Snapshot: Wine cocktails
Bellinis and sangria, the classic wine-based cocktails, are finally getting some competition. Mixologists like Alex Ott, who masterminded the drink list at New York’s Hudson River Café, are shaking up the bar scene with creative new “winetails.” “Wine is attractive,” says Ott, “because of its flavor and aromatic undertones, plus its capacity to blend well with just about any ingredients.”
Creating a dessert drinks menu
When it comes to increasing check averages, after-dinner beverage offerings are sweet. Liquid desserts generally have higher profit margins than plated desserts.
When you take three Iron Chefs out of Kitchen Stadium and place them before a live audience of avid listeners, they are very willing to forget their TV rivalry and battle scars. That was quite evident when Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Jose Garces traded quips on a Times Talk panel during the TV Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival on October 9.
A very cool idea this week from a startup service that both helps customers eat less and feeds the needy. McDonald’s Australia has an idea to surprise would-be Hamburglars. And in New York City the unthinkable happens: Chinese takeout… changes. It’s the first sign of the apocalypse in this installment of The Week in Ideas.