Nicotine Infused Dishes Added to Menus

Aug. 18 -- Bar and restaurant patrons in New York, California, Delaware and Florida have had some months to get used to state smoking bans — but business owners are looking to make the transition a little easier with nicotine-infused dishes and drinks.

Fabio Granato, co-owner of New York City's Serafina Sandro restaurant, says his waiters offer a new tobacco section on their tradtional menu.

Granato said it provides options for die-hard smokers who want to keep their usual corner seats and still get their nicotine rush.

"Everybody was upset about the fact that they cannot smoke in New York, in the restaurants, they really were upset," Granato said.

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Granato worked with chef Sandro Fioriti to create the special menu which features everything from a hearty tobacco pasta sauce to a delicate tobacco panna cotta for dessert.

"It's a spice that nobody ever used into food," Granato said. "It does absolutely taste good."

Steve Podell, a fan of Sandro's nicotine gnocchi, says such dishes could replace the need for other less-exciting smoking crutches.

"For me this replaces the patch," Podell said of Sandro's gnocchi. "Don't know about others but for me it does."

If smokers are still craving a cigarette after their meal, Granato says they can try the reataurant's tobacco grappa. It's created from grappa that's soaked in tobacco leaves for 40 days, and Granato says it might be an acquired taste.

"The food is for mild smokers, the grappa is for serious smokers." Granato said.

Dropping a Drag for a Drink

Some Manhattan bar owners worked quickly to put out the fire over the ban, which calls for fines and even closure of restaurants that allow smoking. They worked to create cocktails that would quench smokers' thirst for nicotine.

Bartender Nicholas Bronte says New York City's Mayor, Mike Bloomberg, was the Suba bar's inspiration for the "nicotini."

"The inspiration of this drink came from Bloomberg directly," Bronte said. "He said no smoking allowed. So we said, 'Oh yeah. Well, we will see.'"