Ambrosia & Fat Tuesday

I am making my way around my new little world. We were planning on travel this week and wanting the option to fly into my home base and not flying into my work base and then driving 2 ½-3 hours home we had my husband drive us over on Monday. Then the travel plans changed (I should have known THAT would happen..) and here we were stranded without a car all week. Hence making my way around my little world. (on foot)

Of course I already discovered Diablos Downtown Lounge, where the Fat Tuesday Party was held.. later on that.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=50347921

My next new haunt has become Ambrosia. http://www.ambrosiarestaurant.com/
Hey, in this picture someone is sitting in my spot! Grrrr...

I am making my mission to try as many non meat items (and a few meaty ones too) on the menu as I can…and there are plenty. The main problem is that I like the Scampi Farfalle so much I keep getting sidetracked. I also am trying to go through everything on the wine by the glass menu, especially the dessert wines.

First I would like to say DAVE THE CHEF ROCKS! I came in starving one night craving the Scampi Farfalle. It was late enough to be on the late night menu which does not include that….so I begged. I was accommodated with my scampi! That sure kept me coming back.

So Tuesday night started with the warm goat cheese salad which is a little bit of decadent heaven. I had the Scampi which is my favorite. I am not usually that fond of bow tie pasta but this is just soooooo very good.

The bartender, Gabe, was very knowledgeable about wine and had me do some tasting. I ended up with ’06 Cabernet by Martini. I hadn’t had a Louis Martini cab in years. It had a lot of cherry tones to it. Drinkable.

When my scampi came Gabe hooked me up with the ’06 King’s Estate Pinot Gris. It was perfect with the scampi. Not too sweet. Bright and crisp. http://www.kingestate.com/

At the end of the bar there were some gentlemen visiting. One was an elevator salesman. (A very handsome one I might add.) They had something red in these great glasses. Loved the shape. Can’t find it to show you. So anyway. That inspired me to have what they were having…. 06’ Martorana Contrada Ragabo Nero D Avola. It’s a Sicilian varietal. The color was amazing. It’s one of the “Small Vineyards” wines. They market wines from smaller vineyards that would not normally make it in the same markets as the big guys. It is a kind of sour cherry scented wine. Mild, earthy, a little spicy, different. I liked it.

For the dessert wine I had the ’99 Vin Santo Felsina. Ohhh..yummy…A beautiful Copper/gold color with blended scents of peach, apricot, pineapple and an overall tropical feel. It was very, very good.

Now very happy and full I decided to wander over (across the street) to Diablo’s to check out the craziness of the Fat Tuesday Party and see what kind of trouble my friend was getting into….. Craziness was the word! Everyone (but me) in costumes doing what you do to get Mardi Gras beads…… Ha! I got some while still keeping my breasts out of public view. That takes talent! (and long running kindness to the people who matter .) As far as my friend getting in trouble… Well, too late on that one. She had LOTS of beads and she got them the old fashioned way.

I did finally get to see the basement. It is a very cool dance floor with flaming walls.
I think Troy (owner)had the best costume…. But it looked a little too natural on him. White Joe was dressed as a ….clown? That works!
The band was great and most of them were toppless (men) with lots of tattoos. The full experience.

C'est la vie

Saturday Night at The Blacksmith

My husband became an antique on Friday (50) so the plan was to go out to dinner somewhere nice. As usual the plan was thwarted by a last minute emergency that didn’t put me out of work until after 9:00pm, still with a 2 ½ hour drive home. I did get home in time to wish him a happy birthday while it was actually still his birthday and fall into bed.

Saturday we got to make up for it. Dinner at The Blacksmith in Bend, OR.
We have wanted to go there for a long time and just had never made the time for it. Then I pretty much went vegetarian and it’s a steakhouse……Saturday we went. It was a food event.

http://www.bendblacksmith.com/

We invited our 23 yr old daughter, Cassie, the 2009 Sister’s Rodeo Queen, since we don’t get to see her much.
http://www.sistersrodeo.com/rodeo.html

First we shared the house salad and the flaming tableside spinach bacon salad (we like flames), both were wonderful. Then we all had steak. I am only going to talk about mine since I didn’t eat theirs. They did seem to enjoy theirs though….The lick marks on the plates were a give-away.
I had “The Cheesesteak” which was a filet on top of some yummy mashed potatoes with truffle oil, leeks, mushrooms and some other stuff…..The filet itself, Cascade Natural Beef, WA, was outstanding. Cooked perfectly (barely cooked…which is perfect in my opinion). On top was this melted cheese to die for, I don’t usually go for cheese on filet but the description lured me into trying it. Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk Triple Cream

http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/cheeses.asp

and was perfect for the steak. I paired it with the Whitehall Lane 2005 Merlot. This lush red went very well with the steak and cheese. Held its own without overpowering anything.

http://www.whitehalllane.com/our_wine/facts/fact_05_MerlotNapa.php

For dessert we shared the chef’s choice dessert platter for 4. (opps) We ate the phantom guests part too I guess. Chocolate cake, crème brule w/ raspberry sorbet, pumpkin bread pudding, a martini glass with several kinds of sherbets and sorbets and some little homemade cookies that were great.

