethanol [SETR]
• Mars/DoA/IBM to sequence, manipulate cacao genome [WaPo]
• Frozen chickens stolen from NJ food bank found! [NJ]

• The first Hardee's opened in Greenville, NC near the East Carolina University campus.

• Burgers cost 15 cents at that first Hardee's.

• Hardee lost controlling interest of his company after just one drunken night of cards in the early 1960s. He was playing with his two business partners, and he bet his stock. Hardee obviously wasn't a good card player, because by the end of the night, the other two partners owned 51 percent of the company.

• Hardee's is fourth among the fast-food chains in the US, behind McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's.

• That Thickburger pictured above packs a whopping 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat. Eat enough of those and you likely won't live to see 89.

Founder of Hardee's Dies at 89 [ABC News]
Hardee's [Official Site]

Photo: OPBuzz/flickr

Free food is the best. Even if it’s not the best for you.

Jack in the Box is looking out for drivers this week with a special promotion. Two Free Tacos Day is taking place at participating Jack in the Boxes tomorrow, June 26.

Show up with a receipt for gas and get 2 free tacos. Simple as that. This is particularly nice for Zipcar or City CarShare drivers who can get a receipt for filling up the tank and don’t actually have to pay for the gas. Being Zipcar members, we think we feel the need to run some errands tomorrow…

But don’t think you can cheat the system by using a friend’s receipt because they won’t accept copies. BUT they don’t say that the receipt has to be dated June 26. We checked all of the fine print and even listened to the cheesy mock press conference on the Jack in the Box website (twice), but there’s no mention of this deal being time-sensitive. Got a gas receipt from 2 months ago? Make it work for you!

One other thing: there’s one of those pesky “limit 1 offer per person” deals, but there are 3 locations in San Francisco so maybe it’s not as restrictive as it sounds. Our guess is they’ll probably take your receipt before you get your tacos, but if you have a few old receipts hanging out in your glove compartment or cluttering up your ashtray then maybe you can get maximum use out of the offer.

These are only our personal random thoughts on the situation so don’t blame us if you try to get more than two tacos and fail miserably or end up in jail. At the very least, 2 free anything is better than nothing.

Jack in the Box [Official Site]

[Photo via JVagamundos/Flickr]

The British airwaves are no stranger to men kissing one another. Anybody ever heard of a little show called Torchwood? It's strange, then, that the Heinz mayo ad in which a British businessman kisses a New York deli clerk raised such a ruckus that Heinz actually pulled it.

The ad features a stereotypical New York tough guy in the role of "mum," making sandwiches as a family leaves the house in the morning. As the husband rushes out, he plants a kiss on the white-hatted face. Pretty tame stuff, compared to Skins' Maxxie or the "switch-flicking" kiss from Mighty Boosh. It created a huge backlash from hysterical homophobes (including Bill O'Reilly) furious that two men would kiss on the public airwaves. Heinz bowed to the pressure and yanked it.

Then, this morning, the European gay newspaper Pink News reported that 1,300 (more by now) people had signed a petition calling for the ad to be reinstated. Meanwhile, other bloggers are taking (somewhat obviously tongue-in-cheek) pot-shots at the portrayal of the New Yorker in the piece. Phew, this is getting exhausting. Does nobody have a life anywhere?

So what's causing all this commotion? See for yourself:

Lame, eh? Still, if you just can't stand to get back to work yet, and you feel strongly about it, you could sign this pro-"advert" petition.

Heinz pulls mayo ad after complaints [AP]
1,300 sign online petition calling for Heinz gay ad to be reinstated [Pink News]
Heinz Cans Gay Mayonaise Commercial [Epi-Log]

• Food stamps go out to Midwestern flooding victims [Reuters]
• Cashew juice, now for sale, confounds the imagination [NYT]
• Surge of deep-dish pizza to arrive in Iraq for July 4th [AP]
• Monsanto profits soar on yield-bumping weed-killer sales [Bloomberg]
• Florida buys U.S. Sugar to restore 187k acres of Everglades [AFP]

The big news out of the Everglades today is that the State of Florida has purchased U.S. Sugar and its 187,000 acres of prime wetlands for $1.7 billion (are the workers seeing any of it? Of course not). This is a good thing for the environment, since the sugar cane fields block waterflow, release pollutants and generally take up space.

