Journey to Italy Day One, Two and Maybe Three

27 05 2010

May 25-26, 2010

Always one to cut things close, I decided that it would be no problem at all to roll three projects into one the last two weeks of May.  That’s not including a huge tasting of 115 Ribera del Duero wines earlier in the month and multiple other business such as the launch of the SF Chefs 2010 website and ticket sales and a few wine buff commitments.  Overall I knew I was making the month insane for myself but I can’t very often say no and surely I was not going to say no to a trip to Italy to visit Luce, Frescobaldi and Arnaldo Caprai.

So May 18 is really when my crazy journey began.  I packed two suitcases (more like lots of planning and then tossing everything into two bags and hoping for the best)  one which traveled with me and the other that my husband was going to exchange with me later in the week (Southwest doesn’t charge for two bags!  I flew Virgin America to LAX).  I flew into LAX where I picked up a rental car for my journey to the Inland Empire to judge the Los Angeles International Wine Competition (May 18-21), stay the weekend and run the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition (May 23-25).  Both were a blast and filled with lots of partying and great people, and luckily my husband helps me with spirits so I was able to see him again (and exchange bags) before heading off, same day as the end of the competition, to LAX for my flight to Munich/Florence.  I arrived at the airport at 4:30 for a 9 pm flight (way too early in my opinion) and was greeted by the fact that there is very little to do at LAX Int’l terminal.  Had a wedge salad and a beer at the Daily Grill, it was acceptable only because of the double power outlet next to me and a friendly waitress, but otherwise uneventful.  At least LAX has free wireless out there.  In true Chapa fashion more beers were had at the airport bar to allow for plane sleep.

I flew Lufthansa, suspiciously comfortable and easy despite the lack of seat pockets for my stuff.  I watched the Princess and the Frog (made me cry when the firefly died) with my meal, enjoyed some Nero d’Avola/Syrah and dozed off watching Up in the Air.  I found myself rudely awakened by a jerky guy who decided he wanted to wake up the plane by opening his window shade, but luckily another 45 minutes later they were serving breakfast (finished watching the movie, all movies are available at your leisure and can be stopped or fast forwarded which was cool) and we were almost there.  Despite my aisle seat and no neck pillow I awoke all chipper and happy, so of course there would need to be some type of crazy twist right?

Got to Munich, relatively easy deplaning and rechecking and then I walked into their gorgeous terminal complete with luxury cars on display and boutiques, Kiehls, Jo Malone and MAC right when you enter, got some free lotion to revive my dried out body and then went to the pharmacy where they had my favorite shower gel, Korres Basil Lemon, which I have been missing since I forgot to pack it a week ago.  Things were great, I grabbed a Weissbier (ya gotta when you are only in Germany for an hour.)  So things were clearly too good to be true.

My flight was completely cancelled due to equipment failure so they are routing me through Bologna and then taking me on a ground transfer to Florence.  Only adds another three or four hours to the trip, but at this point does that really matter?

I am trying not to let it get me and instead I am taking the opportunity to explore the airport.  Nothing like the smell of the duty free store to refresh you after a long trip, wish I had my perfume books on hand so I could do some investigating.  The good thing about this airport is they may not have wireless but they do have the Allianz Arena, a news lounge open to all passengers where you can visit news sites.  Although I couldn’t get onto my Earthlink webmail, but apparently they think that Facebook and Twitter qualify as “News”.  I was able to connect to my friends/family although at first it tried to bump me off.  The keyboard wasn’t so easy to type on with the y and z interchanged and so while they had Word Press too I opted to write this on my laptop instead.   The also bump you off after about 20 minutes, but there seem to be plenty of terminals.

Another great feature of this airport is multiple free coffee and tea stations!  Although I had vowed to wait until Italy for a coffee, I have to say that automatic machine makes a mean espresso macchiato, so despite the 14 hours of travel I am still relatively awake and hopeful that this is an adventure not a debaucle through Bologna.  See you in Firenze.

May 27, 2010 1:33 AM

Well I finally made it to Florence after more than 25 hours of travel.  I arrived in Bologna around 10:30 and had to wait about an hour for a bus to take us to Florence which took at least an hour.  Of course there was no one waiting so I had to grab a cab and get cash before I made it to my hotel, Grand Hotel Villa Medici, but luckily the hotel was still open (at about 1am) and very friendly and I came up to my room to find a delicious fruit bowl and a bottle of Frescobaldi Bubbles.  I quickly jumped into my bathing suit and ran down to the piscine (pool) and hopped into some pretty cold but invigorating water.  That along with the bubbles is washing all the worries of my travel away, but I have an early day tomorrow so I must crash ASAP.   Grand Hotel Villa Medici was a palace in the 1700s and now as part of SINA Fine Italian Hotels it meshes historical ambiance with contemporary comfort.


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Categories : Food, Travel, wine, Wine Regions

New York

1 03 2010

I moved to San Francisco back in 1996 and since then my visits to New York have been infrequent.  I occasionally visit my family who still live in Rye about 45 minutes north of Manhattan by train, but usually once I am there I am held captive by my mother who does not want to share me.  So the rare occasion when I can actually stay in Manhattan and experience the unique feel of what we call “The City” is a real treat.

Recently I visited New York on business and was happy to stay in my favorite hotel, The Hotel on Rivington.  I would have to say that this hotel is not for everyone, but if it suits your sensibilities then you will be a loyal follower and anywhere else will seem really substandard.  What I like about it most is that the rooms (not the bar mind you) are very comfortable and unpretentious.  The furnishings are sleek and modern and the all black bathrooms while a bit trendy offers comfortable elegance.  The beauty of the space is that each room is weirdly different.  I have stayed in rooms where the shower has a clear window facing what appear to be lawn chairs that are set up facing said window.  Upon checking in I noticed this and when I returned to the room that night there was a small party on that rooftop as guys waited for new check ins who were perhaps not as aware as I was (they do offer a privacy screen which I promptly called for.)

The Tempur-pedic mattress and amazing soft and simple white bed linens and fluffy down comforter and pillows captivate you from the minute you check in as a video of sheets being manipulated in many ways that plays behind the front desk.  The bed is just plain sexy, and incredibly comfortable, but be forewarned that sometimes you may not even realize someone is sleeping next to you when you get an elbow to the eye in the middle of the night (I unfortunately know from experience and the black eye from my husband’s elbow in the middle of the night, of course I had to attend a wedding that day).

The best part about the Rivington is that when you leave you are smack dab in the middle of one of New York’s most interesting neighborhoods, the Lower East Side.  This area was settled initially by multiple groups of immigrants and is known for being a hub for American Jews.  For a very long time it seemed separate from other city neighborhoods.  When I was living in Manhattan in the mid 90s no one really came here but now it is the enclave of the hip and young urbanites.  Still you see the local culture melding with the younger people and the amazing thing is that despite the influx of trendiness there is a cohesive style to the area.  Somehow it all works and you find that it’s a great melding of both sensibilities.  Additionally it’s easily accessible to the East Village, SOHO and other fun neighborhoods to visit.

At the Hotel you are steps from Lower East Side culture as you hit the Essex Street Market.  Half of the market stalls remind me of markets I have seen in Mexico, but maybe cleaner.  Just the utilitarian products you would get from unique vendors, a butcher, a fishmonger, a sundries store, it’s amazing to see the locals shopping here for their daily foodstuffs.  Within this group are a few cool foodie places.  Saxelby Cheesemonger, a bakery, Roni Sue’s chocolates (I bought the bacon tea lollipops), a cupcakery and the pinnacle of the market at the far end, Shopsins General Store.  With about 4 counter seats and three two-tops in the restaurant the place is tiny.  They also serve at three additional two-tops in the front of the store.  I must say that I was incredibly intimidated after reading all the yelps.

