Alcohol in the news: Busting Bar Myths

From WCFN 49 / Illinoishomepage.net

Busting Bar Myths

Andy Borbely from 7 Saints out does himself this week! He not only busts 4 bartending myths but he also makes a fresh margarita! You can't miss this.

The myths:

1. Jose Cuervo Gold should be taken as a shot

2. Bourbon must come from Bourbon County Kentucky (currently no bourbon comes from bourbon county, Kentucky)

3. Jack Daniel's is a bourbon

4. A "tall" drink is the same as a "double"

After his appearance, Superman ran into the bathroom and changed into his softball clothes then headed out to Parkland and we won at softball.

Alcohol in the news: Drink with Andy Borbely: Alternate Tequila

From WCFN; Illinoishomepage.net

Drink with Andy Borbely: Alternate Tequila

Andy Borbely from Seven Saints shows us his signature drink. It's tequila taken to the next level.

The drink is called Desert Rose, and he made it in honor of his grandmother.

This was moments after he got done playing softball (we won).

He wasn't wearing his shorts, and showing off his socks. :(

Alcohol in the news; Cooking with Andy Borbely: Lemonade

From WCFN 49, Illinoishomepage.net

Cooking with Andy Borbely: Lemonade

Andy, from Seven Saints, pimps Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. The second drink he makes is strawberry lemonade. Finally, he makes a lemoncello martini with lemoncello, vodka, and lemon.

Jennifer Ketchmark seems to like the Shandy. Well, she seems to like all the drinks.

bars in the news; Best Bars: Escobar

From WCFN 49/ Illinois Homepage.net

Best Bars: Escobar

Jen takes a few bites our of Escobar. This weeks Best Bar.

Escobar is located at 6 East Columbia Avenue, Champaign.

CU Bars in the news; Best Bar: AnSun

From WCFN 49; Illinoishomepage.net

Best Bars: AnSun

AnSun is located in the Crossing. It's apparently an oriental restaurant. In the interview, they claim 6 different Asian beers. They show a collage of 5 of them, including, Phuket, Asahi, Tsingtao, and Kirin Ichiban (brewed in California). They have a green tea zintini.

CU Bars in the news; Best Bar: Sunsinger

From WCFN 49/ Illinois homepage.net

Best Bars: Sunsinger

Dave Benton: After a short break, Jennifer's "Best Bars" segment is back for another week. This time it's a wine bar in Champaign—but so much more!

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "It's eclectic in the sense that we offer lots of different wines, more than 30 on our menu, and they can be easily paired, depending on your tastes."

Jennifer Ketchmark: That's here at Sunsinger Wines on Windsor in Champaign. But don't think there is only wine on their menu!

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "People really enjoy the cafe because of all the variety of items we have. We have black bean hummus, artichoke bruschetta, we have lots of different cheese plates."

And this fantastic creation:

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "The number one pick, ever since we opened, has been our grilled cheese supreme."

Who wouldn't love that gooey goodness?

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "It's a combination of 2 different cheeses, plus fig jam and Granny Smith apples."

Well, that makes it truly unique—much like their deli.

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "All the salads that are on our menu are back there. Our baked potato salad, to a Caprese salad. We have all kinds of Old World salamis."

But it's not just their food that makes this a hot place to eat—

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "If you look around here, I think people love the place, they love the openness here. People find themselves feeling very very comfortable here."

—which leads to a relaxed atmosphere.

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "They are able to sit, to talk and just enjoy themselves with their friends."

And many do relax here with a glass of wine or a summer favorite.

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "Probably the most popular thing right now is our slushies made from Quady Electra from California. One is a black muscat and the other is an orange muscat."

And when I heard "slushie" I couldn't resist, because it is that perfect summertime drink. This is the red muscat, and it really has that refreshing flavor and a great twist.

That's the tart kick this drink packs, and if you are looking for something refreshing, you'll find it here.

Rick Carbaugh, cafe manager: "We have a full retail section with wine, spirits, and beer."

