Tomorrow is Easter, and I'm so ready! Our Lenten sacrifice was to give up meat aside from one day per week, which was usually Sunday. If you count it out, the 40 days of Lent don't count Sundays, which are "Feast Days," so that's why. It was fine for the first week and a half, but after that, well, let's just say neither of us are cut out to be vegetarians. Or ovolactopescatarians, which is technically what we did. Hubby enjoyed the regular fish. I tolerated it, but being more into shellfish, got more excited about scallops and shrimp than salmon. Tonight, for our last Lenten meal, we're doing grilled Redfish with sauteed baby pac choy and turnips braised in butter, garlic, and veggie broth. Okay, we haven't been suffering that much, especially with the lovely spring produce hitting the markets and the good seafood from Shields and Sawicki's (see below).
I decided to go to the cafe in my office building for lunch on Thursday because I hadn't gotten to eat out yet this week, and I wanted something with French Fries, which they serve topped with yummy garlic salt. There's not much down there for the non-carnivore, so I decided to get creative and ordered a Philly Cheese sandwich with no meat. Yeah, that earned some interesting looks, then laughter, but more in a "we're laughing near you, not at you" sense. They ended up offering to add tomatoes and mushrooms to the onions and bell peppers to make a really good veggie melt. They didn't have to add the extra veggies, but I thought it was great that they got creative and tried to make it better for me.
The veggie melt was so exciting, and my lightly scheduled day so busy, that I totally forgot to call Shields Meat Market (web site not working, but they're in the same building as the CVS at 1554 North Decatur Road) and order the lamb shoulder for Sunday. By the time I remembered on Thursday evening -- while in the shower, of all places! -- they had already sent their orders off. I talked to Geoff, the owner, who offered a leg or a top round, but he advised me that neither would work in the recipe we wanted to do.
Side note: Shields has fantastic Georgia shrimp. They're huge, tender, and a good price. They also have nice vine-ripened tomatoes that taste much better than you typically find out of season.
Random other side note: WTF is going on with the work on North Decatur Road just past Emory and in front of Shields and that entire row of businesses??? It's like the Dekalb roads department has gotten too lazy to finish the job and/or at least stick metal plates over the chasms they've opened up! We drove through there today, and my poor Honda Civic was not happy with the rough terrain.
So, discouraged and dripping, I called Sawicki's in downtown Decatur and spoke to the owner, Lynn, who typically answers her own phone and deals directly with customers. She already had her orders in, too, but she said she'd "forage" for us, and that I should call back at noon the next day. We ended up there for lunch on Friday because we really like the special Veggie sandwich (the one on the board, not the menu). We hadn't bought meat from her before, just seafood, because we were concerned about the prices being too high. She located a lamb shoulder of about the right size and told us she'd call when it came in. The problem was that it ended up being about three pounds too large. Lynn sold it to us at cost because it wasn't exactly what we had asked for even though it was a special order, and she had gone out of her way to get it for us. We were able to partially defrost it and cut a still-frozen hunk off, so we now have a perfect-sized cut for tomorrow's recipe (want to see what we're doing? Click here!) as well as a nice three pound piece in the freezer for a later meal.
So, I'd like to give kudos to Cafe 400, Shields, and especially Sawicki's for great customer service. I admire Geoff for being honest with me as to what would work in the recipe rather than trying to sell me something that wouldn't. That's why I love living in Decatur: local merchants whom you can build relationships with and who have good-quality stuff at good prices. Seriously, try the shrimp at Shields and the scallops and fish at Sawicki's. You won't be disappointed.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Tasting Notes: Random Oenophile Selects
Greetings, fellow oenophiles!
I think I might've wasted a good worry yesterday.
Last night, for JavaMonkey's Thursday Wine Series, Jess put together a list from wines that I had rated highly in the past year. I was afraid that a lot of people would turn out for the tasting, and they'd all hate the wines, and then I would be booed and have to slink out of JavaMonkey in disgrace. Of course, none of that actually happened, first because all of six people turned out for the tasting (including me and Hubby), and second because the wines were really good.
I'm trying to figure out why there wasn't a bigger turnout. Maybe the rainy weather had a lot to do with it. That's what I'm going to tell myself, anyway. Or I could blame the economy. Yeah, that's what everyone else is doing, so I'll go with that. Turnout was poor because of the economy, by golly!
Are you as sick of that excuse as I am? Yeah, I thought so. Let's just move on to the wine. Here's the lineup with stories and notes:
Gruet Rose Brut, NV (New Mexico):
Hubby and I are adventurous and want to taste wine in all of the states that grow and make it (no outsourced grape wine from Alaska, pls). New Mexico is definitely on the list of destinations, and I'm glad that this one was on the list.
Gruet is best known for their sparkling wines, which are pretty much what's available here, but I've heard that they have some good stills as well. This wine was somewhat tart with notes of strawberry. It has what I'm looking for in both a rose and sparkling: well-balanced between sweet and dry and something that makes it fun. Even better, it's reasonably priced, too. Okay, and it's pretty.
New Rating: Very Good
2006 Foris Leanne Vineyard Pinot Noir (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
We "discovered" Foris Pinots a few years ago, and since then, we've liked all of the ones we've tried. The distributor didn't have the baseline Pinot, so Jess got this single vineyard one, which is typically a step up. It was a really interesting (in a good way) wine that told a story as it moved over the palate. It had a cranberry nose, and the taste went from anise to spice to cherry to butter. The really neat thing was that it did all that even if I swallowed it quickly. The only thing I didn't like was that there was a little bitterness to it at first, but that smoothed out as it opened.
Rating: Very Good
2008 Campos Reales Tempranillo (La Mancha, Spain):
The only "Old World" wine on the list, this one drinks like a "New World" one. When Hubby and I were in Birmingham one time last year, my father had one of these in his wine stash. We plotted all weekend to get him to open it, which he did for Sunday dinner.
I love this wine. It has a buttery nose, and it's smooth and fruity and buttery on the palate, kind of like currant pie. The dark fruit builds as you sip it. Okay, so it's not the most complex wine in the world, especially not after the Foris, but I'll never turn it down.
Rating: Excellent
2005 Del Rio Vineyards Claret (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
Looking at the blend in this lovely Bordeaux-style wine -- 41% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Malbec -- it's easy to see why I like it so much. It didn't have much of a nose, but it hits the palate full-force with smooth dark cherry and a nice structure. Yum!
Rating: Excellent
2005 Abundance Syrah (Lodi, California):
We visited the tasting room at Abundance during the Wine and Chocolate Festival (and yes, I know I still need to give you all the delicious details of that weekend) and actually got to taste a little bit from a real barrel. Yes, I'm a wine geek -- I found the barrel thing to be really exciting. They had grilled sausages that were really good, too. Unfortunately a bus arrived before we could taste too many wines, and we had to escape the crowds through the side door.
This wine is big and fruity but nicely balanced. It has that overtone that you find with a lot of Lodi wines, just a hint of caramel sweetness on the nose and finish. This one is good on its own or with meat.
Rating: Excellent
2004 C. G. di Arie Zinfandel (Shenandoah Valley, California):
Of course an Oenophile Selects tasting would have to end with a Zin, although this was a slightly sneaky blend with 86% Zinfandel (the minimum to label it as a single grape), 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc, 4.5% Syrah, and 0.5% Mourvedre. Yeah, I'm a bit confused, too.
The wine itself wasn't confused, though, being a berry bomb, as Dan called it. I found it to be a bit more structured than a lot of the really fruity Zins, which made it more interesting. This was also not the baseline product, but a step up, and a nice way to finish the tasting.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
I'd like to thank Jessica Williams, owner of JavaMonkey and the one who puts the wine tastings together, for doing such a great job. I sent her a long list, and she kept in touch with me during the process of whittling it down according to availability. I really appreciate her persistence, and I'm glad that the first "Oenophile Selects" tasting had sort of a "big ass red" theme.
I hope everyone enjoys the lovely weather this weekend!
I think I might've wasted a good worry yesterday.
Last night, for JavaMonkey's Thursday Wine Series, Jess put together a list from wines that I had rated highly in the past year. I was afraid that a lot of people would turn out for the tasting, and they'd all hate the wines, and then I would be booed and have to slink out of JavaMonkey in disgrace. Of course, none of that actually happened, first because all of six people turned out for the tasting (including me and Hubby), and second because the wines were really good.
I'm trying to figure out why there wasn't a bigger turnout. Maybe the rainy weather had a lot to do with it. That's what I'm going to tell myself, anyway. Or I could blame the economy. Yeah, that's what everyone else is doing, so I'll go with that. Turnout was poor because of the economy, by golly!
Are you as sick of that excuse as I am? Yeah, I thought so. Let's just move on to the wine. Here's the lineup with stories and notes:
Gruet Rose Brut, NV (New Mexico):
Hubby and I are adventurous and want to taste wine in all of the states that grow and make it (no outsourced grape wine from Alaska, pls). New Mexico is definitely on the list of destinations, and I'm glad that this one was on the list.
Gruet is best known for their sparkling wines, which are pretty much what's available here, but I've heard that they have some good stills as well. This wine was somewhat tart with notes of strawberry. It has what I'm looking for in both a rose and sparkling: well-balanced between sweet and dry and something that makes it fun. Even better, it's reasonably priced, too. Okay, and it's pretty.
New Rating: Very Good
2006 Foris Leanne Vineyard Pinot Noir (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
We "discovered" Foris Pinots a few years ago, and since then, we've liked all of the ones we've tried. The distributor didn't have the baseline Pinot, so Jess got this single vineyard one, which is typically a step up. It was a really interesting (in a good way) wine that told a story as it moved over the palate. It had a cranberry nose, and the taste went from anise to spice to cherry to butter. The really neat thing was that it did all that even if I swallowed it quickly. The only thing I didn't like was that there was a little bitterness to it at first, but that smoothed out as it opened.
Rating: Very Good
2008 Campos Reales Tempranillo (La Mancha, Spain):
The only "Old World" wine on the list, this one drinks like a "New World" one. When Hubby and I were in Birmingham one time last year, my father had one of these in his wine stash. We plotted all weekend to get him to open it, which he did for Sunday dinner.
I love this wine. It has a buttery nose, and it's smooth and fruity and buttery on the palate, kind of like currant pie. The dark fruit builds as you sip it. Okay, so it's not the most complex wine in the world, especially not after the Foris, but I'll never turn it down.
Rating: Excellent
2005 Del Rio Vineyards Claret (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
Looking at the blend in this lovely Bordeaux-style wine -- 41% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Malbec -- it's easy to see why I like it so much. It didn't have much of a nose, but it hits the palate full-force with smooth dark cherry and a nice structure. Yum!
Rating: Excellent
2005 Abundance Syrah (Lodi, California):
We visited the tasting room at Abundance during the Wine and Chocolate Festival (and yes, I know I still need to give you all the delicious details of that weekend) and actually got to taste a little bit from a real barrel. Yes, I'm a wine geek -- I found the barrel thing to be really exciting. They had grilled sausages that were really good, too. Unfortunately a bus arrived before we could taste too many wines, and we had to escape the crowds through the side door.
This wine is big and fruity but nicely balanced. It has that overtone that you find with a lot of Lodi wines, just a hint of caramel sweetness on the nose and finish. This one is good on its own or with meat.
Rating: Excellent
2004 C. G. di Arie Zinfandel (Shenandoah Valley, California):
Of course an Oenophile Selects tasting would have to end with a Zin, although this was a slightly sneaky blend with 86% Zinfandel (the minimum to label it as a single grape), 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc, 4.5% Syrah, and 0.5% Mourvedre. Yeah, I'm a bit confused, too.
