Posts Tagged dining

The Pump Room: Star Studded Chicago Dining Landmark

Oct 22nd, 2010 Posted in food | no comment »

Long a hangout of A-list celebrities, the Pump Room Restaurant in Chicago is still ‘hopping’ in the 21st century. The restaurant, memorialized in Frank Sinatra’s classic “Chicago”, was one of the first high level restaurants to open in Chicago after the Prohibition era. The eatery has seen countless celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, John Barrymore and countless others. For a while, it’s luster faded somewhat as the dining scene in Chicago led by Charlie Trotter passed it by.

The Pump Room opened in’38 under the ownership and management of Ernie Blyfield. He took the name from an 18th century London pub favored by celebrities and nobility, including Queen Anne. The original pub got its name from the hot drinks pumped into the cocktails of its stylish clientele.

The Chicago Pump Room was a smashing success from the time it opened. It’s most desired table reserved for ‘A list’ celebrities was Booth #1, which for a time may have been the most sought after table at any dining establishment in the country. Booth #1 at various times hosted Frank Sinatra and his associates, Bogart and Bacall, Judy Garland and daughter Liza Minnelli, John Barrymore and countless others.

Blyfield died in’50, but the Pump Room continued to be the preferred Chicago destination for the biggest names in show biz. A new era of celebrities held court there including opera singer Beverly Sills, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, film producer Robert Evans, Eddie Murphy and others. A funny story involving the Pump Room began when the former drummer for a British progressive rock band was refused entry due to his lack of a jacket. The drummer would use this as inspiration for his next album–’No Jacket Required’ which has sold over– million copies worldwide and established Phil Collins as a solo superstar. After the album’s release, the Pump Room sent Collins an apology–and an appropriate jacket for him to wear on his next trip to town.

The Pump Room experienced a revitalization in the late’90’s when it was purchased by a large restaurant management group. They spent a lot of money to renovate the facility, overhaul the menu and hire a top flight staff. While the Pump Room’s golden era trade mark flaming food served on a sword was a tragedy of city fire codes, the menu is now on par with any in the city serving a sophisticated interpretation of classic American cuisine. In addition to the revamped cuisine, the Pump Room upgraded its wine offering and expanded the bar area.

The Pump Rooms stature has been maintained by current executive chef Nick Sutton. The star of the place, however, is still the almost palpable sense of history that the dining room offers. Considering that the giants of civilized culture”from Bogey all the way to the Chairman himself”have held court in that room, it is a pretty intoxicating aura. Fortunately, the Pump Room is once again worthy of such legends, and its renaissance is a victory for culinary civility in a world too often overwhelmed with Olive Gardens and Red Lobsters.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Restaurants And Foods Of Regional Canada

Jun 10th, 2010 Posted in food | no comment »

Canada is undoubtedly one of the most diverse countries in the world. Second in size only to Russia it is the largest country in North America. This size and diversity can be seen in its people, its products, and of course its food. This carries over into its restaurants and eateries. Like almost all countries, Canada has a lot of different national blends in its cuisine. Also like other countries they use their individuality to put a spin on all of the different national foods. They also have their own unique dishes.

One of the things that is prevalent in portions of Canada is a strong French influence to their cooking. It is not unusual to find a French influence in Canadian restaurants. Even with this influence you will find traditional Canadian ingredients in a lot of the French dishes.

Just like the United States, Canada had a great deal of railroad workers that were from China. These hard working people adapted their own traditional cooking to the ingredients found in abundance in the rich Canadian soil. They found ways to use the game meats and fresh vegetables in order to create their traditional dishes. This desire for their own cuisine bled over into the Canadian restaurant industry. Just like the United States Canadian adapted Chinese fast food as well as sit down eateries can be found all over the country.

There are also Canadian influenced Greek establishments in almost all the provinces of Canada. Even though there is a huge difference between ingredients the resourceful immigrants adapted them to their own cooking. This gave rise to Greek establishments as well.

There are some foods served in popular restaurants that are specific to Canada and have a decisively Canadian flair. One of these foods served in a lot of diner style eateries is poutine. If you have never heard of this dish it definitely deserves a description.

