Fizzy Christmas Ham Soda anyone?

by Abha Malpani on


When I lived in Valencia, I was kicked to try their ice-cream summer-flavors: gazpacho sorbet, pink salmon delight, tortilla de patata ice-cream, onion-and-garlic explosion (this one’s pretty gross actually). But, in the name of being creative on holiday, everything goes.

Crushing similar ice, is Seattle based alternative fizzy drink company Jones Soda Co., that is selling sodas with flavors in the spirit of Christmas: Sugar Plum, Christmas Tree, Egg Nog, Jelly Doughnut, Apple Sauce, Chocolate Coins and even Christmas Ham (ugh). All are without caffeine and kosher, and a portion of the sales will even go to charity!

Last year, their limited-edition themed sodas revolved around Thanks Giving and included soda flavors: Green Pea, Sweet Potato, Dinner Roll, Turkey and Gravy, and Antacid sodas.

You can even compete to have your photo on a bottle of soda should you want to have some fizzy-ham-drink-fame. (Yes, there seem to be people in the world who would love for this to happen.)

I can see people trying these sodas for fun, but I can’t imagine them being bought on a regular basis. I suppose that’s why they do limited editions and cash in big-time in summer.

[Via Red Orbit]

And the most caffeinated city in the U.S. is…

by Justin Glow on

Chicago! Though something tells me Las Vegas won’t be too far behind…

According to a recent poll by Prince Market Research, Chicago ranked number one in the United States for caffeine consumption, while places like San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York were ranked among the lowest.

The research team polled 2,000 people from 20 major cities in the United States, looking at consumption of coffee, tea, chocolate, sodas, energy drinks, and caffeine pills.

Craving coffee in Chicago? Try Intelligentsia Coffee, located at 3123 N Broadway St. “Intelligentsia’s Broadway Avenue cafe retains a solid, locally-owned, down-to-earth coffee shop vibe that is increasingly desired in a world of ever-expanding Starbucks.”

Dinner at 165 feet is no easy feat

by Catherine Bodry on

If you drop your fork, it’s probably a goner. And if heights make you dizzy, you might want to hold off on dessert.

“Dinner in the Sky” is an attraction that suspends brave diners at a table165 feet in the air, with chairs that swivel 180 degrees. The table is suspended by a crane, and guest are harnessed into 22 attached seats. There’s a space in the center for a chef and two servers.

The dining venue will make its U.S. debut in Orlando on Monday at the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions convention, where the amusement industry introduces new thrill-rides.

Don’t count on making reservations for two at 7:30 just yet — the restaurant is intended for special events. You can rent it for eight hours at about $11,444 — not including catering.

[via USA Today]

Comparing the food in Athens and Rome is unfair. But still…

by Iva Skoch on

Without realizing it ahead of time, I toured two of the great ancient empires this week: Rome and Greece.

I am in Athens this week and–aside from witnessing a street fight–I have had a good time. Part of the reason is that I am a foodie, and I love Greek food. Fortunately, most of my friends and travel buddies agree that a large part of the appeal of traveling is “the search for the next great meal”.

Last week, I was in Rome for a journalism conference. Cancer-reporting is probably not what you want to hear about, so I will stick to writing about food. I swear it is simply not possible to have a bad meal in Rome. Every little trattoria will be able to offer treasures that make your mouth water instantly. I would say the service is better in Rome that it is in Athens, and so is the bread. However, I love what the Greeks can do with an octopus…grilled, fried or marinated. It is always delicious.

I wonder which of these two cuisines is better for you. You don’t see very many fat people around in Rome or Greece…

When flight crews drink on the job

by Catherine Bodry on

You can view a video on YouTube of a Delta flight attendant being removed and booked for on-the-job intoxication. Neil provided a video of drunken flight attendants making out on a flight in Russia. So how common is it for flight crews to imbibe on the clock?

Despite the recent media coverage, it’s not common at all (you can breathe that sigh of relief now). Travel columnist James Wysong, who also works as a flight attendant, examined the tendency of airline employees to hit the bottle while on duty. While the traveling life might be conducive to partying, Wysong discovered that for the most part employees are keeping their partying on terra firma.

Wysong discusses the looser rules of the past, when a flight attendant he knew began her nine-hour flight with two fingers of scotch, and pilots arrived to work with alcohol on their breath. But now flight crews are randomly tested (he’s been tested three times in the past two years) and the ramifications are severe if caught.

So you can relax on your next flight. And if you find that you can’t relax, well, passengers are certainly allowed to imbibe!

[via Msnbc]