Archives for September 2009

Drinkless in Salt Lake City

September 11, 2009 By

So, I’m in Salt Lake City for a conference (nice town by the way).  It’s my first stay in Salt Lake City and I’m here for two days, working hard and playing…very little.  As I picked up my registration packet upon arriving at the venue, the beautiful Grand America, I immediately noticed some interesting information about alcohol consumption I should be aware of as an attendee of the conference.

1)      Alcohol beverage service in a licensed restaurant requires that:

  • You order food with your drink (can you say side of chips and salsa with after-dinner drinks?)
  • Your beverage be delivered to your table or at a counter by a waiter
  • You consume your drink at or near your table or counter

2)      Limitation on number of drinks:

  • Each attendee may have no more than one spirituous liquor drink before the patron at one time (more on this in a bit)
  • Other than spirituous liquor, attendee may have no more than two alcoholic beverages at any time before them (sic)

What??!  If you’re a road warrior like me and attend tons of conferences, you know that the ‘reward’ at the end of the day is a visit to the nearest bar to commiserate about the long hours with some of your cohorts.  These limitations put a serious damper on the evening fun (nice town by the way).

Took an associate to dinner last night and we both ordered a well-deserved round of Stellas prior to our meal.  I also ordered a decent glass of California Cabernet to enjoy with my steak.  When the waiter brought my wine, he actually waited for me to drink my last swallow of beer prior to pouring my wine.  State law!  The poor guy actually said to me, as he was holding back the wine, “you’re not from Utah, are you?” and went into a well-practiced apology about not being able to put down the wine before he could pick the beer glass (nice town by the way).

And I thought my home-state of New Jersey was off by not letting me LEGALLY order wine online from a non-NJ vendor.  More to come from my next conference in LAS VEGAS, where I don’t think my blog entry name will be “Drinkless in Las Vegas”.

Filed Under: Culinary Travel Tales

Casual Indian food at its best at Cinnamon in Morris Plains

September 7, 2009 By

Incredible!  One word that describes the aroma as patrons enter Cinnamon Indian Restaurant in Morris Plains, NJ.  The vibrant smell of cloves, cardamom, and yes, cinnamon, permeates the air at this casual restaurant in Morris County to the delight of Indian food fanatics.

First, the staff is friendly, helpful and willing to educate Indian food newbies about the ingredients making up each dish and about the extensive menu.

Cinnamon offers both an a la carte menu and a buffet for either lunch or dinner.  Many diners opt for the buffet as it offers a chance to experience multiple dishes they might have not otherwise had an opportunity to sample.

The buffet features various salads, dips and yogurt sauces, flatbreads, rice and hot dishes.  The chef’s special basmati rice is utterly perfect and serves as the ideal accompaniment to the assortment of sauce-based dishes.  Some stellar dishes are the matter paneer, tender peas and homemade cottage cheese in a spectacular curry sauce, the chicken tikka masala, a popular Indian dish of chicken baked in a spiced tomato and onion gravy and the favorite, tandoori chicken, cooked in a traditional clay oven. Melt-in-your-mouth naan, a white flour bread baked in a tadoor oven is brought to the table for diners to enjoy as they begin their meals.

Cinnamon is a BYOB, but the restaurant offers incredible lassi drinks that are perfect paired with the ultra flavorful dishes.  The restaurant offers catering and take out.

Overall great food, friendly staff and an economical way to sample excellent Indian cuisine in a casual atmosphere.

Cinnamon Indian Restaurant

2920 State Route 10 West (Powder Mill Plaza West)

Morris Plains, NJ 07950

973-734-0040

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Wine-Around-the-World Party

September 7, 2009 By

Enjoy sampling a variety of wines? Like trying an array of different foods? Hosting a wine-around-the-world party could be the answer.

I try to host two such parties every year: one in the Summer and one in the Winter.  The concept is simple: 1) Put together a small group of friends who enjoy wine and food  2) Send an invitation (email is appropriate) where you ask each person, or couple, to select a favorite country  3) Request that each person, or couple, bring a dish and a bottle of wine from that country!

This concept is great fun for all and allows each guest to feel like he/she has contributed to the party and in the sharing of the costs.  It’s essential that you let the guests know that you’ll be preparing the entree so that everyone can bring appetizers, sides or desserts.  It is after all your party, so the main dish should come from you.  Another idea is to host an hors-d’oeuvres party where all the dishes are served tapas-style.

Before the guests arrive, arrange small tent-cards at various areas around the dining space with country-appropriate placemats or tablecloths, creating ‘dining stations’ .  As guests arrive, have them write the name of the dish and selected country on their designated place card along with main ingredients (important for folks with allergies).  I like to display each country in a separate area, sometimes featuring a small flag from that country so it’s easy for guests to recognize what ‘country’ they’re sampling from when they visit a specific station.

I’ve invested in decent party glasses so that each country offers a clean glass, but an inexpensive way to do this is to visit a dollar store where you can purchase glasses economically.  I enjoy featuring different kinds of glasses based on the country: elegant stemmed glass for France, short water glass for Italy, etc…I place these party glasses in a plastic bin that I can store in the attic or garage until the next party.

Hosting a Summer and a Winter wine-around-the-world party commits me to have friends over at least twice a year in this fun atmosphere and to showcase both lighter fares in the Summer and heartier ones in the Winter.

I urge you to try a wine-around-the-world party, it’s great fun and offers an interactive way for guests to relate to each other.  Just do it!

Filed Under: Other Neat Things Tagged With: , , , , ,

Periyali for good Greek food in an intimate Manhattan setting

September 3, 2009 By

Periyali is intimate with its white-draped ceiling, white painted walls and casual tables and chairs. It’s reminiscent of Greece in its looks, the fresh ingredients it uses and the casual demeanor of its staff. The restaurant features French doors at its entrance which can be opened to let some of the patrons dine al fresco.

The food is prepared simply using the freshePeriyali's lamb shankst of ingredients. Guests are greeted with an amuse-bouche as they are seated. It’s a take on bruschetta, but with a Greek spin: tart feta cheese and just-off-the-vine chopped tomatoes on crispy toast with just the perfect amount of Greek olive oil. The freshness of the bite hints to the well-prepared meal to come.

Starters are of generous proportions, and some winners are the grilled octopus (five perfectly cooked large tentacles), the house-made sausages, known as Keftedakis, the grilled oyster mushrooms and the stuffed roasted tomato.

Recommended entrees are the melt-in-your-mouth lamb shank over orzo, the veal with wild mushroom sauce, the charcoal grilled filet mignon shish kebob and any of the uber-fresh fish dishes. Especially well prepared is the bronzini, which is often a featured dish.

The wine list is sizeable and unless diners are well-versed on the many Greek wines featured at Periyali, they should request assistance from the knowledgeable staff.  The wait staff is also helpful while considering the many menu options and is attentive while not being overwhelming.

Periyali is a quaint space with spot-on food and service.

35 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
Tel. (212) 463-7890

Lunch: Monday-Friday          12PM to 3PM
Dinner: Monday-Thursday   5PM to 11PM
Friday-Saturday:                       5:30PM to 11:30PM
Sunday:                                          5PM to 10PM

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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