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Archives for Mar 2007

Restaurant Biz Goes Gold

Fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana are no longer satisfied with only having a fashion empire and have decided to branch out into the restaurant business – super bling style.  Their new “concept” restaurant Gold in Milan, Italy is all about extravagance and gold, of course. Not only is there a restaurant, but there is a bistrot, a slightly more casual atmosphere with a limited menu, a lounge bar, and a coffee shop/cafe. 

 

 

The website has this to say about the restaurant, “The first concept restaurant created by Dolce & Gabbana.  Gold is an upbeat, sunny color, the color of energy, luxury and a new dolce vita, signifying a taste for beauty and for sensual pleasure.”

 

I’m not sure where food fits into that equation, but hell I’m intrigued. 

 

*misterbelly 

Posted Mar 30, 2007 by misterbelly | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: fashion food restaurants

I'm Lovin' It

A McDonald’s restaurant in Saratoga Springs, Utah is the first McDonald’s to undergo renovations as part of the corporations plan to make McDonald’s more appealing to the Starbucks/iPod generation. The Saratoga Springs restaurant is a prototype for what McDonald’s hopes will be a worldwide change in the near future.  The new look reminds me of Starbucks, with comfortable lounge chairs, upholstered booths, a fireplace (don’t ask me), and wifi.  Some McDonald’s restaurants will even have plasma TVs playing the news!  A short modern sign outside of the store has replaced the typical golden arches seen in McDonald’s restaurants around the world. 

 

 

McDonald’s spokeswoman Barbara Schmeitt says, “People have changed, their tastes have changed.  It's like everything else. You've got to start at the cutting edge and be progressive, and as people have changed, McDonald's has responded to their tastes.”

 

I think a better course of action would be for them to focus on overhauling their menu and start participating with humane agricultural producers, instead of debating which upholstery will look best in their booths.  What do you think?

 

*misterbelly

Posted Mar 28, 2007 by misterbelly | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: fast food

Rachael Ray Gets Waxed

Madame Tussauds, a celebrity wax museum in New York City, has added a wax figure of none other than Rachael Ray to their collection.  The Madame Tussauds website says this about the new exhibit: “Join Rachael inside a replica of the colorful kitchen from her very own Rachael Ray set. Be sure to open the refrigerator and test your knowledge on a touch screen monitor for fun facts and Rachaelisms. Pose next to the figure and see what it feels like to be in Rachael’s on-air kitchen. Be sure to pick up a recipe for Rachael’s Madame Tussauds Wafflewiches – a twist on the traditional Monte Cristo ‘sammie.’”  Click the image below to see more photos.

 

 

Is it me or does her wax figure look nothing like her?  When I first saw it I thought I was looking at Christina Aguilera.  The wax figures in the museum usually bear a striking resemblance to their real life counterparts, but it seems like this wax figure of Ray Ray is an idealized version of her.  I almost hate to say it, but her wax figure looks pretty hot.  Naturally I have plans to stop by Madame Tussauds soon so I can snap a picture of me choking her wax figure.  Just kidding!  Maybe…

 

*misterbelly 

Posted Mar 28, 2007 by misterbelly | 2 Comments | Share It

Filed under: rachael ray

Bottoms Up Kids!

Disney, a trusted brand in children’s media, is branching out into the beverage industry and getting into hot water in the process. The entertainment giant has been accused of acting irresponsibly by creating a champagne-style drink for children titled “PartyFizz,” which is currently only available in the UK.  The PartyFizz beverage is designed to simulate champagne in every way seemingly possible, except for the alcohol of course.  The bottle is shaped exactly like a champagne bottle, and comes complete with gold fold wrapper, cork, wire tie and bubbles.  Health campaigners have zeroed in on the product because they are concerned it will promote alcoholism, which is similar to the way parents felt about candy cigarettes glamorizing smoking in the 1980s.  There are currently no plans to pull PartyFizz off any shelves in the UK. 

 

 

I’m becoming really concerned for our society lately.  It seems that people are unwilling to take responsibility for raising their children and are increasingly relying on the government to dictate what is wrong and right.  The simple fact of the matter is that you shouldn’t buy products you don’t want your child to have.  What do you think?  Is Disney promoting underage drinking or are people getting worked up over nothing? 

 

 

*misterbelly

 

Posted Mar 27, 2007 by misterbelly | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: disney libations

Intoxicating Ice Cream

If you thought the ice cream industry peaked at Rum Raisin, think again!  Mercer's Ice Cream has created 3 new “adults only” flavors guaranteed to whet your appetite during those warm, lazy summer months.  The new flavors - Ala Port Wine, Peachy White Zinfandel and Red Raspberry Chardonnay – are each made with wine and have an alcohol content of 5 percent.  One pint of the ice cream contains the equivalent of one glass of wine, which means it cannot be sold to minors.  The ice cream will be available at some restaurants in the New York area very soon.  Retail stores, where wine is sold, have also expressed interest in having the ice cream in stock.  The company is looking into developing beer flavored ice creams next!  If hard liquor is more your style check out ‘Not Eating Out In New York’ for a Bourbon Sugar Cookie Crunch ice cream recipe.

*misterbelly 

Posted Mar 27, 2007 by misterbelly | 1 Comment | Share It

Filed under: ice cream wine

The Starbucks Machine

Starbucks has just teamed up with PepsiCo in an effort to expand its empire.  The new partnership will allow Starbucks to expand their hot coffee offerings to the world by the use of vending machines.  The vending machines will be located in places where having a full service store is not feasible, such as train station platforms and universities. 

