On The Town
We saw a revival of On The Town in NYC http://www.onthetownbroadway.com/?gclid=CJKlpcSvhMECFZDm7AodtTAAkA. This is a Broadway production, the theater is on 42nd street. It still in previews and reasonably priced tix are still available. We paid $79 for row F in the orchestra.
The production sizzles; acting and singing are great, The show is hilarious. Leonard Bernstein, Comden and Green and Jerome Robbins-- WOW. Megan Fairchild from the NYC Ballet, stars and her dancing is magic. If you love music, dance and fun go see it. BTW the orchestra's sound was really good, maybe it was the score. You can see where West Side Story came from.
URBO
Found a new restaurant located, if you can believe it, on the SE corner of 8th avenue and 42nd Street. Place is called URBO. http://urbonyc.com/ It is a 2 story giant space with a bar and restaurant on the 1st floor and a huge bar and restaurant on the 2nd floor. The 2nd floor restaurant is not open yet. The space is dramatic and things have been open for about 7 weeks. The downstairs restaurant is very reasonably priced. The service is very good. We had a salad with chicken that sounds boring but was nicely prepared with fresh ingredients and $18. Also had a flatbread with lamb sausage and feta cheese and yogurt sauce. The sausage was light and flavorful with a slight kick. The chef gets carried away with salt but the sausage was fine. I could watch him in the open kitchen salting everything with sea salt, vigorously Wines are reasonably priced; we had a 2011 Bordeaux for $9 and it was a decent pour. A really good pre-theater place that is not hectic at the moment. Check it out.
Enjoy. Lots more wine and food shortly.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Newport Beach;AC/Jersey Shore From Sea to Shining Sea and DC too
Newport Beach California
I had a chance to eat at the Cannery in Newport Beach, California.http://www.cannerynewport.com/ Nice restaurant and great wine list deal. Tuesday evenings and everyday for lunch 50% off 50 wines and the wines are great. $57 for a Bollinger Champagne and $32 for Failla Pinot Noir 2012. Both wines were great and prices were retail. The Bollinger is a big wine, yeasty with loads of flavor.
The food was good as well. The restaurant is on a canal and is quite pretty.
Checked out Laguna Beach as well. It still has that tacky charm.
Washington, DC
Also recently visited Washington DC and Falls Church Virginia. Great hotel tip - Fairview Park Marriott Hotel in Falls Church is one of the nicest Marriotts that I have stayed at and the kicker is that weekend rates are around $70. I was also able to use a Marriott certificate as the hotel is rated a category 3 Marriott. Indoor/ Outdoor pool and gorgeous surroundings. They also have a shuttle to the Metro or it is a 20 minute drive to the city on weekends.
We had a chance to go to a Washington Nationals game. Great new stadium and a good team this year. Fun time and easy to get to the stadium by Metro.
In DC we visited the National Portrait Gallery.http://www.npg.si.edu/ Probably my favorite Smithsonian museum (don't tell the Freer). They have a great exhibits and a wonderful atrium to hangout.
Also went to the National Gallery. http://www.nga.gov/The new East building is closed for renovations. But the old West Building has a Degas/Cassatt exhibit which was not thrilling. However the permanent collection is superb. Rembrandt's galore and a room of Van Gogh's.
We ate a Zaytinya again and it was very good //www.zaytinya.com/ Try the fried mussels, awesome.
Where is food heading? Farm to table. Joke or a movement. Better fast food oxymoron or real progress. Does anyone like Chipotle - not me. Less carbs and more saturated fats. Science or latest fad.
Atlantic City
We also returned to the Borgata in Atlantic City. Okay we like the place. Ate at Bobby Flay's restaurant. Ate at the bar and watched tennis. Had a 1/2 bottle of a 2011 Hugel Pinot Blanc for $26. Ate a chopped salad, steamed mussels and clams and skewers of lobster and filet mignon. Can't complain. Service was friendly and the food yummy.
Had a chance to swim at Brigantine Beach. Warm water and great sand. Wow was that really the Jersey shore.
My garden.
Summer is coming to an end. It was a great summer weather wise in NJ. The farmers markets are still going strong. Eggplant has been very good this year and my cucumbers have been growing like crazy.
Some of my recent dishes: Recipes on request.
Pesto pasta and baked oysters with spinach and prosciutto and a salad of buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and lettuce.
Sea bass from the Jersey waters grilled on the bone.
The NY Times Plum Torte.http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/21/dining/216frex.html?_r=0
My hot passion fruit souffle.
Pesto pasta with fresh picked pole beans.
Recent wines.
We still are drinking low alcohol wines that go with the summer. WTSO Wine til Sold Out) has had Champagnes for very reasonable prices this summer, like $23. Phillippe Prie rose and regular bottling. Can never go wrong with Champagne.
Enjoy!
I had a chance to eat at the Cannery in Newport Beach, California.http://www.cannerynewport.com/ Nice restaurant and great wine list deal. Tuesday evenings and everyday for lunch 50% off 50 wines and the wines are great. $57 for a Bollinger Champagne and $32 for Failla Pinot Noir 2012. Both wines were great and prices were retail. The Bollinger is a big wine, yeasty with loads of flavor.
Checked out Laguna Beach as well. It still has that tacky charm.
Washington, DC
Also recently visited Washington DC and Falls Church Virginia. Great hotel tip - Fairview Park Marriott Hotel in Falls Church is one of the nicest Marriotts that I have stayed at and the kicker is that weekend rates are around $70. I was also able to use a Marriott certificate as the hotel is rated a category 3 Marriott. Indoor/ Outdoor pool and gorgeous surroundings. They also have a shuttle to the Metro or it is a 20 minute drive to the city on weekends.
We had a chance to go to a Washington Nationals game. Great new stadium and a good team this year. Fun time and easy to get to the stadium by Metro.
In DC we visited the National Portrait Gallery.http://www.npg.si.edu/ Probably my favorite Smithsonian museum (don't tell the Freer). They have a great exhibits and a wonderful atrium to hangout.
We ate a Zaytinya again and it was very good //www.zaytinya.com/ Try the fried mussels, awesome.
Where is food heading? Farm to table. Joke or a movement. Better fast food oxymoron or real progress. Does anyone like Chipotle - not me. Less carbs and more saturated fats. Science or latest fad.
Atlantic City
We also returned to the Borgata in Atlantic City. Okay we like the place. Ate at Bobby Flay's restaurant. Ate at the bar and watched tennis. Had a 1/2 bottle of a 2011 Hugel Pinot Blanc for $26. Ate a chopped salad, steamed mussels and clams and skewers of lobster and filet mignon. Can't complain. Service was friendly and the food yummy.
Had a chance to swim at Brigantine Beach. Warm water and great sand. Wow was that really the Jersey shore.
My garden.
Summer is coming to an end. It was a great summer weather wise in NJ. The farmers markets are still going strong. Eggplant has been very good this year and my cucumbers have been growing like crazy.
Some of my recent dishes: Recipes on request.
Pesto pasta and baked oysters with spinach and prosciutto and a salad of buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and lettuce.
Ribs with warm potato salad.
Sea bass from the Jersey waters grilled on the bone.
Eggplant Parmesan with baked clams.
We still are drinking low alcohol wines that go with the summer. WTSO Wine til Sold Out) has had Champagnes for very reasonable prices this summer, like $23. Phillippe Prie rose and regular bottling. Can never go wrong with Champagne.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
NYC, Chicago, Summer Wines
NYC
We went to Manhattan over the weekend to see a play, explore and eat. We saw And I and Silence by Naomi Wallace at the Signature Theater on 42nd street. Tickets are $25. The Signature theater is an amazing place. They have a new theater designed by Frank Gehry and they have several playwrights in residence each year. Ticket prices are subsidized by contributions. This year they are A R. Gurney and Naomi Wallace. I had never heard of her but she is has an interesting background and is also a poet. The play was absorbing and we enjoyed it.
We ate at Pearl & Ash on the lower east side on Bowery. http://www.pearlandash.com/ The restaurant is sleek and modern and serve small plates and has a fabulous wine list. The wines are mostly French and their are actually reasonably priced wines. We had a Burgundy from Irancy, a small appellation. We had a glass of wine from Irancy in Paris last fall and it was reasonable and very good. Lettie Teague recently mentioned it in an article recently in the WSJ. http://www.samachar.com/a-surprising-source-of-great-inexpensive-summer-reds-oh0dMIjajbe.html Just found this interesting article on Burgundy. http://rockssandfruit.blogspot.com/2014/03/an-offer-that-counters-wall-street.html
The wine we had was a 2011 Benoit Cantin from Irancy. The wine is 100% Pinot Noir and was $55. It was served too cold but we warmed it up and they decanted it which helped the process. The was balanced and subtle with complex flavors and decent fruit.
