The Only Way to Afford Jimmy Choos

A recent article in New York Magazine caught our attention, and it had nothing to do with the actual article. Adam Sternbergh wrote an article about the negative affects shoes are having on our feet. The theory held by many doctors is that walking around barefoot all the time would be much better for our foot health. As interesting as the article is, we couldn't get over the images throughout the article. Check out the the photos below. Notice anything out of the ordinary?

As great as these shoes are, you can't buy them, because they are merely airbrushed paintings applied by tattoo and airbrush artists, Temptu. Pretty amazing, no?

Double-Take

Take a look at the above photos. Does it look like a familiar restaurant? Would you believe us if we said its the setting of a fast food restaurant you've probably eaten in more than a few times in your life? This new futuristic interior belongs to a McDonald's restaurant located in Orange, CA. This particular McDonalds has resigned its interior using eco-friendly LED lighting to establish a new ambiance and awareness of energy savings products.


According to LED Waves, LED lighting has the following benefits & features...

1). Save money and energy. Generally, a LED consumes less than 0.1 watts to operate. This low power consumption means you save on your energy costs.

2). No heat output. LEDs can convert almost all the energy used into light creating a highly efficient light source. In contrast, today's incandescent bulbs emit a lot of energy in the infrared spectrum which can't be seen.

3). Long lifetime. A LED can last up to 100,000 hours. High Power LEDs can last up to 50,000 hours. In comparison an incandescent lifetime is about 1,000 hours and a halogen is about 2,000 hours.

4). Environmentally safe. LEDs are made from non-toxic materials unlike flourescents which contain Mercury. Can also be recycled.

5). Durable. No loose or moving parts. Able to withstand cold, hot, and magnetic environments.

So if a major fast food chain can take it upon themselves to implement small changes to their everyday practices, can't you?

These Crepes Will Creep Up On You

Two new crepe restaurants have opened in Seattle you need to give a try.

The first crepe company is called Unicorn Crepes, named after the shape of the crepe cone. This Japanese craze comes by cooking the crepes on a French griddle and then filling the center with flavors and fillings you would never expect. Sure, everyone loves a sweet crepe filled with whipped cream, fruit or syrup, but how about a chili cheese dog crepe, or perhaps a pizza crepe? Sound interesting? We think so. Among the flavors mentioned you can also order teriyaki, tuna salad, or dessert crepes filled with cornflakes. Be daring, you never know what you might discover in your own neighborhood.

Visit Unicorn Crepes 421 Sixth Ave South Seattle, WA 206-652-0637






The second crepe restaurant you need to visit is called La Cote Creperie. Paris native, Laurent Gabrel has brought a piece of his French culture straight to Seattle. We suggest the buckwheat crepe filled with Yukon potatoes and proscuitto. Other fillings to indulge in include shrimp, homemade sauces, french cheeses and unique spreads like chestnut or lemon.

Visit La Cote Creperie and you'll instantly be transported (at least in your mind) from the Seattle streets straight to Paris.

Visit La Cote Creperie today at 2811 East Madison Street, Seattle 206-323-9800

Are You The Next Rachael Ray?

If you love to cook and often use recipe books to create your fabulous feasts, we've got a whole new kind of recipe book to share with you. It comes from Taste Book, a Do It Yourself company that allows you to select the recipes you want to include in your customized book from a collection of pre-written recipes, add recipes you've created on your own, and select and modify the title, cover, images and more. Each recipe book is a hardcover masterpiece filled with the recipes you love. How often do you a buy a recipe book and only actually cook a handful. Now you can select the recipes in your cookbook so its only filled with dishes you love to cook and eat.

As you know, we publish the Event and Wedding Resource Guides for the Puget Sound, so when we see a great idea in publishing, we must share. This would make an excellent gift for someone who loves to cook or as a special treat just for yourself. It's beautiful presented with organized tabs and allows you to add on more recipes at any time. Be sure to watch the special video presentations on their site to find out more.

Cookoo for Cocoa

Is there anything on Earth more delectable than gourmet chocolate? In all its forms, chocolate is said to have powerful antioxidants. This rise in antioxidant levels helps protect us from damage to the heart and blood vessels, while it also guards our DNA from damage that can lead to cancer. Now, that said, many more antioxidants are found in vegetables and fruits than a chocolate bar, but isn't there something to be said for a food that makes your soul feel good too? We sure think so.

