tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45886507857049622702024-03-13T12:48:29.009-05:00From the GuttHonest talk about food and wineAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-43251399352732437952014-08-26T18:53:00.001-05:002014-08-26T18:53:39.315-05:00Here's to you, GrantAlthough I wasn't close friends with Grant Gordon, I felt like I knew him before we ever met. A close friend of mine, who knew Grant from their college days, talked about his good buddy who was a chef and happened to work at Cyrus in Healdsburg, California. Cyrus was one of my favorite restaurants in Sonoma County, and when my wife and I went the next time, I got to know Grant over a lobster dish he had made, even though we didn't meet that day. Perfectly cooked and sauced lobster is not something I take lightly, and I was keen to know the man behind the plate. When Grant came back to Houston, he transformed my expectations for Houston restaurants by his work at Tony's. But I'm getting ahead of myself.<br />
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My friend kept telling me Grant and I should meet. It finally happened in June 2011. My friend called me a few days before and said, hey, let's get together this Sunday, and I'll bring Grant. It's hard to remember the exact details of that first meeting years ago now -- I made Robuchon-inspired eggs en cocotte with mushroom cream but was disappointed because I couldn't find the smoked duck I wanted to use as the bed for the eggs and pissed because I had overcooked the eggs. Then we proceeded to march through bottles of California Pinot Noir and eat until dusk set in, and we wondered where the day had gone. The afternoon was seamless, full of talk about and passion for food and wine. Grant impressed me with his philosophy on food, which was classically driven, thoughtful, and devoid of autocracy that is so common. He spoke about wanting to learn more about wine, which he felt would enhance his ability to craft menus and create new dishes.<br />
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That day convinced my wife and I that we couldn't miss out on going to Tony's for even one more week; Grant made the reservation. On Friday night, my wife and I went in for nothing short of the best kid-glove treatment -- and if you've been to Tony's, you know when they lay it on that thick, it's impossible to resist. But I have two indelible memories from that meal. First, it was head-and-shoulders the best I have had in Houston. The command of technique and quality Grant showed made me rethink what the ceiling for the Houston food scene might be. Second, I learned what a kind, humble person Grant was. Before the meal, he came to the table to present an amuse bouche. It was his interpretation of the eggs en cocotte I had made so clumsily that past Sunday. What arrived was monumental: a sous vide egg in truffle cream over duck confit, topped with a mountain foie gras, shaved at the table in sumptuously theatrical fashion. I can close my eyes today and still see and taste it, the greatest dish I've ever eaten in Houston. The richness, undercut just slightly by piquant and pungent notes in the truffle cream. The pillow of foie. This wasn't luxury for the sake of luxury; this combination <i>made sense</i>, but it would have failed were it not for meticulous execution. My wife and I looked at one another and just started giggling. It was stunning:<br />
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But here was the trick with that dish. A lot of chefs, driven by ego and vanity, would have made this gesture as a way of subtly saying "leave it to the professionals, buddy," a game of one-upsmanship that you were willing to ignore because it tasted so blasted good. But with Grant? There wasn't even a hint of that. This was a genuine way of saying, "Thanks for the wine on Sunday." He was just returning the favor, like any friend would, and you could feel that.<br />
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Before Grant left Tony's, we returned a couple more times. I remained constantly impressed with his adherence to technique, precision, and consistency, something I've found lacking in many kitchens in Houston and too-often ignored by the food scene. Grant was the closest thing to a classical chef we had in the crop of up-and-coming talent here. I firmly believe he was the best chef working in this city, period.<br />
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A year or so later, we had a long conversation about sauces and how important they were in enhancing a dish. It was the same day we talked about a thoughtful, well-executed tasting menu being the pinnacle of a chef's narrative voice. At one point, Grant said something along the lines of, "Wouldn't you love some sweetbreads right now?" And he proceeded to call a stream of grocery stores and restaurants, trying to track down somewhere in Houston that would have sweetbreads on a random Monday. We ended up at Brasserie Max and Julie, only to find out they had sold out of sweetbreads moments before. But it didn't matter. It was an evening full of passionate food and wine. It was an evening full of memories, which is what defines the best shared tables. I don't know how sweetbreads came up, but Grant's infectious love for food -- his ability to be a world class chef yet not have a single ounce of pretension in him -- is something I will never forget. Almost as great a hallmark as his talent in the kitchen was his unbridled, boyish openness and zest for food, regardless of borders.<br />
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Grant's thirst for new food and experiences was infectious, and he wanted to share them. He forced me to go to Himalaya as soon as he heard I had never been. He took me on my first trip to Mala Sichuan. I recommended the gyros at Al's Quick Stop to him, then bumped into him there only a few days later. That lust for new food experiences never waned. It's difficult to grapple with news of his death, given the memories he helped make.<br />
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It's numbing to think I'll never share a table with Grant again, but I also won't forget what a privilege it was to share a table with him at all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-30176902274966037222013-03-09T10:38:00.002-06:002013-03-09T10:43:18.909-06:00The improbable genius of 6-minute microwave browniesThere's a recipe making the Internet rounds these days for <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/6-Minute-Microwave-Brownies/" target="_blank">6-minute brownies</a> cooked in the microwave. When it comes to cooking, taking shortcuts in many instances is an invitation to disaster generally, but disaster always seems particularly imminent when it comes to involving the microwave. Microwave cookbooks are largely (and rightly) banished to their fate as garage sale novelties and used bookstore castoffs.<br />
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At the same times, there's just something about brownies. They might be near the top of the dessert throne, in part because they're so simple: a handful of ingredients, stirred until just combined, but maddeningly difficult to get to come out perfectly. There has to be just that balance between goo and bite. Even most professional bakeries crank out dry, listless, not chocolatey-enough brownies and try to mask their flaws with toppings like frosting or cream cheese.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The paste-like batter for 6-minute microwave brownies.</td></tr>
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This is where the appeal of six-minute brownies comes. They're seductively easy and eliminate the normal brownie wait of 35 or 45 minutes of baking. Impulse indulgence, with little mess. <i>This</i> is America. But a microwave couldn't possibly be the source of moist, tasty brownies. Could it? But what's the worst that could happen? A tragic loss of 12 tablespoons of butter, sure, but maybe ten minutes of your life? Minimal risk considering the delicious jackpot of the potential reward.<br />
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Here's the bottom line: the recipe is legit. There's a genius about it. The amount of butter and sugar gives the batter a consistency similar to paste. This high moisture content guards against drying out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little Blue Bell vanilla. Served hot. Six minutes to heaven.</td></tr>
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There are, however, two important refinements to take when making these miracle brownies. First, use an 8x8 pan. This further protects the edges from drying out. Second, the recipe does not call for salt. Use some -- a quarter or half teaspoon should suffice. But without it, the chocolate will seem dull.<br />
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The end result is a fast and indulgent dessert that is made to accompany Blue Bell ice cream.<br />
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It's pretty darn tasty indeed. But, as the final line of the recipe suggests, these brownies are best served warm. Once they hit room temperature, the edges do show signs of drying out. The next day, while the flavor is still good -- how could that much butter result in full flavor betrayal? -- the texture is less compelling.<br />
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So are microwaves completely useless as a primary method of cooking? Quite possibly. Because these brownies might be the exception that proves the rule. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-40866385069471270142013-01-04T12:19:00.001-06:002013-01-04T13:42:51.539-06:0020 Things Everyone Thinks About Houston Food (But Nobody Will Say)The <a href="http://firstwefeast.com/eat/" target="_blank">"Eat" section of First We Feast</a> recently published a list of of things <a href="http://firstwefeast.com/eat/20-things-everyone-thinks-about-the-food-world-but-nobody-will-say/s/29176/" target="_blank">everybody knows about food</a> but up until then people have been afraid to say. This spawned interesting debate on Twitter, including the question of what a Houston things-nobody-will-say list might look like. With all the biases inherent in a single viewpoint, here's a stab at it. This is not meant to be an end unto itself; it's a starting point to stimulate discussion about a few areas where Houston could use some honest talk.<br />
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<b>1. Houston hasn't yet reached adolescence in its development as a food city.</b><br />
Close your eyes and think about Houston restaurants ten years ago. What was hot and exciting? Don't remember? What were the hot openings? Who's left? Mark's, Da Marco, Tony's, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Brennan's, Hugo's, Backstreet Cafe? Yes. They truck along and do so brilliantly. The larger point is that Houston has barely begun to expand beyond a handful of establishments that are interesting. But it's easy to get carried away and think, "Houston has arrived!" If you think that, however, it'll be gone in a flash, and you'll have never gotten there. Transforming Houston into a really meaningful culinary destination will take a lot of time. Don't jump to the conclusion because it's way more fun to enjoy the ride. Think about it. Houston had maybe a dozen really notable restaurant openings last year. In the San Francisco area? They're talking about ten <a href="http://sf.eater.com/archives/2013/01/02/the_bay_area_rings_in.php" target="_blank"><i>this month</i></a>. It'll be fun to watch Houston grow into a city like that.<br />
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<b>2. Money talks.</b><br />
The big money being spent on dining out in Houston still flows from the expense account/oil and gas sector. Hipsters and fadists are on the cutting edge, but they generally don't have the means to sustain institutions or trends. There's a reason why certain restaurants stay in business. People vote with their wallets and, bottom line, this is something you can't forget. Eating out is fundamentally a consumer product, and those with the bucks can be king-makers. So it's important to have a big-tent theory of food and bring everyone into the flow so the city can sustain the best restaurants.<br />
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<b>3. Institutions matter.</b><br />
This notion is linked to everything on this list. Think of any great culinary city, and you can instantly name institutions, restaurants you can't imagine the city without. New York and Peter Luger Steakhouse or the Carnegie Deli. Paris with Taillevent and Latour d'Argent. They don't have to be the <i>best</i> places, necessarily. But they've been there and done that for a very long time, and by and large they do it well. That matters -- because you can't live on constant innovation alone. You need to find and embrace as a city the restaurants that will become reasons for people to visit. These are restaurants that become part of the city's fabric.<br />
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<b>4. Houston does have good barbecue.</b><br />
This is one of those things people like to fight about because the amount of contested ground is so slim. Barbecue is like Tex-Mex or hamburgers or pizza. It's something whose inherent qualities are so good that, even when it's mediocre, it's pretty darn good. Gatlin's is good. Goode Company is good. You don't have to drive into Lockhart to get a fix on some nice smoked meat. It's fun to talk about what's better or best. But with something as joyously delicious as barbecue, there's no reason to go apoplectic over comparatively small degrees of separation. <br />
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<b>5. Houston needs more good "daily" restaurants to form a culinary backbone. </b><br />
Restaurant across the city in 2012 were events. There was a proliferation of places that, over time, could become flagship restaurants of a great food city. But great food cities need infrastructure in the form of tasty, serviceable, and simple neighborhood restaurants. These places don't require a reservation. They aren't see-or-be-seen establishments. They aren't a big production. They're comfortable. They cultivate clientele. They make you feel at home, whether you come in for a glass of wine and an appetizer or stop in late for a night cap or dessert. In short, the city needs more places like Poscol.<br />
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<b>6. Food trucks are nice, but they don't compete with restaurants.</b><br />
There's some quality stuff coming off of food trucks. But, on the whole, food trucks are more like diners or dive bars than they are trend setters. Sure, there are exceptions to every rule, but it's instructive to look at how notable food trucks like the Eatsie Boys and Modular are turning to traditional restaurant models for long-term success. This isn't about city propane regulations or anything else. Food trucks are an inherently limited medium. Good Dog Hot Dogs and Bernie's Burger Bus are delicious, and it's great to see an increase in the number of places where you can find good food carefully prepared. There's a role for food trucks to play, but they're not a threat to the traditional restaurant -- they're a complement.<br />
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<b>7. Houston's ethnic restaurants are some of the best in the United States.</b><br />
This is possibly the least controversial statement here. The breadth and quality of Houston's ethnic restaurants, particularly with Asian cuisines, is astounding. Food has a remarkable quality of allowing you to travel while staying put, and Houston does an admirable job of this. Keep spreading the word.<br />
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<b>8. Most people don't understand tasting menus.</b><br />
The current <a href="http://eater.com/archives/2013/01/04/tasting-menu-backlash.php" target="_blank">"backlash" against tasting menus</a> seems like manufactured drama, though a kernel of truth lurks there. That's because so many consumers and, more importantly, chefs don't understand what a tasting menu is all about. Tasting menus are the ultimate, novelistic test of chefs: Can they create a cohesive, meaningful narrative, skillfully executed over a set number of courses that fills up a diner to just the right level -- full but not overly so. Thoughtful tasting menus take you on a culinary journey; they aren't just a restaurant's greatest hits or a mish-mash of unrelated dishes. They have form. This is a common misunderstanding, and sloppy execution of tasting menus causes frustration and unfulfillment. But the highest culinary highs come from such menus, so it's worth learning about them and seeking out fine examples of them.<br />
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<b>9. Da Marco, Mark's, and Tony's still define "fine dining" in Houston.</b><br />
They're here. They're successful. They've done it for a long time. They might not always be on the cutting edge of innovation -- although the exceptionally talented Grant Gordon at Tony's contradicts that statement -- but they do it well, and they will keep doing it. These are important restaurants, and just because they aren't as trendy with the foodie crowd as they once were doesn't mean they're devoid of influence. This is the level the hot new restaurants of 2012 should aspire to become. <br />
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<b>10. Underbelly does not tell the story of Houston food.</b><br />
Underbelly is a terrific addition to the Houston food scene. Chris Shepherd is a fun chef who has admirable passion that normally translates to the plate. But Underbelly does not tell the story of Houston food, and more importantly it does not have to. To think that a single establishment could articulate the diversity found across this mammoth city is shooting for the impossible at best and arrogant at worst. If it were possible, it would mean our city's food scene is far too limited. It's not the job of one restaurant to encompass all of Houston, and no restaurant can do it. <b> </b><br />
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<b>11. Houston needs more good sommeliers.</b><br />
Great restaurant cities have numerous restaurants that provide a complete dining experience. An important part of that experience is having a sommelier who can provide beverages that enhance every dish you eat. The best example in Houston of a complete sommelier who provides a 360-degree experience for his guests is Sean Beck at Backstreet Cafe and Hugo's. He's unpretentious yet knowledgeable. He stays in tune with the customer's taste. He knows his menus and wine lists backwards and forwards, so he can be sure his recommendations go with the food. There are always interesting and unexpected wines, thoughtfully chosen and not haphazardly selected for their esoteric qualities, on the list. This is what you would expect of any sommelier at a minimum, yet so rarely find in Houston. At the same time, he also has an obsession with ensuring guest experiences are as good as they can be. This is how valuable a good sommelier can be. Houston restaurants should take note.<br />
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<b>12. Fawning over obscure drinks masks true and thorough knowledge of wine, beers, and spirits.</b><br />
Forget piling a dozen sherries on your wine list. Forget trying to dazzle customers with wines you've never heard of but whose presence on the wine list are to show off what a geek you purport to be. Just as developing into a great restaurant city takes years of hard work and lots of sweat, so does becoming a sommelier or skilled mixologist. This doesn't happen overnight, and there's no substitute for the hard work that comes in gaining the depth of knowledge of Houston's great sommeliers like the crew on the floor at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. There is great virtue in getting a handle on all the fundamentals before forging into the esoteric. Too frequently these days, however, Houston restaurants feature odd wines and beers and spirits simply because of their novelty, and it comes off as an attempt to cover up a lack of genuine knowledge. Booze is fun. Take the time to learn it in-depth and provide customers the best experience possible.<br />
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<b>13. Service at restaurants needs drastic improvement.</b><br />
