Sams Choice Original Smoked Sausages Review

Right off the bat, even before trying them, I liked these better than the McCormick’s Grill Mates sausages I looked at this week (scroll down to next story). Reason?  First two ingredients are pork and beef, and not a mechanically separated poultry bit in sight. Also?  No “corn syrup solids.”  Sam’s Choice Original Smoked Sausages… Continue reading Sams Choice Original Smoked Sausages Review

National Hot Dog Month

July is National Hot Dog Month, and we’re knee deep into the middle of the “hot dog season” in America.  The 4th holiday is one of our peak dog days. So here’s the poop on America’s favorite (and most portable) food! Top Hot Dog Consuming Cities 2014 Los Angeles  New York Atlanta Philadelphia Chicago Birmingham Boston… Continue reading National Hot Dog Month

McCormick Grill Mates Sausages Review

With over 8,000 employees and $4 billion in revenue, McCormick & Company is one of the undisputed leaders in the production and sale of spices and herbs. They have been on an acquisition and strategic partnership tear as of late,which really appears to have been jump started in 2003 with the purchase of New Orleans based… Continue reading McCormick Grill Mates Sausages Review

Hormel Deli Roast Beef Review

I’ve been trying out a lot of deli meats, lately, mostly pastrami and corned beef. I’m a fairly big snob / choosy about what I buy, eschewing the more inexpensive brands, which tend to be what I refer to commonly as “chopped, pressed, and form,” meat and other additives reconstituted to resemble roasts.  I much… Continue reading Hormel Deli Roast Beef Review

Pie Five Pizza Review

Arguably at the top of growth chain for the fast casual dining segment, the relatively new “made on demand” concept  pizza places appeal to customers on three points:  value pricing, quality ingredients, and fast service. There are quite a few entrants into the category already, including Blaze, MOD, and Pie Five, which was started and… Continue reading Pie Five Pizza Review

Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room…..er, Oven

I used to have a couple thousand dollars worth of barbecuing gear. Got disposed of when I wasn’t looking to fuel somebody’s addictions. Oh, well. So I’ve been looking at smokers again, and I spotted these “in oven smoking bags” made by Camerons.  They are a couple-three bucks, and come in a wide variety of… Continue reading Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room…..er, Oven

Why Start-Ups Need Mentors

I first “landed” in Silicon Valley in 1998, at the beginning of the first bubble. I use the word “landed” literally, as I had just completed nearly ten years of running media, information, and news companies overseas, across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including four years on Mainland China. My colleagues, employees, and… Continue reading Why Start-Ups Need Mentors

Tavern on the Hill Follow Up – Duluth, MN

This is a follow up visit, six months after opening, of the Tavern on the Hill, in a new development near the University in Duluth, MN.   It’s the weekend of the annual world-famous “Grandma’s Marathon,” the foot race course that hugs the shore of Lake Superior.  Runners from all over the world (and locally)… Continue reading Tavern on the Hill Follow Up – Duluth, MN