Bourbon 72 Tableside Flambé
I was having a conversation recently with an employee from Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg who asked if I had been out to the casino lately. I responded that I am not a casino person and that gambling is just not my thing. He chuckled and said: “No, you mean gaming is not your thing; but there is so much more to do than just gaming, you should come for dinner and one of the shows.”
So I went to dinner at Bourbon 72 at Turtle Creek Casino and was impressed with every aspect of my experience. It started with the attention to detail from our server Aaron. He guided my wife and me through our entrée selections and even recommended a great bottle of wine for us.
Bourbon 72 is fine dining but in a come-as-you are, so no need to dress to the nines unless you want to. Currently they have this great promotion Tuesday thru Friday that features a 16 ounce whitefish filet or a 14 ounce New York Strip with soup or salad and a choice of potato for $13 or dinner for two for $25. I had the steak and ordered a lobster tail as well and both were prepared to perfection, while my wife ordered the whitefish and marveled at the flavor.
But the highlight of the evening came when Aaron suggested we have the Cherries Jubliee. He said it would be enough for two and he was right. The tableside flambéing was fun and Aaron took us through the process and explained all the ingredients and how the flavors infuse into the Michigan cherries.
We thought our night was over when Aaron suggested that we stop by the Level 3 Lounge as it was comedy night. It was packed (Wednesday night), the comedians were funny and the whole night was a success. So I was wrong -- I am a casino guy. For more on the Turtle Creek Casino and to see the menu at Bourbon 72 check out www.turtlecreekcasino.com --Rick Coates
Beer Is Back
Okay, beer never went away but sales in recent years have been in the bottom of the barrel. With the exception of craftbrews there has been little to get excited about in the world of beer. In fact that battle of the big boys in the industry as of late has been to see who can make a beer that tastes like water with a hint of lime. So what beer has needed is that same sort of boost wine got several years ago when 60 Minutes reported the health benefits of drinking red wine.
Well, beer finally got good news last week with the release of a study conducted by food science researchers at the University of California Davis that shows drinking beer helps to build better bones. “Beer is a very rich source of silicon,” said researcher Charles Bamforth of the Department of Food Sciences and Technology at UC Davis. “The average diet provides 20 to 25 milligrams of silicon a day and people in particularly older people, need twice that to keep their skin elastic and their bones, teeth and gums strong.”
Bamforth and his fellow researchers suggest that drinking beer could also help ward off osteoporosis, so move over milk.
But not all beers are created equal. Researchers looked at over 100 commercial brews and found beers made with wheat had less silicon than maltier and hopier brews such as India Pale Ales that contain the most silicon. Light beers also were low in silicon levels.
The findings support a medical study a few years back from Tufts University suggesting that beer aided in building bone density, but researchers were unaware of the silicon benefit at that time.
So just how much beer would one need to consume for the recommended amount of daily silicon? About four pints so make sure you have a designated driver or enjoy daily beers from home. Some might argue that four beers a day is not healthy from an alcohol intake.
Regardless, it is great to hear that a few brews are actually good for you. It is a calming to know that while I might have a beer gut my bones are healthy. Cheers.---Rick Coates
I was having a conversation recently with an employee from Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg who asked if I had been out to the casino lately. I responded that I am not a casino person and that gambling is just not my thing. He chuckled and said: “No, you mean gaming is not your thing; but there is so much more to do than just gaming, you should come for dinner and one of the shows.”
So I went to dinner at Bourbon 72 at Turtle Creek Casino and was impressed with every aspect of my experience. It started with the attention to detail from our server Aaron. He guided my wife and me through our entrée selections and even recommended a great bottle of wine for us.
Bourbon 72 is fine dining but in a come-as-you are, so no need to dress to the nines unless you want to. Currently they have this great promotion Tuesday thru Friday that features a 16 ounce whitefish filet or a 14 ounce New York Strip with soup or salad and a choice of potato for $13 or dinner for two for $25. I had the steak and ordered a lobster tail as well and both were prepared to perfection, while my wife ordered the whitefish and marveled at the flavor.
But the highlight of the evening came when Aaron suggested we have the Cherries Jubliee. He said it would be enough for two and he was right. The tableside flambéing was fun and Aaron took us through the process and explained all the ingredients and how the flavors infuse into the Michigan cherries.
We thought our night was over when Aaron suggested that we stop by the Level 3 Lounge as it was comedy night. It was packed (Wednesday night), the comedians were funny and the whole night was a success. So I was wrong -- I am a casino guy. For more on the Turtle Creek Casino and to see the menu at Bourbon 72 check out www.turtlecreekcasino.com --Rick Coates
Beer Is Back
Okay, beer never went away but sales in recent years have been in the bottom of the barrel. With the exception of craftbrews there has been little to get excited about in the world of beer. In fact that battle of the big boys in the industry as of late has been to see who can make a beer that tastes like water with a hint of lime. So what beer has needed is that same sort of boost wine got several years ago when 60 Minutes reported the health benefits of drinking red wine.
Well, beer finally got good news last week with the release of a study conducted by food science researchers at the University of California Davis that shows drinking beer helps to build better bones. “Beer is a very rich source of silicon,” said researcher Charles Bamforth of the Department of Food Sciences and Technology at UC Davis. “The average diet provides 20 to 25 milligrams of silicon a day and people in particularly older people, need twice that to keep their skin elastic and their bones, teeth and gums strong.”
Bamforth and his fellow researchers suggest that drinking beer could also help ward off osteoporosis, so move over milk.
But not all beers are created equal. Researchers looked at over 100 commercial brews and found beers made with wheat had less silicon than maltier and hopier brews such as India Pale Ales that contain the most silicon. Light beers also were low in silicon levels.
The findings support a medical study a few years back from Tufts University suggesting that beer aided in building bone density, but researchers were unaware of the silicon benefit at that time.
So just how much beer would one need to consume for the recommended amount of daily silicon? About four pints so make sure you have a designated driver or enjoy daily beers from home. Some might argue that four beers a day is not healthy from an alcohol intake.
Regardless, it is great to hear that a few brews are actually good for you. It is a calming to know that while I might have a beer gut my bones are healthy. Cheers.---Rick Coates
