Life In The Weeds

Mizuki Asian Bistro

Third time a charm!  

After my 3rd visit, I have decided a review is in order...a GREAT review, for a new restaurant in town, Mizuki Asian Bistro

My first visit was with my wife...sitting at the Sushi Bar...then with a large group of 12...then, last week, six of us sat in one of their great over-sized booths.

The food is very good...we have dined on a variety of their special sushi rolls, along with many of their entrees...all of which have a uniqueness about them.  The presentation of their dishes is also worth mentioning.

We enjoyed the service...very friendly staff who were super patient with our many bottles of wine and beer (BYOB)...I think their prices are reasonable, in fact, it's a bargain for such a great meal.

We have been chatting up Mizuki around town and will definitely be back.

mj

Starbucks in Manhatten

It seems as though there is a Starbucks on every corner in Manhattan - after a little research, it seems like the "unofficial" number is 255.  If you type in Starbucks on Google Maps, the image displayed is a see of red dots.  Two hundred and fifty-five is a huge number...making the trip to find a good cup of coffee fairly easy.  That is, until you get inside one of these 255 stores.

Every Starbucks you go into is jammed.  Like 20 people-in-a-line jammed.  And, rest assured, most people on those lines are not ordering a regular coffee...it's all about the half pump, decaf, double shot, no whip, etc.  So, it is a long, long, tedious wait.

Is a cup of Starbucks coffee worth a 20 minute wait?

I went into a Starbucks this morning...looked at the line and bailed.  I walked to the corner and got a cup of coffee from the coffee cart guy.  $1.25 for a large coffee and NO WAIT.

The lesson here: Starbucks is not worth the wait and not worth the price!

mj

THIS is a deal!

Most people think NYC is the epitome of inflated prices...hell, last night, while having a few cocktails with friends at a local bar, the drink "special" - a Mojito - was $9 (until 7pm!).

Okay, so maybe it is true, but that is not to say that NYC is not without a deal.

2 Brothers Pizza is making a name for themselves with there regular lunch special.  Yes, regular lunch special - all day, everyday.

And, these are NY style slices...big!

They seem to be popping up on every corner...I have seen at least 6 or so and they are always packed.  Lines around the corner most days.

I am confident that this is the greatest value you can find in Manhattan.  There is nothing better than throwing down a fiver for lunch and getting change back!

I'm sold.

 

 

 

 

 

mj

Monticello Reserve Ale

Jefferson is renowned for his many interests, including architecture, horticulture and inventing gadgets.

However, the third president's lesser-known pursuits was making beer, and modern-day visitors to his mountaintop estate at Monticello can soon get a taste of the past.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation says it's working with Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet to offer Monticello Reserve Ale, inspired by what was produced and consumed regularly at Monticello. Brewing beer was among the plantation's important activities, and the drink was one of the "table liquors" served with meals, Monticello officials said.

Starr Hill's master brewer Mark Thompson will brew Monticello Reserve Ale using a combination of lightly hopped wheat and corn, as Jefferson did in his day. Local ingredients will be used, including some hops grown at Monticello.

"It's different from beers today," Monticello spokeswoman Lisa Stites said Thursday. "We wanted to make it a little more modern, too, so people would enjoy it."

Thompson calls the unfiltered wheat-style beer "very light on the palate with a clean finish," with citrus and earthy aromas.

The ale will make its public debut at the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center museum shop with tastings on Feb. 21. The ale will be sold at Monticello and Charlottesville-area restaurants.

Monticello's new beer-crafting efforts follow the restoration of many of the estate's operational areas, such as the downstairs quarters where slaves performed the daily house work and its beer cellar. Researchers are still working to determine the location of the actual brewhouse.

Jefferson's beer-making records date back to 1772, when his wife, Martha, oversaw periodic brewing. The enterprise produced 15-gallon casks of low-alcohol beer about every two weeks, then expanded its scale with some outside help.

According to records, Monticello's brewhouse was built by 1814, five years after he ended his presidency.

The Monticello Reserve Ale follows the 2006 opening of a restored liquor still at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in northern Virginia. Washington was the nation's most successful whiskey maker after his presidency. By 1799, the year he died, the estate was producing 11,000 gallons of whiskey a year.

Jefferson was not one of my favorite Founding Fathers...but the fact that he brewed beer makes me think he might not have been that bad of a guy!

mj

 

Starbucks; at it again!