They call Kenny Shopsin the “real” soup nazi.  But having come from a restaurant background I understand his issues.  It comes down to supply and demand.  He has limited seats and he is putting out an incredibly large and intricate menu and no he doesn’t really need to serve people that bug him.  There are tons of people wanting to eat there, so…  The rules are simple.  Don’t be an asshole, don’t bring more than four people total, don’t be overly touristy, don’t use your cell phone, don’t mess with Kenny or his son, order politely and know what you want and don’t ask a lot of questions.  I had the macaroni and cheese pancakes, maple glazed bacon and an Orange Julius.  I went at 10 on a Thursday and it was quiet with regulars and a few touristy folks (and by touristy I mean NYers who’d never been before).  Kenny is not a man of small stature, and he sits in a chair by the front of the stand basically completely blocking the entrance so he can watch over the whole operation.  He was nice enough to me and when I left and said thanks he said thanks too.  He was chatting up his equipment guy.  There was another guy at the bar and they spoke about politics.  He talked a bit about suck and blow and the difference and there were a lot of F bombs thrown about from Zachary in the kitchen to his dad in the chair.  He said “Jesus Zack, you’re F-in’ going to get us an R rating here!” as two elderly New Yorkers sidled in to a deuce and grinned.  I heard the wife tell her husband, “Now you cannot list every thing on the menu, behave!”, to which he replied “But honey there are seventy-two soups!  Seventy-two soups!”  I cringed when she asked questions about eggs and bread options but server Luke was very polite.  It was sadly extremely uneventful, no tears, no one thrown out, I wanted to return to see they mayhem at lunchtime.  My Orange Julius arrived in an icy silver shake can with a super duper bendy straw that had extra bend to it, fancy!  And it was delicious, frothy and light.  Soon a plate of curled bacon atop some lettuce came sizzling hot followed by my Macaroni and Cheese pancakes, they looked orangey as a thin layer of orange cheese glistened but when you sliced into them the bottoms were like regular pancakes.  It was much more about the cheese pancake combo and the macaroni was in the middle and not really a player except to add girth to the cakes. The top part was lightly crispy like that edge on a grilled cheese that scoots out the side of the bread and the cakes incredibly soft served with both maple syrup and hot sauce.  A decent combo!  The bacon was a bit too hot at first as the maple was almost candied and stuck to my teeth and then they became crispy little rings of pork, almost like pork rinds but meatier.  Really good.  All of this was $25 (I got a half stack of pancakes).  I cannot stop thinking about the hundreds of other amazing options waiting to be discovered there and can’t wait to return.  http://shopsins.com/shopsiteyellow/shopsiemenu.pdf

There are multiple options for food in the area, and just exploring the surrounding streets filled with boutiques and cafes is great.  I recommend a jaunt through Little Italy and Chinatown as well and of course hit your favorite deli before you head home.

Other great places to go:

FOOD SHOPPING

Essex Street Market 120 Essex Street at Delancey: Multiple Vendors

Roni-Sue’s Chocolates: #24 Essex Street Market http://www.roni-sue.com

Maple/Bacon Lollipops with fresh brewed smoked tea, and maple syrup, Absinthe chocolates, Buttercrunch and Bacon Buttercrunch, Pig Candy (Chocolate covered bacon), BaCorn (Caramel popcorn with bacon bits and chile pinon nuts)

Katz’s Delicatessen of Houston Street, Inc.: 205 East Houston Street corner of Ludlow 212 254-2246 http://www.katzdeli.com

I picked up a huge Corned Beef on Rye for the flight home with extra pickles (two kinds, I preferred the bright green ones, the others I think were more pickled and had more dill) and the sandwich lasted a good way through my flight.  The overwhelming pickle odor was probably not welcomed by my seat mate but he was already well into four scotches and three beers, so I do not think he noticed.

Russ and Daughters: 179 East Houston Street http://www.russanddaughters.com

If you don’t drop in here to buy bagels for your friends and family then you are heartless.  The bagels are cheap and they even offer ice to keep the cream cheese cold.  I tried not to be tempted by all the kinds of smoked fishes, pickle barrels, amazing looking foods.  Next time I will go there first.

Kamwo Herbal Pharmacy: 211 Grand Street 212 966-6370 http://www.kamwo.com

While traipsing around Chinatown in the snow I stopped in as I saw the amazing jars of tea from the street.  This traditional Chinese pharmacy offers all sorts of curative products and a large selection of teas.  I was most intrigued by the rolled balls of flowering tea, add them to a clear tea pot or crystal wine glass with hot water and they unfold into beautiful “flowers”.

Economy Candy: 212 254-1531 108 Rivington Street http://www.economycandy.com

Remind yourself of all your childhood memories at Economy Candy.  Want candy corn in February?  They have it.  They also have Halvah by the pound, and my favorite, Albert’s Ice Cubes (it’s all about the texture with these soft chocolatey squares) and if you can’t go they sell online.

Ferrara Cafe: 195 Grand Street between Mulberry & Mott

I always thought how funny it is that Chinatown and Little Italy are so close together both in New York and San Francisco!  To get your fix for Italian style pastries to go or eat in head over to Ferrara.  I took a selection of cookies home including the filled apricot cookies dipped in chocolate and rainbow cookies.  Fun to snack on on the flight home.

Vosges Chocolates: 132 Spring Street between Greene & Wooster

If you find yourself in SOHO on a snowy day what better spot than Vosges for a fancy hot chocolate.  La Parisienne (classic), Aztec Elixir (ancho & chipotle chili, cinnamon and vanilla bean with dark chocolate) and Bianca (Australian lemon myrtle, vanilla powder, lavender and white chocolate).  Then drop in to browse one of the coolest stores on the planet, Evolution Science & Art: 120 Spring Street 212 343-1114 theevolutionstore.com full of interesting bones, bugs, butterflies and taxidermy.

