Save The Taco Trucks Of Los Angeles

Go here to get more info and sign the petition: saveourtacotrucks.org

Endangered Foods

Endangered Foods: We recently covered the trend of adventure or "extreme" eating , and it now seems that eating strange and unusual plants and animals might actually prove to be a positive environmental experience; at least, that's what Gary Paul Nabhan thinks. His new book, Renewing America's Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods, is four years' worth of traveling, research, and collaborations with chefs, foodies, farmers, and a variety of food-centric organizations. Ninety-three "ingredients", and recipes along with them, are covered, some known (the Buckeye chicken), some completely unknown (Ny'pa, a salt grass). While we may not be familiar with the seemingly strange foods now, all were once prevalent in American kitchens, and many feel that if we start demanding them in our menus, we may be able to save them.

Found on my daily Trend Central Newsletter

http://www.intelg.com/ -- These guys issue the Trend Central Newsletter that we are obsessed with…

A Week of Lunches at Green Olive

It's no secret that when we moved into a new office last year, one of our main requirements was that it be in close proximity to Nuevo Laredo Cantina. Here's just a small sample of some of our other nearby go-to lunch spots:

Carver's, for fried chicken and catfish:

Kool Korners, for Cuban sandwiches:

Silver Skillet, for southern breakfast staples:

Woody's, for cheesesteaks:

Nuevo Laredo, for the #1 Combo:

And of course, The Varsity, for pimento burgers and chili dogs:

Green Olive Wins 2008 Horizon Interactive Awards

For the fourth year in a row, we've received Horizon Interactive Awards for our web design work - this year we received five awards for our design of the Comfort, Five and Ten, Repast, Local 11 Ten, and Green Olive Media websites. Congratulations to Designers Alvin Diec and Meggan Talley.

Alabama Studio Weekend

This year's Alabama Studio Weekend was filled with great music, gorgeous clothing, delicious food, Kodak moments, crazy signage and cows.

At Billy Reid's

Alabama Chanin Studio

GAS Studio rooftop

Party at GAS Studio

Riverside Restaurant: serving giant $2 bacon burgers at 1 a.m.

Donut Man at the Donut Shoppe

Virginia

Up in various parts of Virginia, eating well. Spent some time with Ryan and Travis at Rappahannock River Oysters, and dare I say it, their Olde Salts may be even better than our beloved Apalachicolas. Also stopped by the Hot Dog King in Newport News for a chili dog, and then it was on to Comfort's second location in Portsmouth, for an unbelievable plate of Edwards of Surry County ham - pork so good, it's second only to our man Allan Benton. We also had a plate of 'schnitzel bites' at some German joint, caught Spoon in Norfolk, and ended up at the Do Nut Dinette for a scrapple and egg sandwich.

Bacon Of The Month Club - April

This month's shipment from the Bacon Of The Month club came today - a pound of J. Samuel Whiting Hickory Bacon, from Pennsylvania. According to the Grateful Palate:
"Sweet aroma, thin and crunchy. Perfect balance like a fine cut diamond. Sweet and powerful, almost fruity. Addictive, soft, lush, judicious use of fat and sublimely balanced. AWESOME and hedonistic. Very unique, sweet, yet savory bacon. Kids love all bacon, but they will especially love this bacon made by J. Samuel Whiting Meats in Pennsylvania."

Bon Appetit, Y'all

Congratulations to design client Virginia Willis on the publication of her new book, Bon Appetit, Y'all!

A Trip to Nu-Way Weiners - Macon, GA

Managed to find a few minutes on a recent trip to Savannah to stop at Nu-Way Weiners in Macon. Delicious Cincinnati-style chili on top of neon-red dogs (I ate the chili dog before stopping just long enough to get a picture of the mustard dog below):

Package Design

A cool self-promo piece designed for JCT by our very own Meggan Talley:

Blue Plate Grand Opening

Last night was the grand opening of Blue Plate in Sandy Springs, GA. See below for the sliders and gouda fritters:

Cakes & Ale Opens

Congrats to Cakes & Ale in Decatur, GA on a successful 'friends and family' opening night - official opening is on Thursday - here's a preview of our graphic work for the restaurant - a full overview to come.

