A Solid Super Bowl Plan

See here for 'the greatest snack food stadium ever built.'

Mobile blog - Holeman & Finch burger

Has this always been a double burger? Fantastic!

Mobile blog - the $100 BBQ sandwich

Behold the $100 BBQ sandwich at Martin's BBQ - seared cold-smoked foie gras, kurobuta pork, white truffle oil, balsamic, and champagne (of beers). We didn't actually get to try this one - they apparently sell out as soon as they go on the menu.

Bacon And Bourbon Expo - Astor Center

If this event wasn't made for us, I don't know what is...

American Food Writing

Spotted while pursuing the cookbook isle at a local book shop… an impressive anthology! Food writer Molly O'Neill has compiled culinary history spanning the past 250 years. Just a few essays included are Henry David Thoreau on watermelon, Herman Melville with a chapter on clam chowder, H. L. Mencken on the hot dog, and William Styron on Southern fried chicken. It also includes recipes!

Testing the mobile blog...

If this works, it means more fascinating cell phone shots of what
we're eating...keep your fingers crossed. These were from Sublime Doughnuts - check their MySpace page - it features comments such as, "I like your doughnuts. You need to break out them strawberries."

The McRib Locator

I know more than one respected chef (they shall remain nameless) who get pretty excited when the McRib makes one of its periodic appearances...to them I submit The McRib Locator.

More Great Tennessee Stuff

Need more proof that Tennessee is the bomb? Check out The Smoke House in Monteagle, TN. I'm a sucker for typefaces that 'look like stuff' - bags of ice with icicles hanging off the letters are a personal favorite. And you can't go wrong with a nice 'log' typeface:

Plate of chicken livers:

One of the weirder things I've seen: they've stuck the Louvin Brothers museum in a corner of the restaurant - I picked up a nice Charlie Louvin record for a dollar (on yellow vinyl!):

Oh, and if you're traveling on to Nashville, stop at what's become one of our must-visit places - Martin's BBQ, in Nolensville. The 'redneck taco:'

Say it isn't So -- Domino Mag to Go?

Condé Nast to Fold Domino: March Issue Will Be Shelter Mag's Last

And another shelter magazine bites the dust. Condé Nast is folding Domino, the young "Shopping Magazine for Your Home" launched in April of 2005. The magazine recently broke the news of Michael Smith's appointment as White House decorator and just yesterday was Twittering about cute headboard options, but this morning, staffers were notified that the magazine is no more. A final March issue will be published, and the Domino website will be shuttered.

"This decision to cease publication of the magazine and its website is driven entirely by the economy," said Conde Nast president and CEO Charles Townsend in a statement issued today. "Although readership and advertising response was encouraging in the early years, we have concluded that this economic market will not support our business expectations." As we told you last Friday, while circulation has been up at Domino, advertising pages have fallen and the magazine has lost nearly $40 million over the past three-and-a-half years. Earlier this month, Condé Nast appointed William Wackermann as Domino's senior vice president and publishing director.

Unagi-Tastic

Where's the best eel in Atlanta? The airport. I had this ridiculously delicious unagi yesterday at One Flew South, in the international concourse. Next time you're flying, get there early.

Marketing to the Millennial Generation

The largest generation in the history of the United States recently entered the workplace, The Millennial Generation. The Millennial Generation, coined the “millennials,” were born between 1982 and 2002. Said to have a larger impact on the planet than the Boomers, the Millennials should be on the top 10 list of target demographic s for any solid marketing or public relations plan.
What does the average Millennial look like? They are multi-cultural, jacked up on technology and savvy with new devices, brand conscious and most important they seem to have been born with an innate B.S. reader. Since the media has been in their lives from the get-go, they are saturated with content and driven by humor and relevance.
For marketers to keep up with this ahead-of –the-game generation the key is to make your product or service relevant, evolve your current marketing practices and define your brand’s points of difference. With so many choices for every decision you have to truly stand out to be heard by the Millennials.