For dinner we shared a number of small plates. Bread with a mixture of butter, chicken fat and maple syrup. It was really good. We had trout with snap peas, peas shoots, brown butter and dill. We had flat iron steak with broccolini and chickpea tahini. It worked beautifully. We also had cod, coconut, thai basil and lemon grass. Also potatoes, porcini mayo and chorizo. The chunks of potatoes were crisp and delicious although we did not notice the chorizo.
For dessert we had strawberry sorbet with pistachios and graham crackers with a light cheese cake mousse. It was great.We also had pineapple, caramel and pansies. This was the only dish that did not work.We had a glass of a Tokaji, a Hungarian dessert wine.
The staff at the restaurant were great. Friendly and accommodating which was really appreciated in a trendy NYC restaurant. When we told them that it was our 28th anniversary, they wrote it on the dessert. The meal was beautifully paced by the kitchen. The dishes are very small and the recommend 4 dishes per person but we were full with what we ate. We are not big eaters. Try Pearl & Ash for yourself.
Recently had a chance to go to Chicago. We ate at Howells and Hood. http://www.howellsandhood.com/ The food was really good. They also have lots of beer (114) on tap. I had porchetta (boneless pork shoulder) with pulled pork over wild rice, parsnip veggies with some fruit. The dish was fabulous and $24. Wow.
We went to Manhattan over the weekend to see a play, explore and eat. We saw And I and Silence by Naomi Wallace at the Signature Theater on 42nd street. Tickets are $25. The Signature theater is an amazing place. They have a new theater designed by Frank Gehry and they have several playwrights in residence each year. Ticket prices are subsidized by contributions. This year they are A R. Gurney and Naomi Wallace. I had never heard of her but she is has an interesting background and is also a poet. The play was absorbing and we enjoyed it.
We ate at Pearl & Ash on the lower east side on Bowery. http://www.pearlandash.com/ The restaurant is sleek and modern and serve small plates and has a fabulous wine list. The wines are mostly French and their are actually reasonably priced wines. We had a Burgundy from Irancy, a small appellation. We had a glass of wine from Irancy in Paris last fall and it was reasonable and very good. Lettie Teague recently mentioned it in an article recently in the WSJ. http://www.samachar.com/a-surprising-source-of-great-inexpensive-summer-reds-oh0dMIjajbe.html Just found this interesting article on Burgundy. http://rockssandfruit.blogspot.com/2014/03/an-offer-that-counters-wall-street.html
The wine we had was a 2011 Benoit Cantin from Irancy. The wine is 100% Pinot Noir and was $55. It was served too cold but we warmed it up and they decanted it which helped the process. The was balanced and subtle with complex flavors and decent fruit.
For dinner we shared a number of small plates. Bread with a mixture of butter, chicken fat and maple syrup. It was really good. We had trout with snap peas, peas shoots, brown butter and dill. We had flat iron steak with broccolini and chickpea tahini. It worked beautifully. We also had cod, coconut, thai basil and lemon grass. Also potatoes, porcini mayo and chorizo. The chunks of potatoes were crisp and delicious although we did not notice the chorizo.
For dessert we had strawberry sorbet with pistachios and graham crackers with a light cheese cake mousse. It was great.We also had pineapple, caramel and pansies. This was the only dish that did not work.We had a glass of a Tokaji, a Hungarian dessert wine.
The staff at the restaurant were great. Friendly and accommodating which was really appreciated in a trendy NYC restaurant. When we told them that it was our 28th anniversary, they wrote it on the dessert. The meal was beautifully paced by the kitchen. The dishes are very small and the recommend 4 dishes per person but we were full with what we ate. We are not big eaters. Try Pearl & Ash for yourself.
Recently had a chance to go to Chicago. We ate at Howells and Hood. http://www.howellsandhood.com/ The food was really good. They also have lots of beer (114) on tap. I had porchetta (boneless pork shoulder) with pulled pork over wild rice, parsnip veggies with some fruit. The dish was fabulous and $24. Wow.
My garden is doing great. We have had broccoli, eggplant , string beans, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.The eggplant has been great.
Wines
We have been drinking summer friendly wines aka low alcohol, lots of flavor.
Sparkling NV Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Le Mont Benoit Extra BrutChampagne Blend
8/8/2014 - I like this wine: 95 points
Let's face it, this is a very good Champagne and it tastes likes grapes. A big wine with lots of flavor, well balanced, oak and vanilla and a long finish. Complex with lots going on. Bought it in Lyon last year. would drink again. Drank with pork chops. Interesting blend of grapes.
Red 2011 Cave de Roquebrun Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du FrigouletRed Bordeaux Blend more MIght be a case of bottle consistency but this bottle was just OK. Had this wine before and it was better. Grapey with some off taste on the finish.
Red 2011 Benoit Cantin IrancyPinot Noir
8/10/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Drank at Pearl & Ash in NYC. $55. Started slowly as wine was too cold when presented. It was decanted and opened up slowly. I nice blend of terroir and some fruit; nicely balanced; drank with many small dishes and it was very good. Would drink again but Irancy wines can be hard to find.
White 2013 Valley Vineyards Chenin Blanc The RoyalSwartland
8/5/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
Great value. Good balanced white. Fruity not overly so. Will drink again.
White 2013 Ameztoi Getariako TxakolinaHondarrabi Zuri
8/3/2014 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit)
Enjoyed this wine. The light fizz is a bonus. Bone dry with clean flavor, light in body and alcohol. Drank with oysters and striped bass from NJ waters. Would drink again.
White 2011 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling KabinettMosel Saar Ruwer
8/3/2014 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit)
Agree with previous comment. Nothin special. Decent Riesling at a not so decent price. Good for a glass and then it got old. Lacking that pizzazz. Probably would not drink again.
White 2012 Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Lugny Les CharmesChardonnay
7/29/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
Good solid white Burgundy. It has not developed like NM has written. Good value. Goes well with fish. Would drink again.
Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir 2011
7/31/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points
Good wine;subtle but good flavor; medium bodied; drank easily; the bottle disappeared; drank with loin lamb chops; love PN with lamb;complex and just an excellent wine in an OK vintage in the Willamette Valley.Will drink again.
Red 2005 Guido Porro Barolo Vigna LazzairascoNebbiolo
8/1/2014 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit)
The wine was not singing tonight. Drank with fresh raviolis. It took a while to open up but still the alcohol predominated. Lots of sediment; probably would help to decanter; OK fruit but not completely balanced; I think that the wine is at its end; I would drink up!
Red 2012 Campogrande Cinque Terre RossoRed Blend
7/27/2014 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit)
Good fruit but lots of tannin, enjoyed with pizza; low alcohol 12.5%; drank easily on a summer's eve; will drink again. The type of wine we like but that is not that easy to find.
Rosé - Sparkling NV Philippe Prié Champagne Brut RoséChampagne Blend
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7/11/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit)
VG flavor, big wine for a rose Champagne, good structure, nice balance, will drink again.
White - Sparkling NV Scharffenberger Brut ExcellenceMendocino County Champagne Blend
7/25/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points
Decent sparkling wine with good flavor, nice fruit and acid, medium body. Some complexity but missing something. Would drink again.
Red 2011 Château Grange Cochard Morgon Côte du PyGamay
7/18/2014 - I like this wine: 92 point
VG good bottle; balanced and complex with great finish; fruit and terroir work well together; medium bodied with nice mouthfeel; enjoyed with raviolis and vegetables; will drink again; great flavor with relativley low alcohol!
Rosé 2013 Zenato Bardolino ChiarettoCorvina Blend, Corvina
7/21/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Medium bodied rose with good balance and nice fruit. Alcohol of 12.5% which is great. Packs lots of flavor. Paid $29 at Fornaletto at the Borgata AC. Cheapest wine on the big list. Drank with pasta with seafood in red sauce. Would drink again.
Red 2009 Ambra Carmignano Santa Cristina in PilliSangiovese Blend, Sangiovese
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7/7/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Good Sangiovese; fruit and acid, good balance, medium bodied., would drink again. Drank with pizza at Arturos.
Red 2011 Stephane Aviron Côte de Brouilly Vieilles VignesGamay
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7/13/2014 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit)
Very nice Beaujolais; fruity and light, balance with nice finish; drank with scallops and risotto; would drink again;
Red 2012 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
7/12/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
Best 2012 inexpensive Ore PN that I have tasted so far. Interesting fruit, tannins are balanced, medium bodied representative of the 2012 vintage, my only quibble is the finish; slightly sour and not the taste that you want to remember; will try again; the price is compelling.
White 2013 Valley Vineyards Chenin Blanc The RoyalSwartland
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7/9/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Great value. Good fruit and balanced acidity.
