… which means TURN OFF THE EFFING AIR CONDITIONER. 

I have my own office at work.  It’s superb, although it has no window to the outside.   What’s not superb?  That my office is connected to the entire building’s thermostat so I have to put up with whatever temperature everyone else likes.  This is not ok. 

You could house perishable items in my office.  Just be sure and seal them in a Ziploc freezer bag first to deter freezerburn.   I’ve asked a couple of times if we can turn the heat up (or on at all) just a few degrees because it’s so cold.

“No, I think it’s just you that’s cold”. 

I can see my breath in my office.  I’m not even joking about this. 

What’s worse?  The fact that I’m getting over a cold and I’m still really bitchy a little grumpy.

You know what makes it better?  Vivace’s White Hot Chocolate.  It’s heaven in a freaking paper cup (or mug if  you sit there and drink it).  And to send you further into a sugary-warmth coma are their irresistable banana/nutella/ice cream/chocolate fudge crepes.  Actually, all of their crepes are delish- sweet or savory. 

I’m sitting here enjoying my happiness in a cup and a coworker walks by and comments,”It’s freakin’ cold in here today”. 

I say,”No, it’s just you.”

*smile*

I can still blame it on the cold, right?

Last Wednesday me and Cary went to try a new Tex-Mex food for break fast at Ikano powerhouse, this place is very new it’s just a small store serving few traditional Mexican food like Taco’s, Burritos, Quesadilla and most popular Mexican snack Nachos. Nothing much to shout about because this place is just serving simple snack i don’t even think it have the original taste of a Mexican food, but the price is very reasonable you should try their nachos it does taste good not too shabby for a rm4.50 snack.

promotional flyers

I’m a big fan of Mexican food and it’s kinda hard to find a good Mexican food in kl and of course there is a good Mexican restaurant around after all this is KL city right, we have every type of food and culture here but for a good food in KL you gotta spend quite a bomb, but in Poppilla things is kinda cheap for me even though it doe’s not taste 100% original it’s the next best thing. I recommended the Popi Beef Burritos or Taco’s, the beef have a very nice taste of usual Mexican spices and herbs if i’m not mistaken it’s cumin, the Popi beef is the best filling comparing to the southwest chicken and the grilled chicken, as for the Tuna and Salmon filling we all know that’s sooo.. not Mexican. Overall i kinda like this place and will definitely come again from time to time for a quick snack after all it’s nearby my place.

About few a month back me and Cary made a visit to Harrods KLCC for an early dinner it was about around 5pm when we reached there. it was our off day and we decided to treat our self with something more exquisite than usual. Harrods is a new brand new outlet located in the KLCC shopping malls 1st floor just opposite California pizza kitchen restaurant. Its was a small outlet size approximately about 1500sq feet it’s like a mini Harrods in the heart of KL city.

Harrods KLCC front

There is many interesting Harrods brand merchandise for sale this including the famous Harrods bear and Harrods carry bag and the price i’m telling you it’s not getting cheaper here, exclusive English tea leaves and Coffee Beans also available. I am a long time coffee fan and the only one thing that i am very much attracted in here is the espresso machine, if you’re there you won’t miss it either, it kinda remind me of Bruce Willis on “Hudson Hawk” which have one looked kind of the same in the movie,  it looked like the vintage espresso machine but this one looked new i think it’s a reproduction. I can’t help it  but stood by the coffee bar fascinates by the great types of coffee beans that they have.

the vintage like espresso machine. the coffee bar. lavish choices of cakes,sausages and cheese. Harrods merchandises.

From outside the store you might not realize that there is an exclusive restaurant in side, it’s just a small dining area about less than 10 tables. The restaurant has a very exclusive ambiance reflecting the English style and tradition, even the waitress that served us is very graceful and attentive, i feel like i am a too dressed down (just jeans and sneakers) as i do not know that i will be dining at such exclusive place.

The restaurant interior, Choices of soft and crusted bread i asked for both & yummy butter.

The menu is simple there is not much variety maybe because of the limited spaces that’s why it’s been designated such way. The waitress that served us is very attentive and pleasant, you will be served with some refreshments the usual choice is bread, my advise is opt for the soft bun instead the crusted ones it’s too hard but the spiced butter is addictive ly delicious . I scanned through the menu and the pricing fitted just like the place “exclusive”, i have mood for a red meat so i ordered The Harrods Roast and Cary goes for her favourite fish Pan Fried Cod Fish . The Harrods Roast seems like their signature dish maybe because of the name, the meal comes as a whole with roasted vegetables and the traditional English Yorkshire pudding, i opted for a medium done but the meat comes out too rare for me and the gravy is a little too thin but the roasted vege is a perfect fit i loved it especially the brussels sprout. Cary’s is quietly indulging her Pan Fried Cod Fish as she very much satisfied with the dish i can’t deny it too, the fish is so tender and flavourful even the vegetable sides is wonderfully done. We usually skip dessert because we have a small stomach but this time we just have a small treat after the meal, i always have a mood for coffee and Cary love something cold so we ordered an Iced Mocha Blended , the name is just simple nothing fancy but the taste is like a sip of flavorful bomb splashing down your pellet really refreshing an it also cast you a bombing rm20 per glass but hey if a Starbucks venti mocha frappuccino cost you almost rm 15 just add a lil’ bit more you can get a better taste, ambiance, and a great service.

The Harrods Roast rm45

The Pan Fried Cod Fish rm65

Harrods Ice Blended Mocha *a must try

1) Wide range of sushi from the sushi belt, 2) some of my fave sushi 3) generous slices of salmon sashimi, 4) very satisfying assorted tempura

 I always wonder why Japanese food so costly? it is the ingredients or just the culture made the menu price stays high?? not sure, but since i’ve found this place i devotedly have my Japanese food here about 3 to 4 times a month, it’s kinda funny that food here doesn’t make my tummy feels uneasy like others Japanese food does.

1) fresh fishes on display shows they served quality foods, 2) Beef rice with teriyaki cod fish (a must order item)

If you are a Japanese food lover you must not skip this place, the price is slightly cheaper than sushi king and the quality is even far superior that other similar sushi chain, e.g. the salmon sashimi is thicker than sushi kings and the price is almost the same, even the sushi is far more cheaper than the ones you can get from Jusco sushi booth.

