Last night, Hubby and I were planning to join up with some friends at his for flamenco dancing at Ibiza (watching, not participating). We had a prior engagement for a supper club kickoff, so as we were leaving, Hubby texted the guy who had put it all together and had sent out a Facebook invite to let him know we were on our way. The reply came back: "Didn't go. Golfed for 5 hours & worn out. LOL."
Srsly?
So there we were, literally all dressed up and our plans pulled out from under us.
"Let's go to Midtown!" Hubby suggested, no doubt thinking we could have a repeat of our bar-hopping in Athens experience.
Here's a hint: Midtown is really quiet before about 11. We ended up at Eno Restaurant and Wine Bar, where we had eaten before and where we know there's a good wine list. We sat at one of tables that's on the sidewalk on the Peachtree side and people-watched while we did a flight tasting, whites for Hubby, reds for me. The theme of both was "Mediterranean." I told him to take notes for the blog. He upstaged me and tweeted his, so here they are, in 140 characters or less (mine to follow):
2007 Hugues Picpoul. A little mineraly. And in true Midtown fashion, a little fruity, too.
2007 J. Vidal "Fleury" Vionger. Nose was a little Muscatish. Finish... Didn't. The lights were on, but nobody was home.
2007 Scarbolo Pinot Grigio. Just enough acid that I know I'm not drinking water, but not much else. No nose at all.
2008 Las Colinas Garnacha Blanc. Nose was some sort of grape/tomato/mint mess. Finish was again nonexistent. That makes three out of four.
Here are my notes on the reds:
2005 Monpertuis "Cuvee Counoise," Languedoc: 100% Cunoise
Deep, rich fruit nose, almost to passionfruit; dark berry and green tea
2007 Luna Beberide, Bierzo, Spain: 100% Mencia
Not much of a nose, light-bodied and more fruity with mild tannins
2006 Dom de Fontsainte, Corbieres, France: Grenache-Syrah-Carignan blend
Rich fruit + cedar caramel nose (like port, Hubby said); dark fruit with a hint of chocolate, but smooth and not too heavy. I like this one as a summer red
2006 Argiolas "Perdera," Sicily: "Monica Blend" (Monica is a grape varietal, not a person)
Uncomplicated fruit nose; well-balanced between fruit and acidity, but still smooth; currant + other berries, but slightly bitter finish
My favorite was (surprise) the Grenache-Syrah-Carignan blend. Hubby wasn't bowled over by any of his.
We did eventually find the hustle & bustle, at around 11:30 on Crescent. By that point, I was exhausted, and since I'm on call this weekend anyway, we decided to just come home. So, the excursion to Midtown was not altogether successful, but I am glad I got to try some wines made from grapes that don't think I've had before, even if I did like the familiar red blend.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Tasting Notes: Pink Stuff
When we were at my goddaughter's birthday party a few weeks ago, her two-year-old cousin only wanted to eat the pink parts of the birthday cake. This provided an interesting contrast to Hubby, who wanted no part of last night's rosé tasting at JavaMonkey except for the sparkling one. I don't think his masculinity was threatened by the pink wine because, let's face it, the only way to go more girly with rosé is to add bubbles to it and maybe a maraschino cherry. It's just one more example of different tastes, although we tend to agree on most others with the notable exception of Italian Pinot Grigio (I like, he hates) and oaky Chardonnay (vice versa).
As I tasted, I tried to capture the degree of pinkness in the wine, so there will be an extra line to these notes. Also notable was that this was my first attempt at tweeting a wine tasting. I'll plan to do that from now on, although I won't have space to tweet everything.
Avinyó Rosat Cava (Penedès, Spain): 100% Pinot Noir
Degree of pinkness: dark pink roses
Cranberry nose, tart with nice undertones that almost went plummy after it opened for a bit.
Rating: Very Good
Château Routas Rosé Rouvière (Provence, France): 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Cinsault
Pink meter: Bubble gum
Honestly, this one was shy from the beginning and ran and hid from food.
Rating: Meh
2007 Mercedes Eguren Cabernet Rosado (Castilla, Spain): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (duh!)
Pink? Like a Converse high top. Yeah, I had them, and the whole pink and electric blue ensemble to go with them.
Strawberry candy nose, but bitter like watermelon with the sweetness removed.
Rating: Meh
2006 Saddlerock Rosé (Central Coast, California): 100% Cabernet
This was introduced as "Barbie wine" because it comes from Malibu. I think that I had a few outfits for my dolls in this color, which was a little darker than Barbie pink and edging toward fuschia.
Cranberry juice box nose, raspberry over grape juice with a hint of butter on the finish.
Rating: Yeah, I know my description doesn't sound all that appetizing, but I gave it a Good/Very Good.
2007 Cusumano Rosato (Sicilia):
Faded pink denim color.
I swear, I got a hint of maple syrup on the nose at the first whiff, but I couldn't find it after that. This one also had a lot of berry and white grape.
Rating: Good
2008 Del Rio Vineyards Rosé Jolee (Rogue Valley, Oregon): 90% early Muscat, 10% Merlot
New ballet slipper pink
This one could pass for a fruity girly cocktail with its peachy nose and syrupy tangerine peach flavor.
Rating: Good for a sweet wine
The next tasting will be Pacific Northwest wines. I'll try to have finished my notes on Seattle by then. You can find me on Twitter @RandomOenophile if you'd like to tune in. Happy weekend!
