Hangtime Pinot Noir

A wine I'd highly recommend...

To anyone who is drunk at 2 am... watching the Highlander, after drinking three rum and colas (that's Gosling rum, Moxie cola with a splash of lime juice) after a ten hour day on your feet from 2-12:30...

I remember this wine as offering so much more, 10 years ago when I started tasting it. So disappointing now. After a phenomenally rich aroma. the palate was flat and completely unrefined. Where the nose gave notes of toasted berry fruit, the palate left me wanting. 

Thank god for The Highlander, the rum and the Queen soundtrack to keep me entertained. The Hangtime performed well as a guzzling wine to keep moving through the film. 

Is it me or does Ramirez look exactly like Joe Barsotti?

Pittsburgh Wine Festival 2009

Chef Eric "Spudz" Wallace, radiant as ever

Guests line up for glasses of the good stuff

Too little time to sample all the fine wines

The absolute highlight of the wine festival is the chance to once again taste Chateau D'Yquem. 2006 from Bordeaux, France. The best way to describe this wine is to say it's like licking the nipple of God. I go back to this table again and again. Nothing like a good Sauternes, and D'Yquem is the king. The only white wine to deserve 1st Growth status. This is the wine referred to when referencing "the nectar of the gods".

The magic mixer elixir... (pt 1.)

As important as your base liquor for any cocktail, is the addition of your mixer. I've been tasting a slew of new products lately that have reminded me of how important your choices for mixing agents are. I mean, come on... this is the stuff we're diluting our liquor with, right?

Top of the list, for me, is your bitters. What ever your cocktail preferences, you should alwasy have a bottle of bitters on hand. Recommended mostly for addition to brown liquors (whiskeys, rums) bitters is an herbal blend that is actually alcoholic. Used primarily in a Manhattan, Old Fashioned or Rob Roy, I recommend it for one of my favorite cocktail concoctions which has undergone many different name changes depending on which restaurant I'm selling it from (ie; Donerion, Make Mine Fluffy, Whiskey Tango) which is comprised of 3/4 Makers Mark, 1/4 Grand Marnier & splash of Angostura bitters. Shaken over ice.

Bartenders across the country are playing with in-house bitters. In Pittsburgh, resident "bar-crafter" Michael Mincin has created a Blood Orange Bitters used in his "Badlands-hatten" at the bar of Eleven Contemporary Kitchen. http://bigburrito.com/eleven/eleven.shtml

Along the same lines as bitters, is the "official state soft drink of Maine" known as Moxie Cola. Anyone can tell you I am an avid proponent of Moxie Cola. Moxie used to be called "Moxie Nerve Food" or "Moxie Original Elixir", which apparently cured everything from imbecility to "lack of manhood". Moxie waned in popularity when the newly formed FDA decided that the beverage could not advertise itself as a food... and lacked many of the curative qualities it purported to possess. In the 60s when one of Moxie's leading ingredients; sarsaparilla, was banned Moxie lost roughly 50% of its fan base, and now is difficult to find even in the New England states which are it's home base.  http://www.moxiecongress.org/

Every year I return to Pittsburgh with 20+ cases of Moxie Cola... enough to get me through the year. It brings me great pleasure to share this soda with my bartender and chef friends who invariably all love it. Moxie and a lime are the perfect accompaniment to a nice rum. Stay away from spiced rums, the flavors tend to compete, but a nice rum like 10 Cane or Zaya make a perfect match for this soda who's maine ingredient (yeah, I spelled it "maine") is now gentian root... the same ingredient found in Angostura bitters.

Another great pairing for your summer rum drinks is Ginger Beer! The spicier the better! There's nothing like a dark & stormy (rum, ginger beer & lime) on a hot summer day by the water. Dark & stormy tradition dictates that Gosling Dark should always be the rum of choice. I'd agree it is one of the best matches for this cocktail, though I have had equally impressive success with spiced & flavored rums as well. Combining two cocktails; the mojito and the dark & stormy, can add a whole new world of Caribbean flavors to your summer party. 

Muddle some fresh mint with sugar in the raw and a dash of simple syrup. Add 1 & 1/2 oz. rum (for this cocktail recipe I recommend Khukri rum from the Himalayas in Nepal),  1 oz. of Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, juice from 1/2 a lime and shake. pour over ice into a tall collins glass and top with ginger beer. There is only one ginger beer I will recommend (though there are plenty of good quality ones on the market) and that is Natrona Bottling Company Jamaica's Finest Ginger Beer, pictured here.