The wine itself wasn't confused, though, being a berry bomb, as Dan called it. I found it to be a bit more structured than a lot of the really fruity Zins, which made it more interesting. This was also not the baseline product, but a step up, and a nice way to finish the tasting.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
I'd like to thank Jessica Williams, owner of JavaMonkey and the one who puts the wine tastings together, for doing such a great job. I sent her a long list, and she kept in touch with me during the process of whittling it down according to availability. I really appreciate her persistence, and I'm glad that the first "Oenophile Selects" tasting had sort of a "big ass red" theme.
I hope everyone enjoys the lovely weather this weekend!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Metapost: Blogger's Delights
I was in Ponte Vedra Beach this past weekend for a "consensus conference" in my area of work. This meant that there were lectures for Continuing Education credit on Friday, but then the schedule on Saturday afternoon had the dreaded words, "Breakout Sessions" and "Discussion Groups." Yeah, I blew those off and went to the beach. There wasn't really much to report with regard to food or wine down there, though.
The reason I'm posting is because there will be a "Best of the Oenophile" tasting this Thursday (7:00 to 9:00) as part of JavaMonkey's Thursday wine series. All the wines will be ones that were rated highly on the blog in the past year. I'm really excited because I know I'll like everything, and now that I've seen the proposed lineup, I think others will, too.
So, come on out to JavaMonkey on Thursday and actually taste some of the things I've talked about.
The reason I'm posting is because there will be a "Best of the Oenophile" tasting this Thursday (7:00 to 9:00) as part of JavaMonkey's Thursday wine series. All the wines will be ones that were rated highly on the blog in the past year. I'm really excited because I know I'll like everything, and now that I've seen the proposed lineup, I think others will, too.
So, come on out to JavaMonkey on Thursday and actually taste some of the things I've talked about.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Restaurant Reviews: Leon's Full Service, Parker's On Ponce
Good progress this week on the writing front. I submitted a short story that I've gotten favorable critiques on to the Writer's Digest Annual Contest. Yes, this is in spite of Ed(itor)'s insistence that "writers are paid to write, they don't pay to write!" But hey, if I didn't spend any money, I wouldn't have anything to say on my blog, would I? I'm also sending in a short short story to Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine tomorrow. Yep, aiming for the stars -- no pun intended.
Hubby and I have been doing our part to keep the Decatur economy afloat even without expectation of government assistance, although starting my own company last year meant that Hubby was over-withheld, so we'll be getting a refund. Of course, the parents and Restaurants.com (see end of post) also helped to make dining out more affordable.
Two weekends ago, my parents came into town for a brief visit to hang out with us and go see the King Tut exhibit at the Civic Center, somewhat misnamed because he's not actually there. Nor are the sarcophogi, but the Egyptians did have some impressive bling and stuff, and my cats always like me to be reminded that at a high point in human civilization, they were regarded as gods.
On Saturday night, we went to the Brick Store guys' new restaurant Leon's Full Service. Going on a Saturday evening was probably not the smartest thing to do. We got there at about 6:50 and were told that the wait would be an hour and a half. It was nice outside, so we found a place inside at the bar and had beers and shared Pub Frites with mayonnaise and sauce verte. I didn't try the mayo, but the frites and sauce verte were very good. All of it earned high marks from my mother, who is from Belgium, where frites were either invented or perfected depending on who you ask. We were pleasantly surprised to be seated at 7:30. Hubby got the burger, I had the Bistro Steak sandwich, Mom had the veggie sandwich, and Dad got the entree trout. I think Dad and Hubby liked theirs the best. Mom's and my sandwiches were good, but we were disappointed that the cheese didn't come melted, and the veggie sandwich wasn't served warm, which may have been intentional. Hubby got the Mesclun Greens for a side, which was excellent. Mom and I each got the sauteed spinach with egg and sherry vinegar, which was very good, but I liked Hubby's greens better. The salad wasn't at all spicy, as I feared it would be.
We'd had beer before dinner but shared a bottle of wine with the meal and got the 2002 "Siskiou Terrace" Foris Claret. For Pinot lovers, Foris is one of those labels that you know is going to give you a great bottle, so we were curious to see what a blend would be like. It was a little green on the nose at first, but it had nice round, dark fruit and was very food-friendly.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Casual and open, maybe a little noisy at the bar; I liked the bocce courts outside but hope they'll turn one of them into patio seating
Food: Very good
Wine list: Good variety, as one would expect from this crew
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Limited but looked good (didn't try)
Vegetarian friendly? Somewhat, but very limited selection with only one sandwich and no entrees
Kid friendly? There were kids in there, but this is Decatur
Would I go back? Yes
Last weekend took us to Parker's On Ponce, where we celebrated Hubby's birthday with BabySis and her boyfriend. The timing ended up being a little complicated with us moving our reservations back to 8:30 so BabySis could pick up Boyfriend, which left a couple of hours for Hubby and me to kill after church. The weather was cold and rainy, so we hunted down parking and snuggled up to the bar, where he had a Scotch and I had a fruity Cosmo-like cocktail called "The Confession." No, I didn't reveal anything interesting.
The rain caused people to linger, so we ended up being seated a good 20 minutes after our reservation, and I have to admit that I wasn't too pleased at being seated right near the door, which provided a draft each time someone went in or out. We quickly ordered appetizers, fried green tomatoes with basil pesto, goat cheese, and toasted pecans, and the special, mussels with garlic and tomatoes, which they may add to the menu. The appetizers were very good, although the tomatoes were maybe a little tough. BabySis and I got the baby spinach salad, a good balance of sweet, salty, and savory with goat cheese, strawberries, pancetta, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette. Hubby and Boyfriend got the house salad, which came with bacon, toasted pecans, dried cherries, and a gorgonzola vinaigrette that wasn't at all the creamy dressing I had expected it to be. The pancetta with he spinach salad came in a couple of whole fried pieces rather than crumbled.
Then came the steaks. BabySis, Boyfriend, and I each got a 6 oz. filet, and Hubby got the Ribeye. We traded around sides, all of which were excellent, Merlot Mushrooms for me and Babysis, Black Truffle Mac & Cheese for Boyfriend, and Steak Fries for Hubby. All of the steaks were very good and cooked perfectly. BabySis described her filet as "meat butter," it was so tender. Hubby's ribeye was also really good and big enough for leftovers.
We did order dessert. BabySis and I got the special, a flourless chocolate espresso cake that could have used a bit more chocolate. Hubby similarly found the Grand Marnier chocolate mousse to be too heavy on the orange peel. Boyfriend liked his Bananas Foster cheesecake.
Hungry yet? Let's talk wine. We knew that steaks would want a big ass red, so we ordered a Cab. The 2006 Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles) had nice caramel/toffee overtones on the nose and good, smooth dark fruit with a little berry. Overall, it was well-balanced with enough acidity to handle the food.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Modern with lots of black and metal; look for the painting on the back wall by Decatur's own J.D. Isaacs, owner of Rose Squared Custom Framing; can be a little noisy, and as I mentioned, seats by the door are drafty
Food: Excellent
Wine list: Adequate
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Need a little work on allowing the chocolate to shine through
Vegetarian friendly? Uh, it's a steakhouse
Kid friendly? Probably not
Would I go back? Yes
Helpful hint: We made our meal at Parker's more affordable with a gift certificate from Restaurants.com. They always offer discounted gift certificates (e.g., $25 gift certificate for $10), but sometimes they have ridiculous specials that allow you to get $25 for $2. Parker's is on there. Leon's isn't.
Hubby and I have been doing our part to keep the Decatur economy afloat even without expectation of government assistance, although starting my own company last year meant that Hubby was over-withheld, so we'll be getting a refund. Of course, the parents and Restaurants.com (see end of post) also helped to make dining out more affordable.
Two weekends ago, my parents came into town for a brief visit to hang out with us and go see the King Tut exhibit at the Civic Center, somewhat misnamed because he's not actually there. Nor are the sarcophogi, but the Egyptians did have some impressive bling and stuff, and my cats always like me to be reminded that at a high point in human civilization, they were regarded as gods.
On Saturday night, we went to the Brick Store guys' new restaurant Leon's Full Service. Going on a Saturday evening was probably not the smartest thing to do. We got there at about 6:50 and were told that the wait would be an hour and a half. It was nice outside, so we found a place inside at the bar and had beers and shared Pub Frites with mayonnaise and sauce verte. I didn't try the mayo, but the frites and sauce verte were very good. All of it earned high marks from my mother, who is from Belgium, where frites were either invented or perfected depending on who you ask. We were pleasantly surprised to be seated at 7:30. Hubby got the burger, I had the Bistro Steak sandwich, Mom had the veggie sandwich, and Dad got the entree trout. I think Dad and Hubby liked theirs the best. Mom's and my sandwiches were good, but we were disappointed that the cheese didn't come melted, and the veggie sandwich wasn't served warm, which may have been intentional. Hubby got the Mesclun Greens for a side, which was excellent. Mom and I each got the sauteed spinach with egg and sherry vinegar, which was very good, but I liked Hubby's greens better. The salad wasn't at all spicy, as I feared it would be.
We'd had beer before dinner but shared a bottle of wine with the meal and got the 2002 "Siskiou Terrace" Foris Claret. For Pinot lovers, Foris is one of those labels that you know is going to give you a great bottle, so we were curious to see what a blend would be like. It was a little green on the nose at first, but it had nice round, dark fruit and was very food-friendly.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Casual and open, maybe a little noisy at the bar; I liked the bocce courts outside but hope they'll turn one of them into patio seating
Food: Very good
Wine list: Good variety, as one would expect from this crew
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Limited but looked good (didn't try)
Vegetarian friendly? Somewhat, but very limited selection with only one sandwich and no entrees
Kid friendly? There were kids in there, but this is Decatur
Would I go back? Yes
Last weekend took us to Parker's On Ponce, where we celebrated Hubby's birthday with BabySis and her boyfriend. The timing ended up being a little complicated with us moving our reservations back to 8:30 so BabySis could pick up Boyfriend, which left a couple of hours for Hubby and me to kill after church. The weather was cold and rainy, so we hunted down parking and snuggled up to the bar, where he had a Scotch and I had a fruity Cosmo-like cocktail called "The Confession." No, I didn't reveal anything interesting.
The rain caused people to linger, so we ended up being seated a good 20 minutes after our reservation, and I have to admit that I wasn't too pleased at being seated right near the door, which provided a draft each time someone went in or out. We quickly ordered appetizers, fried green tomatoes with basil pesto, goat cheese, and toasted pecans, and the special, mussels with garlic and tomatoes, which they may add to the menu. The appetizers were very good, although the tomatoes were maybe a little tough. BabySis and I got the baby spinach salad, a good balance of sweet, salty, and savory with goat cheese, strawberries, pancetta, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette. Hubby and Boyfriend got the house salad, which came with bacon, toasted pecans, dried cherries, and a gorgonzola vinaigrette that wasn't at all the creamy dressing I had expected it to be. The pancetta with he spinach salad came in a couple of whole fried pieces rather than crumbled.
Then came the steaks. BabySis, Boyfriend, and I each got a 6 oz. filet, and Hubby got the Ribeye. We traded around sides, all of which were excellent, Merlot Mushrooms for me and Babysis, Black Truffle Mac & Cheese for Boyfriend, and Steak Fries for Hubby. All of the steaks were very good and cooked perfectly. BabySis described her filet as "meat butter," it was so tender. Hubby's ribeye was also really good and big enough for leftovers.
We did order dessert. BabySis and I got the special, a flourless chocolate espresso cake that could have used a bit more chocolate. Hubby similarly found the Grand Marnier chocolate mousse to be too heavy on the orange peel. Boyfriend liked his Bananas Foster cheesecake.
Hungry yet? Let's talk wine. We knew that steaks would want a big ass red, so we ordered a Cab. The 2006 Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles) had nice caramel/toffee overtones on the nose and good, smooth dark fruit with a little berry. Overall, it was well-balanced with enough acidity to handle the food.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Modern with lots of black and metal; look for the painting on the back wall by Decatur's own J.D. Isaacs, owner of Rose Squared Custom Framing; can be a little noisy, and as I mentioned, seats by the door are drafty
Food: Excellent
Wine list: Adequate
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Need a little work on allowing the chocolate to shine through
Vegetarian friendly? Uh, it's a steakhouse
Kid friendly? Probably not
Would I go back? Yes
Helpful hint: We made our meal at Parker's more affordable with a gift certificate from Restaurants.com. They always offer discounted gift certificates (e.g., $25 gift certificate for $10), but sometimes they have ridiculous specials that allow you to get $25 for $2. Parker's is on there. Leon's isn't.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Metapost: Where I've Been
Greetings, fellow oenophiles!
If you've been wondering where I've been the past couple of weeks, the answer is absolutely nowhere interesting. Okay, that's not technically true. I haven't traveled, but we did eat at Leon's Full Service last weekend and Parker's on Ponce last night, and I promise that reviews will be forthcoming, as will more about our recent journeys in California. But, for once, we weren't eating alone. My parents were in town last weekend, and BabySis and her boyfriend visited this weekend, so the blogging time has been scarce to nil. Or it has been taken up by watching dumb YouTube videos (is there any other kind?) with Hubby and BabySis. I'm not going to confirm or deny that, but do you think there will ever be Stick Figures on Wine, and did the Conan O'Brien Superbowl Commercial reference Swedish pop star Gunther?
Okay, obviously it's time for bed. Or another glass of wine, but I have to work tomorrow. So, good night fellow oenophiles! I promise to check back in soon.
If you've been wondering where I've been the past couple of weeks, the answer is absolutely nowhere interesting. Okay, that's not technically true. I haven't traveled, but we did eat at Leon's Full Service last weekend and Parker's on Ponce last night, and I promise that reviews will be forthcoming, as will more about our recent journeys in California. But, for once, we weren't eating alone. My parents were in town last weekend, and BabySis and her boyfriend visited this weekend, so the blogging time has been scarce to nil. Or it has been taken up by watching dumb YouTube videos (is there any other kind?) with Hubby and BabySis. I'm not going to confirm or deny that, but do you think there will ever be Stick Figures on Wine, and did the Conan O'Brien Superbowl Commercial reference Swedish pop star Gunther?
Okay, obviously it's time for bed. Or another glass of wine, but I have to work tomorrow. So, good night fellow oenophiles! I promise to check back in soon.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Famous Drunk Guys: Vivaldi
I had lunch today with one of my friends and faithful readers, and she mentioned that she can't wait to hear all about the wine and chocolate festival in Lodi. However, I wanted to be sure to acknowledge a very important person in the classical music world.
Today is the three hundred and thirty-first birthday of Antonio Vivaldi. While he may not have technically been drunk, he was Italian in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, so it's highly likely that he drank wine. Caricatures show that he had a big nose, all the better to get that important first sensory smell impression, so -- this is pure speculation -- he could have even been an oenophile, or wine lover.
Vivaldi's best known work is, of course, The Four Seasons, four violin concertos that have been used as background music for everything from commercials to movies to the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT when I was there in 2002. He composed many many other pieces of music including operas and sacred works.
