A Taste of Portland

and the Willamette Valley

A Unique Wine Experience Hosted by Sommelier, Leslee D. Miller

Amusée Wine and Hallberg Travel & Tours present a perfect pairing of wine and travel experiences on this five night, hosted tour. Get a taste of the hip “green” city of Portland and sample the refreshing, new wines of the beautiful and unspoiled Willamette Valley with your very own wine expert at your side. As the group leader, Leslee will guide participants through wine tastings, wine paired meals and a multi-course vintner’s dinner in the vineyards of the Willamette Valley. Sometimes called “the anti-Napa”, the boutique vineyards here are smaller, and grapes are only one of the crops harvested on this farm land, making large wine tours rare. Farm to table is simply a way of life in the valley, and beyond the valley throughout the state. This tour will allow you to experience the best of the food and the wine of Oregon in a casual setting. No black tie required!

All accommodations, transportation and a few wine alternative tours have been arranged by Pam and bundled into this package to create a fun and relaxing experience for everyone.

After months of wanting to get out to one of the Twin Cities newest and most positively reviewed wine bars, it finally has taken one of my good friends  (who also happens to be one of Amusée’s biggest fans) to convince me that I need to get out to Stillwater, MN to try Domacin Wine Bar.  With a selection of wine from around the globe and good food to boot, there is certainly a reason why this little wine hot spot on the outskirts of our Twin Cities is still thriving.

Again, I have not been to the wine bar myself.  This is a review from an Amusée Fan~

 Run, don’t walk, to Domacin in Stillwater.  Loved it.

While there never seems to be enough time to actually EAT everything you came for in NY, there is certainly never a lack of exercise burning off what you’ve actually consumed.  After a full adventuresome first day, our next was spent sight seeing.  From exceptional views atop The Top of The Rock (Rockefeller Center), to the winding mid town streets- we hoofed our way through some of the center of the city’s most famous hot spots.   And, of course through some of NY’s most famous shopping spots as well.  From Gucci to Zegna, Cole Hahn, Prada and more…the shopping in NY is never a drag. 

With an afternoon filled with street-side attractions, and with a pile of shopping bags to show for our ‘time well spent’ – we decided to head over to the lower east side of Central Park for one of the city’s most famous glasses of bubbly.  A Champagne Cocktail from the Plaza Hotel.  One of my favorite NY things!  With windows that look out on to the corner of the park and with zillions of people flocking by- this was second best to nothing.  It’s funny how the Plaza rolls, with the dining room always booked for proper tea, and the Oak Room already a buzz with happy hour, the Champagne Bar is one of THE most expensive joints in the city to enjoy a cocktail.  With more than 30-40 different bubbles to enjoy, their signature cocktails always seem to be the best.  With that, I opted for the house Bellini.  Of course a cocktail famed from its original Harry’s Bar in Italy, this rendition is almost as good – very delicious.  My husband chose the cucumber mojito – just as tasty!  After plates of mini pork sliders and a chicken caesar later, I was convinced to try the famous ‘Sex in the City’ drink equipped with both tequila and cava.  Again, yummy even if I did feel a bit ‘girly’ sipping something so PINK.

Truthfully, the weather couldn’t have been any better.  With a sunny September day in hand, 85 degrees and not a cloud in the sky – we strolled back to our penthouse suite to make plans for dinner.  Dinner…something I looked forward to all day!  While there were many places on our list, we both agreed we were both in the mood for Italian.  And who better to enjoy it with?  Mario Batali.  Famed for his classic Italian dishes, we knew we wouldn’t go home hungry after a vist to one of his NY originals, Babbo. 

Babbo, an interesting NY restaurant snuggled into Greenwich Village is one that many New Yorkers do not miss.  Knowing that our chances of actually eating within the next two hours without a reservation were slim, so we geared up for a lengthy wait at the bar – standing behind plates of delicious food and folks clamoring to sit at the bar.  The ‘system’, if you will, at Babbo is really quite interesting.  While the main restaurant is by reservation only, the bar area is set up by the front host as a line of folks waiting to eat at either the bar or its six surrounding two tops lining the walls of the entryway.  Yet after just one hour of standing bar side weeding our way through the Wines by the 1/4 L’s list, we were seated. 