RESTAURANTS

WD-50: 50 Clinton Street 212 477-2900

Lupita

Chef Wylie Dufresne is more than your average celebrity chef.  I have been to the restaurant three times, and each and every time he has been at the helm.  You can see him immediately upon entering the restaurant standing in the doorway of the open kitchen in the back.  Known for his molecular cuisine he rides the line between outrageous and innovative and I have found that he is able to keep grounded.  What I mean is that even though the flavor combinations and the way they are delivered are very unusual the actual dishes are tasty and satisfying.  I enjoy sitting at the bar, and actually decided to eat there alone this time.  In the middle of my meal I was actually really happy that I opted to do so as the food really requires some attention, although it would have been nice to try more things.  I started with an amazing cocktail crafted by barman Tona, called the Lupita.  It was Cazadores silver Tequila, green apple, green tabasco and yuzu, and I noticed him adding a splash of St. Germain elderflower liqueur.  It was really tasty and not overly spicy but definitely had a kick.  For starters I had “cuttlefish, cashew, root beer, watercress”, you will find that most of the menu descriptions are vague such as this, but every server, runner, bartender knows the food expertly and describes it to you in advance if you wish or when they deliver the item.  This was actually cubes of cuttlefish stacked with gelatinous cubes of root beer and dollops of watercress sauce.  I really enjoyed it, but the texture might not be for everyone (I love having Ika sushi, so it suited me even though it was not raw).  Tona knows wine as well as cocktails and suggested I have the Thurnhoff Goldmuskateller from Alto Adige and it was perfect.  Next course was “cold fried chicken, buttermilk-ricotta, tabasco, caviar” an extra sent to me from the tasting menu.  The chicken was wrapped in a breading and the buttermilk-ricotta seemed like potato on top with a tabasco syrup and salty caviar.  It was delicious.  I took another suggestion for the entree, the Kamoizumi Red Maple Sake 2 year namazume (18.5% alcohol mind you) to have with the “scallops, pine needle udon, grapefruit dashi, Chinese broccoli”.  At this point I was waxing poetic and wrote in my notebook, “The pine-infused noodles taste like Christmas, I love it!  It makes me wanna cry or is it being in New York with 18.5% sake and a tequila drink and a wine.  The noodles are everything I hoped they would be.  This dish fulfills all my holiday memories without all the requisite pulling out the tree, cooking, baking, lights, stress, family.”  Seriously delicious and how do you make something taste like pine without crossing the line into cleaning products.  Ah.  By that time I was stuffed, and opted out of dessert sadly (I have heard they are as incredible as the savory courses) but was served a ball of sweetened condensed milk frozen and rolled in chocolate shortbread and a cocoa packet.  It was a gelatinous cocoa packet that when you bit into it was filled with crunchy cocoa pieces.  I can’t wait to return.

Pine Infused Udon

Schiller’s Liquor Bar: 131 Rivington Street 212 260-4555 http://www.schillersny.com

I arrived in Manhattan at 12:30 on a Sunday night panicking that there would be nothing to eat, but multiple restaurants in the area were open according to Yelp.  I still didn’t believe them and ran over to Schiller’s expecting to have to beg for food, but when I arrived it was bustling.  I had a hangar steak with Bearnaise sauce.  They have a great way to promote the wine selections,  1-Cheap, 2-Decent, 3-Good and the selections were great, but I had a beer.  It has a comfortable atmosphere and tasty food.

Il Buco: 47 Bond Street http://www.ilbuco.com

I took my friend here and she thought I was taking her on a wild goose chase as we passed all the Bowery restaurant supply stores with piles of old restaurant sinks and such lining the sidewalks.  Even as you approach the restaurant door it seems sketchy and then you are transported into the most gorgeous room.  It feels as if you just walked right into Nonna’s kitchen in the old country.  Farmhouse tables, chairs, mismatched and set in groupings that are not quite traditional.  We had the charcuterie and some amazing rose.  She ordered the Porchetta panini with fennel pollen, come to think of I forgot to taste it because I was so enamored by my gnocchi with lemon butter, and a chiffonade of mint and brussels sprouts.  A great way to prep for an eight hour meeting.

DBGB Kitchen & Bar: 299 Bowery 212 933-5300

Great bar scene and a beautiful dining room.  I haven’t explored the extensive sausage menu, but the food is great and they have an incredible selection of beers including one of my favorites, Hitachino Nest White Beer from Japan on tap.  Seasonal beer offerings are fun as well.

Bar Boulud: 212 595-0303 1900 Broadway at 63rd

If you must be uptown this is a great place to go.  Amazing food, a great prix fixe menu at lunch time, great wines, friendly service.  All that you could hope for.  I had a “juicy” ladies lunch here, so my notes are sketchy but it was great.  The pork rillettes were my favorite.

pork rillettes Bar Boulud

Rayuela: 165 Allen Street 212 253-8840 http://www.rayuelanyc.com

Great dinner here including cocktails by famed bar chef Junior Merino.  My entree was incredibly memorable, a corn arepa with duck.  Really amazing.

Mercer Kitchen: The Mercer Hotel, 99 Prince Street

After shopping in SOHO hit this trendy and classy restaurant at the Mercer Hotel.  Great food and great selection of wines from the Jean-Georges group Wine Director Bernie Sun.

Spitzer’s Ludlow & Rivington Corner 212 228-0027

Lots of great beers, friendly staff, comfortable bathrooms.  Great beer descriptions and friendly staff will find you your new favorite beer.  I discovered Ithaca Flower Power IPA (8%), I tried it because of the Ithaca/Cornell connection and it was delicious!  Kindly they list the alcohol percentage to prevent you from a hangover, the Samiclaus is 14% whereas the Hitachino a mere 5%.

Pegu Club: 77 West Houston Street

Possibly my favorite Manhattan cocktail bar.  Try the Earl Grey-tini.

Flatiron: 37 West 19th Street 212 727-7741 flatironlounge.com

Ok, my second favorite Manhattan cocktail bar, with ties to Pegu.  Creative drinks but be careful, some pack quite a punch.

The Summit: 133 Avenue C

Really friendly vibe without any attitude.  My friend who is not in the industry suggested we hit this relatively new spot before going to Sing Sing for karaoke (in a room, just the two of us, for THREE hours, does that reflect on how good the drinks were?  Perhaps.)  I was comforted at once when I saw Jill DeGroff’s book on the backbar and even more encouraged when I heard the clink of Kold-Draft ice in the glass.  He had the She Loves Mei She Love Mei Not (Barsol Pisco, muddled edible Ecuadorian rose petals, Szechuan peppercorn infused agave, fresh lemon, egg white) which was delicious and I had the Shu Jam Fizz (DH Krahn gin, apricot jam, fennel infused agave, peach bitters, fresh lemon, soda) which was AMAZING.  We noticed that each drink had an interesting and sometimes seemingly strange ingredient, but they clearly know what they are doing.


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Anderson Valley Goes for Gold at Alsace Varietals Festival

18 02 2010

Looking for a way to bring some spring sunshine into your weekend?  Whether or not the weather cooperates, Anderson Valley Winegrowers will hold their 5th Annual Alsace Varietals festival this weekend, Saturday and Sunday February 20-21, 2010.  The wines focus on varieties grown in the French region of Alsace, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer and a bit of Pinot Noir.  Alsace shares a border with Germany and over time has flip-flopped between the two countries.  As a result of the Germanic influence and the northerly climate the varieties they use are more Germanic than French.  These varieties are also pleasantly at home in the cooler climate of Anderson Valley, part of Mendocino.  The area is known for it’s winding roads, friendly and casual feel and quaint comfortable lodging.  As soon as you begin winding up the roads north of Sonoma you will notice the difference in climate, topography and just the attitude.  Alsace varieties love the cool climate that results from the opening to the sea at Mendocino and “air conditioning” from cool air during the summertime.  This results in wines that are more racy than most with refreshing acidity and moderate alcohol.  Add to that the lovely aromatics of these Nordic varieties, and you will find them a perfect accompaniment to watching the alpine events at the Olympics!  If you can tear yourself away from the Olympics, you’ll find that the wines exemplify the precision of Lindsey Vonn with the gusto of Shaun White and the razor’s edge of Apolo’s skate blade.

The weekend includes a technical conference Saturday morning where you can geek out about viticulture and vinification of these varieties followed by a fun tasting during the day and a winemaker’s dinner at the Boonville Hotel Saturday night.  If you can only make it for the day head on up for a number of open houses in the region Sunday Breggo Cellars, Claudia Springs, Esterlina Vineyards, Greenwood Ridge, Handley, Husch, Lazy Creek, Londer, Navarro, Phillips Hill Estates, Philo Ridge Vineyards, Toulouse Vineyards, and Zina Hyde Cunningham.  For tickets http://www.avwines.com/store/

If you can’t make the journey, get in the spirit with a glass of Claudia Springs Klindt Vineyard Pinot Gris at Pacific Catch 9th Avenue in SF or Corte Madera.


