Zorba The Greek: February 2006

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Ricky Martin Must Never Be Allowed To Attend The Olympics Ever Again

I'm sitting here watching the closing ceremonies of the Torino Olympics, and out comes none other than Ricky Martin. He proceeds to sing not one but two songs, and worse than usual I might add. What is up, Torino? Why are you obsessed with bad latin disco when your country has produced so much good music?

Ricky better not come to Vancouver in 2010. We need to start the letter writing campaign to the Vancouver Olympic Committee now.

Food

Here's a post that will link to posts I've written than have to do with food. I'll link to it from the home page, and update it as I write more.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Seattle

Here's a post that will link to posts I've written than have to do with Seattle. I'll link to it from the home page, and update it as I write more.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Water + Juice Box = ... Water!

Do your kids have problems drinking enough water? Well, why don't you get some Wateroos! It's water...but it's in a juice box! Your kids won't know the difference! And for the smart ones that notice something's off, there's apple-flavored water.

I love the site's pitch: "No sugar, no sweeteners, no artificial ingredients...". They go on and on about the wonders of water (which is pretty wondrous, I agree). But all they're really selling is the packaging.

What gives? Why not just fill a juice cup with water and go with that? Why is a cartoon penguin and a wax paper box that compelling?

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Cafe Metropolitain

Seattle's got a new cafe/dinner/dessert/beer/wine spot on Capitol Hill: Cafe Metropolitain. Situated on the first floor of the Villa Marjorie apartment building, I was at first worried about its proximity to B&O Espresso. Two coffee and dessert places practically across the street from each other? Can we stand for such a thing? Fortunately, a visit to the Cafe this evening assuaged my fears: Metropolitain has a very different feel and menu, and fills a different niche on the Hill that should be compatible with other night nosh spots like B&O, Dilettante, and Cafe Septieme.

The first thing that strikes you when you enter the Cafe is its interior decor. It feels as if you're in a kitschy version of a French street, with a bar, cafe, wine shop, house, and square. Fake doors and windows line one wall, fake gas lamps line another, and fake trees and flowers make it feel like you're out of doors. Despite the falsehoods, the look works quite well, or at least it did in the low light at night.

Cafe Metropolitain's menu isn't extravagant. They have a handful of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, and desserts. Four of their eight-page menu is devoted to alcohol, with a nice selection of beer and wine and some unexpected touches (Lindeman's Framboise lambic ale on tap!). The food and dessert selection spans enough tastes to please most. Sandwiches and appetizers for the day time, and dessert and alcohol for the evening. Add to that free Wi-Fi and the Cafe very much encourages you to chill out with a laptop or with your friends on one of their comfy red couches or next to their indoor fountain.

Cafe Metropolitain hasn't been open for very long, but they seem to be running smoothly and are drawing a fair crowd. I expect them to settle into a rhythm and then start experimenting with some additional food and beverage offerings.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Free Music!*

*Mostly classical, mostly public domain

In case you weren't aware, Mozart turned 250 a few weeks ago. Salzburg, if not all of Austria or Europe for that matter, has been throwing a lot of festivals, symphonies, and parties for the occasion. And, a Danish web site is offering nine Mozart symphonies for free.

Prefer other composers? Wikipedia's Sound List has a list of public domain music, most of which is classical, in .OGG format (there are converters out there if you want MP3).

What other public domain music have people found?

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Lousy T-Shirt

I recently visited LousyTshirt.com. I was expecting a great web site. A web site with fresh content. A site with an interesting perspective on life, and articles and commentary to prove it. A discussion forum to converse on the day's events, even.

Instead, all I got was an image of a shirt I could buy. A shirt that says "I went to lousytshirt.com and all I got was this lousy T-shirt!".

Oh well, at least you can wear it.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Guinness Mid-Strength

Looks like Guinness is toying with the black stuff, and testing out a "mid-strength" version with 2.8 percent alcohol. The press release claims people participating in blind taste-tests typically couldn't distinguish between the regular stuff versus the mid-grade.