I should warn you that this place is very popular and if you come around 7pm onward you will have to wait in a long line and try avoid going on weekends as usual weekends equals crowd, and when there is crowd in a restaurant you may find the quality a lil’ bit off ( i experience this in most restaurant) 

The best time to go is during lunch time and from 5pm to 7pm, this is the time when the sushi belt is full if you going in between you may risk frustration as the sushi belt is mostly empty.

SUSHI ZANMAI

SK9a, Second Floor Highstreet, 1 Utama,                                                                                                                                                    Shopping Centre, No1, Lebuh Bandar Utama,                                                                                                                                           Bandar Utama Damansa,47800 PJ.

TEL: 03-77242030

Other Outlet: Sunway Pyramid, Bandar Sunway . The Gardens, Mid Valley City.

Tenji restaurant must be the most popular Japanese buffet restaurant at the moment, for those who not familiar with this restaurant just type the name on any search engine you can find lots of hits, i have read many review about Tenji from various food blog and most of them giving a thumbs up about the food and also the quality, it turns turns out that they are right. Quality comes with a price everybody knows that and the buffet price could cost you a week of lunch money. The normal price is dependable on time, lunch is about 77++ but for those who want to save try their promotion buffet price Tenji regularly have a promotion usually during lunch period, that’s when we went and try.

Wide range of sashimi, bake crab cheese, yummy stir fried bamboo shoots, and various choice of desserts

Earlier last month (july 09) auntie Nancy comes and visit us (me and cary) from malacca, aunt Nancy is cary’s mum she is the proud owner of  Nancy’s Kitchen, one of the most popular peranakan restaurant located in the hearts of bandar Malacca, jonker street, The restaurant is very very popular among Singaporeans, but i’m not going to write about Nancy’s kitchen now, will be doing that soon, back to our tenji visit story. Aunt Nancy always coming up for a business visit, delivering her famous nyonya kuehs to her loyal customers all over KL, so we decided to bring her to tenji for lunch, there was a lunch promotion at that time price 39.90 per pax, we wasted no time and head to tenji togeter with Nancy’s Kitchen staff 8 of us altogether with my roomies shira.

Enjoying our selves with lovely foods, cary with suria, shira enjoying oyster so much, helping them selves with haagen dazs ice cream

Tenji is a good place if you want to satisfy your glutton appetite, wide range of food (of course it’s a buffet) but most important is the food is really fresh, Shira going bonkers over the fresh oysters if i’m not mistaken she had 6 oysters for appetizer and still whining, regretting not having it more after we left tenji (i left her alone at home after lunch, don’t dare to disturb her if you know what i mean… hehehe) and Cary just love sashimi especially salmon. Even though Tenji is a Japanese theme restaurant they have wide range type of food such as chinese and fusion and i looovvveee their stir fried dish if you happen to go there you have got to try the stim cod fish and stir fried bamboo shoot uuhrruum i loovvee it.

Shira is getting perky after having 6 oyster and few coconuts, After meal drinks you can choose various type of leaf teas and flower teas or coffees, everyone having full stomach and great time.

Aunt Nancy and her staff happily enjoying them self with the rice dish, but there is a drawback dining with a cheaper price, i found out that some of the main dish that i read on other blog is absent and some comes in smaller portion, we were hoping to gobble up some scallop but it was no were to be found and the crab dish is smaller than the one they have on display but like i said earlier quality comes with a price so we understand. but all in all we were happy with the food (just wish we had more) and getting together with aunt Nancy’s and her staff.

Cary,me & Aunt Nancy. Nancy's Kitchen Staff, Aunt Nancy, Me getting perky over the coconuts

P/S: tip for a coffee lover, get  a good pour cup of espresso from their coffee bar and Add a scoop of their vanilla or chocolate Haagen Dazs ice cream to make a rich refreshing  cuppa Affogatto.

]]> http://jaredwinesup.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/throw-me-in-the-river-deutscher-wein-part-2/ Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:37:12 +0000 Jared http://jaredwinesup.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/throw-me-in-the-river-deutscher-wein-part-2/

Looks like we’re gonna need more spit buckets.

Welcome back to the river. The Rhine that is, where today we’ll be heading down the Middle Rhine and into the northern tip of the Lower Rhine.

Confused? Me too! That’s all right– we’ll just hop on another KD boat, get out our map, order a glass of cold riesling, and be on our merry way.

We’re heading to the Rheingau wine region today, and we’ll be traveling through one of the most scenic stretches of the Rhine, filled with historic castles, wine villages, and rows upon rows of vineyards. There’s also plenty of fairy tales, myths, and legends based along this route, ranging from the epic adventures of Siegfried as told in The Nibelungelied, to the legend of The Lorely, the siren who perched herself on the now famous rock with the same name, bringing many a sailor to their demise with her seductive calls.

My favorite story, however, is the “tail” of the Mäuseturm or Mouse Tower. In the city of Mainz lived the archbishop Hatto, a wealthy and greedy man. He turned his back on the starving country-folk, and when there’s no food for the people, the resident mice also go hungry. Like all of us when we don’t eat for a while, the mice get a little… cranky. They confront Hatto, ask him “what’s up, fatty? Give us some grub!” and chase him to various locations before they all end up in the nearby tower on the river. And there the starving rodents, after finally cornering Hatto, alleviate some of their hunger by feeding on fatty himself.

…I love this country!

*    *    *

Back to the wine. Whereas the wines of the Moselle tend to have a more bracing acidity, creating lean and mean rieslings, the wines of the Rheingau might be better described as richly intense in the mid-palate, fuller-bodied (like Hatto), and incredibly well-balanced. These are truly some of Germany’s finest wines. Period.

Riesling grapes along the Rhine, near Bingen.

It’s a fairly small sized region in terms of total acreage, but more riesling is grown here than anywhere else in Germany. Not surprisingly, this noble varietal thrives here, benefiting from its position between the Tanus forest, which protects it from the cold, harsh winds of the North, and the Rhine, which has its own list of advantages, described in Deutscher wein part 1.

While many, if not most of the vineyard sites along the Moselle lie on incredibly steep slopes, the vineyards along this part of the Rhine are on less dramatic, gently sloping hills. Moreover, most of the vineyards here are on south-facing slopes, maximizing sun and warmth and thus allowing sugars within the grapes to achieve higher levels earlier. These vineyards also enjoy optimal conditions for botrytis (edelfäule in German) to affect some of the grapes come fall, as mist from the river often settles into the vineyards and initiates the magic of noble rot. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the world’s best Trockenbeerenauslese are from the Rheingau.

