Latest news with #Cheerwine
Axios
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
All the N.C. restaurants viral food critic Keith Lee visited
Keith Lee, a viral TikTok food critic, concluded his recent food tour, which highlighted six North Carolina restaurants. Why it matters: Over 17 million of Lee's followers get a glimpse of what's cooking at some local restaurants, which can make a huge impact on each business after just one video. Driving the news: In a recent TikTok video, which has over 600,000 views and 111,000 likes in under 15 hours, Lee announced that he has left North Carolina. "Me and my family are no longer in North Carolina, but North Carolina was amazing. There's a bunch of restaurants that we intended on going to but wasn't able to make it," Lee said in the video. Zoom in: Before he left, Lee managed to impact one last N.C. restaurant. The owner of Madame B's Bakery in Raleigh made daily videos during Lee's visit that suggested he was coming to the restaurant. He wasn't able to perform a taste test on any of the items at Madame B's, but he gave the owner a $1,000 tip and an additional $500 that the owner could use to give back to customers. Here are the six North Carolina establishments Lee visited, plus what he ordered at each spot: Hibachi Papi Lee kicked off the food tour at a food truck in Clayton that sells a mix of hibachi plates and Alfredo pasta dishes. Best bites: Lamb Alfredo scored a 9.2 out of 10. The steak and chicken hibachi plate earned a 9. If you go: Check their Instagram for an updated schedule of locations before you go. Hibachi Papi will be at 501 Yates Drive in the Gateway Conference & Event Center from May 19–22. Cook Out The N.C.-based fast food chain was the next must-try spot that Lee visited while in Clayton. Best bites: The hush puppies, which he says taste like cornbread muffins, scored a 7.5. The cheddar-style burger was one of the best things he tried. Yes, but: He was not a fan of Cheerwine. He was recommended to try the Salibury-manufactured soda, calling it "Carolina drink." He gave it a 5. The corn dog (which earned a 6.5) and the walking taco were his least favorite items.. What they're saying: Lee explains this stop was a must-try when visiting the state, saying: "I was told if I came to North Carolina and didn't have Cook Out, that I didn't come to North Carolina." He later goes on to mention that "I was also told that this is a after-the-club, late-night, 2-o'clock-in-the-morning type of place. This is just for the culture." A Place at the Table Cafe This pay-what-you-can restaurant in Raleigh allows you to work for your order if you can't afford it. How it works: You have five options on how to pay for your meal if you can't pay the suggested price. Pay less than the suggested price buy paying $3 or more for an item like an entree, side or drink. Volunteer in the cafe for one hour for your meal three times a week. Pay it forward by purchasing a $10 "place card," which is a donation that allows someone else to order a meal. Dine as a family in the cafe for free once a week. Use a place card to afford one meal. Best bites: Chicken and waffles with a hot honey sauce, which Lee rated an 8 out of 10. Stop by: Find A Place at the Table Cafe at 300 W. Hargett St., #50. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 8am–2pm. Corner Boys BBQ The owner of this Raleigh-based food truck specializing in barbecue has been asking Lee to visit his business since 2023. Best bites: The collard greens, brisket and ribs scored above 8.7. The pulled pork and lamb chops also received high scores. Stop by: Find Corner Boys BBQ at 2201 S. Wilmington St. Open daily, 8am–5pm. Crav'n Caribbean This Jamaican takeout spot is located within a Charlotte ghost kitchen. Context: Over 100 people, including popular local food influencer Cory Wilkins and the restaurant's owner, recommended this place. Best bites: Lee tried the jerk bourbon chicken and oxtail fried rice, which had high ratings individually. Lee gave the entree and side a combined rating of 6.5. Stop by: 2200 Thrift Road, inside Wesley Heights City Kitch. Open Monday through Friday, 12–3pm and 4–9pm, Saturday 12–9pm and Sunday 1–7pm. JJ's Mama's Soul Food & More Lee says the owner calls this spot the first Black-owned restaurant in Lexington. Stop by: 601 W. Fifth Ave. Open Thursday, 11:30am–3pm and 4–7:30pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30am–3pm and 4–8pm, and Sunday 11:30am–4pm.
Axios
16-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
DoorDash's new drone delivered my Cheerwine. Here's how it worked
South Charlotte is now one of the few places in America where you can have your takeover dropped off (literally) on your front lawn by drone. Why it matters: Let's be real. The Charlotte suburbs aren't exactly the first place in the U.S. you'd think of for introducing the technology of the future. However, North Carolina is becoming a national leader in drone integration because of its favorable state policies. And south Charlotte has many features that DoorDash and its partner, Google's drone company Wing, look for in a successful market: Vast shopping center parking lots to dock drones, busy families craving convenience, fast population growth and traffic you sometimes wish you could fly over. How it works: DoorDash offered to show me the delivery on Wednesday, when the service launched. I placed an order around 1:34pm at a home near The Arboretum, about a five-minute drive away. You can only order if your address is within about four miles of the shopping center. Orders must fit within a certain weight, about 2.5 pounds — think a hamburger, drink and fries. I received an estimated arrival time of 1:46pm to 1:57pm. Wing says orders typically take as little as 15 minutes. While I waited, a DoorDash worker grabbed my order and walked it across the Arboretum parking lot to attach it to a drone at the "nest." That's the station where the drones charge, take off and land in a parking lot. The drone then climbs to about 200 feet and zips at around 65 miles per hour. Pilots based in Dallas monitor the weather and conditions, but the drones fly themselves. By 1:42pm, I heard my drone buzzing overhead. It lowered and gently dropped the package with a tether. Then, it zoomed back to land in one of the chargers. My ice cream was still frozen, Cheerwine cold and a cookie intact. By the numbers: The order was $14.99, including tax and a $2.99 service fee. DoorDash is currently waiving the drone delivery fee, but I'm told the price will be generally similar to a driver. You won't be asked to tip the drone, so you're saving money there. Zoom out: Drone delivery is huge in the Dallas metro because of Wing's partnership with DoorDash and Walmart. The only other place in the U.S. where DoorDash delivers via drone is Christiansburg, Virginia. Jesse Suskin, Wing's head of corporate affairs, tells me drone deliveries are the new normal in those places: "People don't blink. No different than a Toyota Camry driving by." What they're saying: Wing executives pitch drone delivery as one of the safest, fastest, most economically viable and environmentally friendly ways to deliver packages. "Even going into The Arboretum, on a busy day, you might be sitting at that light once or twice before you can make that left turn in," Suskin says. He says drones are less expensive than a car, and you'd use more power to boil water for pasta than to have the box delivered by drone. "Does it make sense to use a sedan to drive four miles and only have a cheeseburger in the front seat?" Suskin says. Yes, but: Are robots taking our jobs? Wing and DoorDash executives argue that drones will complement drivers, not replace them. Drivers are freed up for more complex deliveries, like family meals and longer distances, with higher earnings, says Harrison Shih, head of product for DoorDash's robotics and automation arm. They also expect the drone service to boost small business profits and create new jobs within those restaurants. And no, Wing has never had any food fall from the sky. The packages are secured in the drones in multiple ways. There are also more propellers than needed to fly and backup batteries. "Because we're regulated by the FAA, we have to make a safety case very similar to that of traditional aviation," Suskin says. "It's not to say that accidents will never happen. But they will be rare." What's next: DoorDash plans to expand drone delivery to more Charlotte neighborhoods later this year. With the first site set up, it should be relatively easy to scale the operation and pop up more sites like the one at The Arboretum. "It's really just an area for the drones to take off and land. That's not too difficult to find, say, in shopping centers or Walmart parking lots," Suskin says. "The infrastructure is pretty straightforward." The bottom line: The future is here. "You'll see this become part of normal life sooner than later," Suskin says. How to order: Check your address here to see if you're in range.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Your guide to things to do in Asheville and WNC this week
Enjoy a most unique summer festival in Salisbury, tour Camp Watia, and get grandparents and grandkids together for some fun – it's all on the calendar this week. Find even more to do on our full monthly calendar of events, plus get tips for teaching your children about money, ways to calm tantrums (and yourself) and much more at Stay in touch on social media @wncparent and get your events on our calendar by emailing chris@ is May 17 in Salisbury. The festival includes a free fun zone for families, live music and more. See details, the festival map and more at The Cheerwine Goo Goo Cluster makes its official debut at the festival. For details, visit It will be available at select retailers across North and South Carolina this summer. 9:30-10:30 a.m. May 17 at the Reuter Family Y. Children ages 5 and older are welcome. This class is open to the public. Visit is 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. May 17 at The North Carolina Arboretum, part of the Spring Into the Arb series. Spring Into the Arb events and programs are included with the regular parking fee of $20 per vehicle. Arboretum Society Members get in free. Visit is 6 – 10 p.m. May 17 at Asheville Sun Soo Martial Arts. It features crafts, games, a movie and pizza. For elementary ages. Open to the public. Register online at presents its 2025 Gala Live Auction & Dinner May 17. For tickets and details, visit is 2 – 4 p.m. May 18. Walk the grounds, meet the staff and get a taste of what overnight camp is all about. The open house includes guided tours of the camp, activities for kids and a Q&A session with the camp team. No RSVP needed. Learn more at with YMCA of WNC from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. May 19 at the Corpening Memorial Y in Marion. Presented by Hopscotch Primary Care, this free community event is perfect for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy together. The day will feature group exercise classes, pickleball, informative lectures, free health screenings, vendor booths, free food and drinks and giveaways. Learn more at at 4 p.m. May 19 at the Etowah Library. All ages are invited to learn the differences between reptiles and amphibians and meet some live animal friends. Registration is required for this free event, register online at or call 828-891-6577. are this month at the Cradle of Forestry in America. This is a ticketed event. Tours begin with an informative session at the outdoor amphitheater, where guests will have the opportunity to learn about the fascinating world of the Blue Ghost Firefly. Following the presentation, visitors will hike along a paved trail through the forest, at their own pace, where they'll have the chance to observe these enchanting creatures up close. For tickets and details, visit in Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Guided hikes and giveaways are available at the visitor's center. A comprehensive hiking guide is available at providing trail recommendations for all skill levels and tips. A different trail will be featured each week in May. continues through June 8 with more than 1 million vibrant blooms, menus featuring fresh tastes of spring in the Smokies and unique entertainment offerings, including 'Play On,' a new show to celebrate Dollywood's 40th anniversary season. The Imagination Playhouse, which features plays based on books from Dolly's Imagination Library, offers shows for younger guests through the end of September. During Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration, new story time and character meet & greets are part of the Imagination Playhouse experience. Visit is open May 21 – Nov. 2 at The Island in Pigeon Forge. Admission is free. Wander amid 22 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, each with interactive elements and sounds. Included is a custom Island Fountain Show that tells the story of the dinosaurs. Interactive features include posted QR codes linked to details about each dinosaur, including sounds and free downloadable wallpapers. The Island is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and does not have gated admission. All ticketed attractions are ala carte. For details, visit On the Shelf: Books for kids who love mom, dinosaurs and houseplants – because reading is for everyone Money talks: Teach your kids about saving and spending Bonus Books: April showers bring new weather books Mental health in the moment May 2025: More than 100 things to do in Asheville and beyond Tracktivity: Inside a Flower Farmers markets are opening This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Things to do in Asheville, N.C. this week
Axios
13-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Inside the PGA Championship's all-inclusive food production
