Month: July 2014

It’s no secret, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had to eat a crazy amount of food to take on the role of Hercules in his upcoming film.

So when USA Today reporter Bryan Alexander agreed to try the actor’s entire 7 meal diet, he knew he had a challenge ahead of him. Still, he vowed to at least attempt the meal plan, which includes steak for breakfast, 12 egg whites before bed and…lion’s blood.

To be clear, here’s how much food the reporter would actually need to consume in order to eat like “The Rock”:

My current 22 week diet for the role of HERCULES. Cardio & iron before going to set. (Lion blood is optional;) pic.twitter.com/HaklgWPJW0

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 24, 2013

Alexander and “The Rock” sat down and went head-to-head taking back plate after plate. Alexander said he was feeling pretty good on meal 2, but by meal 4 or 5 he was looking a little “queasy.”

“Are you OK?” the Rock asked him. “Literally. Are you OK? You’re looking kind of…”

But in the end, despite almost getting sick, Alexander was able to take down some– maybe not all– of the Hercules diet.

“I held down two steaks, one halibut, some chicken, oatmeal and some hefty portions of the vegetable sides from each plate,” he wrote. “We slowed to a near stop when it was clear my frail ego would keep me eating to self-destruction.”

We’ll give Alexander an “A” for effort, but he’s going to need a little more practice if he wants to look like this anytime soon:

I’m in the mood for love (and by love I mean pancakes & lips)
AM training. On set workout trailer. #HERCULES pic.twitter.com/ouilVh0oKs

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 18, 2013

A floating food truck is coming to the Potomac. [Washingtonian] Where to find the best dumplings in the D.C. area [DCist] Michel Richard’s Las Vegas restaurant files for bankruptcy. [Eater] Lyman’s Tavern will host a pinball tournament this weekend. [Post] Chef Kyoo Eom is in at Poste Moderne Brasserie. [Zagat] Mount Defiance Cidery & Distillery opening […]

When I walk into the International Language Institute, the small, dingy lobby is empty—except for a guy sitting next to the elevator. Is this actually the right way to the new  Dupont “speakeasy” from Good Stuff Eatery’s Spike Mendelsohn and lobbyist/Kabin owner Vinoda Basnayake? It doesn’t look like the entrance to a bar with studded […]

If you had to guess America’s favorite fast food burger, you might start with the obvious choices: the big guys, like McDonald’s or Wendy’s. If you’re a real burger aficionado, you might guess In-N-Out Burger, the regional chain with a national appeal. Whatever your assumption, you’d probably guess wrong. That’s because the country’s best burger comes from a chain you’ve probably never heard of, unless you’re from California, in which case you’d better have heard of it. According to Consumer Reports, the best fast food burger in America is from The Habit Burger Grill.

The what?! The Habit Burger Grill is a California-based burger chain that started in Santa Barbara in 1969. It has locations all over the Golden State, six locations in Arizona, five in Utah, and that’s it. According to the website, New Jersey will soon be home to the only Habit Burger Grill on the East Coast. When Consumer Reports conducted its latest fast-food survey, this CA-based burger restaurant came in first place.

The survey included 65 chains, from which Consumer Reports readers ate a sum of 96,208 meals to weigh in on not only their favorite burger, but also their favorite burrito, chicken, and sandwiches and subs. The question posed to participants was simple: “On a scale of  1 to 10, from least delicious to most delicious you’ve ever eaten, how would you rate the taste?” In the burger category, Consumer Reports rated about 53,745 answers. Not surprisingly, In-N-Out Burger placed high, coming in second. It didn’t, however, beat the mystery chain that East Coasters will be scratching their heads about for years to come.

Almost as surprising as The Habit Burger Grill’s victory is McDonald’s ranking: dead last. The chain that put fast food on the international map fell behind 20 competitors, earning a score of 5.8, when The Habit Burger Grill earned an 8.1. With 75 McD’s burgers sold every second, you’d think they might rank higher in taste. McDonald’s announced this January that it has committed to buying “verified sustainable beef.” Whatever that commitment really means and however it pans over the next few years, consumers have made clear that they aren’t lovin’ McDonald’s burgers. They’re loving The Habit Burger Grill’s burgers, so get yourself to California stat.

See Consumer Reports for the full list of the country’s best fast food burgers.

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In the latest edition of craft beer mania, seaweed beer takes center stage. NPR recently profiled Belfast, Maine-based Marshall Wharf Brewing Co., which uses seaweed in its beer. Marshall Wharf’s new beer is called Sea Belt, and is made with the brewer…

Everyone is constantly on the look-out for the next superfood. Chronically impatient and eternal suckers for a quick fix to all our problems, all of us — we’re talking everybody the world over — seem to be perpetually seeking the next best health food. That miracle pill in the form of a high-protein food that has zero carbs, will lower our cholesterol, give us energy, fight disease and better be gluten-free. Every month a new superfood seems to drop from the sky, and media and consumers alike eat it up without question, hailing the new berry, seed or obscure vegetable as the best thing since sliced bread, until the next superfood hits the scene.

In recent years, it’s been all about quinoa. Before the mid 2000s, no one was really paying attention to this ancient Andean plant that has been consumed for thousands of years. A complete protein — which means it contains all nine of the essential amino acids — quinoa answered everyone’s low-carb, high-protein prayers. When the world turned its back on gluten, quinoa (which is gluten-free) was right there waiting for the spotlight. According to Google Trends, quinoa’s star just keeps soaring.

Beyond quinoa, a whole range of superfoods keep breaking through from health food obscurity to mainstream. What’s the next best miracle food?

Chia seeds are a worthy contender. They’ve been growing in popularity since 2009, and made a huge leap onto the world’s stage in 2013. They’re a good source of omega three fats and fiber, and unlike flax, another popular seed, they don’t have to be ground up before eating. They’re showing up in drinks, in baked goods and puddings.

Acai was an early superfood that saw enormous popularity in 2009. Its star has since fallen fast and hard. Sorry, acai. We still like you.

Coconut oil is one of the most recent health food darlings. People are obsessed, and it doesn’t look like the trend is going anywhere for a while. High in saturated fat, it was once vilified by the health world, but in the last year or two, everyone is singing its praises. It’s turning up as a vegan substitute for butter in baked goods, as a smoothie enhancer, and the tell-tale sign of any superfood trend, in places it doesn’t belong (like in salt & vinegar chips and salad dressing).

Goji berries, which are dense with antioxidants, have also risen in popularity over the last few years. They’ve been used in Chinese medicine to treat diabetes and high blood pressure, among other things, and people also tout their ability to increase metabolism and boost energy.

But only one of these superfoods can reign supreme. The champion, of course, is quinoa. The world just can’t get enough of this super seed these days, and we’re finding all kind of ways to capitalize on the quinoa trend. Quinoa whiskey now exists, and so too does drinkable quinoa. If Google is right, there’s no end in sight for quinoa, and it’s trumping other superfoods by a long shot. Are you sick of quinoa yet? Never want to see it again? You might not have a choice in the matter.

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