(to be continued...)

Watchmen

Geeks and nerds the world over celebrate the opening of Watchmen in theatres world-wide. 

While Superman, Batman & the X-Men may be well known comic book characters to the layman (non-geek)... Watchmen is, without argument, the most significant comic graphic novel ever written, to the true comic book connoisseur. It's release as a movie has both segregated and united comic-geeks the world over.

Alan Moore's (Swamp Thing, V For Vendetta, From Hell) public dismissal of his own literature scripted to silver screen, and the debate between FOX and Warner Bros (yeh,  said BROS) has attracted much attention from the media regarding the movie's release.

But I'm here to tell it straight. Watchmen is the best comic ever written, and the movie was an excellent adaptation of the book. Whether moviegoers who've never read or heard about the book will be as entertained by the movie as I was, is hard to say. 

Okay!

Let's talk about cocktails!

For our opening weekend I recommend paying homage to both Zack Snyder and Alan Moore  with this selection of different drink choices:

1) The DR. MANHATTEN : A Manhattan with Dr. Pepper (too easy) 

 A Manhattan with Vodka (sub 4 Bourbon) and Blue Curacao

2) The Rorschach: A White Russian (kahlua added after Vodka & milk shaken)

 - SHOT - White Sambuca (dark sambuca added after settling of 

white sambuca)

So enjoy your "cock"tails (No limit of blue genitalia in our subversive little script) and toast Zack for staying true to the medium, and Alan for presenting us with a truly luminary, literary gift ... the likes of which the comic fanboy world has since seen, and shall forever be indebted.

for more cocktail recipes check out:

http://www.isotopecomics.com/2009/03/watchmen-inspired-cocktails.html

Wild Rosemary

My dining compatriot, Monique (who co-founded the Western Pennsylvania Consumption Society with me) called and said Gloria had opened a new restaurant called "Wild Rosemary" (WR) in Upper Saint Claire/Mount Lebanon, and we must go! http://www.wildrosemary.com/

"Gloria" was Gloria Fortunato, Chef at Cafe Allegro. Gloria was the finest cook I'd ever worked with. She had an intuitive sense of flavor that was well displayed in the cuisine she prepared for hundreds of Cafe Allegro patrons each week. I hadn't seen Glo for close to five years, since she'd left Cafe Allegro. I knew whatever she was cooking up at WR would be exceptional, and agreed to set up a dinner date, without hesitation.

We hastened to call other fellow Allegrites and WPCS members, while we were careful not to overbook our little party, as WR only seats 8 parties at any given time due to it's limited seating capabilities. Apparently the entire restaurant is set up in a recently renovated pizza joint... perfect for Glo's needs. No wine cellar, no bar, no staff. Just Gloria in the kitchen, our other friend Cathleen Enders managing the FOH, and Cathleen's niece serving to the dining area.

We decided on February 16th, since most of us worked Valentine's Day. We figured it would be a good Post-VD celebratory dinner to share with our loved ones & friends.

Roll call was Colpo, Michelle, Lexi, Nico, Lee, Dave, Monique, Heather and I. Reservations were for 8:00.

Heather and I had time before the reso, to go get a drink and Molly MacQuires in Dormont. MM is a great little "Irish Pub" trying very hard to replicate the old country charm of a traditional pub, while conceding to the American difficulties of opening such an establishment (ie; The Allegheny County Health Department, The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board). Such government sponsored food & bevvy nazis make it very hard to copy the homey feel of a true Irish pub, with it's carpeted interior, wood tables and bar, dirty smoke-filled air and publican (who typically owns the building, bar & apartment upstairs where he sleeps between shifts). But Molly MacQuire's does as good as a job as a few other American establishments in staying true to form.

I had a Guinness (naturally) while Heather had a Magner's Cider, after a recommendation from my NYC drinking buddy, Paige Wentworth. She'd told me about Magners awhile back, but I had never heard or tried this product. Heather enjoyed it immensely.

