the Crush Pad

And the hits just keep on comin’!  This summer has been filled with class after class, all of them knocking the hits right out of the park.  Thursday nite with our BAD ASS BBQ & BEST BUCK 4 BUCK WINES class at Cooks of Crocus Hill was no exception.  With a class over 30 peeps deep and a group ready to take on anything Q’d, we were all in the mood for a little fun.

The wines were all focused around good valued juice that packed a little more punch than the price price point you paid.  You know, something you could say you paid $20 for and no one would ever know that you paid $10 because it was that good!  With everything from an easy drinkin’ $7 Bordeaux Rosé to WINE IN A BOX (yep, you heard it right!) – the hit of the nite – all blind and the wine, which was served from decanters, was unveiled only after everyone started guessing $18-$25 for the bottle.  The box, which I wrapped in brown paper bag and labeled:  BAD ASS VINO, turned the room into a roar with my Aus Banrock Station Shiraz in a box.  Something you’d find on the shelf for about $8 a 750mL, was now in a 3L box staring us down for a total of $20 (that’s 4 bottles!)  The room applauded!

But, here was the real gem of the nite…the last pairing of our dinner.  Grilled strawberries and…you’ll have to watch to find out! 

Check out Chef Mike Shannon from Cooks of Crocus Hill and myself as we give you a little 411 on this spectacular summer pairing and unveil the wine we used for delicious Grilled Summer Strawberries and house made Lemon Sorbet!  (In HD)

Folks are always asking and I’m always trying them…from one end of the Mississippi to the other, I’m reviewing them left and right.  What are they?  Minnesotan wines.  From grapes like Frontenac, Marquette to St Croix – they’re a foxy group of characters.

Take a look as my pal, Chef Mike Shannon from Cooks of Crocus Hill, and I review a wine made in our own backyard.  Literally, kind of a ‘city made’ wine.  From Warehouse Winery - this, a blend of Frontenac with California purchased grapes: Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc. 

Watch as we review and then PAIR to this funky wine concoction!  In HD.

Looking for a cool wine to pull off the shelf…because of its looks?
Check this out – A Review of the 2004 Super Hero InZinerator – with, what looks like a strange Perfect Pairing!

I have to say, at one point in my life I may have been a bigger basketball fan than most guys I knew.  For those of you who don’t know, I’ve played basketball pretty much my whole life.  I was always THE biggest nerd about playing.  Playing any time of day, for as long as I wanted and whereever and whenever anyone had a ball, I was there.  Whether I was travelling to Europe as youngster, or living in NYC for my short stint, I was always hanging around someone’s bball court.  Hooping it up with the best of them.  From Central Park to the courts I grew up on in Wisconsin, basketball was ‘my time’.  My time to play, let it all out and show those boys what I had.  I wasn’t afraid of anyone taller, faster or stronger than I was because I knew I had a wicked outside shot.

But today, after one back surgery later, knees that sound like crunched glass when I bend, and a career that keeps me working from morning to night – my days of hooping are limited to shooting a bucket when someone’s kids are around with a basketball in hand.  And my love for everything ‘basketball’ is a little less, let’s say, ‘obsessive’ than it was 10+ years ago.  I still love to watch the athleticism, ability and talent of the youngsters entering the league and support my fellow female ballers from college to the pro leagues, but there’s a little something that’s changed about ‘how’ and ‘why’ we watch basketball today.  It’s not as much about the fundamental talents of these athletes anymore, it seems to be more so about the ’show boatin’ personalities that come with the paycheck now more than ever. 

I remember, in fact, the day that LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony both signed their contracts out of high school.  It was such a big deal…Wow! kids out of high school straight into the NBA.  It was a big deal, along with the day on Michigan Ave in Chicago when they BOTH showed up at the Nike store signing their own shoes for the public.  I remember it being a huge deal, because I was there.  But it was then that I remember thinking, ‘Wow, which one of the boys will be the most successful?’ and ‘Where will these two guys go from here?”.   Funny thinking back, because now we know.  When an entire night of television is devoted to ONE guy’s decision as to where he’ll play ball, I now think – what is wrong with our priorities!  Not to mention, here we go again.  Could this have been any more BRETT FAVRE to anyone else besides me?  And P.S. – Does the decision have to come with 47 Mineral Water Commercials, or an actual ‘count-down’ box on my screen to tell me when LeBron was to announce his decision?!  But guess what, we were sucked in.  Just as everyone else in the sports world was, we too sat (shamelessly) in front of our television awaiting the facts.  And today we’re right back to where we thought we’d be, knowing that King James will suit up in a Miami Heat uni this fall. 

While basketball certainly wasn’t my first priority last nite, it seemed to take up a good chunk of my evening (thanks honey!).  So to add a bit more excitement to the night, I thought about today’s blog and its inevitable title:   What Wine Would Be Fit for a King?  King James that is… 

Rustling through the cellar, searching for just the right wine to hold court against the LeBron hype, I stumbled across a self labeled 2007 Korta Katarina Plavac Mali.  Nika, the winemaker for Korta Katarina, slipped me the bottle upon my visit to Croatia in March.  And since, have been holding on to it for the perfect time to drink it.  How could this have not been any more perfect?  With a 2006 Korta Katarina Plavac Mali already open, I thought…what a perfect chance for a side by side comparison tasting. 

Here’s what I found and I’m not really sure I should say more than this (but I will):  LOOK OUT SPECTATOR! 

A wine that could totally and single-handedly put Croatian wine on the map.  While most of you know that I am already a huge fan of Korta Katarina Winery and their current 06 Plavac Mali – this, my friends is true testament as to what our Eastern European friends are up to. 

My notes:  The wine is deep with back notes of depthy dirt, minerality, smoked cedar, licorice, dried prunes and dried herbs.  The fruit is not as overt as the 2006, even as the alcohol levels exceed its previous vintage.  The alcohol is masked by this intense dried herbal element, mashed in with supple pruned fruit, delicious dirt and earth smells along with amazing lifted notes of vanilla.  And the palate, just like you were drinking the stars…sorry Dom, Croatian Stars that is.  Lush on the palate, yet dry and perfectly balanced with silky interwoven tannins, supple fruit as was on the nose and mouth-watering goodness.  Oh my.  Could be one of my favorite wines this summer.

And as I sat savoring, oohhing and ahhhing over my new love – alas King James’s announcement came… 

And I thought, finally a wine… perfectly fit for a King, even a King James (that is).  Yum.   Can’t wait for you all to try it (next vintage)!

Check out this, newest post by my pals at Chanhaven. 

If you’re looking for something to do today – come to this spectacular CROATIAN WINE EVENT!

…That Chappellet Winery , one of my most favorite California Wineries!, is powered on Solar Energy? Very cool, right? 

Chappellet.   If you’ve ever been to Chappellet, you know exactly what I mean by saying (period).  They are a world-class Californian winery with a stellar reputation, outstanding property and amazing wines to boot.  My pal, Steve Tamburelli, the winery’s general manager, comes to visit the Twin Cities often and with always so much enthusiasm, passion + professionalism for the winery, that it’s virtually impossible not to fall in love with the Chappellet’s story and pedigree.  While I could go on and on about the love that I have for the story, the land, the winery and its wines…let me show you how this winery’s commitment is truly unique.  I was reminded yesterday via TWITTER of Chappellet’s Commitment to Agriculture and Winery Practices, with the fact that Chappellet is lovin’ this hot summer sun and all the energy that it has to give…back to the winery.  Their twitter yesterday showed a gorgeous pic of their solar panels shining bright in the Napa Valley Sunshine.

Chappellet Fact:

•  In 2008 Chappellet unveiled an ambitious solar project. Comprised of 960 individual solar modules capable of producing approximately 280,000 kilowatt hours per year, this 20,000-square-foot solar photovoltaic system generates enough energy to offset 100 percent of the winery’s PG&E bill. Over a 30-year period it will have the amazing environmental benefit of reducing greenhouse gases by 4,513,275 lbs. In practical terms this is the equivalent to planting over 40,000 trees.

Sweet, right?

You know what else…

• In the early 1980’s, Chappellet was the first to plant cover crop – literally terming ’sustainable’ long before it became a ‘trendy’ word to use in the U.S.
• 90% of their estate vineyards are farmed ORGANICALLY
• All of their mechanical equipment use 50% Biodiesel

For more details on their commitment to full stewardship and to honor the natural integrity of property visit Chappellet’s Sustainability Page.

And if you want more, you can watch the vineyard LIVE and take a peak at their solar panels online through their web cam.  Pretty cool stuff.

Thanks Chappellet for sharing that bit of LOVE with us – you have a slew of fans here in The Twin Cities!  Keep those gorgeous wines comin’.

Shake n Bake, I’m back from the Hot State of Georgia!  Hope you all had a chance to catch up on my stops and eats along the way while in Atlanta.  With so much good food to enjoy, a fabulous five days of relaxin’ + great friends to enjoy it all with – our trip to Atlanta was a success.  And the best part, we finished our trip off with a little more Sting.  So yes, we’re back on the Sting trail, but this time with some great LIVE CLIPS from the concert, very close up!  Check out these very up close and personal videos of Sting and the Philharmonic Orchestra (aka:  ’The Queen’s Orchestra’ – For more on the Twin Cities Show…See Sting Blog Below).

I’m still searching for the perfect wine, in fact…I’ve had a lot of great recommendations, all from HUGE Sting fans, but I’m still on the hunt to satisfy completely, MY Sting/Wine Connection.

Monday, June 28th – we had the distinct pleasure of being ‘wow’d’ for the second time this summer – all in one week – by the Great Mr. Gordon Sumner, (aka: Sting) this time from Chastain Park, just inside the city limits of Atlanta, Georgia.  With a whoppin’ 95+ degrees and well, the humidity so thick you could cut right through it, and the amphitheatre bursting at its seams with 6,000+ peeps, the surroundings were some of the best I’ve seen a large act perform. (Well, outside of Red Rocks- that’s a hard one to top.) The crowd equipped with hand fans, many with personal misters, the sticky humidity and heat had you wantin’ anything but red wine, sorry guys.  In fact, the big hit of this hot summer night in Atlanta called for the south’s Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka.  While I’d most likely like a crisp cool glass of white wine, the Firefly was surely the ticket for cooling this Sting Crazed Crowd down.  Not that you couldn’t order a full bottle of wine in a plastic ‘yard’ (hello, Vegas!) at the amphitheater, our clan was all on board for something just a little more “south” if you know what I mean.  The show was great, all within the first ten rows of seating, Sting was front and center shakin’ his 58 yr old pa-too-ti with no shame.  While I was looking for a little something different than our Minneapolis show, just one week before, the exact same concert was played down to song order and stories.  All fine and still fab, but I could have used a set list change.  Yet then again, how many peeps travel from MSP to ATL in one week to see Sting?

Tonite as I write, I am sitting with a fat glass of Rioja.  One of my favorite Spanish producers:  Montecillo.  An old school favorite with depth, dirt and personality.  It’s a kind of ‘ra-cha-cha!’ booty shaker.  In fact, I’m enjoying a little sheep’s milk, Garrotxa cheese with my Rioja, while hummin’ “Desert Rose” – how appropriate!  Maybe that’s what Sting needs for pairing… a booty shakin’ wine?  Let’s stop pretending we’re all so serious after all – we’re here to just enjoy ourselves, right?  So maybe Sting needs something that makes you ‘Shake n’ Bake’.  Not just a little, but one that really gets the blood flowing.  And, I’m sticking with that as my final answer…does he need red or white?  I’m not here to say.  It’s up to you after all – so pick up that wine that makes the booty shake and get it going, because Sting can entice anyone to shake it once you’ve watched his hips sway to and from….am I right, or am I right?

Drink What You Like and Like What You Drink!

Check out these LIVE performances from Chastain Park, Atlanta, Georgia – June 28, 2010 – ALL in HD!!

Here it is, the food experience y’all have been waiting to hear about…

Gladys Knight’s Chicken + Waffle House

Because none of us knew what to expect with our experience, we all conjured up our own ideas as to what it was going to look like inside this Hot Atlanta Food Spot.  I thought I’d see some sort of diner-like interior with greasy booths and an angry waitstaff, or an open kitchen line where you’d have only three things to choose from, give your order, pay and then end up with a number to come pick up your tray of fixins.  The rest had ideas of imaging a chain-like restaurant feel, down to a hot spot that would serve us beers with every chicken piece we had.

And, because none of us had ever had ‘Chicken and Waffles’, there were many questions also prior to our arrival that had to do with eating this southern concoction:

1.  Was the ‘waffle’ like a waffle that you had for breakfast or was it like a potato-like pancake of sorts?  Was it like a french fry kind of waffle?

2.  How were you supposed to eat your ‘waffle’?  Does the ‘waffle’ act as blanket to coddle your chicken?  And, would there be the typical ‘waffle-like’ condiments on the table if it were like a breakfast waffle (IE: syrup, butter)?

3.  What kind of chicken comes with your ‘waffle’?  Breasts, legs, thighs, pieces?

4.  And if it was a typical breakfast-like ‘waffle’, would ya look like a person who didn’t know what they were doin’ if you asked for Syrup?

I know, sounds silly…but if you’ve never had Chicken and Waffles, these are all pretty normal questions, wouldn’t ya say?

As we pulled up to the downtown Atlanta staple, the neon sign reading:  Gladys Knight and Ron Winan’s Chicken & Waffles, hung high above the street.  It seemed iconic and one could certainly imagine seeing it from blocks away in the late midnight hours when the restaurant was still open on a Friday or Saturday night at 4 a.m.  As hot as it was, still at about 97 degrees +, we were all surprised to see this famous waffle and wing joint over-flowing with people on a mid-afternoon Monday.  When we walked in, the place was crawlin’.   And the interior, was pretty much nothing like we all imagined.  No angry waitstaff, no line for food, no cash register to ring in your order and no pitchers of beer.  Instead, had the feel of a very nice Denny’s.  Lined with dark wooded walls and big leather booths, framed pics of famous people that had eaten there hung on the wall, and as I looked around… everyone, I mean everyone, was eating chicken.

Turns out, the wait for our traditional southern viddles was short-lived.  We were in our sticky syrup drenched booth in no time.  The menu fit the standards of a Denny’s, with laminated pages of southern food plates and pictures to match them.  The choices of food ranged from black-eyed peas, mac n cheese, collard greens, catfish, salmon to the most famous plate of all ~ The Midnight Train.  And when it came time for ordering, it was almost like a scene from The Blues Brothers…’We’ll take four Midnight Trains!’

And there it was ~ a fat ass plate of four crispy chicken thighs, and a big ole waffle (yep, like a breakfast waffle) right in the midst of it all.  With a heap of syrup already on your table, you were expected to slather it up with melted butter, pour on the goo and eat it all up just like you would breakfast.  Our sides included: mac n cheese, lima beans, grits and collard greens.  And to drink, because they didn’t serve beer or any other alcoholic beverages, sweet teas all around.

And the taste, as our friend Tim would say it, “Tastes so good, make ya wanna slap your momma!”  Pretty darn good for my first Chicken + Waffles experience and one worth any trip to Hotlanta to try it.

While the sweet tea seemed to be, as we all agreed, the best drink to pair to this ‘heart stoppin’ plate of goodness- the first question before our arrival was, “So what kind of wine would you pair to Chicken and Waffles, Leslee?”  With each bite of my drippin’ waffle and my crispy chicken wing crunched together into perfect bites, I thought of the syrupy sweetness and the salty crunch of my plate.  The butter from grits managed to sink right through its gooey mess and the syrup was not to be reckoned with dripping off my chicken and right down the center of my shirt.

I give this plate a couple of pairing ideas… The fried chicken deserves anything bubbly.  Because ‘fried’ and ‘bubbles’ always goes together, I would have chosen perhaps a Blanc de Blanc of sorts, a bubbly that is made with only Chardonnay grapes.  The rich Chardonnay center and the creaminess of the buttery grits and mac n cheese along with the fried chicken, yum…a match made in heaven.  Yet, I thought about the syrupy goodness of the waffle in front of me.  Riesling would have been good with the right amount of sweetness, even a fat rich Pint Gris from Alsace loaded with honeysuckle and honey jar would have been good.   But there was only one wine that I couldn’t quite escape.  The Chateau Reynella McLaren Vale Old Cave Tawny Port, made entirely from Grenache grapes, is one of those wines that I always think about when I smell syrup.  It’s sort of ‘breakfast wine’ I suppose.  Good enough for pancakes, waffles, sausage and even a cup of joe.  And with this afternoon’s lunch…I think, a pretty darn good pairing.  This port is not one that is overbearingly sweet, and because its made from Grenache grapes grown in Australia, it seems to carry just the right amount of sugar and toast from its barrel aging to match any plate of breakfast food.

In the end, a beer wouldn’t have been a bad idea either, but if you’re thinkin’ wine with this fine cuisine, keep it balanced with ALL those goodies on the plate. Here’s to my new found love for Chicken and Waffles, and a belly ache to prove I was there!

Hope you’re keepin’ up on my whirlwind food tour here while I’m in Atlanta…because there’s more!

Aria, a sophisticated white table-clothed restaurant located in Buckhead, a small neighborhood just inside of the city of Atlanta, was a spectacular treat of fine cuisine, phenomenal wines and remarkable service.  A food experience that will definitely live in my repertoire of ’some of my favorite food/wine experiences’, ever.  Really outstanding.

The restaurant, as you enter, is framed by a heavy chainmail curtain and has an interior decorated with colorfully ceramic tiled greyhound statues and a one of kind, glass art chandelier that looks to be between an angry oyster and a lightning bolted thunder cloud.  Their menu, which is famously known for its warm lobster cocktail appetizer, sumptuous entrees, tasty desserts and outstanding wine list was like an adult DisneyLand for foodies all around.   With an interior as impeccable as the number of waitstaff that greeted us, our nite was surely one that I couldn’t wait to dive into.

First things first, the wine list…was decked with wines uniquely picked to fit any palate that walked through the door.  Not that they were as easy to work through, if you didn’t know wine, but am sure that if you asked any one on the floor that someone would ‘talk’ you through the menu.  I have to say, one of the first things I said was, ‘Wow, how refreshing… a list with depth, is intriguing and one that really does, truthfully, excite me.’  I couldn’t wait to open at least ten different bottles.  I did, however, limit myself to one white selection and one red.  The first – N. Joly’s ‘Les Clos Sacres’ Savenierres.  Savenierres is a region in the Loire Valley of France that produces a DRY Chenin Blanc, in fact…the only region in the Loire that truly produces dry Chenin.  And Nicolas Joly, the producer of this gorgeous wine, is famed for his biodynamic culture, is an Internationally known Wine God and one who I literally, have a huge ‘wine crush’ on.

Let’s talk about the pairings ~ Warm Lobster Cocktail with Truffled Mashed Potatoes and pureed broccoli, Lemon Ricotta Ravioli, Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Pancetta.  The wine, which safely took at least 45 minutes to open, had a honeyed nose with scented orange blossoms and round melon peel yet opened into a lovely, fresh, high acid toned, mesmerizing wine.  The acidic notes of under ripe apricot seemed to clip right into the creamy notes of all the appetizers.  I must say, a really nicely balanced Chardonnay would have done the pairing well, but this Savenierres seemed to only pair better with every single sip and bite taken.  I must have moaned with every drink taken, thinking that the layers of the wine only opened more as the wine oxidized.

The second wine – the Travaglini Gattinara.  A DOCG Nebbiolo from the region of Piedmont, Italy was outstanding.  With a quick decant, even this tight 06 seemed to unveil its masterful future.  Smokey with hints of black tar, wet violets and rich leather – the wine enveloped every aspect of Italy that I could think of.  Fabulous.  And, its pairing – a Slow Braised Pork and a Pan Roasted Veal Chop.  C’mon, really?!  Not sure I could have dreamed up the pairings.  They were unthinkably delicious.

Of course the evening couldn’t have been more complete if I imagined it – the desserts seemed to only add ‘whip cream and a cherry’ to my culinary dream.  With dishes of chocolate pot de creme, peach tart and uniquely layered fresh sorbets – our after dinner drinks consisting of a Banyuls from France, a Passito from Italy and a Malaga from Italy – all of which complemented the sweets divinely.

Overall – I’d give last nite’s experience an A PLUS.  From the attentive service, to the lengthy wine list and its colorful food menu – not to mention the fabulous company – Superb.  Making my second food nite in Atlanta so far, excellent!

Where fried chicken is a staple, and there’s only one reason why the city has the nickname it has…because it’s damn hot!  When you think you know ‘hot’, come to the south.  With 95% humidity and average daily temps like 90-95 degrees, Hotlanta, is not a place to come if you’re not a heat person.  However, I’m quickly finding that if you’re a foodie, you may want to fight the heat and get on down here for some good eats

Last nite, our first nite in town, our friends took us to a super cool joint in the sort of ‘uptown’ region of the city.  A restaurant called:  Restaurant Eugene.  Contemporary in its look, the joint had a white tablecloth feeling upon arriving.  We sat at the bar, incidentally always my favorite place in the restaurant to sit.  Where you can get all the great service you need, and in the right restaurants, where the bartender fills you in on all the establishment secrets.

Restaurant Eugene with a sweet little bar, sitting a max of maybe eight, snuggled the four of us in perfectly.  Our friends were especially excited to show us the spot, but mostly to introduce us to one of their favorite bartenders, Nick.  With one look, you could tell that Nick was a serious character when it came to the beverage industry.  While I’m most used to someone always handing me a ‘wine by the glass’ menu when I sit at a swanky restaurant bar, Nick went straight for the daily drink menu.  He was, as our friends said, one of the best drink makers in the city.  Yet, not only was he a mixologist but a bartender with food pairings to fit all the cocktails on his menu.

Nick’s Friday Flight Night Menu consisted of:  an Irish Cooler, which was a new fandangled Rusty Nail – Irish Whiskey, Drambuie and Ginger Beer + an Alexandra’s Cocktail, a mix of St Germain (Elderflower liqueur), Aperol (a rhubarb bitter), lemon juice and fresh peach + a drink called, There is no Try consisting of a Campari like liqueur, grapefruit and aged bitters.

Each of the cocktails were paired up to little food pairings to try – served as tapas.  The first cocktail, which was good, but more of an after dinner drink to me even as sparky as it was with the ginger beer, was paired to glazed baby tomatoes and basil.  While the fresh juicy tomatos glazed over were nice and sweet with the cocktail, the Whiskey parts to the drink seemed to swallow the food whole to me.  However, for one of our friends, this was his favorite pairing.  (Proving, by the way, that we ALL have our own likes to pairings.)

The second was my favorite of the three – the lite citrus flavors of this gorgeous summer drink, Alexandra’s Cocktail, were paired to a Crispy Kale Salad finished with ‘just right’ cooked chucks of bacon.  The bacon, cooked perfectly, seemed to be the smoke of the dish as the fresh fruit flavors snuggled up to the awesome! fried, crispy kale.  The drink and the dish both awesome, but when paired together was THE perfect pairing.  Really great.

And, the last…There is No Try, which had a sour patch kid pucker with an almost medicinal flavor to it was paired to a Lamb Sausage and Sweet + Sour Fairytale Eggplant.  The lamb sausage had a fennel spice to it almost pairing right up to the bitters in the drink.  Nice, but not over-whelming.  Very good.

The remainder of our dinner was outstanding.  Dishes of pan seared halibut, georgia white shrimp, watermelon and radish salad, seared marget duck breast to the most delicious confit pork belly that I may have ever had were delivered course by course.  All very good and finished up with a stellar bottle of Jorge Ordonez’s Botani – a dry Mocatel from Spain.  YUM!  (Can’t take a Sommelier out to eat without having at least one bottle of wine!)

Overall, the experience was fantastic and really, a fabulous treat.  It’s not very often that I am treated to a cocktail food pairing experience.  Not something that everyone does, especially in the MidWest.  Hmmmm….  Might want to get on it, MSP peeps.

Signing off and getting ready to head out for another nite of great food + drink with great friends in the Big ATL.  I’m hopin’ we get over to Gladys Knight’s Chicken + Waffles before the week is up!