Wear a Blue Dress Day!

Wear Your Blue Dress Day: It was 10 years ago today that the first reports started trickling in that Newsweek had spiked a story about President Bill Clinton fooling around with a White House intern. Her name wasn't secret for long. So, ladies, wear a blue dress today. (Come on, we know you have one in the back of your closet.) Gentlemen, enjoy a cigar.

Brugge Expanding: In the it's-only-taken-four-years department, Mike over at Hoosier Beer Geeks reports that Brugge is finally expanding into the Netheads space above them. Ted's been wanting to do this since they opened but who knew an Internet Cafe would last so long? (Netheads is moving, by the way, not closing.) It's much needed space for Brugge and the deck should be nice in the spring and summer. (Now, if they can just keep up with the beer demand.)

Devour Downtown Menus Appearing: Don't forget to start making your plans for Devour Downtown -- winter restaurant week which starts Jan 21 and runs through Feb 8. Full list of participating restaurants here on the site. Restaurants will have a prix fixe $30 menu with three courses and are starting to announce some of their offerings. It's a great way to try some expensive downtown offerings.

Wine Judging: Old news, but Jill Ditmire mentions in her store newsletter that she's back from judging the SF Chron wine competition. Wine judging is just as educational for the judges and the competitors and if you get a chance to do it -- even spitting -- it's a treat.

757 Hiring: No matter the name of the new restaurant at 757 Mass Ave, they're hiring. Ads announce their looking to fill server, busboy, and other various front of house positions.

Quiz Answer: Garam Masala is a blend of toasted spices appropriate to much Indian cooking including (in various forms) cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, and lots of other great stuff. Ras al Hanout is a similar blend considered a staple in Moroccan cooking and containing lots of cumin, coriander, paprika, allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric and more. Chinese Five Spice is a blend of five (sometimes six) spices. And allspice? Well, allspice is the fruit of the pimento plant (of Jamaican pepper) that looks, unground, a little like a peppercorn. Answer was allspice -- 80% of you got it right.