Wine Discovery of the Week: My Maryland Taster’s Guild pal, Susan Southard, came for a visit with – you guessed it – Maryland wine. We had a small group of mutual Facebook friends over and…we all thought the Black Ankle Vineyards 07 Leaf Stone Syrah was one of the best wines on our lazy Susan…
Peering out from the Terrace Bar in Chisnau’s luxurious Savoy Hotel, I have a wonderful view of the capital’s city center. Considering that Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe; the Savoy is a welcome surprise of total elegance and a stylishness that one would not expect to find in the former Soviet…
Maru’s last day is 12/12. Info about what happened can be found on their Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/MaruRestaurant?ref=ts&fref=ts) I’m re-posting two stories, 11-28-12 and 12-5-12, that I’ve done on their wonderful food and service. Jason Park said that if you want to get in before they shutter for good, make reservations: 661-290-2595. On my way to…
“I’ve got to get busy, busy, busy!” The immortal words from Frosty’s meanie magician when Santa tells him to write out some blasted do-gooder promise a hundred zillion times so he can get a new magic-type toy on Christmas morning. Dear Santa: I’m a little concerned that I may have been a tad too nasty…
With the excitement of the holiday season around the corner we thought that it would be fun to see what wines the GOTN group serve for Thanksgiving. This was the first time the door was opened allowing everyone to bring wines they would normally drink rather than searching for a particular varietal that had been…
The sheer elegance of Vienna’s Restaurant Imperial is awe inspiring. Peering around my opulent surroundings, I half anticipated a full orchestra playing a variety of popular waltzes. After all, Vienna is acclaimed as the “city of music.” Today I am once again joined by my friends and fellow sommeliers, Annelle Koller and Clara Haas. Our…
OMG did my very-messy kitchen smell great one cold and rainy Saturday afternoon. I had received a generous sample of Living Tree Community Almond Butter that was itching for more than an apple slice for a taste test. I searched the internet, looking for a fairy-free cookie recipe, presuming the almond oil would suffice, and…
We couldn’t get the flier made up in color on time. Eddie spent hours pouring over CD’s selecting the artwork. Would the zoot-suited gangster shaking a martini over a sparkling bar promise too many libations? Was the flier even understandable? Would people really RSVP when they lived right down the street from us? Would our…
During our Grape of the Night event, where Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc was the star of the night, we found that there was a key taste in most all of these wines. All of the bottles brought were from Southern France thus giving them some commonality in terroir. This would therefore lead one to believe…