Rosé 2012 Château Montaud Côtes de Provence RoséRosé Blend
7/6/2014 - I wrote: 84 points (Edit)
Decent French rose, nothing special, clean taste, dry, low alcohol, Drank at the Borgata'a Italian restaurant for $28, cheapest on a good wine list. We enjoyed the bottle but their arer much better rose's out there.
White 2013 Ameztoi Getariako TxakolinaHondarrabi Zuri
7/7/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
Light, refreshing and some fizz; just enough fruit; a really good white wine; drank with grilled shrimp and paprika potatoes. Will drink again although not a cheap wine.
Red 2009 Barbet Saint-Amour Domaine des Billards Cuvée RéserveGamay
7/3/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit)
Medium bodied, still quite tannic but it opened up as we drank it; complex and subtle; an excellent Beaujolais, a serious wine, drank with grilled chicken; will drink again.
White - Sparkling NV Gruet Winery BrutNew Mexico Champagne Blend
7/5/2014 - I don't like this wine: 82 points (Edit)
Sweet finish, not much going on. I always wonder how to keep track of NV sparklers, when is there a new batch. Have had this wine before and this bottle was not very good.
Red 2012 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot NoirWillamette Valley
6/29/2014 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit)
Excellent wine; medium bodied with 14% alcohol but drinks easily; good fruit, complexity; an Oregon wine with a bit more fruit and body than usual; while 2012 vintage in Oregon has been highly touted, I have not been impressed with the inexpensive wines from that vintage; this wine while pricey is just a really good pinot noir that should develop over time. Drank with swordfish and scallops. Will drink again.
White - Sparkling NV Cave de L'aurance Crémant de BourgogneChampagne Blend
6/29/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Full bodied sparkling wine from France. Enjoyed the bottle as an apertif with some snacks. Fruity but real structure. Good value.
These wines are really good. See if you can find them locally. Cellartracker can help find them for you. WTSO is a really good site for Champagne. For some reason Champagne has gotten very expensive these days. Actually all wine prices are going up. It is tough to find a good bottle under $10 these days. I am spending $10 to $20 for most bottles these days. Anyway WTSO has very good prices when they list a Champagne. I bought the Philippe Prie Rose Champagne for $29 per bottle and their regular bottling for $23 per bottle.
For a real treat the NV Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Le Mont Benoit Extra Brut Champagne was fabulous. I bought it in Lyon last fall but it is available in NYC for about $60.
Enjoy!
Sunday, July 13, 2014
What is real food, wine and beer???
Real Food and Wine???
You can't miss articles about real food. The farm to table movement, organic food, natural food etc. Same things goes for wine and beer. I have written about ingredients in wine and how there are no rules or laws regarding putting ingredients on labels. See my 9/21/2013 post.
For years I thought that nitrates were bad for you so I bought bacon without nitrates. Now it turns out that nitrates are not so bad and bacon without nitrates actually has nitrates. It confusing but bottom line, eat bacon in moderation if you like it. In fact take some whole wheat toast, bacon, lettuce, a little mayo and some NJ tomatoes and make yourself a BLT. Simple and yummy.
Beer
Have you noticed lately that beers are beginning to be made in place other than where they started. Check out Beck's beer. A German beer, right? However I guess it was bought by the company that owns Anheiser Busch. Look at a Beck's bottle closely and you will see it is made in St Louis. The bottle says in big letters "originated in Bremen, Germany" and in small letters "product of the USA" "St Louis, Mo.". Check out this article. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer
How about Bass Ale. Look at the bottle. Brewed by William Bass and Co's, Baldwinsville, NY. A good English ale! If you look at the boxes they come in it is almost impossible to tell where they are made.
If I told you that Chateau Lafite Rothchild is now made with grapes grown in NJ would it still be Lafite Rothchild. I always thought that the water is what gives a beer a special flavor. Newark always had lots of breweries since it had good water.
Beer made in places other where it originated just doesn't cut it with me. I'm sure there are many other examples of these types of foods. Italian cheeses made in Wisconsin. Can't the folks in Wisconsin give the cheeses a new original name. Brie comes from France, not Wisconsin. Champagne has gone to great lengths to protect their name. Champagne is sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Can you believe that there are still several very cheaply made American sparkling stuff that have been grandfathered and can still use the name Champagne in their cheap stuff. I think Andre is one.
I am not sure where to draw the line with food and drink. I was in Whole Foods the other day looking for ricotta cheese. As I mentioned last time, I have noticed lately that most ricotta cheeses have all types of additives like guar gum and other stuff. Polly-o is a big offender. In Whole Foods they have their 365 brand that says it is made from milk that does not have Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone with a note that says ' The FDA has said that no significant difference has been shown and no test can now distinguish between milk from RBGH treated and untreated cows." Yet the Whole Foods ricotta has all kinds of additives not necessary for ricotta. Ricotta only needs milk, vinegar and salt. So which is better for you a cheese with no RBGH or one with no additives. Of course we would like to have both but???
Wine
This summer I have been checking out low alcohol wines and coming up with some winners.
2012 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
7/12/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points
Best 2012 inexpensive Ore PN that I have tasted so far. Interesting fruit, tannins are balanced, medium bodied representative of the 2012 vintage, my only quibble is the finish; slightly sour and not the taste that you want to remember; will try again; the price is compelling.
White 2013 Valley Vineyards Chenin Blanc The RoyalSwartland
7/9/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Great value. Good fruit and balanced acidity.
Rosé 2012 Château Montaud Côtes de Provence Rosé
7/6/2014 - I wrote: 84 points
Decent French rose, nothing special, clean taste, dry, low alcohol, Drank at the Borgata'a Italian restaurant for $28, cheapest on a good wine list. We enjoyed the bottle but their arer much better rose's out there.
White 2013 Ameztoi Getariako TxakolinaHondarrabi Zuri
7/7/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points
Light, refreshing and some fizz; just enough fruit; a really good white wine; drank with grilled shrimp and paprika potatoes. Wiil drink again although not a cheap wine.
Red 2009 Barbet Saint-Amour Domaine des Billards Cuvée RéserveGamay
7/3/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Medium bodied, still quite tannic but it opened up as we drank it; complex and subtle; an excellent Beaujolais, a serious wine, drank with grilled chicken; will drink again.
All of these wines are low in alcohol but big in flavor.
I made my first cherry tart last week and mys second tonight. Almond paste lattice with traditional pie crust and fresh sour cherries pitted by my wife.
Friends came over recently. Grilled swordfish, scallop[s., eggplant and asparagus over risotto. All NJ except for the rice.
We visited Atlantic City again last week. The Borgata was great as always. They had a sand sculpture contest on the beach and the results are fascinating.
You can't miss articles about real food. The farm to table movement, organic food, natural food etc. Same things goes for wine and beer. I have written about ingredients in wine and how there are no rules or laws regarding putting ingredients on labels. See my 9/21/2013 post.
For years I thought that nitrates were bad for you so I bought bacon without nitrates. Now it turns out that nitrates are not so bad and bacon without nitrates actually has nitrates. It confusing but bottom line, eat bacon in moderation if you like it. In fact take some whole wheat toast, bacon, lettuce, a little mayo and some NJ tomatoes and make yourself a BLT. Simple and yummy.
Beer
Have you noticed lately that beers are beginning to be made in place other than where they started. Check out Beck's beer. A German beer, right? However I guess it was bought by the company that owns Anheiser Busch. Look at a Beck's bottle closely and you will see it is made in St Louis. The bottle says in big letters "originated in Bremen, Germany" and in small letters "product of the USA" "St Louis, Mo.". Check out this article. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer
How about Bass Ale. Look at the bottle. Brewed by William Bass and Co's, Baldwinsville, NY. A good English ale! If you look at the boxes they come in it is almost impossible to tell where they are made.
If I told you that Chateau Lafite Rothchild is now made with grapes grown in NJ would it still be Lafite Rothchild. I always thought that the water is what gives a beer a special flavor. Newark always had lots of breweries since it had good water.
Beer made in places other where it originated just doesn't cut it with me. I'm sure there are many other examples of these types of foods. Italian cheeses made in Wisconsin. Can't the folks in Wisconsin give the cheeses a new original name. Brie comes from France, not Wisconsin. Champagne has gone to great lengths to protect their name. Champagne is sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Can you believe that there are still several very cheaply made American sparkling stuff that have been grandfathered and can still use the name Champagne in their cheap stuff. I think Andre is one.
