Monday, January 12, 2015

SuperJew Finds the Best Ice in Southern Arizona

In Arizona, ice (frozen H2O) is of critical importance.  When the temperature reaches 100+ we all need a little ice to cool off.  I enjoy ice in all forms: cubed, crushed, melted, cracked, shaved, block, glacial, and even ice balls.  I have studied ice extensively and even learned via Wikipedia that Lloyd Groff Copeman invented the flexible rubber ice cube tray.  That said, I consider myself an expert on consumable ice.  I love chewing on a cube of ice and cooling off my warm, dry mouth.  I have chewed ice all over Southern Arizona and on Saturday night I finally concluded that I found the crème de la crème of frozen water cubes in the greater Tucson, Arizona area.  It was at Vero Amore Dove Mountain.






I was enjoying Meatballs Marinara with Linguini.  After a few bites I felt the urge to take a drink of my water and then magic occurred.  I took a chomp out of the ice cube and it immediately cracked down into a form of shaved ice on my molars.  It was a thing of beauty.  An icicle in cubical form.  At that moment I realized I had found the holy grail of ice in Tucson.







Here is a pic of the ice:


Note the clarity of the cubes...this means that it's really good.  


I am smitten with the ice at Vero Amore.  I propose that the restaurants in Tucson and surrounding areas have a yearly ice competition.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

SuperJew's Report Card of Eegee's Red Licorice Flavor

Shalom! It's been several months since I have written a blog but I finally found something near and dear to my heart to write about: Eegee's Flavor of the Month for January.

A week back I decided to check on the Flavors of the Month for 2015 and was devastated to see that my favorite all-time flavor (Cherry Pineapple) did not make the cut.  My despair was quickly replaced with elation when I noticed that January's flavor was Red Licorice!  I have spent decades consuming copious amounts of licorice.  Red Vines, Twizzlers, Twizzler Bites, generic licorice from gas stations, you name it.  If it's red and it's licorice I'll consume it.  Unlike Magic Johnson, I don't care if my Red Vines are soft.  They can be hard as a rock and I'll figure out a way to ingest them.

One time I even threw a temper tantrum at the Flamingo Hilton casino over Twizzlers.  I sat down at a 3-card poker table eating my beloved licorice and the dealer tells me "you are not permitted to eat at the table."  I angrily responded, "oh, so you're saying I can drink here and maybe spill my drink or I can smoke here and get ashes all over the table, but I can't eat my licorice?"  Almost got booted from the casino that day...

So, last night I figured I would take the plunge and taste the Red Licorice Eegee.  I had already read numerous online reviews of the flavor and they were mixed.  Here are my findings:

Eegee's Red Licorice Grade: D


The flavor is meh.  It doesn't have enough of the licorice flavoring that I would have wanted.  They do provide you with a piece of red licorice which you can break up and mix in with the drink.  That does add some flavor, but eat it quickly because the licorice will harden and possibly cause you to choke.





Eegee's Red Licorice Grade (with Red Vine chunks): B



This enhances the flavor and makes you much happier.  Trust me.















Eegee's Red Licorice Grade (with Red Vine chunks and Vodka): A+



It is the perfect combination for any occasion (especially when you are alone reading a romance novel).