With a list of food almost impossible to choose from, and plates of dreamy traditional Italian classics, we finally decided on a few.  Starting first with a primi called ‘Mint Love Letters’, which happened to be an amazing dish of fresh made stuffed mint ravioli and topped with a meaty Lamb Ragu, I thought I had died already and gone to heaven.  My husband’s dish, however, is still one that I cannot stop thinking about even this morning for breakfast!  Mario’s classic Pasta Bolognese with handmade Pappardelle.  Are you kidding me?  I can’t stop dreaming of the meaty, earthy, silky notes of both the sauce and the pasta.  I could have eaten the whole plate myself!  And to top it all off, a fabulously 2001 Riserva Barolo to pair to it. 

Moving on to main plates, my husband ordered of one of THE largest Pork Chops I have ever seen, drizzled in 30 yr old balsamic vinegar.  My main dish, a plate of perfectly cooked sliced beef tongue, and a side of Mario’s famous Brussels sprouts with house pancetta.  OMG is all I have to say about THAT dish!  So flippin good and magically cooked.  I mean, who cooks pancetta so perfectly?  And crisps Brussels Sprouts like that?  Mario Batali, that’s who!  Our nite couldn’t have been any better with food and wine leaking from every orifice.  We were two foodies in heaven, dreaming of house cured pancetta and bolognese that nite  in our enormous NY apt. 

The day next didn’t quit with delicious city treats.  From our walk through Central Park, over to the Upper West Side where I never miss a chance to get a H&H NY Bagel and a trip across the street from it to one of the city’s most famous food markets, Zabar’s – I was in heaven.  Back through the park, down the Upper East Side and more perusing into midtown, our stomachs were set on finding another stellar dinner.  With some spice in mind, we geared up and headed on down to the Meat Packing District for another famous NY chef experience.  Jean-Georges, a man after my own Frenchie heart with roots from Strasbourg, France is one chef that can fit any palate depending on your mood.  Tonite, we down for a little heat and creativity which only spelled one thing:  The Spice Market. 

Upon our arrival, we decided that cocktails not wine were probably our best interest for the nite.  And, a famous Jean-Georges cocktail to fit that bill…The Ginger Margarita.  And oh boy, served by the pitcher for good reason – because one is just not good enough!  Again, the menu was nothing short of amazing with choices wandering into every Thai Asian fusion corner imaginable. 

Our starters which went from Peeky Toe Crab dumplings, Spicy Asian Slaw Salad to pureed Butternut Squash Soup topped with roasted pine nuts and creme fraiche were already more than I could handle.  So good.  To top off our beginnings, I took our server’s recommendation and tried the Concord Mimosato wash it all down.  Concord grapes, a bit tannic and really sometimes a hard ‘grape’ of sorts to know what to do with.  I liked the concord twist, however, on this rendition of a classic mimosa.  We were explained that Jean was a big proponent of using sustainable NY ingredients, this was his way of using ‘local’ grapes to infuse his menu.  They were again used in a Concord Cheesecake on the list for dessert.

After stuffing ourselves with first plates, we leaned into a delicious Green Curry Chicken which, a thick and creamy broth of delightful flavors and chicken along with a side of the restaurant’s famous ginger fried rice.  The rice dish, the most interesting of this course, had a fried egg dipped in raw ginger served sunny-side up over the fried rice.  All very tasty and certainly, very ‘food’ memorable.  After dinner, our evening’s ventures continued with a trip down to New York City’s Famous Time Square and a nite cap at the hotel bar, The Bull and the Bear, before retiring for the evening. 

While our trip left us nothing short of ‘Amazing’, we counted the things we missed from a New York perspective (pizza, bacon donut, Balthazar Restaurant, a trip to Ellis Island and more).  Yet we were okay to miss a ‘few’ NY things, knowing that this was NOT going to be my husband’s last trip to one of my favorite U.S. cities.  Vivacious, classic, yet full of adventure, this was one trip that will go down in the S+L travelling history book and one fabulous first anniversary. 

Salut to future NYC visits and more!

Here I am, Back in the Big Apple.  A city that I just can’t get away from.  I dream of it of many fronts.  Wanting to drink, eat and shop my way through every inch of it.  Every time I’m here, it’s always a new experience yet, this trip has already has taken the cake for probably the ‘most memorable’ of all of my NYC Trips.

First, it should be my most memorable trip.  It is a trip to celebrate my first wedding anniversary, on top of that, my husband’s first trip to this fabulous city.  Planned as a gift, a getaway before the busy season hits and one for just enjoying some R & R between us – little did we know that ‘relaxation’ wasn’t the name of the game when we landed during one of New York’s busiest political weeks.  With a plan to settle into one of the city’s most famous hotels, The Waldorf Astoria, sip cocktails, and just relax before we head out for our first late afternoon of site seeing and delicious dinner – we quickly realized that getting first, anywhere, was going to be a problem.