As I tasted, I tried to capture the degree of pinkness in the wine, so there will be an extra line to these notes. Also notable was that this was my first attempt at tweeting a wine tasting. I'll plan to do that from now on, although I won't have space to tweet everything.
Avinyó Rosat Cava (Penedès, Spain): 100% Pinot Noir
Degree of pinkness: dark pink roses
Cranberry nose, tart with nice undertones that almost went plummy after it opened for a bit.
Rating: Very Good
Château Routas Rosé Rouvière (Provence, France): 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Cinsault
Pink meter: Bubble gum
Honestly, this one was shy from the beginning and ran and hid from food.
Rating: Meh
2007 Mercedes Eguren Cabernet Rosado (Castilla, Spain): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (duh!)
Pink? Like a Converse high top. Yeah, I had them, and the whole pink and electric blue ensemble to go with them.
Strawberry candy nose, but bitter like watermelon with the sweetness removed.
Rating: Meh
2006 Saddlerock Rosé (Central Coast, California): 100% Cabernet
This was introduced as "Barbie wine" because it comes from Malibu. I think that I had a few outfits for my dolls in this color, which was a little darker than Barbie pink and edging toward fuschia.
Cranberry juice box nose, raspberry over grape juice with a hint of butter on the finish.
Rating: Yeah, I know my description doesn't sound all that appetizing, but I gave it a Good/Very Good.
2007 Cusumano Rosato (Sicilia):
Faded pink denim color.
I swear, I got a hint of maple syrup on the nose at the first whiff, but I couldn't find it after that. This one also had a lot of berry and white grape.
Rating: Good
2008 Del Rio Vineyards Rosé Jolee (Rogue Valley, Oregon): 90% early Muscat, 10% Merlot
New ballet slipper pink
This one could pass for a fruity girly cocktail with its peachy nose and syrupy tangerine peach flavor.
Rating: Good for a sweet wine
The next tasting will be Pacific Northwest wines. I'll try to have finished my notes on Seattle by then. You can find me on Twitter @RandomOenophile if you'd like to tune in. Happy weekend!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Oeno-Fourth of July Weekend Run-Down
Whereas the week leading up to the Fourth of July is a big week for grocery stores, out of state fireworks emporiums, and fire extinguisher providers (one can only hope), it's pretty quiet for my business. My weekend started unintentionally early on Thursday, when I only had one appointment scheduled at the office. I considered calling the person to reschedule, but Hubby bribed me out with the promise of Korean barbecue. Yeah, I'm a sucker for the stuff, so we went to Han Il Kwan (no website available) on Buford Highway just south of I-285 in Doraville.
We arrived just after 12:30 to find the place about 1/3 full, and we were seated right away and given thick menus in both English and Korean. We both opted for lunch specials, bulgogi for me and short ribs for Hubby. The waitress brought about eight little white ceramic square dishes with different things in them. We identified kimchi and bean sprouts, and while vegetables were a large part of the rest of them, I'm not sure what the names are. We weren't really sure what to do with them, so we looked around at the other diners and figured out that they were intended to be eaten with the meals. Later research revealed them to be panch'an, which are small dishes intended to be eaten with the main course, so score one for Hubby's powers of observation. The boxes were similar to those found in sushi restaurants and even had some California rolls in them along with tempura shrimp and vegetables, rice, salad, and soup on the side. Oh, and they had the meat we ordered in them as well. It was a lot of food for two people, and we ended up spending less than $20.00. I liked the bulgogi but found it to be a little oily. Hubby enjoyed the short ribs, and I thought the bite he gave me was very flavorful and tender.
For something completely different, we went to Watershed Restaurant with Hubby's parents on Friday evening. My mother-in-law is absolutely addicted to the appetizer of Prince Edward Island mussels steamed with white wine, garlic, and leeks. I can support that addiction because they are really good and fresh, and the broth left over is perfect for sopping up with the French bread served with it. Hubby had the special fish of the day, which was snapper with mixed vegetables and mint. I tried to be healthy with the okra pancakes with squash and cucumber salad, which was also served with fresh tomato slices. Both in-laws had the penne with arugula, garlic, and tomato.
While everyone had something a little different, we were able to agree on white wine over red. Hubby and I decided to be daring and ordered a bottle of the 2007 Tensley Blanc (Santa Barbara, CA), a blend of 57% Grenache Blanc, 28% Roussanne, and 15% Viognier. It's a gorgeous straw color with a honeysuckle nose, and a chewy honey palate with hints of orange. It went well with the food, and I could actually consider drinking it on its own during one of the transition seasons.
Saturday morning found us at the Morningside Farmers Market, where we stocked up on organic vegetables and pasta. Celia at Woodland Gardens had consented to hook me up with ten pounds of tomatoes, so we brought those directly home, pulled out the tomato press, and made a batch of sauce with turkey meatballs. We took a break during the cooking to have lunch, barbecue pulled pork with macaroni and cheese and apple-beet slaw. The pulled pork came from a guy who is going to open a new barbecue restaurant in the strip that houses Moya and Bhojanic near the corner of Clairmont and North Decatur Roads. After tasting that, I'm definitely game to try the restaurant, which should be open in August-September. The sides came from Sawicki's. I wasn't a big fan of the beet and apple slaw, but the mac and cheese got rave reviews all around.
Oh, and we had blueberry pie from Southern Sweets. The thing I love about their pies is that they're not too sweet, unlike most of the fruit pies you find in grocery stores. Normally I would make my own, but since the oven is still broken, we had to buy one. I'm glad we did.