U.S. Sugar is the largest sugar producer in the United States, responsible for 9% of the nation's sweet white powder supply. That's a pretty big proportion, and includes beet sugar production as well. Beet sugar makes up 55% of the crop, leaving cane sugar with 45%. So 20% of our cane sugar's about to go away! Isn't this going to foul up prices?

Short answer: no.

The government has been subsidizing domestic sugar production and putting quotas on sugar imports for many decades now. If we had no tariffs on sugar, we'd be flooded with South and Central American product, prices would plummet and sugar growers around the country would go bankrupt. A very strong lobby has prevented this from happening, but at the beginning of this year, NAFTA kicked in and ended tariffs against Mexican sugar. So why hasn't the U.S. sugar industry collapsed in a sticky white heap?

The answer lies in the 2008 Farm Bill. The provision concerning sugar sends any excesses (which is to say, any amount of sugar that would cause a price decrease through oversupply) to ethanol plants, just like in Brazil.

Problem solved! What NAFTA giveth (to consumers), the Farm Bill taketh away. When 9% of our sugar production goes offline in six years, the difference will simply be made up by Mexican sugar producers, and the price won't budge a cent. The cost of gasoline may go up a little, but what else is new. Did you really think Charlie Crist would have bought the farm if it meant a nationwide rise in sugar prices? That's so sweet.

Florida to Buy Sugar Maker in Bid to Restore Everglades [NYTimes]
U.S. Sugar [Official Site]
Sugar and Sweeteners: Policy [NYTimes]
Cane and beet share the same chemistry but act differently in the kitchen [TIME]
Cane and beet share the same chemistry but act differently in the kitchen [SFChron]
Sugar and Sweeteners: Policy [USDA]
Farm bill improves sugar program [AG Weekly]
Human cost of Brazil's biofuels boom [LATimes]

[Photo: a sugar pyramid scheme, via VsTrash/flickr]

It seems that Fort Mason has been hosting one fantastic foodie event after another these past few months. It’s Pinot Days this week at Fort Mason and along with the public wine tasting grand event this Sunday from 1 to 5 there are also several other opportunities to eat, drink pinot and be merry.

Maybe you've stopped driving to work in the wake of the gas price surge or you've been thrifty with your stimulus check, whatever the case, if you have some extra spending cash there are two wine and dinner events that both feature some of the best pinot has to offer in addition to a fine dining extravaganza. Both events take place this Thursday, one at Isa in the Marina and one at Jack Falstaff in SOMA, and both begin with appetizers and wine tasting from 6 different wine producers followed by a four-course diner where each course is paired with 2 pinots. We think this actually sounds like quite the deal, but at $150 per person this is certainly something that begs for a special occasion.

There are also regionally focused tastings sans the dining experience, many of which are already sold out, but if you drop everything your doing right now (after you finish reading all of the daily posts on Menupages, of course) you can still purchase tickets for some of the remaining events as well as Sunday's Grand Festival. And don’t worry, we know it’s Pride this weekend so we say, do a little colorful marching and then head over to Fort Msaon for some colorful wine tasting.

Cheers!

Jack Falstaff [MenuPages]
Jack Falstaff [Official Site]
Isa [Menupages]
Isa [Official Site]

[Photo via Pinot Days official site]

The latest all-time favorite sci-fi based cake showed up on Boing Boing today, linked from Craftster:

Are you seeing that? It's a Doctor Who TARDIS cake! That's right, a British Craftster member named Umbrolly made this for her little sister because her little sister, a big Doctor Who fan, is the luckiest girl in the world. If you follow the link, you'll get step-by-step photos. It appears this cake suffers from some structural problems incurred by being too moist. According to its maker, "I have learned form making this that randomly shaped things are much easier than square things, and even though moist cake tastes better it does tend to collapse."