To begin, one must always prepare for arriving at Laguardia airport, as it is always a circus.  Drivers in your face, people in lines and some form of construction, mayhem and airport craziness is the general rule for this NY airport.  Cabbing it into Manhattan can be interesting, so we took the first limo that we were presented.  With a bumper glued on by some sort of house caulk, we snuggled into a super stretch white limo headed off for the city.  As the city approached, the onslaught of mid afternoon traffic hit us, yet not only were there cars but lines and lines of police cars and armored security trucks.  After spending a few minutes in midtown traffic, our limo driver jumped out, handed his mail to the post office  truck to our right, got back in, turned around and said “We won’t be going anywhere fast in this, do you guys want to jump out and walk from here?”  We looked at one another and laughed.  After explaining that the president, ex-president and that Ahmadinejad guy were all in town and the amount of security that we were to face block after block would eventually take more time to drive through than walk through, that hoofing it a few blocks would save us some time.  So, there we were suitcases in hand and walking the streets of mid Manhatten.

Once arriving to the Waldorf, the lines of security, snipers and hand-guns we faced were obviously just the beginning to our time consuming check in.  X-ray machines, baggage checks and security wands were waved from head to toe.  Security laughed as my cute Minnesotan husband made jokes about the cost of our room and the ‘deal’ that we were getting.  Upon reaching  the check-in desk, we were told to have some drinks at the bar and wait for our room.  Sounded good, but the bar, again was just another space filled with secret service, black suits and diplomats making it an interesting venture.  Yet, I was easily distracted and quickly forgot about the extra line of black suits sitting to my right after being handed the wine list.  With options that I wasn’t necessarily used to in the Twin Cities, my eyes lit up with excitement wanting to try everything I saw.  Finally after deciding on my first, I kicked back enjoying a fabulous glass of Hermann J Wiemer Blanc de Noir from the Finger Lakes.  Only then moments later deciding on a delicious ‘sauteed’ asparagus like Vouvray, an alluring vegetal, cheesey, almondy glass of Chablis and finally, a surprising sip of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from a winery called Routestock with a brite cherry, swisher sweet, cooked bacon peel aroma.  Ahhh, my day had finally begun and with that, knew that the rest of the day was to be more of an adventure.

Once the room was ready, we started for the elevator, filled with more ‘officials’ than one could possibly imagine in one spot, outside the White House.   Hitting the 41st floor button seemed to go well until the elevator suddenly shifted and started heading DOWN.  Down to a floor where we were ushered off the elevator by more men in black suits and held in a small room with no explanation.  Curtains, dividers and more security held us from looking into the hallway from which we came.  And, with the roar of a  sudden armored truck racing up the street, a slew of reporters stampeeding by and more black suits stacked in lines like walls, our ‘mystery guest’ was rushed off before we even knew who to look for.  With more excitement than one knew what to do with, and a good 30 minutes later, we were then allowed to hit the elevator again.  Laughing through the hallway trying to make sense of our ’already’ NY adventure, we remembered that we were told when we went back for our keys once the room was ready, that we were ‘upgraded’ for our wait.  Upgraded.  Hmmm…. that was an understatement.  As it turned out, an upgrade at the Astoria Towers meant a 2,000 square foot apartment!  Fully equipped with a kitchen, dining area, sitting lounge, foyer, large bathroom, powder room and huge bedroom – I wondered when we’d have time to throw a formal dinner party in our new NY apartment.  And, as I look around at our humble abode this morning,  I sit typing from my own ‘oval office’ giggling,  thinking…’I hope my husband doesn’t think this is what ALL NY hotel rooms look like!’

The rest of our evening was a bit more relaxed, even as we stumbled upon characters, places and more to eat and drink.  From Grand Central Station, Artisanal for cheese and wine pairings, and on to Gramercy Tavern where the in house smoked venison kielbasa seemed to blow the mind of even the pickiest of MN eaters, my husband, the nite was perfect.  And so far…just the beginning to one trip that is surely never to be forgotten.  And an anniversary trip, certainly one for the record books.

More stories I’m sure to come.  Stay tuned and Enjoy this Beautiful Fall Weekend in September, no matter where you are.  Salut!