I would write about Saturday evening, but I don't want to give our fireworks-watching spot away, so I'll just say that Decatur is full of great food in unexpected places. That's one of the reasons I love living here.
We arrived just after 12:30 to find the place about 1/3 full, and we were seated right away and given thick menus in both English and Korean. We both opted for lunch specials, bulgogi for me and short ribs for Hubby. The waitress brought about eight little white ceramic square dishes with different things in them. We identified kimchi and bean sprouts, and while vegetables were a large part of the rest of them, I'm not sure what the names are. We weren't really sure what to do with them, so we looked around at the other diners and figured out that they were intended to be eaten with the meals. Later research revealed them to be panch'an, which are small dishes intended to be eaten with the main course, so score one for Hubby's powers of observation. The boxes were similar to those found in sushi restaurants and even had some California rolls in them along with tempura shrimp and vegetables, rice, salad, and soup on the side. Oh, and they had the meat we ordered in them as well. It was a lot of food for two people, and we ended up spending less than $20.00. I liked the bulgogi but found it to be a little oily. Hubby enjoyed the short ribs, and I thought the bite he gave me was very flavorful and tender.
For something completely different, we went to Watershed Restaurant with Hubby's parents on Friday evening. My mother-in-law is absolutely addicted to the appetizer of Prince Edward Island mussels steamed with white wine, garlic, and leeks. I can support that addiction because they are really good and fresh, and the broth left over is perfect for sopping up with the French bread served with it. Hubby had the special fish of the day, which was snapper with mixed vegetables and mint. I tried to be healthy with the okra pancakes with squash and cucumber salad, which was also served with fresh tomato slices. Both in-laws had the penne with arugula, garlic, and tomato.
While everyone had something a little different, we were able to agree on white wine over red. Hubby and I decided to be daring and ordered a bottle of the 2007 Tensley Blanc (Santa Barbara, CA), a blend of 57% Grenache Blanc, 28% Roussanne, and 15% Viognier. It's a gorgeous straw color with a honeysuckle nose, and a chewy honey palate with hints of orange. It went well with the food, and I could actually consider drinking it on its own during one of the transition seasons.
Saturday morning found us at the Morningside Farmers Market, where we stocked up on organic vegetables and pasta. Celia at Woodland Gardens had consented to hook me up with ten pounds of tomatoes, so we brought those directly home, pulled out the tomato press, and made a batch of sauce with turkey meatballs. We took a break during the cooking to have lunch, barbecue pulled pork with macaroni and cheese and apple-beet slaw. The pulled pork came from a guy who is going to open a new barbecue restaurant in the strip that houses Moya and Bhojanic near the corner of Clairmont and North Decatur Roads. After tasting that, I'm definitely game to try the restaurant, which should be open in August-September. The sides came from Sawicki's. I wasn't a big fan of the beet and apple slaw, but the mac and cheese got rave reviews all around.
Oh, and we had blueberry pie from Southern Sweets. The thing I love about their pies is that they're not too sweet, unlike most of the fruit pies you find in grocery stores. Normally I would make my own, but since the oven is still broken, we had to buy one. I'm glad we did.
I would write about Saturday evening, but I don't want to give our fireworks-watching spot away, so I'll just say that Decatur is full of great food in unexpected places. That's one of the reasons I love living here.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Travelin' Oenophile: Vancouver Highlights
Want to know what the Oenophile is up to but frustrated with the lag time between posts? Follow me on Twitter @RandomOenophile. Wine, food, and random thoughts daily!
Back to business...
There's nothing like going out of town for two weeks and coming back to lots of work to catch up on and, even better, blood work results from the doctor. No, don't worry, I'm not pregnant, but my alcohol consumption has been curtailed a little -- but only a little -- by the fact that I'm screwed on both sides genetically for high triglycerides. For those who don't know what that means, triglycerides are a form of fat stored in the body as well as free-floating in the blood stream, and higher levels have been shown to be linked to coronary artery disease, which I also have a family history for. The worst part? They're elevated by consumption of sugar, alcohol, and animal fats. Blah, especially since I eat already pretty healthily and exercise 3-4 times/week.
Never fear, however, I have a plan. I've cut out all sugared soda and most juice, and I'm working on being much better about desserts and sticking to the average of 1 glass of wine/night. Aside from this holiday week, fish and chicken have become our primary sources of protein. Yeah, Hubby, whose cholesterol and triglyceride levels were insultingly low in spite of him eating a worse diet, drinking more, and having a higher BMI than I do, is hoping for some secondhand weight loss.
So, going back to a time when we were blissfully unaware of my triglycerides, our Pacific Northwest trip continued from Victoria to Vancouver. That ferry wasn't quite as early, and it was even bigger than the one we'd taken from Port Angeles to Victoria. We drove on to the boat, parked the car, went up on deck, and found that several passengers had already taken their places on the sunny side of the boat (the other side was closed off for cleaning and painting), where many of had turned a lovely shade of pink by the end of the trip. No, sunscreen awareness and use did not seem to be big concerns among our neighbors to the north.
Hubby found that driving in Vancouver was not to his liking because the pedestrians there, even more than in the rest of the Pacific Northwest, showed a surprising amount of insolence, even to the point of darting out into oncoming traffic. So we parked the car at the hotel and left it there for two days. It was nice to walk around, and after some effort and having to pay $2 (Canadian) for a bus route map, we sort of figured out the public transit system.
