Eating & Drinking

Your Summertime Adventures Deserve a Refreshing Taste, Here’s the drink for you

Your summertime adventures deserve a refreshing taste, with healthy results and supporting a good case, taste CaliWater.

This summer many families are going on adventures – from a fun night out, to local road trips to traditional vacations and everything in between.  Families are looking for flavor, looking for healthy options, when possible choosing to support social good.

Recently we tasted a solution that solves all of this and more.

Your summertime adventures deserve a refreshing taste, with healthy results and supporting a good case, taste CaliWater.

CaliWater is the latest celebrity-driven brand on an already crowded grocery shelf to promote flavor, fun and health.

Before you judge it, have you tried cactus water?  If not, honestly it’s worth a taste. 

Open your mind (and your mouth) to the world of cactus water. Try the taste of CaliWater.

CaliWater Flavor

CaliWater comes in two subtle, but very different flavors:

Ginger + Lime

It’s a drink that adds a pop to your tongue.  

Tasting-wise, on the nose is heavy lime that for me became a palette cleanser.  Got a funky taste in your mouth?  This can will save you.  The lime notes carry over on your palette and the ginger adds a refreshing zing.   The linger lasts, leaving a pleasant and refreshing taste.

Wild Prickly Pear

Tasting-wise, on your nose its a bit sweet and even floral.  As you taste, it’s giving your mouth a sweet, refreshing bath similar to a bite of watermelon.  

Your summertime adventures deserve a refreshing taste, with healthy results and supporting a good case, taste CaliWater.

But How Healthy is CaliWater?

The simple answer is: very healthy.  

Caliwater contains 5 naturally occurring electrolytes to boost hydration and is packed with skin fortifying antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and 200mg of Prickly Pear Extract which is a proven hangover relief. 

Prickly Pear Cactus has shown to lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, and provides natural anti-viral properties. Known as a “superfruit”, the Prickly Pear Cactus has been the health solution go-to for many all over the world.

Proven Hangover Relief

Let’s repeat an important part.  The drinks include 200mg of Prickly Pear Extract which is a proven hangover relief. 

Cali water also serves as a fantastic mixer for your favorite cocktail.

CaliWater Created with passion, love, and a clear mission in mind

Earth-friendly activists Vanessa Hudgens and Oliver Trevena bonded while enjoying a prickly pear margarita.

They launched CaliWater, California cactus water that goes beyond just hydration. 

Created with passion, love and a clear mission in mind CaliWater hopes to promote healthy eco-friendly lifestyles and to make the world a better place. 

With up to 75% of Americans being considered chronically dehydrated CaliWater offer the tasty yet healthy alternative to water that also presents benefits for health and well-being. 

Giving Social Good

CaliWater’s goal is not only to provide health benefits to their customers, but also to raise awareness about the fight against childhood hunger. 

Partnering with No Kid Hungry a charity working to stop hungry children, Cali Wter pledges to donate $0.05 for every can purchased with the goal of donating $1,000,000 by April 2022.

Read for a Taste?

You can shop CaliWater here: https://drinkcaliwater.com/

You can also browse your local Erewhon, Alfred, Bevmo,  Blueys Market & Cafe, Sunlight Organics, The Pie Hotel, Vintage Grocers.

 

 

Oryx Desert salt brings Taste, Health and Social Good to Your Gourmet Experience

Oryx Desert salt brings Taste, Health and Social Good to Your Gourmet Experience

Oryx Desert Salt Taste

In the crowded world of salts and condiments,  Oryx Desert Salt is working hard to separate itself from the crowd and more and more people are noticing.

Come have a taste and a closer look….

Oryx Desert Salt has a heightened taste, even when compared to other gourmet options.  Subtle, yet bold.  It adds a zest to the bite while being gentle on your palate.  A finishing salt who’s magic is pulling out an extra bit of dimension from most dishes.

I tried it on poultry, rib eye and salmon.  Bringing out the juice and flavor.  Each time the taste was noticeably enhanced.  