I am not sure where to draw the line with food and drink. I was in Whole Foods the other day looking for ricotta cheese. As I mentioned last time, I have noticed lately that most ricotta cheeses have all types of additives like guar gum and other stuff. Polly-o is a big offender. In Whole Foods they have their 365 brand that says it is made from milk that does not have Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone with a note that says ' The FDA has said that no significant difference has been shown and no test can now distinguish between milk from RBGH treated and untreated cows." Yet the Whole Foods ricotta has all kinds of additives not necessary for ricotta. Ricotta only needs milk, vinegar and salt. So which is better for you a cheese with no RBGH or one with no additives. Of course we would like to have both but???
Wine
This summer I have been checking out low alcohol wines and coming up with some winners.
2012 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
7/12/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points
Best 2012 inexpensive Ore PN that I have tasted so far. Interesting fruit, tannins are balanced, medium bodied representative of the 2012 vintage, my only quibble is the finish; slightly sour and not the taste that you want to remember; will try again; the price is compelling.
White 2013 Valley Vineyards Chenin Blanc The RoyalSwartland
7/9/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Great value. Good fruit and balanced acidity.
Rosé 2012 Château Montaud Côtes de Provence Rosé
7/6/2014 - I wrote: 84 points
Decent French rose, nothing special, clean taste, dry, low alcohol, Drank at the Borgata'a Italian restaurant for $28, cheapest on a good wine list. We enjoyed the bottle but their arer much better rose's out there.
White 2013 Ameztoi Getariako TxakolinaHondarrabi Zuri
7/7/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points
Light, refreshing and some fizz; just enough fruit; a really good white wine; drank with grilled shrimp and paprika potatoes. Wiil drink again although not a cheap wine.
Red 2009 Barbet Saint-Amour Domaine des Billards Cuvée RéserveGamay
7/3/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Medium bodied, still quite tannic but it opened up as we drank it; complex and subtle; an excellent Beaujolais, a serious wine, drank with grilled chicken; will drink again.
All of these wines are low in alcohol but big in flavor.
I made my first cherry tart last week and mys second tonight. Almond paste lattice with traditional pie crust and fresh sour cherries pitted by my wife.
Enjoy.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Summer Eating
Summer is here and fresh, local food choices abound. I am lucky to have 2 excellent farmer's markets close by. Saturdays its Montclair, NJ and Sundays its Summit, NJ. This time of year in this area there are interesting food choices. Strawberries, cherries, blueberries., lettuces, kale, kohlrobi, tatsoi, aspargus and broccoli are just some of the local produce that I have bought recently. The Summit market now has a mushroom guy with all types of mushrooms that he grows.
The Montclair market also has a stand for the Montclair Bread http://montclairbread.com/. Thier ancient grains bread is awesome; my son can't stop eating it. Their store is on Walnut Street, down the block from the market.
I am awaiting the arrival of sour cherries. Their short season make my cherry tarts special.
My garden is also starting to produce veggies. No tomatoes yet.
What to do with all of this food?
I made broccoli and ricotta raviolis and shitake mushroom and ricotta raviolis. Interesting note, read the ingredients in ricotta cheese. Many brands including Polly-o have all kinds of additives. I currently use Biazzo, http://www.biazzo.com/index.htm which has only milk, vinegar and salt.
While on the topic of ingredients, we are on the lookout for high fructose corn syrup. Apparently it is not healthy and not necessary. The fact that so many products have it as an ingredient is surprising. Even hamburger buns can have it. Try buying foods without it.
We love ice cream. Turkey Hill makes a line of all natural ice creams. They are very good and guess what, they have cream. milk, sugar and flavoring. You would hard pressed to find any other ice cream that is make so simply and is reasonably priced. Watch it actually melt. Many ice creams don't melt because of all of the additives. Also ice cream is sold by liquid volume. So a serving of one ice cream is totally different from another brand. It makes comparison tough. For example, Haagen Daz ice cream is denser than many other brands and so has twice the weight per serving than other brands.Thus it does not much more cholesterol and fat than other ice creams, it just weighs more. BTW look at the labels of some ice cream flavors of the major brands. The are called dairy desserts not ice creams. They have whey and apparently under FDA rules are not ice cream.
This week the NY Times came out with their ultimate ice cream recipe. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/dining/the-only-ice-cream-recipe-youll-ever-need.html?hpw&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0 They use egg yolks as the basis for their ice cream. I have not yet tried their method. Egg yolks do add lots of cholesterol to the ice cream.
But we digress. The raviolis were great and I made a light tomato sauce of garlic and San Marzano tomatoes and some mushrooms. If you want to make ravioli and other fresh pasta, a pasta machine is helpful. The machines are not expensive, around $50 and they are hand operated. Making fresh pasta is really quite easy. The basic recipe is eggs and flour.
I found dry sprouted lentils at Costco. They cook in 6 minutes and stay firm, which we like. I sauteed onions and mushrooms in olive oil and then added the cooked lentils. I then sauteed some kale and grilled asparagus with olive oil and salt. I then pan seared NJ scallops and placed them over the lentils and veggies. Yum!
Blueberries are in season. I make a blueberry coffee cake which is easy and delicious. If you want the recipe, let me know.
I also recently made a vanilla cake with strawberries and chocolate. I sliced 2 vanilla cake layers into 4 layers. I then put chocolate mousse between the layers with sliced fresh strawberries. I then frosted the cake with a dark chocolate ganache. Topped with some whole strawberries.A yummy but elegant cake. If you would like any of the recipes, let me know.
Wines
Summer calls for lighter wines, not necessarily fruitier. Cavas, Beaujolais', Barberas, Sancerres, Verdelhos, are just a few of the white and red wines that are great in the summer.
2009 Piatelli Vineyards Trinità Grand ReserveLujan de Cuyo Malbec Blend, Malbec
6/6/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points
Interesting blend of Malbec, cabernet sauvignon andd merlot. A bit disjointed but lots of fruit with some tannin,. Could use more structure. Drank in a Scottsdale restaurant with wahoo.(others had steak). $60 on wine list. Probably would not drink again. There are better Argentinian Malbec blends.
White 2011 Concha y Toro Sauvignon Blanc Terrunyo Los Boldos Vineyard Block 5Casablanca Valley
6/4/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Nice grassy sauvignon blanc. Nice fruit, light bodied. Drank with wahoo. Drank in Scottsdale restaurant $45 on wine list. Would drink again.
White 2010 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay
6/6/2014 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit)
I agree with a prior comment. This wine has consistency problems. I had to return some bottles to the winery due to lots of sediment in the bottles. I asked if their were problems with this vintage and they did not admit to any.
This bottle was good but not up to other Chalone vintages. Oak and fruit not fully integrated yet. Drank with salmon and lentils.
White 2011 Jermann Vinnaioli Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT
6/1/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
Excellent white wine. A pinot grigio with flavor; good fruit and acid; drank with flounder and clams; would drink again; not an inexpensive wine but it drinks nicely;
Red 2011 Cave de Roquebrun Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du FrigouletRed Bordeaux Blend 5/31/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Funky but good funky, fruit and complexity, surprised us, not sure of the grape; great value, lots of flavor; would drink again.
2005 Ridge GeyservilleSonoma County Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel
5/31/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit)
VG Zin blend with some age to it. Surprised with some complexity and excellent balance. Fruit, terroir and just a good drinking wine. Not sure it has much development left. Drank with london broil. Would drink again.
White - Sparkling 2010 Michel Olivier Crémant de Limoux Blanc de Blancs BrutChardonnay
5/30/2014 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit)
Drank at a restaurant at the Borgata in AC. $31 on the wine list. It was clean tasting with OK fruit but on the sweet side. I would not drink again.
Red 2005 Château BernadotteHaut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
5/23/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Balanced; drinking great; good fruit and nice finish; nice complexity; low alcohol; bought more at WL sale; will drink again.
White 2010 Gilbert Picq Chablis Vieilles VignesChardonnay
5/21/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
This wine has come around. Drinking great , balanced with that extra one gets from an aged chardonnay. Not a classic Chablis but a very good wine. If I had more, I'd drink more.
White - Sparkling 2007 Domaine Carneros BrutChampagne Blend
5/23/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Nice sparkling wine; big flavor with nice medium body; dry finish; drank with lobster; would drink again.
White - Sweet/Dessert 2007 Maculan TorcolatoBreganze White Blend
5/22/2014 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit)
Great dessert wine; enjoyed at restaurant in Baltimore; complex; nice acid and fruit; ate with semifreddo. Would drink again.
Red 2009 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir LaurèneDundee Hills
5/22/2014 - I wrote: 87 points (Edit)
I tend to love DD wines. This one did nothing for me; thin and tasted like alcohol. Drank in restaurant in Baltimore. I am having issues with the alcohol in wine.
