Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Dallas: The Quarter

Posted: February 13, 2014 in Uncategorized
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You know the saying, “Everything’s bigger in Texas?” Well, not EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas… the Bloody Marys in Milwaukee definitely have those in the Lone Star state beat!

My first stop was The Quarter Bar & Grill in Addison.

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Mix: Zing Zang, with some extra kick thrown in.

Chaser: No (spoiler alert—none of the Dallas bars offered a chaser)

Fixin’s: Two olives, two beans

Price:$?

From the looks of the establishment alone (and the fact that they don’t have a smoking ban in Texas), I wasn’t expecting much, but my friend and I each ordered a Bloody Mary, requesting it spicy and that’s what we got. We were pleasantly surprised at just how tasty these Bloody Marys were–so tasty, in fact, that we ordered a second round.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to get to The Quarter, but if you find yourself nearby and thirsty, definitely give it a go.

Cafe Hollander (Again)

Posted: February 13, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Last Friday, I visited Cafe Hollander in Wauwatosa again. 

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This time, I had the Frenchie and the Traditional. You can read my original Cafe Hollander post here. 

Cheers!

 

Loving Don Cheadle’s Style

Posted: February 10, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Actor Don Cheadle was spotted enjoying a Bloody during a round of golf recently…a man after our own hearts! Here’s the link.

Ubon’s BBQ Bloody Mary Mix

Posted: February 6, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Thanks to Ubon’s Barbeque for sending me two bottles of Bloody Mary mix to review!

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Between going “out for bloodies” and my travel schedule, it’s been a while since I made them at home; however, I hosted family and friends for the Super Bowl this past weekend and put it to the test, along with another mix I reviewed in a separate post. Read on.

To keep the test pure, I sampled Ubon’s BBQ mixed with an unflavored Skyy Vodka and added Celery, Olives, Cheese, Asparagus, Lemon & Lime, and a Shrimp as fixin’s.

According to their website, the Ubon’s BBQ Bloody Mary Mix concept was first developed by Legendary PitMaster Garry Roark, in Yazoo City, MS, approximately 20+ years ago as a way for Garry to extend hospitality to  BBQ Friends & Family at BBQ competitions & events. Over the years, it has become somewhat of an institution and based on overwhelming support from its devotees, UBONS has recently decided to bring this product to the marketplace.

Ubon’s is available in regular and “hot n’ spicy” varieties and is sold online in 2- and 6-packs of their 1 Liter 36-oz glass bottles. According to the site, it is all natural, gluten-free and fat free. “The UBONS BBQ Bloody Mary mix incorporates traditional bloody mary flavors with bits of garlic & onion flake, celery seed, cayenne and flavors of our 5th generation, World Championship UBONS Sauce, which is a Memphis style, and, of course, the flavors of fresh dill pickles. With all of these wonderfully complimentary ingredients, UBONS BBQ Bloody Mary Mix has a complex flavor profile that evolves with each sip from Sweet-2-Heat.”

The verdict: I LOVED this mix, but then again, I love all types of condiments, like ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce… and this mix definitely tasted like BBQ sauce. It was extremely thick (that just means you have to use extra vodka to thin it out!) and very sweet. It is probably going to be polarizing for some people, but it definitely appealed to me.

Other folks’ comments:

“I was surprised how much the BBQ flavor came through…  If was going to have a full-fledged BBQ Mary, then I’d use that mix. But if you’re looking for more of a traditional bloody Mary, it may be too strong.”

“To sweet and thick for my taste.”

Thanks again to the good folks at Ubon’s BBQ for the samples!

Cheers!

Camaronazo Bloody Mary Mix

Posted: February 6, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Thanks to Camaronazo for sending me two bottles of Bloody Mary mix to review!

Between going “out for bloodies” and my travel schedule, it’s been a while since I made them at home; however, I hosted family and friends for the Super Bowl this past weekend and put it to the test, along with another mix I reviewed in a separate post. Read on.

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There are many tomato juice-clam cocktails in the market but Camaronazo, according to its website, is “a unique, first of its kind, shrimp tomato juice which caters to our consumer’s taste preference for shrimp (“camaron”) over clam.”

Growing in popularity in both the U.S. and Latin America (the brand says it is becoming a leader among Hispanic consumers), Camaronazo can be enjoyed on its own, or used as a food base complement in many Hispanic dishes, such as shrimp cocktails, ceviche and micheladas.

The mix is offered in 3 sizes – 64oz, 32oz and 16.1 oz – and two flavors – regular and spicy.

At this particular party, we only tried the regular mix.

To keep the test pure, I sampled Camaronazo mixed with an unflavored Skyy Vodka and added Celery, Olives, Cheese, Lemon & Lime, and a Shrimp (naturally) as fixin’s.