Vineyards near Oberwesel

*    *    *

As we make our way down the river, you’ll notice how regular announcements are made over the PA, detailing the landmarks, villages, and vineyard sites. These announcements are made first in German, and then in English. You’ll also notice how most everyone on the boat bursts into laughter when the English version is played. We’ll just play along and laugh with everyone else. Ha ha! Silly English words. Everybody knows that German is the most beautiful language in the world, not to mention a great workout for the back of your throat.

I was advised to skip the tourist hot-spot of Rüdesheim, and spend the day at Bacharach instead, since the latter is much less overrun with tourists. I considered this almost the whole trip downriver and came to the conclusion that yours truly, while unique and special as an individual snowflake, was above all else, a tourist. And so it was off to the crowds and hoopla of the famous wine town of Rüdesheim.

The moment I disembarked the boat and set off along the main street by the river, I was happy with my decision; you get used to making mistakes on the road, sometimes major ones, so moments like this are glorious victories. Here was an incredibly beautiful and fun town, centered around the region’s wine and cuisine, and mine for the day.

My first stop? A museum! I realize that for many people, there’s no better way to ruin a trip than by the dreaded museum visit. What a fantastic way to waste hours of your precious time in a foreign country! But put me in a building full of old, dried-up stuff from the past and I’m happy as a clam. And this was the famous Rheingau wine museum, situated inside the Brömserberg, the oldest castle along the Rhine wine gorge, a must see for any true wine-geek.

Most of the displays were in German only, but sometimes you just want to meander around and let your imagination run wild. I wondered how many great wines these ancient tools had helped create, and how many hands over the years had worked them. It was a fantastic museum for wine lovers, full of ancient wine presses, vineyard tools, and artifacts from the area’s pre-history. You get to climb up, around, and all about the remaining castle towers to see everything, including the town’s surrounding vineyards. And you can taste wine at the end of your tour.

It was getting late in the day so I headed off to see the Drosselgass, an incredibly famous and well-publicized street where people pack into and shuffle through, gawking at all the wine shops, restaurants, and other attractions. The lane also gets more narrow as you climb the hill, making for some real close and personal contact with your fellow tourists.

And now that I’ve been there, done that, I have to say, “what’s the big deal”? Lively as it was, there are about a billion other historic, pretty walk-ways in Europe that looked pretty similar to this one. I struggled through this human poop-chute, looking hard to see if I was missing something outside of the beer-maids in full traditional German attire, and was relieved to get through there alive.

*    *    *

A glimpse into the Rhine’s past.

After winding up on top of a small hill near the heart of the town, I wandered around the town’s quieter areas, taking in the many historic estates, wineries, and hotels on this beautifully sunny afternoon. Suddenly and without warning, my stomach betrayed me and demanded re-filling. Now.

I wound up, ironically, back down the Drosselgass at Breuer’s Rüdesheim Schloss, a wine hotel/restaurant run by local wine producer Weingut Georg Breuer. Jackpot…

A swarmy, creepy trick of mine is to sit down at a restaurant, take out my journal and camera, and put on my best face of indignation. I sit back in my chair, cross my legs, and have a critical look around. And like clockwork, the staff pays very close attention to me. Mind you, I’m not trying to deceive anyone into thinking I’m the wine and food critic for the NY Times, but a little presentation goes a long way. My server, a typical-looking German woman, strong and pleasant, came to my table and looked like she had either seen a thousand of me already that day, or just wasn’t buying my little charade.

But she was great. I mean, there was no grand fawning over my table (which I secretly desired), but it had to have been the best service I’ve had in Europe thus far. I explained to her that I was hoping to have a taste of some of this particular region’s cuisine- as well as a great example of a few of their wines. And man, did she deliver.

Dinner began with a slate platter (how appropriate is that?) of appetizers, including a salmon terrrine w/ roe and lox, and a cold pork salad which were both out of this world. This was accompanied by their 2007 trocken riesling, an intensely aromatic wine with great acidity on the finish. That acidity is so important with food pairing, as it works to “refresh” your palate after a bite of food, and intensifies the flavors in your dish.

Along with the riesling was a spätburgunder rosé. I should briefly mention here that this grape does very well here in the Rheingau, and is second in planting to riesling. What struck me most about this wine was its color. It was an amazing shade of pink, somewhere in-between copper and cooked salmon, and I almost felt guilty drinking it. Almost.

It’s really a shame how very little is said or written about a wine’s color, hue, tint, etc. They can be so beautiful to just look at, and if the adage about “eating with your eyes” is true, why not drinking too? In any event, I was grateful to have a rosé in front of me as, sadly, I haven’t had too many this spring/summer. Like most pinot noir rosés, the nose was full of sweet berries, but nice and dry on the finish.

And for the main course? Here fishy-fishy-fish… A whole trout! The restaurant staff watched in what was probably disgusted amusement as this strange American took notes, snapped pictures, made a general pig of himself, and ordered another glass of their riesling to go with my entree.

Many thanks for all the great service and delicious food and wine to the good folks at Rüdesheimer Schloss, and to Melanie in particular. I promise I’ll leave room for dessert next time.

*    *    *

I left Rüdesheim with a feeling that I got a real taste– literally– of the town and the region as a whole. And it was delicious. What an amazing area of the country, of Europe, of the world. I pray I’ll get back here sometime in this life and make a pig of myself again. When I first arrived in Germany, I had explained to my contact in Cologne that I was “a wine guy”. He responded with a funny look and a question as to why I was in Germany. In a country where beer far outweighs the importance of wine, at least within its own borders, I am absolutely amazed how incredible this wine region is. These wines deserve far more attention than they often get. Then again, maybe that’s not such a bad thing– there will be more for you and I.

With good cheer always,

Jared

]]> http://jaredwinesup.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/mangiamo-piedmont-style/ Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:05:42 +0000 Jared http://jaredwinesup.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/mangiamo-piedmont-style/

She’s… -sniff- … beautiful.

Who’s hungry?

Pull up a chair at the table and let’s eat. Comme fanno in Piemonte! Granted I haven’t been able to take advantage of all the truffles and mushrooms that are so prevalent later in the year. But I’ve had the opportunity to taste some of the regional cuisine here and let me tell ya’, it’s been as Borat would say, very nice.