130,000 8-ounce burgers and 90,000 hot dogs — that's how many burgers and dogs Eric Babcook and his team with Delaware North's Patina Restaurant Group expect people to eat during the PGA Championship in Charlotte. Why it matters: Unlike when the tournament took place in Charlotte in 2017, the PGA Championship's equivalent of a general admission ticket (Championship+) now includes unlimited food and nonalcoholic beverages. Context: Babcook, who is Delaware North's general manager of the PGA of America Championship, has spent the last two years planning for this. The 2022 PGA Championship was the first year they introduced all-inclusive food and beverage from Thursday to Sunday. The 2023 PGA Championship switched to the current model, making food and beverage inclusive for the entire week. The goal is to get people back to watching golf faster, tournament director Jason Soucy says. Between the lines: The PGA Championship is expected to draw roughly 200,000 people. That's a lot of people to feed. How it works: Your Championship+ ticket gets you access to five markets. You'll select one drink, one entrée and one snack. You can go back as many times as you want. There will also be bars stationed around the course where you can purchase alcohol, which is not included in your ticket. What to expect: Everything is prepared onsite. Breakfast options for Championship+ ticket holders include sausage, egg and cheese on a biscuit, crispy chicken biscuits and Krispy Kreme donuts. Drinks include water, Gatorade and other PepsiCo. products. Lunch options include salads and sandwiches, plus: Butchers grind cheeseburger All-beef hot dog Grilled chicken sandwich Country sausage with cheddar Plant-based burger What they're saying: Patina Group executive chef Ed Milan says each tournament's menu varies based on the season and location. Charlotte's, for instance, will have spring flavors with a nod to barbecue. Milan and his team spent two and a half weeks testing the menu in Los Angeles in February. Premium areas will have four types of barbecue sauce: a Cheerwine sauce, bourbon, Eastern Carolina and a standard barbecue sauce. There will be 75 gallons of Eastern Carolina barbecue sauce, Milan says. They've also made over 1,000 gallons of bourbon brine. By the numbers: The tournament's 700,000-square-foot production kitchen opened earlier this week. It's a 24-hour operation with 11 kitchens across the course, 200 cooks and 58 chefs working the tournament. Ultimately, more than 1,000 people will contribute to the food and beverage experience. They're expecting to go through 15,000 cases of beer, 5,600 bottles of vodka and 3,200 bottles of bourbon, Babcook says. Cocktails start at $16.50. Beer starts at $14.50. Wine is $13.50. Seltzers are $15.50. There will be over 135 tractor-trailers for storage and refrigeration over the week of the tournament.
Business Insider
03-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
I ate like Warren Buffett for a week — and it was miserable
The cornerstone of the Buffett diet: Cherry Coke. In 2015, Buffett told Fortune he was "one-quarter Coca-Cola." Buffett said he favored either Diet Coke or Cherry Coke and had at least five cans of the soda a day. I decided to opt for exclusively Cherry Coke throughout the week, as I'm not the biggest fan of the taste of plain Coke. I am, however, a fan of cherry and cherry-adjacent soda products like Dr. Pepper and Cheerwine (it's a North Carolina thing — Google it). I also couldn't purchase cans of the stuff at my local grocery store, but a two-liter works out to 5.6 cans a day, within the ballpark of Buffett's consumption. Thus, I decided to go with one of these each day. If you're wondering, that works out to 252 grams, or 0.56 pounds, of sugar a day from the Cherry Coke alone. That's right — I got 84% of my recommended daily carbohydrate intake from just the sugar in the Cherry Coke. I didn't initially do the math on the sugar content of the Cherry Coke, believing it was better to go into the week with a bit of blissful ignorance. While I had assumed it would be rough consuming all of the syrupy-sweet drink, I couldn't anticipate the full devastation the Coke would have on my mood. On the first breakfast of the week, I was nervous but had a supply of foolish confidence in my ability to handle what was ahead. In the HBO documentary "Becoming Warren Buffett," the legendary investor said his breakfast each day came from McDonald's and was dictated by the stock market. Typically, Buffett gets breakfast once the market is open. If stocks are up, he gets a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. If they're down, he opts for a cheaper breakfast of two sausage patties. If the market is flat, as it was Monday morning before the open, he goes for the sausage McMuffin. I get to work around 7:30 a.m. ET every day, which means I had to base my McDonald's selection on the premarket futures, which tend to be a bit harder to gauge. Regardless, I decided to try to factor in a bit of qualitative analysis based on the overseas markets and the previous day's close (and, by the end of the week, what I could tolerate). The first breakfast wasn't too challenging. The biggest issue was the