Red 2007 Col SolareColumbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
5/22/2014 - I wrote: 87 points (Edit)
Drank at a restaurant in Baltimore; Wine did nothing for me; cannot expalin the rave reviews; high alcohol and some fruit;
Red 2009 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Le PetitPessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
5/16/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
I like this wine; good complexity; it opened slowly; tasted with some big wines and this showed well; enjoyed; would drink again.
Red 2011 Domaine Hubert Lapierre Chénas Vieilles VignesGamay
5/21/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
Good cru beaujolais; a little disjointed but nice bouquet and good fruit; good medium bodied wine; love those old vines. would drink again.
Red 2011 Château Grange Cochard Morgon Côte du PyGamay
5/14/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
This bottle tasted tart; good body and nice bouquet; will drink alot more of this.
Red 2009 Château Les Grands MaréchauxBlaye Côtes de Bordeaux Red Bordeaux Blend
5/22/2014 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit)
Alcohol dominates; some fruit; I seem to have different impression of this wine each time I taste it; I admit I have become very sensitive to high alcohol wine; this is 14.5%. Good mouthfeel and nice body, not mcuh bouquet.
Red 2012 Château Pesquié Côtes du Ventoux TerrassesRed Rhone Blend
5/15/2014 - I wrote: flawed (Edit)
Not awful but wine tasted disjointed and had a bad finish.
Red 2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Premiere Napa ValleyStags Leap District
5/16/2014 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit)
Nice bouquet but I could not get over the alcohol; found it very hot and no real complexity; maybe an off -night for my palate but at 15.2 alcohol, I think not; wine needs more body since in tastes thin; would not drink again although I would be curious to taste other CL wines; Drank at a tasting in Baltimore.
White - Sparkling NV Vins El Cep Cava Kila BrutWhite Blend
5/13/2014 - I like this wine: 87 points (Edit)
Excellent cava; fruity; crisp. Great value for under $8. Way to go Jorge Ordonez.
Red 2006 Château La Grâce Dieu Les MenutsSt. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend
5/12/2014 - I don't like this wine: 78 points (Edit)
Not a good wine. Disjointed.
White 2012 Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Lugny Les CharmesChardonnay
5/11/2014 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit)
Medium weight with acid but could use a bit more fruit. Still a vg bargain and good white Burgundy. Drank with flounder and clams. Will drink again.
Enjoy.
The Montclair market also has a stand for the Montclair Bread http://montclairbread.com/. Thier ancient grains bread is awesome; my son can't stop eating it. Their store is on Walnut Street, down the block from the market.
I am awaiting the arrival of sour cherries. Their short season make my cherry tarts special.
My garden is also starting to produce veggies. No tomatoes yet.
What to do with all of this food?
I made broccoli and ricotta raviolis and shitake mushroom and ricotta raviolis. Interesting note, read the ingredients in ricotta cheese. Many brands including Polly-o have all kinds of additives. I currently use Biazzo, http://www.biazzo.com/index.htm which has only milk, vinegar and salt.
While on the topic of ingredients, we are on the lookout for high fructose corn syrup. Apparently it is not healthy and not necessary. The fact that so many products have it as an ingredient is surprising. Even hamburger buns can have it. Try buying foods without it.
We love ice cream. Turkey Hill makes a line of all natural ice creams. They are very good and guess what, they have cream. milk, sugar and flavoring. You would hard pressed to find any other ice cream that is make so simply and is reasonably priced. Watch it actually melt. Many ice creams don't melt because of all of the additives. Also ice cream is sold by liquid volume. So a serving of one ice cream is totally different from another brand. It makes comparison tough. For example, Haagen Daz ice cream is denser than many other brands and so has twice the weight per serving than other brands.Thus it does not much more cholesterol and fat than other ice creams, it just weighs more. BTW look at the labels of some ice cream flavors of the major brands. The are called dairy desserts not ice creams. They have whey and apparently under FDA rules are not ice cream.
This week the NY Times came out with their ultimate ice cream recipe. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/dining/the-only-ice-cream-recipe-youll-ever-need.html?hpw&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0 They use egg yolks as the basis for their ice cream. I have not yet tried their method. Egg yolks do add lots of cholesterol to the ice cream.
But we digress. The raviolis were great and I made a light tomato sauce of garlic and San Marzano tomatoes and some mushrooms. If you want to make ravioli and other fresh pasta, a pasta machine is helpful. The machines are not expensive, around $50 and they are hand operated. Making fresh pasta is really quite easy. The basic recipe is eggs and flour.
I found dry sprouted lentils at Costco. They cook in 6 minutes and stay firm, which we like. I sauteed onions and mushrooms in olive oil and then added the cooked lentils. I then sauteed some kale and grilled asparagus with olive oil and salt. I then pan seared NJ scallops and placed them over the lentils and veggies. Yum!
Blueberries are in season. I make a blueberry coffee cake which is easy and delicious. If you want the recipe, let me know.
I also recently made a vanilla cake with strawberries and chocolate. I sliced 2 vanilla cake layers into 4 layers. I then put chocolate mousse between the layers with sliced fresh strawberries. I then frosted the cake with a dark chocolate ganache. Topped with some whole strawberries.A yummy but elegant cake. If you would like any of the recipes, let me know.
Wines
Summer calls for lighter wines, not necessarily fruitier. Cavas, Beaujolais', Barberas, Sancerres, Verdelhos, are just a few of the white and red wines that are great in the summer.
6/6/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points
Interesting blend of Malbec, cabernet sauvignon andd merlot. A bit disjointed but lots of fruit with some tannin,. Could use more structure. Drank in a Scottsdale restaurant with wahoo.(others had steak). $60 on wine list. Probably would not drink again. There are better Argentinian Malbec blends.
White 2011 Concha y Toro Sauvignon Blanc Terrunyo Los Boldos Vineyard Block 5Casablanca Valley
6/4/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Nice grassy sauvignon blanc. Nice fruit, light bodied. Drank with wahoo. Drank in Scottsdale restaurant $45 on wine list. Would drink again.
White 2010 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay
6/6/2014 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit)
I agree with a prior comment. This wine has consistency problems. I had to return some bottles to the winery due to lots of sediment in the bottles. I asked if their were problems with this vintage and they did not admit to any.
This bottle was good but not up to other Chalone vintages. Oak and fruit not fully integrated yet. Drank with salmon and lentils.
White 2011 Jermann Vinnaioli Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT
6/1/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
Excellent white wine. A pinot grigio with flavor; good fruit and acid; drank with flounder and clams; would drink again; not an inexpensive wine but it drinks nicely;
Red 2011 Cave de Roquebrun Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du FrigouletRed Bordeaux Blend 5/31/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Funky but good funky, fruit and complexity, surprised us, not sure of the grape; great value, lots of flavor; would drink again.
2005 Ridge GeyservilleSonoma County Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel
5/31/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit)
VG Zin blend with some age to it. Surprised with some complexity and excellent balance. Fruit, terroir and just a good drinking wine. Not sure it has much development left. Drank with london broil. Would drink again.
White - Sparkling 2010 Michel Olivier Crémant de Limoux Blanc de Blancs BrutChardonnay
5/30/2014 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit)
Drank at a restaurant at the Borgata in AC. $31 on the wine list. It was clean tasting with OK fruit but on the sweet side. I would not drink again.
Red 2005 Château BernadotteHaut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
5/23/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Balanced; drinking great; good fruit and nice finish; nice complexity; low alcohol; bought more at WL sale; will drink again.
White 2010 Gilbert Picq Chablis Vieilles VignesChardonnay
5/21/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
This wine has come around. Drinking great , balanced with that extra one gets from an aged chardonnay. Not a classic Chablis but a very good wine. If I had more, I'd drink more.
White - Sparkling 2007 Domaine Carneros BrutChampagne Blend
5/23/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Nice sparkling wine; big flavor with nice medium body; dry finish; drank with lobster; would drink again.
White - Sweet/Dessert 2007 Maculan TorcolatoBreganze White Blend
5/22/2014 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit)
Great dessert wine; enjoyed at restaurant in Baltimore; complex; nice acid and fruit; ate with semifreddo. Would drink again.
Red 2009 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir LaurèneDundee Hills
5/22/2014 - I wrote: 87 points (Edit)
I tend to love DD wines. This one did nothing for me; thin and tasted like alcohol. Drank in restaurant in Baltimore. I am having issues with the alcohol in wine.
Red 2007 Col SolareColumbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
5/22/2014 - I wrote: 87 points (Edit)
Drank at a restaurant in Baltimore; Wine did nothing for me; cannot expalin the rave reviews; high alcohol and some fruit;
Red 2009 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Le PetitPessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
5/16/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
I like this wine; good complexity; it opened slowly; tasted with some big wines and this showed well; enjoyed; would drink again.
