Sunday, October 30, 2011

Musician - Owned Restaurants


Southern Hospitality - Justin Timberlake
Although perhaps hearing is the most important of the five senses to a musician, no one can discount the relevance of taste in a happy life. Everyone has their favorite foods, and opening your very own restaurant would be a dream-come-true. Each of these foodie musicians are living the dream, owning restaurants that span a wide variety of cuisines. Some are swanky and some seem schleppy, but what ties all of these musician-owned restaurants together (besides the fact we might just see a famous face across the dining room) is that we want to visit them all.

Here are a handful of  musician-owned-establishments :
1. Tagine – This Beverly Hills spot features North African cuisine and is partially owned by Ryan Gosling. Yes, the actor from The Notebook, but also the band Dead Man’s Bones.
2. Blowfish Sushi – Julian Lennon, son of John Lennon, is a partial owner of this popular West Coast sushi chain whose menu is adorned with colorful Anime characters.
TeanyMoby
3. TeanyMoby calls this friendly little Manhattan cafe his “pride and joy.” It features a vegetarian menu and 96 canisters of tea.
4. Kaffibarinn – Part-owned by Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), we’d have to travel all the way to Reykjavik, Iceland to visit this trendy spot. It’s really known more as a bar than a restaurant, but they do serve food as well.
5. Southern Hospitality – Memphis-born Justin Timberlake, it turns out, is bringing more than just sexy back. His restaurant brings classic Tennessee barbecue to the Big Apple with a menu of Dixie staples like pulled pork, ribs and fried catfish.
6. Justin’s – Owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs, this restaurant keeps it in the family. Inspired by his grandmother, the restaurant is named after the rap mogul’s son. It serves a fusion of southern and Caribbean cuisine with a health-conscious twist at its New York and Atlanta locations.
7. Watershed – This upscale neighborhood eatery is actually right around the corner from Paste’s Decatur, Ga. offices. Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls is a part-owner of the charming bistro, which serves fresh, regional fare.
8. Fatburger – The original Fatburger hamburger stand opened in 1952 and quickly earned a reputation for its juicy burgers, fresh onion rings and hand-dipped shakes. Queen Latifah loved their turkey burgers so much, she opened her own franchise in Florida. “I’m a girl with girth and I need my burger,” she told Conan O’Brien. Get it, girl.
9. I Love This Bar & Grill – Usually the bar inspires the song, but Toby Keith opened his restaurant and named it after his hit country song. The chain’s three locations, including two in casinos, may not be the classiest on this list, but if it’s anything like the bar in Keith’s song, you’ll see everyone from “thirsty hitchhikers” to “early birds” to “all-nighters.”
10. Straits – Located in Atlanta’s trendy Midtown neighborhood, Ludacris’ Oriental restaurant opened in 2008. Luda loves the food so much, patrons often see him enjoying a meal at the eatery on weekends.



Sunday, October 23, 2011

Bon Jovi's 'Robin Hood' Restaurant.


Jon Bon Jovi broke into the culinary world last week, opening a community restaurant named  'JBJ Soul Kitchen' in New Jersy, last Wednesday.

Rockers-as-restaurateurs isn't anything new, but what sets this restaurant apart is the fact that it will be a "pay what you can" establishment.

 The menu lists no prices, just "suggested donations" to cover the cost ($20 for a three-course meal, for example). Moreover, visitors can "pay" for their meals by volunteering at the restaurant or at other local charitable organizations.

The restaurant is housed in an old mechanic shop. The idea was inspired by a story on NBC News about the SAME (So All May Eat) restaurant in Denver, [www.soallmayeat.org].

In an interview with New York Magazine's Grub Street blog, Bon Jovi clarified that the JBJ Soul Kitchen won't be a "tray service-type of soul kitchen." "Picture the coolest brasserie in your hometown, that’s what this is," says the rocker. "It’s the hottest-looking restaurant in this town. We have to get rid of a few stigmas attached to the word volunteering and making a difference."

To find out more about Bon Jovi's new restaurant, visit their site @ "jbjsoulkitchen.org".

Photo Credit : www.greenbaypressgazette.com


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Bangalore Welcomes Metallica!!!!


Time and again, rumours of a Metallica concert in India have sent metal heads into a tizzy. So when, earlier this year, the iconic American heavy metal band confirmed on its website that India and Bangalore were part of its latest tour itinerary, it was a dream come true for fans.

After heavy metal icons Iron Maiden and Megadeth performed here in recent years, the metal scene had been left parched, particularly so in the last two years. The performance by the third of the Big 4 of classic Metal [the fourth being Judas Priest, of course] on October 30 will certainly go down in Bangalore's rock history as an iconic day. Tickets for the performance in Bangalore are being booked online on various web-ticketing sites like www.ticketgenie.in & others.