This week, the mega coffee giant, Starbucks, revealed a logo change.  While the logo appears in lots of places, the most obvious location - the Starbucks coffee cup - is where most consumers see the change.

Changing the Starbucks logo is not a new thing...in fact, way back, they not only changed the logo, but the color as well.

I find it funny when I read about consumers and marketers who are "outraged" over the change.

I think it's great...and certainly a testament to how strong the brand IS.  And, it is not really a great departure from their first ever logo.  The siren has always been the mainstay of the logo. Now the logo is more iconic...like McDonald's. The golden arches do not need a name to make the brand more clear.

Having an iconic logo is much more flexible in today's social media world...YOUR logo should look great as an App icon sitting on your iDevice.  That is exactly how ANY brand new or old should be viewing their next logo design.

mj

Bottoms Up?

Talk about the perfect pour...check out this video!  

 

Could this be the latest in beer technology?  It looks impressive...

mj

Pizza, Pizza

Here is a list of 51 Great Pizza Parlors across America!

For my local readership (all 3 people), here are the NJ, PA and NY reviews:

New Jersey

De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies in Trenton is a 63-year-old family-owned neighborhood joint that makes extraordinarily elegant pizza: thin-crusted with a web of cheese, topped with hand-crushed tomatoes, and, if you like, clumps of fennel-laced sweet Italian sausage. Dcor on the wood-paneled walls is pizza-parlor classic: pictures of fans, ranging from nobodies to Frank Sinatra and Luciano Pavarotti. There's now a second location in Robbinsville.

Pennsylvannia

Jules Thin Crust Pizza, with locations in Doylestown, Newtown and Jenkintown, tops its pies with organic ingredients like roasted eggplant, portabella mushrooms, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and arugula. Spread on a delicate, thin crust, this pizza is one American classic you can enjoy without guilt. 

New York

From the floor-to-ceiling wood-burning pizza oven to the chef and ingredients, the secret sauce at Za'Za' is its Italian imports. This Scarsdale eatery serves up seriously authentic Italian cuisine. Try the Sorbillo pie with prosciutto, truffle oil and mozzarella, or the seafood pizza with clams, mussels and shrimp.

mj

 

What's the Difference...

...between a Muffin and a Cupcake?

You tell me...

No difference!

mj

The Beer, Wine and Cheese Crowd

Starbucks turns 40 next year and is having a bit of an identity crisis...can you really blame them!  After all, the 16,000-unit chain ranks among the world's most widely copied brands. Everyone want to slice off a piece of the Starbucks pie...McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts to name two!

So, it looks like a very different kind of Starbucks is on tap.  One of their stores in Seattle was closed for three months to be revamped into a Starbucks that may not look or sound like any Starbucks you know. But if this location is a hit, some version of it may eventually come to a Starbucks near you. It will serve regional wine and beer, and offer an expansive plate of meats and cheeses.

Not surprising, Starbucks stores get 70% of business before 2 p.m.  I wonder why it's taken Starbucks executives this long to figure out that they should be capitalizing on the late afternoon, early evening crowd?  But is alcohol the answer?

I'm curious about their pricing model...let's face it, Starbucks is not for the place to go to get an inexpensive cup of Joe. If people are willing to pay $4.50 for a Latte, I wonder how much they would be willing to pay for a Specialty Micro-brew on-tap or a glass of wine?

One thing is for sure, Starbucks has been a great success over the last 40 years. Perhaps, when my 8 year old graduates from college, we'll celebrate at the local, trendy Starbucks restaurant!

mj

Location, Location, Location

There is a new restaurant in Princeton, well, it's not really new...it's more like "another" restaurant in the same location.  This particular location has been three different restaurants since we've lived in the area (8 years.)  It seems to me that it is in a good location...great, to be fair.  It's on your way out of Princeton, on Alexander Road towards Route 1.

It was the Rusty Scupper forever...and then, was renovated a few years back and became JL Ivy.  After less than one year, JL Ivy closed it's doors and the place sat empty for almost a year.  Then, with no sign of revival, a new sign showed up and Metro North announced they were open.

Can a restaurant be doomed by location...sure!  But, what is it about this particular location that does not work?  The large parking lot?  The convenience between Route 1 and Princeton?  The outdoor seating?  I can not seem to figure it out.

It appears that people are trying it out by the looks of the packed parking lot on my way by coming home from the train station...only time will tell whether or not it can overcome the "doomed" location.

mj