Poutine is essentially a dish with a french fry base. This of course brings to mind fast food but is far from it. The fries are then coated with a fresh cheese curd and covered in brown gravy. Other meats are sometimes added to it until it becomes a blend of whatever happens to be around. Very similar to nachos it tends to be a favorite.

There are some top eating establishments that are specific to the different regions of Canada. Of course sea food is more prevalent on the coastal areas. In the interior there are heavier game, red meat and chicken establishments. The main french food is located in Quebec. You can find any type of food anywhere in Canada it is just that some types are more prevalent in some areas.

No matter what your tastes are there is something for everyone in the rich cultural restaurants of Canada. This vast diverse country is definitely a great place to dine out when you visit. As with all countries the Canadians put their own spin on the different types and styles of dishes across the country.

Hungry for some delicious Chinese food? Then visit your local Chinese restaurants and supermarkets for tasty oriental treats and meals that will always fill your appetite!

West Coast Emptiness

Jul 25th, 2009 Posted in travel | no comment »

The West Coast is famous for many of the rare exhibits of our country. California has the coasts, Oregon and Washington have the lush forests, and even Texas can claim a home in the West with it’s circus of entertainment and adventure. However, I can’t shake the different kind of excitement that is offered by our opposing coastal friends and their culture on the East Coast.

I seem to always have found my home in the Western United States, so my exposure to the East Coast has been limited to visits there. Returning from these visits, I would always feel a loss of the certain charms I saw in the East that were vacant in my own part of the world. Maybe with great effort, we can bring some Eastern delights to our side of town.

The first delight I can think of from the East Coast would most definitely be, pizza! When I say pizza, I’m not talking about the California Kitchen and their, what I like to call, pizza chips. Nothing can beat the savory Chicago Deep Dish. Not even Domino’s.

You can’t order pizza like this anywhere you go. The East is swarming with the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth pizza that can only compare to Italy itself. If you can’t fold the pieces in half, feel it dripping down your arm, or stretch the cheese across the table, than you dare not claim any quality close to these superb East Coast pizzerias.

These perfected pies of New York City or Chicago can’t be found any place that I’ve looked, namely Utah, California, Washington, or laughably Texas. We do know though that man cannot live on pizza alone, so there are other delicacies to explore in the East. To spoil the surprise, I am also talking about food in this example as well.

There’s only one reason they call them Buffalo Wings. It has nothing to do with Buffalo, Wyoming either. What Texans have done with barbecue sauce, the East Coasters have done with the chicken wing.The delight of gnawing little bits of meat off a wing can be had almost anywhere these days, but not like the original sensation you find in Buffalo, New York. You’ll be surprised how fast you gorge through a bucketful.

I like hot wings just like the next person, especially smothered in bleu cheese, but my all time passion has got to be sandwiches. This passion was founded during my time in a place called Pittsburgh. This town has concocted the most unusual mouth watering creations ever found on a sub. The cheese steak sandwich taking the cake, with steak, cheese, coleslaw and fries — this is all on the sandwich, mind you — is a shame to miss out on.

Also, if you are a converted Reuben fan, you haven’t had the best until you come to Pittsburgh. Plus only Pittsburgh, or even the entire East holds the rights to other culinary treasures like gyros, pierogies, and pitas. You’re taking quite a risk asking anyone in California to make you something like that. It’s better not too, so they don’t get embarrassed.

Just because I live on the other side of the country, I’ve had many a craving go ungratified. However, though we miss out of certain luxuries, we hold the rights to our own fancies that would have no place on the Eastern seaboard. The East Coast holds its charms to make it the East Coast, like no other place in the world. These charms can stay where they are, and I’ll always come back to visit.

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4 Tips To Tone Arms When Eating Out

Jul 24th, 2009 Posted in health | no comment »

Restaurants are enemy number one when trying to tone arms. And eating out is an integral part of how we socialize. Thus, unless you have the ability to become a hermit, which I don’t recommend, you will eat at restaurants while trying to get rid of those flabby arms.