Even in the best restaurants in Houston, you can't assume you'll receive skilled service. Walk into any very good restaurant, and you are quite likely to be the recipient of service foibles, such as food coming out incorrectly or at the wrong time or getting your meals while waiting on silverware. Like all things restaurant, cultivating a serious culture of service and staffing it with professionally minded individuals is a monumental task. But a world class restaurant city cannot fall down on something as important as service, and nothing spoils a good meal faster than crummy service.<br />
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<b>14. Houston is at a precarious time in its restaurant growth. </b><br />
Don't buy your own press. Don't live in a bubble. The way you achieve greatness is by constantly striving toward perfection that, in almost every instance, you will not achieve. Houston's food scene has shown a <a href="http://fromthegutt.blogspot.com/2012/03/houston-we-have-problem-with-criticism.html" target="_blank">dangerous proclivity</a> toward bullying those who criticize and buying its own self-created hype. That's not the thing to do. Be proud of what the city achieves, but always strive to be better. Houston is still but a glimmer on the national map. It's a growing glimmer, but one that could be gone in the blink of an eye without ceaseless dedication to improvement, learning, and creativity.<br />
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<b>15. Houston is insecure about the status of its restaurant and food scene.</b><br />
Keeping an insulated community, buying your own press, and having an immature reaction to criticism are hallmarks of insecurity. Remember when Houston hosted the Super Bowl? There were so many big showings of how great and cosmopolitan Houston was. Cities that are great and cosmopolitan don't have to go out of their way to tell you that. They're confident in it. Houston needs to learn that. The acceptance the city craves so much will come with hard work. The dining scene here isn't as exciting as San Francisco or New York. But it's more exciting than ever. Enjoy that and keep focused on reaching the point where it can play with the big boys.<br />
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<b>16. Central Market is better than any farmers' market in town.</b><br />
The proliferation of farmers' markets over the past five years is a great development, in particular because it has consumers focused on quality first. But the simple truth is that Houston and its surrounding area aren't an agricultural green belt like the Midwest or California, and it's a challenge to find really good quality ingredients. Central Market, however, provides a reliable source of very good produce and other ingredients. An important part of sourcing ingredients, for any cook, is finding products of consistent quality. This isn't to say farmers markets are bad. They're awesome. But Central Market is the most reliable source in town. <br />
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<b>17. BYOB should be standard.</b><br />
This transcends Houston, but great food cities embrace wine and beer as much as possible, and BYOB should be allowed at the discretion of every restaurant. It's an incentive for people to eat out more. Arguments that BYOB is a threat to restaurants that serve wine, beer, and spirits have no merit. Look no further than cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The sad thing is that Houston's and Texas's alcohol wholesale, retail, and distribution networks are near-monopolies that are bad for consumers, and this extends to the choices restaurant patrons find on most wine lists and in BYOB prohibitions.<br />
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<b>18. A sustainable food scene cannot be based on trends or fads alone.</b><br />
You see it if you follow the club scene -- Richmond strip to Midtown to Washington Avenue. Trendy restaurant-goers are the same. They hit the Next Big Thing in droves, then move on. Fads and trends are fickle by definition and are no way to build long-term success. At some point, Alinea in Chicago will not be considered avant-garde. There is a process of natural selection for restaurants, and at some point, you have to begin building a canon of bedrock institutions. Remember that Chumbawumba was popular once. The hope is for exciting new restaurants to open every year in Houston, but just because something is new does not mean it's better.<br />
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<b>19. Longevity matters.</b><br />
This is closely related to No. 18. Remember in April 2011 when the <i>Houston Press</i> pronounced Stella Sola, open about a year, a <a href="http://www.houstonpress.com/2011-04-28/restaurants/stellar-stella/" target="_blank">Heights "institution"?</a> Yet, only a year later, Stella Sola closed with no fanfare or farewell party. Meanwhile, unheralded-but-delicious neighborhood joint Glass Wall across the street trucks along to packed crowds. Running a restaurant is a business, and regardless of how cool or fun or interesting what you're doing is, making it work is essential. So before pronouncing Oxheart or Uchi or Underbelly or The Pass the new standard-bearer of all things Houston food, remember to add "potential" in front of all that. Because it only matters if they can do it over time. This is one part of what makes places like Brennan's so important.<br />
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<b>20. If it plays its cards right, Houston can become a nationally relevant, vibrant restaurant town for decades.</b><br />
One of the great characteristics of Houston as a city is that it is swift to embrace success. You can make a name for yourself on your own merits here more easily than in other cities, and that's an admirable quality. As a result, having open arms is in some ways already inherent to Houston's culture. Fostering success and driving competition to push the good to very good and the very good to great are what will propel Houston to the next level. So much of the food and restaurant scene today is concerned with sustainability -- from green architecture to sources of ingredients. But another type of sustainability -- of talent, creativity, and a drive for success -- are essential for Houston to reach its full potential.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-14338144427291310472012-10-18T16:57:00.000-05:002012-10-18T16:57:53.482-05:00Does every palate matter?<div style="text-align: justify;">
At a recent dinner with several Houston-area wine bloggers, an interesting aphorism came up: Every palate matters. Does that hold when it comes to opinions about wine? As with almost anything, the answer is somewhere in the middle, but overall the notion that every wine drinker's palate matters is a valuable concept.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What wines go off in your head like a light bulb?</td></tr>
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The easiest way to understand that is to concede that we live in the information age -- or at least during an epoch in which information, its volume, and its accessibility are of central importance to our society. Indeed, the very notion that more-is-better when it comes to information seems to be hardening into theorem. Setting aside the need to sort through various degrees of how reliable that information is, there is undeniably something appealing about the information economy. You can crystallize this in a way easily understood during this election season: we like polls because they let us know with a reasonable certainty what likely would happen were voting to take place on any given day. The more data a poll has, in theory, the more accurate it is. And the same is true for this information society. Dump everything into a central input -- the Internet, broadly speaking -- and you're going to get an increasingly accurate read on things the more good information you include.</div>
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Obviously, the paragraph above is an over-simplification. As acknowledged, it doesn't account for bad or blatantly misleading or false information. (One might argue the Internet excels at the blatantly false.) But drilling down on this idea a bit further reveals that it is useful. We like to rely on experts in this country; you might argue we're obsessed with doing so -- in politics, when it comes to advice on parenting, in litigation, in almost <i>every</i> life situation you'll find an expert telling you what to do. What you don't often get, however, is a meaningful glimpse of the raw data that lie behind the opinion. And that's where the pure-democracy free-for-all of the Internet is such fun and holds so much potential.</div>
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To bring the focus back to wine, you can readily see how the proliferation of information enhances and frames expert opinions. Many wine consumers are familiar with the 100-point-scale of ratings employed by <a href="https://www.erobertparker.com/entrance.aspx" target="_blank">Robert Parker's <i>Wine Advocate</i></a> and the <a href="http://www.winespectator.com/" target="_blank"><i>Wine Spectator</i></a>. And a portion of those consumers are <a href="http://www.scorevolution.com/#" target="_blank">lashing back</a> against the "tyranny" of slapping a purportedly objective number on wine, a beverage lauded for its nuance and singularity of expression. Of course it's silly to think that anything as subjective as wine could be reduced to a number. It's also silly to think that an "expert" taster's opinion, such as that of Robert Parker or James Laube or James Suckling, should be given dictatorial deference. Each of them is, however skilled, just one taster. And it is the Internet and the ease with which it allows information proliferation that has enabled consumers to make terrific inroads against this tyranny of experts in the wine industry.</div>
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The best example of this <a href="https://www.cellartracker.com/intro.asp" target="_blank">CellarTracker</a>, Eric Levine's invaluable web-based wine software. (Though it is worth noting that bulletin boards such as <a href="http://www.wineberserkers.com/content/" target="_blank">Wine Berserkers</a> -- although not Parker's miserable online forum -- are also worthy venues.) Apart from being an intuitive and comprehensive tool for managing your wine cellar, CellarTracker allows user to post public tasting notes, and it has become the single finest repository of data on individual wines in the world. It also tethers in various expert reviews -- either automatically, in the case of the <i>International Wine Cellar</i>, <i>Burghound</i>, and others -- or via manual input for Parker and <i>Spectator</i>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riesling at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas is one of life's pure pleasures.</td></tr>
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To understand why this is part of CellarTracker's genius, you have to understand generally why wine tasting notes matter. Rarely do two wine drinkers' palates mesh perfectly, if at all. As a result, when you read a tasting note, you have to calibrate your own palate to that of the writer. One person's "black cherry" might be another person's "blackberry." One person's perception of sweetness or tannin might differ dramatically from that of another. When widely available tasting notes were relegated to a handful of critics, it was difficult to calibrate your palate to that of a critic (not to mention the lingering fear that disagreeing with a critic's expert assessment might make you "wrong") because drinking a wine and comparing it to a single, fleeting tasting note is perversely inexact. Believe it or not, critics like Robert Parker get wines wrong; they have off days; they don't like certain wines or styles. These are biases inherent in every wine drinker, so the margin for error with fewer voices in the tasting note chorus is much greater.</div>
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CellarTracker, however, provides more data points for wine drinkers than ever before and, as a result, makes this "palate calibration" easier because the amount of data significantly reduces the prospects that information about the wine will be an outlier. (Naturally, when CellarTracker has fewer data on a wine, the less reliable it is.) The net result is that wine drinkers win because there is a more transparent, democratic community. Expansive forums like CellarTracker also enhance the usefulness of professional critics by giving them greater context -- it's easier to see when they get wines wrong or how they compare to someone whose palate coincides more closely with yours. This helps break down a lot of the old snobbery that has intimidated people from appreciating wine and have remained obstacles for too long. And, yes, it also means that every palate matters.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-48895714296465325352012-10-06T11:43:00.000-05:002012-10-06T11:44:24.827-05:00How much money is wine worth?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How much is that wine in your glass worth? Seriously. Cover up the label. Wipe away the memory of what you paid for it. What is it worth to you? If only it were that simple. From the objective standpoint of pure dollars, wine is grotesquely overpriced. Wine costs, roughly, between 20 cents an ounce (for a $5 bottle) and $100 (or more) an ounce. To put that in context, organic milk at Central Market costs roughly 4 cents an ounce. Fancy bottled water might run as much as 15 cents an ounce. The most expensive beers at Spec's here in Houston might tip the scale at 50 cents per ounce (with the usual Miller Lite or Bud Light coming in at about 8 cents per ounce in a 12-pack).<br />
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Before going further, however, a preliminary note: this isn't one of those screeds about "authentic" wine or excoriating those who pay a lot for bottles of wine. Those are traps. Terms like "authentic" and "a lot" are so relative, they have little fixed meaning. At the same time, the "worth" of wine isn't necessarily as simple as the cost of the grapes, oak barrels, bottles, labels, corks, etc. that go into making the wine.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8M7GNR6KpRA/UHBBsTlJ1aI/AAAAAAAAHLI/4MQo_ULCPU8/s1600/2012-07-03+21.34.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8M7GNR6KpRA/UHBBsTlJ1aI/AAAAAAAAHLI/4MQo_ULCPU8/s400/2012-07-03+21.34.32.jpg" width="298" /></a>So where does that leave the question: How much is that wine in your glass worth? Probably never more than about $50. At that point, other factors start playing havoc with the amount you pay. Chief among those are prestige and scarcity. That is easily enough understood. There are roughly 500 cases of Domaine de la Romanee Conti's Romanee Conti made each vintage, centuries of legend behind the wine, and tens of thousands of people who would gladly pay to drink perhaps the greatest trophy among all wines. Put that all together, and you can grab a 750-milliliter bottle of 2009 Romanee Conti for $10,000 if you're lucky (almost $400 per ounce).<br />
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That's an extreme example, and the slope of prestige and scarcity that reaches its apex at Romanee Conti is much more difficult to discern at its earlier stages of incline. But here's an example you may have encountered: Have you ever drunk Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio? If you drink wine, you probably have tasted it. Six or seven years ago, it retailed for $15. Today, you're hard-pressed to find it for $20 or less. On a restaurant wine list, you might have found it for $25 to $30 in 2005. Today? Try more like $40 to $60. The wine hasn't changed. Its rapidly increasing popularity has. You're paying 30% more for the same wine. (Or, some may argue, lesser wine, as production of it has increased steadily over the years, too.)<br />
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In any case, it's not difficult to understand that prices increases with popularity. That's simple supply-and-demand. Pinot Noir prices in California jumped after the immense popularity of the movie <i>Sideways</i>. Popularity is only one factor in the price, but this doesn't tell us much about how much wine is <i>worth</i>.<br />
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The real bottom line here isn't existential or even complex. To determine what wine is worth to you, ask how much you are comfortable paying. It doesn't matter if you're willing to spend $5 or $10 or $20 for a bottle. Whatever fits in your budget and tastes good to you is what wine is worth. The larger point here is that more expensive isn't always better. You pay for a lot of things besides what's inside the bottle as prices increase. Today, there are more higher quality wine options across the board, which means there is even less reason to have label envy.<br />
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One final note: this shouldn't be taken as a condemnation of expensive wines or trophy bottles. Splurging can be fun. But wine connoisseurs have a terrible habit of making less sophisticated drinkers feel inferior or inadequate by showing contempt for less prestigious wines or those that have some esoteric point of interest. That can be intimidating, but it's a silly game to play. Not every occasion calls for a trophy bottle -- a hot day on the porch with a $10 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc is a recipe for a good time -- and just because a wine is rare and prestigious doesn't always mean it's the best. There are dozens of $100-plus Napa Valley Cabernets to prove this point.<br />
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There is nothing gained by drinking wine to impress others. You should drink for yourself.<br />
You don't drink wine for the pleasure it gives others; you drink it for the pleasure it brings you. So the wine that fits your budget and makes you happy? However much it cost, that's how much a wine is worth.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-42434280202229091602012-03-08T14:00:00.001-06:002012-03-08T14:45:13.012-06:00Houston, we have a problem ... with criticismMost of what's happening on the Houston food thing is positive. The <a href="http://www.houstondairymaids.com/" target="_blank">Houston Dairymaids</a> greatly extended their warehouse hours, further expanding this city's most important cheese source. <a href="http://underbellyhouston.com/" target="_blank">Underbelly</a> just opened to great fanfare. <a href="http://uchirestaurants.com/houston/" target="_blank">Uchi</a> has arrived from Austin. <a href="http://oxhearthouston.com/" target="_blank">Oxheart</a> joins the fray next week. There's real buzz around new restaurants here. But let's not forget that traditional favorites, such as <a href="http://www.damarcohouston.com/" target="_blank">Da Marco</a>, <a href="http://hugosrestaurant.net/" target="_blank">Hugo's</a>, <a href="http://backstreetcafe.net/" target="_blank">Backstreet Cafe</a>, <a href="http://tonyshouston.com/" target="_blank">Tony's</a>, and so many others keep on trucking along. This is a vibrant, even burgeoning food metropolis that has legitimate potential to become a culinary destination in the next decade.<br />
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The sad thing is that Houston faces a serious threat to its ascent up the national food ladder. A startling number of those in the restaurant, bar, and beverage scene here apparently believe they are immune from criticism. Recently, newly opened <a href="http://libertykitchenoysterbar.com/" target="_blank">Liberty Kitchen</a> <a href="http://www.29-95.com/restaurants/story/critic-banned-new-houston-restaurant" target="_blank">got in a flap</a> with <a href="http://www.29-95.com/restaurants/story/trattoria-il-mulino-more-amenity-destination" target="_blank">Alison Cook</a>, the <i>Houston Chronicle</i>'s long-time and well-respected food critic. (After Cook <a href="http://blog.chron.com/cookstour/2010/02/chef-bites-critic-in-which-i-get-kicked-out-of-jonathans-the-rub/" target="_blank">had been tossed</a>, seemingly with provocation, by another restaurant owner in 2010.) Just a short time ago, <a href="http://hubcapgrill.com/" target="_blank">Hubcap Grill's</a> owner <a href="http://eater.com/archives/2012/03/07/restaurant-bites-back-on-twitter-against-blog-review.php" target="_blank">went ballistic</a> over a tepid review from a Dallas critic, in a torrent of profanity and violent threats. Regardless of the <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/Hubcap_Grill/status/177502543096717312" target="_blank">subsequent apology</a>, this sort of behavior makes Houston's restaurants come off as immature, petty, and, most important, unwilling to strive for the improvement that will allow them to shine on the national stage. And these incidents have not been relegated to professional critics.<br />
