by Christina Waters | Oct 5, 2011 | Food, Home, Wine |
A recent vertical tasting of Le Cigare Volant—the Bonny Doon Vineyard flagship creation—showed off the evolving style, and substance, of vintage 1993 through 2009 of Randall Grahm’s main squeeze.
Incidentally the odd-numbered years showed especially well. Doubtless something astrological.
Also showing well was the handiwork of The Cellar Door‘s creative culinary team, especially in a gorgeous array of halibut cheeks, scallops and prawns with aioli, sumptuous cheese and fig platters and killer fig and Stilton pizzettas.
The loquacious winemaker, who walked us through the wine cellar interior for a sneak sip of 2010 and even infant 2011 vintages, was in top form. Those who haven’t been to the tasting room lately will want to pick up some of the gorgeous biodynamic produce (more…)
by Christina Waters | Sep 21, 2011 | Food, Home |
I admire the entrepreneurial spirit as much as the next woman, but I just have to wonder (to quote late-night talk hostess Joyce Riley) – “What were they thinking?”
I am musing about the sign currently placed at the front of the former Bella Napoli, the former Il Trulli, the former Limoncello, the former Rocco’s: it announces that a “Mex/Italian Restaurant” is coming soon.
Two great cuisines. But will they really be enhanced by an arranged marriage? Nachos Alfredo? Menudo Bolognese? Horchata panna cotta?
Hmm, come to think of it, a sweet rice panna cotta might not be bad…….
by Christina Waters | Sep 21, 2011 | Food, Home |
Last month the dishes arrived like bright, colorful jewels from the kitchen of David Kinch.Here is a celebrated plate — Into the Garden — in which choice morsels of what’s freshest and most appealing from Kinch’s grower, Love Apple Farm. Served on an Annieglass plate, almost too pretty to eat. Almost. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Sep 21, 2011 | Food, Home |
A salad of trout, crisp skin/moist flesh, on a bed of green garlic, infant diced green beans, dry-farmed tomatoes and mixed shelling beans.
Too good.
by Christina Waters | Sep 14, 2011 | Home |
The finish to a dizzying, delicious and rococo sequence of plates at Manresa. Chef David Kinch swept us away with a dessert of sweet corn ice cream, interspersed with roasted and raw nectarines, in a sauce punctuated with caramelized corn kernels and infant pea sprouts.
More on my dinner at Manresa, next week!
by Christina Waters | Sep 14, 2011 | Home |
I think it’s time to take Helen Mirren down a peg. I know, I know – I have just committed a cinematic cardinal sin. Mirren resides in the hallowed domain roughly between Katherine Hepburn and Meryl Streep. Her mere presence in a film is expected to elevate its artistic value to Olympian heights. And indeed it has done just that in countless spellbinding, compelling performances. But let’s face it— sometimes Dame Mirren is simply scowling, allowing herself to be photographed without makeup, and showing off her handsome cleavage.
Yes, it is nice to have solid proof of sex appeal after sixty, but I think that with the crisp political thriller The Debt, we can all get off our knees and admit that there are actually other actors on the screen with the highly-praised actress. Other terrific actors. (more…)
