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Super Bowl Sunday is coming, and we can’t wait! Whether you’re rooting for New York or New England, we’re sure this 2008 rematch is sure to be a great game and an even better time. Of course, the game wouldn’t be complete without a wing, a burger, and a cool lager. So who would we be if we didn’t give you some of the best spots in the city to enjoy these things! Our list includes it all – from the swanky to the chic dive – and we even managed to make sure all five boroughs are represented! Without further ado…check out the go to SuperBowl spots for 2012.

Staten Island

Two Restaurant Diner & Lounge: 2925 Veterans Road West

718.356.6800

The Two Restaurant Diner & Lounge seems to have all the SuperBowl basics down: all you can each buffet, open bar for the duration of the SuperBowl, and the biggest prerequisite: big screen TVs.

DaddyO’s BBQ and Sports Bar: 35 Androvette Street

718.948.3333

Boasted as the “only smokehouse on Staten Island”, DaddyO’s all-inclusive Super Bowl package for $75 includes draft beer, wine and sangria, a hero sandwich buffet, and multiple sides. Reservations are credit card or cash only and must be made in advance.

Bronx

The Greentree Restaurant & Bar: 5693 Riverdale Avenue

718.601.2572

Greentree’s Super Bowl specials include their Black and Blue Burger as well as their Rock Shrimp and Bay Scallops sampler, along with the requisite beer and bar apps.

Gleeson’s Sports Bar & Lounge: 6115 Broadway at 246 Street

718.548.0606

Gleeson’s keeps it simple as one of the original Irish pubs in the Bronx. No pretentiousness – just great lager, good bar eats, and the game.

Queens

Bourbon Street: 4012 Bell Boulevard, Bayside

718.224.2200

Bourbon Street’s Super Bowl special boasts a $45 per person (tax and gratuity not included) hot and cold buffets, unlimited mixed drinks, bottled and tap beer, wine and soda. Giveaways will also be a part of the festivities. Reservations and a deposit are required.

Austin’s Steak and Ale House: 82-70 Austin Street, Kew Gardens

718.849.3939

For $50 per person, Super Bowl seeking patrons of Austin’s can get unlimited bottled beer and top shelf cocktails, a half time dinner buffet, raffle tickets and exclusive giveaways. Reservations are suggested but not required.

Brooklyn

Red Star: 37 Greenpoint Avenue, Greenpoint

718.349.0162

One of the 10 best bars in the city and a New York “Best Bar in NYC” finalist, Red Star’s Super Bowl specials are simple: good eats, good drinks. Try their “Cowboy Burger”, covered in BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and frizzled onions.

Camp: 179 Smith Street, Park Slope

718.852.8086

Bringing a taste of the country to Brooklyn, Camp offers $9 Bud Light  pitchers and $15 pitchers of other draft beer, as well as board games for those not watching the game.

Manhattan

Park Avenue Tavern: 99 Park Avenue between 39^th and 40^th Streets

212.867.4484

With all the taste of upscale that its prestigious address implies, the Park Avenue Tavern hosts NYC’s 1^st self-serve tap system, both public and private. A nouveau riche take on bar food and five flat screen TVs rounds out their Super Bowl delights.

Yotel: 570 10^th Avenue between 39^th and 40^th Streets

646.449.7784

The English hotel upstart that migrated to the US hosts a swanker version of the Super Bowl party.For $49, you can nosh on riblets, crispy wings, frites, and their Manning Margaritas and Bloody Brady Sangrias.

For more information on any of the above Super Bowl specials, be sure to contact each establishment, as pricing and availability is always subject to change. Look out for our special Super Bowl recipes for the next Sweet TnT Post on Thursday!

(Oh…and since we didn’t say it before…good luck to BOTH teams!)

It’s a new week, and we here at K. Parris have been thinking up some awesome recipes and ideas to share with you for the new year!

Now. We know that, like some of our team members, there’s nothing like a juicy steak…a piece of baked chicken…or a slice of delectable pernil (roast pork). However, if you’re like this writer, you’ve forgone the ‘pleasures of the flesh’ (no pun intended) and opted for a more plant-based, sea driven diet. As there are varying types of vegetarians (click here for a listing of the most common types), so there are also many types of meat substitutes for vegetarians and vegans, as well as the occasional veg head, or even for those of you who might be interested in trying out something new.

Before we jump into the various types of substitutes, we felt we should touch on one or two things to break up some of the misconceptions about vegetarians and meat substitutes:

1. Vegetarians eat meat substitutes because they miss meat.

This is one of the biggest falsehoods with regard to transitioning from a carnivorous diet to an herbivore one. Depending on a person’s reasoning for switching diets, they may sometimes crave similar flavors to ones that they are familiar with. However, for the most part, meat substitutes are primarily for the protein that we may lose from the lack of meat.

