Life In The Weeds

Trader Joe's

Well, Princeton finally has a Trader Joe's.

I have been to a few Trader Joe's over the years...there is really large one in NYC...some people swear by them...I was not all that impressed.

Don't get me wrong, it was nice.  Very clean (as you might imagine) and the service was great.  I thought it seemed a bit small and it does not carry any alcohol.  Apparently, they have applied for the license to carry alcohol and are waiting for approval.

As Kim and I wondered through the aisle, we both agreed that, while the food is healthy and organic, it's just not a perfectt fit for a large family.  All the products are sold in small portions and it's not cheap!

Trader Joe's seems like a great place to go when you are having a dinner party or want to spice up an evening cocktail party...it's certainly not your regular, once a week grocery store.

mj

Wine & Beer

One way to think about the consumption of wine vs. beer? 

According to a study by West Virginia University, the alcohol content of American beer is between 3%-6% and American wine is 9%-14%.

So, 12 ounces of wine has at least double the alcohol content of a single bottle of beer. Since a bottle of wine contains 26 ounces, seems to reason that a person would have to consume 5 or 6 beers to intake approximately the same amount of alcohol as someone drinking a full bottle of wine.   

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Whole Ignoramus

Do you know what a Whole Food is - not the chain of food stores, the concept whole food? I just finally learned what it is and I am a 49 year old physically fit male, who doesn't exercise or diet much because my metabolism guards my weight, who is very aware of current events and trends. Recently I began to put on some weight and looked for healthy-eating advise. 

I finally settled on one of the zillion eating habit experts. He said that I should eat mostly whole foods. Huh? I did not know that whole foods was actually a definition rather than just a trade name or a colloquialism. He said that a whole food is a natural (mostly) unprocessed and unaltered food - apple, egg, lettuce, nut and such and that it is much better to eat foods that nature has provided than processed foods. Now that is a concept that is easy to understand and keep in your mind.

Someone else explained it to me this way - Before you eat something, say like Cheese Doodles, ask this question - Would my great grandparents have considered this item food?

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

Five Guys vs In-N-Out

So last week, I took my Pop out to Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  Five Guys is a Virginia based company that recently opened a location in Ewing.  I'll be honest, I was not familiar with them...even when I lived down in Maryland, I never came across one.  Turns out Five Guys has been around since 1986 and has over 450 locations in 30 states!

This place came highly recommended as a great burger joint!  In fact, someone actually mentioned that they liked it as much as In-N-Out Burger.  With that comparison, I had to experience it for myself!

For those you are not familiar, In-N-Out Burger is the holy grail of burgers.  They are a privately held California based company founded in 1948.  They have around 150 locations and can only be found in 4 states.  I lived in California for a couple of years and experienced a "double-double enough times to make me a worthy judge in this burger showdown.

My experience at Five Guys went well...customer service was great, very friendly and accommodating to me and Pop's as we fumbled through the ordering process.  We both ordered the standard Cheeseburger with Fries.  The Burger was fresh and the selected topping were fresh too (you can choose from, like, 20 toppings!).  And, we had enough fries for three more people!

However, if a winner needs to be declared, I think In-N-Out is a clear winner.

I look at it this way, when I am traveling, and I happen to be in California, Utah, Arizona or Nevada - I am actually on the look out for In-N-Out.  It's a destination that I want to fit into my schedule if possible.  I did not get that "feel" at Five Guys.

Bottom line...keep Five Guys on the radar...it's a great burger place and well worth the trip, but it ain't no In-N-Out!

mj

Lunch is Served

A couple of years ago, I decided to have lunch once a month with my Dad. My Pop, as I call him, lives only a few miles away from me and is retired.  The idea was that I would take him to lunch at a local establishment that we BOTH had never been before...the "saltier" the place, the better!

We have been to some GREAT places...places where most people would never set foot in...places that you pass and wonder how long they've been closed...classic, "joints"!

While I have missed a few months here and there, every time I drop him off after a successful lunch, I am reminded of two things:

How lucky I am to still have a healthy father who I can spend time with AND how much I enjoy hearing the same stories every time we're together.

I plan on posting updates on each "joint" we find from here on out.  To date, here are some of the great places we've been:

• Tigers Tale - Princeton

• Rolf's - NYC

• Conte's - Princeton

• Faherty's - Lambertvile

• Petrock's Bar & Grill - Hillsborough

• Sneddon's - Lamberville

• Inn of the Hawk - Lambertville

• Hillbilly Hall - Hopewell

• Rossi's Bar & Grille - Trenton

mj 

Topolobampo

No, this is not my American Indian name...and, no, I have not downed a 12-pack before writing!

Topolobampo is a restaurant in Chicago where I had dinner last Friday night.  More specifically, it is a restaurant in Chicago, owned by Rick Bayless.

Rick was most recently the winner of Top Chef, Masters on The Food Network.

We scored reservations through OpenTable. (open table is probably a worthy blog topic!) Typically, there is a two month waiting list, especially after his most recent victory...but, 9:30 PM wasopen, so my coleague jumped at it.  There were four of us for dinner (Elisha, Howie (married), Ruthie and me)

We were "sat" around ten and, by the time we finished desert, it was well after midnight! 

I love Mexican food, but I was not blown away by the food.  It was good, very good, but it did not knock me off my chair.  I enjoyed the food more at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grille.   Though, Bobby's forte is South-Western...while, Rick Bayless specializes in Mexican...there IS a difference.

The mojito was one of the best I've had...

The highlight for the table was when Rick came over to our table to ask about our dinner...Elisha and Howie are both HUGE fans, so they were thrilled to chat!

If you are in Chicago...check it out, it's worth the visit. 

mj

Binge Drinking

Binge Drinking has been a buzz word for quite awhile now. By definition, Binge Drinking refers to drinking 5 or more drinks at a time.  It is often referred to when speaking about college students and their drinking habits at school...especially when something awful happens on a college campus.

Let's face it, heavy drinking has been going on at college campuses for a very long time...but experts have a nice term for it now.

Interestingly, when I look at my current drinking habits, I would consider myself a Binge Drinker!

I do not drink alcohol during the week and, when the weekend comes, I look forward to a few beers...and I definitely have more than 5 during one evening.  I would be willing to guess this is somewhat of the "norm" among adults on the weekends.  Binge drinking would definitely be an accurate description at neighborhood parties and get-togethers!

Why doesn't anyone talk about Bing Drinking for married couples with kids?  Is Binge Drinking less of a problem if you are an "adult"?  Are college students just doing what they see their parents do?

HHMM?  Definitely something to think about...

mj