http://www.blacknapkin.com Where Amateur meets Gourmet Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:09:32 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Or is it?  I was so delighted the first time I had this fantastic roll, I immediately cursed my foolish self for not toting along my camera to share it with you.  So, of course, a second visit was most certainly in order, and I now proudly present the Pain ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/12/sushi-without-rice-blasphemous/ 118 degrees 2981 Bristol Suite B5 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 754-0718 As conventional wisdom goes, a trip to a gourmet restaurant should yield a cornucopia of cooked goods, ranging from pork to salmon to beef to frog.  These dishes will likely be preceded by a savory salad and followed by a sweet ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/09/who-said-food-has-to-be-cooked/ Seth Godin, the marketing guru behind Purple Cow and other books, writes today on his blog about appealing to who he calls "n00bs".  N00bs are those people who are slow at the uptake, who are not savvy, and who are generally not early adopters of any kind.  He writes: ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/05/culinary-risk-taking/ We're in the midst of quite a hot summer, and don't we all occasionally feel the need to reach for a cool, refreshing glass of white wine?  My question is, though, what do you usually reach for in these most dire and critical of circumstances?  Chardonnay?  Sauvignon Blanc?  Perhaps even ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/04/wine-lesson-12-gewrz-a-what/ Wineworks for Everyone  26342 Oso Parkway Mission Viejo, CA 92691 (949) 582-0026 I've always envisioned myself living in a cozy neighborhood with a local wine bar which I can walk to, relax, perhaps listen to some ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/03/wineworks-indeed-it-does/ Today, dearest loyal readers, you bear witness to the commencement of my newest ambitious endeavor: cataloging every restaurant I have ever visited.  Yes, the list will grow long and unruly, and yes, it is both excessive and perhaps unnecessary, but I see it both as a way to share my ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/07/28/all-those-restaurants/ I'm half British, so it should come as no surprise to any of you that I'm a big fan of afternoon tea.  I love allowing a pause during those otherwise frantically busy days to relax and enjoy a good cup of tea and miniature-sized foods.  Today, in celebration of my ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/07/26/an-afternoon-of-tea-and-crumpets/ Tonight I had the distinct pleasure and joy of dining at my favorite teppanyaki restaurant named Ichibiri, and my was it a feast both for the eyes and my now-humbled stomach.  For those of you who don't know what teppanyaki is, it's a Japanese method of combining dining with entertainment.  ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/07/26/a-tantalizing-teppan-tour/ Whether we like it or not, we're living in an age of unbridled enthusiasm for frozen yogurt.  Some say Pinkberry started this wildly popular new craze of culture-infused yogurty ice cream coupled with a smorgasbord of delectable toppings ranging from freshly diced pineapple and mango to Captain Crunch cereal and ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/07/24/the-great-fro-yo-showdown/ No, I didn't actually talk to David Chang myself, but Charlie Rose did.  Below is a video of his hour-long, in-depth interview with Chang that talks about everything from why he doesn't believe he's anything special to how he quit golfing because of Tiger Woods. I've written about David Chang before ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/07/23/a-fascinating-conversation-with-david-chang/