Brian Bowman, beverage director: "We've got wines that are in that 6 dollar price point and all the way up to the sky's the limit."

And the staff here will help you find a great wine, but you can do more than that. You can join a class.

Brian Bowman, beverage director: "101, 102, 103. Pretty simple."

Breaking it down—very like a college town!

Brian Bowman, beverage director: "Basic class starts out and we learn the 7 main varietals, whites and reds, and taste through those. ... Gets more into getting full blown descriptions, and we do it a Sherlock Holmes way."

And by the end—

Brian Bowman, beverage director: "You are blind-tasting everything, and you don't know what you're going through, and we teach you how to break down and examine the wine."

Quality wines, gourmet eats, and a nice place to lunch with friends is why this place made our list of Best Bars.

CU Bars in the news; Summer Drinks

From WCFN; Illinoishomepage.net

Drink with Andy Borbely; Summer Drinks

Andy mixes some drinks

CU Bars in the news; Best Bar: Po Boys

From WCFN 49, Illinois Homepage.net

Best Bars; Po Boys

Po Boys, is located out at the Old TK Wendl's/Brickhouse/Wendls/a bagillion other different names, at 1901 South High Cross Road.

Here's the softball page.

They are only 1 week into the season, I'm sure if you asked nicely, they would add your team to one of the leagues (like the Monday league that only has 5 teams).

CU Bars in the news; Best Bars: The Great Impasta

From WCFN 49, Illinoishomepage.net

Best Bars: The Great Impasta

The Great Impasta is located at 156 C Lincoln Square (mall) in Urbana.

There isn't any talk about the wine/beer/liquor selection in the restaurant.

At the 57 second mark you'll see Samantha June Ducey making pasta.

CU Bars in the news; Best Bar: Crane Alley

From WCFN 49, Illinois Homepage.net

Best Bar: Crane Alley

Featuring Air Wood!

Crane Alley is located at 115 West Main Street.

Aaron Wood, Crane Alley general manager: "The longer we're open, the busier we keep getting. Even as short as a few years ago, people would come in and say they've never heard of us."

Jennifer Ketchmark: But this is a place you shouldn't miss. It's called Crane Alley, and that space between buildings was an inspiration.

Aaron Wood: "The alley is named by the city, Crane Alley. It's just nice, it's cozy in here, and there's a constant breeze."

And that setting draws a crowd.

Aaron Wood: "Our lunches, we fill this alley up pretty decently, as well as happy hours throughout the week."

And on the plates of just about every diner are these sweet potato fries!

(SOT) "They're delicious."

(SOT) "Crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside, sprinkled with brown sugar."

And the fries can't be the only focus. The burgers are also buzz worthy.

Aaron Wood: "Half-pound burgers, fresh pattied daily, and we put minced garlic into them, we have our own little mix that adds to the flavor of them."

And my photographer Alan really enjoyed that burger—really!

Another dish we checked was their salmon, which was flaky and fresh.

And, let's not forget this is also a bar.

Aaron Wood: "You'll be able to find any variety of beer at anytime. We have 16 rotating draft lines, we carry over 200 bottles at all times."

Hey, kids of the 80s and 90s, do you remember pop rocks? They have martinis with pop rocks around the rims, and believe me, this will leave you with a pop!

Aaron Wood: "We have a vast martini list, wine menu, pretty much something for everybody."

You'll also find something else inside to roll along the time.

Aaron Wood: "We have pool leagues that come in, two different nights of the week, and it's just a nice change of pace after you have dinner."

And there's another nook of this bar that you must see: their upstairs lounge.

Aaron Wood: "We do a lot of private parties up there, rehearsal dinners, birthdays, class reunions."

Perfect sweet potato fries, and outdoor dining done right, is why this place made our list of Best Bars.

Aaron Wood, general manager: "We're open every day 11 a.m. To 2 a.m., we do a full menu throughout the hours. ... vast majority of all our foods are made from scratch."

