First Starbucks in Prague is a hit

by Iva Skoch on

It’s been a couple of months since Starbucks opened their first Czech Republic location. And, you guessed it, it is smashing success, and not only with tourists.

I remember just a few years ago the idea of a $4 cup of coffee was a science fiction concept in this country. Not today, with the Czech koruna hitting all time highs against the dollar day after day, $4 for a cup of coffee is no longer as much money as it used to be. Just a few years ago, the dollar was traded 1:35 against the Czech koruna. Now, it is 1:16. Ouch.

For those of you, who know Prague, Starbucks picked a great location right next to the Malostranske namesti tram stop (below the castle), where the restaurant Square and Malostranska kavarna used to be. (See photo; it is the building on the left). Don’t get me wrong, I am not a big fan of Starbucks. At the same time, I applaud them for giving Prague what they have been waiting for. Early morning coffee and breakfast is still hard to find around Malostranske namesti. I have heard this complain from several people who visited me here. Of course, small locally-owned coffee shop could never afford the rent that Starbucks can pay.

When I was at the Prague airport earlier this week, I noticed that Starbucks is opening an airport location, too. Yes, Prague is gentrifying rapidly. And, it is certainly not “the cheap place” to visit any longer.

Mars’ Cheese Castle

by Erik McLaughlin on

I was, recently, lucky enough to get an “escape weekend” from Chicago to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the drive to Milwaukee, along Interstate 94, I found a mecca of cheese and salami. Mars’ Cheese Castle is not only an almost mandatory pit-stop for those traveling between Chicago and Milwaukee, but it is a treasure trove of tasty foods and great service. Part restaurant, bar, gourmet deli and gift shop, this is a worth the stop!

I am a big fan of wines, cheeses and various meats/salami. Mars’ Cheese Castle satiated my appetites quite nicely. An easy access location allows an easy break from the Interstate and ample parking makes it tough to say “no” to a quick stop for supplies.

Wisconsin is known for great cheese and the Castle doesn’t disappoint. Immediately, upon entrance, the deli counter is in view. Packed with great things, both local production and foreign, I was lost for about an hour just browsing. Of course you can get famous and fresh Wisconsin Cheese Curds, in many varieties. I was surprised, by the store’s humble appearance, at the selection of imported cheeses including Gruyere, blues and goat cheeses.

Their meat section contains a nice selection of sausages and various luncheon meats. Usinger’s products are prominently featured and after a few taste tests, I saw why. There are also some interesting gift ideas, such as sausages shaped like beer bottles. For something to add to your salami and cheese collection, hit their fresh bakery in the back of the store. Fresh cheese, bread, danishes, and rolls are made several times per day.

While you are busy buying foods for your picnic or to enjoy later that night, browse their gift section with some eclectic items that are uniquely “Wisconsin.” The Green Bay packers logo is on every conceivable item you could imagine. Cows are another common subject and a better collection of “Brick-a-Brack” or “Chotckies” could not be found, anywhere.

What good is all this food without a little wine or beer too wash it down? While there, we managed to get a few bottles of Von Stiehl Wine, from a surprisingly good selection considering they also had beer shaped salami. Still, it is a beer brewing state and beers, beer steins and gift boxes they have a ton of.

Mars’ Cheese Castle is easy to see from the highway and easy to get to. The food and beverage selection is impressive and you can get a dish towel with a smiling Wisconsin cow picture. What else can you ask for on a road trip through Wisconsin? Next time you are in southern Wisconsin, stop by and make sure you are hungry!

[See map]

Bizarre Japanese kinks: school boy cafes and more

by Abha Malpani on

While Japanese men get their kicks from “maid cafes”, Japanese women are getting their kicks from “school boy cafes” where waiters dress like teenage boys who go to boarding-school.

If I’ve understood clearly, these Japanese women do not want to get with these men dressed as school boys, but their thrill factor lies in the romance that they see (or imagine) between the boys at the cafes — something that comes to life from the Japanese boy-boy romance manga comics they read.

According to Reuters, the latest genre of such comics often include violent sex scenes that range from anal and oral sex to bondage and male gang rape. Apparently, seeing beautiful fragile boys in dangerous almost death-like situations makes them attractive to the women who read such manga comics.

