Sadly, I nailed it on the head with a prediction on Twitter.  Why did I have to be correct!?

Watch out, Nostradamus. South Bay Foodies for the win!

When given the opportunity to get an ice cold bottle of tea for $1, only 75% of people interacting with the unmanned store paid.

I made my guess based on Angelenos and their stereotypical mentality of “what can you do for me?”.  With a mind like that, you’re more likely to take than give.  Sad!

With this score, LA falls into last place compared to ALL of the other cities put to the test including Boston (93%), New York (89%), and Chicago (78%).

I am glad, though, that at least 75% of the folks taking tea shelled out 100 pennies for each bottle they took.  Watch the video below to get more info on this project!

In addition to being free, the wi-fi access is slated to be easy:  no user names or passwords will be needed.  To make the deal even sweeter, access is unlimited.  Unlike their previous 2-hour limit for paid wi-fi access, the only limit on your espresso-fueled web surfing is the charge in your net book’s battery.

Starbucks has also teamed up with Yahoo to provide custom content on their network.  You’ll only be able to access the exclusive content from inside a Starbucks.  That is, until someone retweets it!

Seth Kunin, pouring a taste of Pape Star at Cafe Pierre during the Winemaker Social in May.

Last month, Seth Kunin of Kunin Wines kicked off the monthly series with tastes of Pape Star — a “light, vivid red” — and other wines from the Kunin library. Tasters were invited to ask questions to learn more about the wine making process and the care put into the craft.

Tonight’s winemaker is Fred Brander of Brander Vineyard. He’ll be pouring a selection of his world-class Sauvignon Blanc wines and small-batch handcrafted Bordeaux-style wines.

Cafe Pierre Winemaker Social

Thursday, June 3, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
$20 per person. Includes wine and appetizers.

317 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310.545.5252
http://www.cafepierre.com

I put out a call for taste buds to my friends Kelvin, Margaret, and Annalise, and the sweetest GF ever Nicole.  Little did they know I was enlisting them to taste some Honest Tea and give me their honest opinions.

Similar to the PomX Tea taste test I did not too long, this would also be a blind taste test with the tasters not knowing anything about the beverage.

With a selection of two teas and two “ades” in hand — some provided by Honest Tea and a couple bottles purchased by me at Ralph’s —  I gathered the tasters in a secluded El Segundo conference room and recorded their opinions.  For reference, the teas are true teas and the “ades” are more like a fruit punch.  Let’s go!

#1 Orange Mango with Mangosteen Honest Ade

Margaret — Yum!  Its sweet but sweeter in the beginning.  Is this peach?

Kelvin —  This is good.  Its mango or something.  I wish it had a little more flavor.  It seems Gatorade-ish.

Nicole — I like it!

Annalise – Note: Annalise didn’t get to try this one because Nicole took the rest of the bottle!

#2 Honey Green Tea

Margaret — This tastes like a traditional tea.  I would drink it.

Kelvin — This is a greeen tea…with some kinda fruit.

Nicole — This dosen’t smell as good as #1.  It has something in the back of the throat.  Some “yuck”.

Annalise — I don’t like the after taste…it taste like “diet” something.  Is this peach?

#3 Peach White Tea

Margaret — It’s OK but I’d drink this quickly.

Kelvin — Hmmmmmm.  This is not good.  Taste like it took on the flavor of the bottle.  It tastes sort of “plasticky”.  How long did you have this before you served it to us? Note:  I had the bottle for just a couple days before serving it to the panel of tasters.  It was also well within the expiration date.

Nicole — No comment. Note:  Really, she said “No comment”.

Annalise — Hmmmm.  OK this is a peach tea.  Better than #2 but really sweet.

#4 Pomegranate Blue Honest Ade

Margaret — GRAPE! This taste a bit more than “just a tad sweet”.  But its good!

Kelvin — This is refreshing.

Nicole — Tastes like communion wine (Note: grape juice!) but without the sweetness.

Annalise — Tastes like grape juice.  Its a little sweet but its better than the others.