Alcohol in the News; Medical News: Drinking and Breast Cancer

From WCFN 49/ Illinois Homepage.net

Medical News: Drinking and Breast Cancer

Dave Benton: In medical news—new information for women about the risks of alcohol.

A study shows heavy drinking increases your risk of benign breast cancer. It's more common in yonger women.

Researchers believe the connection between the two is in the hormone estrogen. Drinking increases estrogen levels, so drinking more increases a woman's risk.

Researchers hope the study will make women think twice before buying their next drink.

The local story seems to be based off this one from WebMD.

Teen drinking linked to benign breast cancer

April 12, 2010 --Teenage and adolescent girls who regularly consume alcohol may be at greater risk for developing benign breast disease in their 20s than their teetotaling counterparts, Harvard researchers report in the May issue of Pediatrics. Benign breast disease or noncancerous lumps, bumps or cysts in the breast are known risk factors for breast cancer.

It's not the cancer cancer version, it's just lumps. Granted, lumps aren't pleasant, but they can be removed. (I'm a guy, I've felt benign lumps before)

CU Bars in the News, Best Bars: Kennedy's @ Stone Creek

From WCFN 49, Illinois Homepage.net

Kennedy's @ Stone Creek

Kennedy's at Stone Creek is located at 2560 Stone Creek Blvd, in Urbana.

According to the beer menu online, there is some decent beer, but not a huge selection. Pilsner Urquell is on tap and in bottles. They have a stout, wheat, pale, some lagers, and some other beers on the menu. It probably won't be anything you haven't had before, but at least there aren't 50 different versions of american light lager.

CU Bars in the News, Best Bars: Fat City

From Illinois Homepage, WCFN

Best Bars: Fat City

Fat City is located at 505 South Chestnut.

Fat city is one of the few places (if there are any others) with shuffleboard.

According to their website, their beer (tap and bottle) list is horrible. There are about 35 versions of American Light Lagers. Let's run them down... shall we:

Draft:
bud light; coors light; miller lite; stella artois

Interestingly, Blue Moon is listed as an import draft.

Bottles:
Budweiser, bud light, bud select, bud select 55, busch, busch light, coors light, old style, o'doul's, mgd, mgd 64, miller high life, miller lite, natural light, pbr, bud light lime, bud light wheat, michelob ultra, michelob ultra pomegranate, amstel light, corona extra, corona light, dos equis lager, fosters, heineken, landshark, pacifico, red stripe, rolling rock, stella artois.

That's a lot of the exact same thing.

They serve Pepsi products.

They do have a large patio, and have live entertainment.

CU Bars in the News, Best Bars: Chevy's in Champaign

From WCFN 49.

Chevy's in Champaign

Chevy's is located at 103 West Marketview Drive, near the mall.

Dave Benton: We all know that central Illinois has a wealth of Mexican restaurants. But what does it exactly mean to be Mexican cuisine?

Jennifer Ketchmark: Here's what I learned while visiting Chevy's in Champaign!

When driving down Neil Street looking for a place to eat, don't forget to turn the corner and check out Chevy's.

(SOT) "We opened September 14, 1999, and this was the first one to open outside the major cities, we were able to bring in fresh Mex to the community, and we've been here ever since."

And that means food inspired by Spanish, Italian, and French flavors. And one thing this place doesn't do is cut corners.

(SOT) "Chevy's is fresh food, nothing is canned, you can go back in our kitchen and look for yourself. It's a very fun atmosphere, it's casual. It's a very happy place."

But to be a dish from south of the border doesn't mean that it has to leave your mouth on fire.

(SOT) "All of our food is medium spiced, however we can spice it up. We feel that medium spices are flavor."

And here are some dishes that will have you saying "Ole"!

This salad—mixed grill with everything from chicken breast to jumbo shrimp—and a chile verde burrito.

And from top to bottom this dish was my favorite!