Well, this is still a brilliant job, and it's a lot more ambitious than the Torchwood cake we couldn't help searching for after seeing it. It does, however, face some competition from this professionally made Dalek cake.

Just for fun, check out the Timelords/KLF Doctorin' the Tardis music video after the jump.

Dr Who TARDIS Cake [Craftster]
Torchwood cake [Rachaely/Flickr]
Dalek cake [Gallifreyan Embassy]

• Food voucher giveaway sparks mini-riot in Milwaukee [AP]
• 17 states require insurance to cover eating disorders [Trib]
• Youth exposure to alcohol advertising on TV increases [NYT]
• Brazil's biofuel farmhands treated predictably poorly [LAT]
• Chinese fast food market splintered but surging [Reuters]

"I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House — with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." -John F. Kennedy, addressing Nobel Prize winners at the White House in 1962

Have you ever had that thing happen where you're listening to your headphones or something and you hear a word and right as you hear the word in the song your eyes happen to fall on that word in print, passing by on a bus ad or something, and you muse to yourself, "it's a living world. What a miracle," and then turn your eyes back ahead and resume standing in line at the bank?

Well, a similar thing just happened with this article in Epicurious. I was just explaining to a friend how pleasant it is to go to the movies alone, and comparing it with the equally unpleasant act of dining out alone, when Heather Tyree's essay on dining alone came across the RSS and chopped my words up, sauteed them lightly in a nice cream sauce, and fed them to me with a side of crow.

Because Tyree is right. Dining out alone can be one of life's true pleasures. It allows you to focus on, well, whatever you want, be it the food, a book, a tough problem you've been trying to crack, or even your server. You certainly don't have to watch where you take the conversation, or hold back from pouring that next glass of wine, or refrain from eating the last bite of something.

And it turns out that many higher-end restaurants (including Daniel, according to Tyree) give solo diners VIP status. It's unclear why, exactly, but my guess is that it has less to do with pity than it does an appreciation of the fact that the customer decided to undertake this socially uncomfortable excursion because he or she wanted the restaurant's food just that badly.

Whatever the reason for the solo meal, or the treatment it incurs, Tyree's article left me with the strong desire to dine alone at an establishment somewhat fancier than the corner deli. It's a challenge, yes, because the practice is stigmatized as pathetic, lonesome and weird. But it's good for you, and not in a broccoli way, either (something you glumly consume because you think you have to). Dining alone should be savored.

I've never done it by choice, but on trips or in other necessary situations, I've always enjoyed the practice. Tyree's article was enough encouragement for me to resolve to take myself out on a proper date. It's an exercise from which we could all stand to benefit, as it encourages being comfortable with one's self, one's surroundings and one's place in the big, living world.

Table for One [Epicurious]

[Photo: The Jefferson Memorial — Thomas Jefferson silhouetted via David Paul Ohmer/flickr]

We pretty much like cuisines of all flavors and regions (as long as there are no nuts), but sometimes French food can be hit or miss for us. Yes, there would be no fine dining or breakfast without the French and lord knows French pastry rocks our world, but French entrees don’t always hit the spot. Of course, after enjoying cassoulet in some remote-ish town in Northern-ish France a few years ago we’ve been fond of the dish and take to ordering it when we see it on a reliable menu.

A couple of weekends ago we had a little Napa holiday and even though Napa often gets a bad rap these days—overpriced, overrated, overcrowded—one of the highlights was our meal at Angèle, a romantic French restaurant that overlooks the Napa River. Everything looked good, but the cassoulet was really calling our name. “House Made Sausage, Ham Hock, Duck Confit and Cellini Beans “Paella” Chicken, Chorizo, Mussels, Clams with Saffron Rice” was hard to pass up. It was less stew-like then most cassoluet we’ve had in the States and much more bean focused, but the beans, having so clearly been soaking in a happy bath of seafood and duck confit for hours if not days, made the flavor so definite and powerful that we couldn’t stop sneaking spoonfuls of it long after we’d determined we were full. It also came to the table in it’s own Le Cruset pot, which while more for show then anything, was still endearing and we’d like to think flavor-enhancing.