So, as my amico Vince used to ask me every day around 1:00, “che cosa mangiare?” Before we dig in, though, a word or two about the most important meal of the day.

Fresh goat cheese from Asti’s surroundings hills

I’ve never been one to eat a big breakfast – a big cup or two of coffee, maybe a banana is about the extent of my morning meal. Terrible, huh? I’ve tried to correct this. “Have some yogurt or a bit of cereal,” I try to persuade myself. Sometimes it works, but usually its just coffee sans food. But thanks to my travels, breakfast has found its way back to the center of my heart. And my stomach.

A monstrous thank you to Géraldine at Villa Ferrari B&B in Asti for, among other things, fueling me with an incredible breakfast every morning before I headed out into wine country and proceeded to get lost. Most guest houses, B&B’s, agriturismos, etc. offer some sort of breakfast with your stay, and usually it’s a modest amount of fruit, assorted sweet rolls, maybe some cereal, and beverages. This irritates a lot of travelers.

Not me.

…Where’s the coffee??

But here in Asti, I’ve learned the fine art of the “assorted breakfast”.

A typical morning at Villa Ferrari

Every morning, it was a selection of local cheese, ham, homemade crepes, three different types of jam for my toast– made from locally made bread, as well as fresh melon or a citrus-kiwi creation like the one in the image above. It was… embarrassing. All this beautiful food? For Me? I did my very best to eat what I could and made sure to ask for a second cup of coffee.

I remember hearing Tom Kelly from Small Vineyards Importers once mention how eating in Italy was the epitome of provincial cuisine– that is, you’re going to be eating the local stuff, whether you like it or not.

I like it. A lot.

One of my favorite dishes was the vitello tonnato, an amazingly savory dish that sounds so lame in English: chilled veal in tuna sauce. It’s incredibly tasty and fantastic with a young Barolo. (Kris, are you ready to spit at me?) And for me it’s all about the tuna sauce. Interestingly, a guy I met here from France assured me this dish was much better when pork loin was used rather than veal. Hmmm…

Click here for a recipe from epicurean.com, a great foodie site. This dish is perfect for the warm weather.

Another local treat is the tajarin (see image at top of page), a pasta that’s rich with egg yolk yet very delicate. Often served with the local truffles, tajarin (pronounced tie-ya-REEN) is a the type of pasta that you can use the side of your fork to cut through, it’s so tender. I’ve had this pasta three times now, and my favorite version was at the Buon Padre restaurant in the town of Vergne, just outside of Barolo, where the pasta is hand-made and hand-cut. It was lovingly  tossed with a light tomato and herb sauce, and almost melted in my mouth. Grazie Claudio, Gian Luca, e Maria Rosso!

In the town of Barolo, I wandered into Rossobarolo, a small osteria that heartily welcomed me — hungry, over-heated, and lips wine-stained from the day’s earlier adventures. I told them in my best Italianglish I would like to taste “cucina tipica di Barolo.”

Be careful what you wish for…

After a full-on feast that included Barolo braised veal, two different Barolos — one young, and one riserva — and Barolo Chinato afterwards, I said “thank you, I love you, where is the highway”, and staggered out onto the streets of this magical village.

My favorite part of this meal, aside from the wine, was dessert. I can’t really remember what it was called. Something to the extent of “Ripe peaches soaked in Amaretto and stuffed with chocolate and hazelnut”. Somehow, after all the previous food and wine, I managed to scarf this down like a rabid American dog. I even managed, much to the amusement of my servers, to drip chocolate sauce on my white shirt. “Attento, attento!”, they playfully chided me. Not to have any of this dolce delight go to waste, I dabbed at my stains with fingers and licked them clean.

There’s always something to be said for the perceived quality of a given food or beverage “when in Rome”. And so, I try with all my might to be objective about the food and wine I try while traveling and not get too caught up in the scenery. But damn, it’s hard to do that here. I’m pretty sure, though, the cuisine here would be just as impressive even if I were looking out at factory smoke stacks rather than sun-soaked vineyards.

I came here for one reason: the wine. And while that hasn’t disappointed, the food alone would bring me back, again, and again. And it should bring you.

Here’s to good eating and even better digesting…

Salute!

Jared

or…

Hello and welcome back to… sunny Scotland! It’s been an absolutely stunning past three days here, full of brisk spring breezes, bright sunshine, and not a drop of rain. Of course, I say “was” since that’s now a thing of the past. Nevertheless, what a great few days to get out. I spent the past couple of days in Glasgow, and man oh man, did I need that. The quiet island life is wonderful in many ways. Unfortunately, it’s also a bit maddening. You start to jones for Internet cafes, wine bars, traffic, the latest fashions, and all the other trivial things that keep most of us mentally occupied.

On a strictly practical level– and as I’ve mentioned before— your options for food and beverage get exhausted fairly quickly. It’s times like these when a trip into the big city is just what the doctor ordered. During my  return trip to the island, the notion of quality vs. quantity in regards to food, wine, and the world occurred to me. Perspective is a mighty strong and subjective thing, and here’s a little for you to consider…

Some shopping was in order for the trip into the city,  and front and center on the list was WINE. I mean after all, Jared WINES up, does he not? I haven’t exactly been swimming in fine wine since landing on the other side of the pond.  My hankering was for something intensely rich, fruit-forward and over-the-top gaudy. In other words, I wanted American wine. Kidding! I really do adore 15% alcohol wines to wash away all my blues.

After struggling to find a decent wine shop, I wound up at a great little wine and spirits shop in the west end of the city called Peckham’s. The place was a breath of fresh air since most of the other shops I visited had shelves filled, and I mean filled, with cheap Australian and European plonk, and–- big surprise!—wines from the Gallo portfolio. How is it that in this large, international city, I saw as many bottles of crappy California wine as quality French wine?

Take me home, baby…

At any rate, I wanted to bring back a case to Rothesay with me, but we had lots of time left on foot, as well as train and ferry travel. So I compromised and went with six bottles, splitting them up into two plastic handle-bags. This meant that after getting my yummy selection of Trimbach, Fontodi, Meerlust  and others, I would have to put my full and heavy pack on my back, and carry a bag in each hand throughout the rest of the city. Did this make me a bit cranky after an hour or so? Here’s a picture taken later that day when I least expected or appreciated it.

