Restaurant Meals
Rebelle, NYC - Chef's table, http://rebellenyc.com/
Bardot Aria Las Vegas - summer Provencal menu, https://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/las-vegas/bardot-brasserie/
Ululani's Shave Ice, Maui //www.ululanishawaiianshaveice.com/
Tin Roof, Maui, Lunch only; https://squareup.com/store/tinroofmaui
Wineries
Daou Vineyards, https://www.daouvineyards.com/Our-Story
Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO)
Wine areas to keep an eye on
Paso Robles, CA
Beaujolais, Burgundy, France
Wines
Daou 2014 and 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
2014 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Cabernet
Cru Beaujolais i.e. 2012 Château de La Chaize Brouilly Vieilles Vignes
2015 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Édition Rosé
2007 Podere Ruggeri Corsini Barolo San Pietro
2009 Château Le Thil Comte Clary
2012 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Louise
2009 Louis Jadot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Guettes Domaine Gagey
2010 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
2009 Xavier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Anonyme
2010 La Celestiere Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition
2010 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène
As you can see my favorite wines are an eclectic bunch. I love DDO wines. They have had a holiday specials that include shipping. http://store.domainedrouhin.com/All_Wines?orderby=PXPC.DisplayOrder%20Asc%2C%20P.ProductName%20ASC&startrow=13 Check it out as these are good deals for their wines. The wines are not cheap but the are very good .I am not that thrilled about Roserock wines, their new vineyard in Oregon, but the Roserock wines have gotten some great reviews from the press.
Daou Vineyards, Paso Robles is my winery of the year. We visited it in August and were very impressed with the winery and its wines. The winery is gorgeous, on top of mountain overlooking the vineyards. The wines are uniformly great. The Wine Advocate reviews by Jeb Dunnock and reviews by Vinous have been extraordinary. The wines are not cheap but compared to Napa they are big bargains. The Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is a must buy for cab lovers. It is about $20 and both 2014 and 2015 are very good.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape vintages 2009 and 2010 are very good. Also note that several of my favorites are no longer available so there some rewards for having your own cellar.
Plays
Sweet Charity; There is no one today in musical theater like Sutton Foster
Hold On To Me Darling
Privacy - Daniel Radcliffe rocks
The Color Purple - Ditto for Cynthia Erivo
Fiddler on the Roof - Ditto for Danny Burstein, amazing first act.
Sights
Hoover Dam, The tour of the inside of the dam is awesome.
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA
Guadeloupe, French West Indies, Caribbean, the Club Med is on a gorgeous beach and Norwegian Air makes it easy and cheap to go.
Best Fish
Paia Fish Market, restaurant, 2 locations in Maui
Shore Catch fishmonger, Farmer's markets in NJ
Chocolate
Jacques Torres, multiple locations in NYC
DeBrands, multiple locations in Ft Wayne, Indiana, check out their hot fudge sundae
Maison Du Chocolat, multiple locations in NYC and around the world.
Top Food Hints
Try brown rice. It may take a little longer to cook but it has so much more flavor and some additional nutritional value.
Rainbow cookies from Ferraras, NYC, You can now order by mail. https://ferraraonlinestore.foodydirect.com/restaurants/ferrara-online-store/dishes/tricolor-rainbow-cookies
Merry Christmas to all and to all a great night.
I look forward to what treats 2017 will bring.
Enjoy.