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Look no further than the lightning-rod of the Houston food community's ire -- <a href="http://www.yelp.com/houston" target="_blank">Yelp</a> -- and the vitriolic, out-of-hand dismissals of it to understand that Houston's restaurant scene, evolving each day, is in the midst of adolescence. And there is a lot of growing up to do still.<br />
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Before going further, however, all the Yelp critics can just take a deep breath. The point here is not to say Yelp is the end-all, be-all. Or that there aren't tons of unfair comments and reviews on Yelp. (Just go look at one-star reviews of the French Laundry to see preposterous unfairness.) It's important to realize the fundamental positive that Yelp represents. For the first time, the Internet and its accessibility affords restaurant owners, chefs, staffs, and anyone involved in the industry with an unprecedented reservoir of data. As with any significant amount of information, there will be outliers. In the realm of Yelp, these outliers are mean-spirited reviews of whatever ilk or sycophantic raves. There is worthwhile information in places like Yelp, even if it isn't written in the most articulate way, and this information isn't worthy of outright dismissal. The restaurant-going public is a massive, diverse body, and doubtless the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Crowds-James-Surowiecki/dp/0385721706" target="_blank">Wisdom of Crowds</a> applies to some extent. Recurring themes in reviews and feedback, regardless of the source, should make a restaurateur perk up his ears.<br />
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Granted, any sort of feedback open to the public, such as Yelp or Google reviews of the Chowhound board, provides unfiltered information. You'll run into various types of criticism, running the gamut from constructive to unwarranted, even malicious. It's serious work to filter through the feedback you get and determine what can make you better, but that is the nature of a service industry. It's a positive thing that the amount of information you receive from customers is at unprecedented levels. It's hard enough to just run an establishment, much less figure out how to improve it. Your customers are giving a torrent of information that is readily accessible. Why reject any avenue that might provide hints on how to get better? <br />
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Restaurants are humbling. That's the nature of putting yourself on the line, every day, in an endeavor as personal as food. In many ways it is like art or writing. But if you want to be the best -- or simply better than you are now -- how do you expect get there if you turn your back on people who care enough to tell you what worked and what didn't? As it stands right now, Houston's food community is defined by the largely (at least publicly) friendly relations among its members. But given how violently a surprising number in this community have reacted to criticism, one has to wonder whether Houston's ascendant food scene believes it is beyond reproach.<br />
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Naturally, it's good to see people have a positive attitude and build up one another, rather than fall victim to petty in-fighting and cynicism. Constructive criticism, though, is an essential part of a positive environment. Offering it means you care enough to want someone or something to get better. Being called names, shouted down, or shooed away as if you don't know anything gives a clear sign not that a reviewer was unfair but that an establishment is too scared to improve or more interested in resting on its laurels.<br />
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If you close off to constructive criticism and only respond to positive reviews or feedback, the only thing you have to rely on to reach that elite level of restaurant greatness is your internal drive. It goes without saying how few people can achieve greatness alone. What's worse, though, is that a dismissive attitude like that shuns the larger group that wants to see you succeed. It also creates an us-versus-them mentality that runs contrary to the collaborative spirit cultivated among so many in Houston's industry.<br />
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At the same time, there is the difficult problem of dealing with unwarranted and malicious criticism or even outright lies. As said previously, restaurants are a service industry. Interactions with customers, regardless of how wrong they may be, must be handled with decorum. Show fundamental respect and be professional. Don't let emotions dictate your response, no matter how tempting social media might make it. Handling obstreperous customers with tact will always earn you more points with the restaurant-going public.<br />
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Elevating Houston as a culinary destination is a collaborative effort. And that effort extends to patrons, regardless of the venue in which they voice their opinions and regardless of whether they are articulate or knowledgeable enough to be considered "foodies." Customers who take the time to come out for a meal or drink speak with the most important voice: their wallets. That's worthy of respect, just as the passion, time, and creativity those in the industry is worthy of appreciation.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-72445234424810899542011-12-09T18:15:00.000-06:002011-12-09T18:36:08.023-06:00A beginner's guide to flawed winesSometimes, the bottle of wine you open at home or order at a restaurant is flawed. That doesn't mean you made a poor choice and bought a crummy wine. As a delicate, living product, wine can go bad, like milk, produce, meat, or anything else. People <a href="http://fromthegutt.blogspot.com/2010/07/wine-every-day-part-one.html" target="_blank">feel enough anxiety about wine</a> to begin with, and deciding whether a particular bottle may be flawed could enough to induce a panic attack. But just as drinking wine is as simple as going with what you like, picking out flawed bottles isn't too tough. While there are a litany of possible defects and, as with anything involving wine, geeks can parse the nuances of each flaw until it induces you to drink even if the wine is spoiled, it is worth being familiar with a handful of common signs that a wine is defective. You'll grow more comfortable once you've encountered some of these bad characteristics, but hopefully you don't run into them too often.<br />
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<b>1. "Cork Taint"</b></div>
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This probably is the most common flaw you'll run into. You may hear it called "TCA," which is an abbreviation for the chemical compound that causes cork to ruin wines. No need to bore you with the science; you can read more in-depth information for general audiences at the <i><a href="http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Wine-Flaws-Cork-Taint-and-TCA_3346" target="_blank">Wine Spectator</a></i>. "Corked" wine is also among the easiest flaws to pick out. Have you ever smelled a cardboard box that sat in a garage during the humid, rainy Houston summer? That is basically what cork taint smells like. It makes the wine smell musty or like damp, moldy cardboard.</div>
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Your first indication that a wine might be corked is by smelling the cork itself. It is that plug of cork bark itself that imparts the TCA bacteria on a wine and ruins it. (A side note: it <i>is</i> possible for a cork to smell corked but for wine to be untouched.) If you smell that musty aroma coming from the wine in the glass? Send the wine back at a restaurant, which should bring out another bottle at no charge. Or put the cork back in and return it to where you bought it. Any self-respecting merchant will honor your return, even years after a purchase. You should get your purchase price refunded, receive store credit, or take home a replacement bottle of the same wine from a recent (if not the same) vintage. This is the same resolution a restaurant, retailer, or winery should give you for any flawed wine.</div>
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<b>2. "Brett"</b></div>
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"Brett" is short for "brettanomyces," which is a bacteria that, not to be rude about it, makes a wine smell like crap. Literally. Some diplomatically refer to the aroma of brett as "barnyard," but make no mistake: brett is, at its core, a flaw. Some might argue a bit of brett in wine adds complexity -- and, indeed, it can be nice to have a hint of brett in wine. The French wines of Burgundy and the Rhone are most commonly linked with (and even renowned for, in some cases) moderate brett levels.<br />
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But brett is, without a doubt, a bacteria that can destroy wine. Perhaps you have a threshold for enjoying brett, which is most often found in red wines; perhaps you are as intolerant to it as you should be of cork taint. If a wine is too full of brett for you? Send it back.</div>
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<b>3. "Cooked"</b></div>
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Cooked wine is a unique problem among wine flaws. This is one instance where, in most cases, you can't blame the winery. Whereas cork taint, brett, and the other faults listed here are without a doubt imparted at the time the wine is made or bottled, a wine is cooked somewhere in the supply chain -- either during delivery or storage. When a wine is cooked, it takes on aromas and flavors that are stewed and, yes, cooked. This can be somewhat difficult to ascertain in an era when wines are riper than ever before, but a wine that is cooked as opposed to simply overripe will display a dull, blunted palate presence.</div>
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Another sign that a wine may have been cooked somewhere between the winery and your glass again comes from the cork. When wine heats up, as with other liquids, it expands. Sometimes, the wine will saturate the cork or even seep out the top of it if the wine has been exposed to extreme heat -- like you might remember we get in Houston on occasion.</div>
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You can avoid cooked wines by paying attention to whether wine has seeped out of the top of the cork or capsule. In addition, think twice if you walk into a wine shop, and they're touting a "new arrival" in the summer months. Ask if the distributor or winery shipped the wine using climate-controlled delivery methods. If not, you may be set up for a cooked wine. Also, if buying wine direct from the producer, they should not ship when temperatures are 80 degrees or warmer. As a courtesy, most wines will hold your wine for shipment until the weather is suitable.</div>
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<b>4. "Premature Oxidation"</b></div>
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You might also hear the term "maderized" to describe a wine that essentially has aged before its time. Maderized white wines -- the most common victims of this flaw -- are easy to spot. They'll generally have a surprisingly dark yellow or even brown color. And they will smell and taste like Madeira. This flaw is a particular problem in the white wines of Burgundy from 1996 to the present, but any wine can suffer from oxidation. You shouldn't have to drink a wine that has died before its time, so send it back.</div>
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<b>5. "Reduction"</b></div>
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Have you ever stuck your nose in a glass of wine only to be greeted by an unpleasant burnt rubber smell? That is reduction. Often a side effect of a wine not being exposed to enough oxygen during the winemaking process, reduction also seems to be more pronounced in wines sealed under screw caps. Screw caps seal the wine almost flawlessly, causing reduction to take much longer to resolve. (And most of the time it <i>does</i> resolve with time in bottle.)</div>
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But the truth is that a reduced wine is as much fun to drink as a grilled tire is to eat. Reduction dominates a wine's bouquet and blunts the palate. It makes it undrinkable, and you should send it back.</div>
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<b>How to handle returning the wine</b></div>
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It's understandable that you might feel apprehension if you believe something is wrong with a wine. If you're at a restaurant, you should be able to consult a sommelier for his opinion. Be mindful, though, that sensitivity to cork taint, or any other flaw, is individualized. Even very experienced, passionate, and knowledgeable wine drinkers may have less keen sensitivities to these flaws. Trust your own palate. If something seems amiss, ask for a second or third opinion.</div>
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You may encounter an unprofessional wine shop or waiter or sommelier who refuses to acknowledge an obvious flaw or tries to belittle or bully you about a bad bottle. Good wines are sometimes bad. Anyone in the business consumer knows this. Flawed wines also are returned or sent back with regularity. Depending on which estimates you trust, between 3 and 8 percent of wines are faulty, and wineries, wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants know that dealing with flawed bottles is a cost of doing business. Ultimately, it is your discretion and any important circumstances on a given occasion that determine how hard you push the issue, but bringing an establishment's attention to flawed bottles is nothing to be embarrassed about.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-27548670597880720982011-08-04T19:58:00.001-05:002011-08-04T20:00:32.956-05:00Houston Restaurant Weeks: More than just foodYou find a number of divergent opinions on Houston Restaurant Weeks. The hip position seems to be one of begrudging acceptance mixed with condescension. It's easy to pick out the event's weaknesses -- a gimmick to lure customers during a traditionally slow month for restaurants, getting them to eat high-margin meals. But, aside from the notably worthy purpose of supporting the <a href="http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/">Houston Food Bank</a>, some restaurants and consumers miss the tremendous opportunity that this high-profile event presents.<br /><br />From a food standpoint, the benefits are obvious. Chefs get to show off their ability to craft cohesive menus -- something that's too rare in Houston, even if only for three or four courses. A restaurant also gets the chance to showcase its food to parades of new customers with limited risk. The set menus are designed for easy success; they're short and sweet and ought to be easy for a professional kitchen to crank out consistently. HRW has the hallmark of a golden opportunity to expand the customer base of Houston restaurants for the long-term.<br /><br />As a result, the hemming-and-hawing about HRW is head-scratching. Recent debates online have focused on whether HRW customers deserve the same level of service as those ordering off the regular menu or whether it's valid to base a Yelp review on a HRW visit. That's the wrong discussion. There is nothing to be gained in knocking an event that brings new customers in the door and, therefore, creates an opportunity for a restaurant to show its best.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TOe0wO2F_awWP7toFV1JWvb-4jTcHl8_rntSRWK06Ho?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WcRlOIgA6mU/TQzaEtMAgbI/AAAAAAAAFJw/vNks5WNRk0c/s400/Picture%252520658.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A more valid criticism, however, might be that some Houston restaurants don't embrace the potential value of HRW. Plenty of keen observers have noted a few half-hearted menus. Other restaurants simply lack imagination. What is often missing are respect for HRW customers and, more frequently, smart beverage pairings. An important way to view HRW is that it showcases the whole restaurant, not just a chance to come in and eat a set menu at a value price. Wipe that feeling away -- a paying customer is a paying customer. What's more, this month provides a superb opportunity to educate new diners and turn them into regulars.<br /><br />What better way to educate than with showing off how complete the restaurant experience can be? Houston has been full of craft beer and cocktails dinners in recent months, but only a handful of restaurants have bothered to devise beverage pairings with their HRW menus. This is a missed opportunity to showcase an imperative skill for restaurants and their staffs: to come up with wine, beer, and cocktail pairings that enhance and elevate their food. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.hugosrestaurant.net">Hugo's</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.backstreetcafe.net">Backstreet Cafe</a> have come up with menus where complementary beverages are an integral part, no surprise given the deft skill of sommelier Sean Beck in elevating food by finding the right drink to go with it. <a href="http://www.mockingbirdbistro.com/">Mockingbird Bistro</a> and the <a href="http://www.glasswalltherestaurant.com/GW_Site/home.html">Glass Wall</a>, along with too few others, also offer thoughtful pairings with their HRW offerings.<br /><br />The bottom line, simply put, is this: Restaurants in Houston offer more than just food. They offer an experience, an escape from your own kitchen, and a chance to enjoy one of the most exciting restaurant scenes in the country. In the first tier of restaurant cities in the United States -- New York, San Francisco, Chicago -- part of the joy is that you bask in the escape of the full dining experience, of which food is only one (very important) part.<div><div><br /></div><div>To maximize a customer's exposure, Houston establishments need to put their arms around HRW and give it a big bear hug. Ensuring service is spot-on and the talents of their beverage experts, in particular, would be a good start. Show off the menu you've put special thought and effort into and get customers to come back by making them feel at home and, maybe more importantly, help them carry on merrily with the right glass of wine or other drink in their hands.<br /></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-4047599517324598502011-07-03T10:45:00.003-05:002011-07-03T10:58:28.606-05:00Lessons from ParisIt's easy to get caught up in the humdrum of everyday life, getting tunnel vision and too comfortable in your daily existence. Every once in a while, it's essential to get out and remind yourself what the world at large has to offer. It's easy to forget in a food city as diverse as Houston that there is much to learn from the broader globe. A recent trip to Paris reinforced that. Here are some lessons learned, perhaps running the danger of veering into generalities. For ease, exceptions to the general rules are left out.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />1. Seasonal still rules the day, from Michelin Three Stars to bistros</span><br />Paris in April? Prepare for showers of morels and asparagus. But the refreshing thing is how deeply entrenched seasonal eating is in this culture. Restaurants don't trumpet the fact that they're serving what's local and of-the-moment. It's understood. This is the level of food appreciation -- an innate devotion to the freshest and best -- that has defined French food since the time of Marie-Antoine Careme and even earlier. (For a terrific discussion of this subject, and generally good writing on an array of topics, consult <a href="http://winediarist.com/">Mike Steinberger</a><a href="http://winediarist.com/">'s </a>excellent book <span style="font-style: italic;">Au Revoir to All That </span>and his blog.)<br /><br />This dedication to seasonality and freshness is the foundation of an admirable respect the French have for their food and the act of dining. And it is this fundamental and powerful building block that arguably is France's greatest culinary export right now. Take, for example, the two dishes pictured below. First, a glorious salad of fresh morels and asparagus from <a href="http://www.lebristolparis.com/?q=en#/gastronomic-restaurant">Le Bristol</a>, the stunning three-star Michelin restaurant on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. It is a testament to seasonality, the finest ingredients, and artistic presentation.