Now is the right time to know some interesting facts about the Band, 
  • Metallica was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California in the United States.
  • The band was formed when Kirk Hammett responded to an advert that drummer Lars Ulrich had placed in his local newspaper.
  • To date Metallica has released 9 studio albums, 3 live albums, 5 extended plays, 24 music videos & 45 singles.
  • Metallica’s first studio album, Kill’em All, was released in 1983.
  • Metallica has won 9 Grammy Awards over the years.
  • Five consecutive Metallica albums have made their debut in the Billboard Top 200 chart.
  • Metallica (released in 1991 and commonly referred to as “the Black album”) is probably the most successful and popular album released by Metallica. To date the album has sold 15 million copies in the United States and 22 million copies worldwide.
  • The current members of the band are James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo.
  • Former members of the band include Ron McGovney , Dave Mustaine (who left the band and started Megadeth in 1983), Cliff Burton (who died when the Metallica’s tour bus over-turned in rural Southern Sweden) and Jason Newsted (who left Metallica in 2001).
 So here it is , we're finally going to hear the demigods live in ‘The Rock Capital of India’– Namma Bengaluru  \m/.

Credit: http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/article2432654.ece & http://rwrant.co.za/2011/10/03/10-facts-metallica/

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Steve Jobs – The “i” in Music .


Steve Jobs will remain an iconic figure in the history of the music industry. Billboard said it best:

“That  a man who never played an instrument or so much as sang a note professionally could be considered one of the greatest rock stars of this generation speaks to the impact Steve Jobs had on the music industry, and the legacy on it he leaves behind.”

Ever since the word of Jobs’ passing , members of the music business have been weighing in on the loss of the former Apple CEO. Many of the products Apple released during his tenure as CEO directly impacted the music business. These products not only changed the way music is distributed, sold, and enjoyed, but also the way its made. Jobs really started the digital music business that we know today.

Along with being personally involved with creating the iTunes digital retail system, he was personally invested in acquiring the music catalog that he wanted to hear and he wanted to make that publicly available. The best example of this would be acquiring The Beatles catalog. He personally convinced Dr. Dre to make his catalog available digitally and he also negotiated directly with Bono and Jimmy Iovine at his kitchen table for the U2 iPod in 2004. Bono made this statement saying:

"What made Steve Jobs truly great is that he was only interested in doing truly great things. He was bored by an easy ride or easy profit. In a world littered with dull objects, he brought the beauty of clean lines and clear thought. [He was] one of a very small group of anarchic Americans who through technology literally invented the 21st century. We will all miss the hardware-software ELVIS.”

What made Jobs  a real impact on the music industry? Sure all of his products combined with their amazing software made a huge impact on the business, but most importantly he was a fan. Not only a fan of music, as we all are, but also a fan of how music could be enjoyed.  And that is a legacy that will live on forever.   
RIP, Steve.


Credit: http://hypetrak.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-the-i-in-music/ & http://michellespushplay.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/steve-jobs-impact-on-the-music-industry/

Monday, October 3, 2011

‘Milagai Podi’ aka 'GunPowder' - The Best Pal of Idly.

Milagai Podi also popularly known as Idli podi or GunPowder is a spicy aromatic powder. A must dish served with Idli, dosa, uttappam or rice. There are many versions of this Milagai podi.

The origin of Idli Podi is from South India, this dish is accompanied with the famous South Indian breakfast item Idli. A day might not be complete for many people without an Idli. This gun powder is classified as side dish for Idli, Dosa or Uttapam. Milaga podi is actually a dry chutney powder which has an authentic taste if eaten with idli. Milaga Podi is served with generous amounts of gingelly oil or ghee serves just right with Idli or dosa. Some people like in the state of Kerala mix coconut oil to Milagai podi to enhance the flavour.

Milaga podi is made with a perfect blend of spices using the red chilies, urad dal, chana dal, hing or asafoetida, black pepper and little rice. The Milaga podi is always stored and kept ready for use & when you are in a hurry or if your coconut chutney or sambar is over, this gun powder would always help. Normally you might have noticed while travelling in train, especially with South Indian  co-passengers, they would surely carry Idli tossed with Milagai podi. This is the best food to be carried during travel. And many NRI’s also prepare this gun powder in large quantity when they travel to India and take it along with them.

When you toss the hot Idlis in the Milagai podi mixed with oil, the gun powder absorbs the oil and enhances the flavor of the powder and combined with Idli, just melts in your mouth. This is the reason its called ‘The Best Pal of  Idly’.

Watch the making of the Milagai podi at:
http://www.vahrehvah.com/Gun+Powder+-Milaga+podi:4258

Photo Credit: http://www.sailusfood.com/2008/07/09/idli-karam-podi/
Source: http://www.vahrehvah.com/indianfood/milaga-podi/  & http://curriesandspices.blogspot.com/2011/05/idli-milagai-podi-best-pal-of-idli.html