I'm not going to go into all the details of what we ate where, so here are the highlights:
1. The Mill, a waterfront pub with beautiful views of the bay and the mountains across from it. Hubby was intrigued by the seaplane dock, although he was disappointed that he didn't get to see one take off. We just stopped in for drinks before going to dinner, but the menu looked like a step above ordinary pub food, and I wouldn't mind giving it another visit.
2. Floata Seafood Restaurant bills itself as "Canada's largest Chinese restaurant." We went for the Dim Sum because we had enjoyed it so much on our last trip. We arrived after the lunch rush, so the carts weren't going around anymore, and we ordered our Dim Sum on sushi-type lists. The timing could've been a little better, and they did forget one of our veggies, but overall, it was still a very good experience, and the food was excellent.
3. Yaletown: a neighborhood with a great collection of restaurants and bars. We hopped around a bit, starting at George for drinks and where we sat next to a lovely young woman who was in the process of being stood up. Then we went to the Hamilton Street Bar & Grill for some B.C. wines (not sure about web site, also lost my notes, sorry!).
I hope everyone had a great 4th weekend! That will be my next post, promise!
Back to business...
There's nothing like going out of town for two weeks and coming back to lots of work to catch up on and, even better, blood work results from the doctor. No, don't worry, I'm not pregnant, but my alcohol consumption has been curtailed a little -- but only a little -- by the fact that I'm screwed on both sides genetically for high triglycerides. For those who don't know what that means, triglycerides are a form of fat stored in the body as well as free-floating in the blood stream, and higher levels have been shown to be linked to coronary artery disease, which I also have a family history for. The worst part? They're elevated by consumption of sugar, alcohol, and animal fats. Blah, especially since I eat already pretty healthily and exercise 3-4 times/week.
Never fear, however, I have a plan. I've cut out all sugared soda and most juice, and I'm working on being much better about desserts and sticking to the average of 1 glass of wine/night. Aside from this holiday week, fish and chicken have become our primary sources of protein. Yeah, Hubby, whose cholesterol and triglyceride levels were insultingly low in spite of him eating a worse diet, drinking more, and having a higher BMI than I do, is hoping for some secondhand weight loss.
So, going back to a time when we were blissfully unaware of my triglycerides, our Pacific Northwest trip continued from Victoria to Vancouver. That ferry wasn't quite as early, and it was even bigger than the one we'd taken from Port Angeles to Victoria. We drove on to the boat, parked the car, went up on deck, and found that several passengers had already taken their places on the sunny side of the boat (the other side was closed off for cleaning and painting), where many of had turned a lovely shade of pink by the end of the trip. No, sunscreen awareness and use did not seem to be big concerns among our neighbors to the north.
Hubby found that driving in Vancouver was not to his liking because the pedestrians there, even more than in the rest of the Pacific Northwest, showed a surprising amount of insolence, even to the point of darting out into oncoming traffic. So we parked the car at the hotel and left it there for two days. It was nice to walk around, and after some effort and having to pay $2 (Canadian) for a bus route map, we sort of figured out the public transit system.
I'm not going to go into all the details of what we ate where, so here are the highlights:
1. The Mill, a waterfront pub with beautiful views of the bay and the mountains across from it. Hubby was intrigued by the seaplane dock, although he was disappointed that he didn't get to see one take off. We just stopped in for drinks before going to dinner, but the menu looked like a step above ordinary pub food, and I wouldn't mind giving it another visit.
2. Floata Seafood Restaurant bills itself as "Canada's largest Chinese restaurant." We went for the Dim Sum because we had enjoyed it so much on our last trip. We arrived after the lunch rush, so the carts weren't going around anymore, and we ordered our Dim Sum on sushi-type lists. The timing could've been a little better, and they did forget one of our veggies, but overall, it was still a very good experience, and the food was excellent.
3. Yaletown: a neighborhood with a great collection of restaurants and bars. We hopped around a bit, starting at George for drinks and where we sat next to a lovely young woman who was in the process of being stood up. Then we went to the Hamilton Street Bar & Grill for some B.C. wines (not sure about web site, also lost my notes, sorry!).
I hope everyone had a great 4th weekend! That will be my next post, promise!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Random Thoughts: On Taxis and Mating Rituals
Taking a brief break from the travel posting to share my thoughts on something that I've experienced a few times now. One thing that my journeys have allowed me to do is to experience all kinds of modes of transportation including taxis, which are not typical for me, but sometimes you just need to catch a cab somewhere when public transport isn't available or amenable. This seems to be one area where Atlanta falls behind other major cities.
For example, Hubby and I took a cab from the airport to our hotel in Seattle when we arrived on May 29. The shuttle we'd planned to take said "no reservations necessary," but their desk had closed before our arrival, and we didn't have the exact change required to pay the driver directly. Admittedly, finding the taxis in the Seattle airport is a challenge, and luckily it was just the two of us because about 80% of them are small hybrid cars. The driver knew exactly where we were going, and even if he hadn't, he had a GPS in the car.
Contrast this with last night. Hubby and I went to watch a work friend of his play in an amateur league hockey championship in Duluth/Norcross/way the heck up I-85. We really enjoyed hanging out with them, and we were invited to continue the celebration of his team winning the trophy, which looks like the Stanley Collander, at East Andrews Cafe and Bar in Buckhead. We don't typically hang out at Buckhead hot spots, but Hubby convinced me it would be a good place to people-watch and observe the mating rituals of the single Atlantan (more on that later). We both wanted to drink, so we opted to do the responsible thing and take a cab. Hubby, not sure which companies come to Decatur, called Decatur's Best Taxi in spite of two previous negative experiences:
1) First trip to the Pacific Northwest, called a cab to go to the airport: We were cutting it close, as usual. The taxi driver picked us up and then pulled into the corner gas station to fill up. Yeah, we ended up running on to the plane in sock feet.
