Want to be part of a giant tomato fight?

by Jessica Festa on




Food fights are not restricted to your high school cafeteria anymore. And best of all, you won’t get detention for chucking produce at someone’s head. In fact, at the traveling Tomato Battle events, tomato throwing is actually encouraged as a giant tomato fight is part of the event’s main attractions. Attendees can also enjoy delicious brews from the beer garden, costume contests, and live entertainment.

The next Tomato Battle event will take place at the Texas State Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. Click here to keep up to date on when Tomato Battle will be in your city, or contact them to help plan an event local to you. You can also check out this video to get a better idea of what kind of chaotic fun to expect.

Hagelslag: Belgian chocolate for breakfast

by Sean McLachlan on

Chocolate. You gotta love it. You can eat it, cook with it, even snort it. It’s good at every meal. Even breakfast, as I discovered on a recent trip to Antwerp.

The Belgians enjoy a special breakfast treat called Hagelslag. These are basically chocolate sprinkles put on toast. The heat of the toast melts the bottom sprinkles, making a nice gooey mess, while the top sprinkles scatter all over the plate. This gives you lots of tasty scrounging once you’ve finished your chocolate toast. I brought a box home to my six-year-old son and as you can imagine, it was quite a hit.

Now before anyone gets all self-righteous about diet and nutrition in the comments section, let me just say that I don’t give the little nipper chocolate toast every morning, and fine Belgian chocolate is a helluva lot more natural than the average kids breakfast cereal. And he never eats fast food. That’s right. Never.

(We’ll see how long that lasts once he’s older and has pocket money)

Hagelslag comes in different varieties and the original recipe was Dutch, although I’ve only tried one Belgian brand. There are several competing brands and some come out with white chocolate and chocolate shavings rather than sprinkles. So if you’re passing through the Low Countries, pick up some Hagelslag. Your kids will thank you for it.

Don’t miss the rest of my series: Lowdown on the Low Countries.

Coming up next: Preserved human flesh at Amsterdam’s Tattoo Museum!

This trip was partially funded by Tourism Antwerp and Cool Capitals. All opinions, however, are my own.

Photo courtesy Mtcv.

Kimpton lets you buy a leg up on the competition with Gordon Ramsay MasterChef package at Palomar DC

by McLean Robbins on

So you think you can … cook? Kimpton is making it easier for those with a hunkering for reality TV fame to have their shot at tryouts with FOX’s MasterChef with Gordon Ramsay with an exclusive Friday night package.

Kimpton’s Palomar hotel in Dupont Circle is offering a limited amount of special “MasterChef” packages, which offers an overnight on Friday, November 11th and a VIP pass that allows them to skip to the front of the line at MasterChef Auditions at Trinity Washington University on Saturday, November 12 to give the best audition possible.

There are only five available and each package comes with only one VIP pass – so if you want to show off your skills, we’d suggest booking soon. The package starts at $339 for a deluxe room and can be booked with code MCHEF online.

Want inspiration? We’d suggest having dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, Urbana, on Friday. It’s one of our all-time favorites, filled with Mediterranean-inspired and seasonally-influenced dishes (try the pork belly – it’s amazing). Don’t skip the house-made gelato for dessert, especially if the mint flavor is on the menu!

Top Chef: Just Desserts contestant opens pop-up donut shop in New York

by Jessica Festa on

From now through December 30, 2011, those who find themselves passing through Grand Central Station in New York can visit Flex Donuts. The pop-up donut restaurant is the creation of Top Chef: Just Desserts contestant Zac Young, who is now the executive pastry chef at Flex Mussel’s in New York.

After a successful run of Flex Donuts in the beginning the year, the pop-up is back in full swing, serving up specialties like:

  • Pumpkin and Marshmallow
  • Cranberry
  • Maple Bourbon
  • Concord Grape PB&J
  • Mulled Cider
  • Rum Raisin

These are just some of the flavors you can expect, which will be served by Chef Young himself. Donuts are $3 and under, and you can get them from the takeout area of Zocalo in the Grand Central Dining Concourse from 11:30 AM to 7 PM daily.

Location is at 109 E. 42nd Street.