Congrats to Green Olive Media Clients -- 2008 Beard Award Nominees

We are so proud of our clients who were nominated for the

2008 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards!

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sean Brock
McCrady's, Charleston, SC


BEST CHEF: SOUTHEAST (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Hugh Acheson
Five and Ten
Athens, GA

Linton Hopkins
Restaurant Eugene
Atlanta

For a complete list, view: http://www.jbfawards.com/content/2008-nominees

Just Eggs

A nice photo from a recent photoshoot at JCT - eggs with Benton's ham...

Top Chef Fantasy League - Let The Games Begin!

Courtesy of a fabulous BLOG we follow in Richmond, VA (also home to one of our favorite clients / friends Chef Jason Alley of Comfort Restaurant), we bring you a brilliantly time sucking new game-- The Top Chef Fantasy League.

Of course, we make no bones about our favorite contestant...Chef Richard Blais. He is a client yes, so we have a certain obligation there -- BUT we also are fortunate enough to call this guy our pal which makes its extra special that he is kicking ass in Chicago this season.

Tune In and Play Hard --

Check out the inventors of the Top Chef Fantasy League:

http://stickyricefan.com/2008/03/10/429/

The Rules:

1. You and your friends form and name your team

2. Select 6 chefs to make up your team.

3. Email your name, contact info, teams’ name, and your picks to johnnyy71@mac.com.. No later then Wednesday by 6pm.

Your 6 chefs will gain points each episode (point sheet below.) Your chefs could also be eliminated each week. You will keep all points earned, even. if your chefs are eliminated. The winner of the fantasy league is based on overall points.

Every Thursday the stats will be posted with each chefs points, and team standings. You don’t have to watch the show but it’s more fun if you do!

Points are earned in a number of different ways. Just like in Fantasy Football, points are gained for great performance and lost for fumbling mistakes. When each of your chosen chefs achieves one of these honors/dishonors, points are awarded/taken away from your team:

POINTS:

One of your chefs…

…wins the Elimination challenge 10pts

…ends up in the top 3 5pts

…wins the “Quick Fire” challenge 5pts

…gets praise from Padma 3pts

…gets praise from Tom 2pts

…gets praise from the Guest Chef 2pts

…ends up in the bottom 3 of the “Quick Fire” -5pts

…ends up in the bottom 3 of the Elimination Challenge -5pts

….goes to the hospital -3pts

…drops a pot or pan -3pts

...cuts him/herself -1pt

…gets sick -1pt

…gets in a fight -1pt

…starts a fire -1pt

…drops a plate -1pt

Nobody likes a...

Witness the power of the mini burgers at Ron's Restaurant*. So delicious, even Helene -- GOM alumna and self-proclaimed vegetarian -- couldn't resist.

*What die-hard fan Will Moore calls the sliders at Food 101: Morningside (Exec. Chef Ron Eyester)

Launch of Top Chef Website / Premiere Tonight

We've launched the Richard Blais website, just in time for the premiere of the new season of Top Chef, featuring Richard. Good luck...

This Week's Beers

Picked up a couple of new beers from Green's today - Rogue's Morimoto Soba Ale, which, as expected, was quite buckwheaty, and Pinkus Organic Hefeweizen, which is my new favorite wheat. Start stocking up on this for summer.

Bacon Of The Month Club - March

Our friend Ben was kind enough to sign us up for the Bacon Of The Month club, and our first shipment came in today. A pound of Burgers' Pepper Country Bacon showed up at the office, and was immediately cooked & devoured. The Grateful Palate describes it as well as I can - "sweet, chewy, tantalizing interplay of pepper with sugar-cured sweetness. Great with scrambled eggs." Indeed.

Elizabeth's Birthday @ Floataway Cafe

The folks at Floataway Cafe were nice enough to make Elizabeth a birthday cake shaped like a Manolo Blahnik...as well as a whole mess of other tasty stuff: