My apologies on the front end for the video quality. The place was dark and I don’t use a light when I film. :0)

When my sister and brother in-law invited us to a Portland, OR wine bar during our Thanksgiving visit, I jumped at the opportunity! Three days of the in-law scenery warranted a trip to drink up with the cool kids!

Wine Down, in NE Portland’s revitalized 28th Ave district (map here) is a quaint place where wine snobs can enjoy their high-end wine and blue-collar wine drinkers can experience new tastes side by side. This unpretentious and comfortable ‘neighborhood’ restaurant will blow you away with its selection and with the amazing service and knowledge.

The atmosphere is cozy. The fireplace crackled and the warmth of our private booth offset the 40 degree foggy Portland night. Blues legend, Terry Robb was playing live providing a fantastic backdrop for the evening. Wine Down is not about amazing decor or expensive ambiance. Their wine selection and service speak louder than their decor. At Wine Down you’ll also find free Wi-Fi, comfortable couches, outdoor seating (when warmer), live music (Wed-Sat), and the largest by the glass Port selection in the United States! Stop and read that sentence again!

The Wine Down vision began with owner Stuart Herold in 1983 while serving in the military in Beruit. Seventeen years later, after the birth of his disabled son, Wine Down was born as an expression of his business passion and offering the flexibility to take care of his severely disabled son Cameron.

Our experience began with the bartenders flight of three wines. Kimberly and I enjoyed the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Lodi California Petite Sirah, and a Napa Zinfandel. Our hosts (Thad and Rebecca) enjoyed a Diamondback California Cabernet Sauvignon, a Couvee blend and a Spanish red blend. The enjoyable thing about the tasting was that between the six wines and the four palates we all had our favorites and least favorites and none agreed upon an overall ‘best.’ That is the beauty of wine. There is a taste for everyone to enjoy. Finding it is the fun.

The 600 bottle rotating selection (with 50 active reds and 30 active whites) is impressive. I found myself looking forward to the next time I could come back and sample other vintages that I would not normally find and to try their ’second to none’ Port selection. Stuart’s passion to provide a neighborhood experience paired with top quality wines was contagious. I wanted to open my wallet like a church collection plate and contribute to his cause. Recently, Wine Down learned that the landlord was selling the building out from under them with the hopes of capitalizing on the new found growth of the district (of which Wine Down helped to establish). As of January 1, Wine Down hopes to reemerge on Alberta Ave with not only a new larger location, but a refreshing concept. YOU MUST stay in touch with their web site, Facebook page and Twitter account for all the latest happenings.

While the goal of DrinkNectar is not to be a food critic or food reviewer, I must point out that their full service menu is of fantastic quality as well. Our party enjoyed the Gnocchi Geneosa, Baked Brie Platter, Flat Iron Steak, and a Salad. The menu contains a large selection of appetizers and a moderate (but carefully crafted) assortment of entrees.

Even if NE Portland is out-of-the-way for you, Wine Down is a great spot to wind down for the evening. You’ll quickly  become a repeat customer as you work your way through their extensive wine selection.

NectarView (the glass selections – that I remember)

Dobbs Family; 2006 Meyer Vineyard Pinot Noir $65

• The Swirl – Very light in color; translucent plum
• The Sniff – From what I remember the nose was not overwhelming. It was a good balance between spice and pomegranate.
• The Sip – extremely light and watery on the front with sweet cherry and white pepper in the middle. The finish was mildly sweet and acidic. Has a great structure.
• Price to Value Ratio $$+ At $65 I expect to be blown away. This sub par rating could be my lack of experience and interest for Pinot Noir, so take with a grain of salt. With $65 to spend, there should be better values out there.

Hybrid (by Peltier Station) Lodi Petite Sirah $32

• The Swirl – Dark and inky purple
• The Sniff – smokey forest fire and grandpa’s tobacco pipe
• The Sip – Amazing balance of spice and blackberry fruit. The acidity was intense but not overwhelming. The finish lingered forever. This is the glass I chose with my bacon flavored Gnocchi.
• Price to Value ratio $$$+ Pricey for an everyday wine (for me). Definitely a value when needing an impressive bottle to bring to dinner or serve for the holidays!

Overall our experience was great. The service and wine selection outshined the ambiance. After my conversations with Stuart about their landlord battles, I can understand not putting too much money into certain aspects. I look forward to a return visit to see how Wine Down has reinvented themselves on Alberta Ave.

As always – enjoy life with friends and DRINK.HAPPY.

What was lost is now found – I finally found my notes from my trip to Ottawa two weeks ago which is the reason for this belated post.

It’s that time of year again – turkey, family, friends, more turkey, football, and Beaujolais Nouveau release time.  The third Thursday of November marks the annual release date of the young, light purple-pink, bananaish version of Gamay from the Beaujolais region of France.  We have George Duboeuf (primarily) to thank for littering the globe with this disrespectful-to-the-Gamay-grape swill.  (An interesting factoid about Beaujolais Nouveau – the release date is always the third Thursday of November, regardless of which date harvest occurs.)

