Back in January a new artisan pizza place has opened up in Norwalk, which I didn't notice until yesterday when I walked in after buying the New York Post next door at the newsstand... and went wow! I was struck by the obscure, exotic all-natural Italian sodas they carry like Lurisia Chinotto & Baladin Spum Nera, both succulent.
I tried their margherita slice, they sell by the slice, what a joy... it was wonderful, real house-made tomato sauce. The pastries look sinful. Indulged in the chocolate cheesecake, there goes my commitment to lose some weight. The espresso was pitch perfect.
Ok, I don't ever write about food or restaurants on this blog, but in their case, because it's on the Westport/Norwalk line on the Boston Post Road, 250 Westport Avenue, which I travel just about every day, I wanted to give them a plug. The view isn't all that interesting, but the outdoor tables and genuine atmosphere make up for it.
Romanacci is owned by brothers Graziano and Maurizio Ricci's Osteria Romana, the full service Italian restaurant opened in 2010 three doors down: https://www.facebook.com/OsteriaRomana
Moja Cafe is this great new restaurant in Westport, with a beautiful bar overlooking the Saugatuck river, outdoor tables on the boardwalk. They serve organic sake and are ready to party! But this endless, senseless construction is cramping their style, ruining the pleasure of enjoying drinks by the water. What's the hang up? We never see the equipment moving, seems like all construction has come to a stand still. Moja was promised the work completed by First Night... It's been THREE months!!! Whoever this may concern? DON'T SPOIL OUR SUMMER!
The Westport Electric Car Club 1st Annual EV Rally was held Saturday April 27th, 2013. The winner was Bruce Becker driving a BMW ActiveE.
Second place went to Leo Karl III, president of KARL Chevrolet in New Canaan, and his navigator Jim Motavalli, green car writer for the New York Times, driving a GM Volt.
33 vehicles entered. For a complete list see all the details here.
Rum sales are through the roof, the rebirth of the Tiki lifestyle and the popularity of pirate theme parks, bars and restaurants is fueling a renewed frenzy for the old grog! But what is in your rum exactly? Which brands can be trusted, not to saturate their alcohol with artificial flavors, colors and preservatives? Unlike food or cosmetics, they don't have to label their ingredients!
We all know Captain Morgan has become high fructose GMO corn syrup flavored ethanol piss water! But did we know he was still looting? Lately, the sole mention of rum tax subsidies will get you banned, blocked, or otherwise unceremoniously dumped from rum lover groups and forums worldwide. No rum politics allowed. And why is that? Because like the stock brokers, bankers and mortgage scammers who came before them, the good folks at Diageo figured out a way to have their cake and eat it too. What else is new?
Seems that for decades, the US government has been taxing all rums, no matter where they come from, to the tune of $2 a bottle, kicking back all that cash, somewhere in the billions, ONLY to rum producers in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Congress does that to stop our commonwealth friends from demanding anything else. They get that booty, they can't lobby, it's been like that for 80 years.
Except today, what's happened, is that fat cat booze megacorps like Diageo have gamed the system to pocket all the loot, producing their cheap crap rum for free, lavish in mansions, yachts and all the tacky luxuries gone-berzerk anti-natural capitalist corruption brings.
Who is hurt most by this? Independent small family-owned US rum producers of course, and every other island in the Caribbeans, South America, etc... which are allowing American consumers to subsidize their own cut-throat competition.
The Dominican Republic has filed a formal request for an “opinion” by the WTO, necessary precursor to a formal complaint charging the United States and the US Virgin Islands especially in what CARICOM believes are four serious violations of the WTO’s rules regarding fair trade.
What can we do about it over here? Well, there's a Save Caribbean Rum online petition circulating, a rising flood of articles you can google, and because we in Fairfield County are blessed with the US Diageo offices in Norwalk, street protest?
Signs we need!
Keelhaul the Captain!
Stop! Captain’s Hijack of US Dollars
Captain Morgan: taking US Dollars to Destroy US Distillers
Mutiny Morgan! Stop British Looting of US Dollars
Stop the Looting! Hang the Captain!
No more Ransom to the Captain
Stop the Morgan madness
No more US taxes to the Brits!
Reward: Captain Morgan, Looter of US Treasure
Diageo Tax Kickbacks Unfair to Small Rum Producers
Diageo Tax Kickbacks Unfair to Puerto Rico
Captain Morgan Predatory Towards Family Owned Distillers
Save Caribbean Rum
Stop Foreign Subsidies
No US $$$ to British Diageo
No Dollars to Diageo
Dump Diageo’s Devil Rum
Diageo Tax Kickbacks Unfair to Small Rum Producers
Diageo Tax Kickbacks Unfair to Puerto Rico
Captain Morgan Predatory Towards Family Owned Distillers
Read what good deeds 80 local Diageo employees did for Earth Day in the Norwalk Hour newspaper. So why can't the company understand the environmental and social damage their greedy corporate policies are wrecking on the international rum community?
Captain Morgan & The Morganettes
This is what happens to you below on rum groups and forums if you ask too many questions about the rum tax!