lack of coffee, as Buffett doesn't drink the stuff. I decided to front-load the Cherry Coke to get the caffeine I usually got from my coffee while also preventing myself from drinking soda well into the night. Additionally, I'd decided to keep track of my weight each morning and night. For the calorie counts, the Cherry Coke totals are added to the count at dinner, since they were dispersed throughout the day. The Cherry Coke hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't drink much soda — I drink mostly water and coffee at work — so the sudden increase in the amount of corn syrup in my diet made me feel incredibly sluggish. Plus, the sugar high was so off the charts that I almost felt the tingle of the carbonation in my fingers as I was typing. Then again, I also put down half of the two-liter before 11 a.m. in an attempt to front-load the caffeine. My inner child was excited to have ice cream in the middle of the day. The chili-cheese dog excited me less. The bun on the Dairy Queen dog was spongy, but not like an angel food cake — like an actual kitchen sponge. The hot dog tasted very salty. The sundae was delightful. Buffett says he typically gets cherry syrup on his DQ sundaes, which was not an option at my Manhattan location. I did get his preferred chopped nuts on top. I was feeling pretty weighed down at this point. I don't have a big lunch most days — a salad at most — so the extra calories and copious sugar made me feel bloated. I cheated a bit on dinner for the evening, getting chicken parmigiana, which Buffett usually has as a side. (!) By the evening, I was feeling a bit better, possibly because I finished the Coke around 2 p.m. The big test was running. I typically try to run four to five miles a day after work, and I was dreading how I would feel. I imagined keeling over and puking into the East River. To my surprise, it was fine. I was probably a step slower than normal, but I didn't feel too awful. Dinner was heavy — I couldn't finish the whole serving — but at the end of Day 1, I was doing half decent. Dinner calories: about 1,500 Total daily calories: 3,520 Monday evening weight: 171.2 pounds The second day started much better. I lost sleep on Sunday night worrying about the challenge ahead, but after feeling decent at the end of the day, I got a good night's sleep. Stock futures were up on Tuesday, so I decided it would be fair to get a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. Coming from the South, I preferred this option over the semi-soggy McMuffin from the day before, and I felt confident as I tucked into breakfast and the second giant bottle of Cherry Coke. For lunch, I went for a burger — another Buffett favorite. Now, many of my coworkers said I cheated by going with Shake Shack instead of some local restaurant, but you know what? I was the one suffering, and I deserved a slight luxury. Another signature Buffett trait is an excess of salt, as John Stumpf, the former Wells Fargo CEO, once described. "When the food comes, Warren grabs a salt shaker in his left hand and one in his right, and it's a snowstorm," Stumpf told Bloomberg in 2014. So I threw a little extra sodium on the french fries before dipping them in the chocolate shake. By Tuesday afternoon, I was ... not feeling well. Dear God, did I make a mistake? Again, I attempted to front-load the Cherry Coke, and by 2 p.m. I was more than two-thirds of the way done with the two-liter. Not only that, but the heavy meal — especially the milkshake — was crushing my will to live. I was jittery, grumpy, exhausted, unfocused, and downright distraught. The sugar from the Coke (roughly a half-pound a day) was causing surges and drop-offs in energy. The increase in meat consumption was making me sweat more than usual (weirdly enough, from my kneecaps, of all places). The bloating was making my back hurt. I was a wreck after less than 48 hours. Tuesday night might have been my low point, as evidenced by my sad dinner spread. In the middle of my run that evening, I texted a coworker expressing my dismay at my physical state. I was going noticeably slower than I had the day before, and I couldn't make myself run faster. My legs simply wouldn't move as I wanted. Upon getting back to my apartment from the run, I was, as my notes say, "**WRECKED**" by stomach cramps. My roommate walked in as I was sitting on our couch, doubled over, and asked me whether I was sure I wanted to keep going. I finally got myself together, and, unable to muster the strength to figure out a proper meal, I just made two hot dogs and ate some Utz chips — another brand Buffett loves. I went to bed Tuesday night feeling much less enthused about the prospects for the rest of the week. Dinner calories: about 650 Another day, another bacon, egg, and cheese. For lunch, I went back and found one of Buffett's go-to lunch orders at Gorat's, an