A Bloody Mocktail

In line with a Mafia-themed party on Feb. 14th, we were served a Bloody Mocktail — check out the black gun-shaped ice! Perfectly appropriate drink/game for Valentine’s Day I say…thanks, Nadia!

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Shy

(It’s about 1 AM, and I really want to pass out, but this Dr. Pepper commercial I just came across has me randomly ruminating on drinks that are jumping on the gender-targeted bandwagon lately).

Soda pop marketing

Iconic soft drinks are getting feisty with their marketing campaigns. Diet Pepsi recently introduced their ‘women-friendly’ skinny cans, reportedly to celebrate “beautiful, confident women.” And let’s be honest, as a sponsor of NY Fashion Week, they just wanted to look more trendy and hip. On the other hand, Dr. Pepper has started a no women’s allowed club with their new Dr. Pepper 10, a manly-diet soda (sounds like an oxymoron, no?). Apparently, they’re hoping its “bold” flavor and Rambo-inspired commercials will be in tune with a guy’s more masculine side: Check out their newest ad:

According to TIME, other soft drinks have attempted to appeal to the male demographic before (Pepsi Max, Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Coke and Diet 7-Up) but quite unsuccessfully.

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Ninth Street Espresso - Chelsea Market

Ninth Street Espresso - Chelsea Market

I’ve been having what seems like the never-ending debate with a friend who will remain unnamed (*SACKO cough*) about which place has the best latte in NYC: Stumptown or Ninth Street Espresso. I’m not really sure why it’s only between the two, since I acknowledge there are plenty of cafes around the city (and outer burroughs — I see you, Brooklyn) that boast to be the best. The only thing was our debate is completely mindless because he’s never been to Stumptown and I’ve never been to Ninth Street. I didn’t realize Ninth Street Espresso has an outpost in Chelsea Market, so when I stumbled upon last week, I was excited to finally make an educated decision. I wasn’t even in the mood for coffee, but I ordered a small $4 latte anyway.

Latte at Ninth Street Espresso

It was strong, full-bodied, a tad bitter too. But friends, I’m still going to say Stumptown takes the cake. Have any of you tried both or either? Which one do you prefer? Maybe you can help us end the never-ending debate (but most likely not)…

Cafe info:
Ninth Street Espresso
(in Chelsea Market)
75 9th Ave.
btw 9th & 10th Ave
212-228-2930
Chelsea

x
Shy

When I was in Turkey, I saw little carts on the streets near where my sister was living with signs for something called salep but I never knew what it was. My friend Bunny, who was awesome at giving me a ton of suggestions of what to do and where to eat (she did live there for a few months after all), told me I had to try it while I was there. I didn’t know what was it in, all I was told was it was a yummy drink to have when it was cold. So I listened.

IST Cafe in Taksim

Coffee + salep

When I was there, I asked the waitress what salep is exactly. She was having trouble explaining it to me, only mentioning milk and sugar and that it was “OHhh so good.” I may have cheated a little and ordered a coffee/salep combination. The coffee on top was thinner than what I think was the actual salep on the bottom, which was thicker consistency and tasted (and forgive me, this is the only way I think I can describe it) kind of like egg nog? It was REALLY good though, and I tried looking up a more detailed explanation of what I just had.

I found out the hot drink is made from crushed tapioca root extract. Apparently, it has been noted not only for his health benefits (treating such conditions as dysentery, tuberculosis, and typhoid), but also for its aphrodisiac effects. In Greece, they flavor it with honey and eat it for breakfast; in India, it’s mixed with milk and spices and served to the sick; even in France, it’s served as soup or jelly. In Turkey though, it’s mainly served during the cold seasons. The tubers are collected in the summer and hung to dry. Apparently, the popularity of salep has led to a decline in the population of wild orchids so it’s now illegal to transport it out of the country. So if you want it, you’ll have to make a trip to Istanbul!

Ozsut cafe

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I had stumbled into Sanctuary T almost a year ago for a late night bite with my friend Katie. I had mentioned then that I wanted to come back to try their actual teas — they had a whole separate menu for them. I finally went back, for brunch this time. I tried the “Genius,” a geen tea with ginseng, dandelion and yerba maté that is supposed to sharpen your focus and give you a boost of energy. The aromatic tea had combination of flavors that just worked for me — I loved it.

Genius Tea

More tea

I was happy to see that they sell packets of their loose leaf tea at the restaurant — not so happy about the price ($18 for 4 oz!). Still, I might be convinced to buy some myself.

Then out came the appetizers: fried artichokes, wild mushroom tartines, and warm brie crisps. The brie crisps were probably my favorite…topped with honey and I pretty much went crazy over them.

Warm brie crisps, $9

Wild mushroom tartine, $10

Fried artichokes, $8

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Who knew THIS much detail goes into one tiny cup of espresso?

Espresso, Intelligentsia from The D4D on Vimeo.