Flapper's Folly

After my last post on secondhand smoke, it seems only right to share this.

After New York City's recent ban of smoking, restaurants and bars are inventing dishes and drinks featuring none other than nicotiana, otherwise known as nicotine. Yup. At Trump World Tower’s World Bar, you can order a Smokeless Manhattan--three ounces of Churchill’s port, Laphroaig scotch, and orange bitters that’s supposed to taste something like Marlboro Reds. It contains no actual nicotine, though you can order it garnished with a Nicorette. Elsewhere, you can have a Nicotini, a blend of vanilla-flavored vodka, the coffee liqueur Kahlua and a splash of tobacco juice.

Not to be outdone by bartenders, chef Sandro Fioriti of NYC Italian restaurant Serafina Sandro
came up with his own nicotine laced delicacies. The dishes include gnocchi made with tobacco, filet mignon served in a tobacco-wine sauce with dried-tobacco garnish, tobacco panna cotta and tobacco-infused grappa. More are in the works. Mmmmm.

Has you reminiscing about those brownies mom _didn't_ make when you were in high school, huh?

For a laugh, check out Gersh Kuntzman's entertaining piece about his own nicotine cuisine sampling. Here's the New York Post's take on the effect of the ban on NYC's restaurant and bar industry. Also see what's happened to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's popularity in the aftermath of the ban.

I'm not an activist, and nope, this space is not supported by the tobacco industry. However, I wouldn't be offended if Brown & Williamson sent me a few bucks. Even some really good coupons would be nice.