Brian Niccol, CMO of Pizza Hut, comments in Marketing News on building brand trust with consumers….

“In today’s environment, the brands that will win are the ones that build trust and put consumers’ minds at ease by providing choice reassurance. Nobody wants to feel or believe they wasted a buck in these uncertain times. How do you do this? Affordable relevant differentiation!”

I can’t agree more. Simplify in the consumers' minds your brand as a good bang for their buck, an affordable product but not cheap. Be consistent in performance, delivery, and what you market as your brand. If you stick to your brand and your promise, consumers will select your brand today and in the future.

Food Photos - Aria - Atlanta, GA

Photos from a recent shoot at Aria:

Pantone Selects Color of the Year for 2009: PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa

So this is a little tardy...this release came out in December...but seeing as how our new First Lady sported the color for the Inauguration, and I am thinking about painting our bedroom AGAIN, this seemed like a reasonable post:

Pantone Selects Color of the Year for 2009: PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa
Mimosa Embodies Hopefulness and Reassurance in a Climate of Change

Pantone, the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 14-0848 Mimosa, a warm, engaging yellow, as the color of the year for 2009. In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.

"The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."

Best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the Mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. Mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. Look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue.

El Rey De Taco - Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA

One of the best fish tacos I've had in a long time:

A decent beef cheek taco:

And the huitlacoche (corn fungus) quesadilla:

Thank God for Dan Latham, The Meat Fairy

Jeff posted earlier that we had a visit from the Meat Fairy, Dan Latham.

Salty, syrupy, sticky, pork belly goodness was on my desk when I arrived one day.

We cooked it slow. We sipped sweet tea. We went through a roll of paper towels.

We are in love. Thank you God for Dan Latham.

A New Social Network for Wine Lovers…

Visit http://vinvillage.com/ and you will find a plethora of wine events, blogs, links, social groups, products, and more. The great thing is that it’s local and national. It’s a recent website, so don’t be discouraged if your state doesn’t have “villages” listed yet. My personal favorite is the wine, recipe, and cheese pairing section--- complete with online links to purchase from their food & wine partners.

Design - The Mercantile

The Mercantile, a specialty grocer, has finally opened in Atlanta - we were happy to design their identity:

Austin Signs

A few of the cooler signs we've spotted in Austin recently:

Green Olive Perks

What's great about our job? The fact that you can walk in to the office and someone's left a big slab of pork belly on your desk.

Hooray For Hatch Show Print

See below for the posters we had letterpressed by the good people at Hatch Show Print for our fantastic design client, Collared Greens:

Polaroid Rescued!

An Austrian businessman, Florian Kaps, purchased the Polaroid factory in Amsterdam. An effort called The Impossible Project, Kaps is working with photography company Ilfort to develop new (old school) Polaroid film, which will reportedly hit retail under the Impossible label by December.

Hurry, take the cameras off EBAY!

Good News For Beer Geeks

Chefs such as Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Eric Ripert are hopping on the beer bandwagon:

Cochon 555

We love Patrick Martins -- and Heritage Foods...from the Heritage Foods Newsletter today:

COCHON 555
New York, January 25

COCHON 555 is the only heritage pig and chef competition in the U.S. The event is a premier culinary showcase of 5 chefs, 5 pigs and 5 winemakers in a friendly competition for a cause. On January 25th at 4pm, a group of top New York City chefs (Ladner, Kave, Hellen, Clampffer and Cuevas) will each prepare a heritage breed hog from head to toe at the Hiro Ballroom. The event is raising awareness for Farms for City Kids, a unique educational program combining classroom study with first-hand farming experience.

List Price:$125
Your Price:$100
(promo code: baconbits)

The participating wineries include: Miura Vineyards, Pax Wine Cellars, Bonny Doon, Channing Daughters, Vina Sastre. Chef and Judges beer sponsor: Dogfish Head Beer. VIP Guests will enjoy reserve wines from Meander, Kosta Browne, Shane, Slaughterhouse, Hill Family Estate and Auteur with over 150 pounds of artisan cheese.