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Cranberry Blog

23 11 2009

Tart and unassuming the humble cranberry will once again take second seat to many Thanksgiving turkeys this year, but they have certainly earned a spot at every American Thanksgiving table, and to omit them from this harvest celebration would be extremely unconventional.  I had a chance to learn a bit more about our favorite seasonal side dish firsthand at a talk at Nantucket’s Whaling Museum in Fall 2008 given by second generation cranberry farmer Tom Larrabee Jr.  His father has worked in Nantucket’s bogs since he was a teenager and has managed them since 1959.

Cranberries were first harvested in Dennis, Massachusetts (Cape Cod) in 1816 by Henry Hall.  Named for the resemblance of its flowers to the head of a crane, early producers discovered that the vine, closely related to the blueberry, was an ideal mate for the Massachusetts geography.  Their presence at the Thanksgiving meal is likely due to the fact that this was also a symbol of peace to Native Americans.  Cranberries enjoy peat bogs which provide moisture for the vines during the growing season, but they also benefit from covering the vines with sand.  Sand stimulates new growth of the roots, controls insects and prevents the disintegrating peat from being toxic to the plant.  The third requirement is fresh water for frost protection, irrigation and since the 1980’s harvesting.  As a result in 1857 settlers of Nantucket Island, 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, decided that planting cranberries on the peat marshes off of Milestone Road would be a good idea.  Cranberries had already garnered a great reputation for seafarers as their presence on ships prevented sailors from getting scurvy due to their high content of Vitamin C.  Cranberries still have these wonderful health benefits and in addition an incredible amount of antioxidants and an antiseptic nature that allows them to be useful to prevent bladder infections and eradicate E. Coli.

From that moment, the cranberry and Nantucket seemed a perfect pair.  Despite the fact that Nantucket produces much less than Wisconsin (the largest U.S. producer), those that know the island think of it as a hub of production.  Currently Nantucket has about 250 acres of cranberry bogs and 25 of the 37 acres in the Windswept Bog are organically grown producing 1/2 a million pounds of organic cranberries in 2008.  Production of organic berries typically yields 60-70% less than conventional production and takes a lot more effort, but organic berries garner three times the price of conventional berries.  Since 1968 the Nantucket Conservation Foundation has stewarded the island’s two commercial bogs.  www.nantucketconservation.org

Cranberry harvest begins in September with Early Black, dark blackish red berries, and continues through October and November with the Howes cranberry, a lighter red and more oblong shaped berry.  Because of the floating nature of the berries, flood harvesting has been the preferred method since the 1980s, and has become a familiar site to most of us from Ocean Spray commercials.  One of the challenges for cranberry production on island is coordinating picking schedules with the ferry boat schedule as processing of berries is off-island which should ideally be three to five days before freezing.  Another crucial ingredient for successful cranberry production remains bees.  The flowers at bloom produce very heavy pollen that prevents vines from self-pollination by wind, so 432 hives are brought in to do the deed.  These bees pollinate Maine’s blueberries in May and then head to Nantucket for prime time at the end of June through July.  The bees are late risers and active from about 10am until 5 or 6pm, and while they are busy at work farmers stay out of the bogs until berry set.  Bees arrive on one truck but leave the island on two trucks after their plentiful pollen eating and even provide another great local product, Nantucket cranberry honey.  Berries turn green then white and finally blush to red close to harvest time.

Cranberries are useful for more than sauce, and a suggestion from Tom is to keep the berries frozen when you use them in baking to allow them to better keep their shape.

My favorite sandwich from Nantucket takes advantage of the cranberry history and is perfect for Thanksgiving left-overs, it’s called the “Turkey Terrific” produced by Provisions 3 Harbor Square Nantucket 508 228-3258.  While Provisions is closed for the winter you can make it at home, use a good roll, sliced turkey, left over stuffing and a good slathering of cranberry sauce.  And if you are at my house you would have to fight over using sauce versus the gelatinous canned cranberry jelly, my husband prefers the latter, so we always serve both.

See Tom Larrabee Jr. and the harvest at http://www.plumtv.com/videos/nantucket-nantuckets-organic-cranberry-bog/index.html


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Nantucket Off Season

20 11 2009

bclosedI lived on Nantucket for two full summers, the last of which I stayed well into the fall.  I loved Nantucket in the fall, the golden leaves, the quiet beaches, the subdued nature of town.  But with the fall came perils, for example, almost daily I’d need to run down to the ferry to say goodbye to yet another comrade headed off island for the winter.  Restaurants grew slim as they pared down their hours, and worst of all I had to stop ordering Guinness.  It just took too long to pour and settle and soon I’d often find myself surrounded by a crowd of lusty but otherwise harmless scallopers.

I guess those fond memories inspired me to retreat once again to Nantucket in the fall.  Some folks we encountered were confused as to why we would want to visit when then weather was turning cold and grey, but it was sublime.

Nantucket is an island about 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachussetts.  Known for a lucrative whaling industry, today the island remains a proud testament to tradition.  It’s cobblestone streets are mostly unchanged, and save for a Cumberland Farms and a Ralph Lauren outpost, most chain stores are shunned.  No stop lights and staunch dedication towards a traditional architecture means that most buildings look identical in their weathered grey shingles.  Nantucket looks pretty much like it did back in the day.  During the peak season (July and August) the town swells with visitors, but quickly the summer crowds and workers dissipate allowing one to appreciate a pristine and windswept vista in the late fall.  While late October can supply some pleasant Indian summer type days, by November the island gets colder and damper, but more serene.  Beach days become blustery rather than sunny.  Town is mostly shut down, few restaurants are open and those that are have limited hours, often seemingly determined by the whim of the owner on any given day.  Stores are open sporadically but the upside is the incredible sales, it seems the whole island is a bargain with room rates plunging and most retailers offering 20% on current issue items, but 50-75% on summer wares.

My husband and I headed out to the island by plane, a quicker and easier ride than the ferry since we flew east into Boston.  Off season can mean discounted rooms and a few of the larger hotels are really peaceful during this season.  The White Elephant is a quick but chilly walk to town near Brant Point.  Additionally they have just started renting their gorgeous White Elephant Hotel Residences which are available through December 6, 2009.  These are multi room apartments are outfitted beautifully and offer amenities including remote controlled fireplaces, kitchens with panini makers, wine cellars, amazing bathtubs, blue-ray, pretty much everything you need to enjoy Nantucket as if you lived there, also right in the heart of town.  Their Brant Point Grill stays open for most of the fall season and offers great food, but be sure to check exact dates.

Nantucket Christmas Stroll is another great time to visit but room rates bump up a bit due to the increased visitors.  It’s dreamy walking the streets decked out for the holidays and makes you think you have stepped back in time.  This year Christmas Stroll is scheduled for December 4 and 5, 2009.

Overall the island is always an amazing place to visit, but if you want to maximize your dollar and enjoy it without the mass of summer visitors and day-trippers then off-season is the way to go.

