I have all kinds of stories simmering on the back-burners right now, including my first impressions of Long Meadow Ranch’s Farmstead Restaurant in St. Helena (this restaurant review will be the very next item published on this site — stay tuned). Also, before we get too far into springtime, I want to share my own personal recipe for Cajun red beans and rice, which I’ve carefully developed over the years (and from about half a dozen vintage New Orleans cookbooks — more about those, as well). Plus, for sentimental reasons, I’m also planning a review of the venerable House [... read more ...]
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I've been rediscovering Berkeley lately, and will report on lots of great local restaurants. Do stay tuned.
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Having spent a decent portion of 2009 tasting the wines of Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder, it had been quite a while since I had made a trip up Howell Mountain Road. I suppose that my own personal biases had played a key factor in most of my tasting excursions for last year. I’ve discovered that, for the moment at least, Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder are probably my two favorite Napa appellations. To that end, if I were to recommend just one current release from each appellation, it would probably be the 2006 Terra Valentine Spring Mountain Cab [... read more ...] From what I’ve heard, Erasto and Pablo Jacinto will shutter The Border, and they will open a new Mexican concept — called “C Casa” — inside of the OxBow Market. Upon hearing these rumors, I can’t say that I’m all too surprised by the idea of The Border closing: (1) the economy has been troublesome, and the restaurant biz is already tough enough, (2) the online reputation of the restaurant was less than stellar and local word-of-mouth was non-existant, and (3) the site itself seems to be one of those inexplicably “doomed” locations (The Border was preceded by another [... read more ...] I once had an English professor at UCLA who claimed that the purpose of being an English major was to learn how to write essays about books that you’ve never read. This comment was as cynical as it was correct: I winged way too many midterms on a plot summary and a prayer. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t. Frankly, I was far more interested in devoting my time to the student newspaper, writing stories for a sports section that always garnered top national awards (I was surrounded by super-talented folks, and will only take a minimal share [... read more ...] The smartest thing I’ve done this year was to attend the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) Preview this week, a good six or seven months before I’m scheduled to actually sit for the CWE exam. The preview has not only proven motivational, as I realize that I’ve become rusty in several areas, but it also allows me enough time to take some action. I’ll definitely be reviewing my wine books this spring and summer, as I prepare myself for the 85-question multiple-choice test, as well as the hour-long essay. As for the tasting portion of the exam, I’m just hoping [... read more ...] |
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© 2010 The Accidental Wino |
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