I’ve read that the carbon footprint to ship Nouveau across the globe is obscene and is reason many avoid purchasing the Nouveau.  I don’t buy it because I think it sucks.

Once again I celebrated the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau by not buying any.  Instead, I quietly expressed my disdain for the Nouveau by drinking local – local to Canada that is.  My work travels took me to Ottawa, Canada, and on Thursday I found myself in Play Food & Wine in Ottawa’s ByWard Market.   Play Food & Wine is one of the best places in Ottawa to experience small plates, along with Canadian cheese and wine.

For my drink-local-to-boycott-Nouveau wine of the evening was the Stratus Vineyards 2007 Gamay from Niagara-On-The-Lake.  Although the bartender highly recommended this wine, I had my doubts about a Gamay from Canada.  Much to my delight, this Gamay was really tasty good.   This light purple Gamay opens with a lively nose of cherry, overripe raspberry, dust and hints of a meaty component.  On the palate, this wine is light bodied (but very lively) with blueberry candy and that same meaty component.  This wine, in my opinion, showed more acidity than traditional Beaujolais. Although this wine was $62CA per bottle on the Play menu, you can pick up a bottle for $29CA on the Stratus website.  According to the Stratus website, this is only the third release of their Gamay since 2001.

If you find yourself in Ottawa, a stop by Play Food & Wine for dinner and drinks is a must – and be sure to order a glass of the Stratus 2007 Gamay.

Other Drink What You Like Beaujolais related posts:

• Beaujolais – The Summer to Fall Transition Wine
• Marcel Lapierre Morgon
• Not So Nouveau

Coming next… Southbrook 2008 Triomphe Merlot from Niagara…

_______________________________

Ristorante Tavola del Conte | Lecco Lombardia

Cucina naturale, vini selezionati, rispetto della tradizione e delle stagioni.

Tavola del Conte ed è l’ultima tentazione nel campo della ristorazione di alto livello nel Parco dell’Adda, premiato da Cremona come Hotel Gourmet.

Linearità e ricercatezza sono alla base dello stile di questo ambiente, che si inserisce armonicamente nel contesto storico del borgo. Le proposte della cucina sono inusuali, frutto di un accurato e sapiente incontro tra creatività e sapori tradizionali del territorio.

La composizione dei menù segue la stagionalità dei prodotti, attenta al rispetto dei sapori e alle loro caratteristiche nutrizionali.

Tavola del Conte http://www.contradaresort.it/it/ristorante_como_tavola_del_conte.html nasce, così come l’intero complesso nel quale si inserisce, su presupposti di gusto e di stile molto precisi: il recupero della cucina lombarda e delle sue materie prime più autentiche e genuine; il rispetto della stagionalità dei prodotti nella elaborazione dei menù; la ricerca dell’innovazione senza tuttavia stravolgere i valori della tradizione; l’attenzione agli equilibri nutrizionali; l’accompagnamento al cibo da parte di una cantina selezionata con cura e competenza; la capacità di realizzare e produrre al proprio interno gran parte delle proposte gastronomiche, come il pane e la pasticceria. Il tutto in una ambiente autenticamente suggestivo, ma rivisitato con eleganza sobria e gusto contemporaneo. Tavola del Conte è un ristorante di 70 posti che, grazie anche a una saletta privata per solo dieci commensali, consente non solo di godere di un’atmosfera intima e raccolta, ma soprattutto di poter offrire una cucina d’eccellenza, studiata e curata in ogni minimo dettaglio, in grado di sorprendere e soddisfare ogni esigenza. Non solo per una elegante cena, ma anche per rapidi pranzi di lavoro, per i quali sono previste specifiche proposte di quick-lunch. Tavola del Conte si trova ad Arlate in via Fontana 5. Aperto a pranzo e a cena. Si consiglia di prenotare al numero 039 9920918. Sono accettate tutte le carte di credito.

The 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau made its much-anticipated debut at a special wine tasting and dinner at Pop Champagne & Dessert Bar organized by the Alliance Française de Pasadena on Sunday, November 22 from 4:00 to 10:00 P.M.    Alliance director Fanchon, shares that the organization is very old and one of the first in the Southwest dating back to 1924.  The French school opened 15 years ago and is located across the street from the restaurant.  Fanchon describes the event as  “…just an excuse to have fun.”  If fun is what you are looking for then Pop Champagne and Dessert bar is the right place.  They have an extensive wine and champagne list to accompany your small plates. 

(Scallops Cordon Bleu)

My meals were from a prefix menu for the event.  Everything eaten except for the ice cream was paired with wine or champagne.   Chef Ray Velasquez is wonderful in balancing flavor and has a since of humor when it comes to food.  He told us that his mother always told him not to play with food.  Among his unique creations are scallops Cordon Bleu and popcorn ice cream.  Yes, popcorn ice cream is on the menu.  What does it tastes like?  It has the smooth flavor of kettle corn.   In the picture below give us a unique approach to serving poached pear on a tart.