1. Meat substitutes lack flavor and substance.

If your only experience with meat substitutes is a flavorless tofu dish, then this writer can understand where this impression may have come from. However, it should be noted that there is so much versatility in meat substitutes when prepared correctly, that often times, you won’t even miss the meat (if you’re not vegetarian, that is).

1. All meat substitutes are healthy.

Meh. The general consensus is that a vegetarian diet is a healthier one, and this is normally the case. You should be aware, though, that all things marketed as vegetarian are not necessarily good for you. Many vegetarian frozen food items are as incredibly high in sodium and preservatives as their meat counterparts. When in doubt…read the labels.

Having cleared some of that up, let’s jump right into some of your vast meat substitute options, and why they’re good for you:

Tofu: Tofu (bean curd) is, by far, the most common of the meat substitutes that we know of. Tofu, generated from coagulated soy milk, is a great source of protein and, when marinated effectively, can take on any flavor profile you’d like. The types of tofu available are vast: there is silken tofu that can be used for smoothies and to substitute other types of dairy products in foods, soft and medium firm tofu for scrambles and similar dishes, and firm tofu for soups, stir fry, and other various dishes.

Seitan: Also known as wheat gluten, seitan is derived from the protein portion of wheat. It is created by making firm dough and rinsing for the better part of an hour in order to separate the starch from the protein. It can be marinated throughout the process to take on the flavor of whatever you would like it to taste like. Seitan’s texture is, by far, the most similar to actual meat, and is often used in vegetarian meals as an accurate meat substitute. People who have celiac disease or gluten sensibilities should see their nutritionist or doctor first before consuming this particular substitute.

Tempeh: Tempeh is another meat substitute that has a remarkable textural resemblance to meat. It is made from fermented soybeans and compacted into a cake like form that can also be marinated to taste like whatever you would like it to taste like. Tempeh’s high level of soy proteins and isoflavones has many health benefits. Isoflavones provide calcium to strengthen bones, have a propensity to ease menopause symptoms, and can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and some cancers if eaten consistently, according to research.

Beans and Legumes: Beans are a naturally occurring source of protein and a big staple in a vegetarian lifestyle. Chock full of vitamins from B vitamin complex, iron, and fiber, beans and legumes can be used in a variety of dishes, from breakfast sides to salads to soups for dinner.

Soy Chunks: If you are from the Caribbean, have or know a Rasta, or have visited Caribbean groceries, you may have seen these soy chunks packaged in plastic bags in varying sizes and colors. Known colloquially as textured vegetable protein, soy chunks are made from soya flour and are also a great, inexpensive substitute for meat. They are usually found in dehydrated form, thus having a larger shelf life than most other products, which are highly perishable. It should be noted, though, that once rehydrated, soy chunks are just as perishable as other items. In addition, be aware and check your labels when it comes to use of these products…some are very high in sodium as well.

For more information on meat substitutes, take a look at some of the following links:

One Green Planet’s Guide to Vegan Meat Substitutes

Vegan Outreach’s Guide

Check back with us on Thursday, as we will be posting our latest K. Parris Test Kitchen results: awesome veggie burgers!

We talked a bit about the Top 5 Trends of 2011 in our first Sweet TnT Post of the year. Catch up on what we thought was most popular and talked about here.

As this writer sat and wrote, though, a thought emerged: is there anything that’s out there in the culinary world that hasn’t been fused, re-created, upgraded, jazzed up, over promoted, or given “a new spin”? Granted, part of the culinary evolutionary process is that often times, new dishes are simply old dishes with a new face – that way, things don’t get too boring or stale. However, if you’re constantly giving a new face to everything…where does that leave the classics?

Is there anything left classic?

With all that thought process churning, this writer went a little deeper in and dug out the top five things that they’d like to remain…well…classic. You might be surprised at the list. (And we are perfectly accepting of the fact that you may or may not agree. This is just our humble opinion. *wink*)

5. Fried Chicken

Though this writer in particular doesn’t eat chicken in any form anymore, when the carnivore was still in full effect, fried chicken was a personal favorite. Crisp seasoned skin, juicy tender meat, even the slight touch of grease was enough to have you licking your fingers before you took the first bite. Many dispute the seasoning process of this classic bit of soul food history – some say salt and pepper is simply enough, others are avid seasoned salt (read: Lawry’s, Old Bay, all the sentimental MSG filled favorites) fans…if you were the Colonel, then you threw 11 herbs and spices into that bad boy. Either way, fried chicken is a simple, delectable treat. It doesn’t need cake batter as breading…it can do without a Coca-Cola bath first…sure, as a chef, this writer is all about the appearance, and definitely all about trying new things, but no, dipping a piece of chicken in whipped cream first is just highly unnecessary. And yes, as much as many of us dive head first into a ‘sticky wang’ covered in honey coated sweetness…fried chicken doesn’t need it. It’s perfectly fine all by itself. Let’s leave it that way.