The judges include: Joshua Ozersky, Lesley Townsend, Patrick Martins, Chris McBride, Benjamin Wallace, Christopher Papagni, Steven Rinella, Emmanuel Kemiji, Heather Hyman, Isabella Wojcik, Matthew Jennings, Carlo Mirarchi, Burke Owens, Brandon Hoy, Hunter Boon, Chris Parachini, Rolando Robledo, Matthew Jennings and Christine Quinlan.

Advertising Takes a New Form in Video Games

With an evolving population of online and video gamers—not the old fashioned, computer nerd or shy teenager, but now the interactive, ahead of the curve , social generation—marketing takes on a new medium. Target market: males, 18-34.

"For years, marketers have aligned themselves with sports to get to those males, he says. More recently they've moved into music and entertainment. These were things millions of young men could relate to; gaming now represents the same thing…The gamer demographic is especially attractive to marketers in the quick-service space because of gamers' on-the-go lifestyle, aversion to cooking at home, and affinity for cheap, fast eats. To that end, KFC has also established a presence inside the Guitar Hero universe. When players choose the game's Times Square background, KFC ads appear on the jumbotron screens; when the venue takes a fraternity house theme, there are KFC buckets on the pool table.” For the entire story visit.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/exclusives/1208/video_games.phtml?microsite=bytopic_marketing


And on another note…for those of you who missed the NY Times Today and are looking for a job in this economy…

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Position: island caretaker. Duties: lazing around the Great Barrier Reef for six months. Salary: $100,000.
It sounds too good to be true, but the position is real. Calling it the “best job in the world,” Australian tourism officials say they are seeking someone to spend six months relaxing on Hamilton Island, part of the country’s Whitsunday Islands, while promoting the destination on a blog….the employee will be required to stroll the island’s white sand beaches, snorkel, maybe take a dip in the pool — and post photographs and videos of the experience on a weekly blog.

Anthropologie Craft Workshops!!!!!!!

Fellow Crafters ( & Eaters):

Oh my gosh while reading the Trend Central Newspaper this morning, I almost choked on my fried chicken (courtesy of the fine folks at Star Provisions) when this jumped out at me:

What: Anthropologie recently launched free in store “reinvention” (aka craft) workshops in select stores nationwide.

From Anthropologie: “We wanted to share something really personal, which is our creative side, on a one-on-one level,” said Anthropologie’s chief merchandising officer, Wendy Wurtzburger. "...Anthropologie will debut a special series of craft workshops that will tug at customers’ heartstrings, as well as those of their family and friends. Given the current state of the economy, customers will be thrilled to discover how extraordinary and meaningful a hand-crafted, remade gift can be. They will find that their work possesses more of their true self and sentiment and helps to convey crucial messages regarding the needs for reinvention and reuse from economic to environmental."

I am putting down my Orange Crush right now and calling the Lenox Store.


-- Elizabeth

Lunch At JOEL

The beef burger, available on the lunch menu at JOEL:

The Tiny Kitchen

Recently debuted on the New York Times website is a video blog called The Tiny Kitchen. New York Times recipe tester Jill Santopietro demonstrates how she makes do in her petite 11-square-foot kitchen. What's interesting about the Tiny Kitchen is the host and NYT's ability to edit. Good editing is a given in the design and PR world, but what we forget is that it is just as important in the kitchen and in our lifestyles as a whole. We hear, 'smaller footprint' from environmental advocates, 'recession savings' from economists, but in a way it's all just recognizing and embracing good editing.