Pop Champagne and Dessert provides a romantic and fun environment for an evening out.

Photos by Crystal Johnson

Review by Crystal Johnson Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Examiner and the Valley Scene Magazine

When: Friday, Nov. 20, 11am to 8pm.  Saturday, Nov. 21, 11am to 8pm.  Sunday, Nov. 22, 12am to 5pm.

Where: Catbridge Cellars, Antioch.

If you live in or will be near the Antioch area, make sure to stop by Catbridge Cellars, where one of my favorite clients, Cathy Williams, has just opened shop.  It’s a great combination wine bar and shop, which features wines made by environmentally conscious producers.  I recently selected and helped Cathy stock her venue with over 160 wines, almost all of them made with grapes grown organically and biodynamically, and all sustainably farmed.  There are fourteen wines available by the glass, like organic choices Pavi Pinot Grigio, St. Cosme “Little James Basket Press” Grenache, Clara Benegas Chardonnay, and Gouguenheim Malbec.  Cathy will also be opening special bottles and offering cheese for the event.

The shop is a small walk from the Metra North Central Service Antioch Station, and, if you are driving, is just off the Rosecrans Road (route 173) exit of I-94.

For more things to do nearby, there is also the PM&L Theatre, and David’s Bistro, who’s appetizer menu will be available in Catbridge Cellars wine bar as well.

Located in Issaquah, Gig Harbor, and finally Seattle! Took long enough!!!

Hey, you said it….not me. I had the chance to visit Sip for their preview before they open this Friday and let me just say this, I think something special is about to happen to Seattle. I really don’t know how to explain it yet so let’s just call it a hunch.

Eric, what the hell are you talking about…that doesn’t really make sense?

This is what I’m talking about.

(video)

done

Yes, that’s right. There is an outdoor seating area with some nice grass. I can’t wait for summertime to come around so I can just sit out on the grass, watch the sunset, and have a glass of wine. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. You saw the inside right?

Amazing. Tons of seating!

Today was the preview day, like I said before, and they were serving free sliders to the crowd which were pretty darn good but I’m excited to see what’s on the main menu. I’ll let you know what’s the deal with that on Tuesday!

I really can’t wait for a special occasion to happen so one day I can rent out the semi-private table (birthday is in December!).  It’s a great table that overlooks most of the restaurant.

So there! There is your picture/video preview of the new Sip Wine Bar and Restaurant in Seattle, WA opening this Friday! You know how it looks now so go check out the drinks, food, and service and let me know what you think.

Click below for more information, directions, and hours.

Sip (click)

]]> http://bayareabars.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/candybar-review/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:47:04 +0000 E&L http://bayareabars.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/candybar-review/

The Candybar is an upscale dessert bar/wine bar/coffee shop in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. Disclaimer: They serve dessert here, but since we are not a food blog, we won’t be reviewing it (also, we didn’t try it, but it looked awesome!).

Ambiance

Just ok for me Dog. Themed as it is, the Candybar is oriented towards customers of the female persuasion. So, a nice place to bring your wife or girlfriend, but definitely not the kind of place you’d want to frequent with a bunch of dudes. (18/30)

Based on their bomb concept, I expected grand things from the ambiance: preppy/girlie/sophisticated bold upholstery on the furniture, bling chandeliers and beaded curtains, sumptuous carpet, and pink polka dots on anything that would stand still. But in reality, I found the decor very underwhelming and spare. This is a bar that could really crank it to 11 with their decorations. But they kept it muted, kinda Asian, and frankly, budget conscious. I was so disappointed. (5/30)

Drink Selection

Pretty small actually. Never mind the fancy berry-laden cocktails which I’d never order, but the beer selection is underwhelming at best. (2/5)

The drink selection is limited, but thoughtful. All of their cocktails are dessert-themed and ultra-girlie (think champagne, strawberries, Chambord…you get the picture). The drinks are also totally delicious. While they’re not the most inventive drinks, they are well executed, they keep to the theme of the bar, and they are beautiful to look at. And the men who accompany their girlfriends to Candybar shouldn’t worry – they have Pacifico and a few other beers on tap. (13/15)

Location

Your only option unless you live next door is to drive. And that sucks since parking is not ample. BART is 1.4 miles away and you definitely don’t want to walk those 1.4 miles. (4/15)

You probably have to drive here, and provided that you can find parking, this isn’t an issue. The neighborhood doesn’t look like the kind of place where you’d find a cute little dessert bar, but I won’t hold that against Candybar. I’d like to see them open up a second location somewhere befitting their concept, though. (4/5)

Music

Unmemorable. (5/10)

I was at Candybar with a large party who requested Michael Jackson all night long (this was shortly after he passed away). Unfortunately, despite management’s assurance that we would have our fill of “Beat It” and “Billie Jean”, no such music was forthcoming. So while I’m sure their music selection is ordinarily very nice, on this night they did not exactly do what they said they would do. (5/30)