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!

I say this almost every season that I’m in New York, but I just love New York this time of year!  What a wonderful, colorful, glamorous city.  There is truly nothing like it in world, well… unless you’ve been to Hong Kong (that’s another blog entry). 

Just this week, I spent a couple of days in the city hanging with a fun group of new Croatian pals and drinking Eastern European wine.  Not a bad job, right?  There is, as I’ve learned with Eastern European culture, so much to understand about the history, beginnings and taste of this culture and its wines.  Introducing the new wine kid on the block, Korta Katarina Winery, to a group of first generation Croatian Americans is both, as I found, exciting and also jam packed with interesting comments.  Especially in a very vocal location like New York.  After trying several of these bottles and thinking back to my first YOUTUBE video on Amusée’s CRUSH PAD where I tried some of the best producers of the country, I realize that there is so much more that I now know about this place called:  Croatia. 

Like New Yorkers, Croatians are proud.  They are rare folks who talk so romantically about their culture, the land, the original grapes and its people.  Everyone holds their hands in forms like the Italians, you know pinched fingers, expressing their points.  And, I love it.  The same is true of so many in NY.  Sometimes maybe too vocal, but always very passionate when they speak.  Good Mid Western girls were taught to never interrupt, which really wouldn’t get you anywhere with this crowd, so you have to ‘express’ your own points in between their breaths. 

And while NY is a place where every single rare bottle of wine can be found, they too have some wonderful neighborhoods that support the Eastern European wine category with its inhabitants in full force.  For one, the neighborhood of Astoria.  A very cool spot.  Folks with open markets, nationalities of every spectrum, and languages that are heard from one end of the store to the other.  It is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of Queens, which now you can imagine a bit more the streets and corners if you’ve ever been to the area.  And funny as it is, when in Seattle a couple of weeks back, I had a conversation about an Italian restaurant located there.  A few Master Sommeliers spoke of this great Italian restaurant, delicious food and great wine located in Queens.  Wouldn’t you know it, I ended up there while on this trip!

Ponticello Ristorante.  While we did not have time to eat, you have to know that it will be the first place on my list the next time I’m in the city.  The owner, Pepe, is one cool cat.  A native Croatian passionate about his wines, food and his restaurant spoke to us about his culture, New York and well, many other subjects.  His passion for selling Croatian wine was evident and it was so fun throughout the day(s) listening to everyone’s take on the country’s main red grape:  Plavac Mali.  The grape as I’ve come to learn it is rich with fruit, high in feisty tannin and ridiculously complex with layers of dirt, minerality and crunchy dried herbs.  I can now say, I’ve tasted some very inexpensive ones (and not really my favorite) to some very good ones.  Knowing of course, that Korta Katarina is my first pick on the shelf, there are others that display the same fruit yet different underlying layers of earth and spice.  I feel like my palate and my mind have been taking inventory on this grape now for weeks.  It’s very cool how each of them really is so different.  From its native area of southern Croatia and the Dingac and Postup Vineyard Sites to the Island of Hvar – each has its own story to tell.  There is so much to learn. 

Though my trip to the great city of New York was short and sweet and filled with many more interesting ‘blurbs’, ones blog shouldn’t probably go on and on and on.  So I end with my favorite part of New York, because it’s always a place I manage to make it to while there. 

Central Park.  Where the horse carriage aromas seem to fill every corner of the park, to the colorful street vendors that make your walk visually entertaining, it is the most rare piece of land in any one city.  The trees are now in bloom, the color of green is almost neon in some spots and the open fields in the park’s center, I’m sure, have already been used for Sunday afternoon frisbee throwing and late afternoon picnics.  It’s such a beautiful spot, and truly…as I said like no other place in the U.S.  I can’t wait to go back. 

Cheers to my new Croatian and Russian friends and thanks for your warm and very generous New York hospitality!

So I’m in Seattle.  And, I have to tell you, there is truly nothing like Seattle.  It’s such a great city.  Really.  If you’re looking for fun, colorful, lively, fresh and open to anything – try Seattle.  Not only are the steep-inclining city streets fun to walk up, but the peeps that you meet on the street seem to be even more colorful.  I guess after being away now from the Pac NW for over three years, I forget the vivacious energy of this seaboard city.