Red 2011 Domaine Hubert Lapierre Chénas Vieilles VignesGamay
5/21/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
Good cru beaujolais; a little disjointed but nice bouquet and good fruit; good medium bodied wine; love those old vines. would drink again.
Red 2011 Château Grange Cochard Morgon Côte du PyGamay
5/14/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
This bottle tasted tart; good body and nice bouquet; will drink alot more of this.
Red 2009 Château Les Grands MaréchauxBlaye Côtes de Bordeaux Red Bordeaux Blend
5/22/2014 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit)
Alcohol dominates; some fruit; I seem to have different impression of this wine each time I taste it; I admit I have become very sensitive to high alcohol wine; this is 14.5%. Good mouthfeel and nice body, not mcuh bouquet.
Red 2012 Château Pesquié Côtes du Ventoux TerrassesRed Rhone Blend
5/15/2014 - I wrote: flawed (Edit)
Not awful but wine tasted disjointed and had a bad finish.
Red 2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Premiere Napa ValleyStags Leap District
5/16/2014 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit)
Nice bouquet but I could not get over the alcohol; found it very hot and no real complexity; maybe an off -night for my palate but at 15.2 alcohol, I think not; wine needs more body since in tastes thin; would not drink again although I would be curious to taste other CL wines; Drank at a tasting in Baltimore.
White - Sparkling NV Vins El Cep Cava Kila BrutWhite Blend
5/13/2014 - I like this wine: 87 points (Edit)
Excellent cava; fruity; crisp. Great value for under $8. Way to go Jorge Ordonez.
Red 2006 Château La Grâce Dieu Les MenutsSt. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend
5/12/2014 - I don't like this wine: 78 points (Edit)
Not a good wine. Disjointed.
White 2012 Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Lugny Les CharmesChardonnay
5/11/2014 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit)
Medium weight with acid but could use a bit more fruit. Still a vg bargain and good white Burgundy. Drank with flounder and clams. Will drink again.
Enjoy.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Beaujolais, Vegetable Garden, Scottsdale, Atlantic City
Vegetable Garden
Our garden is starting to take off. My wife and son have put a great deal of work into it. Our potato plants are amazing. We have never grown potatoes before. They are Yukon Golds. We also have lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, herbs and lots of other veggies.
A package in Whole Foods. What does 76% organic mean exactly?
Welcome to Anguilla for all of you "Resident Non-belongers".
Atlantic City. Can you drink on the beach or not?
Scottsdale, Arizona
Some restaurants of interest.
Sassi
http://www.sassi.biz/ Had a good meal here. Italian, a beautiful restaurant and the the prices are moderate as they have special dinners and special pricing for wines. We had a Chalone Estate Pinot Noir for $29.
Deseo
http://kierlandresort.com/fine-dining-at-scottsdale-restaurants/deseo-nuevo-latino-cuisine/
A Nuevo Latino restaurant in the Westin Kierland Resort. Beautiful space and good fish. We had cerviche, wahoo and halibut and and an awesome dessert. Wines were from South America and were reasonable and good.
Atlantic City
The Borgata is still doing great. They have opened a dessert place that has some good stuff at reasonable prices. Izakawa their Japanese place has special deals on Mondays and the food is really good. Small plates ranging from Sushi to grilled chicken skewers and lobster fritters.
Beaujolais
The Wine Library had a seminar on Cru Beaujolais wines. David Bowler http://www.bowlerwine.com/site/about spoke to the group. He is a wine importer and distributor with his own company.. We tasted 4 wines and I enjoyed them all. As you know I really like the serious wines coming out of the Beaujolais region these days. The wines are high in flavor and low in alcohol. We tasted:
2012 Beaujolais Blanc from Jean-Paul Brun, Terres Dorees Clean and fruity with good acid and no oak.
a 2012 Moulin a Vent from Jean-Paul Brun,Terres Dorees Complex but light with good fruit.
a 2011Morgon Javernieres Cote du Py Funky bouquet but smooth and fruity with good structure.
2011 BarbetSaint Amour "Domaine des Billards" A superb wine with complexity and medium bodied.
All the wines were different but they were just good drinking wines and low in alcohol. The range in price from $14 for the white to around $28 for the Moulin a Vent.
We are thinking of going to Montreal in the next few weeks. Have not been their in years. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Enjoy.
Our garden is starting to take off. My wife and son have put a great deal of work into it. Our potato plants are amazing. We have never grown potatoes before. They are Yukon Golds. We also have lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, herbs and lots of other veggies.
I have taken pictures of a few signs and packages in my recent travels that you might find of interest.
Scottsdale, Arizona
Some restaurants of interest.
Sassi
http://www.sassi.biz/ Had a good meal here. Italian, a beautiful restaurant and the the prices are moderate as they have special dinners and special pricing for wines. We had a Chalone Estate Pinot Noir for $29.
Deseo
http://kierlandresort.com/fine-dining-at-scottsdale-restaurants/deseo-nuevo-latino-cuisine/
A Nuevo Latino restaurant in the Westin Kierland Resort. Beautiful space and good fish. We had cerviche, wahoo and halibut and and an awesome dessert. Wines were from South America and were reasonable and good.
Atlantic City
The Borgata is still doing great. They have opened a dessert place that has some good stuff at reasonable prices. Izakawa their Japanese place has special deals on Mondays and the food is really good. Small plates ranging from Sushi to grilled chicken skewers and lobster fritters.
Beaujolais
The Wine Library had a seminar on Cru Beaujolais wines. David Bowler http://www.bowlerwine.com/site/about spoke to the group. He is a wine importer and distributor with his own company.. We tasted 4 wines and I enjoyed them all. As you know I really like the serious wines coming out of the Beaujolais region these days. The wines are high in flavor and low in alcohol. We tasted:
2012 Beaujolais Blanc from Jean-Paul Brun, Terres Dorees Clean and fruity with good acid and no oak.
a 2012 Moulin a Vent from Jean-Paul Brun,Terres Dorees Complex but light with good fruit.
a 2011Morgon Javernieres Cote du Py Funky bouquet but smooth and fruity with good structure.
2011 BarbetSaint Amour "Domaine des Billards" A superb wine with complexity and medium bodied.
All the wines were different but they were just good drinking wines and low in alcohol. The range in price from $14 for the white to around $28 for the Moulin a Vent.
We are thinking of going to Montreal in the next few weeks. Have not been their in years. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Enjoy.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Anguilla - CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa; Violet with Sutton Foster
Anguilla
Just returned from Anguilla. We stayed at the CuisinArt Resort.http://www.cuisinartresort.com/index.php?catID=33 We had a great time. The weather was perfect. 80's and no rain. We had some amazingly clear days.We booked the trip through Luxury Link.luxurylink.com . Everything was handled well and we had a very nice package that included full breakfast, 2 messages and a dinner at Santorini, which was close to $200 without wine.
The picture of the beach says it all. The swimming was great, water temperature was perfect and there were some small waves to keep you awake. The hotel provides chairs, umbrellas and water. The beach attendents are helpful. They have small sailboats to use and one of the beach staffers took me out for a ride one day.
Bankie Banx,http://www.bankiebanx.net/ the Anguilla reggae legend has his bar and restaurant 100 yards down the beach.
We did not have a drink there but people seemed to enjoy the place and Bankie is a character. Just be careful if you go since the prices can be steep and Bankie charges a cover charges at times.
The food at the hotel was very good. They have a new chef and they have a hydroponic greenhouse where vegetables are grown. We ate at the main restaurant the Bistro at Santorini. We were very impressed. We had poached lobster and red snapper. The flavors were subtle and the presentation stunning. The salads are not to be missed. Lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers from their greenhouse.
Dessert was awesome. We had mango soup that was jelled and a passion fruit complex dessert plate. Also had a chocolate dessert (above) another night.They then had small after dessert chocolates and jellies. Then the waitress told us about their ice creams so she brought out a chocolate and caramel scoops. The chocolate was really good. The restaurant is not cheap but none of the restaurants on the island are cheap and I doubt that any top Santorini. They have a very big wine list that is expensive. You can find some wines in the $40 to $50 range. They had a Hugel dry riesling that we enjoyed at the manager's cocktail party. I was impressed that they served good wines at the Manager's party.
The room was large and well set out. The view from the room wasn't bad. The beach was 30 feet straight ahead.
The hotel has a beach grill where they grill lobsters and fish. They don't highlight the grill but is a bargain for Anguilla. Lobster was $25 per pound. My wife and I shared a 2 lb. lobster for lunch. Yummy.
Another place to eat for lunch is the Sunshine Shack. It is on the beach in the opposite direction from Bankie's. Great ribs and chicken for a reasonable price. The plated the food nicely and they have no electricity.
The hotel has a golf course which was fun to play. The views were great. I had the course to myself. They have a driving range which is free to guests of the hotel. The provide clubs as well.