Price

Pints of Pacifico for $2. That almost makes up for the other shortcomings. Unfortunately, those are only happy hour prices. Nevertheless, these prices alone will bring me back. During happy hour. (37/40)

Their cocktails are predictably pricey, but their happy hour specials are unbelievable. All their signature drinks are half priced, as is their beer. So I would highly recommend this as a place to get sloshed on the cheap. Definitely one of the best happy hour deals I’ve ever seen. (20/20)

Overall

Candybar will most certainly be the perfect bar for the niche bar-goer looking for a desert bar. Otherwise, its difficult-to-reach location and narrow concept will mitigate its attractiveness. (66/100)

I will definitely be back for the happy hour special, if I’m already in the neighborhood. I’m still really sad about the ambiance, however. I understand that decorating a bar is expensive, but I think this place could make something really special and memorable. And a word of warning about the bathroom: they only have candlelight in the woman’s bathroom, which is fine if you’re not a klutz, but I set my purse on fire while I was in there, so beware of open flames and pleather! (47/100)

The Candybar gets an overall score of 57 out of 100.

Bacaro is a word in the Venetian dialect for a meeting place. It is also the name of a funky winebar and restaurant on the Lower Est Side in Manhattan. The wines are offered by the Ombra or shadow in Italian which translates into a 3 oz pour, al bicchiere (6 oz pour) and by the caraffa or half bottle. A long and eclectic list of wines from Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Lombardia, Trentino, Alto Adige and Piemonte are offered both by the glass and by the bottle. My favorites are the Nosiola from Trentino producer Cesconi, Colpo di Stato from Conte Loredan Gasparini, Cantina di Venegazzu and a host of wines by the producer Maculan from the Veneto.

The panna cotta, was perhaps the best ever eaten in New York. It was deliciously light and creamy. We had a small glass of nocino to finish off the evening. The bar and restaurant is a large space with tables upstairs and a cave-like lower floor with interesting and private nooks and crannies. Bacaro is a destination for the art crowd thanks in part to the museum in the Bowery and the 10 or more galleries that have popped up nearby.

The Venetian theme is carried on throughout their decor and in their products, from the water to the caffe. Bacaro is definitely worth the wait.

Erin McGrath has a cool post up on Palate Press with some great wine bar guidelines.  Erin has her own blog called Vintwined that focuses on some California wines.  As someone who is still pretty new to the wine world, I can definitely remember struggling with some of the confusion that she mentions in trying to describe what I like to someone when ordering wine.

One big faux-pas that many customers commit is misusing descriptors when communicating the types of wine they prefer. Here’s a quick low-down on three commonly butchered terms:

Dry. As in: “I usually like red wine, but nothing too dry [grimaces while holding throat].” Of course I understand what this person means, but I almost always ask follow-up questions, not only to make sure, but also to help him/her understand the word “dry” when it comes to wine. “Dry” means a lack of sweetness—not that mouth-puckering, cotton-tongue feeling. “Tannic” is the word you’re looking for, as in ”I usually like red wine, but nothing too tannic.” Bingo, grasshopper—now I know what to suggest.

Sweet. Unless you’re talking about a dessert or late-harvest wine, a port—or, heck, Riunite—you’re likely misusing the term “sweet” as a descriptive word for fruity. A fruity wine is often mistaken for sweet due to its fruit-forwardness or, in the case of many Zinfandels or Shirazes, a “jammy” quality. When a customer requests a “sweet” red wine, I clarify and ask them what types of red wines they drink. More often than not, it’s Zinfandel, or younger California Cabernet.

Crisp/Acidic. Ah, my favorite: “How about a bright, crisp Sauvignon Blanc! But not acidic.” What? ”Crisp” denotes an evident level of acidity in a wine, so fulfilling this customer’s request is nearly impossible from the get-go. There are certainly white wines that are too acidic, mostly because they’re poorly balanced or really cheap plonk. Bearing that in mind, however,  a well-made Sauvignon Blanc will have some acidity, making it “crisp” (or tart or tangy or refreshing or another acidity-denoting term). If some wines give you acid reflux, I’d suggest switching to a softer style of white, maybe a Viognier or Chenin Blanc. Or put an ice cube in it. If you must.

Where I live there is really only one wine bar that I am aware of.  There might be more, but I have never been to any of them.  La Diosa Wine Cellars is owned by the same people who own McPherson Cellars Winery, one of the better West Texas wineries.  The atmosphere is really great there, and they have a decent selection of wines, although they are mainly regional wines.  I have mixed feelings about this, since I am all about buying local.  You generally hear the disclaimer “for a Texas wine” tacked onto the end of any evaluation of Texas wines, so it would be nice to have a little more variety.

I think that it is really important for a good wine bar to have staff who know to ask these kinds of questions to help newbie wine drinkers select wines.  I can remember being very overwhelmed and frustrated trying to pick a wine, and I seldom really felt like the staff at restaurants and wine bars were very helpful in helping me out.  I received some truly puzzling recommendations, and in hindsight I think this was due to me not communicating what I liked properly, and the staff not asking the right questions to point me in the right direction.  With a little help I probably would have gotten into wine earlier, and that would have been good for me and for my local wine bar.

Courtesy of ayzanyc.com

This is one of those places, that while the prepared food isn’t worth eating, it’s still a fabulous venue to go to. Ayza is a brilliant concept. It is a chocolate, cheese and wine bar that also has a lunch and dinner menu. The problem is the lunch and dinner menu. My date and I ate the following dishes that night:

Asian steak tartare
Grilled octopus salad
Beef carpaccio
Pasta with basil, marinara and mozzarella

All were incredibly mediocre. Nothing was awful, but everything was just average if even. Even when I saw my pasta, the first thought that came to mind was Chef Boyardee. The steak tartare was a disappointment. The carpaccio had too much greens compared to the amount of parmesan that was shaved on, which led to the dish tasting under seasoned. The grilled octopus salad was good, but not really anything to write home about. I had to ask for salt and pepper as there was none on the table. I feel like restaurants who don’t offer condiments at the table are very confident about their food. In this case, Ayza should definitely take their confidence down a notch.

One more sad dish was the moist dark chocolate cake. I never ever send food back, but this needed to go back. A very bland dessert, I would have been happier with a Hostess cupcake. BUT! Onto the good parts of Ayza.

It would have been a fantastic experience if we didn’t have our dinner there. Our drinks were wonderful! My date had a pinot noir, I chose the ‘Is Paris Burning’ martini, made from Remy Martin VSOP and raspberry liquor. The cheeses were delicious and the chocolates from Jacques Torres are always a good choice. The bar itself is very tiny, but cute and they provide a heated outside area to sit in. I would definitely go back and order anything the kitchen doesn’t have to cook themselves.

One more puzzling thing…aside from the Jacque Torres chocolates there are actual desserts, like the cake I ordered. When the waitress saw how much I really didn’t like it, she suggested their best dessert, the 20 layer crepe cake. My first thought…as this is a chocolate bar…shouldn’t your best dessert contain chocolate?

6 out of 10

-Juice

Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar
11 W 31st St, New York 10001
(Btwn 5th Ave & Broadway)
(212) 714-2992

Apparently, I have a signature dish…or, rather, dessert. I’ve made a recipe (Oreo Truffles) four times, while either entertaining in my own home, as a guest contribution for parties hosted by others, and most recently, for a Truffles and Wine party at one of my favorite local wine bar spots, House Wine.  Each time, these homemade sweet treats were more than a hit, and were mistaken for bakery-bought!  Looks like I’ll be making these for future celebratory occasions, because, let’s face it, I want to keep my guests happy.

What may be most fascinating about these truffles is their evolution itself since they entered my kitchen repertoire. It seems that a winner recipe can be hard to find, hard to make, and somehow never comes out looking like the model picture. These Oreo Truffles, however, have gone beyond the taste-testing, trial-and-error phase and in fact, provided an opportunity to modify the base recipe to create new flavor combinations for these sweet-tooth-satisfying delicacies.

Take a look at the history:

• January 2009: I discover Bakerella, and assist in the making of Oreo Truffles when I visit my cousin Dana in Denver for a Super Bowl party.
• February 2009:  I make my first batch of Oreo Truffles for a potluck dinner and receive an unexpected, overwhelming positive response.
• March 2009: TheRebeccammendations is born, and I write about Oreo Truffles for the first time. Flavor: simple black and white oreo
• May 2009: I begin playing with flavor combinations and make Chocolate Mint and Rum Spice Vanilla Truffles for another potluck dinner.
• July 2009: I receive a special request to make the truffles for Jen’s birthday party. This is when I turn the corner and perfect my technique. This was the best batch yet! Flavors: simple black and white oreo, and chocolate mint.
• October 2009: I make four different kinds of cookie truffles for a Truffles and Wine party at House Wine. This was a huge success, and the truffles were the star of the party!  See below for flavors and recipe modifications:

