Much of the country suffered from a punishing heat wave last week, including New York City, where Menu Talk co-hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, both live.
They didn’t care for the 100-degree temperatures, but they did take the opportunity to enjoy some refreshing beverages. They both attended a summer aperitivo event at Eataly sponsored by an Italian prosciutto company, where a variety of spritzes were served, including some made with limoncello, Aperol and a bergamot liqueur.
Bret arrived late and only sampled the bergamot one, at Pat’s suggestion, because she tried all three and liked that one best. It was the Goldilocks of the three: Neither too bitter nor too sweet.
That led to a conversation about spritzes, which check all the right boxes when it comes to current beverage trends: They’re refreshing, low in alcohol and flexible in how they’re prepared. They can even easily be made spirit-free.
Earlier in the week, Bret went to Chili’s launch of three new premium frozen Margaritas, made with Patrón tequila, that was held in a heavily air-conditioned room appropriate not just for the beverages, but also for the unearthly temperatures outside (Bret joked that he felt like he was being poached).
Pat discussed an interview with the corporate chef of California Pizza Kitchen about that chain’s new salads, which led to a broader discussion about salad, and about pizza and whether pineapple belongs on it. Bret also pointed out that Mountain Mike’s now has a Hawaiian-themed pizza with mango, something neither co-host can recall seeing on pizza before.
Next they shared observations about unexpected flavors at chains outside the United States, and Bret went on a tangent about the polarizing tropical fruit durian, which he said tastes like sweetened onion and garlic, but not necessarily in a bad way.
Finally, he introduced John Burns Paterson, the co-owner and operator of Frankies Nashville — an offshoot of the Brooklyn, New York, restaurants of that name. Enjoy the interview.
Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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