stuffed piquillo peppers/ goat cheese/ mushrooms Las Vegas On this night we sat at the bar at Julian Serrano in the Aria Resort & Casino. Color, food, people, energy! Serrano wanted his eponymous restaurant to offer flexibility and… Read more

Fresh Wild Caught Salmon Filet Arugula & Baby Romaine with Tofu & Edamame Dijon Walnut Oil Vinaigrette… Read more

I recently had over 3 hours to kill at Newark Liberty International. While shopping for some airport souvenirs I stumbled upon this fabulous upscale wine bar Vino Volo. And the time just flew by… There are Vino Volo locations in several… Read more

Absinthe is distilled from a mixture of whole herbs in alcohol. These herbs include grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), green anise, sweet fennel and other culinary plants. Created as a medicinal elixir by a French doctor living in… Read more

Pom Prosecco Popcorn with Truffle Oil Pop regular popcorn in canola or peanut oil in a heavy, covered pot. Ratio: 3 T. oil to 1/2 c. popcorn kernels. Add fine sea salt then drizzle the warm popcorn with truffle oil. Extraordinary! I… Read more

M. Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2006 A gorgeous mix of aromas and flavors of cranberry and dark tart cherry. Surprisingly complex, with a dry intriguing peppery finish. Established in 1808 in France’s Rhone region, Maison… Read more

If you had a chance to read yesterday’s post, you would know that I am now enamored with Michael Mina. Here is another reason:  Truffle Butter Popcorn with Chives as a bar snack! …which we thoroughly enjoyed with a glass of Michael… Read more

Carpaccio is named for Vittore Carpaccio, the Venetian Renaissance painter known for his use of brilliant reds and whites. Giuseppe Cipriani, owner of Harry’s Bar, invented this dish in 1950, the year of the great Carpaccio exhibition in Venice…. Read more

Stony Hill Napa Valley 1995 Chardonnay Stony Hill Vineyard has been producing delicious, fruity, non-oaky Chardonnay for over a half century. This wine has been off my radar screen for years. Too bad. This is just the style of Chardonnay… Read more

What are you drinking with sushi? Otokoyama has been making sake for over 340 years on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, which has ideal climate and water conditions needed to make superior sake. There are five elements involved… Read more

A 25 Year-Old Bordeaux with Christmas Dinner. “Just like a novel writer can be the same and yet different through his works, a Grand Cru can express the same style through its different vintages. Impressive in its youth by the intensity of its… Read more

We thoroughly enjoyed a bottle of the rich and elegant Sea Smoke TEN 2005 Pinot Noir at Melisse Restaurant in Santa Monica. Appellation: Santa Barbara County, Santa Rita Hills. Named after the afternoon marine fog (sea ‘smoke’). From… Read more

We visited the Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, California. I was impressed with all their wines. They are dedicated to growing wine varietals traditional to France’s Rhône Valley. All Tablas Creek wines are estate grown using… Read more

2004 Peter Michael La Carrière “The spectacular Chardonnay La Carrière is becoming one of my favorite California Chardonnays, as it tastes like a Corton-Charlemagne on steroids… it possesses that extraordinary minerality, orange… Read more