1. S’mores- The base batter is made with finely ground graham crackers, a little softened cream cheese, and about 1.5 cups of melted marshmellows. The marshmellows were necessary to help bind the batter because graham crackers do not already come with filling (like oreos do), which allows the batter to stick together. We tried to roll the truffle balls with batter surrounding a mini marshmellow, so that guests would bit into them and discover a surprise. It worked, but we only did this on half of this batch, since it took more time. We dipped the graham and marshmellow balls in chocolate to complete the perfect s’mores trifecta.
2. Chocolate Mint- Followed the same instructions as before, and used the same recipe for basic oreo truffles, but used mint oreos instead. I think the Oreos brand has discontinued this flavor, but your trusty neighborhood HEB carries their own brand. Mint Oreo batter was dipped in chocolate.
3. Pumpkin Spice Vanilla- This is the same recipe as the Rum Spice Vanilla truffles, but I substituted pumpkin spice (you can purchase this already combined in a spice shaker at the store) for the rum flavoring and cinnamon. The spice is added to the vanilla oreo and cream cheese batter before rolling up the truffles, freezing for 10 minutes, and dipping in white chocolate coating.
4. Chocolate Cherry Divinity- I call this Divinity because as soon as I took a bite, the word that came to my mind was “divine”. These were made with the basic oreo truffle base (finely ground oreo cookies with cream cheese worked into it to make the base batter). We then patted marashino cherries with paper towels to remove excess juice to avoid soggy truffles. We added 2 teaspoons of the marashino juice from the jar to the base batter. This made it a little stickier and harder to roll into balls, but the end result was moist and perfect! We carefully rolled out 1 tablespoon of batter into a flat circle, then wrapped it around a marashino so that it was hidden inside. So. Good.

 Take a look at the result!

Crumb-ing

Finely grind the cookies you are using to make your truffles. The consistency should be like sand so that when you mix in the softened cream cheese, the batter will be more smooth than grainy. This makes for a creamier truffle. Thanks to Halley Claire for being my co-chef!

Rolling

Molding the truffle batter around a cherry or mini marshmellow can be challenging, but you can do it! And, the result is fun and delicious!

Dipping

Dipping the truffles involves using two spoons to handle it while coating it in white or milk chocolate, letting the excess fall back into the bowl, and letting it roll onto wax paper-covered cookie sheets.

Endulging!

Super glue a clear plastic plate to the base of a plastic margarita or wine glass for a creative way to serve your truffle treats! (Thanks, Mom for the idea!)

Rebeccammended looks-fancy-but-is-not dessert recipe aimed at and sure to please your guests: Cookie truffles!

So we now have a concept and a name. 106 Pine – Fresh Finds. Local Wines.

We had 6 very smart and talented people who now had to agree on exactly what our new concept would essentially be. Sure, Valerie and I had our own ideas, and we’re paying the bills.But you don’t round up a team like this and then make them do things they don’t believe in. And not using the talent and experience that we had assembled for this project would have been crazy.

Valerie came up with the essence of our new concept from the moment we began to talk about it months ago … that the shop had to be about the pairing of wine with chocolate and other foods – cheese, cured meats, olives, etc … and great breads and crackers … all from farmers and producers in our area. Valerie, as the heart and soul of our chocolate selection, spends a ton more time with our customers than me … and she knows how curious our chocolate customers are about what wine goes with what chocolate. They insist that we suggest the perfect wine for whatever chocolate they’re buying. And I’m very aware of how terribly excited our Tour de Chocolate customers get what the subject gets to the pairing of wine and chocolate.

No one disagreed with Valerie’s vision. It made great sense and the feedback we got when we offered the pairing idea for a store next to Chocolate Box was overwhelmingly positive. And everyone was excited about extending the pairing idea to cheese, salami and other light foods. So all is well, right?

Not quite yet. Remember that our roots, as well as those of our designers, are deeply in the retail soil. And keep in mind that at least half of our sales at Chocolate Box are retail versus food and beverage. So Valerie was adamant that our new store must also offer these pairings in the form of a gift … bottles of wine paired with cheese, etc. … all in great boxes, baskets, and other cool gift containers. The big issue for the team now became a tug of war between those who wanted us to be a wine bar that also included some retail ideas, and those who wanted us to be a wine store that also had a wine bar where you could taste the wine and food that we sell to go.

That simple question became the topic of many long sessions over great wine at wine bars near Chocolate Box. Yep, we had to have our strategy sessions while spying on people already in the wine bar business. Fun … and expensive! But, in the end, we came up with a solution that appears to make everyone happy … especially the founders.

106 Pine will be a wonderful blend of a wine store that specializes in Washington wines (with a few items from our “cousins” in Oregon) and will emphasize in its retail presentation the cheeses, meats, chocolates, etc. that go well with those wines. It will also serve those wines by the glass in its very cool wine bar area, and will offer almost  our entire menu of wine and food as retail items that you can take home and give as gifts.

Now that may sound perfect to you, but those last two sentences … some people call them my “elevator speech” … took weeks of back-and-forth discussion with the team before I settled on those words. Whew!! And now it’s time to build our dream in time for the Holiday season …