2) Going to a conference, I called a cab because I'd thrown out my back and didn't want to have to haul my luggage on MARTA. Hubby had a work conflict and couldn't take me to the airport. I called Decatur's Best and explained my situation. They sent a driver with some severe back issue such that he could hardly walk, much less help me with my suitcase, although he did try.
So the cab driver picked us up last night at our house, and he seemed completely bewildered when we told him where we wanted to go. Hubby ended up pulling out his Blackberry and using Google maps to give the guy directions as he drove. Nope, no GPS, and the dispatcher was equally clueless. The driver was somewhat apologetic and justified his lack of even knowing how to get to Buckhead with "I'm not familiar with that area because we don't usually leave Decatur." WTF? I guess Decatur's "Best" cab drivers only know how to go to the airport and haul drunk people back to the surrounding areas from downtown Decatur.
We arrived at the club at around 11:45 and met up with Hubby's friends. One of the first things I noticed was that the ratio of women to men was about 2:3. I used this to justify to Hubby why I got hit on a few times (yes, I was wearing my wedding and engagement rings), and he didn't. The second was the Buckhead going out uniform: mostly cute dresses for the girls and untucked polo shirts with pants or shorts for guys. The women sat at tables or on benches, talked to each other, and waited for the men to approach them. So much for our liberated times! The bartenders were good, although the first one I asked gave me a vodka tonic when I ordered an Absolut Stress. The crowd got thick at around 1:00-1:30, then thinned out again, for which I was grateful because I couldn't seem to find a good place to stand and observe without being in the way of the flow of foot traffic. Alas, the end of the evening came without anyone having fallen or gotten dunked in the fountain, although a few particularly inebriated ones came close.
Overall, it was an enjoyable evening, and we did take a cab back, although not one of Decatur's Worst. We still had to give the guy directions because of lack of GPS and general knowledge of how the city is put together. Are my expectations of taxi drivers and/or companies too high?
For example, Hubby and I took a cab from the airport to our hotel in Seattle when we arrived on May 29. The shuttle we'd planned to take said "no reservations necessary," but their desk had closed before our arrival, and we didn't have the exact change required to pay the driver directly. Admittedly, finding the taxis in the Seattle airport is a challenge, and luckily it was just the two of us because about 80% of them are small hybrid cars. The driver knew exactly where we were going, and even if he hadn't, he had a GPS in the car.
Contrast this with last night. Hubby and I went to watch a work friend of his play in an amateur league hockey championship in Duluth/Norcross/way the heck up I-85. We really enjoyed hanging out with them, and we were invited to continue the celebration of his team winning the trophy, which looks like the Stanley Collander, at East Andrews Cafe and Bar in Buckhead. We don't typically hang out at Buckhead hot spots, but Hubby convinced me it would be a good place to people-watch and observe the mating rituals of the single Atlantan (more on that later). We both wanted to drink, so we opted to do the responsible thing and take a cab. Hubby, not sure which companies come to Decatur, called Decatur's Best Taxi in spite of two previous negative experiences:
1) First trip to the Pacific Northwest, called a cab to go to the airport: We were cutting it close, as usual. The taxi driver picked us up and then pulled into the corner gas station to fill up. Yeah, we ended up running on to the plane in sock feet.
2) Going to a conference, I called a cab because I'd thrown out my back and didn't want to have to haul my luggage on MARTA. Hubby had a work conflict and couldn't take me to the airport. I called Decatur's Best and explained my situation. They sent a driver with some severe back issue such that he could hardly walk, much less help me with my suitcase, although he did try.
So the cab driver picked us up last night at our house, and he seemed completely bewildered when we told him where we wanted to go. Hubby ended up pulling out his Blackberry and using Google maps to give the guy directions as he drove. Nope, no GPS, and the dispatcher was equally clueless. The driver was somewhat apologetic and justified his lack of even knowing how to get to Buckhead with "I'm not familiar with that area because we don't usually leave Decatur." WTF? I guess Decatur's "Best" cab drivers only know how to go to the airport and haul drunk people back to the surrounding areas from downtown Decatur.
We arrived at the club at around 11:45 and met up with Hubby's friends. One of the first things I noticed was that the ratio of women to men was about 2:3. I used this to justify to Hubby why I got hit on a few times (yes, I was wearing my wedding and engagement rings), and he didn't. The second was the Buckhead going out uniform: mostly cute dresses for the girls and untucked polo shirts with pants or shorts for guys. The women sat at tables or on benches, talked to each other, and waited for the men to approach them. So much for our liberated times! The bartenders were good, although the first one I asked gave me a vodka tonic when I ordered an Absolut Stress. The crowd got thick at around 1:00-1:30, then thinned out again, for which I was grateful because I couldn't seem to find a good place to stand and observe without being in the way of the flow of foot traffic. Alas, the end of the evening came without anyone having fallen or gotten dunked in the fountain, although a few particularly inebriated ones came close.
Overall, it was an enjoyable evening, and we did take a cab back, although not one of Decatur's Worst. We still had to give the guy directions because of lack of GPS and general knowledge of how the city is put together. Are my expectations of taxi drivers and/or companies too high?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Travelin' Oenophile: Part 3, Victoria, B.C.