Mr. Cranky-pants

*  *  *

Okay, what about the food? Ahhh, food. Any bad day can be remedied by a good meal, no? We wound up at La Vallee Blanche, a wee slice of French paradise in Scotland. The food, which included a wild mushroom tartlet and braised leg of rabbit on a white bean cassoulet, was magnifique. And the blood orange pannacota wasn’t too shabby either.

The next day, I wanted to continue on my meat and booze orgy, so I ordered a bacon cheeseburger at our lunch bistro. Now bear in mind, bacon as us Yanks know it, is very different. I used to feel guilty eating too much bacon back home in the states. And I’ll never feel that way again. Here, they eat what is called “streaky bacon”, which is thicker, fattier (hence the streaky), and overall more obscene. But oh is it good. I had to whip out the camera and share this with you guys before destroying it.

Oh, dear God…

It should be stated here very clearly that as mouth-watering as this thing looks, it really wasn’t that good. Tough, rubbery, and awkward would be the best ways to describe this dish. The picture below is what I made back on the island later that night with some brown mushrooms from the fridge, olive oil, garlic, white wine, thyme, and sea salt. Not quite an image like the meat-orgy above, but waaaay better…

Simple and delizioso!

*  *  *

One of the wines I picked up was a Cru (Morgon) Beaujolais, vintage 2002 (remember my carrying on in an early blog post about this vintage). I’ve always felt that gamay noir was the Rodney Dangerfield of the wine grape family. When I mention this wine to people and get a confused look, I grudgingly offer “You know, Beaujolais?”  The typical response goes something like, “Oh, I can’t stand that wine! It’s like Kool Aid!” Of course they’re referring to Beaujolais Noveau/Primeur, the wine in diapers we’ve all come to know from Duboeuf’s hideous labels, and something very different from the ten villages that comprise the different Crus.

Here, gamay displays elegance and complexity that can rival some of the great pinot noir of the world. If you’re a pinot lover, I’m imploring you to go out right now– actually finish reading this first– and get yourself a cru Beaujolais, preferably one that has a bit of age to it. They are incredibly under-valued and, like pinot noir, “flex-wines”, allowing you to pair them with either light or heavy, cold or hot foods. Suffice to say, this ’02 beauty was just that- beautiful. The texture of the wine on the palate was delicate and restrained, while the aromas and flavors were brimming with black raspberry, ripe cherry, and violets.

You see, Beaujolais is my Bute as other parts of Burgundy, the Cote D’Or for example, is my Glasgow. One’s far more well-known and sought after. The other is, well, a bit of a simpleton, limited, and unrefined. Or is it?

The images at the top of this post are a good reference to this point: while both images offer the viewer something to potentially reflect upon or relate to, there is a stark contrast between them. So which is “less” and which is “more”? The first picture up top is of central Glasgow and has a feel of historic, accomplished glory. In contrast, the one below it is of a hiking trail in the woods behind our flat on Bute. It’s quiet, lush with trees, ferns, and anything else that’s green and likes water. Really, there is no “less” or “more” for either of these settings, just different. The same can– and should– be said for wines.

*  *  *

After a couple of days in the city, I was reminded that at the end of the day, less is more, so to speak, for myself. Ironically, all the noise, business, traffic, and overall pace of Glasgow—just what I was looking for– wore on me a whole lot faster than any boredom and frustration I may have felt on the Isle of Bute. I’ve come to feel something more than just a fondness for this little countryside setting— I now have a deep appreciation for it as well.

So thank you Bute, for being my home away from home (wherever that is), and welcoming me back to your quiet abode. I promise not to complain again about any lack of real wine selections, decent restaurants, free wi-fi, art museums… uh-oh… here I come London!

Cheers,

Jared

“…Well bless your heart.” This was the quote that my friend, Hazel, had warned me of. “That’s basically a polite way of saying go screw yourself” she had told me. And so it was in Marion, Virginia, that I heard that dreaded line. We were checking into our hotel there and making small talk with the woman attending to us. When I told her where we had come from (Oregon), and where we would eventually wind up (Europe), she smiled and uttered The Phrase. “Well- bless your heart!” My mouth dropped open, my smile turned upside down, and I stared hard at my new adversary. You. Bitch. After all these miles, this is how you greet us?

Of course, this is all imagined and ridiculous (right?). She did utter those words, but I’m sure there weren’t any bad intentions there. In fact she was sweet as peach pie. And I have nothing but good things to say about the General Francis Marion Hotel, in historic downtown Marion, VA. The hotel is a renovated throwback to the roaring twenties, AND full of good ole’ charm like vintage switchboards, antique fixtures, and original card playing rooms.

What a great place to stay in the middle of a beautiful state. In fact, I never realized how pretty much of the South is; Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia were all highly scenic states to drive through, even along the interstates. I got my oil changed in Chattanooga and had a good laugh with the guys at the Valvoline about growing up in NY, living in Oregon for the last twelve years, and heading to Scotland.

I should say at this point, I have decided that tasting a wine from every state we enter will be a bonus, but not a top priority. There’s just too much road to cover and we need to spend some time with family before we leave for Europe… Who am I kidding. It’s the wine. I can’t do it any more! My right arm for a decent glass of vino!! O.K., that’s not quite fair, and I have tasted some decent wines along the way. Not the muscadine rose — “Miss Scarlet” — I bought in Mississippi, but still there out there…

The cabernet franc from Horton Vineyards I bought at Handsome Molly’s cafe (hi Angie) in Marion was surprisingly good. Not Loire valley pretty, and not as lush and ripe as some of the Washington state cab franc, but still full of sweet herbal and spiced fruit flavors. I should have bought this before we had dinner at the hotel’s adjoining restaurant, The Black Rooster- a symbol that was often used during the prohibition to secretly advertise “drinks served here”. It would have gone well with the black and blue ribeye. And who can complain about fried green tomatoes and eggs for breakfast?

I’ll miss the South. I never would have thought I’d be saying that. Pre-conceived notions can be very, very strong, and I won’t lie- I had my share of them about much of the South. But after spending some time here, talking to the locals, and seeing some of the countryside, I can now say that I might have a better sense of what “Southern comfort” is all about. Not everyone moves like slugs, and not everyone drives a pickup with a rebel flag pasted to their bumper. Just like not everyone from NY wears gold chains, and tawks like dis. Although there are lots of those. In any case, I’m glad to have had my Yankee eyes opened a bit more, and I’m even happier to have tasted some good southern wine. It’s time to git on up to NY and taste some local wine there. Stay tuned…

Y’all take care now, y’ hear?

Jared

Welcome back y’all…

Where was I? Oh yeah. BIG. That’s what Texas is. But what about the wine, Jared? THE WINE.

O.K, O.K. There are lots and lots of wineries in Texas, and a lot of them grow vitis vinifera grapes, thereby producing wines we’re all familiar with. Texan merlot? You bet. How about semillon? Tempranillo, sauvignon blanc, syrah, you name it. But there are also many local and native American grapes grown here for wine production. Most of these tend to lean towards the sweeter side. This scares me. But how do you know unless you try it, right?

I opted for the plentiful “muscadine” wine, made from the same grape. I call it plentiful, because it appears to be grown and made into wine throughout much of the US south. In fact, this grape tends to thrive in the humid, hot climate of SE Texas and other states in the southeast part of the country. Usually mold and rot are problems for grapes in this climate. The muscadine grape, however, needs much less evening cooling than most grapes do, and welcomes the sun and steaminess.

I tried to visit one of the wineries in SE Texas that’s known for its muscadine– Piney Woods Winery. Piney Woods makes all sorts of fruity treats. Peach wine! Blueberry wine! Plum wine! And of course various types of muscadine wine. Was I able to get into the winery? Of course not. Driving around rural Texas in search of a winery is like walking around the streets of NYC in search of someone. Not. Gonna. Happen. So I went to my old reliable– the liquor store– and picked myself up a bottle of Piney Woods’ finest red muscadine. Ooooh-EEE, that’s gonna be good!

It wasn’t…

In fact, it was so bad, I went to the corner store and bought a cheap cigar just to get the sweet, cough-syrup meets flat Dr. Pepper taste out of my mouth. It’s not the overt fruitiness of the grape that bugged me so much, but the hint of carbonation and lingering Pez candy flavor the wine left. Be afraid folks. Be very afraid…

It should be mentioned, however, that studies have shown red muscadine to be particularly high in resveratrol, the anti-oxidant found in many grape skins. This is the same resveratrol that gave us the “French Paradox”, and really brought the health benefits of red wine front and center on the world stage. Ironic.

Not all was lost in the Lonestar state; Austin turned out to be a great city to visit, with it’s vibrant music scene, great restaurants, and funky shopping districts. We had an outstanding meal downtown at Manuel’s, where my man DM promised I’d have the best flautas ever. He was so right. And the mole! Wowzers… If you like mole, and appreciate it when there’s a plethora of spices, chocolates, nuts, and chiles that go into it, then you’d love their enchilada de mole. Here’s a recipe, should you have the time and desire to make your own mole. I ate til’ I ached, and then ate some more. Thanks for the great advice, daddio.

In closing, I’d like to admit that overall I was charmed by the folks in Texas, impressed by the scale of Texas, and scared by the number of cops we saw arresting people in Texas. This is a true story: when we were leaving our hotel in Austin, I actually witnessed some guy get tasered by two cops in our parking lot. We got into our puny little non-Texan car and high-tailed it on out of there. As we drove onto the highway away from the hotel, at least five (!) more police cars sped pass us, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Don’t mess with Texas. Ever.

Y’all be good now- and enjoy the VIDEO (applause). It’s a collection of scenes from Utah, Texas, Arizonan and New Orleans. It’s lame, but I’m a rookie. And shield your sensitive ears if you frown upon foul language…

Cheers!

Jared

Finally– a tasting room.

In the warm and scenic confines of Santa Fe, NM, I finally found somewhere to sit my butt down and taste some local wine. I mean seriously, I can’t keep running around buying bottles of local vino just for a taste of the state. Arizona? I missed out. Damn you Kokapelli winery and your bogus website! Because of you, I’ll never know what an Arizona wine is like. Maybe that’s a good thing…

I already mentioned how crazy beautiful this little town is, and I won’t keep harping on that. But if you do visit Santa Fe, stay at the Old Santa Fe Inn. The staff was outstanding, the place is gorgeous, authentically SW, has a nice touch of history (the dining room in the main lobby used to be a restaurant along the original route 66), and your right down town. Did I mention how beautiful is is here?

So in my wandering around town, a dumb smile painted onto my face that said “blissfully happy and lost turista…”, I came upon the tasting room for Santa Fe Vineyards. The room is actually situated within an art gallery, where some really beautiful work by Amado Peña, the artwork you see on their labels, is displayed

Mike and I talked briefly about the New Mexican wine industry and history, where some surprising facts were brought to my attention. Apparently, viticulture here stretches all the way back to the 16th century, when Spaniards planted grape vines in southern New Mexico’s Rio Grande valley. In fact, this beautiful state (did I mention how nice it is here?) has the longest history of wine production in the US.

Does that mean the wine will knock your socks off?

Well, let’s just say my socks are still on after tasting through several whites, reds, and a Zin port. But they were all supple, soft and ready to go. I think the Sangiovese was my favorite, simply because it had some acidity. I say “some”, because all of the wines I’ve tasted thus far on my journey have seemed overly soft, flabby, and fruit-forward. Too much heat and not enough cooling in the evening? Maybe. But it is the dessert, and I can tell you it sure gets chilly in the evening here.

The tasting room also represented Black Mesa winery, another northern New Mexican winery whose wine is made by the same people at Santa Fe Vineyards. Their viognier was pretty darn good– highly aromatic as all good viognier should be, a touch of white peach and honeysuckle on the palate, and refreshing. Well done.

So score 1 for the state of New Mexico and wine tasting here. I had a great time and we had a nice (SPICY) meal of carne asada at the Blue Corn Cafe. Even had one of their home-brewed IPA’s. Not bad…. But they can’t win on all fronts, right?

Onto TAY-has tonight, and we’ll just see how big everything really is there. Hopefully their wine selections is.

Adios amigos!

Jared

Greetings from the Land of Enchantment…

Breaking up with Portland was very difficult, but it’s fair to say that I’ve found a new love in this amazing place they call New Mexico. I write this from a small cafe in Santa Fe, and if there wasn’t a time-table for our trip across the country, I’d park my butt down here for a few more days. I’ll comment on the restaurant and fantastic inn we stayed at here in the next post. For now, though, let’s talk briefly about Utah and Arizona.