See here:

And the debut from November:

Tom The Butcher

See below for a couple of choice articles about Tom Mylan, hysterical butcher for Brooklyn's Marlow & Sons:

Grub Street

Strong Buzz

Tom The Butcher Blog

Bacon Of The Month - January

Vande Rose Farms Applewood Smoked Bacon. Made from heritage Duroc hogs. Grateful Palate says: "Lovely appearance, exquisite balance, remarkable meat. All this needs is a fork and knife. One of the best bacons ever! Taste and balance are tremendous. It all starts with with a great pig, man."

Cajun Squirrel Chips

If anybody in England is reading this, can you send us a bag?

A Quick Trip To East Tennessee

First stop: 4 Way Lunch, in Cartersville, GA. The burger is a recipe for disaster - a pre-cooked patty, slapped on a cold bun and topped with cold American cheese, but they somehow make it work. Bonus points for only having about eight seats in the place.























When driving through Madisonville, TN, a stop at the smokiest place on earth is mandatory:

























One of the greatest things about east Tennessee is the convenience store Weigel's. Not only for the 'Jug O' Milk,' but also the corn dogs. Its always a crapshoot as to whether or not you'll get a fresh one, but this was spot-on:












Various salumi from Sean Brock, bacon and prosciutto (salty!) from Allan Benton, and beer from Tyler Brown:











What to do with all that grease from the bacon? Make gravy.

If You Fail to Plan...Plan to Fail...

Jeff and I have a modest garden in our backyard (see earlier post about my Silver Queen Corn disaster). Every year on Good Friday, I plant my garden...pretty basic stuff. Until last year I hadn't really thought too much about where my seeds came from...I selected the prettiest packaging from Pike's, Lowe's, Hoe Depot -- I had no brand loyalty when it came to seeds.

This January, I am under the influence of my good friend Chef Sean Brock, the kind folks at Anson Mills (shout out to Catherine), and of course my family of farmers who saved seeds out of sheer economic necessity in Greenwood and Marianna, Florida.

I am so happy to check the mail around this time of year because the box is filled with seed catalogs! My new go-to source for heritage seeds will be the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog. It combines my love of great design and more importantly, respect for the traditional ways of doing things:

Heirloom Seeds
"Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company's 2009 catalog offers 1275 unique heirloom varieties.
We only offer open-pollinated seeds: pure, natural and non-GMO! We offer heirloom seeds from 70 countries, including many that we collected ourselves. Started in 1998 by Jere Gettle, as a means to preserve rare seeds."

Other sources of inspiration:

Heirloom Seedsmen
"The online museum of heirloom seed companies!
Our new site about the history of the seed industry and the people behind it. Learn what seed companies in the 1800s said about heirloom varieties, read historic catalogs and magazines, and more, on the site dedicated to the history of heirloom seeds and gardening." www.HeirloomSeedsmen.com

The Heirloom Gardener
The magazine for heritage gardeners!
"Now entering its 7th year, The Heirloom Gardener features America's foremost garden writers, who write on topics like seed saving, garden history, gene-altered foods, organic growing and more." www.TheHeirloomGardener.com

Happy Gardening!!!

Cookbooks for the Scrapbook Lover

Looking for a creative and organized solution to a cluttered box of index cards, papers, magazine clippings, and hand written recipes? Tastebook.com has a unique and crafty solution with their personalized cookbooks. Upload photos and roam the internet for your favorite recipes to include in your hardcover, spiral-bound cookbook complete with colored tabs and a funky cover ($25 for 20 recipes & $35 for 100).

Green Olive Is Reading Up on Culture

Culture, The Word On Cheese, debuted recently and celebrates all things cheese. Not just another gourmet magazine, this one pays homage to the shift in consumer choices by combining luxury with a back-to-the-farm approach. For those who want to eat well, eat local, and know where their food comes from, cheese is a great choice. Besides, it's cheese and we love our cheese. See culturecheesemag.com.

Meat!

First up, today's haul included this incredible bresaola from our pals over at Star Provisions. Funky & sweet:












Next, just a plug for one of our favorite magazines of late - Meatpaper:


















And finally, Weird Meat.