The verdict: The overall flavor of this mix was very good and extremely fresh… however, we agreed that we really could not detect a shrimp flavor and that there really wasn’t a hint of seafood-ness about it.

Perhaps the spicy mix will fare differently? Only time will tell–we’ll be sure to follow up and let you know.

Thanks again to the good folks at Camaronazo for the samples!

Cheers!

Stir Crazy

Posted: February 5, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Last weekend, I visited Stir Crazy in Brookfield, Wisconsin for dinner.

This was not my first time at this restaurant (it is a chain), but it was my first time ordering a Bloody Mary here. 

Mix: Unknown

Chaser: Yes, I chose Kirin Ichiban

Fixin’s: Two olives, two lemons

Price:$Unknown

This Bloody Mary had nice flavor to it, but unfortunately, my taste was soured by an unfortunate incident–our server accidentally spilled a glass of wine on my sweater. Of course, the wine was red and my sweater was a lovely cream color.

Obviously, the server did not do this on purpose and was very apologetic. A manager quickly stopped by and offered to take care of the dry cleaning bill. The round of drinks was on the house. 

However, by this time, it was too late. Our dinner was off and running to a poor start, compounded later that night by a disappointing movie. But that’s neither here nor there.

The Bloody Mary itself was very good, especially considering the circumstances and the fact that it was from an Asian Grill chain where one would not be anticipating anything special.

I might not be going back to Stir Crazy anytime soon, but if you find yourself there, rest assured that the Bloody Mary isn’t bad. Just maybe wear a bib.

Posted: January 30, 2014 in Uncategorized
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I couldn’t be more excited about these earrings from Charms of Wonderland that I found on Etsy! Can’t wait to wear them this weekend a I drink bloodies during the Big Game. Thanks to one of our Twitter followers who tipped me off to these lovely pieces of art!

Algonquin Hotel

Posted: January 20, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Our last Bloody Mary was had at the historic Algonquin Hotel, a New York—and literary—landmark.

From literary gatherings and cabaret singers to the creation of the New Yorker magazine, many movers and shakers have graced the halls of the hotel for over 100 years (it opened in 1902). 

Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. John Barrymore. Gertrude Stein. SImone de Beauvoir. Helen Hayes. Erica Jones. Maya Angelou. Sinclar Lewis. Derek Walcott. William Faulkner. They’ve all added to the mystique that is the Algonquin.

Throw in a Round Table and a resident cat and you’ve got a spot which just radiates with creative energies.

We sat in the Algonquin Lobby (there is also a Blue Bar and Round Table Restaurant). Here, I indulged in my most expensive drink of the trip—a $20 Bloody Mary.

Mix: Homemade; per the menu: Svedka, tomato juice, lemon juice, worcestershire and tobasco

Chaser: No (spoiler alert—none of the NYC bars offered a chaser)

Fixin’s: Three olives, two lemons, celery

Price:$20

This Bloody Mary had decent flavor, but definitely wasn’t worth the price; however, I knew I was paying more for the atmosphere (and maybe Matilda’s litter and food?) than anything else. 

But that’s okay, that’s one of the things you do when you’re in New York. Besides, the company was excellent. Next time I’m here (and there will be a next time), I’ll try a signature cocktail, like the Matilda.

Joe Allen

Posted: January 20, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Before taking in an amazing performance of Once the Musical we dined at Joe Allen, a Broadway staple since 1965.

I had a Bloody Mary with dinner (shocker, I know). Pictured below is the drink, along with the front of the restaurant’s menu, a map of the theatre district.

Joe Allen is very cool place with (again) a great vibe, and great food. Their Bloody Mary, however, left something to be desired:

Mix: Homemade.

Chaser: No (spoiler alert—none of the NYC bars offered a chaser)

Fixin’s: Two olives, one lime

Price:$unknown

This is a great place to go before or after a show, but choose another drink and you won’t be disappointed!

Tony Di Napoli

Posted: January 20, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Looking for good late night dining, we headed to Tony Di Napoli in Times Square, a great family-style Italian restaurant.

The portions were humongous— I shared a pasta dish with a friend and when we both could not stomach another bite, it looked like we hadn’t even touched the platter.

Of course, I ordered a Bloody Mary. (When in Rome! I mean, Times Square!)

The stats:

Mix: Homemade.

Chaser: No (spoiler alert—none of the NYC bars offered a chaser)

Fixin’s: One olive, one lemon

Price:$10

This Bloody wasn’t anything special, pretty standard, even compared to some other New York Bloodies. Go here with a group for some great food, but order wine with your meal instead.

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