And if it's not the food you are looking for, you better be looking for their margaritas. They come in grande size all the way down to samplers.

And just like the food, all flavors you see here are made from the fruit, not concentrate.

(SOT) "We also offer great flavors of margaritas, such as strawberry, straw-banana, melons, mangos, cranberry, you name it!"

And the make sure to go top-notch with something else too!

(SOT) "We use the real thing, the real tequilla, we have our secret sweet and sour mixes that have never changed."

(SOT) "We are the only restaurant in the area that has the Grand Platinum patron tequila. We sell high-roller 'ritas!"

And if that doesn't have you sold, you should come in for this big pull.

(SOT) "Chevy's is a fun, festive atmosphere, and we have a lot of fun colors like you can see."

(SOT) "We use some authentic Mexican pieces, the hats, the paintings, it really gives a feeling of fun warmth to the guests."

But wait, one more thing you should never miss here is the 5th of May.

(SOT) "Cinco de Mayo, it's the biggest celebration of the year for us. We have lots of specials and we bring in some type of music, decorations."

(SOT) "For Cinco de Mayo we are going to have $4 margaritas."

Bringing the flare of south to central Illinois is why this place made our list of best bars.

[SOTs: Cheryl Hussain, Chevy's owner; Mauricio Salinasm Chevy's general manager]

CU Bars in the News, Best Bars: Houlihan's (Champaign)

From WCFN 49.

Best Bars: Houlihan's (Champaign)

Dave Benton: When you think about Houlihan's, a fun Irish pub comes to mind instantly.

Jennifer Ketchmark: Tonight we will rewrite that image with what you now find at this hot spot to eat.

Brian Durkin, Houlihan's general manager: "We are modern and new, and there's no real one way to describe us."

That's because Houlihan's in Champaign is part of the company's new image. And boy, is it trendy!

Brian Durkin: "I Hotel selected Houlihan's because they've reinvented themselves. Everything very simple, but very designed and modern and comtemporary."

And just like the atmosphere, the food has recieved a big-time makeover.

Brian Durkin: "It's competely new and different, it's eclectic."

That includes jumbo stuffed 'shrooms.

Brian Durkin: "Our breaded fried mushrooms are excellent, big-capped mushrooms with some cream cheese inside."

And this Atlanta salmon encrusted in Dijon bread crumbs. But wait, there's even an Asian twist with their ahi tuna salad.

Brian Durkin: "Tapas roll out on April 15, and this an example of how it's gone from an Irish pub to more of a modern and fine dining, with more interesting menus and making everything from scratch."

Wow! Definitely not the classic Irish pub! But like a pub, they still have a bar. And if you are new to martinis, why not try a flight of martinis? For 9.99, you get 3 martinis, and within that we found their signature Adam and Eve martini.

Brian Durkin: "The Adam and Eve martini—it's kind of a twist on the apple martini. It's just a little different, more tart that you are usually used to, and the addition of the lemon sweetens it up a little bit, along with some cinnamon on the rim of the martini.

And the bar is a place for deals every day of the week.

Brian Durkin: "We have 3-dollar drafts on game nights. There are also 4-dollar Bloody Mary pints on Sundays."

And you don't want to miss another special night.

Brian Durkin: "Every Tuesday night we do live music. During the winter months, we do it in the restaurant itself, during the summer months we do it on our patio. Usually it's more of a jazz band, we have some Brazilian jazz bands that are pretty popular."

A modern dining experience from a restaurant with Irish roots is why this place made our list of Best Bars.

Wow, the transcript is no where near what was actually said in the video. They even put quotes around Brian Durkin's "words" but that's not exactly what he said.

CU Bars in the News, St. Pat's Drinks

From WCFN 49 News

St. Pat's Drinks

Andy Borbely, GM of Seven Saints, talks about Irish Whiskey.

He uses a Chicago Cubs bottle opener... thank you Kristy.

Go to Seven Saints for Whiskey Wednesday on St. Patrick's Day for Irish Whiskey.