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/b0pOnuXOnlrbUs056ttH5ea6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rLc5huaeTcw/Tb2Xq2fWI_I/AAAAAAAAF4A/f3qJa_sVfAk/s400/IMG_1191.JPG" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Second, an equally delicious and seasonal preparation of morels, this time from the superb Bistrot Paul Bert. It's nothing more than fried eggs with morels and mushroom cream. Simplicity on a plate, yet providing a depth of flavor that, without supreme freshness of ingredients, would come across as heavy and plodding. Seasonal cooking doesn't only allow a chef to honor place and freshness; the right ingredients at the appropriate time inform the texture and weight of dishes.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/W4_mEHcvGPHenK0shlwiK-a6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9DM9sVsJNK8/Tb2YMTfqtSI/AAAAAAAAF7w/JkSguvyGQlI/s400/IMG_1222.JPG" height="400" width="299" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. It's about technique, not gimmicks</span><br />Look back at those stunning fried eggs from Bistrot Paul Bert above. It's all well and good to have the best ingredients, but they won't be worth a damn if you can't cook them properly. To cook simply and to showcase your ingredients is a risky proposition because, without expert technique, the food doesn't stand a chance. One striking thing about restaurants in Paris is their unwavering adherence to technique. You expect and demand perfect execution of basic preparations in high-end restaurants like Le Bristol, but the high quality of technique across the board is impressive. Just because a dish may be humble doesn't mean it isn't worthy of respect that borders on reverence.<br /><br />Take boeuf bourguignon, the king of peasant dishes (now that's a paradox). Shown here in a faultless preparation from <a href="http://www.maisonconstant.com/eng_constant.htm">Christian Constant's</a> inviting Les Cocottes, there was notable care in crafting a pure sauce that spoke of the beef without being tarted up with any gimmicks. The meat was cooked to that easy-to-know but hard-to-reach point of being fall-apart tender without the chuck toughening up again. Too often, simple dishes like this come out with tough meat, as if the cook has assumed he could braise it indefinitely without fault. Or by needlessly cooking the beef sous vide for days to make a splash by writing "72-hour boeuf bourguignon" on the menu -- there are places for advanced techniques, but they aren't always necessary.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tn2h_u3DWfiOEKS4_pYsQea6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-84l746pQ46o/Tb2XRd7ozhI/AAAAAAAAF3I/6y2hPRyxwnA/s400/IMG_1182.JPG" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Another good example of the triumph of technique over gimmicks comes from Chef Jean Louis Nomicos, whose <a href="http://www.lestablettesjeanlouisnomicos.com/accueil.html?lang=en">Les Tablettes</a> recently opened in the 16th arrondissement. This appetizer course has several moving parts: a glorious mushroom puree that relies on just a hint of richness that doesn't interfere with its pure flavor, perfectly sauteed white asparagus, freshest morels, and gloriously crisp sweetbreads.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qygRxDmUwLWCRxFc5jthjea6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3yKKAXS4F6o/Tb2X0T9f8kI/AAAAAAAAF6A/A03b7yhMmrA/s400/IMG_1207.JPG" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. A meal is an opportunity to be exploited, not an obstacle to overcome</span><div>How many times have you eaten a bowl of cereal or a sandwich while standing up? Maybe had lunch at your desk? That's not enjoying your food. Sure, sometimes it might be necessary, but it is hardly any way to live. It's important to realize that just because you won't necessarily eat high on the hog doesn't mean you can't eat well. The dish pictured below, "Best of Cod," is another superlative creation from Le Bristol. Essentially a sauteed piece of fish with a bit of citrus over it, this is an over-the-top example of how basic food can become a celebration, even an exercise in genius. The cod was cooked perfectly. A parsley <i>jus</i> and shellfish surround the plate. On top? Nitrogen-frozen pearls of lemon and orange and slices of spring onion, which give the dish an uncanny bit of texture and temperature -- all simply enhancing the fish as easily as a squeeze of lemon would.</div><div><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2AUYO23Is5scUvPXuXE_Z-a6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OJbNtfkVMdY/Tb2XrbETrlI/AAAAAAAAF4I/MScNPyiEY9U/s400/IMG_1192.JPG" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Meals are a great social occasion. You can spend twelve hours at the office, but at least do yourself the favor of, once a day, sitting down to a proper meal to reconnect with friends or family. Shoveling in a bowl of pasta or wolfing down a 24-ounce steak to refuel the system isn't living anymore than eating a sandwich standing up. Take a moment. Have a pan-seared filet mignon with a slice of lightly sauteed foie gras on top and savor the people around you. You don't have to geek out about the food. Use the food as a vehicle to connect with those you love and your own life.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yuJ4oL6xU1i4DcHQqaVM2Oa6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--L3bwU1Au3U/Tb2X1Dy5dWI/AAAAAAAAF6Q/v5pXByx85No/s400/IMG_1209.JPG" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Like writing, food needs editing</span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>So many dishes suffer from too many flourishes -- a gastrique that muddles the overall flavors of the food, an extra dose of potent and unnecessary ingredients give a plate an overinflated sense of self-importance. Too many ingredients in a sauce end up competing with one another, rather than allowing the sauce to sing and complement the food. There is a powerful temptation to believe more is more, particularly in this Super-Size-It society. Once again, Christian Constant -- this time at his Cafe Constant -- demonstrates the opposite is true. A simple roasted chicken with sauteed potatoes and a bit of lettuce as a garnish is satisfying, utilizes the best ingredients, and doesn't try to be more than it is: good, hearty food that lets you nourish yourself and enjoy the company around you.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oiylBPfuaS8Vt2HSkOq_hea6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qCcqOmFYGgI/Tb2XxLX0lwI/AAAAAAAAF5Q/bikVs6zw4H8/s400/IMG_1201.JPG" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /><br />More to the point, if you are cooking with the best ingredients, they need very little to bring out their finest qualities. Bistrot Paul Bert again serves as a fine example, with the roasted root vegetables and braised beef cheek with bearnaise pictured below. Basic, even humble, ingredients cooked with fine technique. You rarely need more ... well, maybe some wine.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zgnW1FlBRq8oa-_b09Hclua6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jZwO1cmF_qQ/Tb2Ya9soB_I/AAAAAAAAF8U/BwcgPOEQbBc/s400/IMG_1226.JPG" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Humble wine is just fine</span><br />The American wine press always seems to be abuzz about the next "cult" wine from California or futures prices of increasingly out-of-reach classed growth Bordeaux. There is talk about value, but it's surprising how few true value wines come out of California. When is the last time you had a meaningfully good wine for $10 that was produced domestically? It tends to be the exception rather than the rule. There's Two Buck Chuck and Gallo plonk that predominates supermarkets. But why isn't there something the equivalent of French <span style="font-style: italic;">vin de pays</span> coming out of American wine regions? Even reasonably good, less expensive wines on Houston wine lists tend to be from Spain, New Zealand, and Italy.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the beauties of restaurants in France is that, for 15 to 20 euros, you get a solid wine with genuine varietal character. It's not laden with oak or trying to pretend to be more than it is. Sometimes it comes to the table in a multi-use bottle that has no label and no cork. It's refreshing and enhances the food -- and epitomizes that wine is an indispensable part of the meal. </div><div><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rr-zc2dIyH5Lk7H_YnPA9ea6nuuAG5pGjdbiEmFVqNY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yctzixgymKk/Tb2XFhmjUpI/AAAAAAAAF2o/C5sGmbXKaLg/s400/IMG_1179.JPG" height="400" width="299" /></a><br /><br />There is a beautiful sense of security about wine consumption that the French have on a daily basis. Wine is part of setting the table, like a knife and fork, a social lubricant and celebration all in one.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It is the ease with which the French still approach their meals that can give Americans a goal to strive for: slow down, enjoy your food. It's a good thing to appreciate your food -- the quality of what you put in your body and also the manner in which you consume it.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-65853735113277895362011-06-29T20:26:00.003-05:002011-06-29T20:34:00.668-05:00Wine of the Moment: Numanthia TermesSpanish wines have gotten a pretty good amount of press the past few years. There are those, like Alice <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Feiring</span>, who push the supremely traditional wines of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Rioja</span> made by Lopez-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Heredia</span> -- and very few others. And there are those like Robert Parker (or, more truthfully put, his <a href="http://www.drvino.com/2009/04/16/changes-at-the-wine-advocate-correspondence-with-parker-and-miller/">ethically questionable employee</a>, Jay Miller) who trumpet highly modern, highly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">oaked</span> wines from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Priorat</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Ribera</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">del</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Duero</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Toro</span>.<br /><br />Spanish wines can be hit or miss. You definitely get a lot of value in them -- particularly the whites, such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Albarino</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Verdeho</span>. But often the reds shoot too high and miss, like a cheap California Cabernet. One of the most standout wines of Spain's new school, missing all the pratfalls of the heavily <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">oaked</span>, high extraction crowd is the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Numanthia</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Termes</span>. Current release is 2008, and it's a steal at $24 or so. You can find it at <a href="http://web.specsonline.com/">Spec's</a> quite readily and, also most of the time, at <a href="http://www.centralmarket.com/default.aspx">Central Market</a> in the Houston area. It's a wine that gives a bit of a nod to <a href="http://rrvw.org/">Russian River Valley</a> Zinfandel: pretty, spicy fruit flavors with ramped up acidity and noticeable <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">tannic</span> structure. It will satisfy those who crave nice fruit and the drying sensation you get from the young <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Cabernets</span> that are so popular yet so heavy for Houston's brutal summer.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Termes</span> is aged in once-used oak barrels, meaning there is less toast and vanilla for the wood to impart on the wine. The result is a surprisingly fresh, vibrant red that stands up well to the grilled red meat and barbecue that comes across summertime tables. Have at it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-80720835002022636822011-04-06T21:20:00.001-05:002011-04-07T07:07:49.814-05:00What will be the ultimate legacy of the "local" food movement?You can't pick up a fork without tripping over the hottest buzz words in food today -- the "local" food movement or "eating local" or any of the myriad variations on the theme. The essential elements of eating local seem to include (1) eating as much food as possible (not only vegetables, also meats, cheese, bread, etc.) from "local sources;" (2) preparing food that is seasonal; (3) purchasing food that is sustainably and/or organically farmed; and (4) placing a premium on knowing the sources of what you consume.<br /><br />Obviously, there are a number of threshold questions to overcome in order to begin this discussion. First and foremost, how do you define "local"? Is it a 10-mile radius? 25? 50? More? Until the Industrial Revolution, this was easier to answer. Modes of transportation were much more restrictive, forcing food to come from relatively nearby. Railroads and airplanes have changed all that. Now you can get organic asparagus year-round, either from a farm down the road, California, or Peru.<br /><br />But there are larger questions at hand, too. Is food sourced from a local source <span style="font-style: italic;">necessarily</span> good simply by being local? What if you live somewhere without the possibility of thriving local agriculture; are you left out of the local movement entirely? How will "local food" evolve and sustain itself? In essence, what will the lasting impact of this local emphasis be?<br /><br />It is that last question that holds the most interest. Fundamentally, the "local" movement, in part, is chasing a myth. It isn't practical -- perhaps, isn't even possible -- to return the United States to an agrarian ideal. That Jeffersonian moment has passed. So what, ultimately, will this movement become? This question is worth exploring because the local food movement has genuine value and will leave a meaningful impact on the way this country eats.<br /><br />At some point down the road, looking back on what started as a revitalization of boutique food sources, these times will mark the true beginning of when Americans started truly caring about what they eat. For most of the twentieth century, culinary history in the United States was marked by technological advances: frozen foods, the microwave oven, fast food, ways to engineer "natural" flavorings, and other things that were meant to make eating easier. The problem with emphasizing technology in this way was that it resulted in the consumption of unhealthy, poor quality food. Instead of enjoying meals, they became obstacles to be overcome, met and discarded in the fastest, cheapest way possible. That results in a lot of issues, including creating a culture that doesn't value the food it consumes -- an odd situation when food, when it comes down to it, is the fuel to make our bodies go.<br /><br />This lack of appreciation for food -- taking the easy way out -- has offered the local movement its greatest opportunity and in which lies its greatest hope. Eating well is not something for "foodies." It is not something for the rich. It is not something for the person who saves just to experience one meal at the French Laundry. It is for anyone who's willing to embrace it. Good food takes care and attention, which are two things that precisely are hamstrung by the prevalence of technological food, with its dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets.<br /><br />How does the local movement become the savior, pulling the country out of its grease-laden, deep fried, engineered obsession with packaged food? For starters, locavores care about what they eat. That is not a hallmark of technology foods, to put it mildly. With reflection, this desire to do well with good ingredients is the logical progression from Julia Child's grand (and deserved) legacy. Julia frequently preached doing better with what you have -- even if you had to use frozen spinach or come up with a substitute for French flour. Locavores, more so than foodies as a class, do not tolerate compromise. They are specific and passionate in their desire to acquire the best ingredients available.<br /><br />At this point, you could run into road blocks. What if the best ingredient isn't available locally? Do you really have to stay within a 5-mile radius? Ten? More? To a certain extent, those issues are semantics. It's about what "local" means to you. But this emphasis on quality ingredients and caring about food are the the true heart of the local movement. It is about finding the best ingredients from people who are passionate <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> skilled. There's no need to go furtherthan that. The essential step is eating well and putting love and attention on your food. This is about rejecting the technology food culture that has given us blue raspberry flavoring, cheese in a can, and Kraft avocado-free guacamole.<br /><br />Doing so pushes American food culture in a better direction, largely rejecting a look-what-we-can-do infatuation with technology (molecular gastronomy saved for another time) and toward an emphasis on quality and good food. Regardless of anything else, this is a genuine revolution and may determine the most significant legacy of the local food movement -- and a glorious one it would be. A country that embraces meals as an opportunity to be exploited, to bring people together on a daily basis and not just at Thanksgiving or Sunday supper? That is worth striving for.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-33975550099040359052011-02-02T18:19:00.001-06:002011-02-02T18:40:29.839-06:00Wine every day, part three<style>p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hopefully by now you think wine is something you want to try.<span style=""> </span>But a basic task remains: how do you drink it?<span style=""> </span>That’s a stupid thing to ask, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">isn</span>’t it? Open up and swallow it down.<span style=""> </span>Well, it’s not quite that simple if you want to maximize the enjoyment of this wonderfully layered and complex beverage, but it doesn't have to be overly complex, either.<span style=""> </span>Tony Soprano put it right during season five of <i style="">The Sopranos</i> when, after he uncorked a bottle of Dom <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Perignon</span> to celebrate reconciling with Carmella, he scolded Anthony Junior for gulping it down like beer.<span style=""> </span>“You gotta savor it,” he said.<span style=""> </span>One thing that makes drinking wine such a pleasure, as with many things we enjoy in our lives, is the ritual that surrounds it.<span style=""> </span>By no means should the ritual subordinate the actual pleasure of swilling it down, but a few small steps can maximize the experience.<b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NmLXc2CxvFutQFOGEi5DOvb-4jTcHl8_rntSRWK06Ho?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TQzadrdX7rI/AAAAAAAAFNg/Pllo4BZUJPE/s400/Picture%20718.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Opening the bottle</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ve</span> done this before, but there are a couple tips to remember.<span style=""> </span>First, your corkscrew makes a difference.<span style=""> </span>Much like wine itself, they come in a lot of varieties, from the cheap to the ostentatiously expensive.<span style=""> </span>The basic styles include the waiter’s corkscrew.<span style=""> </span>These can be a challenge if you don’t have a lot of experience, since they don’t always go straight into the cork.<span style=""> </span>There is also the “drill” type, which covers the top of the bottle and screws into the cork while a pair of arms raise into the air.<span style=""> </span>Push the arms down, and the cork comes out.<span style=""> </span>This is a great corkscrew, but make sure you get one where the tip that goes into the cork first is straight, not curved, or you can have the same problem as with the waiter’s corkscrew.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The easiest entry-level corkscrew to use is a Screw Pull.<span style=""> </span>It’s also sometimes called a “rabbit” style wine opener.<span style=""> </span>A good one will run you about $100, but it makes opening wine — young and old bottles — a breeze.<span style=""> </span>You can also get a solid one for $20, but expect to replace it in a year or two.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8ajgdKAITxIeDZBt995knPb-4jTcHl8_rntSRWK06Ho?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TQzYQn6J4XI/AAAAAAAAE2Y/YjiSEhaxSF8/s400/Picture%20327.