The first time I saw a wine dispensing machine was in Vino Venue wine bar in San Francisco five years ago. The machines were amusing and worked well. Vino Venue has been closed for a few years so I can now say the choices for the wines were not the best but their dispensing system was economical and effective. A great feature of this system was the availability of some expensive red and white bottles for small pours. An average wine bar can hardly afford to open very expensive bottles for sale by the ounce or small pours. The dispensing machine preserved the wine and an expensive bottle could be open long enough until sold. Vino Venue also carried many wines in other price categories. The machines never did catch on industry-wide, because of their high cost, but some wine bars use them for their high end wines. What every wine bar carries in addition to the wine dispensing selections is the mid-price and low-price wines. Obviously, the expensive wines are few in numbers while the rest are many. Let’s forget the expensive wines and look at the rest of the wines in a wine bar. These wines are the same as what most restaurants and cafes pour by the glass. Most restaurants and cafes carry a good number of red and whites by the glass. The wines range from inexpensive to moderately expensive. Rare and very expensive wines do not appear on the by-glass list. The wine bars and the restaurants have the same number of selections on average. What makes the wine bars so much more attractive is the individual selections for each bottle, in its category, and how the list is organized based on varietal, region and so on. Wine bars can do many interesting activities with their wines that are hard to accomplish in a very busy restaurant or bar such as flights and tiny decanters but most of the wine bar services can easily be duplicated in the typical restaurant or cafe. The important requirement is to select each bottle carefully to find a meaningful place on the list and the wine sales and guest satisfaction can be equal to a trendy wine bar. Does that not fortify the wine-by-glass program for a average establishment or will it lack compared to a wine bar?

To be honest, this is the part of being in business that I love most … to make something great out of nothing. It’s scary and exhilarating at the same time. I truly feel that great retail concepts are, in reality, a story that someone … usually the founder … is trying to tell, and the merchandise or menu are the paints we use to paint our story on the “canvas” of a physical space.

In plain English, it’s now time to pick the people who are going to bring our story to life … the designers who will interpret our story to the world. I didn’t have to think long on this subject. The only question was whether or not they would be interested and had the time to jump in immediately so we could open in time for the 2009 holiday season. The only people who should be designing this project is Terri Lyn Sloan and her associates … the same people who created the Chocolate Box. Why look elsewhere? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

The interesting thing about hiring people like Terri Lyn is that she and her crew aren’t designers in the normal sense. You see, they see their role as designing our brand as much as our store. Unlike most designers, Terri Lyn feels strongly that their role is to make sure that our brand in correctly interpreted in every aspect of our existence … down to the shape of our dishes and how we slice the meat we serve with our wine! That is so cool to have that much help and caring by these exceptionally talented people.

The hard part is getting these great designers and branding experts to mesh with the talented people already on board … like Shannon Borg and Matthew Wolfson, my general manager and “creative director”. I sometimes sit in our team meetings and simply watch all this talent do their thing. It’s like watching a great symphony practice. I don’t have to do much … other than calming members of the team when the emotions of creative people begin to overflow! Collaboration is an art in itself and this entrepreneur is learning on the job.

Our first crisis already threw us a curve almost from day one: We all agreed that the perfect name for this wine store that wants be all about suggesting perfect foods and chocolate to go with its wine is “Pairings.” Perfect. The name says it all. Simple and elegant. Oops. A search of the state records shows that the name has already been registered by a group in Tacoma. But wait. A closer look reveals that they’re no longer in business. Let’s just ask them if we can use the name. Wrong! For whatever their reasons, they want to hold on to the name … so we’re back to the drawing board and time’s running out.

I thought a perfect name for our venture would be “Crazy Mike’s”. After all, in this economy you should have your head examined if you open a new venture. Right? So let’s just call it what it is … a crazy explosion of design and cool ideas. Anyway, within ten minutes of my idea being thrown out, Terri Lyn suddenly and quietly suggests our address, 106 Pine. After all, she explained, some of the most really cool businesses in the world are named after their address. And it makes finding our store real easy! But it also just felt right to everyone sitting in that meeting. Done. Very little discussion. We just knew it was right. Some things are best left your gut. And, most importantly, I’m a firm believer that it’s what we DO inside that space that is far more important than the name on the door.

I was in Lincoln, Nebraska for work for the last couple of weeks.  On my last night there, I went for dinner at a restaurant close to my hotel called Carmela’s Bistro and Wine Bar.  I usually visit this restaurant at least once per trip to Lincoln, so I have been here a few times.  It is a very cozy wine bar with an excellent menu.  In fact, I wish there were more places like this back home in Vancouver.  The first time I came here, I was actually quite surprised that places like this existed here.  But it seems it’s not so unusual here, and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about wine and are quite passionate about it as well.  If you ever happen to find yourself in Lincoln, Nebraska, I highly recommend visiting Carmela’s.

Tonight I tried a bottle of Francis Coppola Director’s Cut 2007 Pinot Noir.  I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Here are my review notes.

Appearance: Long, slow legs.  Deep ruby red colour with the absolute faintest hint of purple.

Smell: Oaky, warm smell.  Spiced smell.

Taste: Rich, smokey, oak flavour.  Medium dryness with a slight citrus flavour.  Slight hints of cranberry and cherry.  Smooth, sweet tanins.

Overall: Excellent wine.  I really enjoyed this wine!  I am always skeptical ordering a wine I have never heard anything about or read about prior to drinking; however, I was pleasantly surprised.  I will definitely look to pick this wine up again back home to make sure I have the same feelings about it the second time around.  I would love to see how this wine is in another 6 months or a year.  I did have it with a steak and potato soup for starter and a Biorsin cheese and butter seasoned filet mignon with a gorgonzola baked potato.  Absolutely excellent, and complemented the salty meal perfectly.

