Dish :: Oct. 7 :: The Sunday Paper
YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR, BABY
You’re fairly discerning when it comes to eating out—you pass on the golden arches and the royal pair. You like your food prepared with passion—slowly and done right. You’re in good company with StarChefs.com, an online magazine for culinary insiders, which is praising local chefs with its Rising Stars Chef Awards Revue on October 10. The winners were selected from more than 60 area restaurants and are chosen by StarChefs after nominations, in-person tastings and interviews. Raise your glasses to luminaries like Chef Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene, Chef Hector Santiago of Pura Vida Tapas, Chef Drew Van Leuvan formerly of Saga, Chef Hugh Acheson of Five and Ten, Chef Drew Belline of Floataway Café, Chef Mihoko Obunai of Repast, Sustainability Chef Dave Larkworthy of 5 Seasons, Pastry Chef Chad Guay of Table 1280, Pastry Chef Joe Treux of Repast, Hote Chef Nick Oltarsh of Lobby at Twelve, Bar Chef Eric Cimpkins of Trois, Sommelier Vajra Stratigos of Fifth Group Restaurants, Ricing Concept JCT Kitchen and its chef, Ford Fry. The walk-around tasting event at the Georgia Aquarium features signature dishes from each chef, as well as wine pairings, cocktails and ample entertainment. 7–9 p.m. Tickets are $95 per person or $150 for VIP package, which includes a pre-gala champagne-and-caviar reception. 212-966-3775. www.starchefs.com/risingstars.
EXTENDING THE OLIVE BRANCH
Drinking on your lunch break just got easier with olive-oil slurping. Yep, you can cast aside your buzz, and enjoy the refined tastes by pouring an ounce of vitamin-rich EVOO (ah, that’s Rachael Ray–speak for extra virgin olive oil) into a wine glass, placing one hand under the bowl of the glass to warm the oil, and place your other other hand over the glass to capture the aroma. Gently swirl the oil for 20 to 30 seconds to increase temperature and release aroma. Remove your top hand and sniff the aromas wafting up from the oil. Then slurp the oil as you would a malbec or shiraz, aerating the oil within your mouth to distribute the taste. Seem strange? It’s may be a stretch at first, but don’t knock it ’til you try it. Australian-based Ollo recently introduced cold-pressed olive oils made from Tuscany, Italy–olives, in two flavors, Fresh & Fruity and Mild & Mellow, and are available at Whole Foods Market and Kroger. www.ollo.us.
GO DUTCH
I collect alcohol bottles like old folks collect stamps, bless their hearts. And I’m a raging espresso addict. Natural selection dictates that I should merge the two to make it acceptable to drink in the morning. All hail Van Gogh Vodka for its Espresso and Double Espresso. I celebrated National Vodka Day (Oct. 4) with a nice double shot of the latter—it certainly helped with production day, to say the least. www.vangoghvodka.com. SP
When she’s not sampling a restaurant, interviewing chefs or nodding off after her fifth glass of wine, our Food, Life & Style editor Kirsten Ott dishes her culinary and cocktail insights. E-mail her at kirstenott@sundaypaper.com.
Make Mine a Double
3 oz Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka
1 splash cream
Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker, and add crushed ice. Shake vigorously for five seconds and strain. Garnish with coffee beans or a biscotti.