So yes, I'm getting ready to leave Seattle tomorrow. It's strange to have been in a hotel room so long I actually unpacked my stuff. The weather took a turn for the warmer, and now I'm down to a tank top to wear on the plane because I ended up going through all my warm weather stuff here. Not that it's anywhere near Georgia hot/humid. Maybe there is something to my mother's fear that Hubby and I will move out here eventually...
The original purpose of the trip was for me to go to a conference in Seattle and get CEU's. I was also part of a panel discussion today and am proud to have a little "Speaker" ribbon on my badge. Between hanging out with friends, both conference and Seattle-ites, I haven't had time to do much more than briefly check email. So yes, I have a bit of catching up to do. How about we rewind to Monday, June 1, when Hubby and I got up ridiculously early to catch a ferry?
(cue flashback music and wavy visual effects)
Five-thirty a.m. still feels really early even when your internal clock is telling you it should be 8:30. That’s when the alarm went off last Monday morning so Hubby and I could make the 8:20 ferry to Victoria, B.C. We only stayed a couple of blocks away from the terminal, but since we have a car, we needed to check in and get in line an hour before the boat’s scheduled sailing. We made it with a few minutes to spare, and by 8:30 Pacific time, we were underway to Canada…
Expedia had allowed us to get into the Empress, Victoria’s flagship hotel, at a reasonable rate, and, even more impressive, our room was ready. We headed on a walking tour recommended by the Top Ten travel book, and I purchased a lovely amethyst ring in a little store in Fan Tan Alley in Victoria’s Chinatown. Then we went to the Maritime Museum, where we learned about B.C.’s seafaring history and – bonus! – Vikings.
Random bit of trivia: the Scandinavian Viking genes are thought to be associated with Restless Legs Syndrome, the highest rates of which are in Iceland. Maybe that's why they felt the need to travel so much?
After a bit of a trek to the other side of the waterfront to find the city’s oldest licensed brew pub, we gave up and ended up back in Victoria, where we ate lunch at a harborside restaurant and – shocker! – brewpub, Canoe. I had the lunch special, a half ham and cheese sandwich, tomato soup, and salad. Hubby had the salmon salad.
By that time, my feet were telling me they were done (I have plantar fasciitis), so we got the car and went wine tasting. You knew it was going to happen sooner or later. We had high hopes since we loved the wines from Okanagan Valley, but sadly, the island wines just weren't as good.
Our first stop was at Marley Farm, which really is a farm with chickens and sheep. We tasted a Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, and a couple of fruit wines, which were surprisingly dry, but Hubby said that the Rastaberry still tasted like Kool-Aid.
We had time for one more, so we chose Church & State, which looked to be a bit more of a higher-end production. We tried several of their wines, and while they were not bad, none really stood out. Saddened and disappointed, we headed back toward Victoria.
Fear not, however! We did have reservations for High Tea at the Empress, which my Canadian friend told me was the thing to do. I was excited to do something that seemed to elegant and girly, which, yes, is out of character, but I do have to indulge the girly side sometimes. It was as wonderful as promised with a variety of tea sandwiches, scones, and little desserts. The Empress Blend tea was also very good, and we even got to bring home a little souvenir tin.
We crashed for a bit after that, and after doing some light reading, went out for dinner.
Our reservations at Café Brio were for 8:30 since high tea had been so heavy, but even three hours later, I could only handle an appetizer-sized entrée. That meant I had to make it good. I got the Casarecchia Pasta, which had a ragout made of red wine and duck as well as mint and oranges. It sounds a little strange, but it tasted really good. I went with the suggested wine pairing, the 2005 Campofiorin “Ripasso,” a red blend of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, and 5% Molinara from the Veneto region of Italy. An Italian big red with some earthiness, it did go well with the food.
The original purpose of the trip was for me to go to a conference in Seattle and get CEU's. I was also part of a panel discussion today and am proud to have a little "Speaker" ribbon on my badge. Between hanging out with friends, both conference and Seattle-ites, I haven't had time to do much more than briefly check email. So yes, I have a bit of catching up to do. How about we rewind to Monday, June 1, when Hubby and I got up ridiculously early to catch a ferry?
(cue flashback music and wavy visual effects)
Five-thirty a.m. still feels really early even when your internal clock is telling you it should be 8:30. That’s when the alarm went off last Monday morning so Hubby and I could make the 8:20 ferry to Victoria, B.C. We only stayed a couple of blocks away from the terminal, but since we have a car, we needed to check in and get in line an hour before the boat’s scheduled sailing. We made it with a few minutes to spare, and by 8:30 Pacific time, we were underway to Canada…
Expedia had allowed us to get into the Empress, Victoria’s flagship hotel, at a reasonable rate, and, even more impressive, our room was ready. We headed on a walking tour recommended by the Top Ten travel book, and I purchased a lovely amethyst ring in a little store in Fan Tan Alley in Victoria’s Chinatown. Then we went to the Maritime Museum, where we learned about B.C.’s seafaring history and – bonus! – Vikings.
Random bit of trivia: the Scandinavian Viking genes are thought to be associated with Restless Legs Syndrome, the highest rates of which are in Iceland. Maybe that's why they felt the need to travel so much?
After a bit of a trek to the other side of the waterfront to find the city’s oldest licensed brew pub, we gave up and ended up back in Victoria, where we ate lunch at a harborside restaurant and – shocker! – brewpub, Canoe. I had the lunch special, a half ham and cheese sandwich, tomato soup, and salad. Hubby had the salmon salad.