I’m here, after a fairly decent flight, and am honed in on more Sommelier testing.  I’ve decided to fun full boar with the Master Sommelier examinations, if they’ll have me…  I am here to take the first two tests, which only just RE-certify me as a Sommelier.  Then, once they approve and of course, I pass – I’m on to their Advanced Levels.  It’s a chore, I must say.  I forget the amount of studying it took me the first time, and I keep saying to myself,   “Why am I doing this again?!”  There’s really nothing enjoyable about it, except…I got to come to Seattle to sit my exams!   I know, I know – I’m supposed to be studying as I type, but I had a GREAT foodie experience so I thought I’d share.

Outside of the collective 80′s outfits (that truly put my roller skating outfit to shame last week), the amount of energy that Seattle has to offer is truly electric.  It’s fun to be in a city this size again and feel its youthfulness.  It’s awesome, but what’s even more awesome??  The amount of food and drink one can consume while here.  And, it’s level of creativity.  I’ve always said that the Pac NW had it made when it came to food and drink.  The enthusiasm for something fresh, new and fun is contagious.  Every restaurant that you look at from the street seems to have its own vibe.  And vibe is exactly what I found when looking for a quick bite tonite in between studying Alsation sugar levels.

The Purple Cafe and Wine Bar - wow.  I have a feeling that if you’re looking for a place to go and be seen in Seattle, this might be the spot.  But to be seen from my end, wasn’t my ticket.  I, in fact, was looking for some small eats and anyone that would serve me a half glass of wine.  Since I’ve fallen into a quandary with Chenin Blanc and Viognier, I thought I’d find a place that would allow me to have a half glass of each varietal while enjoying some food.  I found it.  The Purple was JUST what I was looking for.  Even for a Saturday nite, when I arrived at 6pm, the place seem to already have a buzz.  Not only is the atmosphere cool with views of the slanted streets outside, but the intrigue of the ‘tapas’ styled food and the wines by the glass and flight had me at its first ‘hello’.

The menu lined out with amazing little eats and with each one, a very unique wine pairing to suit.  The whole menu was filled with fresh flavors coming out of every region, but the wine list…killer.  Not only were you able to drink your ‘common’ varietals by the glass or flight, but you were able to pick from grapes that you only wished you could drink by the glass.  Check it out some time if you’re in the area!

Here’s what I had…a starter of  Fused Sweet Pepper Goat Cheese on a baby crostini and a Dungeness Crab Salad topped with olive oil and sweet beats.  OMG.  Then, I had a Mini Pesto Pizza with Feta, Onion, Baby Peppers, Goat Cheese and Oregano.  Seriously, every palate whistle went off.  And my pairings, although not deliberate, seemed to work out okay.  The first one a surprise.  A very dry Chenin Blanc from Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington from a winery called:  McKinley Springs.  Crisp, minerally and really refreshing.  The wine took on some almond notes as it warmed up.  Nice with the Crab.

And, the Chateau de la Selve Viognier, a nice little Vin de Pays.  Turns out is a small little biodynamic wine-making team.  I loved it.  Not the perfumey style of Viognier that you’d find in a warmer climate, but still did the trick.  Again, minerally yet firmly supple.  Does that make sense?  And really, the Viognier was actually pretty good with the crostini.  The sweet pepper bit I guess was something I was craving.  But it all worked out.

I was inspired when I left thinking about the lay out of the wine menu, how it was written.  It was fun, intriguing and made me want to go back the next time I’m in town.  High on my list of recommendations.  Good service, great food and a great selection of wines to choose from – what more do you need?  Why do some many over think this ‘Wine Bar’ bit and then end up messing it up?  It doesn’t take much to WOW peeps over.  On the contrary, I’m a pretty tough cookie to impress.  If you’ve got my vote, then it’s probably pretty good.

Take a Look Inside this year’s Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne

Don’t miss this opportunity to take a glimpse inside Burgundy’s largest tasting, Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne, and even spot a Grand Cru plot  ‘Le Montrachet’  with Sommelier Leslee Miller, Owner of Amusée (www.amuseewine.com) and Twin Cities Wine Educator.
Watch as she shares her experience with a first-hand look at the festival from Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet. Featuring some of the world’s most expensive Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, 2010 Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne, a 5 day festival featuring hundreds of Burgundian Winemakers, was not something you wanted to miss if you’re a serious Chardonnay and Pinot Noir hound.  This expedition happens every other year, definitely giving you plenty of time to get yourself lined up for the 2012 tasting.  What are you waiting for?  Book those tickets to Burgundy today!!

Take a look why…
In HD