Last time I mentioned the challenges of finding a winery and/or wine shop in Utah. Salt lake City is a big town, so I figured no problem. Well there wasn’t a whole lot to pick from (remember, Utah is a controlled state), so I wound up at one of the state’s approved wine and liquor shops. Now in a world of fancy-dancy company names, catchy phrases and logos, sometimes the basics are refreshing. Take the face of this wine shop below, and the title.

Right to the point…

Now that’s what I call straight-forward! One of the real joys of travel is meeting strangers and finding some common ground, exchanging news, ideas, and stories. Such was the case when I met Ryan who was working in the “Wine Store”. I explained my crazy plan of tasting through the country, and he met this with enthusiasm and curiosity. His recommendation was one of Utah’s Moab wineries, Castle Creek. I opted for the chardonnay. I should have chosen the “Outlaw Red”. Oh well. Let’s just say the wine was palatable colder than not. And I hate overly cold chardonnay. One recommendation to the winemakers- oak that sucker. Another unlikely thing for me to say. But, I did get to taste an authentic Utah wine and met a fellow winer– thanks again Ryan, and good luck on your Somm 1 exam!

Speaking of Utah, I never realized how amazingly beautiful this place is. And the people were very, very nice if a little cautious. That’s likely my fault, though, as I haven’t had a haircut in over a month or a shave in a week. Hey, it’s a road trip… Here is some pretty spectacular scenery (click on the image to enlarge) we’ve encountered here in the SW.

After high-tailing it out of Utah, we were off to Arizona and, of course, the Grand Canyon. And yes it was awesome. But honestly, some serious road rash was setting in, and the hotel was sounding better and better at this point. After pulling into Flagstaff for the night, I was excited to find there was an urban winery right downtown. Yes! Or so I read on-line. After driving around the old city center- and around- and around, I finally stopped and asked where the heck “Kokopelli” winery was. “Oh, they closed down a while ago”. Great. Next time, I’ll look closer at my Google page’s fine-print and make sure there are no “place closed” in parentheses.

SO, I missed out on Arizona wine as we had to get a move-on. But I think I’ll be able to buy a bottle somewhere here in Sante Fe. And we did have a great little meal at Cafe Pickles, where Brittany took good care of us. Today I’ll be tasting wine at the Sana Fe vineyards tasting room here in beautiful Santa Fe. And although we’ll be leaving town this afternoon, I have a sneaky suspicion I’ll be back here…

Until we meet again– 1500 miles down, a whole lot more to go.

Cheers,

Jared

Yes, I’ve promised to deliver reports of food, wine, and everything in between from far-away locales. But I’m here in P-town for a couple more weeks and hey, sometimes you only need to go down the road to discover something really special.

SO, our journey begins right here in hipster heaven SE Portland, where cheap burritos and PBR are just as popular as fresh oysters and muscadet. And really, that’s the beauty of this town- you simply can’t pin down one or two or even three dominant food/wine cultures, and you can never, ever judge a book by it’s cover. And so, when my cheese-monger friend and I slipped into Bar Avignon a couple of weeks ago on a rainy Thursday night, I really didn’t know what to expect.

The last time I was in this building on lower Division, there were dreadlocked kids ordering chai and coffee drinks, as it used to be the Red and Black Cafe. What a difference… The interior leans towards a clean, simple style, but the lighting and colors give this space an inviting and comfortable vibe. Now, I should say that I, by chance, knew our server but I can also tell you that everybody who walked in there that night, whether they were a young, artsy couple, or an older pair of women, probably just off from work, were treated like VIPs.

If any of you know Randy Goodman, the proprietor along with his partner Nancy, you already know that he’s as cool as a cucumber. That is, he’s got enough wine and food experience to come across as privileged, occupied, and waaaaay too serious. He’s none of the above. After our food and drink, Randy showed us the back wine room, complete with family-style table, where folks can reserve a private dinner and check out most or all of Bar Avignon’s wine choices. In short, we were treated like family or friends would be.

The menu is full of savory small dishes, both hot and cold and, not surprisingly, a stellar wine list. Many places that have an impressive wine list don’t always treat you right when it comes to glass pour options. Not here. I had a glass of  Cave de Saumur “Les Pouches”, a beautiful, dry chenin blanc from France’s Loire valley. It paired wonderfully with our salt cod brandade…

All right, enough already. Did the folks at Bar Avignon butter me up with food and wine to write such a gleaming “review”? Nah. They didn’t know I was coming, don’t know I have this blog, and I know Randy only very casually. What can I say? I had a great experience for cheap- so should you. And I wasn’t even in France. Yet.

Sante!

Jared

Schon seit Ende letzten Jahres hat die Wohngemeinschaft im Belgischen Viertel geöffnet und erst jetzt habe ich es geschafft hinzugehen. Das Konzept ist wirklich schön und soweit ich in Köln herumgekommen bin, wird es so konsequent auch nirgendwo anders durchgesetzt. Auf 200 qm erstreckt sich die L-förmige Bar mit einer gr0ßen Theke. Der Rest der Fläche ist in verschiedene Zimmer aufgeteilt, orientiert sich absichtlich an extremen Klischees studentischer WG-Bewohner. Mir hat es besonders das kitschige Mädchenzimmer angetan, meine (tatsächliche) Mitbewohnerin will schon seit Wochen endlich mal im alten VW-Bus sitzen. Das Publikum war zum großen Teil studentisch, alles in allem aber viel gemischter (auch was die Generationen betrifft) als ich vorher vermutet hatte. 

