Some tidying up I've been wanting to do for some time has been finally done, and a few bits of news:
*Updated the blog log. On the left sidebar I've dramatically updated the list of blogs. Sites I've been reading that I haven't gotten a chance to add on to this site, along with some great sites I've only recently discovered. This is in advance of a post I'm planning on contributing to AOL about the wonderful amounts of spirits and cocktail information being generated these days on blog sites, along with a sampling of links. I won't be able to write about everyone as that post would be far too long, but I will be recommend that readers scroll through the blogs listed here and hopefully everyone will get a small spike in traffic and many minds will be illuminated.
*Updated the cocktail menu from Union. Jeffrey Morgenthaler used to have a PDF which highlighted the cocktail menu at his old bar, and I'm hoping at some point he'll do the same for his new bar. I would love to see current cocktail menus listed on the blog sites of bartenders as a permanent feature on their sites. I'm always intrigued by how other bars construct and diversify their offerings for their guests. On that note, I'll probably also put up a list of links to notable bars from around the world where their menus are listed, just to get everyone's mouths watering. . .
*As soon as the paperwork is processed, I will be moving from the AOL food and drink blog site to Slashfood, part of AOL Food Network and a great site I encourage everyone to check out, and not just because I'll be there eventually. They've got a host of talented writers over there and the entries come in fast and furious, so there's always something fresh to read.
*Okay, I have a question for everyone. There is one "drink" not listed on the Union menu printed on the bottom of the left sidebar which I'm thinking of adding on. I wanted to put on something called the Dealer's Choice. It'll be worded something like "you pick the booze, we'll do the rest, concentrating on utilizing seasonal fruits..." or something like that (not sure yet on the verbiage). Could putting something like this on a menu be considered a cop-out? I've considered having this as a permanent feature on the menu, just so it frees me up to use fresh fruit in season or whatever else I want to do. . .I do this anyway, as most bartenders do, suggesting to my guests that they just let us do something we're excited about, but spelling it out may liberate our guests from having to make any decisions (I'd say 75% just order what they know rather than branch out, maybe higher for Union since we get so many tourists who just walk in). Any and all comments on this would be very welcome.
*I need/want to re-design this site, moving away from the simple template. Does anybody out there have any suggestions for someone who is completely illiterate when it comes to website design and coding? I'm bored with my current layout and want to spiff the place up.
I think that's it. I've spent the better part of the last 24 hours reading through cocktail and spirit blogs and loving it. So much great stuff being put out there and I gotta say my guests are going to be bombarded this weekend with new offerings. Thank you in advance.
Housekeeping and Updates
Posted by keith waldbauer at 12:22 PM
Labels: Miscellany
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5 comments:
You can always just swap out the template for another one... Wordpress makes it pretty painless; I dunno about Blogger.
Or, if there's something you want to do that no standard or third-party template does, there are people who design and/or customize blog templates. (google "custom blog templates")
I feel like I'm monopolizing your comments section :) but..
1) Nice new template :)
2) I like the dealer's choice option. It's actually how I like to order in new bars, but I usually chicken out because I get so many "WTF?" reactions from bartenders. Knowing that the person on the other side of the mahogany is actually interested in flexing his/her brain on my behalf is pretty cool.
anita, thanks for the advice and compliments... I think the Dealer's Choice is kind of cool, too, from a customer perspective, since it helps liberate those who can't be bothered to make a decision (you'd be surprised how many just throw up their hands and say, "I dunno" and then order a Crown and Coke). Obviously, it also liberates me to do some new stuff I'm tinkering with along with the ability to use in-season fruit without having to change the menu everytime something new comes in-season...
It is a pretty neat looking template, I'll keep it around for a bit. I have severe ADD so the look of this joint will probably change once a year or so.
Hey! What happened to the "insurance salesman" photo??
ah, the insurance salesman photo... the new one is so much cooler though, i feel like i look like a chopper pilot!!!! okay, maybe not. if you ever get a hankering though for my smarmy grin, Gabriel still has it up on his site.
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