If you can’t make it to Napa (or find yourself more partial to Sonoma), word has it that Jeanty at Jacks in the Financial District is the best bet for cassoulet in the City. For a more low-key option we highly recommend Mistral Rotisserie Provencale, which may sound pretentious, but the warm, accessible, cozy little space adjacent from the somewhat less cozy Slated Door is one of our favorite places to catch some heartwarming French food. Cassoulet may not be always be one the menu, but just about anything else you decide to go with—lamb stew, duck, Ratatouille—will put a smile on your face.

Angèle [Official Site]
Jeanty at Jacks [MenuPages]
Jeanty at Jacks [Official Site]
Mistral Rotisserie Provencale [Menupages]
Mistral Rotisserie Provencale [Official Site]
Slated Door [Menupages]
Slated Door [Official Site]

[Photo: Duck confit and Haricot bean cassoulet via avlxyz/flickr]

We're currently in the middle of another one of those five-minute long vegetable seasons that gets foodies' motors running at high RPMs. This time it's scapes you'll find making a cameo at the green market.

According to the Accidental Hedonist, "scapes are those long, smooth, curly green things. They are the tops of garlic and farmers cut them off so that the plant grows the garlic bulb instead of a garlic flower." This is the kind of thing that would, up until people like you started developing a taste for interesting vegetables and plants, have gotten thrown out with the wheat chaff and the corn stalks. New York Times writer Melissa Clark related the following tidbits from her search for scapes:

My urgency amused Bill Maxwell, of Maxwell Farms in Changewater, N.J., who, after telling me to cool my heels until mid-June, offered a pearl of scapes insight.

Although they’ve been gaining a following over the last few years, he said, scapes came to market “when someone figured out they could make money from something they were cutting off the garlic plant and getting rid of.”

Peter Hoffman, the chef at Savoy, added, “At some point someone realized the scapes were tender and delicious.” He suggested that I sauté them with other vegetables or soft-shell crabs, or even grill them whole to show off their curves.

Clark offers a few scape and green-garlic recipes in the Times piece, but almost more informative were her descriptions of how she came to use the short-lived greens. The kind of food writing that includes not just the recipe/prep process, but the thought process that led to the recipe, always makes a project more attractive, and Clark offers plenty such insight.

Of course, not everybody has the time to experiment with weird, hyper-seasonal veggies. It's better to let professionals handle that kind of thing anyway. You could use the MenuPages find-a-food search to see if any restaurants in the area have added scapes to their menus.

However you get ahold of them, you'd better act quickly, because these fleeting greens will be off the shelves in a matter of weeks, not to return till next year.

Scrapes on the bar-b [Accidental Hedonist]
A Garlic Festival Without a Single Clove [NY Times]

[Photo: iLoveButter/flickr]

• India losing ability to feed itself [NYT]
• Candy business booming in tough times [AP]
• UK: GMO not necessarily the solution [TPA]
• Corn growers on HFCS charm offensive [WSJ]
• For fast food, a globalized future [BSun]

• Can we interest you in a hot fudge sundae? [MP: Boston]

• What about a lovely cheeseburger dress? [MP: Chicago]

• Maybe some melted cheese curds? [MP: Philadelphia]

• Or some exemplary iced coffee? [MP: San Francisco]

• Eh, let's just have some organic ice cream. [MP: South Florida]

Since SOMA is once again the new FiDi it's our opinion that it really needs to start developing it's eatery options. Luckily, Dennis Leary of Rubicon and more recently Canteen fame seems to completely agree with us. The Sentinel opened up late May, originally starting off slow and offering continental breakfast and coffee, but now this little food "stand" is really getting into the swing of things. Not as much of a secret as we would like, it's located in what used to be a small cigar shop next to the House of Shields and now serves lunch starting at 11:30 AM in addition to breakfast. Last time we visited we got there at 11:39 and there was already quite the queue; of course, it's hard not to be caught up in the excitement with a bunch of professionals and Web 2.0 people milling about on the corner of New Montgomery and Stevenson waiting, apparently, for something.