4. Cupcakes

Ah, the luscious confection, topped with whipped chocolate ganache…or, for contrast, a jalapeno jelly glaze…or a bacon infused maple crème…

Wait a minute…jalapenos? BACON? Whatever happened to buttercream? Soft bites of CAKE?

As a chef and cake decorator, this writer full well understands the desire to become as creative as possible. We’ve created masterpieces with our cake creations, admittedly. However…when you get past the zebra striped fondant…we promise you…it’s just cake and buttercream. Yummy cake…and even yummier buttercream. Sure, we’re all for experimenting with flavors a LITTLE. But please. If we can leave the jalapenos for nachos and the occasional cornbread…and the bacon for, I don’t know, breakfast…this writer will sleep a little easier at night.

Well…at least, we’ll be going to get a simple cupcake. Since we brought it up and all.

*noshes on vanilla cupcake with coconut buttercream*

3. Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, right up there with ice cream as the go to break up to make up, it’s “that time of the month”, Soul Food Sunday meal food. Similar to fried chicken, mac and cheese is hotly debated as to which style is the best: melty ooey gooey sauce or baked? One cheese, two cheeses, or five? If you’re Caribbean like this writer is, it’s not even macaroni and cheese, it’s a tightly packed and baked piece of macaroni ‘pie’, and don’t yuh dare call it otherwise, ent?  No matter how you look at it, macaroni and cheese is as classic as it gets, just about. It doesn’t need to be truffled (as good as it does taste, admittedly, it’s just an incredible waste of a perfectly good and expensive truffle), it, too, does not need bacon (why must bacon go in everything?), and as much as this writer LOVES figs…um…it doesn’t need that either. Cheddar and mozzarella (or gruyere) is perfectly acceptable and delicious. And classic.

2. Cuisines

This might seem like a weird thing…how can you keep cuisine classic? As this writer noted before, the world of food is constantly in a state of evolution, particularly as we push the envelope with all of these varying culinary revelations, upstarts, etc. In spite of this…does everything quite need to be fused? Isn’t Mexican a perfectly acceptable and delicious meal by itself? Does it really truly need to be fused with Italian? And while restaurants like newly opened Cu29Copper in Williamsburg make clever and certainly delicious plays on both genres of cuisine, the question is, do we have to? This writer is of the firm belief that some cuisines should simply be left to stand on their own…why? Because they’re quite delicious all on their own and do not require fusing. To be perfectly fair…some cuisines work as fusions because the stark differences between them are, well, not that stark at all, and thus lend themselves to the combination. Caribbean and South American cuisines, for example, lend quite well to this concept, primarily due to the proximity of the islands to the continent, as well as other factors. Trust this writer, though: a whiskey infused borscht with pesto and bourbon infused crème fraiche? We’re good.

And not just because we’re not fans of beets.

1. Vodka

Yes. This writer did, indeed, say vodka.

Yes. We know vodka is not actually food. Just hear us out.

Currently the most popular and populous spirit in the country, vodka can be found in just about every club, bar, lounge, restaurant, you name it. You’ve seen the most widespread names: Ciroc…Grey Goose…Belvedere…Stolichnaya…and, with the exception of the latter, the reason that you know them is due to the celebrity name attached to them. The power of the promoting force behind them.

Whatever happened to Absolut and, dare I say it, Smirnoff?

When did they become inferior?

A few months ago, this writer and a close friend were at a local bar, drowning our sorrows having a drink or two, when a vodka representative came and asked if we would be willing to do a brown bag blind test, as she called it. (Free drinks? Sure. Why not.) We taste tested three different vodkas from the bag, no idea what it was, and were simply asked to judge on what we tasted – which was the smoothest? Which one had the most kick? If we had to guess, which was which? The three that we wound up taste testing were Grey Goose, Belvedere, and Absolut. Guess which one was the smoothest and most likeable?

(Give you a hint. It wasn’t the Grey Goose.)

The Absolut was, by far, the best tasting and smoothest of the three. The Grey Goose, ironically, tasted like medicine, which surprised most of the people tasting it, avid Grey Goose fans that they were, but not this writer. Why? (*whispers* Absolut is the better vodka.) Now, while I’m sure that most of you reading this will vehemently deny this, disagree, etc. That’s all fine. We’ll go into a little more details on the nuances of vodka making for this week’s #Spirited Saturdays, but let’s leave it here – stop relying on the celebrity endorsement to determine your drink choice.

Trust your palate instead.

To check out other Ex-Foodie blogs, visit us at www.kimberlyparris.com/ex-foodie.