How? Because a restaurant’s main goal is to stuff you with so much tasty food that you are compelled to come back for more again and again. And the tasty food usually has the most calories. Unfortunate, but true.

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are a perfect example here. Found in so many restaurant items, Harvard researchers have proven that they’re lethal. Not good.

Having said the above, I do NOT recommend becoming an anti-restaurant martyr. This is simply too restrictive in this day and age. Instead, minimize, and if possible, eliminate the damage. And here are 4 strategies to tone arms even while eating out:

1. Stay away from the high-fat protein. Stick with lean sources of protein like turkey and soy products. Pork, beef, lamb, and especially hot dogs an ribs will come laden with fat. Fat that will feed your flabby arms.

2. Watch out for all the refined carbs. I know that moist and hot loaf of bread screams “eat me”, but we have more serious things to attend to. Instead, either ask that the bread not be brought out or have a salad before it arrives.

3. Avoid unhealthy salads. Is it possible for a salad to be unhealthy? Oh yes An iceberg salad (little nutritional value) drenched with dressing and crusted over with cheese can reach the 1000 calorie level. Crazy, but true. Ask for spinach or lettuce mixes, have no more than 1tbsp of cheese and ask a for a SMALL portion of dressing on the side!

4. Eat half of what’s on your plate. A full course meal at a restaurant can have an entire days worth of calories-I’m not exaggerating here. Your jiggly arm fat loves restaurant food. Request a to-go box before your meal arrives, and once it does, shove half of it in. Alternatively, you could share a plate with the person you are with.

Disclaimer: if you rarely eat out, these tips are less relevant. However, if you eat at restaurants more than once per week, then you should follow the advice in this article. You shouldn’t give up socializing when trying to tone arms! So have fun!

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Poppies Sold Here

Jul 13th, 2009 Posted in food | no comment »

How often is that seen? A number of poppies users will likely turn their heads, only to clearly read it more clearly, For Sale: Puppies.

The production and use of poppies are always controversial for many courts in a number of lands. Accordingly, users of this product who are in equal scrutiny, would readily give justifications. Listing down notes and the Legal Aspects of Poppy Pods.

Poppy pods ” having the scientific name, Papaver Somniferum, but is basically just known as poppy or poppies, are the plant’s seeds that have been historically used to generate the narcotic, Opium.

With the implications of Opium being considered as a drug, poppy pods are disapproved by a lot of countries and states. With the content of morphine, about 92%, they are commonly illegally processed chemically in order to produce heroin for illegal drug trade. Why risk the safety, and well, the people’s sanity, right?

Nonetheless, dried poppy pods have found a great use in a lot of households and businesses.

The large use of dried poppy pods make the product more difficult to find. As florists, crafter and medical companies find great use for them, it would be an amazement if one could find a legitimate and good source.

Hence the question: Is it legal to buy poppies? The answer is yes. They are legal when they are utilized for ornamental, designs and craft purposes. Because of its varying forms, shapes and sizes, it has become a favorite for crafter, thought of as rather versatile as compared to the rest of the other dry florals. Accordingly, they are also legal, when these dried poppy pods are used for the treatment of illnesses. Rather known for the negative stigma used in drug or medicinal purposes, they are created into teas and tinctures. Hence, you’ll see that people looking for this product would compose of professional florists, along with the hobbyists, and medical and pharmaceutical companies.

A lot of people also ask, is it legal to grow poppies? Yes. Private domestic cultivation in modest amount are not usually subject to legal controls. Surprisingly as well, they appear in a number of nurseries, as well as ornamentals, as they are rather popular and attractive garden plants with flowers in varying colors, forms, and sizes. However, it is note that legalities in the growing of poppy seeds, vary from place to place, as well. In countries, as United States for example, it would require to get a license, otherwise, as those in India, you’d be off free to cultivate them.

A versatile plant utilized in a wide range of situations. As government, along with science, medicine and other fields of interest would always stress out, it is always important to be knowledgeable on the distinction of the use and abuse. With this reminder, you’d find yourself out from jail, as well as insanity ” with the proper use and / or with moderation. Otherwise, you’d probably be better off with For Sale: Puppies.

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