 

Starbucks and PepsiCo researched common complaints related to hot beverage vending machines and developed a new approach to hot coffee vending. With a simple swipe of a payment card (or with cash), a high-quality, hot latte or hot cocoa is served up in a ready-to-drink package in less than a minute. Utilizing proprietary packaging, each hot beverage will come in a convenient 9-fluid-ounce recyclable steel can with an insulating label, designed to keep the beverage warm, enjoyable, and still comfortable to the touch.

 

Hot beverage offerings will include Caffe Latte, Vanilla Latte, Caffe Mocha, Caffe Mocha Light, and Hot Cocoa. Each vender will allow customers to pay with cash, their Starbucks Card or with a major credit card.

 

Wow, this really takes the hassle of trying to decide which one of the five Starbucks locations in my neighborhood I should go to.  I mean why stop there?  They should just stock all of their stores with the vending machines instead of having baristas, especially since they switched over to having automated espresso makers in most of their stores anyway.   

 

*misterbelly

 

 

 

 

Posted Mar 26, 2007 by misterbelly | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: coffee starbucks

Is Bigger Better?

Living in New York you get used to a few things: crowded subways, convenience and small portions.  The trend as of late has been skewing towards tapas-style restaurants, where you order a menagerie of small plates to enjoy with your date or friends.  This “small plates” trend brought to mind a debate that is currently occurring in the casual dining world regarding portion size. 

 

Many causal dining restaurants are currently facing a huge dilemma regarding trimming portion size in their restaurants.  Consumers are demanding a change in portion size, yet they are reluctant to actually follow through.  Restaurants note that when consumers are presented with smaller portions or healthier options they often do not order those options.  The general feeling among consumers is that they are getting a better value for their dollar by being served a larger portion. 

 

Some casual dining restaurants like Friday’s have already implemented smaller portions and are worried that the backlash from consumers will negatively impact their efforts. Friday’s has dubbed their trimmed down offerings as “Right Size” portions and serves them on red plates to disguise the fact that they are smaller than the original.

 

I think its fine to offer larger plates to those who want it, but maybe it would be wiser for restaurants to offer larger portions off the menu, rather than placing them directly next to smaller portion options.  I think the restaurants will find that more people will be receptive to smaller portions then they are letting on.  What do you think?  Is bigger better or do good things really come in small packages? 

 

*misterbelly

 

Click here for more information.   

Posted Mar 26, 2007 by misterbelly | 1 Comment | Share It

Filed under: food health restaurants

Featured Blog: Chocolate & Zucchini

I love food, and if there is anything I love more than food, it’s reading about food.  There are a plethora of fantastic, informative food blogs and websites out there for your enjoyment.  I want to share that world with all of you, which is why I’ve decided to have a Featured Blog entry here on Yummr.  You can stop in and find out about blogs/food websites that get the MisterBelly seal of approval. 

 

The very first blog we chose to feature is Chocolate& Zucchini.  C&Z is one of the most popular food blogs on the internet.  It was started in 2003 by Clotilde Dusoulier, a 27-year-old Parisian woman who lives in Montmartre, France.  Clotilde mainly blogs about cooking, but you can also find various other food-related content including product reviews, recipes, restaurant experiences and more.   

 

I love the blog because of her focus on cooking.  The dishes she prepares are inventive, beautiful and they look absolutely tasty.  There are plenty of recipes available on the website in case you want to try your hand at any of the dishes, plus she also has a cookbook coming out in May of this year!

 

Do you have any blogs that you want to share with everyone else? Send them to me in a PM and I’ll check them out to see if they are a contender for Featured Blog. 

 

*misterbelly

Posted Mar 23, 2007 by misterbelly | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: featured blog websites

Mmm Rachael Ray

I don't want to scare anyone, but I  have a video of Rachael Ray that I really need to share with all of you. I know I should just let it go and not give her any more face time on Yummr, but I can't.  It's not just a video of Rachael Ray either...it's a video montage.  It's like Rachael Ray to 50th power, making that "mmm" noise that she does on every episode of every TV show she is on.  You know what? Sometimes food can taste good without you having to close your eyes and feign some sort of life altering change occuring in your mouth. 

 

Anyway...here it is.  Leave a comment.  I need to know it's going to be ok. 

 

 

 

*misterbelly 

Posted Mar 23, 2007 by misterbelly | 5 Comments | Share It

Filed under: rachael ray

Tara Reid Opens Ketchup

Tara Reid, best known for being tabloid fodder and maybe acting in a movie or two, is opening her very own fast food joint called Ketchup.  The restaurant is located in Los Angeles and apparently just opened last night.  Eater L.A. went to opening night and had this to say about the new upscale fast food venture, “We're almost ashamed to say it, but we kinda like the place.”  Apparently Ms. Reid is a stakeholder in several other restaurants in the Los Angeles area including Geisha House.  Who knew?  You can check out the menu, but all you'll find is a bunch of overpriced comfort food.  

 

It’s a little late but I found a job listing on Craigslist for Ketchup, which claims Ketchup will “recast the tired, boring and predictable typical American grill as something young, vital and completely new.”  If they say so.

 

Click the picture below to see more photos of the new eaterie. 

 

 

 

*misterbelly 

Posted Mar 22, 2007 by misterbelly | 1 Comment | Share It

Filed under: celebrity los angeles restaurants