From SAVEUR Issue #148
I remember my grandma best with a cold glass of gin and tonic in her hand. One sip of that bittersweet fizz (she'd make mine a virgin, with a twist of lime) and I'm transported back to summers on her porch. True, tonic water is just sweetened seltzer spiked with quinine, a compound isolated from the bark of the tropical cinchona tree, native to South America. Yet there's something about it that I've always found supremely satisfying, whether on its own or mixed with liquor. I make sure there's always a bottle in my fridge, in case the mood strikes. Keep reading »
When sitting in a diner booth, there's no question in my mind: a milkshake must be had. And if there are french fries on hand, like the perfectly-seasoned, crispy-exteriored pile that landed on my plate at Skillet Diner during a recent visit to Seattle, then even more reason to order one—Hot salty fries and a cold creamy shake are my idea of a match made in heaven. Keep reading »
Credit: Todd Coleman
In a cantina recently in Mexico City, sipping through a list of cocktails that are relatively uncommon north of the border, I found myself developing a Twilightesque obsession for a vampire — or, as they call it in Mexico, vampiro. Fruity, fresh, and pinkish-orange in hue, this aquavit, tomato, Tabasco, and citrus concoction is like a cartoonish cousin to the bloody Mary — more Love at First Bite, actually, than Twilight. It's often topped with Squirt soda. Keep reading »
Credit: Anna Stockwell
In the spring and summer of 2011 I worked as an extern in the pastry kitchen of a restaurant. We always had plenty of sorbets on hand: we sent them out between courses, as part of the tasting menu, and as a special treat for diners to smooth things over when a server made a mistake or the kitchen was a little backed up. Whenever we accumulated too much sorbet to fit in the tiny service freezer, they'd send me home with large deli containers full of it: apricot, lemon, hibiscus, blood orange. I brought it along to parties and barbecues constantly that summer — I'd buy a bottle of cheap sparkling wine and we'd drop a melty scoop of sorbet into the bottom of everyone's cup, turning it into a slushy, fruity treat that was perfect for sipping on hot afternoons.
Steve Wildy, beverage director of the chef Marc Vetri's restaurants in Philadelphia (he oversees the bar programs of Vetri, Alla Spina, Amis, and Osteria), shares my affinity for the alcoholic slushy — properly referred to by its Italian name, sgroppino. In Italy, sgroppino is common as a palate cleanser, a dessert, or even a pre-dinner drink, but you don't come across it as often stateside, which makes it a sort of beacon for Steve when he's dining out. "If a bar has a sgroppino on the menu, I always know I'm going to like the place right away," he says. Keep reading »
From SAVEUR Issue #148
Libations have long been associated with travel to far-flung coastlines. In 1609, when explorer Henry Hudson alit upon the shores of the river that today bears his name, he claimed to have encountered gnomes there who plied his crew with a potent brew that transformed them into beady-eyed little folks, too. During Prohibition, Americans flocked on European cruise ships to the Caribbean, where they could sip their fill of rum-based cocktails. Today, the world over, beaches are the locus of booze-filled frolics. Some beach drinks—minimalist concoctions like the Israeli favorite, arak and grapefruit—reflect summer's drive toward ease. Others, such as the Singapore Sling, are more elaborate, evoking the alleged exoticism of their native locales with tropical juices and spices, multiple liquors, and elaborate garnishes. But however it is made, a beachside cocktail sets the summer-vacation mood and cools the sun's heat. See a gallery of more than 20 beachside cocktails from around the world »
Last night we had the tremendous pleasure of hosting a party to celebrate the winners and finalists of our 2012 Best Food Blog Awards. Nearly 100 writers, photographers, and general lovers of food gathered in the SAVEUR test kitchen to eat, drink, and toast the art of food blogging. After admiring their recipes, stories, photography, and intelligence from behind our computer screens for so long, it was a treat to meet so many of our favorite bloggers in person. We nibbled on small plates prepared by chef Roy Ellamar of restaurant Sensi at Bellagio of Las Vegas, and enjoyed an array of drinks — including our favorite of the evening, a cocktail created specially for the event by BFBA Best Cocktail Blog winner Jordan Catapano of This Girl Walks Into a Bar. Keep Reading »
Every few years I go through something that's most accurately described as a really aggressive root beer phase. For a few months — usually in warm weather — practically the only thing I want to drink is a frosty bottle of the herbaceous, woody, vaguely medicinal soda. I go particularly week in the knees for Abita, Virgil's, Hank's, and if I can find it, a precious bottle of Faygo, but there's an exceptional pleasure to finding a label that's new to me, all the more so if the liquid within has more in common with the dry, alcoholic "root tea" that was root beer's pre-Prohibition antecedent than with any kind of sugary fountain drink. Keep reading »
From SAVEUR Issue #148
Belgian ales are full flavored and complex. Keep reading »
From SAVEUR Issue #148
As Route 7 winds south, it traverses two great rosé-producing regions: the Rhône Valley and Provence. Hot, sunny Provence tends to yield pale wines with tart minerality—perfect for summer meals. Keep reading »
Credit: Todd Coleman
It was just this past winter that I had my first taste of shiso (also known as perilla). I was at one of my favorite Thai restaurants, and the delicately thin, jagged-edged leaves were being used as vessels for bites of coconut and chile-studded fluke ceviche. With my date watching in confusion, I couldn't help but grin and dance in my chair as the flavor of that leaf exploded in a pop of fresh spicy flavor. It was almost like basil, hinting at mint, and yet unlike anything I'd had before. I was instantly in love. As we ventured into spring, I planted a little shiso plant in my kitchen window box, whose progress I've been proudly noting each morning. Lucky for me, it's now growing just as fast as I'm discovering new ways to use it: slivered and tossed into salad, garnishing a spicy peanut pasta dish, infused into limeade, nibbled by the whole leaf, and mixed into cocktails. Keep reading »
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