Fun Bits

I've been absent for a few days because I was in New Jersey for the weekend - my friends Jess and Tim had a beautiful wedding, and I was a bridesmaid. I was way too busy having fun to take pictures of the amazing things I ate all weekend. However, I do have a couple fun items to share.

• Alinea's Grant Achatz is opening a new restaurant called Next Restaurant. Instead of reservations, diners will have to purchase tickets which cover the cost of the entire meal - food, drinks, and service. What kind of food? "Next Restaurant will serve four menus per year from great moments in culinary history – or the future. " It's supposed to open sometime in the fall. Can't wait!
• Top Chef season 7 is starting in just a few weeks! I thought I overheard at the Top Chef Tour that it wasn't starting until late summer or fall, but I'm glad I was wrong. The season premier is June 16th at 9/8 central (I have to include that "central" part since that's where I live now), and this season takes place in Washington, DC. And there's a new judge this season - Eric Ripert. I'm just a little bit excited.
• Grub Street Chicago says a record 8,214 people attended Green City Market's outdoor opening in Lincoln Park this past Saturday.

Ok, I did take just a couple pictures of food this weekend. Now, this goes against everything else I eat. I have never in my life had a Twinkie, Zebra Cake, Ho Ho, Ding Dong, or any of those other processed snacks with crazy names. I swear - I have NEVER had a Twinkie before. My mom wouldn't buy them when I was little. However, my grandfather (Dad's dad) who lives in South Jersey would spoil us by sending us packages of Tastykakes. My sister and I loved them. They can only be found in the surrounding areas of Philly...at least as far as I know. So when I saw them at 7-11 last weekend (in central Jersey), nostalgia took over and I had to buy them. 

The classic Tastykakes are chocolate cupcakes with a little Kraft single of chocolate icing on top. There's about six kinds of partially hydrogenated oil in them...but I love them.