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Once the bottle’s open, do this: <i style="">Smell the cork</i>.<span style=""> </span>A lot of people dismiss this as pretentious and unnecessary, a relic of past, unenlightened times — just the sort of thing it’s important to guard against.<span style=""> </span>But the critics are dead wrong.<span style=""> </span><i style="">Smell the cork</i>.<span style=""> </span>If it smells musty or like wet socks or mold, it is the first indicator that your bottle might have “cork taint,” which is what winos say when a chemical compound known as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">TCA</span>, found in corks, ruins a wine.<span style=""> </span>There are degrees of cork taint, and the cork is the first place where the off aromas will show up.<span style=""> Consider it the wine bottle's canary. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Last, pour a small amount of wine into your glass and take a taste.<span style=""> </span>The wine may well need to have more contact with the air (called “opening up” or “aerating”) to fully develop its aromas and flavors, but the initial sip will let you know if the wine is flawed.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oWlIcxOdYoFyfDUluPI70fb-4jTcHl8_rntSRWK06Ho?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TQzabHE3W3I/AAAAAAAAFNI/9So1Q_DxNYA/s400/Picture%20712.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">What kind of glass?</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The key word here is “glass.”<span style=""> </span>Fundamentally, you don’t need to worry about anything else other than drinking your wine out of a real glass.<span style=""> </span>It <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">doesn</span>’t matter what shape it is.<span style=""> </span>It’s just important not to be drinking out of plastic.<span style=""> </span>You’re not going to basement keg parties anymore.<span style=""> </span>(At least not to drink wine.) Down the road, you’ll want to invest in some inexpensive but good wine glasses.<span style=""> </span>Target carries an excellent line of reasonably priced <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Riedel</span> glasses.<span style=""> </span>You should certainly consider three varieties: one for red wine, one for white wine, and a flute for champagne.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You want wine glasses to be clear — no color at all, without etching or cut glass.<span style=""> </span>You want the lip of the glass to be thin, not thick and clumsy, which will negatively affect how you taste the wine.<span style=""> </span>Other considerations change depending on the type of glass.<span style=""> </span>For example, for red wines, use a large glass with a wide bowl.<span style=""> </span>This allows you to swirl the wine in your glass and aerate it, making for a more aromatic bouquet (as winos call the aromas).<span style=""> </span>For white wines, the glass is similar but smaller, without quite as large a bowl.<span style=""> </span>Champagne flutes are probably old hat.<span style=""> </span>But when you pick one out, simulate taking a sip to see if the tip of your nose hits the side of the glass.<span style=""> </span>Many flutes these days are made with too narrow an opening on top, and if your nose makes contact, the oil will come off your skin, and that will inhibit the bubbles.<span style=""> </span>What fun is champagne with no bubbles?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Pouring</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">isn</span>’t hard, but promise to keep one thing in mind: Don’t pour too much wine into each glass! Two or three ounces are plenty.<span style=""> </span>This allows you to enjoy the wine and see how it develops as it has increasing contact with air.<span style=""> </span>Many restaurants, if a party of four orders a bottle of wine, will empty it in one round of pours.<span style=""> </span>What good is that? Pour in moderation, please.<span style=""> </span>It’ll still be left in the bottle.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z4FJ_DTOjnAZOR0saRnAMPb-4jTcHl8_rntSRWK06Ho?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TQzZ1P8A3GI/AAAAAAAAFHU/X_NcqHmG1w4/s400/Picture%20620.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Drink up … but be sure to sniff first</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let’s be frank.<span style=""> </span>Wine enthusiasts often are at their most obnoxious about giving advice on how to drink wine.<span style=""> </span>There are three basic factors to examining a wine: looking at the color, swirling it in the glass and smelling the bouquet, and taking a sip.<span style=""> </span>Look at the color for signs of age and to note how widely varied the colors are for different grapes and different wine styles.<span style=""> </span>But remember: darker does not mean better.<span style=""> </span>It is mostly an indicator of age and grape type.<span style=""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Smell the wine to ensure there are no warning signs of cork taint (that musty aroma), as well as to get an idea of what the wine will taste like.<span style=""> </span>Almost all our ability to taste comes from the olfactory.<span style=""> </span>So inhale, then take a sip.<span style=""> </span>It’s what you’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ve</span> been doing your whole life when it comes to drinking.<span style=""> </span>Go with what works for you.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There is a terrific three-part tasting method printed in <i style="">Gourmet</i> magazine decades ago.<span style=""> </span>After your initial look at the wine’s color — done by holding it toward white light or against a surface that is as nearly white as possible — and first sniff (which <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">doesn</span>’t have to be over-dramatized like Miles in <i style="">Sideways</i>; just a good, regular sniff), take a sip and work it around in your mouth.<span style=""> </span>This <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">doesn</span>’t have to be loud or overt, either, like a child reaching the end of the soda he’s drunk through a straw.<span style=""> </span>Just try to get the liquid to coat your tongue.<span style=""> </span>Swallow.<span style=""> </span>You’ll get an expanded array of flavors from the simple effort of holding the wine in your mouth for a few seconds.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Second step: take another sip, but this time just swallow it down.<span style=""> </span>No coating your mouth.<span style=""> </span>Just drink it on down.<span style=""> </span>Final step: take one more sip, move the wine to the back of your tongue, then lean your head back and take the wine into the back of your throat.<span style=""> </span>After you bring the wine to the back of your mouth, return your head upright and let the wine come to the back of your teeth.<span style=""> Inhale </span>over your tongue.<span style=""> </span>This will give the wine serious aeration.<span style=""> </span>Swallow.<span style=""> </span>This is the best way to get a total view of the flavors in the bottle.<span style=""> A</span>ll the wine's flaws will be exposed, but all the good things will be amplified as well.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This three-step tasting method is pretty simple, once you have a little practice (particularly on that final sip),<span style=""> </span>but it’s not pretentious. It allows you to taste the wine fully, and it is a terrific way to find out what types of flavors you like.<span style=""> </span>You don’t need to do it on every glass.<span style=""> </span>Most of the time you’ll probably just want to drink away, like normal.<span style=""> </span>But this way you can bond a little more with the beverage.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Va2VapEMZU-2HnLxAAPWpvb-4jTcHl8_rntSRWK06Ho?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TQzaw57aA3I/AAAAAAAAFQg/wyf-NSahpqk/s400/Picture%20765.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Final thoughts</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">See, that’s not so hard? There <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">aren</span>’t rules, merely suggestions.<span style=""> </span>In the end, the best way to experience wine is to drink it. The more you drink, the more your knowledge will expand, the keener your palate will become, and the less daunting the whole experience will feel.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">You might have a final question about serving temperatures, which is something to consider. Serve red wine at room temperature, perhaps with ten to fifteen minutes in the fridge during those sweltering Houston summer months.<span style=""> </span>White wine is fine at fridge temperature, same with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">rosés</span> and champagnes.<span style=""> But you can experiment with this, too. Maybe put more of a chill on high-alcohol reds to dull some of the alcoholic burn on the back end. Maybe drink a white wine at room temperature to see if it really is as seamless as it seems to taste. </span>The bottom line is, nobody has to drink the wine but you.<span style=""> </span>Conventions are mere guidelines, but the ritual of drinking wine adds to the romantic notion of it.<span style=""> </span>Personalize that ritual however you like — it’s all about pleasure and getting out of wine what you want from it.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-87019963342311616672010-12-18T09:13:00.004-06:002010-12-18T12:59:54.587-06:00Wine of the Moment: Holiday EditionThe holidays are one of the best wine-drinking seasons of the year. The festivities and food demand it. Plus, it's a great way to counteract the artery-clogging effects of a Christmas roast. So in lieu of a Wine of the Moment, here are several quality examples, at varying price levels, of excellent holiday wines.<br /><br /><b>$10 to $20</b><br />These are good times to be a wine drinker. There is more value out there for consumers than ever before, particularly in light of the worldwide recession and recent strengthening of the U.S. dollar compared to a few years ago. The <b>Las Rocas Garnacha</b>, from Spain, runs about $10 and is a pleasingly refreshing, overtly fruity red wine that can stand up to the side dishes with a turkey or the richness of a roast beef. From Germany, the <b>Dr. Loosen "L"</b> <b>Riesling </b>is a spectacular deal, also around $10. This would stand up to a turkey dinner, but its slightly sweet, refreshingly acidic palate is a terrific day to kick off the day or wake yourself up after a food coma.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nuJUx0Jjk75bC5dHD9ZRzB3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOovUNYXJUI/AAAAAAAAAOk/Zb0IOUJM61s/s400/IMG_0025.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br />For a real treat, seek out some <b>Siduri Pinot Noir Sonoma County</b>. The 2009, available from the winery, is a special wine for about $20. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better in Pinot Noir from anywhere in the world these days. Winemaker Adam Lee, also a native Texan, has crafted appellation wines that are serious but immensely enjoyable in their youth.<br /><br /><b>$20 to $30</b><br />There are exciting things happening in Spain these days. While some of the wines are overly oaked and ripened to excess using an Australian model, there are a lot of good wines that have found harmony between the old and new styles. A top example is <b>Numanthia Termes</b> from Toro. At about $25, it has a plush palate, a healthy amount of oak, but a classically Spanish sensibility to the berry fruit. This is a tremendous choice for an all-day wine -- it would go great with food or by itself.<br /><br />Back in the Pinot Noir camp, try something different with the <b>Groffier Bourgogne Passetoutgrains</b>. Available at Spec's for roughly $28, this is a bit different for a red Burgundy. Passetoutgrains wines are permitted to be a blind of Pinot Noir and Gamay, the grape of Beaujolais. Think of it as Beaujolais with an extra dose of aromatics and refinement. The Groffier is a particularly nice example, with the elegance and finesse of Burgundy from a top-quality producer and a slightly rustic, fruity edge of Beaujolais. It's like celebrating with high end Beaujolais Nouveau.<br /><br />For a change of pace from the usual thinking regarding holiday wines, try the <b>Nozzole Chianti Classic Riserva</b>, which runs about $24. It's got the typical, quite refreshing berry fruit and floral flavors of good Chianti but is done in a style that is very approachable right away. The acidity can combat the richness of so many dishes on the holiday table.<br /><br /><br /><b>$30 and up<br /></b>If you really want to stay American with your holiday celebrations, the <b>Robert Biale Zinfandel Napa Valley Black Chicken</b> is for you. At about $42, it's not shy on price, but it's also a terrific, consistent example of the briary, jammy style of Zinfandel that has made the grape such a signature of California wine. It retains a solid level of acidity to make it pair well with food.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BrYYmPaMwQzYPbcP3FHRO_bM932wCvnlQCumIG2biFc?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/ScctWAMFfoI/AAAAAAAAC3E/cJoAkjIHhhk/s400/IMG_0656.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><br /><br />Two final suggestions are both Pinot Noir, both offering distinct and delightful personalities. The first is <b>Joseph Swan Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Trenton Estate Vineyard</b>. The day Spec's started carrying the Joseph Swan wines was a good one for Houston wine drinkers, and the Trenton Estate Pinot is a benchmark in California. It is a remarkable combination of hedonism and intellectualism: a wine you can drink with pleasure but also ruminate over. It evokes the classic cherry fruit of the Russian River Valley, along with the earthy baking spices that are a hallmark of the region. It'll run you about $50, and it's worth every penny, since it is one of the great California Pinots and a versatile food companion.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QzhlrNb67iMePDt5pvaNqqQPZymQCFW-Oe_ZoYANUYk?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TQzTEMft0qI/AAAAAAAAEhs/UdCkFnmQjvw/s400/Picture%20819.jpg" height="400" width="334" /></a><br /><br />Finally, if Swan is a grand master and statesman of the U.S. Pinot scene, <b>Retour Pinot Noir Willamette Valley</b> is a flashy race horse. The winery's first vintage was only in 2006, but the wines have compelling texture and balance. They couple the darker, blackberry fruit expression of Oregon with earthy notes. With a velvety texture that has developed nicely with time in bottle, this would make an outstanding companion to standing rib roast.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-86849655003852634562010-11-09T21:02:00.003-06:002010-11-09T21:09:47.428-06:00Book Review: A dissatisfying Steak<a href="http://www.slate.com/">Slate</a> columnist Mark Schatzker published <span style="font-style: italic;">Steak: One Man's Search for the World's Tastiest Piece of Beef</span> earlier this year, and one thing about the title certainly is true. It is the search of a single person; that is, profoundly limited. And, for the most part, uninteresting. Sometimes the book is even infuriating. Schatzker's book suffers from a lot of the usual bad food writing symptoms: overwritten with too much emphasis on adjectives, an inexplicable reliance on myth and slippery memories of the past, and the triumph of preconceived notions tested only against straw men.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zB67hDmWPAgO-b2m04n7SER99HdQF79iVVkpl_vtxhg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/ShyZc4EY5UI/AAAAAAAADKE/3Kmz7NK9T_A/s400/IMG_0924.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Steak</span> opens in interesting enough fashion, chronicling the hallowed place of steak on the dinner table when Schatzker grew up. But the introduction seems to drag. There isn't a clear sense of direction laid out, other than the amorphous "I'm going to scour the world for steak!" premise. Schatzker lays out no criteria, no benchmarks. He embraces anecdotal tales of great steaks from friends and family members, which, somehow gives rise to a definition of the perfect steak that is never fully explicated in the text. Sure, he says that a great steak should be ready to swallow when you are tired of chewing, otherwise it is too tough. But he undermines the notion of tenderness by acknowledging he prefers tougher, grass-fed beef.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3jSjft2jzXFGJma7j9gYBER99HdQF79iVVkpl_vtxhg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/ShyaN7pWSkI/AAAAAAAADME/QMNYmpMcEq4/s400/IMG_0945.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br />In reality, Schatzker jumps on the grass-fed beef bandwagon late and clumsily sets up grain-fed beef as a second-class citizen. The first portion of <span style="font-style: italic;">Steak</span> is devoted to his trip to Texas, in search of great beef. This assumption that Texas is home to the best beef in the world is the first example of Schatzker's continuous reliance on mythology rather than fact or methodical investigation. He goes to a large, industrial feed lot, only to find it disappointing (shocking). He tries a couple Texas steakhouses, with no explanation regarding why he chose them. His first stop is the Big Texan, motivated, it seems, solely by the existence of their cartoon-character 72-ounce steak. There is no evidence that Schatzker investigated where to get the best steak in Texas. He didn't even seek out a steakhouse serving USDA Prime beef. This lack of methodology is something that largely goes unexplained -- a fault that only occurs when it comes to eating grain-fed steak and stands in stark contrast to his relentless pursuit of grass-fed beef.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9P25nmPeG--t9czHHmlPIUR99HdQF79iVVkpl_vtxhg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/ShyaUwFlCwI/AAAAAAAADMU/wTZlmG_dTeE/s400/IMG_0949.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br />With grass-fed steak, Schatzker is meticulous, going to the far corners of the globe to locate the smallest, most artisanal producers of beef. They are in Scotland, remote Italian villages, and middle-of-nowhere ranches in Colorado. Even after a disastrous first taste of grass-fed steak, Schatzker persists in uncovering more. This luxury of a second chance is not afforded to "commodity beef," the curious term with which he labels all grain-fed steak. He waxes poetic about types of grasses and the terroir of steak. He delves into the lineages of various forms of cattle. But he leaves out or patently dismisses certain steak fundamentals that gut his arguments and analysis.<br /><br />Schatzker spends approximately three sentences on dry aging, which he dismisses toward the end of the book as overrated, a trick to cover up poor quality beef. Yet he also, in the context of his beloved grass-fed steak, admires dry aging whole sides of beef for undetermined periods of time This contradiction isn't explained, leaving his dismissal of dry aging stand as a curious criticism of his belief that it covers up grain-fed beef's lack of flavor.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tUDSCmEFwFc-XIe8ldQYlUtSFvMZPL9Be-8zy5rfJ5E?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SQXGGWiPz_I/AAAAAAAAA_w/RqctP1-iU0U/s400/IMG_0045.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br />More damning to Schatzker's book and undermining any notion of him as a steak authority is his similar disdain for resting a steak after it has been cooked. Seriously? Have you ever cut into a steak -- or any piece of meat -- as soon as it comes off the grill, from the skillet, or out of the oven? The juices run everywhere, leaving the meat dryer than it would be if it had been properly rested. It also drains the beautiful color that the meat should have, leaving it more gray and listless than it should be. How Schatzker can summarily dismiss an essential component to cooking -- endorsed by the likes of Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cook's Illustrated</span>, and, frankly, virtually every steak authority and chef on the planet -- without so much as an explanation is perplexing. Cook a steak to medium rare and don't let it rest? Within a minute or two you will have a tortured piece of meat that looks and eats like it's medium-well, plus a plateful of juice. Schatzker's strong stand against resting steak after cooking also contradicts his concern that cattle be relaxed and avoid tension prior to slaughter, so as not to contract their muscle fibers, causing them to be tensed and toughen the meat. Resting a steak might as well be called "relaxing." Just as cattle should be tension-free on their way to the slaughter to ensure tender meat, so too must that same meat be allowed to rest after cooking in order for the muscle fibers to calm down after tensing and contracting during the cooking process and allow them to retain more juice. The recommendation to skip resting is indefensible.