Another good restaurant on the island is E's Oven. A small local spot off the main road. Reasonable and good with some interesting fish.
BTW we tried to eat at one of our favorite restaurants On Da Rocks again for the weekend special of $5 crayfish.. Strangely, it seemed empty. We sat down and ordered beers. Then the waitress came over and told us it would be 30 minutes until the fisherman came with crayfish. By this time we were familiar with island time. After 30 minutes I asked the waitress if there was any progress. She said no. We paid and left. I think that they have new ownership. The place just seems different.
Recent Wines
2010 Château de RicaudBordeaux Supérieur Red Bordeaux Blend
5/3/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Good solid 2010 Bordeaux. Paid $14 in Anguilla. Fruity almost grapey but good balance and medium bodied. Enjoyed and would drink again. An excellent value. There is some confusion on this wine. A wine with the same name was reviewed by the WS but it states that the appellation was Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux. The wine I had was Bordeaux Superieur. WS review was 91.
Rosé 2013 Château Sainte Roseline Côtes de Provence Cru Classé Lampe de MeduseCinsault
5/8/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Bought at wine shop in Anguilla for $25; complex rose with mdeium body and good flavor; dry and drinks easily, would drink again.
White - Sparkling NV Jacques Cartier BrutFrance White Blend
5/8/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Drank at restaurant in Anguilla with fish; $59 on wine list; $40 in local store; yeasty, lots of flavor; enjoyed; will drink again depending on price in US;
Red 2013 Tiburzi Montefalco Colle ScancellatoSangiovese Blend, Sangiovese
5/7/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
VG fruity but with tannin wine; great value; recommended by DiPalo; 13% alcohol; would drink again; drank with pizza and salad but would drink with any meal.
White 2013 Valley Vineyards Chenin Blanc The RoyalSwartland
4/30/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (
Fruity white but good acidity and some complexity; great for the price or any price;refreshing wine drank with salmon.
White 2012 Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc Sonoma Countymore
4/30/2014 - I wrote: 83 points
ot my cup fo wine; oaky and not balanced; did not enjoy; will not drink again.
Red 2008 The Winemakers' Collection Stephane Derenoncourt Cuvée No. 4 Château d'ArsacHaut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
4/29/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Good bouquet; nice medium bodied wine; good fruit with balance and complexity; For an 08 Bordeaux, not bad. Enjoyed the bottle and will drink again
Red 2011 Cardwell Hill Cellars Pinot Noir Estate BottledWillamette Valley
4/25/2014 - I don't like this wine: 83 points
We are fed up with the WS reviews of Oregon PN's. This wine is not a good wine. Light, no finish, not much fruit, just no characteristics of a good wine; If a reviewer is looking for PN that is not a fruit bomb but not a good wine, then this is it, WS had the same problem with A to Z. I have no problem with a reviewer being partial to certain types of wine but the WS reviewers aim for impartiality. There is no way that their score on this wine is comparable to scores of other wines from other areas. Avoid this wine. If you need recommendations on some good wines of this ilk, drop me a note. Try a 2011 Cru Beaujolais, preferably old vines.
Red 2010 Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir Limited release Founder's Club
4/27/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Good wine with fruit and acid; high in alcohol which I think generates some the spiciness; not as complex as I would like; drank with lamb chops;will drink again but I think one can get more flavor and complexity from some lower alcohol PN's.
Red 2008 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private ReserveNapa Valley
4/26/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Tough wine; good flavor but so high in alcohol, 15.1%; a 3 person bottle; some complexity, not totally balanced; good mouthfeel; drank with veal chops; you want to drink more but you can't because it is so big; we can appreciate the wine but not our favorite; what is the purpose of wine; what role does it play in a meal? Should we try to be impartial or should we have a bias when we review a wine; do wine writers consider whether one can drink several glasses of a wine when the write glowing reviews after 1 sip?
Red 2003 Château MonbousquetSt. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend
4/19/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Nice bouquet, good color, medium bodied with vg mouthfeel; nice balance although it it could have had a bit more fruit; drank with a steak; wine needed some oomph but overall lots of flavor in a 13% alcohol wine; would drink again.
White 2008 Melville Chardonnay EstateSta. Rita Hills
4/18/2014 - I like this wine: 93 points
VG white wine; Oak was beautifully integrated with the fruit; great balance and complex; nice nose and beautiful color - golden; only downside is very high alcohol of 14.9%; enjoyed wine with lobster tails; would drink again; the wine has aged well;
Red 2005 Château LarrivauxHaut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
4/18/2014 - I wrote: 84 points
OK this time; not much fruit just some character. I have had very inconsistent bottles of this wine. I have 1 more bottle to drink.
Red 2012 Meiomi Pinot Noir MeiomiCalifornia
4/16/2014 - I wrote: 88 points (Edit)
OK wine but no pizzaz; fruity with some acid; drinks easily but not what I want from a PN; medium bodied but lacks complexity. would not go out of my way to drink again.
Red 2011 Continuum Proprietary RedNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
4/16/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Wine has potential; somewhat delicate for a Napa cab; 2011 was an interesting year w/o superripe fruit; good fruit but still somewhat disjointed especially on the finish; would try again;
Red 2012 YasoSpain Tempranillo
4/16/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Nice wine; not heavy good fruit with some terroir; will try again; WA 93 is somewhat over the top but a great value at Costco for $10.
Red 2010 Domaine Chante Cigale Châteauneuf-du-PapeRed Rhone Blend
4/16/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
Interesting wine; nice fruit, some funk, complex, medium bodied with nice mouthfeel; drank with rack of lamb; would drink again;
Red 2012 Bergström Pinot Noir Gregory RanchYamhill-Carlton
4/16/2014 - I like this wine:
Nice Oregon PN; was expecting more from this 2012 vintage; good medium bodied with some fruit but the wine did not come together; Have had some other 2012 PN's from Willamette Valley and this was not as good. Would try again.
Red 2010 Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia SassicaiaRed
4/15/2014 - I like this wine: 94 points (Edit)
Delicate, complex wine. Good flavor, still needs some time for balance. Enjoyed with rack of lamb.
Red 2011 Château Grange Cochard Morgon Côte du PyGamay
4/13/2014 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit)
This wine rocks. Tastes like a vg Burgundy PN. Delicate fruit with nice tannin and structure; beautiful bouquet; medium bodied and just a great balanced wine; A top Oregon wine could taste like this; will drink again; not a cheap wine but worth the price; 2011 was a vg year in some of the Cru Beajolais'.
Red 2005 Ferrari-Carano Prevail West FaceAlexander Valley Red Blend
4/11/2014 - I like this wine: 87 points (Edit)
Wine has seen better days but we have been drinking half bottles; lots of sediment and a bit grapey; nice bouquet; drink up.
Rosé 2013 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Édition RoséDundee Hills
4/12/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Nice rose of Pinot Noir; maybe could have a bit more acidity; wine drinks very smooth; medium bodied wine with nice fruit but dry; Not a light wine; beautiful color and decent bouquet; will drink again; DDO makes really nice wines.
Red 2008 Americo Dão Nunes SeabraTouriga Nacional
4/5/2014 - I don't like this wine: 80 points (Edit)
Rough; not sure about the reviews; will not try again/
White - Sparkling NV Berberana Brut Bodegas BerberanaSpain Champagne Blend
4/10/2014 - I wrote: 84 points
OK cava. Drank with bbq ribs. Could be fresher.
Red 2007 Mauro Molino BaroloNebbiolo
4/11/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit)
Big wine; high alcohol 15%; good mouth feel, medium bodied but somewhat
Violet; Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster is back on Broadway in Violet. http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/Violet.aspx?gclid=COP7t6-mqr4CFaNj7Aod-EcArw Offbeat, good music,entertaining, a must for Sutton Foster fans such as myself. Check it out.
My garden is planted. We will see how things progress. The Summit Farmer's Market is back on Sunday's. Fiiish! We had tuna, clams and flounder this week. Heaven, I'm in Heaven.
Enjoy.
Just returned from Anguilla. We stayed at the CuisinArt Resort.http://www.cuisinartresort.com/index.php?catID=33 We had a great time. The weather was perfect. 80's and no rain. We had some amazingly clear days.We booked the trip through Luxury Link.luxurylink.com . Everything was handled well and we had a very nice package that included full breakfast, 2 messages and a dinner at Santorini, which was close to $200 without wine.
Bankie Banx,http://www.bankiebanx.net/ the Anguilla reggae legend has his bar and restaurant 100 yards down the beach.
The food at the hotel was very good. They have a new chef and they have a hydroponic greenhouse where vegetables are grown. We ate at the main restaurant the Bistro at Santorini. We were very impressed. We had poached lobster and red snapper. The flavors were subtle and the presentation stunning. The salads are not to be missed. Lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers from their greenhouse.