White Elephant Hotel Residences

http://www.whiteelephanthotelresidences.com/

View from The White Elephant

American Season’s Restaurant

80 Centre Street: Amazing.  The food is amazing.  I do not know what else to say!  The seasonal menu changes often and is uniquely not divided by appetizer/entree but rather by region into Pacific Coast, New England and Down South featuring dishes inspired by each region.  Lots of game and they also offer specials, and if the charcuterie is an option when you go do not miss it.  http://www.americanseasons.com/

Black-Eyed Susan’s

10 India Street: This small diner style spot offers some of the most amazing breakfast dishes.  I was incredibly fond of Susan’s grits, a small dish arrives making you wonder if it will be enough but the delectable combination of grits, ranchero sauce, cheese and hollandaise is just right, rich and delicious.  The Portuguese scramble with spinach, garlic and linguica is also a winner, hearty and delicious.  They are open for dinner too!  http://www.black-eyedsusans.com/

Easy Street Restaurant

Easy Street & Steamboat Wharf:  In all the years I visited Nantucket, it was not until this year that I stepped foot inside Easy Street Restaurant.  It always seemed a shame that such a convenient location had what was reputed to be sub-average food, but things have changed!  New ownership brings great food to a comfortable and convenient location.  We skipped the Lobster Trap this trip for a more reasonable New England Lobster Boil here.  For $20 you get a 1 and 1/4 lb. lobster, perfectly steamed, with drawn butter, Yukon gold potatoes and corn on the cob.  Wash it down with one of their selection of Oktoberfest beers and it’s heavenly.  Also do not miss the chowder, one of the best we had, as well as the  ridiculously priced 50 cent chicken wings.  I was frightened by the price but had to try them and they were deliciously crispy and seasoned well, quite a bargain really!  http://www.easystreetnantucket.com/

downeyDowney Flake

18 Sparks Avenue: If you want to see where the locals eat stop by the Downey Flake for a donut, breakfast and some coffee.  Owned by my friends and former managers from the Brotherhood of Thieves back in the day, Mark Hogan and Susan Tate offer truly reasonable fare at a great price.  The diner atmosphere is kitschy but its worth a trip and you can eavesdrop on how the scallop harvest is going.

LO LA 41

15 Beach Street:  The longitude/latitude coordinates of Nantucket this hot spot makes you feel as if you could be in SoHo.  Offering great Asian inspired food and a huge selection of sake and wine by the glass the atmosphere is chic without being pretentious.  http://www.lola41.net/inner.html

The Brotherhood of Thieves

23 Broad Street:  Although its not the same as I remember it, a visit to the island would not be complete without visiting the Brotherhood.  Although the food is lackluster, the curly fries are still good.  Similarly lacking is the extensive frozen drink selection I remember, but have a seat at the bar, grab a chowder and some fries and a beer and enjoy the dark wood and comfortable cozy atmosphere on a cold day.

Things to Do

Whaling Museum

A trip to Nantucket would not be complete without a trip to the Whaling Museum.  The forty-six foot skeleton of a sperm whale washed ashore on island on New Year’s Day and the gorgeous 1849 Fresnel Lens from the Sankaty Head Lighthouse are worth the visit alone.  Off season expect fun informative talks on topics such as the cranberry harvest presented by island locals.  They have a great gift shop too.  http://nha.org/sites/index.html

Drive out to Great Point

Rent a four wheel drive vehicle with an Oversand Vehicle Permit, deflate your tires and drive through the sand onto Great Point.  Off season you may see some locals fishing, or you may not see anyone the whole time.  We saw deer and a pod of about 30 seals dining at the rip of the point.  They peered over at us curiously and bobbed around in the water.

Visit Nantucket Vineyard, Triple Eight Distillery and Cisco Brewers

Sadly we heard that Cisco Brewers moved most of their brewing off island due to increased demand (always the dilemma, so successful that they cannot do it locally anymore), but that doesn’t make their beer less good.  A visit to the distillery/brewery/winery is always fun with sampling and tasting and sale of all their products.  Try to get some Pumple Drunkin Spiced Ale while it lasts, but for everyday I love the Whale’s Tale Pale Ale.  http://www.ciscobrewers.com/

Shopping

Nantucket Natural Oils (The Fragrance Bar)

5 Centre Street:  Maybe it is because I am a wine geek obsessed with the sense of smell, but I can’t help but gravitate immediately to Nantucket Natural Oils when I hit the island.  John Harding, the proprietor, crafts fragrances to rival those of the major perfume houses, but this is no infomercial “If you like Giorgio you’ll love X” type of place.  What is most special about the spot is the fact that all the products are made from 100% pure oil, rather than diluted with 80-94% alcohol and water like normal scents.  This means that they last longer on your skin AND in the bottle.  It is also a godsend for those that have encountered allergic reactions or professions where fragrance is shunned.  While I would refrain from wearing this to a wine tasting, Harding has first hand knowledge that nurses can even wear these essences without negatively affecting the hospital environment.  I know first hand that these oils do last.  I had a perfume made by Harding in Spring of 1995 which I wore all the time, I still had a half vial left when I inadvertently left the cap off and it seeped into my makeup pouch.  Luckily Harding has a system that remembers  each and every purchase so he was able to recreate this mix of Calyx with an addition of vanilla for me, now appropriately named Spring of ’95.  Whether it is for a custom blend or for a designer fragrance or aromatherapy mix this shop is not to be missed. Harding and his expert staff are happy to let you sample and smell to your heart’s content.  This year I bought some ambergris, an aromatic that comes from the regurgitant of whales after it has festered for years on the open ocean.  How appropriate for Nantucket right?  If you can’t make it to Nantucket you can find them online too!  Until November 20, 2009 they are having a buy one get one half off sale on fragrances, so buy some for yourself and a friend for the holidays.  https://nantucketnaturaloils.com/

Nantucket Bookworks

25 Broad Street: Borders and Barnes & Noble got you down?  This is the perfect remedy.  The Bookworks offers a great selection, great staff recommendations and even a pile of free books sometimes!  They also have a great selection of paper goods, toys, and tchotchkes.  Open seven days a week year round and often open as late as 10pm!  Great place to shop after your beer at the Broho (Brotherhood) nextdoor http://www.nantucketbookworks.com/

Cold Noses

Straight Wharf: A great spot to pick up a squeaky lobster for your furry friend.

Best of the Beach

Straight Wharf: Feels like summer all year long in this bright and airy shop featuring great pajamas, pretty housewares and aromatic candles.

Vis a Vis

34 Main Street: A very nice clothing boutique although not for the weak of wallet

The Hub

31 Main Street: A magazine and candy shop that also features gifts and postcards, the sign outside is where islanders share information about day to day activities.  Here’s where to find a winter rental, babysitter, carpenter, etc.

Nantucket Looms

16 Federal Street: Handcrafted items galore, gorgeous hooked rugs and weavings.

Nantucket Carving & Folk Art

167 Orange Street: Quarterboards, signs and amazing antiques out near the airport http://www.nantucketcarvingandfolkart.com/

The Sunken Ship

12 Broad Street: Although this corner is slightly desolate when the season is over and the Juice Bar is shuttered, the Sunken Ship is still a treasure trove for typical souvenirs, toys, and flags.   Always fun to browse.  http://www.sunkenship.com/

Epernay

1N Beach Street: Especially if you need to stock up your White Elephant Residences fridge you can drop into this cute shop only half a block away to see what they have available.  Selections are diverse and fun and reasonably priced.  You might find Amber Cantella holding free wine tastings at local restaurants like the Boarding House so you can try before you buy!  http://www.epernaywines.com/

Murray’s Toggery Shop

62 Main Street: The classic stop to buy Nantucket Reds paraphernalia.  “Reds” are a type of denim like fabric dyed a particular pink shade that fades to a gorgeous coral color and soft texture when washed multiple times.  Or of course the prepster in you may opt for the lobster pants.  http://www.nantucketreds.com/

Nobby Clothes Shop

17 Main Street: Need foul weather gear?  If there’s a Nor’easter on the way this is the place to go.  A great collection of Carhartt gear and everything you need to look like a scalloper.  http://www.nobbyshop.com/

Current Vintage Clothing Wine Home

4 Easy Street: If your significant other is sick of you shopping for clothes then come here and they can shop for wine at the same time.  They have an amazing selection of lesser known cult wines including Scholium Project!  Pretty cool to see that someone here knows what they’re doing.  http://www.currentvintage.com/


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Shipments of Fools

4 11 2009

I have been doing quite a few wine reviews lately which, of course, is really fun.  Wine shows up at my door in shippers from around the state of California, usually (and rightfully) requiring an adult signature for delivery.  This requirement can be a slight hassle because that means that the samples need to be signed for and received while we are at home, and considering my hectic schedule and lack of any staff that is challenging sometimes.  But the worst that can happen is that the shipment heads off to the UPS or Fedex warehouse and I have to retrieve it.  No big deal to me since that means my neighbors aren’t drinking it!

That said, I have been noticing that the more samples I receive the more irritated I get.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE having wine to taste show up at my doorstep, but you have to understand that I just don’t pop open these bottles that arrive for sampling, instead I need to evaluate them critically, it’s just the right thing to do.  I cannot just open them for a night in front of the fire or give them away to a friend hoping to taste them at their dinner party.  They must be opened and tasted professionally, even if I go ahead and finish the remaining wine later on, and that only happens in rare occasions.  This may again seem like a silly “problem” to have, but all of a sudden you find that as a writer you end up on these lists receiving wines that you have not requested and are not necessarily your priority at that moment.  Because I do not write a focused wine review I gladly accept samples but I cannot assure the sender that their wine will ever be written up.  Its not really the wine that is the problem though, but its the whole issue of shipping.

As the wines roll in, the issues arise.  Opening, unpacking, removing my name from the boxes, stacking them who knows where.  Most of the wines shipped today are packed in styrofoam packaging.  While there are producers that use pressed recycled cardboard, which I really appreciate, there are still many that continue to use styrofoam.  Not only does this create larger shippers that cannot be broken down, but it also tends to break up during shipping, and upon opening the package I am attacked by tiny styrofoam balls that stick to my clothing, my hair and my terriers.  It’s bad for the environment and not fun at all.  I give these containers away, luckily, to friends or our local shipping store (they also willingly take peanuts and bubble wrap).  Unfortunately those friends and folks at those stores ship the boxes to other places where they are likely to become landfill.   I highly recommend that if you have these types of containers that you try to reuse them as much as you can, or ask wineries you work with to use reclaimed cardboard and molded paper boxes and inserts.  Some say they are recyclable, but that still means they need to make it into the right recyclable heap, and not blow down the street in the process.

Another environmental issue that has been irking me is heavy bottles.  Recently during a review I was struck by a couple of ridiculously heavy bottles, we are talking FOUR pound bottles (full).  Some of these came from producers that “claim” to be environmentally sensitive.  I weighed a “normal” bottle, the Heitz Trailside Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Napa Valley and on my simple little bathroom scale it seemed about two pounds.  Now perhaps you may say that Heitz is “old school” and traditional in packaging, yet this seems like a reasonable alternative with the cost of fossil fuels and shipping today.  Bottles of this shape, height and weight have for more than centuries been able to withstand age, movement, dropping, even sitting at the bottom of the ocean.  My point is that the only reason to change your bottle to a heavier, taller, larger punted (the indentation on the bottom of the bottle) bottle is to increase the perception of quality.  While I understand that the reality is that consumer take interest in the packaging, I do not know how companies can truly justify the additional expense (which is then passed on to the consumer) and the effect this decision has on their energy profile.  This disconnect between the marketing and production in a winery has never ceased to amaze me.

The four pound bottle I tasted recently was from producers claiming to be sustainable or organically farmed.  So their vineyard manager is trying to closely manage how many passes they make through the vineyard on their tractor to manage their fossil fuel use, but they are adding basically doubling the weight of every case they ship, whether it is from Napa to SF or Sonoma to China.  I truly hope that producers will take a step back and reevaluate the importance of the “sexy” bottle.  Just think about the poor sommeliers that have to wield that heavy monster both alone and when moving full cases.  Most of these heavyweights are “cult” wines sold in six pack cases, increasing the amount of cardboard used, oh and the cardboard has to be thicker to support the added weight of the bottles.  Don’t get me started on the wooden cases, although I do have a penchant for saving those.  Saint-Gobin Containers http://www.sgcontainers.com Saint-Gobin is working hard to offer low weight bottles yet in the same classic bottle shapes in their ECO Series sold by Caliber WinePak.  Many of them do away with the punt thus using less glass and these bottles require less energy to produce, and less energy to ship both empty or full.  Wine Business Monthly has a great article on the issue http://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/?go=getArticle&dataId=67317.  And a shout out to those branching out into boxes, plastic, and alternative packaging.  They may have some stigma yet to overcome, but they are doing the right thing.

Since I am getting all snippy, lets talk about alcohol levels of wines.  I have been more cognizant of them lately as I have become all too familiar with drinking too much of a really delicious yet deadly wine in terms of alcohol.  I understand the whole ripeness/flavor issue, sure, so that is a conversation for another day, but what is super irritating is the mere act of trying to find the alcohol percentage on the bottle.  While this is not always an accurate measurement of the actual alcohol in the bottle, it helps the consumer.  Despite that fact wineries have become very adept at hiding these numbers in weird foils, subtle colors and miniscule prints.  Yesterday as I tasted the Heitz Trailside I was so happy to see that the alcohol level on the was immediately evident, or at least for a “normal” person.  It was directly in the center of the label and good sized print, but there I was searching in all the sneaky places I am used to finding the alcohol listed, the back label, edges of the front, etc.  Heitz gets a gold star today!

Well, that’s enough for now.  I have to go and rearrange my collection of styrofoam shippers.

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Going Whole Hog

20 10 2009

From Nose to Tail was the title of the seminar here at the Sante Restaurant Symposium 2009 in Lake George, NY.  Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Toro and the soon to open Copa in Boston, MA was on hand to demonstrate not only the butchering of a pig but also the unique ways to use a whole pig.  With the popularity of salumi and charcuterie as well as the importance being placed on sustainability, it is no surprise that more and more restaurants are butchering whole animals.  Of course it takes a great deal of training and skill to know how to butcher, but it also takes planning and some research.  Bissonnette cautions those interested in taking the plunge to be careful.

Bissonnette explains that butchering a whole animal must first be profitable.  His restaurants offer small plates and a menu with about fifty items so he has the luxury of offering items at all different price points.  An example is he will butcher multiple animals and save the parts for future specials that he can run when he accumulates enough.  Do not forget the time commitment necessary to hang the meats and age them, this is in effect resources tied up in inventory, it takes up room, it could be aging for a significant amount of time.

Go local.  Knowing your source and the farmer is vital to ensure you understand the breed and provenance of the animal.  You will know what the animal was raised on and can get to know how this affects the flavor of the product, fat content, etc.

Be safe.  if making salumi be sure to follow recipes.  Bissonnette insists that nitrates were made for a reason, and care must be taken when making charcuterie to prevent illness.  Use resources such as recipes and books from reputable sources to ensure you do not waste time, money and energy.  This also prevents the danger of experimenting which could produce disastrous results.

The restaurant size will determine how big of an animal you are able to butcher, at Toro they have limited room so are unable to bring in multiple animals at a time.  Storage of course can also become an issue, if the walk-in is not big enough you may not be able to store a full pig and may need to butcher immediately upon delivery.  This relates closely to the size of the animal you bring in.  The pig Bissonnette butchered was only sixty pounds, and for example a pig that size does not provide a large slab of bacon.  It is important to estimate your needs and portion sizes as they will relate to the size of the pig you will need to purchase.  Bissonnette suggested that the sizes of cuts we are familiar with come from animals between four and five hundred pounds.  This may be impossible to butcher in house.  The method of breaking down the animal will vary also according to your resources.  Bissonnette uses cleavers and knives since they do not have room for a bandsaw or mechanical saws.

Bissonnette explains that only if you use the entire animal butchery can become profitable, if you focus on the primal cuts you will miss out.  No scrap is wasted.   Pieces of fat are smoked and used to flavor stocks and broths.  Random bits make lard that can be used to make lardo.  He even takes bones which he boils and then rolls in rice flour and fries for a hearty hands on snack.  The funny thing is there is one piece that will not make it to your plate if you go to Toro, and that is the small pork skirt.  He fries that up for himself.

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Napa Harvest

12 10 2009

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Napa Valley in the heat of harvest is something very special.  The last few weeks I have been spending some time in the valley, for the Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health, and classes for the National Pork Board and last week for Mastering Wine I at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone in St. Helena at the northern end of the Napa Valley.  The valley is absolutely bustling with the excitement of harvest and grapes are not the only thing being harvested!

While fermentations simmer and the threat of a big storm in the Bay Area looms, the last few weeks have been balmy and downright cool, a very unusual harvest, but as I reported to my class last week, it really seems that the grapes know what is best and man just has to be paying enough attention to do the right thing.  I remember being awakened on the day of the Staglin Benefit for Mental Health to the sound of thunder (my WORD!) and raindrops, so unusual for the valley.  I had heard that veraison (the point at which grapes begin to turn color and ripen) had been early, but this was truly unique, to have an overcast cool day for this event had not happened in the nine years I had worked it.  Overall the season was cool and in the last week I heard from many vintners that Brix levels (level of sugar at harvest) are lower than normal but with exceptional maturity.  This means lower alcohols with just as much flavor!  (to read more about why go to http://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/?go=getArticle&dataId=17093)  It just goes to show that sometimes the vines have forewarning as to when they should get their fruit ripe and hunker down for winter.  From what I hear many were spooked by the storm warning predicted for Tuesday and have harvested.  For Twitter updates head to @NVGrapegrowers to find out who is harvesting.

But Napa Harvest is not just about grapes!  One of my favorite things to do whenever I am in the valley is to hit the LMR Rutherford Gardens.  Operated by Long Meadow Ranch they are a produce pavilion right in the heart of Rutherford, across the way from Grgich Hills Winery on Highway 29.  While known for great wine and free-range beef the bounty at the gardens is the produce, and although summer is high-season, I love their fall offerings.  They have a newsletter that you can sign up for if you are interested in knowing what is in season in advance, but I prefer to be surprised!  Recently they had amazing nobby potatoes, five varieties of garlic, zucchini, an abundance peppers and possibly the last of amazing heirloom tomatoes.  If you hit the stand at just the right time you may be able to get some eggs!  I was lucky recently and grabbed a set of pullets, small sized eggs, in pastel colors that would put any Easter basket to shame.  And they were $5 a dozen and delicious!  Plus Long Meadow Ranch makes great wine!  They also offer jeep tours of their vineyards and cattle ranches!

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Further down valley I make another stop as I turn towards Sonoma onto 121 headed back to San Francisco, Stanly Lane Marketplace.  This country store has amazing coffee, they do a fabulous iced Americano that almost lasts until I drive over the Golden Gate Bridge.  They offer some foods and seasonal crafts from local artisans including adorable gourd art for Halloween.  Its a fun way to break up the drive.  They also sell used barrels and if you are lucky staves and barrel tops, which I am fond of (I make them into lazy susans).  In the same parking lot they have a farm stand offering produce from many Bay Area farms, and are nice enough to specify the origin of every piece of produce on its sign.  In the height of summer they usually have Brentwood corn and nice heirlooms, peaches and nectarines in season.  My favorite time of the year, though, is when they create their incredible field of pumpkins for Halloween.  It is awash in oranges but they also stock multiple heirloom squashes in an array of untraditional shapes and colors, at much cheaper prices than most markets.  Plentiful wheelbarrows are available for rides for the kids and the pumpkins.  Pigs are on view carousing over smashed gourds for the kids to watch (and smell).  This year I was super excited to see that they added a corn and sunflower maze to the scene.  At five o’clock as the sun was exhibiting a much different angle in the sky than usual, it really made it feel like fall.  Hurry!  These places shut down seasonally!

LMR Rutherford Gardens 1796 So. St. Helena Highway Rutherford  http://www.longmeadowranch.com/Gardens/Rutherford-Gardens

Stanly Lane Marketplace 3100 Golden Gate Drive Napa, at the corner of Stanly Lane and Hwy 121/12, Napa 707 253-7512

D&S Produce Stanly Lane Pumpkin Patch, at the corner of Stanly Lane and Hwy 121/12, Napa 707 480-4479

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10-6pm, Saturday and Sunday 9-5pm

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WhiskyWeek 2009

7 10 2009

Although I will be away I wanted to let the “crew” know about the 3rd Annual Whiskey Fest on October 16, 2009 at the San Francisco Marriott and Whisky Week.  Go to maltadvocate.com to get more information about the events in store.  Also Elixir is doing some really cool seminars, see below.  Charbay is having a party on October 10 that you may want to check out!

Charbay Annual Barbecue & Wine Club Party

12pm – 4pm
Charbay wines, ports, aperitifs & the favorite foods we’ve shared through the years.
Also:  Marko’s Private Port Blending Seminar 11am
Marko Karakasevic, 13th Generation winemaker and distiller
will lead you on a sensory journey of smell and taste as he
guides you in blending vintage ports from our library of barrel-aged ports.
Purchase Tickets & Information – Call 707.963.9327 ext 23 or visit@charbay.com

ELIXIR ANNOUNCES WHISKYWEEK 2009 SEMINAR SERIES

Exclusive Tastings, Local Distillers and Marketing Tips lead into 2009 WhiskyFest

(San Francisco, CA September 28, 2009) Seminars are strictly limited to 25 seats at $35 per person and tickets are available through a link at www.ElixirSF.com/events.htm

Sunday, October 11th, 6pm to 8pm

David Blackmore, Glenmorangie Brand Ambassador

Join us at Elixir for an exciting and educational adventure through the aging process of one of the best selling Single Malt Scotch whiskies in the world. David Blackmore with the Glenmorangie Distillery will be on hand to lead us through a tasting of a selection of the Glenmorangie portfolio. This tasting will involve a full sensory analysis of the components found in Glenmorangie whiskies, helping you to better understand how to analyze and understand a spirit from every perspective. David is a native of Scotland, a Graduate of the University of St. Andrews, a former chair of the prestigious Tasting Panel at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Scotland and has spent time working alongside the famous ŒSixteen Men of Tain‚ at the Glenmorangie Distillery and at their sister distillery Ardberg.

