Top Chef tonight has a quick fire challenge pairing food with cocktails. I hope this is a new trend. I think an evening at Sola a year ago turned me on to good unique cocktails with food. The Share Our Strength event a few weeks ago reinforced this with 30 mixologists, a word that might as well get used since I can’t see myself, drunk, pouring my heart out to these folks. Leading the pack was Tony Abou-Ganim (pictured). He’s the guy who has been touting the mojito and seems like he’s getting his wish. It certainly is a hot drink.

The 30 were charged with creating drinks to go alongside dishes made by everyone from Avenue’s Graham Bowles to Boka’s Giuseppe Tentori. If you’re out at a fine restaurant ask the waiter for a cocktail with dinner. I’d be curious as to what they recommend woth the fish or the chicken.