| Smoke Out Delivery Dude for Fast Food
A knock on my door usually means one of two things: Either the Chinese food delivery man finally found my address, or my dealer wants to show off the latest Big Buddha strain he just got off some bro downtown for hella cheap. But unless Hermes is also sporting bloodshot eyes, I feel rude answering the door with a cloud billowing out of my living room. Smoking etiquette requires a sesh with my dealer for sure, but every time I'm handed my Kung Pao chicken, I wonder if a Trainwreck spliff would trounce my measly tip. Once in a while, some mad dasher from Domino's will give my roomies and me a "Smells good in here" or a "Looks like I got here just in time." I used to just neglect the small talk for what it was worth, but I've come to understand how easy it is to include your meal ticket into the rotation.
A foodie road trip: Victoria's burgeoning specialty food shops ...
When I first moved to Victoria from Toronto 14 years ago, what I missed most, beyond going to Blue Jays' games, was the city's ethnic neighbourhoods and the specialty food shops they contained. Over the years that longing has been sated by an ever-growing group of entrepreneurs who want to offer Victorians a taste of the world. Below are short profiles of 17 such establishments that I recently visited -- there are more, but I couldn't fit them all in. On a day off, use the map, take a spin and discover what a tasty place Victoria is to live in. Eric Akis's columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday. The author of the Everyone Can Cook series of books can be reached at ericakis@shaw.ca 1. Seven Valleys Fine Food and Deli, 2506 Douglas St. This well-established store is aptly named; it's packed with Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and European foods that could have easily come from seven valleys or more.
Barbacoa grows with fresh spin
Even though a large Mexican fast-food chain is advertising barbacoa-style beef as a new item, Barbacoa is an old favorite for many diners in the Salt Lake Valley.
The word "barbacoa" is used to describe slowly cooked meat. It is also the origin of the word barbecue. At Barbacoa Mexican Grill, a restaurant soon to have five locations in the valley, it is a recipe for fresh, healthy food with a kick.
"We are a little bit different, and we're proud to be different," said Tyson Cichos, president of the restaurant chain. "We have an active clientele who like their food fresh with lots of variety."
Since starting out in Holladay in 1998, the restaurant has attracted a loyal fan base. Company officials' commitment to thoroughly marinated and slow-cooked meats has allowed it to expand.
Iowa City, Mexico
A neon sign flashes the word open alongside a multitude of advertisements in fluorescent bubble letters. Upon entering the first set of glass doors I have two choices - to the right there is a grocery store and to the left a restaurant. I go right.
The smooth cadence of Spanish coaxes me through the aisles of the small store. I am in Mexico - or the closest thing Iowa City has to offer.
The Legaspi family moved their small Mexican grocery store, La Reyna, from Columbus Junction, Iowa, to their 1937 Keokuk St. location nearly two years ago. It was an opportunity to expand their business, and to supply the area's large Latino community with hard-to-find Mexican foodstuffs. Carmen Legaspi and her husband, Carlos, opened the adjoining restaurant just four weeks ago.
Fast Food Chains Pull Calorie Data
New York diners curious to know how many calories are packed into the hamburger they just bought from White Castle or Wendy's are out of luck. The two popular fast food restaurant chains pulled posters listing calorie counts for menu items from the walls of their New York City restaurants and thus will avoid having to comply with a new mandate approved by the Board of Health that will affect thousands of New York restaurants. The rule, which goes into effect July 1, will require about 10% of city restaurants to post calorie counts beside food items listed on their menus. The measure affects mostly chain and fast food restaurants, but only those providing calorie information to customers on or after March 1. By removing any calorie information from their New York City restaurants before the legislative deadline, Wendy's and White Castle won't be held to the same standard as other fast food restaurants in the city.
Food Network Signs Hispanic TV Star Ingrid Hoffman
Ingrid Hoffman, host of cooking and lifestyle show Delicioso on Univision and contributor to Univision's Despierta America, has signed a multi-year deal with the Food Network. "Ingrid has a loyal and passionate following in the Hispanic community," said Bob Tuschman, senior VP of programming and production for Food Network, in a statement. "Her love of food, flair for easy entertaining, along with her inviting personality, is sure to draw a new legion of fans to our air." .
Takeout Food Finds: La Bonne Bouche in Lake Worth, dining deals at ...
Dining facilities: Inside or outdoors on the patio with a fountain, the key word here is charm. Even when it comes to takeout with lilting French accents to accompany everything.
Service: Full-service restaurant with takeout available
Delivery: None
The Dish
Lunch translates to made-on-premises treats including pastries, breads and quiche ($7.85 for a nice, big slice with a small salad). There's also salad nicoise ($9.25), a plate of brie ready to smear on delightfully crusty French bread ($5.75) and a number of sandwiches ($5.75-$7.65) on baguette. Or, for $1 more, have your selection on a buttery croissant.
If you want to do justice to a real French baguette sandwich, have the pan bagnat ($6.95). The inside is filled with tuna chunks (no mayo), lettuce, tomatoes, thin-sliced cucumbers, julienned radishes, shredded carrots and whole tiny nicoise olives (no pits, thank goodness).
Helping you flush out the toxins
Now is the time of year when everyone's thoughts turn to getting fit and healthy. Detoxing is a buzzword often thrown about at this time of year. Polly Green, who runs the Healthy Detox clinic in Guisborough, says colonic hydration is a great way of detoxing the body. "The health benefits are it rejuvenates the colon," says Polly, from Redcar. "It stimulates the walls of the colon so that the bowel works more efficiently. "The colon is the most important organ for elimination from the body and if it's not functioning properly then it has a toxic effect on the rest of the body. .
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