Obwohl ich einen wirklich schönen Abend verbracht habe ist mein Eindruck durchaus zwiegespalten. Das Interieur ist durchweg schön, gemütlich und interessant, bei einigen Möbelstücken hab ich schon Pläne ausgeheckt wie ich sie unbemerkt hinauskarren könnte. Die Preise für die Getränke waren okay und ich habe mir sagen lassen, dass der Kuchen am Nachmittag hier überdurchschnittlich lecker sei. Leider muss ich auch ein paar Minuspunkte verteilen. Der Fußboden hat mein ästhetisches Empfinden extrem stark gereizt, Holzdielen oder etwas ähnliches würden meiner Meinung nach ein viel einheitlchesres Bild abgeben und den leichten Eindruck einer Möbelausstellung nicht aufkommen lassen. Die Aufmachung ist wirklich durchgehend schön aber auch gewollt szenig und da ich selbst nebenbei kellnere ist mir ziemlich schnell aufgefallen, wie unübersichtlich die Weitläufigkeit und die Einrichtung zum Arbeiten sind. Ein wenig mehr Aufmerksamkeit hätte ich mir als Gast schon gewünscht. Und wenn man empfindlich auch Zigarettenrauch reagiert, wird man ab 20 Uhr, wenn das Rauchen erlaubt ist, nicht darum herum kommen zum frische Luft schnappen hinaus gehen zu müssen. Trotzdem komme ich wirklich gerne wieder, weil ich mich allem in allem wohl gefühlt habe und es neben leckeren Getränken auch immer noch was schönes zu Gucken gibt.

This is so fancy for a Dunkin’ Donuts, but this is the nice fountain inside of one of their stores! Why was I there you ask? To accompany a friend who wanted to indulge in some sweet donuts – I swear! (Besides, I’m more tempted by the Krispy Kreme chain here.)

Anguk Station, Exit 6, go to the GS25 and it’s in the basement of that building…

Dunkin’ Donuts is “cool” here.

3rd place in Seoul where I have found this easy temptation!

Ich war mal wieder essen. Man koennte meinen, ich mache nichts anderes:-) Diesmal ging es ins MoschMosch auf der Pfeilstrasse. Aufmerksam wurde ich auf die japanische Nudelbar durch einen Gutschein (2 Gerichte fuer eins, yeah!). Das wollte ich auf jedenfall ausnutzen und es hat sich gelohnt.

Anstatt altbekanntes Sushi gab es Ramen, Teppan Nudeln und Gyoza. Alle sehr lecker, sehr gesund und sehr fettarm. Das Sahnehaeubchen war die Bedienung. Ich wurde selten so nett bedient.

Auch die Atmosphaere ist schoen. Typisch asiatische Holztische, gedaemmtes Licht und eine offene Kueche sind weitere Argumente MoschMosch auf jedenfall nochmal einen Besuch abzustatten.

MoschMosch, Pfeilstrasse 25-27, 50672 Koeln, Tel. 0221-9657767, Montag-Sonntag: 11-23Uhr

Im Salon Schmitz vorbeizuschauen, lohnt sich sowieso. Bis zum 7. Januar 2009 könnt ihr euch dazu auch noch die Ausstellung “Die Kunst auf den Punkt gebracht” von Bernd Ackfeld anschauen. Hier ist der Name Programm, Alle Werke bekommen ihre Kontur durch Punkte, die wie Einschusslöcher aussehen. Neben eine fragwürdigem Portrait von Mao oder einem Kreuzworträtsel sind nicht nur andere Bilder, sondern auch zum Beispiel Vasen dabei, die Menschen in recht eindeutigen Posen zeigen. Allemal sehenswert!

Salon Schmitz, Aachener Straße 28, täglich geöffnet von 9 bis 24.00 Uhr.

Jazz found in Apgujeong. This woman was a fabulous jazz singer and is partially responsible for inspiring my bangs to which I bought for the equivalent of $3.78 the next morning…

Heute Abend haben Lara und ich einen schönen Abend in der gemütlichen Atmosphäre des Café Sehnsuchts in Ehrenfeld verbracht. Eigentlich gehört es in die Reihe unserer Lieblingscafés, da es für uns jedoch recht weit weg ist, sind wir nicht besonders oft dort.

Man kann dort einfach sehr schön sitzen, in Ruhe etwas trinken und sehr gut essen. Käse- und Möhrenkuchen wurden ein anderes Mal bereits für gut befunden, heute haben wir uns von Kartoffelecken und Salat mit Erdnusscreme überzeugen lassen und sind vor einem perfekten Parfait aus weißer Schokolade auf Brombeermark dahingeschmolzen!

Die Getränkekarte ist sehr umfassend, es gibt verschiedene Kaffe- und Teesorten (Fair Trade & Bio Produkte, keine  Konservierungsstoffe oder Glutamat), sowie diverse Softdrinks, Biere, Weine, Spirituosen… Besonders zu empfehlen ist der frische marokkanische Minztee mit einer Zimtstange und Sternanis, sowie der Früchtetee, der unglaublich intensiv schmeckt.

Bei der Speisekarte gelten gleich hohe Maßstäbe wie bei den Getränken: viel frisches Gemüse, überhaupt nur frische Zutaten aus biologischem Anbau, keine Fertigprodukte und das schmeckt man auch! Die Karte wechselt regelmäßig und richtet sich nach der Saison. Heute besonders aufgefallen sind die Kürbis- sowie Wildgerichte, alles an frischen Salaten, mit Reis oder hausgemachten Spätzlen.

Das Publikum ist angenehm gemischt. Café Sehnsucht ist kein Szenelokal und auch kein Laden in dem Ehepaare um 50+ sitzen, es ist die goldene Mitte. Hier sitzen Leuten jeden Alters und teilen sich die großen und kleinen Tische, essen und trinken zusammen.

Besonderer Pluspunkt: Helle, geräumige und sehr saubere Toiletten!

Das Café bietet auch ein Catering an, was ich mir merken werde, weil das Essen einfach so lecker ist! Mehr Infos dazu, zu den Produkten & deren Herkunft, zu den Speisekarten und auch mehr Bilder gibt es hier: Café Sehnsucht

Das “Bagutta” gehoert definitiv zu den Restaurants, die eine gewisse Winter-und Weihnachtsstimmung vermitteln. Ein Interior aus viel Holz und Kerzenlicht, laesst einen vom ersten Moment an wohl fuehlen. Die Speisekarte versprach so einiges, gehalten hat sie es teilweise.

Die Maispoulardenbrust auf Kartoffel-Chorizo Salat war lecker, jedoch etwas lau, was ich angesichts der hohen Preise, schade fand. Dies hat der nette und aufmerksame Service aber wieder gut gemacht.

Da die Speisekarte dauernd wechselt, kann ich nicht sagen, dass das Essen generell gut ist, aber ich hatte auf jedenfall einen gemuetlichen Abend.

Bagutta, Heinsbergstrasse 20, 50674 Koeln, Taeglich ab 18Uhr, Reservierung unter 0221/ 212694