Seattle is the home of some of the finest gourmet chocolate shops in the country. And now, you can explore and taste Seattle's finest every Tuesday, Friday or Saturday via the Tour de Chocolate.

Designed for small groups (10 or less, unless you choose to book a private tour for up to 20 people), immerse yourself in chocolate, take home sumptuous samples and watch chocolate-making in motion with some of the nation's most esteemed chocolatiers. Learn about the craft of chocolate-making and come away better able to select chocolates in the future.

Here are the shops you'll visit (by Simply Seattle Chocolate Box)...

FIORI CHOCOLATIERS AT CHOCOLATE BOX, Downtown
You'll begin your tour with an introduction to the chocolate world and chocolate-making...then be introduced to one of Seattle's newest and most exciting chocolatiers, Fiori Chocolates, created by former pastry chef Lee Johnson. His line draws on his Asian, Latin and European cooking experience and education from Italy's Cordon Bleu.

THEO CHOCOLATE, Fremont
A short ride from downtown Seattle is your next stop in Seattle's eclectic Fremont neighborhood, home of incredibly creative Theo Chocolates. Founded in 2006, Theo is the country's only known roaster of Fair Trade-certified cocoa beans. Tour the facility and learn about Theo Origin Bars, made of dark chocolate from faraway lands, with cacao ranging from 65 to 91 percent.

FRAN'S CHOCOLATE, University Village
Stop number three is at the flagship store of Fran's Chocolates, established by Fran Bigelow who set up her small batch chocolate production in 1982 based upon European tradition. Her kitchen has become famous for its dark chocolate salt caramels and for a variety of tempting truffles.

OH! CHOCOLATE, Madison Park
Your fourth stop is in Seattle's historic and exclusive Madison Park neighborhood, home to Oh! Chocolate...a Seattle favorite created 40 years ago in the tradition of French chocolatiers. Founders Carl and Gertie Krautheim passed their passion for chocolate making to their children who will greet you personally in their store and allow you to actually make your own chocolate delight right on the spot!

CHOCOLAT VITALE AT CHOCOLATE BOX, Downtown
Back at Chocolate Box, you will be introduced to the best drinking chocolate we've ever tasted from Seattle's Chocolat Vitale. Inspired by the hot chocolate his Italian grandmother served in his youth, Jim Schneider and his wife Jennifer founded Chocolat Vitale to offer a line of fine European drinking chocolate. Made from Venezuelan cocoa beans (no powder), several sipping chocolate blends and their unique chocolate teas steal the show. Sip and savor as you discover liquid indulgence.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
Call 206-878-3965(local), 800-770-8769 (toll-free) or click this link to order your tickets online.

Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure NEWS FOR YOU

From Deloitte & Touche comes the latest trends for 2008 for tourism, hospitality and leisure industries. In a report formed by Deloitte & Touche based on an online travel survey, greater emphasis on globalization, the changing customer, safety, privacy and security, technology's new role, and environmental and social responsibility is being integrated into the daily practices of the industry's businesses. This comes as the result of more vocal and conscientious consumers demanding change and more eco-friendly and convenient experiences during travel.

Click below to download and read the full report from Deloitte & Touche.

Share your thoughts with us.

Industry_Trends08.pdf

A Whole New Flavor

This Cinco de Mayo, trade in your margaritas for a delicious new soda made in Seattle. You may have seen this new soda company popping up in places you've visited as of late. We had the pleasure of tasting samples offered at a local Nordstrom, and were pleasantly surprised at just how delicious and refreshing these flavored sodas were. We think they would make an excellent addition to your spring event. The sodas come from DRY Soda Co. a Seattle based bottling company. According to DRY Soda Co., they "offer today’s consumer a modern alternative in refreshment — a line of all-natural, lightly sweet sodas, flavored with fruit or herb extracts, and sweetened with a small amount of pure cane sugar."

And you won't believe the flavors they come in: kumquat, lavender, lemongrass and rhubarb. Our favorite is the lavendar, but they are all delicious with just the right amount of flavor and sweetness. Order some for your next event. They are great alone or as part of a mixer.

Visit their tasting room and see for yourself. The Company Store and Tasting Room is located in DRY Soda’s headquarters at 410 1st Ave South in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood. Much like a winery tasting room, the DRY Tasting Room offers samples of DRY’s four cuisine-inspired flavors and the opportunity for customers to purchase in single 12-ounce bottles, four-pack carriers, 12-pack mixed and single flavor shipping boxes, as well as DRY Goods such as t-shirts, onesies and gift baskets.