About Jacob Grier
Jacob Grier is still working his way up to solid food, but he's pretty
damn good with liquids. He discovered his love of coffee working as a
barista at Arlington, VA's Murky Coffee in 2004, and has since worked
as a barista and trainer at several other top DC area shops (most
recently starting the coffee program at Grape and Bean in Alexandria).
He's also an avid cocktailian bartender with a dedication to vintage
and cutting edge drinks. After a few stints at libertarian
non-profits, he recently departed DC for the food and drink mecca of
Portland, OR. His other interests include sleight of hand magic,
comics, and fine tobacco. He's a native Texan and enjoys putting his
expensive Vanderbilt University degree to waste in the service
industry. He writes daily at www.jacobgrier.com.There are 6 posts by Jacob Grier
Your vote won’t count for (coffee) beans
Kim notes below that several businesses are offering free food and drink to people who vote tomorrow. All in good fun, right? Not so fast. Officials warn that offering any kind of compensation for voting violates election law, even if the companies don't ...Nov. 3, 2008 — Food Law, Uncategorized
Take this with a grain of salt…
... because that's all you're allowed to have, tiger. The Economist, with an unbecoming tone of approval, predicts that sodium is well on its way to becoming the next trans-fat: Interestingly, New York City—which was among the first to ban smoking in restaurants and bars, ...Nov. 2, 2008 — Food Law, Food Politics
Bring on the Frankenbrew
Ron Bailey's one of my favorite science writers and I'm completely on board with his complaints about alarmist reactions against genetically modified food. Yet in this post of his about a newly passed Hawaiian ban on growing GM coffee, I'm sympathetic to the coffee ...Oct. 23, 2008 — Banned, Food Law, Food Politics, Science
Raw milk martyr
Much has been written this year about the government crackdowns on raw milk, but the US isn't the only country denying people to drink what they choose. Canada bans the sale of raw milk entirely. Owen Sound farmer Michael Schmidt is boldly standing up ...Oct. 22, 2008 — Uncategorized
Now we’re cookin’ with balls
I really didn't sign up here with the intention of being the designated Mountain oyster blogger, but I feel sort of obligated to post this column from the Guardian's Colin Lewry: While the rest of the world dreams up user-friendly names for dishes cooked ...Oct. 8, 2008 — Uncategorized
Great balls of fryer
Hi everybody, I'm Jacob Grier. Let's talk about balls! Oh dear, I'm sorry. I always do this. This is why I don't get invited to parties. Let's start over, ok? I'm Jacob and I'm one of the new contributors here at Crispy on the Outside. Like Baylen, I'm a longtime barista, a food and drink lover, and a constant critic of nanny state measures that prevent us from eating, imbibing, and smoking the things we enjoy. I also have an odd fascination with Rocky Mountain oysters. The foodies among you probably know that "oyster" is a euphemism here -- we're really talking about deep fried bull testicles. My curiosity about this Colorado delicacy was piqued by an article about Neuticles, the prosthetic testes developed for neutered dogs to keep them from feeling emasculated at the dog park. Buoyed by success with canines, inventor Gregg A. Miller later ventured into cats, horses, bulls, and even humans. It's the bull ones that surprised me with their massive length of 5.75 inches (just $649 if you want a pair). Though I grew up in Texas and could smell the pasture from my high school tennis court, I didn't have much familiarity with the back end of a bull. And at the risk of sounding immodest, I didn't expect to be so outclassed.Oct. 1, 2008 — Quirkies