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/S-BBrjHTsWsXfDXqgBJDm0tSFvMZPL9Be-8zy5rfJ5E?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SPiu6D2neYI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/VRylxP0-Pic/s400/IMG_0031.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br />If you don't believe me, would you trust Thomas Keller? Here is what he had to say about resting meat in <span style="font-style: italic;">Ad Hoc at Home</span>: "Equally significant is the resting period after the food has been removed from the heat. Everything continues to cook once it's out of the heat, an effect called carryover cooking. But, even more important, as meat rests, the juices can redistribute throughout the meat. The meat fibers also firm up a little as they rest and are able to hold more juices."<br /><br />Despite Schatzker's baseless and conclusory statements on resting, the greatest flaw of Steak is the lack of a passionate pursuit of finding a great, dry-aged, grain-fed steak. This is, by the conventional wisdom, what should have the makings for a great steak. (Not to say that the conventional wisdom is or should be correct. But in order to debunk it, you've got to take its best shot and articulate why you reject it.) Schatzker's encounters with grain fed steak consist of (1) his first visit to the Big Texan; (2) a chain steakhouse in Texas not serving prime beef; and (3) occasional, derisive mentions of eating "commodity" steak from supermarkets. Why did he make no attempt to seek out small producers of the finest grain-fed beef? To read Steak, you would think that no such producers exist. But that is, of course, patently untrue. Just see <a href="http://www.bryansfinefoods.com/">Bryan Flannery</a> to debunk that assumption. And there are others. Yet Schatzker made no attempt to do so or even halfheartedly try to articulate a case for grain-fed beef. He seems to rely on the notion that grain makes beef tender, and all the average, stupid carnivore cares about is tenderness, and flavor is not a consideration. He equates grain-fed beef with not merely a lack of flavor but being devoid of flavor. If he had taken the same, inch-deep method to his investigation of grass fed steak, he would have stopped after his first encounter. But he didn't, and the inconsistency is glaring.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JD9gZSswoGOzKiaT44PnmxBbm4Nv4dRitaTSaXgDQVw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/Sf3_lC5XTYI/AAAAAAAADII/u9ogYUD-Lc0/s400/IMG_0924.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br />On the whole, <span style="font-style: italic;">Steak</span> is a dissatisfying read if you have any passion for or interest in steak. There is a certain amount of useful information -- did you know that Angus cattle in the U.S. are far from purebred? -- but the gaps in Schatzker's logic, reliance on an anecdotal rather than rigorous methodology, and failure to be truly comprehensive in his search for great steak make this book an easy pass.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-73298348944411005152010-10-06T16:10:00.000-05:002010-10-06T16:11:19.259-05:00Wine every day, part two (coda) <meta name="Title" content=""> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <link rel="File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/gutt/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment-->A valid criticism of the previous post was raised: there was a lot regarding what <i style="">not</i> to drink or what <i style="">not </i>to do, but what about some affirmative advice on what <i style="">to</i> <i style="">do</i>?<span style=""> </span>Sometimes, it feels like there is so much to fend off and prevent from interfering with wine enjoyment, it is too easy to get caught up in negativism.<o:p>
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<br /></o:p>So here’s a follow-up to provide some positive advice.<span style=""> </span>Where should you start drinking?<span style=""> </span>Riesling.<span style=""> </span>That’s the simple answer.<span style=""> </span>Riesling is lower in alcohol, refreshing, and similar to other beverages you probably enjoy, like soda or iced tea -- a bit sweet.<span style=""> </span>Riesling won’t overwhelm you with tannins, like Cabernet, or too much burnt-tasting oak, like many red wines.<span style=""> </span>It is the polar opposite of such wines.<span style=""> </span>It is light and eminently drinkable.<span style=""> </span>The wines are clean, crisp, and mineral-driven.<span style=""> </span>Riesling comes in any number of styles, from bone dry to sappy sweet and pairs phenomenally well with an array of foods, from spicy to dessert.<o:p>
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<br /></o:p>Another positive aspect of Riesling is its price.<span style=""> </span>It’s relatively inexpensive.<span style=""> </span>Top-notch German Riesling, which is now much more widely available in Houston thanks to the passion of Scott Spencer at Houston Wine Merchant and Zachary Pearson at Spec’s, will cost you $12 to $25.<span style=""> </span>That gives you a lot of wiggle room to experiment.<span style=""> </span>Look especially for producers such as J.J. Prum, Selbach-Oster, and Dr. Loosen here in town.<span style=""> </span>(A quick note: German wine labels are notoriously confusing, so just ask for help to be steered in the right direction.)<o:p>
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<br /></o:p>Of course, Riesling isn’t in vogue.<span style=""> </span>You aren’t going to find it at cocktail party fundraisers about town.<span style=""> </span>So you might be hesitant to stray from the red-wine-drinking herd.<span style=""> </span>Okay.<span style=""> </span>Then Pinot Noir should help ease you into wine.<span style=""> </span>It’s still hip from the <i style="">Sideways</i> bounce, but it also happens to be the most versatile of red wines and one of the most approachable.<o:p>
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<br /></o:p>Like Riesling, Pinot Noir is generally fairly light (particularly compared to Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot) and is an exceptional dinner table companion.<span style=""> </span>In fact, between Riesling and Pinot, you can probably find a good pairing to any dish that makes its way onto your plate.<span style=""> </span>Pinot also comes in myriad styles, from dark, jammy wines that can make a decent impersonation of Zinfandel or Syrah to very light, feminine wines that remind you of cherry pie and a bouquet of roses or violets.<o:p>
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<br /></o:p>Pinot, however, has a bit of a downside.<span style=""> </span>It is a difficult grape to grow, leading to many watery or poor examples of the wine.<span style=""> </span>More relevant is that it is extremely difficult to grow Pinot cheaply.<span style=""> </span>You’ll be hard-pressed to find quality Pinot for less than $20 a bottle these days.<span style=""> </span>But the good news is that quality and variety is better than ever.<span style=""> </span>For $20 to $25, you can find terrific bottles from Burgundy, California, Oregon, and New Zealand.<span style=""> </span>For example, check out the current release <i style="">Bourgogne</i> bottlings from Albert Bichot (a real steal at about $10), Faiveley, and Louis Latour.<span style=""> </span>There’s also the delicious Joseph Swan Cuvee de Trois (actually about $30) and Calera Central Coast, two California wines routinely available in town.<span style=""> </span>And the best Oregon value Pinot is made by Texas-native Adam Lee at Siduri.<span style=""> </span>Available from the winery’s mailing list, their Willamette Valley blend sells for $20.<span style=""> </span>From down under, both Oyster Bay and Nautilus are making solid Pinots that deliver quality at a value price.
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<br />These are merely a handful of tangible starting points.<span style=""> </span>Maybe you go try one of these bottles and think they’re terrible.<span style=""> </span>That’s cool.<span style=""> </span>Wine is all about personal taste -- not points awarded by critics or impressing people.<span style=""> </span>There is so much quality wine out there these days, it won’t take you long to find something that suits your taste.<span style=""> </span>Before long, you’ll be jumping into wine with both feet.
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<br /><!--EndFragment--> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-19858765728023606002010-09-15T19:14:00.013-05:002010-09-15T19:46:55.580-05:00Wine Every Day, part twoSo you’ve decided to drink some wine. Excellent. You’ve taken the first and most essential step to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Now, how do you choose? Most of the time, when you pose this kind of question to a wino, they’ll give you a long, convoluted answer that gets into much more specific follow-up questions than you’re prepared to handle. Instead, stick to three things to ask yourself, which will help you on your way to experimenting with wine.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Red, white, or sparkling?</span><br />Not much is riding on this decision. Think of wine drinking as a long-term investment. At one time or another, you’re going to try them all, so what sounds good, off the top of your head, just for the heck of it? No, seriously, come on, just pick one. This is like the LSAT, there’s no penalty for guessing. There’s also no wrong answer.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DkSlJlVc5SjO4aiFQrfIgDwkknqBbc6r71kAAutjU9M?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TJFiR2EP_aI/AAAAAAAAEMs/MWUBH8cRQFo/s400/photo.JPG" /></a><br /><br />This is another place where wine pros try to intimidate you (intentionally or not -- remember enthusiasm). They make you feel like you’re going to get it wrong. They’ll try to tell you at this point that you need to consider the occasion, what you’ll be eating with the wine (if anything at all), who will be there, and a bunch of other irrelevant stuff that helps prove to themselves that they know what they’re talking about.<br /><br />You don’t need to give a good reason or even any reason at all. Maybe you want red wine tonight because there’s some red in the sunset tonight. Or you want white because it looks like the wine coolers you used to chug in high school. Or maybe it’s a sparkling you lean toward because it’s got bubbles and so does the beer you would rather be drinking instead of getting all this wine stuff. It doesn’t matter. This is about enjoyment.<br /><br />Got your choice? Okay, good. Moving on.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. How much do you want to spend?</span><br />You probably know this already, but you can buy wine for as little as $2 a bottle or as much as $4,000 a bottle — and we’re just talking retail price here. That leaves a lot of room for price variation. You need to decide how much you’re willing to spend, but don’t let anything other than your own budgetary allowances dictate that. You’ve got no one to impress with a label or a price tag. You’re in this for yourself, to see if this is something you’ll like. Why should you shell out a lot of money for a bottle of wine if you don’t even know you’ll want to finish it?<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BrYYmPaMwQzYPbcP3FHRO_bM932wCvnlQCumIG2biFc?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/ScctWAMFfoI/AAAAAAAAC3E/cJoAkjIHhhk/s400/IMG_0656.JPG" /></a><br /><br />More expensive is not better when it comes to wine. The plateau on price-to-quality ratio comes rapidly. At about $50 per bottle, you basically pay a luxury tax on prestige or scarcity. There’s no reason to start at the high end.<br /><br />If you decided you wanted to try out skiing, would you check into the fanciest resort, buy the most expensive ski equipment, and then test it all out? No. You would most likely go somewhere inexpensive, and you would rent your equipment the first time. Would you go buy a Corvette just because you liked the color? No, because your budget wouldn’t allow it. That’s the point: this is a testing phase for you. Start small, start slow. Get more adventurous as you go. It’s still going to be an interesting journey.<br /><br />There is a lot of great value out there in wine. In particular, if you look for bottles from Spain, Argentina, Germany, and the Rhone, Loire, and southern France, you can make a killing on $10 wines. (California tends to do less well in the $10 range, where the market is dominated by bulk wines filled with residual sugar and flavored with oak chips.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Where should you buy it?</span><br />This seems like a “duh” question. It’s not. There’s a huge difference between the $8 bottle of Australian Shiraz that you find at the grocery store and the one you’ll find at the best wine shop in town. It’s all about buying power and markup at the store you patronize. So do a little research. Find out who the best-regarded wine merchant in town is, then go to them.<br /><br />When you’re dealing with less expensive wine, you want to minimize your price. A place like Spec’s, the mega-store here in Houston, has generally lower prices than a grocery store. They also beat the prices at smaller wine shops. If you can find a bottle that lists at $8 but only pay $6.50 or less, well, what price would you prefer? Buying power. Find the place that has it in your town. You’ll be rewarded with being able to drink more and fret a little less. Costco is another terrific place to buy wine, and they have a good selection for introductory drinkers.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/J5yE7wF0YJpE-p5qHNz0D_bM932wCvnlQCumIG2biFc?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SccuDMIdq1I/AAAAAAAAC5k/kA2E1TY6768/s400/IMG_0712.JPG" /></a><br /><br />It’s important to find the best prices possible, but not only because it’s easier on your wallet. If you buy a crummy bottle of wine at a supermarket, and it’s actually egregiously overpriced, you’re going to get a poor idea of what the market is like. You might begin to think you have to spend $20 to get even a mediocre bottle of wine, and that’s just not true. So go to the people whose passion is wine. They’ll sell it to you cheaper — which means you’ll get it at a reasonable price and are less likely to feel ripped off.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Putting it all together</span><br />So now you’ve got a basic plan of action. You want a red wine, for dinner tonight, that costs about $10, and you want to buy it at Big Choice Wine & Spirits. Good stuff. Should you walk into Big Choice, find the first red wine that fits your price range, and walk out? Not at all. But why risk information overload? If you have too many things to remember, you’re going to think there’s a right or wrong answer. There isn’t.<br /><br />You do, however, have to face the reality that not all wines are created equal. If you’ve ever seen people order wine in a restaurant or buy a bottle in a liquor store, you’ve probably heard them ask about California Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot. There are fine wines to be discovered there. But there are much better options for people just starting to cultivate an appreciation for wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, is kind of hard to drink — it’s a grape that makes wine high in tannin (that’s the puckering, drying sensation you get in your mouth on the aftertaste; it’s extracted from the grape skins, stems, and seeds; it literally “falls out” of the wine over time in the form of a grainy black sediment). So, most of the time, Cabernet isn’t very pleasant to drink young. Merlot, as it’s made in California, can be the same way. Worse, it can be vegetal tasting. And when you were a young kid, just forming your taste for food, did you want to eat all your vegetables? Probably not. Why start with Merlot, then?<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q1vExV7znWvyyUsdJ6uM1vbM932wCvnlQCumIG2biFc?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/Sccs6nllgRI/AAAAAAAAC1I/V9uDU07HygU/s400/IMG_0654.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Some wines are more suited to easy appreciation. These are the wines you should target. They emphasize the fruitiness of the grapes, have good balance between the acidity and tannin, and will give you a good sense of what better bottlings might have to offer. The key, though, is that easy appreciation: wine is not something that should be difficult to enjoy. The Wine Spectator tasters and Robert Parker types get caught up in flowery (literally) descriptions of the wines that defy grounding in reality. If you think food writers are bad, try reading wine tasting notes.<br /><br />You want to pick out something that’s good to drink, won’t give you a headache, won’t be unpleasant, and will make you think, “Hey, this wine stuff is okay by me. I want to try it again.”<br /><br />So where do you go from here? Take a couple of the major points to heart — pick a color and a price, then go to the best wine store in town and go from there. You’ll have hits and misses. But just drink wine and enjoy. You learn what you like by drinking. You’ll quickly realize what fits your taste. Experiment. Be open-minded. And follow the advice of a very smart man who makes some very tasty wine in his own right. <a href="http://www.holdredge.com"> </a><a href="http://www.holdredge.com">John Holdredge</a> has said this: If you like it? Drink it. If you don’t like it? Drink something else. If you really like it? Drink some more. Maybe that is the silver bullet of wine appreciation. Follow your own taste, and before long, you’re not going to need advice from anyone but yourself.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-16523938229376275352010-08-10T19:36:00.002-05:002010-08-10T19:41:16.663-05:00A Glimpse at Houston Restaurant Week<a href="http://www.houstonrestaurantweek.com/">Houston Restaurant Week</a> is halfway over, and it's a great way to go out and try new restaurants that you just haven't found time for in the past year. Lunch is a marvelous way to sample some of the city's better places, like <a href="http://www.marks1658.com/">Mark's</a>. It is well worth checking out this year. An interesting menu is particularly inviting at lunch -- $20 for two savory courses. And Mark's is home to an early front-runner for best dish of Restaurant Week: the corn souffle with caviar. <br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yTwSa2Aos0EZISARBVMsuTwkknqBbc6r71kAAutjU9M?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TGHwfMEQSoI/AAAAAAAAEL0/y2XRIeSWHFU/s400/Mark%27s.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-86108433092218128192010-07-22T19:20:00.003-05:002010-07-22T19:38:18.076-05:00Wine Every Day, part one <meta name="Title" content=""> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <link style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" rel="File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/gutt/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="1026"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Wine is most fun when it’s not relegated to special occasions or built up into a phobia.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It should be part of your daily life.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">And now insert here the usual disclaimer about how there’s something here for everyone to appreciate, from the wine novice to expert.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It seems like any wine writing <i style="">must</i> include that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>Wine <i style="">enthusiast</i> is a perfect term because these are people who tend to get inordinately excited when the subject of fermented grape juice arises.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Give them a whiff of another person interested in wine, and settling them down is like trying to hold back a dog on a leash after it has picked up the scent of a hotdog.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s hard to stop them, which leads to inevitable lapses into wine jargon and incomprehensibility.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>But it is important to dispel the snotty attitude a lot of winos have.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s also important to dispel the notion that writing about wine needs to be condescending.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">No jargon.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">No attitude.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Just some simple, real information on wine that might be able to help you out in a liquor store sometime to impress the girl you’re cooking dinner for.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">(You do cook, right?)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_RPpzJLv2FCS_aWYufa6Kh3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOpPlFjHzmI/AAAAAAAAApI/fG0SqIeOv1Y/s400/IMG_0951.JPG" /></a>