Wrapping Up

Wow!  Once again, tastes and opinions were all over the place.  But that just goes to show, ask four people’s opinion and you’ll get four different answers.  That might explain the guesses on peach flavor that were all over the place!

The other thing we discussed were the calories and price.  The tasters that were taking a closer look at their caloric intake — no names! — were pleased with the calorie count for the beverages.  The Honest Ades topped out at a waist-line-friendly 100 calories for a whole bottle (2 servings) while the teas were 85 calories or less for the same amount.

The tasters were a little surprised at the price per bottle, though, when I told them the bottles retailed for about $2.50 at Ralph’s.  However, I bought them on sale for $1 each.  I’ll have to check Whole Foods to comparison shop because the last time I checked there, Honest Teas were going for around $1.50.  I also found out later that Honest Tea offers coupons online.

As for taste, the Ades captured the popular vote.  In the end the clear winner was the grape-forward flavor of the Pomegranate Blue Honest Ade.  All of us agreed that this was one of the best out of the four we tried.  And with a nod from Nicole, the second best in show went to the Orange Mango Ade.

For more information including coupons and nutritional information, check out Honest Tea’s website, http://www.honesttea.com.

The Pomegranate Tea Line-Up.

Oddly enough, Nicole and I had just been talking about the health benefits of pomegranate just a couple days before so coming across the sale was well timed.

To make things interesting, I covered up the four bottles I bought for a blind taste test.  Here’s how it went down:

#1 Pomegranate Wildberry White Tea (Light Tea)

Michael — Definitely a berry flavor but dry in my opinion. Could use a bit more sweetness.
Nicole — It’s OK. Was that a berry flavor?

#2 Pomegranate Hibiscus Green Tea (Light Tea)

Michael — Very light but in a good way. Very refreshing. Almost like a lemonade.
Nicole — Tastes like funk! Plus it has a skunky after taste.

#3 Pomegranate Peach Passion White Tea

Michael — Peach! Smells leafy but the peach flavor seems artificial. I enjoyed the leafy after taste though.
Nicole — This smells worse than #2. Is this Peach? Give me more of #1.

#4 Pomegranate Blackberry Tea

Michael — Full bodied and strong. Almost has a peppery undertone to it. Sweeter than the others but only slightly so. This one’s my favorite.
Nicole — Smells better than #2 and #3. I like this one the best.

Clearly our tastes varied throughout the test but we both agreed on the Blackberry Tea in the end.

For just $40, diners will enjoy a four course meal paired with beers from Stone Brewing.  As always, space is limited in the cozy wine bar where they hold these events so get your RSVP in today!  RSVP by email to kyle.thornton@wholefoods.com or by calling 310-333-1900.

THE MENU

First course
Jalapeno and Crab Wonton Purse w/Leeks and Plum Wine Drizzle served with Stone Pale Ale

Photo Credit

This Sunday, March 14, Hudson House Bar is celebrating its first anniversary with a party just for you.  All you have to do is eat, drink, and be merry.

Known to many as one of the best gastropubs in the South Bay, the Redondo Beach venue  will be celebrating one year of operation with free drinks — Guests will be able to choose from a complimentary Hudson Ale or Blood Orange Chinaco Tequila Cocktail — and free bar snacks.

The celebration takes place on Sunday from 4 PM to closing time.

Hudson House

www.hudsonhousebar.com

514 North Pacific Coast Highway
Redondo Beach, CA 90277-2103
(310) 798-9183

Photo credit: Hudson House Bar

The folks at Whole Foods are at it again with a great deal for diners interested in gourmet foods and well crafted beverages, offered at a reasonable price.

This Sunday, February 28, Whole Foods at Plaza El Segundo will be serving a select beer from Ballast Point Brewery with each course of a a four course meal.

Based in San Diego, Ballast Point Brewery has been making craft beers since 1992.  They have consistently won awards locally and internationally for their quality brews.