With its distinctive flavor profile using less salt will achieve that enhanced flavor and Oryx is still going, creating more exclusive flavored salts for exciting new taste experiences

Oryx Desert salt brings Taste, Health and Social Good to Your Gourmet Experience

So far I’ve only sampled their white salt, but judging by that experience, I’d LOOOVE to try their variety.

“Salt is the smallest ingredient in any meal yet it has the biggest impact”

Oryx Desert Salt’s Flavors

SMOKED SALT –  cold smoked over French Oak shavings

WINE SALT – soaked in Shiraz red wine and sundried

BRAAI/ BBQ SALT – free from additives, flavourants, preservatives, wheat or gluten fillers.

Oryx Desert Salt’s Health Benefits

Oryx Desert Salt has all the essential minerals and trace elements that exist naturally in salt, including magnesium, zinc and potassium.  

 

It’s 100% pure, crystal-white, natural desert salt.   Sun-dried, unrefined, no additives, no anti-clumping agents, no preservatives. Dried by the hot African desert sun. 

Oryx Desert salt brings Taste, Health and Social Good to Your Gourmet Experience

Why is this important? To really understand, let’s put on our science lab coats and get into the specifics.

There are two elements of salt – sodium and chloride – and they each play vital roles to your healthy body.

Sodium helps your nervous system, controls your taste, smell and touch, helps your muscles (and heart) work and helps your brain talk with the rest of your body.

Chloride is key for digestion and helps keep your blood moving.

 

Okay, science class is over.  

 

But, yeah, that’s how important salt is to us.  And how important Oryx Desert Salt recognises their role. 

 

Some of us, honestly, haven’t put that much thought into what kind of salt we’re using.  And now we know we should.

 

The Oryx Desert Salt Story

 

Back in the Summer of 2020 inspiration struck CEO / Founder Samantha Skyring when she took a 7 day walk through South Africa’s Namib Desert.

 

During the journey, she had several up-close encounters with Oryx Gazella (large antelopes) and learned the Oryx go a lifetime without drinking water.  

 

How do they survive it?  

 

The salt plays a big part.  The animals get the necessary minerals and trace elements vial by licking native salt. 

 

If you look on Oryx Desert Salt’s packaging, you’ll notice the Oryx, with its striking coloring and presence, because became the symbolic icon for Oryx Desert Salt.

 

Oryx Desert Salt Cares About Our World

 

They support small, local businesses, build partnerships and advocate for eco-awareness.

 

Oryx Desert Salt believes in impact sourcing which is choosing to source locally where  possible and supporting small, often women-owned businesses.

They also work to build collaborative relationships (from their chefs, cooking schools and beyond) seeing them as valued ambassadors.

Their cotton bags, aprons and shopper bags are manufactured by a women’s home industry community group.

 

They partner with organizations like the Ukama Foundation, Macassar Pottery,    Khomani San and Mier communities who own !Xaus Lodge in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Kalahari Desert.  

Where To Buy

Available at Whole Foods throughout the county, on Amazon and on their website here.

Love a Quality Martini? Whiskey Old Fashioned? Knox & Dobson RTD Superior Cocktails are your answer

Love a Quality Martini? Whiskey Old Fashioned? Knox & Dobson Introduces Superior Ready-To-Drink Bottled Cocktails

Knox & Dobson toasts to their new collection of premium ready-to-drink bottled cocktails that are expertly designed to be shared with friends, so simply…

Open, Pour, and Enjoy!

Knox & Dobson’s new bottled cocktail collection was meticulously curated with an uncompromising commitment to excellence in quality, craftsmanship, and taste by Knox & Dobson President Rob Levy and Creative Director Peter Lloyd Jones (The Raymond 1886, Everson Royce Bar) who heads Knox & Dobson’s formulation and product development.

Knox & Dobson Ready-To-Drink Bottled Cocktails

Featuring a gin Martini, classic Old Fashioned, Improved Whiskey Cocktail with Maraska Maraschino Liqueur, and Rye Manhattan, Knox & Dobson uses the highest quality ingredients including hand-selected barrel aged whiskey, distilled gin, natural cane sugar, and authentic Angostura Bitters.