What should you drink while listening to Vivaldi? It depends on your mood. Some describe his work as playful, so perhaps a fun red like the 2007 Quattro Mani Montepulciano, which is smooth and fruity, like a blackberry pie in a glass, would be appropriate. Also, I believe that "Quattro Mani" means "four hands," and The Four Seasons has been transcribed for piano in a four-hands arrangement. I wouldn't recommend it after having drunk a lot of wine, but it may be fun to try after a glass or two as long as your playing partner is someone you know fairly well.
If you're in a more effervescent mood, try a Prosecco. These can be a little rough, but I do like the Zefiro Prosecco (Veneto), which has a lovely cream soda nose and is mellow on the palate.
Okay, now that I've given a nod to culture, I have to admit that I don't really have any Vivaldi playing in the background. The CD that is currently living in my stereo system is U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon. However, Vivaldi influenced everyone after him including the great J.S. Bach.
So, happy birthday, Vivaldi! Your music will always make me think about cute Italian guys, gelato, and, of course, wine.
Today is the three hundred and thirty-first birthday of Antonio Vivaldi. While he may not have technically been drunk, he was Italian in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, so it's highly likely that he drank wine. Caricatures show that he had a big nose, all the better to get that important first sensory smell impression, so -- this is pure speculation -- he could have even been an oenophile, or wine lover.
Vivaldi's best known work is, of course, The Four Seasons, four violin concertos that have been used as background music for everything from commercials to movies to the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT when I was there in 2002. He composed many many other pieces of music including operas and sacred works.
What should you drink while listening to Vivaldi? It depends on your mood. Some describe his work as playful, so perhaps a fun red like the 2007 Quattro Mani Montepulciano, which is smooth and fruity, like a blackberry pie in a glass, would be appropriate. Also, I believe that "Quattro Mani" means "four hands," and The Four Seasons has been transcribed for piano in a four-hands arrangement. I wouldn't recommend it after having drunk a lot of wine, but it may be fun to try after a glass or two as long as your playing partner is someone you know fairly well.
If you're in a more effervescent mood, try a Prosecco. These can be a little rough, but I do like the Zefiro Prosecco (Veneto), which has a lovely cream soda nose and is mellow on the palate.
Okay, now that I've given a nod to culture, I have to admit that I don't really have any Vivaldi playing in the background. The CD that is currently living in my stereo system is U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon. However, Vivaldi influenced everyone after him including the great J.S. Bach.
So, happy birthday, Vivaldi! Your music will always make me think about cute Italian guys, gelato, and, of course, wine.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Opening That Bottle: Pinot Noir, anyone?
So here's the bottle of wine we opened tonight:
2005 Lange Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
For those who don't know, Open That Bottle Night is an occasion to open that special bottle of wine you've been saving. It happens toward the end of February, and we were technically a day late, but Hubby went to a hockey game last night, so we were a little delayed.
We bought this bottle in October, 2007 on our trip to the Pacific Northwest. Although Lange has pretty wide distribution, the stuff at the tasting room was really good, and we fell in love with this Pinot Noir. We've been saving it because it's a bit beyond our typical price point. The nose is of currant, dark cherry, and eucalyptus, and the palate has a bit of smoke with smooth tannin, dark fruit, and a little pepper on the very end of the finish. It's an incredibly elegant wine, and I'm glad we drank it tonight.
2005 Lange Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
For those who don't know, Open That Bottle Night is an occasion to open that special bottle of wine you've been saving. It happens toward the end of February, and we were technically a day late, but Hubby went to a hockey game last night, so we were a little delayed.
We bought this bottle in October, 2007 on our trip to the Pacific Northwest. Although Lange has pretty wide distribution, the stuff at the tasting room was really good, and we fell in love with this Pinot Noir. We've been saving it because it's a bit beyond our typical price point. The nose is of currant, dark cherry, and eucalyptus, and the palate has a bit of smoke with smooth tannin, dark fruit, and a little pepper on the very end of the finish. It's an incredibly elegant wine, and I'm glad we drank it tonight.
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