After our drinks we headed down to Wild Rosemary. We arrived early, had to wait only while the table was reset. Once seated, the other guests started to arrive, Colpo last to show-up as he got turned around a little by the change in address numbering at a certain point on Bower's Hill Road, that I must admit, almost had Heather and I pulling a U-turn as well.

The menu had seven entree choices which included Barramundi, Lamb Loin, Veal Medallions, NY Strip, Pork Tenderloin, Chicken, and Scallops. No appetizers, no salads, no dessert menu (and as I said before, no wine cellar - hence no wine list).

I had brought two bottles to this cozy little BYOB. Louis Latour Ardeche (chardonnay) and Domaine Ligneres Aric 2007 (carignan blend) http://www.familleligneres.com/aric.html.

I love the Aric, it is a phenomenal Rhone blend of carignan, mourvedre and syrah. Full bodied, with a little of that French terroir, but not as much as you'd typically find... almost tastes like a New World style wine. There's a lot of different flavors you can extract from this wine the longer it lingers on your palate, including coffee, anise, blueberry & plum. I've served this wine as a feature, and as a wine choice on many special menus, and it never fails to amaze, and tonight was no exception... it was the first bottle drunk dry.

Gloria immediately came out to see all her old friends and share some info about her last few years while away. We'd all seen major changes in all of our lives and were happy to share with our old friend.

I ordered the Grilled Veal Medallions with polenta/sundried tomato tart with roasted garlic aioli, arugula on side. A few of us opted for this item (I should note they were out of the Barramundi, didn't make the shipment, Gloria's attitude was refreshing... she shrugged her shoulders and said "Oh well. Shit happens, nothing to get excited over."), while Mo went for the NY Strip (I know this because she was sitting next to me and graciously shared) and Heather had the Sea Scallops in Saffron Cream, with shallots, crushed red saffron, mascarpone, roasted tomatoes, spaghetti and parm reggiano.

Before dinner we were served a plate of bruschetta with a ricotta cheese blended with herbs and roasted cherry tomatoes, and mediterranean olives... I could not stop pounding this delicious, abundant, "amuse-bouche" down. More an appetizer than an "amuse" it was the perfect start to dinner, immediately staving off Heather's hunger pangs, and allowing us to relax, lean back and enjoy the ambiance that Cathleen had designed in this comfortably close space.

Food came out shortly, and our eyes alighted to the feast presented us. The plates were stacked with entrees of our choosing and a heaping mound of salad on the side. 

My veal dish was cooked perfectly to temp. No small feat for a chef in a tiny kitchen, preparing every side accompaniment along with the main dish, to 9 guests. The salad on the side also, surprisingly, stood out as more than a garnish, and was as meticulously prepared as the rest of the meal.

Heather's dish, the Seared Scallops, was a enlightened! Where saffron can so often be overused and overtake a dish, Gloria created a dish that was perfectly seasoned, and the addition of citrus zest gave it a fresh, light flavor that uplifted the saffron spaghetti to the perfect frame from which to display the masterpiece that was the scallops, and allow them to shine on their own. 

We shared each others entrees and there was not one hesitation from anyone in the group in exclaiming that Gloria had truly found her niche and achieved a perfect oasis from which to share her joy of cooking with the Pittsburgh culinary scene. Immediately added to the top of my favorite Pittsburgh dining spots, alongside Vivo, Bonaterra, Casbah and Umi.

Unfortunately, as all thing do, our meal came to an end, and it was time to head home and relieve Gramma from babysitting duties. The ride home my wife commented on the quietness between us. I agreed it was unique for us not to utter a word for the 20 minute car ride, but the evenings meal had literally left me speechless, save for a deep smile, spread across my face, which spoke volumes.

http://www.wqed.org/mag/columns/dish/2009/0309-wild-rosemary.ph

Bacon-Infused Bourbon

Probably, the most comments I ever got on my facebook account, were from people questioning my sanity when I posted that I was making Bacon-Infused Bourbon for the restaurant.

There were some mixed reactions. I think when I originally heard about this concoction, from Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, my initial reaction was similar to my facebook families. A quick revulsion, followed by contemplation and then the epiphany. "This could possibly be the greatest idea, ever!!!"

