YumSugar

Let's Dish: What's Your City's Best Bar?

Susannah Chen — Wed, 25 May 2011 04:08:02 PDT

Raise a glass, because men's magazine Esquire has just called out 169 of what it's dubbing "the best bars in America." On the list: San Francisco's historic Beatnik spot, Vesuvio; the menu-free Boston mainstay, Drink; and celebrity hot spot The Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills.

With so many lists being published these days, it's hard to get massively excited about any sort of ranking, although I am always looking for another good watering hole. So I'd like to know: what's the best bar you've ever been to?

5 Things You Don't Know About Bartending

Katie Sweeney — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:25:30 PST

Last night, Susannah and I rolled up our sleeves and kicked off our heels to guest-bartend at San Francisco's Jardiniere restaurant. While we were only mixing one drink, the YumSugar Special (a riff on the classic Whiskey Sour - recipe to come!), I learned a lot from the experience. It's not easy being behind a bar with thirsty customers waiting for a drink, and after doing it, I have a newfound respect for the precise, fast, and friendly bartenders in my life. To see what the world looks like from the inside of a bar, keep reading.

Come Party With Me: Holiday Pub Crawl - Dessert

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:45:00 PST

Here's an affordable and fun holiday party idea: invite friends over for decadent appetizers, then take a tour of the bars in your neighborhood. Instead of serving a bunch of food and drinks all night, you just have to make enough for each guest to have a couple bites and one-to-two rounds of drinks. For an easy spread of sweets, fill small bowls with red and green M&Ms and Hershey's Kisses.

Also offer a quick and uncomplicated make-ahead dessert, like the three-layer no-bake bars seen here. The bottom layer is a crumbly mixture of graham crackers, sugar, and cocoa powder. The creamy middle is a combination of vanilla pudding mix, milk, and powdered sugar. The top is a rich glaze of dark chocolate.

Made in a large casserole dish, this dessert is an ideal option for a potluck. Interested in the looking at the recipe? Read more.

Cocktails: Can You Drink Your Fill?

Susannah Chen — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:50:00 PST

The holiday party madness is just ramping up, and I thought I'd whet your appetite for a stiff drink by testing your cocktail know-how.

Here's how it's going to work: I'll name a bar beverage, and you'll match it to the right glassware. How well you do might have something to do with how many you've toasted with in your lifetime.

Ready to raise a (proper) glass? Then let's get started.

Take the Quiz

Come Party With Me: Canning and Pickling Party - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:15:06 PDT

Since I'm serving some savory treats at my preserving party, I also plan to offer one sweet treat. Not just any dessert, but a crumbly, fruity pastry that makes the most of last year's blueberry preserves: blueberry cookie bars. They are simple to put together and if any remain when the party ends, I'll pack them up and offer them as favors to my guest. We'll also be making one sweet jam together: mixed berry jam.

To take a look at these recipes, keep reading.

Do You Know Where These Bars Are Located?

partysugar — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:15:05 PDT

If you live in a major city and head to your favorite watering hole, you might be surprised to find the best bartenders missing. Why? Because they're all in New Orleans for a little shindig known as Tales of the Cocktail! I've always wanted to go, but alas, this year, bridesmaid duties call. To get in on the fun, I put together this quiz. I'll list a famous bar and you have to tell me where it's located. Let's begin.

Take the Quiz

Are You a Regular at a Local Bar?

partysugar — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:00:35 PDT

I am a creature of habit. I take comfort in routine and familiar things. Thus, when I find something I like, for example a bar or restaurant, I frequent it over and over again. That's how I've become a regular at my favorite bar, located in San Francisco's North Beach district, 15 Romolo. It's nice to go someplace where everyone knows your name. Am I alone? Or do you have a special place you head to for drinks?

Coconut Lime Squares Are an Easy Treat

partysugar — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:00:52 PDT

Recently, I was looking for an uncomplicated make ahead dessert that involved coconut. After searching through a bunch of recipes, I decided on these coconut lime squares. They are easier than other bars because you don't have to chill and roll out the dough, and the lime custard is not heated on the stove. It's a surprisingly simple procedure. The resulting dessert is buttery, tart, and absolutely awesome. They were a total crowd pleaser, and I ended up with only one left to photograph! These squares would be excellent at a Spring picnic. Want the recipe? Read more.

A Bar For Mommy Is a Bar For Baby?

TresSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:00:05 PST

"Look at you. You have a baby . . . in a bar." I have to admit, Reese Witherspoon's reaction to her mommy friend toting baby in a bar in Sweet Home Alabama echoed my own sentiments on the matter. Though I've never actually seen a tot at the bar, I think I'd just be confused. After all, bar talk and bar behavior isn't usually child-friendly, so why bring the little one along?

That seems to be the attitude of most child-less singles and couples in Brooklyn in the midst of a heated debate with young parents in the neighborhood. For some without babies of their own, compromising the social space for moms and dads is almost intolerable: "I will get up on the subway for kids. I will be tolerant of them kicking the back of my seat while seeing a G-rated movie. But let me have my bars." Even on a practical level strollers take up a lot of space, and if you've ever been in a crowded bar, then you know finding a place to stand can be hard enough without a Bugaboo rocking against your knees. Still, I have to confess after a little more deep thought, and some time thinking of my own future - and possibly becoming a mother, I started to feel for young parents. To hear why keep reading

British Columbia's Nanaimo Bars Taste Like Victory

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:00:56 PST

This week, I set out in search of dishes that would commemorate the Vancouver Games. Besides some Montréal items like poutine, I wasn't having much luck with Canadian-born dishes. Then I stumbled upon a specialty known as the Nanaimo bar. The no-bake chocolate square was born out of the domestic housewifery of the 1950s.

One legend recounts a home cook from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island's second largest city, entering her chocolate squares in a magazine contest and naming them after her hometown. Another story is that homemaker Mabel Jenkins entered her recipe to a fundraising cookbook, and it soon spread like wildfire around the local communities.

Regardless of how it came to be, this extremely fudgy and chocolately no-bake dessert is considered British Columbia's favorite native treat. For a triumphant Northern dessert that really hits the sweet spot, read more.