The kitchen at Canteen is infamously small, but Leary has really decided to give himself a challenge because the Sentinel is honestly little more than a counter and the suggestion of a cooking space. The amazing thing is the food that comes out of this joint is top notch and high quality fare. The menu changes daily (of course it does) and we last ordered the tuna salad sandwich, which was definately not your mother's tuna. Red peppers, olives, basil, hard cooked eggs and butter lettuce all on a nice soft seed encrusted bun made it something speical...mmmmmm. Also on the menu that day: a sweet corn, spinach and fish chowder, an open faced corned beef on rye with guyerre and mustard and a roast beef salad that we have on good authority came with a dollop of thick chocolate mousse for dessert.

At $8 a sandwich this may not be your everyday go-to spot, but it's certainly that place you hit up once a week (for us probably twice) just to revive your faith in the working lunch. In addition to sandwiches, they also occasionally serve entrees and the pork shoulder, having been raved about all last week, remains something we're sad we missed while on vacation.

The Sentinel [MenuPages]
Canteen [Menupages]
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Photo via Alexis Wright

Do you know what today is? Correct, it's Friday. It's also the first day of summer. It's also just about the summer solstice. This is a big day that calls for more than just a video blog post. It calls for several videos, all about ice cream!

First, you're going to need protection: Ali G's got you covered (this video is pretty much safe for work, but don't show it to your kids; here's some language):

Awesome. After the jump: Wu-Tang clan and

Here's what you need protection from. Creepy!

And finally, though not ice-cream-related at all, here's my favorite summer song, complete with dancers who look like they just stepped out of a Baskin Robbin's case:

• Several top aides sacrificed in S. Korea beef row [Bloomberg]
• House might add $1.25B in emergency food aid [Reuters]
• Following floods, agr. stocks in the toilet [CNN]
• Hair in the steak today, gone tomorrow [Tribune]
• McDonald's dieter story finally hit the wires [AP]

Take a look at the above picture. Oklahoma East Central University cartographer Matthew T. Campbell created a huge map of the names people call soft drinks by. Here's what we learned by looking at the map:

• "Pop" is the generic name for soft drinks in most of the country in terms of sheer land mass. The majority of the Midwest, the Rocky Mountain states and the Pacific Northwest all call it by that name.

• "Soda" is the preferred moniker for soft drinks in terms of population. Both the Northeastern United States and the state of California call them that.

• "Coke" serves as a generic label for soft drinks throughout much of the South. Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kentucky all serve as fault lines in the Pop/Soda/Coke divide.

But what's truly interesting is the anomalies. Coke is the preferred term for soft drinks not only in the traditional south, but also in Maryland's Eastern Shore. Although most of Florida is in the "Coke Belt" as well, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and other counties with a high percentage of northeastern expats all call it by that name. Meanwhile, a belt of land along the Mississippi River stretching roughly from central Illinois to St. Louis defies the Midwest's "pop" sensibilities by opting to call it soda. Meanwhile, residents of Buffalo and Pittsburgh are more like Midwesterners than Northeasterners in their soft drink naming habits.

As for us, we'll just call it soda.

The Soft Drink Map [Pop Vs. Soda]

It’s nice to be back in the City after going away for a while. We were on a much needed vacation on an island far away from tall buildings, traffic and food establishments on every corner. That said, it’s not surprising that upon our return we’ve been hitting up the almost stereotypical SF food staples like they’re going out style. Over-sized carnitas burrito from Guadalajara? Check. Steamed barbeque pork from that one place near the house? Check? Blue Bottle Coffee Cafe…well, we hate to be those people, but yeah we totally just went there this morning and enjoyed the hell out of the experience.

Blue Bottle definitely does not need any more press or publicity, we know they don’t, but this bright, warm, lovely San Francisco morning we walked to work and stopped in for a little pick-me-up and decided that our experience warranted some blogging. Everyone knows that Blue Bottle has fancy coffee makers and fancy coffee, but what’s not so talked about is their pretty amazing iced coffee.

