iPod: the secret ingredient

The July issue of Food and Wine hit mailboxes this week, and I've finally had a chance to browse through it this weekend. Every issue has some interesting technology articles, but as a trianed pastry chef, I have a slightly broader definition of "tech" than most people; I'm always as happy to read about advances in viniculture and making sorbet with fruit pulp and liquid nitrogen as I am to read about cpu specs and regex algorithms. This month however, there was a little crossover.

As part of a "best of" article, the editors surveyed 70 of America's top chefs about a variety of topics, from ranges, to knives, to restaurant sound systems. It turns out 2/3 of the chefs use iPods to program the ambient music in their dining rooms. They didn't ask how many use iPods to blast the requisite punk rock and techno mixes that keep restuarant kitchens moving, but I think we can assume the percentage there is even higher. Some restaurants, like New York's Little Giant even offer "open cradle" nights where regulars can bring pods and take over the speakers for the evening, something to keep in mind the next time you want to create the perfect evening with that special someone at the little bistro around the corner.