Dessert was awesome. We had mango soup that was jelled and a passion fruit complex dessert plate. Also had a chocolate dessert (above) another night.They then had small after dessert chocolates and jellies. Then the waitress told us about their ice creams so she brought out a chocolate and caramel scoops. The chocolate was really good. The restaurant is not cheap but none of the restaurants on the island are cheap and I doubt that any top Santorini. They have a very big wine list that is expensive. You can find some wines in the $40 to $50 range. They had a Hugel dry riesling that we enjoyed at the manager's cocktail party. I was impressed that they served good wines at the Manager's party.
The hotel has a golf course which was fun to play. The views were great. I had the course to myself. They have a driving range which is free to guests of the hotel. The provide clubs as well.
BTW we tried to eat at one of our favorite restaurants On Da Rocks again for the weekend special of $5 crayfish.. Strangely, it seemed empty. We sat down and ordered beers. Then the waitress came over and told us it would be 30 minutes until the fisherman came with crayfish. By this time we were familiar with island time. After 30 minutes I asked the waitress if there was any progress. She said no. We paid and left. I think that they have new ownership. The place just seems different.
Recent Wines
2010 Château de RicaudBordeaux Supérieur Red Bordeaux Blend
5/3/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Good solid 2010 Bordeaux. Paid $14 in Anguilla. Fruity almost grapey but good balance and medium bodied. Enjoyed and would drink again. An excellent value. There is some confusion on this wine. A wine with the same name was reviewed by the WS but it states that the appellation was Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux. The wine I had was Bordeaux Superieur. WS review was 91.
Rosé 2013 Château Sainte Roseline Côtes de Provence Cru Classé Lampe de MeduseCinsault
5/8/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Bought at wine shop in Anguilla for $25; complex rose with mdeium body and good flavor; dry and drinks easily, would drink again.
White - Sparkling NV Jacques Cartier BrutFrance White Blend
5/8/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Drank at restaurant in Anguilla with fish; $59 on wine list; $40 in local store; yeasty, lots of flavor; enjoyed; will drink again depending on price in US;
Red 2013 Tiburzi Montefalco Colle ScancellatoSangiovese Blend, Sangiovese
5/7/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
VG fruity but with tannin wine; great value; recommended by DiPalo; 13% alcohol; would drink again; drank with pizza and salad but would drink with any meal.
White 2013 Valley Vineyards Chenin Blanc The RoyalSwartland
4/30/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (
Fruity white but good acidity and some complexity; great for the price or any price;refreshing wine drank with salmon.
White 2012 Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc Sonoma Countymore
4/30/2014 - I wrote: 83 points
ot my cup fo wine; oaky and not balanced; did not enjoy; will not drink again.
Red 2008 The Winemakers' Collection Stephane Derenoncourt Cuvée No. 4 Château d'ArsacHaut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
4/29/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Good bouquet; nice medium bodied wine; good fruit with balance and complexity; For an 08 Bordeaux, not bad. Enjoyed the bottle and will drink again
Red 2011 Cardwell Hill Cellars Pinot Noir Estate BottledWillamette Valley
4/25/2014 - I don't like this wine: 83 points
We are fed up with the WS reviews of Oregon PN's. This wine is not a good wine. Light, no finish, not much fruit, just no characteristics of a good wine; If a reviewer is looking for PN that is not a fruit bomb but not a good wine, then this is it, WS had the same problem with A to Z. I have no problem with a reviewer being partial to certain types of wine but the WS reviewers aim for impartiality. There is no way that their score on this wine is comparable to scores of other wines from other areas. Avoid this wine. If you need recommendations on some good wines of this ilk, drop me a note. Try a 2011 Cru Beaujolais, preferably old vines.
Red 2010 Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir Limited release Founder's Club
4/27/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Good wine with fruit and acid; high in alcohol which I think generates some the spiciness; not as complex as I would like; drank with lamb chops;will drink again but I think one can get more flavor and complexity from some lower alcohol PN's.
Red 2008 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private ReserveNapa Valley
4/26/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Tough wine; good flavor but so high in alcohol, 15.1%; a 3 person bottle; some complexity, not totally balanced; good mouthfeel; drank with veal chops; you want to drink more but you can't because it is so big; we can appreciate the wine but not our favorite; what is the purpose of wine; what role does it play in a meal? Should we try to be impartial or should we have a bias when we review a wine; do wine writers consider whether one can drink several glasses of a wine when the write glowing reviews after 1 sip?
Red 2003 Château MonbousquetSt. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend
4/19/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Nice bouquet, good color, medium bodied with vg mouthfeel; nice balance although it it could have had a bit more fruit; drank with a steak; wine needed some oomph but overall lots of flavor in a 13% alcohol wine; would drink again.
White 2008 Melville Chardonnay EstateSta. Rita Hills
4/18/2014 - I like this wine: 93 points
VG white wine; Oak was beautifully integrated with the fruit; great balance and complex; nice nose and beautiful color - golden; only downside is very high alcohol of 14.9%; enjoyed wine with lobster tails; would drink again; the wine has aged well;
Red 2005 Château LarrivauxHaut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
4/18/2014 - I wrote: 84 points
OK this time; not much fruit just some character. I have had very inconsistent bottles of this wine. I have 1 more bottle to drink.
Red 2012 Meiomi Pinot Noir MeiomiCalifornia
4/16/2014 - I wrote: 88 points (Edit)
OK wine but no pizzaz; fruity with some acid; drinks easily but not what I want from a PN; medium bodied but lacks complexity. would not go out of my way to drink again.
Red 2011 Continuum Proprietary RedNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
4/16/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Wine has potential; somewhat delicate for a Napa cab; 2011 was an interesting year w/o superripe fruit; good fruit but still somewhat disjointed especially on the finish; would try again;
Red 2012 YasoSpain Tempranillo
4/16/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Nice wine; not heavy good fruit with some terroir; will try again; WA 93 is somewhat over the top but a great value at Costco for $10.
Red 2010 Domaine Chante Cigale Châteauneuf-du-PapeRed Rhone Blend
4/16/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
Interesting wine; nice fruit, some funk, complex, medium bodied with nice mouthfeel; drank with rack of lamb; would drink again;
Red 2012 Bergström Pinot Noir Gregory RanchYamhill-Carlton
4/16/2014 - I like this wine:
Nice Oregon PN; was expecting more from this 2012 vintage; good medium bodied with some fruit but the wine did not come together; Have had some other 2012 PN's from Willamette Valley and this was not as good. Would try again.
Red 2010 Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia SassicaiaRed
4/15/2014 - I like this wine: 94 points (Edit)
Delicate, complex wine. Good flavor, still needs some time for balance. Enjoyed with rack of lamb.
Red 2011 Château Grange Cochard Morgon Côte du PyGamay
4/13/2014 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit)
This wine rocks. Tastes like a vg Burgundy PN. Delicate fruit with nice tannin and structure; beautiful bouquet; medium bodied and just a great balanced wine; A top Oregon wine could taste like this; will drink again; not a cheap wine but worth the price; 2011 was a vg year in some of the Cru Beajolais'.
Red 2005 Ferrari-Carano Prevail West FaceAlexander Valley Red Blend
4/11/2014 - I like this wine: 87 points (Edit)
Wine has seen better days but we have been drinking half bottles; lots of sediment and a bit grapey; nice bouquet; drink up.
Rosé 2013 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Édition RoséDundee Hills
4/12/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Nice rose of Pinot Noir; maybe could have a bit more acidity; wine drinks very smooth; medium bodied wine with nice fruit but dry; Not a light wine; beautiful color and decent bouquet; will drink again; DDO makes really nice wines.
Red 2008 Americo Dão Nunes SeabraTouriga Nacional
4/5/2014 - I don't like this wine: 80 points (Edit)
Rough; not sure about the reviews; will not try again/
White - Sparkling NV Berberana Brut Bodegas BerberanaSpain Champagne Blend
4/10/2014 - I wrote: 84 points
OK cava. Drank with bbq ribs. Could be fresher.
Red 2007 Mauro Molino BaroloNebbiolo
4/11/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit)
Big wine; high alcohol 15%; good mouth feel, medium bodied but somewhat
Violet; Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster is back on Broadway in Violet. http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/Violet.aspx?gclid=COP7t6-mqr4CFaNj7Aod-EcArw Offbeat, good music,entertaining, a must for Sutton Foster fans such as myself. Check it out.
My garden is planted. We will see how things progress. The Summit Farmer's Market is back on Sunday's. Fiiish! We had tuna, clams and flounder this week. Heaven, I'm in Heaven.
Enjoy.
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