By that time, my feet were telling me they were done (I have plantar fasciitis), so we got the car and went wine tasting. You knew it was going to happen sooner or later. We had high hopes since we loved the wines from Okanagan Valley, but sadly, the island wines just weren't as good.
Our first stop was at Marley Farm, which really is a farm with chickens and sheep. We tasted a Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, and a couple of fruit wines, which were surprisingly dry, but Hubby said that the Rastaberry still tasted like Kool-Aid.
We had time for one more, so we chose Church & State, which looked to be a bit more of a higher-end production. We tried several of their wines, and while they were not bad, none really stood out. Saddened and disappointed, we headed back toward Victoria.
Fear not, however! We did have reservations for High Tea at the Empress, which my Canadian friend told me was the thing to do. I was excited to do something that seemed to elegant and girly, which, yes, is out of character, but I do have to indulge the girly side sometimes. It was as wonderful as promised with a variety of tea sandwiches, scones, and little desserts. The Empress Blend tea was also very good, and we even got to bring home a little souvenir tin.
We crashed for a bit after that, and after doing some light reading, went out for dinner.
Our reservations at Café Brio were for 8:30 since high tea had been so heavy, but even three hours later, I could only handle an appetizer-sized entrée. That meant I had to make it good. I got the Casarecchia Pasta, which had a ragout made of red wine and duck as well as mint and oranges. It sounds a little strange, but it tasted really good. I went with the suggested wine pairing, the 2005 Campofiorin “Ripasso,” a red blend of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, and 5% Molinara from the Veneto region of Italy. An Italian big red with some earthiness, it did go well with the food.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Travelin' Oenophile: Part 2, Port_________
Spotty posting due to lack of free hotel internets. Yes, it’s quite annoying. At least when I’m back in Seattle, I can count it as a business expense.
I’d left off at Saturday morning, when we left Seattle for Portland. The drivers here in the Northwest bewilder me. Hubby says it’s because I have an inner Yankee who comes out when I get behind the wheel of the car. I think it’s because I’m used to driving in Atlanta, where the object is to get off the road as quickly as possible. But seriously, they drive the speed limit, or close to it. WTH? You'd think these people have never encountered coffee or the urgent need to "get a haircut," as the Car Talk guys say, as a result.
Due to a chaotic (the guy behind the desk described it as “disastrous”) scene at the car rental place, we were a little late getting to Portland, but still in time to meet the Smart Couple at Ringler’s for lunch. Ringler’s Pub is part of the McMenamin’s beer empire and could probably be described as “divey.” Yep, it was burger and beer time, at least for Hubby. I stuck with a burger and strawberry lemonade, which had real crushed strawberries in it, because if I start drinking too early and then don’t continue, I get grumpy. I had the “Dungeon Burger,” which has sautéed mushrooms and melted Swiss on top of it. He had the “Communication Failure,” which is topped with sautéed bell peppers and onions as well as cheddar cheese. Both came with fries and were really good. Hubby enjoyed his wheat beer, which he described as tasting “like toast.” This has been a theme for the wheat beers up here.
After lunch, Smart Female convinced me – yeah, it was tough – to accompany her to her favorite chocolate store and café, Cacao. The Smart Couple had the cinnamon drinking chocolate, and I opted for a less, though not by much, heavy dark hot chocolate. Hubby abstained since his mission for the afternoon was more beer. The dark hot chocolate was intense and creamy and perfect even without whipped cream.
A bit of background… I met the Smart Couple through an email list-serv that has nothing to do with food and wine, although the foodies on the list do sometimes wax eloquent on those topics. This couple moderates the list, and we met and became friends with them on our previous trip to this part of the country.
They know many many things about subjects I don’t know much about, so I took the opportunity to drag them (ha!) kicking and screaming to Powell’s, the world’s largest independent bookstore. It covers an entire city block and has books on every subject imaginable. One of the things that I most enjoy about it is that it has the used books shelved right with the new ones, so it’s easy to find good deals even beyond their usual mark-down.
We had originally planned to go to Caprial’s Bistro for dinner, but a little Portland thing changed that. Hubby got a room through Priceline at the elegant Benson Hotel, which was right along the route for the Starlight Parade, the kickoff event for the annual Rose Festival. They pretty much told us not to plan to come or go by car anywhere between 7:00 p.m. and midnight, so that killed the plan to go to Southwest Portland for dinner.
Instead, we ended up at Park Kitchen, which happened to be on one of the parks used as a staging area for the parade. Portland’s motto is “Keep Portland Weird,” and I am happy to report that they are doing a fantastic job of it. Between marching bands, a drum corps drilling without drums, people running through in togas, and crazy floats, it was a show even before the parade started. I felt sorry for the director for the band lining up by us who kept reminding the students to look at him, a difficult task when people are streaking by in togas (alas, no real streakers).
Oh, right, dinner… We decided to do the “Small Plate Tasting Menu,” which for a set price, gave us most of the small plates on the menu plus a couple that the chef made up plus dessert. We were astounded at the amount of food that just kept coming out of the kitchen! All of it was really good.
On Sunday morning, Hubby and I went to Ken’s Artisan Bakery for breakfast, where I continued my search for the perfect ham and cheese croissant, and Hubby had a slice of veggie quiche. Then we killed time before church in the International Rose Test Gardens, which are part of Washington Park and overlook the city. Some of the roses were only just budding, but most of them were in bloom, and there were every different color imaginable, even some “black” ones. I think Hubby was disturbed by my idea to put one of the black rosebushes in the back bed.
