Rameniac, one of the premier noodle blogs, has revealed its 2009 King of the Bowl ramen ratings, with lists for Las Vegas, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York City. In Los Angeles, the noodle scene was largely static, "save for the opening of one or two sub-par shops." Seattle was all about tonkotsu (a specific type of ramen). "Had Kurt Cobain slurped down a few Samurai Armor Plates (from Seattle's Samurai Noodle) during his lifetime, grunge might have never happened." Vegas is more famous for "99¢ buffets and Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo," but there are three ramen spots worth noting. And then there's New York. Fresh off the Japanese airlines, the heaviest hitters go straight to this...
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Brand Steakhouse in Las Vegas will give you their 120-ounce (seven and a half pounds) steak for free if you eat the whole thing by yourself. Otherwise, you'll have to pony up $267. Whether the rules include a time limit or puke allowance is unknown. [via EatFeats]...
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New York Times In recent weeks, anchors on KVVU, the Fox affiliate in Las Vegas, sat with McDonald’s iced coffees as they broadcasted the "news-and-lifestyle" portion of the morning show. But as reported by the New York Times, they weren't from an early morning drive-thru trip. In fact, the anchors hardly touched the cups. It's part of a six-month product placement deal where the on-air cast will join their new iced coffee friends, but not during the "straight news portion," said KVVU news director Adam Bradshaw; just during the lightweight stuff between 7 and 9 a.m. Other stations owned by the Meredith Broadcasting Group may have logoed cups from the Golden Arches soon too. What if a report involves...
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Still in Vegas, last night's episode involved a bunch of crazy non-food elements. Showgirls, Spamalot cast members, poker tables, one contestant's vocal chords, oh, and a man dressed as Cher. Typical network coverage, no? The three remaining contestants (Lisa, Aaron, and Adam) were asked to create a Vegasian buffet for judges and past NFNS winner Guy Fiere. You know, the really successful one with peroxide hair all over T.G.I. Friday's commercials? The one they're all trying to be? Thanks to a big surprise at the end, they're all getting another chance next week....
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In 2010 Las Vegas will become home to the world's first vertical farm. The 30-story farm will cost $200 million and grow about 100 crops, enough food to feed 72,000 people. [via Coldmud]...
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Chicago, which is certainly a hotbed of great cuisine these days, has been tapped as the next locale to host Bravo's culinary cookoff. Unfortunately, the press release hit our inbox a couple days late to let you know about this past weekend's open casting at the Rock Bottom Brewery. Still, if you think what you've got to be a "cheftestant" and want to brave the Top Chef pressure cooker, you can still send in a tape or show up at the open casting calls in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Just remember, the weather in Chicago during taping is unlikely to resemble Miami's balmy temps. It's gonna be a whole lot chillier when you step out of the...
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According to Russ Parsons of the Los Angeles Times, Michelin has just announced that their little red books will be coming out in Southern California and Las Vegas editions this fall, marking Michelin's third and fourth additions to the North American market (after New York and San Francisco Bay Area) and only the fourth and fifth guides for non-European cities (after the Tokyo Guide announced two weeks ago). "Los Angeles has a full-time team of six inspectors and Las Vegas four, says Christian Delhaye, the Paris-based president of Michelin Maps & Guides. Each local inspector averages more than 300 restaurant meals per year, he says. Their reports are supplemented by visits from inspectors from outside the area — from...
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