First Course

Until now, alcoholic drinks have been void of the nutrition labels that are mandatory on other beverages.

That may change, according to a ruling last week by the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) allowing companies that sell wine, beer, and spirits to use nutrition labels on a voluntary basis. Approved labels include serving size information, along with calorie, protein, and fat content per serving.

The announcement came on the heels of lobbying efforts from unlikely allies. Consumer organizations pushed labeling to promote transparency, arguing that buyers deserve to make choices about alcohol consumption based on accurate nutrition information. Liquor companies advocated for labeling to advertise their low calorie and carbohydrate content in comparison to wine and beer.

Who says drinking needs to be conventional? Certainly the brains behind these innovations threw the rule book out, and so should we. Why not make the most of your experiences? Turn any night around with these fun gadgets and accessories. They are sure to make you the center of party, and keep the mood fun for everyone all night long.

Lava Lamp Shots

Talk about a blast from the past. These ultra-psychedelic shot glasses are fitted with different colored LED lights and will always stay lit as long as there is something in them. So not only are they insanely fun to look at and to drink from, it’s just further encouragement to keep your glasses full and take on the night! If you want to spice up your own party, you can easily find these fun trinkets on Amazon and have them delivered to ensure some fun times to come. The shot glasses come in a variety of colors and will be sure to keep the party glowing. So let's bring the disco-era back and dance the night away with these shot glasses. Happy drinking!

A contagious hysteria has taken over the hustle and bustle of the city streets. This epidemic cannot be stopped, or controlled. News of this frenzy is now international. Side effects may include deep infatuation and daily cravings. The mania is diagnosed as one name, and one name only: the cronut.

Handle with care, because addiction will occur within the first bite of a cronut. After that bite, you will be forever hooked. Half doughnut, half croissant, this multi-personality sweet invasion is the new fad, and has certainly captured everyone’s attention. The beautifully crafted pastry allures its prey with its sweet seduction: an invention unlike any other. And where has this frenzy originated? At a heavenly place in trendy SoHo, Dominique Ansel Bakery.

The owner of Avra and the former general manager of Philippe Chow are the team behind Anassa Taverna, the newest Greek restaurant in Midtown East.

Anassa's grand opening on Thursday, May 30th let guests take a first look at the impressive two-level interior, which features a large wood-paneled bar as the centerpiece of the first floor. Stairs lead to an upper level with white-cushioned booths, exposed white brick, and a view of the streets below. Traditional Greek worry beads and evil eyes are displayed and available for purchase at the entrance to the restaurant.

Lindsay Autry finished 3rd on Season 9 of Top Chef, but there is nothing 3rd rate about this powerhouse touque. Autry collaborated with her Beverage Manager, Micheal Richards, to create a garden-inspired cocktail straight from their impressive Taru Gardens. “The gardens at Sundy House are filled with beautiful, unusual flowers and fruits that make for interesting and deliciously different cocktails,” said Chef Lindsay Autry.

Taru Gardens is a non-profit Living-Species Museum and garden located in what used to be the barren parking lot of Sundy House; the Delray Beach restraurant where Autry is Executive Chef. If you don't live close enough to sip on their latest cocktail creation, Grove Street, don't fear: the recipe is here!

All hail bouillabaisse! Foodies will be busy preparing for a weeklong celebration, Bouillabaisse Week, honoring this delectable dish beginning today, May 31st. Nine restaurants in Manhattan are saluting bouillabaisse by contributing their own unique spins to this paramount fish stew. Hosted by The Tour de France Restaurant Group, this awesome summer kickoff toasts to everything bouillabaisse.

For those of you who have never had the opportunity to try bouillabaisse, you are in for an amazing treat. This spicy fish soup or stew usually incorporates an assortment of fish—shellfish, white fish—and saffron. Each ingredient is added individually to make up this marvelous fishy party. The different types of fish are combined with the boiling broth to make up a succulent revelation. Lowering the heat whenever the pot begins to boil is key. Simmered vegetables sometimes added for flavor include celery, leeks, onions, potatoes and tomatoes. The broth is generally accompanied with rouille—an olive oil mayonnaise made with saffron, garlic, chili peppers and breadcrumbs.

Juice has become trendier since then, and more complicated. With juice bars popping up all over the country, customers can grab their favorite carrot-beet-apple-kale-parsley (don’t forget the fresh ginger) concoction on the way to work. It’s not uncommon to have a juice maker at home, or to know someone who swears by the health benefits of a juice cleanse.

But both of those benefits have to be qualified. The nutritional value of juice depends on whether it was made with a centrifugal juicer or a masticating juicer. Centrifugal juicers are more common—they’re often used in juice bars, and are also the type of juicer most people have at home. They contain a metal blade that spins at high speeds against a filter, letting the juice through while retaining the pulp, pith, and seeds. The unfortunate by-products of that process are heat and oxidation, which destroy many of the natural enzymes and vitamins. If your juice was made using a centrifugal juicer, it has fewer nutrients than you might think.

Plates of steaming, sizzling meatballs smothered under veils of luscious tomato sauce waft past you. Fine beers and wines slowly waterfall into glasses. Where is this heavenly place may you ask? Heaven actually exists on earth—at a destination where the types of meatballs are endless and bountiful.

Specializing in preparing the most delicious balls in the world, The Meatball Shop welcomes all for an ultimate "ballistic" food experience. Completely chic and casual, the shop is a relaxing haven where kicking back and indulging your appetite is encouraged…with limitless meatball possibilities. Native New Yorkers and co-owners Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow wanted to give back to their amazing city through delectable homemade meatballs. The duo could not have put it more perfectly: “Enjoy the menu on your own terms, eat simple, eat sustainable, eat good food with no strings attached.”

Compared to other neighborhoods in New York, the Times Square area isn't known for quality dining. The area still has plenty of restaurants, which will offer inexpensive samples at the Taste of Times Square Food and Music Festival on Monday, June 3rd.

Over 50 restaurants (find a full list here) will serve their signature dishes at the annual event. Visitors can buy tickets at $1 each to exchange for samples that usually cost between one and six tickets.

Long gone are the days in which Americans believed that all Italian food consists of some variation of dry pasta with a tomato sauce. Besides learning that there is a great difference between the red sauce fare in the States and the Italian food eaten in Italy, we have come to understand that the concept of Italian cuisine is far more diverse and even ethereal than we thought. For an Italian, referring to Italian cuisine can seem as generalizing as talking about Asian, African, or Latin American cuisine. Regionality is key when discussing the cuisines of Italy, and savvy foodies have tapped into that concept. Throughout the summer, Miami aficionados can experience the various regional styles of Italian cuisine at Quattro’s Mangia Mondays.