6:00pm Meet and greet with welcome cocktail and appetizers
6:30-7:30 David’s presentation
7:30-8pm Q&A

8pm to 2am Glenmorangie dram and cocktail specials in Elixir

Monday, October 12th, 7pm to 9pm

Marko Karakasevic, 13th Generation Master Distiller, Marko K Spirits & Domaine Charbay

Marko Karakasevic is the 13th Generation Distiller in his family and has been distilling with his father for 26 years at Charbay Winery and Distillery.  Having distilled brandies, rums, tequila, and several new and classic styles of whiskies, Marko and his family have distilled every class of spirit and continue to push the creative envelope in the world of spirits. Elixir is the first whiskey bar in the world to have Doubled and Twisted IPA Light Whiskey. Join us to hear of the family history, taste Charbay Pilsner Whiskey II, learn about their unique distilling methods and the philosophy behind it all,  and try a cocktail or two.

7pm Meet and Greet with welcome cocktail

7:30 to 8:30 Marko’s presentation

8:30 to 9:00 Q&A

9pm to 2am Charbay and Marko K dram and cocktail specials in Elixir

Tuesday, October 13th, 7pm to 9pm

St. George Spirits‚ Master Distiller Lance Winters

In this second round of our local whiskey distillers, Lance Winters will present how they do it over in Alameda when it comes to whiskey. The famed Hangar One on that nearby island has been creating a wide array of ground breaking spirits, including the St. George Single Malt Whiskey. Their use of three woods in the aging process and eau de vie distillers’ approach makes for a unique American whiskey; one of the first in a new generation of whiskey distillation that moves beyond the borders of Kentucky and Tennessee.

7pm Meet and Greet with welcome cocktail

7:30 to 8:30 Lance’s presentation

8:30 to 9:00 Q&A

9pm to 2am St. George and Hangar One dram and cocktail specials during The Elixir Quiz

Wednesday, October 14th, 7pm to 9pm

Gardner Dunn, Yamazaki Brand Ambassador

What is Japanese whisky? Yamazaki Brand Ambassador and famed New York bartender Gardner Dunn will take us through the history and evolution of whisky production and presentation in Japan. We’ll taste some of the Suntory brands, including some unique wood finishes on Yamazaki and the first tasting of the new Hibiki 12 Year, being released in the US on that day! Gardner will give us a visual tour of their distilleries and cooperage as well as Japanese bartending tools and ice sculpting. Truly a unique whiskey experience.

7pm to 8:30pm Gardner’s presentation (including welcome cocktail)

8:30 to 9:00 Q&A

9pm to 2am Elixir Charity Guest Bartending event for The Bartender Relief Fund, benefiting Chicago Bartender Kyle McHugh and featuring Gardner, Elixir bartenders H. Joseph Ehrmann and Alicia Walton and Bartender Fund President Tony Devencenzi.

Thursday, October 15th, 7pm to 9pm

Peter Schwartz, Founder and President of International Beverage Company, Inc.

Having 28 years of experience in the alcoholic beverage industry, Peter is a recognized authority and national speaker on the making, marketing, selling, and serving of whiskey, not to mention his excellent nosing and tasting skills. Welcomed in 2008 into the Keepers of the Quaich, the exclusive Scotch whisky society, Peter will discuss a survey tasting of the Scottish Highlands (Deanston), Isle of Mull (Ledaig and Tobermory) and Islay (Bunnahabhain and Black Bottle). We‚ll look at how they are different from other single malts and blends, the distillation process for each product and the difference of a non chill-filtered product and filtered product.

7pm to 8:30pm Peter‚s presentation (including welcome cocktail)

8:30 to 9:00 Q&A

9pm to 2am – Discounts on all products tasted by the dram or cocktail

Friday, October 16th, 7pm to 8:30pm

WHISKYFEST 2009

Marriott San Francisco

http://www.maltadvocate.com/docs/whiskyfest/san_francisco/default.aspx


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Los Angeles County Fair

2 10 2009

The Los Angeles County Fair ends this weekend!  I am usually there to say goodbye to the fair on its last weekend.  It is my favorite time.  I get to spend the last hours with the Sham-Wow and Ginsu knife salesmen hanging at the bar discussing the last few weeks.  This year they extended the fair by a week meaning that it conflicts with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in Golden Gate Park, so I had to go last weekend, the second to last weekend.  I absolutely love the fair.  Perhaps it has something to do with me growing up in suburbia and not knowing anything about what a county fair was like, or if it even existed, and then reading Charlotte’s Web and wondering could that really happen?

I think that when I read the book I thought that the idea of a fair was fantasy along with talking pigs and spiders, but now I understand that the fair is truly an interesting and amazing relic in our culture.  The LACF as we like to call it is a huge organization encompassing all realms such as concessions, rides, events, concerts, exhibits, etc.  I happen to run the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition Spirits portion, but while we are judging spirits earlier in the year there are judges judging wines, beers, jams, pies, pickles, tapestry items like quilts or baby blankets, tablescaping (setting up a cool table for a party), etc.  Once the fair gets going they start judging a la minute the things that are a bit more timely like pigs, cows, etc.  While some might balk at the idea of a county fair the process although steeped in tradition really offers up an opportunity to embrace the culture of farming that used to exist in this country years ago.

I made a joke while teaching my wine class at the LACF that I had visited the goats and that they looked delicious and was accosted by laughs and raised eyebrows (about fifty-fifty) but the point is that our food has to come from someplace and to take your children to the fair really brings that point home.  If you have decided to  serve your brethren meat then I feel you should be comfortable in finding out where that comes from and showing them what that looks like and how it is sold.

The fair is such a wonderous place to me, I so enjoy the fair food, like my favorite character Templeton in Charlotte’s Web I find joy in the luscious foodstuffs that are presented to me!  My favorites are:

Dr. Bob’s Ice Cream ANY flavor, great stuff.  Tell Ruth I sent you if you go.

Roasted Corn: Best Spot is near the Fairview Farms add butter, chili powder, salt, etc. but bring lots of napkins

Steamed Artichoke with Mayonnaise: On the main food alley really pleasant to get your veg while enjoying the fair

Barbecue from ???? ask the fair workers who is serving the best right now, it changes year to year.  Get extra sauce and don’t forget the tooth floss, this is no classy knife n fork bbq, this will take effort

Wine Sampling: Head over to the Ralph’s Wine and Spirit Marketplace  to taste some of the gold winning wines and spirits!  Take classes to learn how to taste, this is unique to fairs across the country and offers you a great chance to meet up with fun wine lovers

Go to the booth near the racetrack to try the latest in fried food!  Although you might not be up for deep-fried frog’s legs or fried Spam you may want to camp out at the booth and try what they have to offer!  It’s amazing to see folks embarking on a culinary fiasco, so enjoy the view!

Animals:My favorite part of the fair is getting to know the animals.  This year I saw baby goats!  There were tons all jumping around, but the most amazing were the ones that were born while I was teaching my class on Spirits at the Ralph’s Marketplace!  They were 2 HOURS old!  The mother was still getting to know them and it was super cool.  The barns are incredibly well kept and clean and they even offer hand washing stations so after you get down and dirty with the farm animals you can clean up.

Head out to the fair this weekend if you are in the area of Pomona, CA and you will not be disappointed!

http://www.lacountyfair.com/2009/

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