I promised this blog would not become a restaurant blog, and I’m going to keep that promise (sort of).  No pics and no long reviews.  But I ate at a new restaurant in DC last night, GRAFFIATO, opened by Top Chef’s Mike Isabella, and I have to give it my five second review:

“Great ambiance, and attentive service.  Try the Tony Starr, Honey Glazed Cippolini, Fresh Mozzarella with Fava Beans, Roasted Potato Gnocchi on Braised Pork Shank, Sweet Corn Agnolotti.  Trust me – best stuff on the menu.”

That was very Zagats, wasn’t it?

Onto the real daily review – I like a sugary drink as much as the next guy.  Though I really don’t drink soda all the time, there are times on a hot day when I just want some sweet sweet flavor.  I like juice, I like flavored seltzers, I like sodas – and one of my favorite drinks is ANYTHING with Pom(egranate) in it.

The Money Shot

Therefore, when I saw MADE’s Pomegranate Lemonade, I knew I had to try it.  I saw the organic-looking label and was suckered in.  I mean, Pom and Lemonade?  How can that be bad?

PS: DAMN POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERA!  FOCUS!

Er...Green Tea from concentrate?

The first red flag should’ve gone up when it said that the fruit juice and green tea blend was from concentrate. Really?  How can anything that looks so tree-hugger-ish be made from concentrate?  I smell tomfoolery.

Poor grammar

Drink Good is MADE’s motto.  Their website indicates, “We blend together fruit juice, green tea and just a few other organic things to make drinks that taste as good as they really are.”  Wait, are they promising something I should be getting anyways, as a premium?  “We here at Ford are trying to make cars that drive like we know they can!” “We here at Sony are making headphones to play music the way it actually sounds!”

So many words

The label on this single bottle of juice was just CHOCABLOCK full of text.  Things to read on every surface.  I’m not sure what the barefooted glee is.  Presumably, its the glee you get when you drink MADE lemonade, enjoyed “icy cold.”  I was eager to feel this glee.  I cracked the bottle open, took a sip, and…

Oh I will drink good, Made

…Meh.  It was just…OK.  Tea flavor?  Check – my tongue instantly felt the dry after-feeling that teas have. It was very sugary (check), and had that acidic bite of the lemony citrus behind it (check).

The one thing it really didn’t have, however, was POM flavor.  The liquid inside was a burnt red color, sure, and there was a tinge of pom but it lacked that extra deep punch on the center of your tongue that pomegranate flavored drinks typically have.  And that’s what I was looking for.

Of course, that didn’t stop me from guzzling the entire bottle down like a four year old.  But next time, if I wanna “drink good” I’ll be lookin’ somewhere else.

Sincerely, Junk Food Guy