For just $40/person, Whole Foods is lining up the following menu to compliment beers from Ballast Point:

1st course
Yellowtail teriyaki with sesame-peanut slaw
Paired with Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale

2nd course
Scallop and bacon pot pie with Seaside English Cheddar
Paired with Ballast Point Amber Ale

3rd course
Coffee rubbed filet of beef with wild mushroom ragout and Borough Market Stilton
Paired with Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter

Dessert Course
Pumpkin and orange crème caramel
Paired with Ballast Point Wahoo Wheat Beer

For reservations, contact Whole Foods at Plaza Elsegundo by email at sppchmarketing@wholefoods.com or call 310-333-1900.

Four Course Beer Dinner at Whole Foods Market, Plaza El Segundo

Sunday, February 28th at 6pm

760 South Sepulveda Boulevard
El Segundo, CA 90245-4717
310-333-1900

[photo courtesy of Speaking Of Beer]

Fortunately, I was asked to sample a recipe featuring Cabo Wabo tequila.  Honestly, I’d never heard of it before but was interested in sampling a premium tequila with a funky name.

Always Bet On Dark

Cabo Wabo comes in four varities, three of which were an option for me: Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo.  I won’t give you a lesson in tequila classification; I’ll just say these names mean white, rested, and aged.  Being a fan of dark liquor I went with the Anejo.  I was in for a present surprise.

The Cabo Wabo Anejo is incredibly smooth.  I mean sipping smooth.  I had a recipe to follow but wanting to get familiar with the liquor, I needed to taste a few samples of course.  I was impressed with the spicy, rich bouquet and the pleasantly warm taste.  I could almost substitute this tequila for whisky.  No salt or chaser is needed with this tequila.

But back to the recipe…

So after getting a feel for the liquor, I moved on to the recipe called Midnight Kick.  The recipe very simply pairs the flavors of orange and cinnamon with the vanilla undertones of the anejo for a tasty result.  I’d never thought of rimming a glass with cinnamon!

Midnight Kick

2 oz. Cabo Añejo Tequila

Orange Slice

Powdered Cinnamon

Wet the rim of a chilled shot glass with the orange slice. Then rim the shot glass with powdered cinnamon on a plate. Be careful not to turn the glass right side up until it has been rimmed. The orange liquid will drip otherwise. Shake the Cabo Tequila with ice in a shaker and strain into the chilled shot glass. Slam the shot and then bite into the orange slice to finish.

I made a few modifications to the recipe — using a lime instead of an orange, sipping instead of slamming — and the experience was just as I’d hoped; warming, comforting, relaxing.  I can now say that hot chocolate and cider have some stiff competition!

Coca-Cola has a new outfit: this refreshing beverage is now being served in a chic aluminum bottle that’s designed to keep your beverage cool 15% longer…and make you look cool while sipping it.

On November 17, Hotel Erwin held an exclusive tasting at its swanky HIGH Lounge, and we were front and center to scope the scene and sample the goods. This rooftop party presented Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, cocktail creations, tasty appetizers, and festive giveaways…all with a view of the Venice Beach area and beyond!

For cocktails, Coca-Cola proved to be a versatile mixer, and it tasted great combined with rum, vodka, and tequila. Everyone got to pick a Coca-Cola beverage — Classic, Diet, or Zero — and have it mixed to create:

· Coca-Libre – Rum, grenadine, and red sugar

· Lemon Chilled – Vodka and lemonade

· Zero Gravity – Tequila and fresh lime juice

The only complaint issued regarding the cocktails?  People couldn’t indulge in more (except for those who had a ride home of course).

It turns out Coke can also complement food.  It was added to the ketchup to give it a flavorsome kick, creating the perfect dipping sauce for corndogs.  It was impossible to eat just one of these mini-delights. Coke was also added to a meatball sauce, and once again…delicious! Tuna tartare (with an avocado sauce) was another appetizer offering, and the vegetarian option consisted of caprese on a wonton. Yum and yum!

The food and drinks were enjoyed on the hotel’s rooftop lounge that was equipped with comfy and modern couches, heating lamps, and an amazing view of the sparkling water and city. Everyone enjoyed a ‘Coca-Cola high’ up at the HIGH lounge!