From the award-winning design of the bottle, these superior bottled cocktails were solely created so expertly handcrafted cocktails could be shared and effortlessly enjoyed anywhere.

 

“Our mission was to create a collection of cocktails that were equal in taste and quality to those freshly crafted by a skilled bartender. Peter Lloyd Jones was the best choice, and I can’t imagine working with anyone better, “

says Levy.

Pete was Head Barman at 1886 Bar at The Raymond and he was also behind the stick at Everson Royce Bar for several years, so his experience is invaluable, and his passion and creativity make him the perfect partner at Knox & Dobson.”

Levy’s upbringing in Skokie, Illinois, at Knox Avenue and Dobson Street is where Levy spent most of his adolescence in the ‘60s and 70’s hanging out “on the corner” with neighborhood kids who remain lifelong friends.

Knox & Dobson is as much an elevated on-the-go craft beverage experience as it is a distillation of hometown pride and a love of bringing people together.

Each Knox & Dobson bottled cocktail is 200 milliliters and features two servings. Whether you are a classic Martini drinker (34% ABV), this is a take on the classic combining gin with dry vermouth to create a flavor profile of an aromatic gin martini that is slightly earthy and refreshing to drink. Lloyd Jones recommends serving this cocktail up or over ice, garnished with olives.

Old Fashioned aficionados (38% ABV) can savor this cocktail which consists of straight aged bourbon, natural cane sugar, orange oil and Angostura Bitters with tastes of aged bourbon with bright citrus flavors, bitters, raw cinnamon, clove, and American oak.

The Improved Whiskey Cocktail (35.42% ABV) – made with straight aged rye whiskey, Maraska Maraschino Liqueur and Angostura bitters – has a spiced flavor profile combined with American oak, citrus, along with bright and deep cherry notes.

This is a whiskey cocktail that is meant to be sipped and savored.

Finally, the Rye Manhattan (36% ABV) is made with straight aged rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters. The tantalizing pairing of the aged whiskey combined with the aromatic Italian-style vermouth creates a spice, citrus and charred oakwood profile that will have anyone asking for another round.

 

Who’s ready for happy hour? And, if your go-to cocktail isn’t on the menu just yet, don’t worry. The Knox & Dobson bar cart will be rolling this Summer with more cocktails on the way and no shortage of inspiration.

Knox & Dobson’s new collection of superior bottled cocktails are best served chilled or over ice and each cocktail features two servings, perfect for sharing, so simply chill, OpenPour, and Enjoy!

 

Knox & Dobson is available for delivery anywhere Nationwide, so visit www.KnoxandDobson to order your new favorite bottled cocktails today. Knox & Dobson is now available at 15 Total Wine & More California stores – Brea, Daly City, Long Beach, Northridge, Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, Redondo Beach, Roseville, San Diego, San Jose, San Mateo, San Ramon, Temecula, Thousand Oaks, Tustin and soon to be in all 28 Total Wine & More California stores; Bristol Farms South Pasadena and soon to be in all 14 Bristol Farms California stores; Bar Keeper Los Angeles; Cypress Liquor Los Angeles; Everson Royce Bar Pasadena; Gerlach’s Pasadena; Highland Park Wine; K&L Wine Merchants in Los Angeles and San Francisco; and The Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. To see the full list of locations, please visit Knox & Dobson’s Find a Stockist.

Founding Farmers DC American eatery dishing Chic comfort cuisine

Founding Farmers DC American eatery dishing Chic comfort cuisine

Founding Farmers DC has a covered outdoor patio with individual streetside stalls for an outdoor bistro feel and some uncovered open air tables right on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown DC.

Join them at Founding Farmers DC

A full-service restaurant and bar majority owned by American family farmers. Their menus feature American-inspired food & drink made from scratch with thoughtfully sourced ingredients from farmers they know and trust.

Urban DC farmhouse

In their urban DC farmhouse, guests can gather around their handcrafted community farm dining tables or enjoy more intimate seating arrangements, including the popular silo-shaped booths.

