19 the scene Liquid enters the equation highlights
By Rachel English
If you ever find yourself in Pinecrest killing time or you feel like giving your taste buds a sciency treat, drive over to Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream. Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream has revolutionized the art of ice cream making. Instead of offering customers with the traditional pre-frozen ice cream with its predetermined additions such as chocolate chips or cookie dough, Chill-N’s employees freeze various flavors of cream using liquid Nitrogen and add in toppings right before your very eyes. Once customers arrive at Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream, your server gives you the choice of ordering either ice cream or yogurt. A regular container costs $4.55 and a large costs $4.95. Flavors of ice cream and yogurt include favorites such as Nutella or Biscotti and traditional flavors such as vanilla or mint. After selecting an ice cream or yogurt flavor patrons can choose from the various “Mix-N’s” which are displayed alongside the flavors of ice cream and yogurt. Mix-N options range from delicious brownie chunks to Kit Kats and even peanut butter. Each Mix-in costs 60 cents. STAFF WRITER
With 11 ice cream and yogurt flavors and 29 Mix-N flavors, creating your own nitrogen ice cream combos can become overwhelming. If this becomes a problem for you, check the “Equations of the Week” board which is dreamed by the employees of Chill-N, and offers flavors and Mix-N’s for customers to try, such as Bs+ Ctc, Biscotti ice cream with cookie crisp Mix-N’s. Customers can also look to the board for inspiration for your own original nitrogen ice cream concoction. After patrons choose their flavor and all the Mix-N’s they desire, the server will continue to put the cream into a churner. All of the ice cream churners have a tube connecting it to one of the tanks of liquid nitrogen. Once the liquid nitrogen is added to the cream, the churner starts mixing and the creamy creation starts smoking. After a couple minutes of mixing and when the smoke has gone down, the cream or yogurt has frozen. The server then adds all of the Mix-N’s to the ice cream. When your Mix-N’s are completely mixed in, the server presents the eager customer with the thickest, creamiest ice cream anyone has ever had. Patrons will be shocked with the delicious results of this science infused dessert.
Rachel English/highlights
April 2013
A TASTE OF THE FUTURE: With Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream’s 11 flavors and 29 signature Mix-N’s, a dull ice cream concoction is hard to come across.
Invader Joe 100 Montaditos: By Araceli Sanchez STAFF WRITER
Trader Joe’s 9205 S. Dixie Hwy Pincrest, FL 33156 Opening Date TBA
By Laura Acosta
A new option among the thousands of restaurants in Miami, 100 Montaditos has become a crowd favorite among Miamians. The nationwide chain features tapas-style sandwiches in distinctly Spanish varieties and affordable prices, making it a great option for high schoolers desperate for a bite after a long day of school. “100 Montaditos is the type of restaurant that’s always buzzing with life; a variety of people go and you always see different faces. The food itself isn’t a lot, but it’s the quality over the quantity,” said sophomore Andrea Avila. The chain first opened in 2000 in Spain, and has since spread to 250 restaurants across Europe and the Americas, with– as the name implies– 100 varieties of sandwiches to choose from, along with five different types of bread. The sandwich ingredients range from Spanish omelets to the everyday ham and cheese. 100 Montaditos also offers salads and vegetarian-friendly versions of their sandwiches for customers to enjoy, as well as hamburgers and hot dogs for those who want something other than sandwiches. To top off a meal, the menu features a select assortment of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (not available in all stores) and several desert sandwiches– specially baked chocolate bread stuffed with chocolate spread, fruit, and nuts. 100 Montaditos offers a great number of promotions that let customers save money. One of their popular promotions, Wednesday’s Dollarmania, allows customers to get all sandwiches, fries, and soft drinks for one dollar. This deal has resulted in packed restaurants and long lines on Wednesday, so anyone looking to benefit from the savings should get there as early as possible. On STAFF WRITER
Sundays, the restaurant has a buy one, get one free deal for all platters. From Monday to Friday, combos start at $6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. These deals are only available at participating stores, and while most around Miami are, make sure to confirm your nearby store has the specials available before looking forward to binge on sandwiches. The Spanish chain has become extremely popular among those looking for a quick, cheap meal in Miami that differs from traditional fast food, and has already opened five locations across Miami, one of them minutes away from the school on Miracle Mile. With an upcoming branch opening on Lincoln Road, the franchise will surely continue to expand within the area.
Maggie Rivers/highlights
Many food lovers are awaiting the grand opening of the much anticipated first Trader Joe’s specialty store in Miami. With its wood-decked walls and trademark Hawaiian shirts worn by the employees, the store is sure to be a popular gathering place for locals who are drawn to this unique philosophy on grocery shopping. Although the store has not yet decided on their opening date, the company will soon be adding their one of a kind flare to the Pinecrest community. Since opening in the 1950s in Pasadena, California, Trader Joe’s mission has been saving people money. To this day, the specialty store has remained true to their commitment to decreasing the cost of their items. They do so with a series of steps that all add up to keeping their costs low. These steps include buying directly from suppliers whenever possible, bargaining hard to get the best prices, buying in volume and contracting early, and just keeping their costs low because they believe that “every penny they save also saves the customer a penny.” Despite their low prices, Trader Joes is far from being another discount mega-food chain. The stores put their effort into supplying the public with innovative, organic, hard-to-find foods, while decreasing the amount of money they spend and drawing in a unique and eclectic group of people. They strive to serve the members of the local community with a low-cost option to other specialty food stores, thereby supporting their motto of being “the neighborhood grocery store.” The stores are also committed to stand up to the endless fight against starvation. They believe that supplying the less fortunate in the local community is part of their social obligation, and it remains one of their biggest priorities. They have sponsored many donation programs and in 2010 they donated 25 million pounds of food to starving people in need. For more than half a century, Trader Joe’s has been supplying the public with great-tasting and affordable foods and beverages, from baked goods and produce to drinks and frozen foods. They strive to appeal to the health-conscious shopper as well as those with more traditional tastes. Trade Joes even offers it’s own in house brand. Even though the date of the grand opening of the store has not been announced, the Pinecrest community is sure to be anxiously awaiting the arrival of the first of these unique stores.
Spanish sabor on a budget
VIVACIOUS VARIETY: The location on Miracle Mile is easily accessible by the Coral Gables trolley and features indoor and outdoor seating for customers trying any of the restaurant’s 100 varieties of sandwiches.