Rating: 4/5

Ecco la lista degli otto ‘Tre bottiglie’ da Nord a Sud:
Ombre Rosse, Preganziol (Treviso)
Osteria dei Fauni, Segrate (Milano)
La Baita, Faenza (Ravenna)
Enoteca Marcucci, Pietrasanta (Lucca)
Oste della mal’ora, Terni
Roscioli, Roma
Del Gatto, Anzio (Roma)
Picone, Palermo

That’s a lot of wine!

What is $2 Tuesdays?
Well, the chef goes to the farmer’s market, buys whatever produce looks good, and then turns it into delicious, affordable appetizers!

I went the other Tuesday, and they offered the tortilla española and chorizo croquette for the $2 special. I asked the sommelier for pairing suggestions, 1 white and 1 red. She recommended the albariño, which is like a riesling except with a little bit lower acidity, and a pinot noir which I can’t remember the name of.

The pairings were spot-on, so big props to the sommelier. The albariño was perfect with the tortilla española, and the chorizo croquette paired with the pinot noir? MINDBLOWING. It was sooo good. The cheese inside the croquette and the aioli outside of it were great together, and the smokiness from the chorizo was EXCELLENT with that specific pinot noir.

I also shared a ribeye sandwich, which was WAY better than I expected. It was revelatory! Every part of it was stellar; the bread, the way the ribeye was cooked, I’m going to have to go back and have that again for sure.

Finally, I had a few bites of the crema catalana. It was *just* good, but not on the same exceptional level as the ribeye sandwich and the chorizo croquette.

A great cozy wine bar that I will have to return to at some point. And also, sorry for my gratuitous, douchey usage of ñ above.

Neighborhood: Downtown
403 W 12th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

In the heart of downtown Culver City, lies one of my favorite places to go out. Ugo wine bar. Think of it as an adult arcade, where you put in your prepaid wine card, press a button and get an ounce of whatever your heart desires.   I absolutely love coming here and I haven’t found many people that would disagree.  Yes, it can get crowded around the wine dispensing machines, and the cost definitely adds up when you are paying up to a few dollars for a taste “ounce” of wine, but it is So fun.  It a great place to taste some wines that are completely out of your price range, but it is also perfect to try some relatively inexpensive wines to add to your rack.  Ugo usually has a discount of 25% off a bottle if you would like to bring a bottle home.  If you want to try this place out, I recommend going during the week where there is a lot more room to walk around, seats to sit and enjoy the wine, and also live music.  

Bitch

There is one wine that has been seemingly popular every time I have been to Ugo in the past few months.  In fact, it was sold out 30 minutes after I arrived on Saturday.  Bitch.  No really, Bitch Wine.  I would like to think that it is only popular for the name, and maybe because it is an 87 cent per ounce at Ugo making it one of the cheapest wines available to try. But actually, this wine is really really good.  I read about it before I even saw the bottle in Wine Spectator and its rated 90 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Bitch Grenache is easy and fun to drink.  It can be found for about $10 a bottle, but sometimes I find it to be marked up a lot which is probably to do the appeal of the name.  Bitch is sweet with hints of cherry and strawberry, but subtle and easy to drink in high quantities.  I usually go to this wine when I am at Ugo and tired of tasting all the different blends. I highly recommend this wine, it is fun and shockingly good.

4 stars all around.

Bomberos Café & Wine Bar 8801 N. Central Ave

The Valley of the Sun lacks for authentic restaurants and bars owned by South Americans with South American themes, drinks and cuisines.

Whenever one pops up, it quickly becomes a magnet for transplanted South and Central Americans.

.
(There’s Inza Coffee in Scottsdale, a coffee house owned by a Colombian with specialty empanadas and international coffees. These kinds of places become hot spots for Americans from the planet’s southern hemisphere.

Now there is Bomberos.
Bomberos Café & Wine Bar opened on far north Central Avenue near Sunnyslope in late November. It features a Latin-themed menu with South American wines, Latin American beers, specialty coffees and teas, and a light but eclectic food menu.

Owned by Oscar and Kristi Mastrantuono, bomberos is Spanish for “firemen” and is located in what used to be a Sunnyslope fire station on Central Avenue just north of Northern. The renovations include an outside patio and dining.

Oscar is from Uruguay and comes from a long line of entrepreneurs in that country. Opening a wine café in Phoenix that specializes in his Latin heritage has long been a dream of the Mastrantuonos, and when this unique location opened in their own neighborhood, they knew that this was the time to fulfill that dream.

(Continued-Read more at): http://www.latinopm.com/Latino-Perspectives-Magazine/March-2008/Bomberos-is-the-bomb/

*This article appears in the March 2008 issue of Latino Perspectives Magazine