Founding Farmers DC restaurant showcases original artwork, including a large flying Pegasus from artist Darla Jackson and our lamb mascot (who changes outfits with the seasons) by Noella Cotnam.

LEED Gold Certified design helps continue to operate as a 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant®, which exemplifies their devotion to aesthetic beauty and sustainability.

Guests are invited to make a reservation.

Located just three blocks west of the White House in the heart of Washington, DC on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Find out why they are the most booked restaurant in the nation on OpenTable.

Succotash Prime melds Steakhouse with Dixie & Asian flavors from Star Chef Lee

Succotash Prime melds Dixie & Asian flavors with Star Chef Edward Lee

A progressive perspective of classic Southern favorites. James Beard Award winner, Chef Edward Lee, brings his Korean roots and Southern repertoire to a soulful Southern menu.

Succotash Prime – restaurant’s revamped steakhouse

Succotash, celebrity chef Edward Lee’s luxe Southern restaurant in Penn Quarter known as Succotash Prime, the restaurant’s revamped steakhouse menu lists smoked steaks with a range of sauces and a la carte sides that maintain the Kentuckian and Korean influences Lee imbued into the original.

Lee calls the steakhouse format “an American classic” that lets people design their own meals.

The menu lists six different cuts of sustainably raised beef from well-regarded producers like Roseda Farms in Monkton, Maryland, Seven Hills Food Co. in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Creekstone Farms in Kansas.

Prices range from the $39 hanger steak to a $119 bone-in tomahawk ribeye for two, all of them spend brief time in a Southern Pride smoker in Succotash’s basement kitchen before getting seared and paired with sauces like soy-ginger glaze, blue cheese with furikake, or Cajun-spiced butter.

Sides include an Old Bay mac and cheese, cheesy grits, watermelon and fried peanuts, and collard greens with kimchi and country ham.

Succotash Prime isn’t just for Carnivores

Succotash Prime added a grilled eggplant steak with mint chimichurri, for vegetarians, and expanded its selection of fish dishes.

Popular dishes like the chicken and waffles with pickled okra, dirty fried chicken with honey gochujang sauce, deviled eggs, and Nashville hot oysters are still available.

The restaurant added new murals and made repairs inside the 10,000-square-foot space located inside a historic bank building at 915 F Street NW.

Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square offers 19 Century Elegance and French Bistro

Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square offers 19 Century Elegance and French Bistro

From the moment you arrive at Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square, you’ll experience a one-of-a-kind stay.

Sofitel Washington DC One of a Kind Stay

They draw inspiration from both the local culture and the French art de vivre.

Here, you’ll find a celebration of innovation as well as luxurious touches and design details. Take in a stunning array of Art Deco style in our historic building when you check-in, then settle into your refined room with elegant accents and timeless décor.

During your time there, indulge in our unparalleled amenities to enhance your stay. When you’re ready to explore the city, Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square is just two blocks away from the White House and walking distance to local monuments and Smithsonian museums.

Explore the Sofitel Washington DC Lobby

Explore the lobby of their historic building before you check in at the elegantly lit front desk. Before settling into your boutique room, relax on their plush lobby seating and bask in the glow of their exquisite chandelier while you take in the classic Art Deco style.

You’ll find welcoming comfort in your room as well as sleek décor and modern technology. Upgrade your stay to one of the distinctive suites, which feature signature French flair.

Pet-friendly Hotel

This pet-friendly hotel offers inviting amenities such as our recreational facility where you can escape for an intense workout.

The elegant ballroom is the perfect setting for your custom wedding reception that will feature a lighthearted spin on traditional style.

In Your Room

Settle into your room and throw open the shades to let in the natural light while you take in unparalleled views of the city.

You’ll be able to watch the joie de vivre of the people in the city as they explore downtown Washington, DC from our picturesque windows. Pamper yourself with plush robes and Lanvin bath amenities to relax in tranquil serenity.

Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center offers Need-to-See Rooftop Whiskey Bar

Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center offers Need-to-See Rooftop Whiskey Bar

Whether you’re a solo traveler or arriving as a pair, you’ll be sure to have a precisely comfortable stay.

Motto by Hilton has The DC Food Scene

DC’s food scene is on full display at Crimson, with rooftop bites and drinks, our subterranean whiskey bar, and refined Southern fare in a sophisticated diner. Contact us to book a private event.

Motto by Hilton is Located Close to Everything

Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center is across the street from Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro station with links to Reagan National Airport, Capital One Arena, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and museums are within a few blocks. The White House, National Mall, and Union Station are a mile away.

Enjoy smart tech with a smaller, more efficient footprint in our Travel-Sized rooms.

Travel-Sized rooms

Travel-Sized rooms are the ultimate launchpad into a new city averaging at 150 square feet. The Full room is cozy and modern with a smaller, more efficient footprint and elevated sleep experience.

Stream your favorite shows to your 50-inch TV through our smart room technology and set the vibe with lighting and temperature control through the Hilton Honors app. Every room has a private bathroom with premium bath amenities and is equipped with a working surface, vanity, wardrobe, and safe.

Estadio delivers Festive Spanish tapas & Playful Bites

Estadio delivers Festive Spanish tapas & Playful Bites

Welcome to Estadio, a fun, convivial restaurant serving contemporary Spanish cuisine in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Estadio Northern Spanish cuisine

Executive Chef Dimas Mendoza offers a small plates dominated menu focusing on Northern Spanish cuisine, consisting principally of the chefs’ interpretations of classic dishes found in the country’s Basque and Catalan regions.

Estadio’s wine program

Estadio’s wine program includes over 150 labels, more than 90% of which are Spanish, with a smattering of South American, Portuguese and domestic wines, all housed in custom temperature controlled wine vaults that greet guests upon entry into the restaurant.

Affordable selections of Cava, Txakoli, Rioja and Sherry dominate the list, while a few high-end offerings from wineries such as Lopez de Heredia, and Vega Sicilia complete the selections. An inventive cocktail menu that includes frozen alcoholic “slushitos,” Sangria and Sherry concoctions, as well as a thoughtful selection of Spanish and domestic craft beers, round out Estadio’s beverage program.

Estadio’s design shows love to the space with 19th century Spanish tile, Spanish marble, and custom steel and wood chairs and stools.

Brushed with a terra cotta palette, Estadio’s walls play on the restaurant’s theatrical name with bull fighting and flamenco murals.

Ambar Capitol Hill serves small plates with rustic Chic flair

Ambar Capitol Hill serves small plates with rustic Chic flair

Ambar on Capitol Hill is the seven-year-old birthplace of a Balkan and Mexican restaurant empire now sprinkled across the DMV.

Its mezze-focused flagship operation (523 8th Street SE). The 3,000-square-foot Balkan oasis is twice as large, with a new pastel-hued patio.

The rooftop welcomes guests 365 days a year with movable, teal slats that open up and close at the push of a button.

Its first-floor patio can fit dozens of diners across the two outdoor areas.

As you walk in, guests are surrounded by visually bold floor-to-ceiling stone walls.

Four separate dining areas create a vibe with their own names and themes:Chef’s Room, Rakia Bar, The Wine Cellar and Garden Room.

The “Rakia Bar” plays up Balkan’s famous fruit brandy.

The “Rakia Bar” plays up Balkan’s famous fruit brandy.

Balkan spirts and wine are poured at all four bars on-site.

A second-floor wine cellar, lined with a 360-degree assortment of vintage bottles, plans to evolve into a bar that hosts educational tastings.

Ambar ran a series of virtual wine classes during the pandemic to help build up a following for the less-known wine region.

Ambar is mbest-known for its small plates menu: familiar spreads, salads, Serbian small plates, flatbreads, and lamb lasagna.

$25 per person at lunch and $35 per person at dinner with a two-hour time limit.

A takeout menu for two ($39) includes mains like wild mushroom risotto or beef short rib goulash.

 

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