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<br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Anyway, so the most basic question is, “Why wine?” Why not beer? Or vodka? Or rum? Or some other liquor? Why not mixed drinks?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>There are five fundamental reasons wine is the ideal beverage.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">None of them will include flowery, complex descriptions that will mean nothing to you.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">If you want to start drinking wine, these are reasons you’ll stumble across all on your own.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">This isn’t to say there won’t be a place for Milwaukee’s Best in your lifestyle, but you might start to consider pushing aside grain alcohol punch, at least from time to time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><b style="">1.<span style=""> </span>Flavor<o:p></o:p></b>
<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is obvious.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Wine most likely won’t taste good or complex or compelling to you at first.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It’ll probably taste like alcohol.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">What booze doesn’t? You have to show a certain amount of persistence to get beyond the alcohol taste, whether you’re drinking beer, liquor, or wine.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">As a society, we tend to manage this aversion through an ends-based approach: we want to end up drunk.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">But once you begin to discern a bit, you can realize the breadth of flavor available in even simple wines.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">There are five main types of wine: red, white, sparkling, sweet, and fortified.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Yet within each of those five types are a variety of different styles because each comes from different grapes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sCkMJxrrZIJ6rsfMXeCfyR3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOovSMkSmvI/AAAAAAAAAOI/kn_MQdaRMQ4/s400/IMG_0023.JPG" /></a>
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<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Wine stands out because of how closely the finished product winds up being to its source.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It really is fermented grape juice, nothing more. </span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">You don’t have to go through complex chemistry to turn grape juice into wine.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s a natural process that doesn’t even need the addition of yeast and, more importantly, one that changes the nature of the grapes very little.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">You can’t say the same thing about beer or spirits.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">In beer, the barley, hops, and other ingredients go through a heavy cooking process that changes their flavors dramatically.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Distillation changes the fundamental chemical makeup of potatoes, grains, etc. to produce spirits.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">You don’t get nearly as pure a product in beer or liquor as you do with wine, which allows the characteristics of each grape variety — be it red or white — to shine through.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>Good winemaking, as opposed to brewing or distilling, is largely a hands-off undertaking.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">You want the grapes to shine through on their own as much as possible.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Beer and liquor, however, require a vigorous production process that tends to deaden flavor nuances.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bODJ_2K_mNc1cmGaAdDz5B3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOovm0tbaDI/AAAAAAAAASM/CyHYeagXseM/s400/IMG_0054.JPG" /></a>
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<br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">2.<span style=""> </span>Creation and variation<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Beer and spirits are revered for their uniformity.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">This is a product of the processes used to create them, which is somewhat like a successful chemistry experiment replicated over and over again.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It is admirable that Jack Daniels, for instance, can crank out barrels of whiskey with such consistency.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">The same can be said for beers, from microbrews to Budweiser.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s comforting to know that, if you’ve tasted Absolut vodka once, it will taste the same two years down the road, but it’s not very interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>Wine, on the other hand, is admired for its variation. It is most frequently made from grapes grown in a single year (a “vintage”).</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">A particular producer of wine may have a recognizable style or qualities in certain wines — like the minty smell often found in Heitz Cellars’ Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (that’s no bull; it really can smell like a fresh mint leaf) — but even wines made from the same vineyard in different years will vary is flavor and style.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WKE-U47AlAaI-z92sabbdx3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOowc59m9sI/AAAAAAAAAdI/-AKvLyM2fjI/s400/IMG_0143.JPG" /></a>
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<br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">There’s also the aging of wine, another variable that will change its taste and qualities.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Hard liquor can go for years in the bottle and still be very much the same as it was the day it was packaged.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Beer, after long enough, will spoil and is prized for its freshness.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Without belaboring the point with too much detail, wine is like a favored pet: it has a precocious youth, steady period of maturity, and then moves past its prime.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>Certain liquors are coveted for being aged, particularly whiskeys and rums, but that aging takes place in oak casks, not the bottle.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Once capped off, liquor holds at a plateau indefinitely.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">And there is another way aged liquors are made: distillers simply change the chemical makeup of them and age them artificially.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">This is particularly common among rums, and tasters say the flavor of naturally aged spirits and their artificially aged counterparts is indistinguishable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>For wine, there’s no faking it.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">(Or maybe there is, as <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2256775">this</a> excellent piece discusses.)</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Aging can be a good or bad thing.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">You never quite know what’s in store for you when you open a bottle that has been in the cellar for ten or more years.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">There’s a certain risk when you deal with variation, but the rewards can be so terrific it becomes part of the fun.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><b style="">3.<span style=""> </span>Moderate alcohol, light weight<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Relatively speaking, wine tends to have moderate alcohol, ranging from eight-percent in lighter wines, such as Riesling (a white grape), to about twenty-percent in fortified wines, such as Port.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">More alcohol than that would destroy the balance of flavor.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Less alcohol would give it a heavier, more fruit-juice-like quality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/E82fbXHgjhpVA3LBr_M1Ox3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOov83dEurI/AAAAAAAAAWk/PIn2wxrWLjw/s400/IMG_0091.JPG" /></a>
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<br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Spirits, obviously, have much higher alcohol levels, generally in the range of forty to fifty percent.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Alcohol itself is heavy; it weighs you down.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">That’s why a martini, for example, isn’t the ideal dinner accompaniment.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Most mixers — such as fruit juices and carbonated waters — are heavier still because of their high sugar contents.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Mixed drinks, without a doubt, can be deliciously refreshing.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Who would say no to a good margarita at <a href="http://www.hugosrestaurant.net/">Hugo’s</a>?</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">But drink three or four, and you’re going to feel anything but light on your feet.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Beer, on the other hand, has carbonation that makes it filling.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It expands in your stomach and quickly gives you a somewhat bloated feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><b style="">4.<span style=""> </span>Food companion<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">You’re going to be hard-pressed to find a beverage, other than water, that goes well with as many kinds of food as wine.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Beer has its place, most definitely.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Pizza and burgers and chili are great with a cold beer, and sometimes it just hits the spot.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Even liquor, at times, does the trick as a food accompaniment.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">For example, <i style="">rumjungle</i>, at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, does an admirable job pairing rum drinks with Brazilian pit barbecue.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>On the whole, however, beer and spirits don’t complement food as completely as wine does. The range of flavors found within a single glass of Pinot Noir can enhance you’re the full range of flavors on your plate.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Enjoying a good food and wine pairing brings out all the best elements in wine — its range of flavors and its unique expression of the grape and place of origin.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Plus, with wine’s balance, relatively low alcohol, and light weight, you can enjoy it throughout a meal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kC3WAHFOha6X3roOpoR72R3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOov7u0LIfI/AAAAAAAAAWI/n8BMKW-9UFo/s400/IMG_0088.JPG" /></a>
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s hard to describe in general terms why you should drink wine with food.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">The best thing is to experiment for yourself. Bordeaux with good lamb?</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s a magical fusion of tastes and textures that cannot be duplicated with any other beverage.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">The pairings don’t have to be fancy, though.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Try Champagne with popcorn or macaroni and cheese -- these have become common “odd” pairings over the last decade. The guide just has to be what pleases your mouth.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">There is such a range of styles with wine that, chances are, you can find something that matches your taste and your food.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It is with food that beer and liquor seem the most one-dimensional.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">5.<span style=""> </span>Wine, my buddy</b>
<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">You might not think about this, but if you get into wine, one of the most rewarding aspects is the relationship you build with certain bottles.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">If you decide you like wine enough to start building a cellar for yourself, you’ll wind up with bottles that will stay on your racks for years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Xj5SzbxUZ2zHAvQZVd_oEB3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOovoN8M6nI/AAAAAAAADNU/PEGjCaePzi4/s400/IMG_0056.JPG" /></a></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">You will learn the pain and pleasure of agonizing over when to drink one prized bottle — will it be too young? Too old? You’ll probably end up talking to it from time to time, wishing it could pipe up and give you some wisdom about the development of the wine within.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">This is all part of the fun.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s a somewhat similar rush to gambling.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">You hope you pull the cork at the right time, that your investment of time, money, and space will pay off.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">You’ll feel exhilaration and disappointment.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NDyqs9Dgr9ZCehiMIU_-BS51clq4yxHvnYcM6lkSLoo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SUiFrY3e1SI/AAAAAAAABYU/rMvAEzQ8i7A/s400/IMG_0203.JPG" /></a>
<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6Bz7WOOEWMeWJGCK3xUFRR3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOov0C8ktfI/AAAAAAAAAU0/eu7-7_tVoIg/s400/IMG_0077.JPG" /></a>
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<br /></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">You can get intimate with a wine, if you really want.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Go see the vineyards.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">When was the last time you felt the urge to check out the potato farm or corn field that feeds into your favorite vodka distillery? There’s something tremendously organic about wine, and I don’t mean that exclusively as a method of farming.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s a unique aspect to a beverage that actually takes on a life of its own.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Not to mention the fact that wine has held a romantic place in the human condition for centuries.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Wine in parts is hedonistic, sacramental, exhilarating, and depressing, and it is never without passion.</span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />But perhaps the most important realization to make about wine is the easiest to grasp. </span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Ignore wine enthusiasts, no matter how well-intentioned, who fill beginners with jargon and complexity, which they love to flash like it’s a membership card to some secret club.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Having a good bottle of wine is always better with friends, but a tongue-lashing from a wine snob is the easiest way to ruin it.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">All you need to know is what you like, and drink that.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/l0xT4c9mGjXpyT05_L1j1R3K1fV-kD-_JE3eeVWs9Mg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/SOovJKwnYJI/AAAAAAAAAMc/ZIhaaB_-nSU/s400/IMG_0007.JPG" /></a>
<br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-16384575202039821362010-07-09T16:45:00.001-05:002010-07-10T01:24:57.066-05:00Friday Date Night: BRC Gastro Pub<span style="font-weight: bold;">Note</span>: This is slated to be a recurring feature. Here's the idea: Date night should be dinner for two at a restaurant where there are enough options on the menu for you to have an excellent meal but not pay more than $15 for any single item (excluding wine). That gives you a strong measure of control over your final check. Sometimes it'll be somewhere romantic, other times it will be somewhere you can go with your honey and enjoy some quality people-watching. Whatever floats your boat. But it's good to get out of the house and spend a little time together.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.brcgastropub.com/BRC/Welcome_to_BRC_Gastropub.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">BRC</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gastro</span> Pub</a> generated a lot of strong reactions when it opened. Most of them related to the name. Big Red Cock. Forget that there's a big red rooster out front, reminding us of having fun with homophones. The name is probably funniest to those who are learning homophones in school right now -- what, seven- or eight-year-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">olds</span>? Okay, it's a childish joke. But <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">BRC</span> is exciting. It comes from Shepard Ross and Lance <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Fegan</span> of the Glass Wall, with Jeff <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Axline</span> taking the reins at the stove on a daily basis, and <span style="font-style: italic;">this </span>is what the Glass Wall does best. Bar food. (Read about that strength <a href="http://fromthegutt.blogspot.com/2009/06/review-glass-wall.html">here</a>.)<br /><br />Initially, the kitchen had a few growing pains. The large potato chips served with the excellent pimento cheese dip were obviously prepared far in advance and came out soggy and soaked with grease. Subsequently, however, this defect has been corrected: the chips aren't spending as much time waiting around after they come out of the fryer. And, from the start, the kitchen has had more hits than misses.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/A2QVYPT5BV-Ba3VHTooG_d_dFfPeVzG6WFG1cnJXYkQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TDZyNKNbAuI/AAAAAAAAEKk/yw6tj84A8lE/s400/BRC%202.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The crab <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">beignets</span> are superb, fried skillfully, with a warm and gooey inside revealing plenty of crab. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">boudin</span> balls are a real treat. These are the not mushy, dense, nondescript <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">boudin</span> balls you find too regularly. These are light, delicious, and layered with flavor. Appetizers are a strength. The Glass Wall crab cake is slightly modified and as delicious as ever. But the Dr. Pepper fried quail came out with a chewy batter and cloyingly sweet sauce, though the quail themselves were excellent.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Fhfncr6UsgelsktAo6xw0N_dFfPeVzG6WFG1cnJXYkQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TDZyMf58LOI/AAAAAAAAEKg/pww30IAfk0s/s400/BRC%201.jpg" /></a><br /><br />A handful of main entrees, although very solid, are not the star attraction. That is saved for the array of inventive sandwiches. There's the excellent and improbable flavor combination of the roasted brisket sandwich. On a thick piece of toast, the tender brisket is topped with mushrooms, caramelized onions, ham, smoked cheddar cheese, and gravy. It gets the right combination of smokey, salty, and savory.