Omaha, Nebraska, institution. I ordered an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and Thousand Island dressing from Eisenberg's, a local sandwich shop. I was served a closed-faced, sliced turkey sandwich with bacon and Thousand Island dressing. I wasn't going to split hairs, so I took it back to the office as it was. The meal was finished off with fries and some Cherry Coke. You may ask: "Bob, did you put extra salt on the fries like you said Buffett always does?" My answer? Yes, I did. Hope you're enjoying my suffering so far. Lunch, Day 3: Turkey sandwich with bacon and Thousand Island dressing from Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop; french fries; Cherry Coke Lunch calories: about 900 Dinner on Wednesday was veal parmigiana with an indulgence: a Hawaiian Punch. I can't prove Buffett likes fruit punch, but, hey, it was my favorite when I was 6. I walked home on Wednesday and then went for a run. I felt as if the sugar, syrup, and grease leaked from my belly to my legs. Children were passing me on the street during my walk home, and I'm usually a fast walker. Imagine having maple syrup in your joints and muscles — that's what I felt like. Dinner, Day 3: Veal parmigiana from ; water Dinner calories: 1,060 Total daily calories: 3,310 Wednesday evening weight: 172.4 pounds Futures were down, so I ordered two sausage patties for breakfast. But upon arriving at work, I realized the McDonald's workers gave me only one. This may be the point to mention that I've done terrible things to my body before, and this was the worst. I'm no stranger to massive dietary changes — I gained 80 pounds in college and then lost 45 pounds in three to four months after I graduated. (I overestimated my pay as an intern and underestimated NYC rents.) That is to say: I've done some terrible things to my body via my diet before. Even at my heaviest, I never felt this run-down. The weird thing though was that I was still hungry at every meal. At this point on Thursday, I was running out of ideas, and honestly, I was busy with work, so I just gave up and got McDonald's. Fun fact: Buffett once used coupons to buy Bill Gates' lunch at McDonald's. Oh, another reason this was such a terrible idea: I cover policy here at Business Insider, including healthcare and taxes — and, of course, I decided to try the Buffett diet on the week that Republicans again attempted to repeal Obamacare (no, the irony did not escape me) and rolled out their most detailed tax-reform framework yet. This meant that amid my midafternoon sugar crash, I was typically forced to pull myself out of the fog and write something of substance. To be fair to myself, I did write a considerable amount over the five days. You'd have to ask my editor whether my diet hurt the quality of my writing, but I stand by everything I published. Buffett once ordered a country (or chicken) fried steak with Jay-Z, so I had to get it for a meal. I really like country-fried steak (see my previous comment about being from the South). This one was from Cowgirl in the West Village. Buffett isn't a big fan of broccoli, much less collard greens, so I did cheat a bit. But, c'mon, actual collard greens at a restaurant in the North? I had to try them. Alas, they were bad. I went with a coworker and couldn't finish the steak and mashed potatoes — not to worry, salt was added in extreme amounts, prompting her to call me "weak." I replied I would take the leftovers home and finish them later (we were eating fairly early), but I happened to "forget" the bag as I left. In a surprise to probably no one, the gravy sat heavy in my stomach. Walking to the subway, I was happy that here was only one day left, but I felt terrible. Dinner calories: 1,540 Thursday evening weight: 172.4 pounds Of course, Buffett eats ice cream for breakfast. Of course, I was the idiot who saved it for the last day. Bob Bryan/Business Insider Remember what I said about getting used to it? Not so much on Friday morning. I have never enjoyed ice cream less. That's really all I have to say about this meal. Breakfast, Day 5: Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream; Cherry Coke Breakfast calories: 870 Friday-morning weight: 170.4 pounds What if Buffett just says he eats all of this food to make other people like me buy it and boost the sales of his investments? Bob Bryan/Business Insider Buffett owns Dairy Queen and holds considerable stock in McDonald's and Coca-Cola. Sitting down for my final lunch, I realized I probably made the guy a lot of money that week. The thought struck me mid-bite of an M&Ms Blizzard: I was a sucker. Buffett is a self-mythologizer — a folk hero who presents himself as a kind grandfather but has made it in the vicious investment world. He's a ball of contradictions and social oddities. I couldn't put it past him to deceive the few interviewers he trusts to cast the glow of