Probably. Chinotto has a definite citrus flavor, and is (supposed to be) made from bitter chinotto oranges, but it’s obviously not your typical orange soda. I don’t taste the vanilla in it, but chinotti vary from brand to brand. I like Brio the best; I find the San Pellegrino is too bitter and without the depth of Brio.
Anyway, to me, chinotto tastes like bitter, earthy cola. It goes well with a meal because I don’t chug it but rather sip it very slowly, as I would an alcoholic beverage. (I don’t drink.)
I’d also recommend fizzy water (to put it non-eloquently). I hated them until I tried Gerolsteiner. Mmm. It doesn’t have the weird taste I associated with sparkling water and I find it yummy.
I also love the fizzy water. Particularly San Pelegrino for some reason. Maybe it’s the label, which lets me feel like I’m drinking a fancy alchoholic beverage without actually doing so.
What about at a fancy restaurant that doesn’t have a full bar (just wine)? At our anniversary dinner, A. wanted a coke, but was too embarrassed to ask for one. (we were way out of our league at this place).
FilmGeek, it’s their job to make sure you have what you want, and doubly so if you are paying through the nose for a special occasion. I doubt that finding a Coke would have been a big problem for them, especially if they serve lunches, too. A lot of people don’t drink alcohol for many different reasons.
It’s their job to make you feel comfy and relaxed, if you ask for a Coke and they have one, they’ll have no problem. They want you to buy a drink, but they understand that not everyone drinks.
OTOH, Coke with a fine meal. If there are people in the kitchen who know what they’re doing, you don’t want to be pouring that sugary stuff down your throat. Stick to water, seltzer water, iced tea, etc.
We ended up getting iced tea (mostly for the caffeine), but A. wanted bourbon and coke, but we weren’t sure about the full bar thing. This was all after the meal, but before dessert.
I guess I felt like a little kid when I wanted a soda… as I said, we were out of our element.
I also do not drink, and usually drink ginger ale when out in a restaurant.
For years, and years.
Then I kept hearing reports that a small amount of alcohol, taken regularly, is actually better than abstaining, actually decreasing risk of heart attack, blah, blah. For a while you couldn’t open the paper without seeing one of these studies, first red wine, then others, I’m sure you’re heard.
So now when I go out to swish events, I order a spritzer (white wine, splash of soda water, over ice, with fruit garnish), very light on the wine, with a splash of cranberry, in a wine glass.
You get a fabulous looking drink, yummy and refreshing, feel tres elegant and when people ask, you can honestly tell them it’s a spritzer. You’re only consuming about a tablespoon or two of white wine.
And you have wisely considered your health, consuming a small quantity of alcohol. You’re good for like a couple of months and you have cleverly avoided being counted among the fated abstainers.
A restaurant that doesn’t have a full bar will still have all manner of soft drinks (just like a restaurant with a full bar). They don’t expect everyone to drink alcohol.
I’m a wine or beer drinker myself, but I did run across an article a few months ago while checking out reviews of The French Laundry , in preparation for what has become the best meal I’ve ever had, and probably will ever have, in my life. (Which was paired fabulously with 3 different wines thanks to manhattan’s super selections.)
I’ve had a couple of the Grown Up Soda’s and I can see how they’d go well with certain dishes.
If I don’t feel like drinking alcohol, I usually just stick to water or iced tea, very occasionally a diet soda.
No matter how fancy the restaurant, I wouldn’t be the tiniest bit embarrassed to order whatever it was I felt like drinking. No one else has to drink it, and no one esle has to pay the bill.
Love beer and wine, but oddly, never ever drink alcohol when I go to dinner.
Only ice tea or water. Prefer to let the food do the taste bud ticklin’.
And although price isn’t a factor in that decision, I am always shocked when I see the price of a semi-decent bottle of wine in a good restaurant…let alone a really good bottle.
I lived in Europe for many years, and nobody ever looked at you strangely if you didn’t order alcohol with dinner. A good bottle of mineral water works just fine, even in the most expensive of restaurants.