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/C9aIaMfhL8eslRAxWuMzrt_dFfPeVzG6WFG1cnJXYkQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TDZyNiHxkTI/AAAAAAAAEKo/MM-LAo1TzyQ/s400/BRC%203.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The State Fair <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Griddled</span> Cheese -- an unmistakably Texas interpretation -- has short ribs, cheese, and tomato inside. It works beautifully, although sometimes the tomato can intrude on the ooze you want in a grilled cheese. The chicken fried steak sandwich is an instant Houston classic, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Sheppy's</span> Dogs might be the best pure hot dog in town. And, of course, the hamburger is very solid indeed. It's a steal on Mondays, coming in at $6.50 with fries.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NcdjhAkGouXsFCQFlCH_6d_dFfPeVzG6WFG1cnJXYkQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TDZyO3g_T-I/AAAAAAAAEKw/mMDBFvRa6bY/s400/BRC%204.jpg" /></a><br /><br />On the side, the fries have been somewhat inconsistent but recently are better, obviously double-fried and crispy. The daily macaroni and cheese is beautifully executed, always faithful to the essentials of the dish: creamy, cheesy, and flavorful, without reliance on gimmicks.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U2vd9pv9sdYVNrbjrQQyTd_dFfPeVzG6WFG1cnJXYkQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TDZyOdSvQ3I/AAAAAAAAEKs/Nhjz73qikCM/s400/BRC%205.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Another high point is the dinners for four <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">BRC</span> features on Sunday and Tuesday. Sundays, you can get a fried chicken dinner for four for $60. For the same price on Tuesday, you get a Yankee pot roast dinner for four. It's a strong excuse to get together with friends and kick off the week.<br /><br />The wine list is slim but smartly picked, with a couple real bargains. Given the food, though, you would like to see a few more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Zinfandels</span> and spicy reds on it. The selection of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">microbrews</span> on tap is impressive, and the two <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">sangrias</span> are very pleasing. (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">BRC</span> has a beer-wine license only; it doesn't serve liquor.)<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iItoMMkeXuRYj5z69WJcht_dFfPeVzG6WFG1cnJXYkQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/TDZyPC2_41I/AAAAAAAAEK0/hEKFUeFaeDc/s400/BRC%206.jpg" /></a><br /><br />There are only two downsides to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">BRC</span> -- one potential and one very real that must be addressed. First, it's noisy inside. This noisy restaurant trend can't end soon enough. These places aren't sparing any expense, so why not invest in a couple acoustic panels? Second, and more importantly, service rarely has been good and too frequently veers into the woeful. You can only hope the service issues are a growing pain and will be corrected in short order. Given the extensive turnover among the wait staff, one can hope this is a kink <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">BRC</span> is aggressively trying to work out.<br /><br />All told, though, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">BRC</span> is a terrific date night place. It falls more into the people-watching rather than romantic category, but it's a great precursor for a night on the town.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-23578898514875553762010-07-08T19:18:00.003-05:002010-07-08T19:33:59.044-05:00First Look: Phil's Texas BarbecueOh look! It's another wood-and-metal building on Washington Avenue! Wait, what? It's <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> a haven for the Ed Hardy-wearing, off-center-cap-sporting, woo-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hoo</span>-shouting people? It's a barbecue restaurant? This holds some promise.<br /><br />Until you go inside and eat there. Phil's Barbecue actually fits into the Washington Avenue scene perfectly. It's immaculate inside. Polished concrete floors. Lots of shiny stainless steel. You get the distinct impression that if your next stop is Pearl Bar or the Roosevelt or any number of the shiny-shirt shops, this is the barbecue joint for you. It's trendy. You won't get your fingers dirty at Phil's. This is the antithesis of a genuine barbecue place. It doesn't even smell smokey inside.<br /><br />Maybe these were just growing pains of a newly opened restaurant -- an unlikely event given the <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBkQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.b4-u-eat.com%2FPressReleases%2Fpr1348.asp&ei=hW02TOjKAcTflgft4ezUBw&usg=AFQjCNHEXcmHhmwZX9YJdGbq39AVKTy6_g&sig2=58pFrxj2zNA2jAJehmek7w">history of the owners</a> -- but the brisket was dry and chewy. The ribs were dry and clung to the bone. The coleslaw, seducing you with the implication of a vinegar pucker, turned out to be oily and sweet. The macaroni and cheese tasted more of butter and cream than cheese, and it is slightly grainy as a result. The fries and onion rings looked good from a distance; maybe they were the key to happiness?<br /><br />In any case, putting stock in a barbecue restaurants sides bodes ill. And there is nothing the sauce, sweet as dessert, can save. In the early days, it sure looks like Phil's is, at best, a place to be seen. Those looking for real barbecue are advised to head elsewhere.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-28900363062153952452010-05-03T22:15:00.000-05:002010-05-03T22:22:02.814-05:00Wine of the Moment: Inman Family Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2007Economists may be closing in on a consensus that the recession is over, but wine drinkers are not so quick to agree. Consumers are still looking for bargains, first and foremost. This continues to be especially true when it comes to wine. Back in the heady days of the mid-2000s, it was almost impossible to walk down a liquor store's aisle without tripping over the latest cult Cabernet priced at $150 or a new single-vineyard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Pinot</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Noir</span> for $50. Nowadays, wine drinkers demand value for their money in a way they haven't always demanded it from California.<br /><br />On a recent trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sonoma</span>, a shining example of a wine that presents good value and delivers exceptional quality stood out: the <a href="http://www.inmanfamilywines.com/product/2007-Russian-River-Valley-Pinot-Noir?pageID=2830578c-1e0b-4e34-f0a5-5274292e7c53&productBrandID=&sortBy=Rating"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Inman</span> Family <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Pinot</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Noir</span> Russian River Valley 2007</a>. It has a bright, juicy fruit to it that leaps out of the glass, giving classic Russian River expression of black cherry and spice. It has restrained alcohol (13.7%), excellent balance, and a terrific sense of class. <a href="http://www.inmanfamilywines.com/Our-Wines/Buy-Wine">At $30</a>, it's worth seeking out for drinking with summer dinners. It's acidic structure makes it a great pairing for food, and the screw cap closure makes it perfect for picnics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full Disclosure</span>: Kathleen <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Inman</span>, the winemaker, and her family are friends, and this is a winery I've long supported. For full tasting notes on wines from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Inman</span> Family from numerous tasters, see <a href="http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?Table=Notes&iUserOverride=0&szSearch=inman+family">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-87910447922623893672010-04-22T20:10:00.003-05:002010-04-22T20:16:07.769-05:00The French Laundry: A Photo EssayA trip to the French Laundry is worthy of something. Each meal there is a treat, taking you to a plane of food ecstasy that is without equal in the United States. It may be redundant to have a second full-scale review in a year, but certainly a photo essay is in order. Bon appetit!<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YxpHiMo1VvAWsGB1fNcLEo6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h6VSfw-kI/AAAAAAAAEFA/A22z1J3DeGk/s400/IMG_1376.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oLVdTvIUe4Rz0vhENOuMeo6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h6bkFqT2I/AAAAAAAAEFI/A9JHSVaoeuE/s400/IMG_1378.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/f-6vGi9aFO8QB4r6YOnEnY6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h6hKJCmAI/AAAAAAAAEFU/DiC8o8hZvAY/s400/IMG_1380.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/76I-5xiuP9AVT8-rEO_Xi46lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h6kGt-jPI/AAAAAAAAEFY/UjMK_44ojIk/s400/IMG_1381.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mBp0ir3mJ4BSIw3o-b7sX46lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h6u1LeXWI/AAAAAAAAEFs/jPJdkJSywfA/s400/IMG_1385.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jaAMTGzSlx512GjRw0tdl46lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h6xmmXt9I/AAAAAAAAEFw/sDJWky4avdk/s400/IMG_1386.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/P4sJ02z9aZVFbjlZBKyujY6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h60BL4KhI/AAAAAAAAEF0/h76FlJCgaf4/s400/IMG_1387.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fKJ7mntMGzjUYzVaTCfOJY6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h650scG4I/AAAAAAAAEGA/qUTzEvrbe3k/s400/IMG_1389.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Z_0s1FMVMnQLPMk42OkKfI6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h6_9BwF6I/AAAAAAAAEGI/l0ktZNucbUg/s400/IMG_1391.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1yNMwEoeoCixVQ912cNxJ46lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7Cm9jJeI/AAAAAAAAEGM/FIKWO7IyfYg/s400/IMG_1392.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AGVQzmD6eWC76YfAITTyuI6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7H1FRGkI/AAAAAAAAEGU/v45Dp0nkrak/s400/IMG_1394.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/omsTiK4DGQ5CQDwOI_v8OI6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7NrjvLuI/AAAAAAAAEGc/EOIItsSpZS0/s400/IMG_1396.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e-FL9CpoPcY5OqPqkYn5cY6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7VzmtQpI/AAAAAAAAEGs/MYMPrfAO0OE/s400/IMG_1399.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GuTygjl662bAK-59Y6iMYo6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7YqHLR9I/AAAAAAAAEGw/uNist25UzzA/s400/IMG_1400.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/q5Zjv_Fh-ak7iWr8NFmpzo6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7ea7XDTI/AAAAAAAAEG8/gkKAA6oiYSs/s400/IMG_1402.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sO1T4nIg3nAXrBGyuYMOOI6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7hD_ouTI/AAAAAAAAEHA/DsoH5peIsdw/s400/IMG_1403.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/41WAKz-M2idCvnWJJYPvfY6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7myzr5VI/AAAAAAAAEHI/BniMNcF8Cv4/s400/IMG_1405.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2m75Znz3p0hC9QzxJbam5Y6lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7sZFDNLI/AAAAAAAAEHU/3siYvnoOGmI/s400/IMG_1407.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mZksyLsxePKbXhlKPDUSh46lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h7yP2RgGI/AAAAAAAAEHc/tyJmKTEsbgk/s400/IMG_1409.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e5hHBIAnzB_F-WlCJbmH_46lUZJgVLi_0KNGTqCEv-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S8h6PhHfT7I/AAAAAAAAEE4/kQi8WF3WZek/s400/IMG_1374.JPG" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-43127890898057832212010-03-30T19:24:00.000-06:002010-03-30T19:29:57.129-06:00Wine of the Moment: Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Riesling Eroica 2008Riesling from the United States tends to be a bit devoid of character. Sure, they can be pleasant, but it is fairly rare to find one possessing meaningful personality. Actually, New York State produces some of the most consistently <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">quaffable</span> Riesling in this country. But in a popular wave of Chardonnay and Merlot drinkers, Riesling largely has been left behind. It's a shame, too. Riesling rocks. Germany produces phenomenal Riesling, in the well-known sweeter style. Alsace continues to churn out drier examples of the grape that are attractive and crisp. And now Austria has thrown its hat into the ring as a producer of less sweet styles of Riesling that receive well-deserved international attention.<br /><br />If you're from Houston, you need to know Riesling. As Scott Spencer, the kind and knowledgeable owner of the <a href="http://www.houstonwines.com/">Houston Wine Merchant</a> has correctly proclaimed for years, Riesling is the perfect wine for the weather here. It is refreshing, crisp, delightfully cooling, and pairs marvelously with many foods (including spicy ones, which <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Houstonians</span> have been known to favor from time to time).<br /><br />For everyday drinking, you can pick up a bottle of the excellent <a href="http://www.ste-michelle.com/wines/eroica/release/33">Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Riesling <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Eroica</span> 2008</a>. This wine, made from Washington State's Columbia Valley, is a partnership between the large winery Chateau Ste. Michelle and the famous German producer Dr. Loosen. It is done more in a German style, although on the drier side of the sweetness scale. (That would be <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">kabinett</span></span> in German wine nomenclature. German wines are labeled by how sweet they are, but that tends to be pretty confusing, so set it aside for later explication.) In plain terms, this is a wine that comes off as a hybrid of the German and Austrian styles. It has the hint of sweetness you find in German wines, but its peachy fruit is carried along by a slightly tart edge and plenty of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">minerality</span>.<br /><br />The Eroica Riesling is a wine that is made to slice through the debilitating humidity of Houston summer and transport you to a land of refreshment and enchantment. You might call it the San Diego of fermented grape juice. And at about $15 at your local Costco, you can drink up without a guilty conscience.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-3225319859895427502010-03-10T19:36:00.000-06:002010-03-10T19:36:58.396-06:00In re Hubcap Grill<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span>Before the Burger Court of Houston, Texas</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span>Docket No. 5</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span>In re HUBCAP GRILL</span></b><span></span></p><br />Before GUTTING, BRINKMANN, LAHAD, JJ.<br /><br />GUTTING, J. Before the Court is the submission of Hubcap Grill ("Hubcap") on a petition of certiorari from Houston's food critics and bloggers. After a thorough review of the record of courts below, we hold that Hubcap serves very good hamburgers that merit a B+ rating.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span><u><b>Background</b></u></span></div>It is difficult to find a louder chorus among the burger faithful than that of Hubcap Grill proponents these days. Located downtown on Prairie (the second location on South Main having recently closed), this Court determined Hubcap merits review because (1) it has had the support of numerous amici and (2) serves as one of, if not the only, quality burger spot for those who work in downtown Houston. Seating is sparse but generally available. The line often stretches down the block, meaning advance planning may be in order in the event of rain or, of more frequent concern in Houston, summer.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RQ-nSS1IS_10G_6Av4pTeg?authkey=Gv1sRgCN70pvzindqCTw&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S5P40qKXIeI/AAAAAAAAEAo/mq_NXTnxVzQ/s400/Hubcap%206.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Hubcap's menu consists of a litany of creative burger choices, as well as a handful of chicken sandwiches. French fries and sweet potato fries are the limited side selections. Drinks come in cans or bottles. The Court entertained two Hubcap offerings: (1) the Hubcap Decker, a Big Mac-style double cheeseburger with the patties separated by a piece of toast, Swiss and American cheese, and a mayonnaise-based sauce and (2) a double hamburger.<span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><u><b>The Hamburger</b></u></span><br /></div>Hubcap uses hand-formed beef patties. The menu advertises that they are comprised of 100% chuck. The patties generally are too thin to proceed with anything less than a double burger. The meat is high quality, with a pure beef flavor, although the seasoning has a pronounced influence from thyme -- an influence that too frequently is out of balance with the ground beef. Thyme is an excellent complementary flavor to beef, as a general rule, but it must be used sparingly. Overuse of it is Hubcap's greatest sin. There is no need to mask terrific, freshly ground chuck. Second, this Court has noticed on multiple occasions the tendency for Hubcap burgers to arrive overcooked and slightly dry. There remains good juiciness because of the fat content, but the "ooze" of these burgers is too dependent on mayonnaise and melted cheese in order to reach the level of the truly elite.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nchjmti_Dh8IDh2KWF9qsg?authkey=Gv1sRgCN70pvzindqCTw&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S5P41t1D_1I/AAAAAAAAEAw/HjfOKjcZRHY/s400/Hubcap%202.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The bun at Hubcap is worth note. It is sturdy, with good bite and flavor. It genuinely adds value to the experience, although its size and thickness means a double patty is necessary in order to maintain an appropriate meat-to-bun ratio. The other toppings of the burgers are worth mention for their freshness and quality.<br /><br /><i>Amici</i> offered a muffaletta burger for the Court's consideration, but we declined to do so, preferring instead to tackle Hubcap Grill on its (not insubstantial) traditional merits.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Extras</u></b><br /></div>Hubcap, to its credit, offers only limited sides. The French fries are forgettable, usually being a bit undercooked and soggy. The sweet potato fries, however, tend to be flavor and tender, a worthy accompaniment to the burgers. The lack of fountain drinks is not a hindrance, although the prevalence of outdoor seating and lack of ice for drinks may present difficulty in summertime.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6JQMSFFIEuefmz4908fuFA?authkey=Gv1sRgCN70pvzindqCTw&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S5P41xuGOuI/AAAAAAAAEA0/-ivgg8LeWwI/s400/Hubcap%203.jpg" /></a><br /><br />In the final review, Hubcap uses quality ingredients and, despite eminently correctable flaws, makes flavorful and worthy hamburgers that are welcome on the Houston scene. In particular, this is a strong choice for those who work downtown and would like a sturdy lunch before an afternoon nap. Due to the over-seasoning with thyme and reliance on cheese for oozing juiciness, Hubcap Grill warrants a B+ rating.<br /><br /><b>IT IS SO ORDERED.</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4588650785704962270.post-63514143781830688972010-03-05T17:44:00.000-06:002010-03-05T17:44:27.305-06:00Amuse Bouche: Ode to SpringSometimes there isn't much you can say. Sometimes you just have to realize that it's 67 degrees outside, pleasantly sunny, and that there is an invigorating lack of humidity in the air. It won't last long. This is a time to rejoice. It is a time to go outside and drink some Pinot Noir.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oWn8k9rf2xIjDhfiBjBg4g?authkey=Gv1sRgCN70pvzindqCTw&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Mi6YphZGVMk/S48YWwW5n9I/AAAAAAAAD_Y/umM20mXVfrU/s400/Spring%20wine.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15249458280296425576noreply@blogger.com0