the cult of Buffett. On the other hand, surely people see him at these restaurants. He wouldn't lie about his diet just to get a few suckers to boost his sales, would he? Lunch, Day 5: Dairy Queen chili-cheese dog; french fries; M&M Blizzard; Cherry Coke Lunch calories: 1,400 Here's all the Cherry Coke I consumed during the week. Bob Bryan/Business Insider By Friday, the sugar-and-caffeine crash had become easier. I had learned how to manage the timing and frequency of my Coke intake to ensure a solid energy reserve all day. But I still felt awful after I finished a bottle. Here's some fun math on the amount of Cherry Coke I consumed in the week: • Total amount: 338 fluid ounces, or 2.64 gallons. • Calories: 4,500. • Sugar: 1,260 grams, or 2.78 pounds. • Caffeine: 1,020 milligrams, or 204 a day. (An average cup of coffee, 8 fluid ounces, has 95 to 165 milligrams.) For dinner, I went with a few coworkers to Smith & Wollensky, Buffett's favorite New York City restaurant. Buffett comes here once a year for a dinner, at which a lucky bidder joins the Oracle of Omaha himself. In 2016, the meal went for $3.4 million. All the proceeds are given to charity. I was joined by four of my coworkers to bask in the final meal of my epic run. I contacted the restaurant earlier in the week to say what we would be there for, and the staffers did everything to make my experience as authentic as possible. We sat in the private alcove where Buffett sits when he visits, with a full glass wall looking into the kitchen. There was a plaque with Buffett's name on it and a letter from him framed on the wall. I asked our waiter, Baci, who had served Buffett on his trip to NYC in August, to bring me what the man ate. This was a mistake. Dennis Green/Business Insider We started with something off-menu called the "seafood bouquet." It featured lobster, shrimp, and lump crab meat. The seafood was divine — though it was chilled, and I typically enjoy seafood hot. I began to feel a bit uneasy as I dined on the appetizer, thinking back to everything I had put down that week. I wanted to have an authentic meal at a favorite location of Buffett's, but could I survive to the end? Also, I must admit here that I broke the Buffett rules by having a bit of wine. But it was the end of the week, and can you really blame me? Next, the steak: a 32-ounce Colorado rib-eye. Dennis Green/Business Insider In what can only be compared to the primitive tomahawk of a caveman, the mighty Colorado rib-eye emerged on a plate still sizzling. At that point, a glorious, freeing sense of debauchery overtook me, and I laid all of the terrible meals of the last week to the side. The steak was a knockout. For the first three-quarters of a pound, I consumed it with reckless abandon, ignoring the inevitable food hangover that was surely coming. The rib-eye was cooked to perfection and cut beautifully, and it contained just the right amount of fat. When I hit the wall — and I hit it hard — there was an overriding sense of disappointment that I simply couldn't finish the meal. The final tallies for dinner were, in a word, monumental. Dennis Green/Business Insider I wasn't even drunk from the wine, but the meal knocked me out. I was struggling to form coherent thoughts as all the blood ran from my brain to my stomach, attempting to handle the influx of fat, protein, and sugar. My coworkers and I ambled toward Grand Central Terminal, and I felt dazed. We decided against a post-dinner drink, and wandering off from the rest of the group, I felt unsure on my feet. I huffed and puffed my way back to my apartment near Chinatown, sweating pure steak grease. Upon making it back, I collapsed on the floor of my living room. I dozed off for a little over an hour, trying to pretend my stomach wasn't bursting at the seams. Dinner, Day 5: Seafood bouquet, 32-ounce Colorado rib-eye steak, hash browns, creamed spinach, and coconut cake from Smith & Wollensky; red wine; water Dinner calories: 3,343 Total daily calories: 6,513 Friday evening weight: 175.2 pounds What did I learn? Elena Holodny/Business Insider Let's get this out of the way: Don't eat like Warren Buffett unless you are Warren Buffett. The man himself says to be yourself instead of copying him. This applies not only to investing but also to dieting. My experience was miserable, and I realized why I committed myself to eating healthy when I moved to New York. Being sluggish and moody during the day just isn't fun. It's also a good lesson in recognizing limits. Buffett apparently has none; I very much do. And, finally, I now understand Buffett's investing strategy perfectly! Just kidding. I just have a few extra pounds to work off and a good story. Average calories a day: 4,107.4 Total calories over five days: 20,537 Weight gain, Monday morning to Saturday morning: 2.4 pounds Weight gain, Monday evening to Friday evening: 4 pounds
