New food, drink offerings a joy
I know I seem obsessed with
the Black River Café, but with good reason — they keep adding cool stuff to their amazing selection of fresh, local and (often) organic food.
Yesterday, my boss came by and asked if I wanted a Pinot.
I laughed and said, of course, when do I not want a Pinot?
He was serious. The Black River Café had a sidewalk sign declaring the daily specials, which included Vignette Wine Country Soda.
We googled it to make sure it was non-alchoholic (it is) and tried it.
It’s no glass of Pinot Noir, but it’s a refreshing and very healthy alternative to soda. It’s all-natural; no crazy chemical additives or high-fructose anything — and only 130 calories.
Also, one bottle is one serving. I hate it when soda companies try to fool people by making a small bottle two servings so it can claim 120 calories per serving.
Anyway. It also comes in Chardonnay. So next time you have lunch there, give it a try.
And I’m still waiting for more reviews of the turtle soup — keep them coming!
West-coast healthy arrives
I checked out the Vintage Tavern the other day to see if there were any new menu items (there were — I’ll get to those in a minute), but something else caught my eye that I had been completely oblivious to for the past six or so months.
There’s a fresh juice menu.
How I missed that, I don’t know. I was probably distracted by the new red wine choices.
This juice menu is kind of exciting, too. It’s not squeezed juice, it’s extracted.
I didn’t know the difference, either.
Jeff Payton, the proprietor of the Vintage Tavern, explained: “When you squeeze juice, you mostly get fruit water, which is still better than a Gatorade or cranberry juice with high-fructose corn syrup, but you’re missing nutrients that are found in the pulp and rind.”
Take a cantaloupe, for instance.
Resources for
Chocolate also stays better if you keep it in the fridge, or freezer, less of a mess. Some of the chocolate candy, such as M&Ms’, candy bars and Reece’s Pieces, can be used in baking. Adding them to cookies or brownies is a way for the kids to have fun and get involved in cooking too.