Still, I do hope this doesn't become a trend, with "lite" or even "alcohol free" versions coming out. Sure, there's a market for those. But is nothing holy from the pursuit of watered-down, low-carb, low-alcohol craze?

And, the question remains: will Guinness Mid-Strength still give you strength?

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Starbucks Punts Chantico Chocolate Drink

Starbucks has decided to discontinue its rich, hot chocolate product entitled Chantico. The reason for the flop, according to the coffee chain, is lack of options to customize the drink.

“It was something that customers did like, but they wanted to be able to do something else with it,” [company spokesperson Alan] Hilowitz said. “We wanted to go back and give customers what they are looking for.”

The article continues, stating that Starbucks is investigating other chocolate beverage offerings. I have to wonder, though: if the reason for discontinuing is the lack of customization, wouldn't it be cheaper to investigate ways of adding those options to the drink, versus scrapping the whole thing? Or is this just an attempt to save face when deciding to stop producing a poor-selling product?

I'm not a Starbucks fan, and I like Chantico. Yes, it's rich and perhaps too sweet, and no, it's not like the hot chocolate you can get in Mexico, but it was a fairly acceptable way to get a chocolate kick in drink form.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Google Print Ads

Google has opened the bidding on placing advertisements in magazines. Anyone with an AdWords account can bid for placements in mags like Car and Driver, Dwell, and Martha Stewart Living. I'd be interested to know what the end bids looks like for ads in these publications. And, what sort of policies are in place to prevent someone from, say, advertising about beef in a veggie mag?

Once I submit my ad, is it guaranteed to run?

No. After your ad is submitted, it is subject to review by Google as well as the publisher. Once we receive confirmation that your ad will run, we'll notify you by email. Of course, we'll let you know if your ad is rejected for any reason, and our production specialists will work with you to try to resolve any issues.

Aww...no fun!

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Guacamolito!

If you watch SNL, you probably have seen the fake commercial from Taco Town featuring an ever-growing monster of a food. It includes layers of taco, beans, cheese, a crepe, a pizza, a pancake, and, oh yes, there's more.

Sarah Gilbert over at Slashfood recently wrote that she'd try to make one of these "pizza crepe taco pancake chilibags". Then, she charted out her shopping list for this endeavor.

Wow. Can you imagine actually cooking that? I'd love to see that during an Iron Chef America show.

Pass the guacamolito sauce!

Sunday, February 05, 2006

I'm Addicted To Cupcake Royale

Seattle's into offering people things that are popular when they were kids. We have kickball, lots of parks, and skating rinks. We also have something that appeals to the foody in us all: add to the list the joy that is Cupcake Royale.

Cupcake Royale is a coffee shop and cupcake bakery in Ballard. The store is centrally located on Market street and offers an open and brightly lit space (not to mention a warm and cozy atmosphere for these cold winter months). And, quite simply, they offer some of the best cupcakes I've ever had.

Royale offers several varieties of cupcakes, including yellow cake, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, and frostings with flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, orange, lavender. And of course there's sprinkles. Lots of sprinkles.

Why am I so excited about friggin cupcakes? Because they're excellent, that's why. The cake is light and flavorful, but not too sweet. The frosting is creamy and rich, and pairs with the cake perfectly. Best of all, the size is just right for a small (but rich) dessert; no need to order a gigantic slice of German Chocolate Cake to get a sugar fix here.

We now go out of our way to drive to Ballard to grab a couple of cupcakes. I think I need a frequent buyer's club of sorts. A delivery service would be better. No, scratch that; that would be dangerous.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Movie Reviews

Here's a post that will link to the movie reviews I've written. I'll link to it from the home page, and update it as I write more.

Seattle International Film Festival 2006

Seattle International Film Festival 2005

One Sign That You're Out Of Touch With Pop Culture

Hey, Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow split up...

...wait, they were together?

(hey, at least I didn't say "who are they?").