You’ve got two options for iced coffee — Kyoto and New Orleans — which is already setting the bar high. We had the New Orleans this morning because the description was so inviting. Chicory is the secret ingredient, but they also slightly sweeten it and add a little milk. Good choice on a day like today, it was smooth and refreshing. The only hang up came when our sweetie innocently asked for a straw — apparently Blue Bottle does not subscribe to the straw with chilled beverage status quo. They also don’t believe in plastic cups for chilled beverages, but for the sake of the environment (which is so much more important) we quickly got over the concept of a soggy paper cup (which, by the way, never became an issue).

Bottom line: the New Orleans iced coffee is fantastic. It’s been several hours at this point since we finished it and we’re still enjoying the sweet aftertaste. And thanks to fellow blogger Adam Martin, we also now know that it can help prevent heart disease.

Blue Bottle Coffee Cafe [Official Site]

[Photo: Blue Bottle SoMa via [177]/flickr]

Something about this ice cream scoop (a Cuisipro featured on Boing Boing Gadgets) looks familiar:

What is it? Where have we seen that perfect cylinder of ice cream on a cake cone before? Think, think...

Of course! The ice cream counter at Thrifty Drugs! Anybody remember that? At the risk of showing some age here, those of us who did any growing up in Southern California ought to take a minute and celebrate that institution that made mom's stupid trip to the drug store worthwhile. And then when we got old enough to ride our bikes to the store alone, it was the one thing worthwhile we could afford. Even in the 80s, a $0.25 scoop of ice cream was a hell of a deal.

Of course, it went to $0.50, then $0.75, then we moved away, and who knows if Rite Aid, which eventually bought Thrifty, even sells it anymore (actually, according to this Chowhound thread, they do, which is heartening).

Anyway, dang, one of those weird, cheap, fantastic scoops would go down pretty nicely right now. Anybody in LA want to send one express mail? If not, we may have to make do with one of those Cuisipro things.

Cuisipro invents the better ice cream scoop [Boing Boing Gadgets]
Cuisipro Ice Cream Scoop And Stack [Wrapables]
Ice Cream At Rite Aid [Chowhound]

[Photo: via Boing Boing]

• Many more stricken by TomatoGate, which may never be solved [USAT]
• Can a countertop scanner help with your grocery shopping? [NYT]
• Widespread wheat fungus to wipe out 1-2% of Kansan crop [AP]
• Reeling from 8% food inflation, Mx. locks prices for 6 mos. [BBC]
• Will Canada ban horse slaughter for food production? [CBC]

Have you ever thought, hey, this bottle of soda could use a smiling photo of a presidential candidate? The folks at Jones Soda seemed to think it was a good idea. They're even holding an election of sorts; each bottle you buy goes towards that candidate's totals. So far, Obama is the runaway winner; he's the only candidate with more than 4,000 votes.

It's a fun idea, although we do think Jones Soda missed a great opportunity to make a different soda flavor for each candidate. From the looks of things, the same cola is in each bottle. But just think of the possibilities!

Jones Soda's Campaign Cola [Slashfood]
Campaign Cola 2008 [Official Site]

Photo: Jones Soda

A new study — one of the biggest of its kind ever — out of the Autonomous University of Madrid finds that drinking excessive amounts of coffee can actually help prevent heart disease in large percentages of men and women. In your FACE, yoga!

From New Scientist:

The study tracked 129,000 men and women over two decades. It found that people who consumed several cups of coffee every day were less likely to die of heart disease than those who shied away from the stuff. Heart disease is an umbrella term for conditions including heart attacks, stroke, and arrhythmia.

The researchers found that women who drank four to five cups per day were 34% less likely to die of heart disease, while men who had more than five cups a day were 44% less likely to die.

Other studies have, however, shown just the opposite. In 2007, Sofi analysed more than 20 studies of health and coffee drinking and found little consensus.

One explanation for these conflicting results could be genetic. In 2006, a team of Canadian researchers discovered that people with a mutation in a gene involved in metabolising caffeine had higher rates of heart attack than people without the mutation.

