The Culinary Scoop

Largest-of-Its-Kind Program Provides up to 10,000 Free Round-Trip Lyft Rides Every Weekend and on Select Holidays through Dec. 31

Budweiser today announced the bold next step in its Give A Damn campaign, together with safe ride partner Lyft. Given the success of last year’s pilot program — during which Budweiser delivered more than 35,000 rides home across six states plus Washington, D.C. — the brand will expand the 2017 campaign to offer 150,000 round-trip rides across nine states plus Washington, D.C. to help people get to and from their nights out.

The largest-ever safe rides effort from a beer company, Give A Damn aims to make a strong statement against drunk driving and celebrate people who embrace Budweiser’s responsible drinking message: “Give A Damn. Don’t Drive Drunk.” Throughout the 15-week campaign, Budweiser and Lyft will offer 10,000 round-trip rides every weekend and on select holidays, when people need them most.

Continue reading →

Imagine a space where you can taste and learn about world-class wines, tuck into a delicious meal, and purchase your newly discovered bottles to take home—all in one place. Welcome to Compline Wine Bar, Restaurant and Merchant, which will celebrate its grand opening—and ambitious concept—on September 10, 2017 at 1300 First Street #312 in the hot Downtown Napa neighborhood. Latin for the “completion of the working day,” Compline (pronounced Comp-LYN) is poised to be Napa’s premiere wine gathering spot for tourists, locals and wine professionals alike.

“We wanted to create someplace we wanted to go—a laid-back place to drink cool wines,” says co-owner and former Charlie Trotter wine director Ryan Stetins, who hatched the idea for Compline three years ago with co-owner and fellow Napa resident, Master Sommelier Matt Stamp, formerly of the French Laundry. “As we refined the concept, Compline evolved into what it is today: A restaurant and wine bar, bottle shop, and center for wine education. But the part about drinking kick ass-wines in a beautiful space? That’s never changed.”

Stamp and Stetins have a distinct vision for Compline: Unfussy and convivial, with a smart crowd and plenty of flowing wine that celebrates Napa Valley and beyond. “Our wine bar list has plenty of local finds, as well as a generous collection of other domestic and international bottles,” says Stamp. The comprehensive selection extends to Compline’s retail shelves, where most bottles are priced between $15-$30, and can be enjoyed in the wine bar for a small corkage fee. “Our retail is really designed for both locals and visitors hunting for new finds, new grapes, and new experiences beyond our little corner of the world,” says Stamp.

Continue reading →

You’ve heard the old adage, “You are what you eat” — meaning, our bodies are made up of the things we consume (good, bad and ugly). But new research has discovered that what we eat and drink may have a significant impact on how our genes are regulated.

In a new study published in the journal “Nutrients,” scientists from USANA discovered the chemical signatures found on DNA (termed DNA methylation) were different in subjects who consumed whole fruit versus 100 percent fruit juice. These distinct signatures are linked to different cell-signaling pathways and immune cell functions, suggesting that whole fruit and juice may not confer the same health benefits and should not be thought of as nutritionally equivalent.

Continue reading →

Vineyard rocks absorb water like a sponge; a novice wine drinker’s eyes widen as she tastes the difference between two California Chardonnays guided by a pair of sommeliers; a winemaker describes wine as the elixir that brings people together. Wine Institute’s new video series, “California Wines: Behind the Glass,” conveys the appeal of the regions, climates, grapes and people that come together to make California wine. The short films are set with backdrops of the Golden State’s iconic and aspirational landscapes.

“California Wine Month,” the first in the 23-part video series, debuts Sept. 6 on Instagram before rolling out across social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and going live on www.DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com  A new video will be posted every week with the final video, “Road Trip,” wrapping up the series on Feb. 7, 2018.  The videos travel the length of California’s 800 miles of coastline, climb the mountains to consider fog and microclimates, capture sustainable winegrowing practices in action and reflect on California’s winemaking culture with its tradition of experimentation and innovation.

California produces 85 percent of U.S. wine and is the number one U.S. state for wine and food tourism with dozens of distinct wine regions, 138 American Viticultural Areas and 4,700 wineries. The Californiaindustry generates 786,000 jobs in the U.S. and attracts 24 million tourist visits to the state’s wine regions each year.

By Wilbert Jones

Recently, Bon Appetit Magazine named Chicago, Restaurant City of the Year. Long before this windy city became home to some of the best chefs in world, the food, beverage and decorative businesses hosted their signature trade shows in Chicago for decades. Annually, well over 100,000 attendees and exhibitors come to the International Home + Housewares Show, National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, National Confectioners Association Sweets & Snacks Expo and the Global Cold Chain Expo.

This year, the International Home + Housewares (www.housewares.org), had over 1,000 exhibitors offering the newest home and kitchen products. A host of celebrity chefs demonstrated their newest line of cookware, food preparation products, dining and entertaining goods.

Michigan-based KitchenAid (www.kitchenaid) showcased its new Cold Brew Coffee Maker. Croatia manufacturer, Soing (www.soing.net), introduced to the market a new metal plate protector for irons called Iron Shoe. It doesn’t burn, scorch or shine and designed universally to fit over all irons.

The 98^th Annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel -Motel Show registered over 68,000 food and beverage professionals. Trends noted included Street Food inspired dishes, house-made charcuterie, ethnic-inspired breakfast sandwiches, and ethnic spices such as Moroccan Harissa, Reginal Indian Curry and South African Peri Peri.

Continue reading →