The actual recipe was found in an article from the New York Magazine, credited to New York City bartender Don Lee from PDT (please don't tell, a widely acclaimed NYC speakeasy). http://nymag.com/restaurants/recipes/inseason/45776/

 We followed the original recipe, though we traded the bourbon they were using, with Knob Creek. a) because the bourbon they listed was unknown to us, b) because Knob Creek was an item we could possibly get help from our liquor distributors to bring the cost down.

The Knob Creek did not work as well as we had anticipated. The high alcohol seemed to cover up the bacon smokiness we were expecting to taste. There was some obvious smokiness added to the Knob, that gave the whiskey a mellower flavor, with some slight sweetness notes, but where was the bacon.

So I brought the bottle home and infused more bacon fat into the 1.5L bottle... 'bout 16 strips (where originally we did 8) So now we sit and wait. See what this concoction provides. If overly bacony, I can always add more bourbon to balance out the flavor (which is easier to do than cooking up bacon over and over again, straining, chilling, scooping out fat and sediment).

Next round I'm going to go with a lighter alcohol, sweeter bourbon that I feel may take on the bacon flavor better; Woodford comes to mind.

You have the recipe, now for the PDT version. Make some at home. Share with friends. They'll be amazed by your bravery and creativeness. After all the posts I received about my own attempts at this unique cocktail, I can pretty much guarantee you'll be the talk of the next dinner party for months to come.

Here's the recipe again for y'all; 

http://nymag.com/restaurants/recipes/inseason/45776/

You may also be wondering why there's a mini-keg of Heineken in the picture? Well this was my Super Bowl celebratory beer (Really, Sean? No Iron City? Or even Penn Pilsner? At the very least Yuengling?) Well, I always wanted to try one of these things, and Heather isn't fond of too many beer flavors, so while we sat back and watched our Championship winning Steelers bring home another Super Bowl trophy, we shared this mini-keg between us (and between shots of Makers Mark to help rally our boys - Heather, who DOESN'T ever drink whiskey kept right up with me, shot-for-shot... I was so proud of her). I gotta say, I really enjoyed this mini-keg experience. It was fun to have this cute little green guy, hiding out in our fridge, and the beer tasted great. Fresh and refreshing. I'd recommend for anybody who has as much trouble as I do trying to pack a stuffed fridge with a case of bottles for the big game.

Cheers Big Ears!

Some moderately priced easy drinkers, with a little Spanish thrown in for good measure

Enjoyed two wines this week that were very well priced and great value.

The first was Montevina Barbera. An amador county barbera, you ask? Well yes. Actually the second barbera from California that I've tried. Renwood being the other. Both were/are exceptional representations on this varietal typically found in Italy.

The Montevina had a lot going on for a $10 bottle of wine. Black cherry aromas lead to chocolate, some tobacco-vanillan, full berry fruit on the palate. light citrus zest bookmarks both the opening and closing of this wine... very light. Great quaffing wine, could easily recommend for a bottle to share between you and your loved ones, sitting in front of a crackling fire.

The second bottle is in-hand as I write this review. From Sardon Del Duero in Northern Spain, came this lovely bottle of Rivola. Light on the tongue, splash of crisp raspberries and strawberrys on the fore palate. The Spanish earthiness is there, and the sun-ripened fruit gives a tease of heavy extracted berry flavor, but it never follows through (I mean that in the best possible way) and it leaves you with a refreshing, drinking red. A very well-rounded, well constructed bottle.

Rivola should come in around $15, but there are plenty of deals online, to be found.

Speaking of Spanish wine, I should mention my fastest growing favorite region for wine making; Priorat.

I'm loving Priorat wines, and nobody else seems to be hip to them yet. Which for you means that your store may carry a great selection that has been passed over by other wine shoppers. Prices may have gone down? Or, as in PA, you might find the state putting a few on display with it's "Chairman Select" program. 

Priorat blends are standout, in that they combine two of the greatest wine regions with masterful blending. Typically a Priorat wine will be a combination of French and Rhone varietal: cab, merlot, malbec, petite verdot, cab franc & syrah, grenache, mourvedre, carignan (in Spain: carinena) . Look for Vall Llach. I have a bottle of both their Embruix & Idus storing in my cellar. They are just great to open now, but my intuition tells me, a few years in the cellar will mellow out the tannins a little, and deliver a robust powerhouse wine. Both are $35 and up, but I've bought mine, both, at under $20 on the aforementioned "Chairman's Select". Happy hunting!