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The idea it follows after the “butler cafe” — opened in 2006 by the same person — to provide the young, sophisticated, geeky Japanese woman (female Otaku) a safe and trendy environment to hangout, something that is a rarity in Japan because of it’s rigid society norms.

Talking about rare cafes and kicks people get from them, a bit of prodding reveals numerous weird themed cafes in Japan: vampire cafe, prison cafe, ninja cafe, eyeglasses cafe, scientist lab coat cafe, and the church themed Christon cafes.

I think the success of such concepts is a great example of deep cultural complexities that I wonder if we will ever understand. But I suppose we don’t need to understand them as long as we accept them — perhaps then we will be able to enjoy them too!

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SXSW travel: The best tacos in Austin

by Justin Glow on

Hordes of geeks, film snobs, and indie rock gods are migrating south to this year’s SXSW festival in search of one simple thing — the holy grail of TexMex culinary delight: the beloved taco.

Ex-Gadlinger and Weblogs, Inc. wonder boy Jonathon Morgan (he runs GreenDaily and StyleDash now) has called Austin home for the past few years, so I asked him to share the love and tell everyone where he goes for some warm taco goodness. Here are his top picks:

Guero’s
Jonathon says: “Average Tex-Mex, but absurdly popular hangout.”
Yelp rating: 3/5. Favorite review: “Seven words: Tamales covered in queso and Luke Wilson.”
Distance from the action: 1.3 miles. Get directions.

Chuy’s
Jonathon says: “It’s a local chain, but the food is good.”
Yelp rating: 3.5/5. Favorite review: “If you love their ‘big as your face’ burritos but can not finish, order the mini burrito off the kids menu. They don’t care how old you are and it still come with rice and is plenty.”
Distance from the action: 1.8 miles. Get directions.

Juan in a Million
Jonathon says: “5 min drive east of downtown, with best name for taco place EVER.”
Yelp rating: 4/5. Favorite review: “You have not truly lived until Juan gives you a handshake. He winds back like a pitcher and SMACK, hits your hand perfect every time. If the Olympics hosted a handshake event, Juan would be a perennial gold medalist. Plus, he always refers to you as ‘my friend.'”
Distance from the action: 1.9 miles. Get directions.

Maria’s (Taco Xpress)
Jonathon says: “Great tacos, always packed, with a great big statue of Maria atop the entrance.”
Yelp rating: 4/5. Favorite review: “Maria grew a following because of her cheap and generous tacos and her great service. The place was borderline scary but so ‘keep Austin weird’ that it made Leslie look like George Clooney. (Nice pecs George, but no contest.)”
Distance from the action: 3.2 miles. Get directions.

Polvo’s
Jonathon says: “A favorite amongst the hipster set. Good Tex-Mex with cool outdoor seating.”
Yelp raiting: 3.5/5. Favorite review: “Whoa! My gut hates me! The food is delectable and I just keep eating! It’s like the sensors in my stomach yelling at my brain controlling the fork-to-mouth motion are not working.”
Distance from the action: 1.9 miles. Get directions.

Is your favorite not listed? Let us know in the comments!

Chinese food: More American than apple pie?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Jennifer 8. Lee, a New York Times metro reporter, has a new book about Chinese food that is generating quite a bit of buzz, including last night on The Colbert Report. The book is called The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food, and its supposed to be full of eye-opening facts about what Americans think of as “Chinese food.”

For example, did you realize that there are more Chinese restaurants in the U.S. than McDonalds, KFCs, and Burger Kings combined?

There are so many Chinese restaurants– about 40,000, in fact– that Chinese food might be thought of as America’s “national cuisine.” Lee writes, “Our benchmark for Americanness is apple pie. But ask yourself: How often do you eat apple pie? How often do you eat Chinese food?”

The book also takes a look at the employees– many of them Chinese immigrants– of these tens of thousands of restaurants, which are often scattered around the US in out-of-the-way locations. She answers the question: How do these middle-of-nowhere Chinese restaurants open? Where do they find employees?

“[W]hiteboards and walls of Post-it notes… list the hundreds, if not thousands, of Chinese-restaurant job openings that pass through the area each week. Three numbers identify a job to a restaurant worker: the monthly salary, the area code where the restaurant is located, and the number of hours by bus from New York City… A job could be summed up thus: $2,400, 440 near Cleveland, 10 hours.”

Buy the book here. Or read excerpts here.