10 restaurants that let diners pay as much as they wish

by Jessica Festa on

Hate searching around for the perfect restaurant to fit your budget? What if you could eat somewhere that allowed you choose how much you paid for your meal? If you eat at one of these ten restaurants, you can.

SAME Café
Denver, Colorado

SAME Café is a unique restaurant that came to be from community service. After spending time volunteering at food banks and shelters, the Birkys, the creators of SAME Café, decided they wanted to create a place that could assist those who were having financial trouble. Not only are there no set prices at the restaurant, there is no set menu, with daily selections being made with fresh, organic ingredients and being funded by patron donations. There is no cash register, but instead a donation box where people can pay what they feel is fair. If a person cannot pay, they are encouraged to volunteer for an hour at the eatery.Karma Kitchen
Berkley, California; Chicago, Illinois; Washington, D.C.

Karma Kitchen doesn’t put a price on their bills, but instead a message: “Your meal was a gift from someone who came before you. To keep the chain of gifts alive, we invite you to pay it forward for those who dine after you”. The eatery serves lunch on Sundays (each restaurant schedule varies) and is run completely by volunteers (anyone is welcome to give some of their time), and sustains itself through the generosity of others.

A Better World Café
Highland Park, New Jersey

A Better World Café serves seasonal and sustainable fare, offering patrons an array of payment options for their meals. Diners can choose to:

  • Pay the suggested price (or give a bit more to help feed someone else)
  • Volunteer an hour of their time instead of giving a monetary payment
  • Enjoy the complimentary meal of the day if payment and volunteering cannot be done

With a focus on eating locally, patrons can expect fresh, healthy ingredients and meals such as soups, breads, salads, sandwiches, and desserts.

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen
Red Bank, New Jersey

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen is run by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which aims to combat issues that force individuals and families into economic crisis. Patrons can expect a 3-course, American-style meal beginning with a soup or salad and followed by an entree and a dessert. Ingredients are fresh and locally produced, and diners are encouraged to socialize with the people sitting next to them as they eat. While diners can pay what they please, donations of $10 cover the meal. If a patron cannot pay, they are allowed to donate some of their time to helping out at the restaurant in exchange for the meal.

Comfort Cafe
Denver, Colorado

The Comfort Cafe is a not-for-profit gourmet restaurant serving local, fresh, organic cuisine as well as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items. The menu is all about simplicity, with few items containing more than six ingredients. Patrons choose the food they want to eat, with sampler plates also available. While all food is free, donations are appreciated.

DER WIENER DEEWAN
Vienna, Austria

DER WIENER DEEWAN is a Pakistani restaurant that allows patrons to eat as much as they want while paying whatever they please. The buffet includes daily choices such as lamb, chicken, curry, vegetarian dishes, and delicious desserts such as mango-semolina pudding.

Pay As You Please
Killarney, Ireland

Pay As You Please is a laid-back restaurant offering patrons free Wi-Fi and modern approaches to classical fare created by a trained chef. Delicious dishes include vegetarian, vegan, soul food, and pizza, and at the end of the meal diners can pay what they please. It is a good idea to make a reservation here, as it can get crowded.

Seva Café
Ahmedabad, India

Seva Café thrives on the belief that the people who dine there are not customers but guests and family members. While the menu changes daily, diners can expect vegetarian Indian and continental cuisine. After eating there is no bill, but instead an invitation to become part of the Circle of Giving, meaning that someone before you paid for your meal and it is nice to return the favor.

Indus Valley
Auroville Puducherry, India

Indus Valley is an open-air cafe set amongst the trees that runs on a gift economy philosophy. There are no prices listed, but instead patrons are asked to make donations to keep the eatery up and running. The restaurant offers simple Indian cuisine and even allows diners to place takeaway orders. On the weekends, there is also a bazaar at the cafe that sells local products including batik art, handmade soaps, naturally dyed fabrics, and more.

Lentil As Anything
Melbourne, Australia

Lentil as Anything has various locations in Melbourne and is a not-for-profit community organization. Their restaurants offer hearty and healthy vegetarian cuisine and ask that patrons donate what they think their experience was worth, from the food to the company’s philosphy and community.