Guzzling coffee may cut heart disease [New Scientist]
Coffee May Prevent Heart Disease [Boing Boing]

[Photo: Buzz!! via [n]/flickr]

• Commercial banana industry to collapse in 5-10 yrs [NYT]
• Why the FDA hasn't solved TomatoGate yet (ever?) [Trib]
• Sen. McCaskill (D-Mo.) to fight InBev takeover of A-B [MW]
• U.S. food inspectors to China; theirs come here [AFP]
• Veganic farming movement employs new adjective [AP]

On Eater this morning, we saw that today is National Cherry Tart Day. This is actually the subject of some controversy: some sources list the holiday as today, while others peg it as tomorrow. Maybe it's a lunar holiday and it begins at sundown or something?

We sniffed around for corroboration, but none of the Unofficial National Cherry Homepage, the National Cherry Growers & Industries Foundation, or even the National Cherry Festival (scheduled for July 5-12) had anything to say on the matter.

Apparently, these fake national holidays are often sponsored by commercial concerns who lobby Congress to have their products reified as a named date (this is sort of how the saint days work, too). Of course, the government doesn't bother to keep an easily accessible record of their assignments, so we tried skulking around the Congressional record a bit. While we discovered some interesting tidbits about how 2002 was a terrible year for Michigan cherry farmers, it does not appear as though Congress has had much to say on National Cherry Tart Day since at least 1993.

It's just as likely that some enterprising cherry marketer simply invented National Cherry Tart Day one afternoon and emailed (or snail mailed, depending on when this occurred) interested parties and one thing led to another and voila, here we are blogging about it. But it ultimately doesn't matter; all this chatter was just an excuse to show you some delicious cherry tarts we found on Flickr:

Cherry tart with Graham crust, via show and tell:

More cherry tart delirium after the jump...

Spiced pickled cherry and almond tart with cherry custard and whipped vanilla cream, via AussieBarracuda:

Gluten-free, dairy-free, eggless and free of refined sugar pecan-crusted cherry tart, via lastbeanburrito:

Cherry tart with Graham crust (but a different recipe from that first one), via shutterbean:

Cherry tart baked at 1am, via soundless_space:

Slate writer Seth Stevenson gives a pretty severe treatment to this Amstel Light ad this week:

Stevenson basically makes the point that, aside from a few key factors, all beer choice boils down to is marketing, which companies do arbitrarily and in spades:

By my reckoning, there are five valid, logical criteria for choosing one beer over another. 1) Flavor. 2) Calorie count. 3) Packaging (because who doesn't love the functional advantages of wide-mouths, minikegs, tallboys, and forties?). 4) Alcohol content (because some beers get you drunk much faster than others). 5) The good or bad corporate citizenship of the brewer. Everything else is just meaningless imagery.

Similarly, if you have to decide between Pabst and Budweiser, assuming they're equal along Stevenson's criteria (they're both cheap, watery brews made by giant corporations and taste like ass), wouldn't you like to be able to choose between the one that makes you look like a hip urbanite/drug-addled trucker and the one that says, "I don't care where my brew comes from?"

Stevenson is right that image, especially if it is generated by a massive corporate advertising campaign, is an illogical and unimportant factor on which to base a beer choice (or any other choice for that matter), but it's unrealistic to think we can live in a vacuum if we want to. Image is not nothing, and image-consciousness is not going away any time soon.

The best thing you can do is not resist this image-influence, but own it: Find which brands you like, based on Stevenson's five logical factors, then drink (for example) Pacifico at the beach, Heineken at the bar, Pabst at the rock show, Guinness when it's cold out, and, because some advertising campaigns really are unconscionable, never, ever, ever drink Coors Light. Ever.

Amstel Light and the Arbitrary Nature of Beer Ads [Slate]

• Getting close to the source of tomatogate [Reuters]
• Midwestern flooding inundates 15% of crop [LAT]
• NYC trans fats ban becomes complete on 7/1 [AP]
• Is Milan's Peck the world's greatest market? [Trib]
• New plan for rice: higher yields without GM [NYT]