Happy New Year to you all! It’s been a year filled with ups, downs, and triumphs here with the K. Parris team…but, of course, there’s nothing wrong with that! We’re excited to be bringing you the next stages of our enterprise…from the non-profit to our expansion! With all that said, some things won’t change…and that includes our Sweet TnT Posts! So here’s our first one for the year…enjoy!

Ah, 2012 is here, in all its glory. Though it remains to be seen just how accurate the Mayan calendar is, there’s one thing we can definitely be certain of: the food world has seen quite its share of trends in 2011. We here at K. Parris figured we can touch base on what we saw as the top 5 of the year, and what made them, well, interesting…

5. All Red Velvet Everything (S. Dot voice)

Clever world famous rapper analogy aside, 2011 saw an even bigger rise in the appeal of the red velvet…um…well, pick something. Red velvet waffles topped with buttermilk fried chicken at locales such as SoCo in Brooklyn, food trucks serving red velvet crepes (the food trucks are a trend in themselves, but that was another blog – interlink), restaurants doing red velvet pancakes with cream cheese butter…in fact, we even considered playing around with a classic Trini recipe at Christmas (red velvet ponche crèma, anyone?). We saw red velvet on savory menus…Martha’s Country Bakery in Forest Hills even does red velvet hot chocolate (and I, for one, will not deny that it is quite tasty). Red velvet in some of our favorite dishes has, in theory, added gourmet flair. Or, you could see it as a poor attempt to continue to capitalize on a popular dessert. Let’s just hope 2012 doesn’t bring about red velvet fried chicken. (Oh…wait…they already did…sigh… )

4. Flavored Pastries 

Doesn’t sound like anything we haven’t heard before, right? Pastries are supposed to be flavored…aren’t they? Well, what do you think about bacon crisped maple cupcakes? Ham and egg donuts? Nope, it’s not a bad Dr. Seuss book…it’s the latest in trendy pastries that “think outside the box”. Places such as Federal Donuts in Philly and local NYC spots such as Dean and Deluca seem to be bringing forth tasty fusions of savory items into the sweet treats they offer. Will they last? Only time will tell.

3. Insects 

Do not adjust your computer screen…that is, indeed, a basket of bugs.

No, really. It is.

Granted, you might not see these on the menu for Valentine’s Day at Fig and Olive, but foodies and gourmands alike have been seeking out the high protein critters as an additional and much more sustainable form of nutrition. (Well…not this writer. I became a pescetarian this year…and I’m going to add bugs to the list of “meats I never eat”. Though I’ve heard grasshoppers taste like chicken. Seriously.) Daphne Oz of “The Chew” fame even points out the nutritional value of such 4, 6, and 8 legged creatures in a Halloween themed special during the show’s debut last year. Insects being a source of alternate nutrition is actually not a new thing, honestly…European cultures often utilize them in haute cuisine (think: chocolate covered ants – ), and you haven’t lived if you haven’t downed the worm in the bottom of a bottle of tequila in Cancun.

At least…that’s what we hear.

2. Food TV Reality

Ever since the inception of Bravo’s Top Chef, numerous networks have jumped on the culinary reality TV bandwagon. Shows such as the aforementioned ABC’s “The Chew”, a epicurean spin on similarly formatted talk show “The View”, new Bravo concepts such as “Rocco’s Dinner Party” with cutie celeb chef Rocco DiSpirito, and culinary television giant Food Network’s growing list of shows, “Chopped” and “The Next Food Network Star” aside, are just a few of the mass of shows to hit the airwaves about food. Whereas granted, many of these shows offer exposure to gastronomic upstarts in places and to a national audience that perhaps they might not have before; one has to wonder if so many shows don’t offer a sense of oversaturation. Only time will tell. Before this writer goes to watch the DVRed “Chef Roble & Co.”, though, let’s give you our number one food trend of 2011:

1.  Organic Foods 

Okay…so maybe this isn’t a trend specific to 2011. It certainly is the most long standing one, though, with everything from whole chickens to Cheetos bearing an “organic” label that, of course, allows the purveyor to charge upwards of $1.50 more for the item, depending on what it is. (As a word of caution…consuming organic potato chips with a piece of fried organic free range chicken and organic Fanta is not necessarily healthier…in fact…it is likely the same amount of calories as the regular chips, chicken and soda. Why? Organic doesn’t mean less calories…simply grown without pesticide. Be wary of certain items advertising the ‘organic’ label, and choose what is actually a valuable purchase – fruits, vegetables, and meats are always a good organic buy. Organic Blue Corn tortilla chips? You could do it…but we promise…the regular Tostitos will be okay. Just our thoughts.

Only time will tell if 2012 will reflect some of the same food trends of the previous year and beyond. With that said, it doesn’t hurt to stick with some of the basics and hold on to some of the classics. Trends come and go…but meat and potatoes is forever.

Or, in this writer’s case…salmon and potatoes. Same difference. *wink*