Sunday brunch was with Hubby’s great uncle and family at Shenanigans, the restaurant at the Red Lion at Jantzen Beach. The food was good with many different choices from omelettes to sushi, and the view of the Columbia River is spectacular. All of that paled in comparison to the company.
I took it easy on the champagne because I knew we’d have to say goodbye to delightfully weird Portland and head out to Port Angeles to catch the ferry to Victoria on Monday morning. The drive took us along the water and through the hills and, I think, a couple of different dimensions because although it was only about three and a half hours, it felt like forever. We arrived at twilight (the time of day, not the movie, which was, apparently, filmed there) to a chill and the smell of wood smoke in the air, which only heightened the odd feeling that we’d left summer and found fall again. Dinner was at a mediocre restaurant that doesn’t bear mention, and then it was off to bed.
I’d left off at Saturday morning, when we left Seattle for Portland. The drivers here in the Northwest bewilder me. Hubby says it’s because I have an inner Yankee who comes out when I get behind the wheel of the car. I think it’s because I’m used to driving in Atlanta, where the object is to get off the road as quickly as possible. But seriously, they drive the speed limit, or close to it. WTH? You'd think these people have never encountered coffee or the urgent need to "get a haircut," as the Car Talk guys say, as a result.
Due to a chaotic (the guy behind the desk described it as “disastrous”) scene at the car rental place, we were a little late getting to Portland, but still in time to meet the Smart Couple at Ringler’s for lunch. Ringler’s Pub is part of the McMenamin’s beer empire and could probably be described as “divey.” Yep, it was burger and beer time, at least for Hubby. I stuck with a burger and strawberry lemonade, which had real crushed strawberries in it, because if I start drinking too early and then don’t continue, I get grumpy. I had the “Dungeon Burger,” which has sautéed mushrooms and melted Swiss on top of it. He had the “Communication Failure,” which is topped with sautéed bell peppers and onions as well as cheddar cheese. Both came with fries and were really good. Hubby enjoyed his wheat beer, which he described as tasting “like toast.” This has been a theme for the wheat beers up here.
After lunch, Smart Female convinced me – yeah, it was tough – to accompany her to her favorite chocolate store and café, Cacao. The Smart Couple had the cinnamon drinking chocolate, and I opted for a less, though not by much, heavy dark hot chocolate. Hubby abstained since his mission for the afternoon was more beer. The dark hot chocolate was intense and creamy and perfect even without whipped cream.
A bit of background… I met the Smart Couple through an email list-serv that has nothing to do with food and wine, although the foodies on the list do sometimes wax eloquent on those topics. This couple moderates the list, and we met and became friends with them on our previous trip to this part of the country.
They know many many things about subjects I don’t know much about, so I took the opportunity to drag them (ha!) kicking and screaming to Powell’s, the world’s largest independent bookstore. It covers an entire city block and has books on every subject imaginable. One of the things that I most enjoy about it is that it has the used books shelved right with the new ones, so it’s easy to find good deals even beyond their usual mark-down.
We had originally planned to go to Caprial’s Bistro for dinner, but a little Portland thing changed that. Hubby got a room through Priceline at the elegant Benson Hotel, which was right along the route for the Starlight Parade, the kickoff event for the annual Rose Festival. They pretty much told us not to plan to come or go by car anywhere between 7:00 p.m. and midnight, so that killed the plan to go to Southwest Portland for dinner.
Instead, we ended up at Park Kitchen, which happened to be on one of the parks used as a staging area for the parade. Portland’s motto is “Keep Portland Weird,” and I am happy to report that they are doing a fantastic job of it. Between marching bands, a drum corps drilling without drums, people running through in togas, and crazy floats, it was a show even before the parade started. I felt sorry for the director for the band lining up by us who kept reminding the students to look at him, a difficult task when people are streaking by in togas (alas, no real streakers).
Oh, right, dinner… We decided to do the “Small Plate Tasting Menu,” which for a set price, gave us most of the small plates on the menu plus a couple that the chef made up plus dessert. We were astounded at the amount of food that just kept coming out of the kitchen! All of it was really good.
On Sunday morning, Hubby and I went to Ken’s Artisan Bakery for breakfast, where I continued my search for the perfect ham and cheese croissant, and Hubby had a slice of veggie quiche. Then we killed time before church in the International Rose Test Gardens, which are part of Washington Park and overlook the city. Some of the roses were only just budding, but most of them were in bloom, and there were every different color imaginable, even some “black” ones. I think Hubby was disturbed by my idea to put one of the black rosebushes in the back bed.
Sunday brunch was with Hubby’s great uncle and family at Shenanigans, the restaurant at the Red Lion at Jantzen Beach. The food was good with many different choices from omelettes to sushi, and the view of the Columbia River is spectacular. All of that paled in comparison to the company.
I took it easy on the champagne because I knew we’d have to say goodbye to delightfully weird Portland and head out to Port Angeles to catch the ferry to Victoria on Monday morning. The drive took us along the water and through the hills and, I think, a couple of different dimensions because although it was only about three and a half hours, it felt like forever. We arrived at twilight (the time of day, not the movie, which was, apparently, filmed there) to a chill and the smell of wood smoke in the air, which only heightened the odd feeling that we’d left summer and found fall again. Dinner was at a mediocre restaurant that doesn’t bear mention, and then it was off to bed.
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