I paired my dessert with the 2005 Selak's Ice Wine, New Zealand (Can’t find a website). It was really nice. This ice wine has a little bit of a white raisin tang as well as great rich fruit flavor so it was bright enough to shine with dessert in fine fashion.

Our server, Jennifer (sp?) was very knowledgeable about wine and the meals served at The Blacksmith. She really was fun as well as professional.

We had a memorable, unhurried evening.

Unmasking the BINGO Biker Bar

Since I have practically moved there now I guess I should unmask the BINGO Biker Bar. Drum Rolllllll……………… The Downtown Lounge otherwise known as Diablo’s http://www.diabloslounge.com/ in Eugene, Oregon is fondly known to us as The BINGO Biker Bar.

Owner-Troy (last name unknown..OK I'm sure HE knows it...maybe..but I don't.) ,described in the BINGO, The Bar & Bad Fairies post as the Oak Ridge Boy with a George Carlin sense of humor makes sure everyone is safe and has a home there. He has a great taste in beer and rotates the selection with local up and coming brews, the latest being the Ninkasi Believer.http://www.ninkasibrewing.com/beers.php. I read the reviews and they all do it justice. It's a really fine beer. The menu is VERY good and unique, plenty of room for a vegetarian to graze with the carnivores. The calendar of events is strong enough to bring people back on a nightly basis. Something creative and different every night with extra special events thrown in. (Naked Sushi on Valentine’s Day, Fetish night, etc… Makes me really glad I’ll be in town for St. Patrick’s Day!) Really, check the website. (Ignore the poker thing on Wednesday night… it’s Funky now.) Tuesday Tacos are pretty awesome and of course BINGO night is just an event to remember EVERY week….

Manager-Joey (“Dark Joe”) is kind of quiet and possibly seems to be the sanest person in the place. (I am sure if anyone reads this from the bar they will probably roll laughing at me.) Either he is, or I have not spent enough time around him. He also is a great D.J, BINGO caller and devilishly handsome. (Strictly an unbiased option from a very married woman.)

White Joe- Otherwise known as the “BINGO stud” in my previous posts, well…. I am not really sure what White Joe does there… they might not be either….he does in his strange way attract ladies (I think it’s that “rescue him from the pound before they put him down” feeling.) and they buy him drinks, so he is good for business…. We have now coined a new slogan for Diablo’s “Friends don’t let friends do White Joe.” There is no really describing White Joe other than what I have in previous posts….He is going into the Army soon and Afghanistan is NOT prepared I guarantee you.

The bartenders I have met are, Yulika (sp?), River and Jory (sp?) all are funny, friendly and pour a good honest drink.

This is a strange comfortable melting pot zone for everyone. Really! There is a regular group of older ladies from New York dressed to kill, that come to have a drink and play BINGO with Bikers and Gay guys and us crazy girls. After 9:00pm the place is hopping every night. Bands from all over come and play and everyone has a good time. Sometimes a little too good ….

Come on down…..

Six States, 7 Days

Oregon, Florida, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Utah, New Jersey. That’s where I’ve been this last week. I visited my Mom, Tom and my ferret siblings, got my cheese steak in Philly and spent two hours on a phone conference sitting on a bucket in a field full of ducks chickens, and a 32 yr old horse in New Jersey.

I already told you about the Florida trip so I am moving on to Philly/Delaware/New Jersey
Visited Mom, Tom and the ferret clan (Dandy, Poppy, Snoopy, Clover, Lance & Rocky).

<--------------- Lance

We hung out and on Sunday went to Winterthur and saw the Campbell’s Soup tureens…fascinating…..Really though, Winterthur established by Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) houses some of the finest Americana. Furniture, Porcelain etc. Definitely watch the video when you first go in. The gift shop had some plants I really liked but could not take home on the plane.
http://www.winterthur.org/

We had dinner at Lamberti’s Italian in Wilmington and it was really nice. I love mussels and so the appetizer, bread and salad were more than enough. For wine I had my standard favorite, Chateau St. Michelle Riesling. It was perfect with the mussels. The atmosphere there is VERY nice and the service was great.
http://www.lambertis.com/locations/cucina/wilm_phil.htm

Monday morning I retrieved my miscellaneous items stolen by my furry ferret siblings and headed out to see my friend, MaryLee, who I had not seen in 8 years. I pulled this prank on her telling her I was sending her a large present (well I didn’t LIE.) and she had to be at her house between 9am-10am to greet it. I almost had to call and say her present was lost but I managed to make it there after all…..She cried! We spent the rest of the day catching up and caring for her huge flock of chickens, ducks, turkeys, ONE guinea. (I despise guineas but this one was ok). And breeze, her 32 year old appaloosa, who is blind as a bat and full of energy.

I got to go to WaWa, which I dearly miss. Only people who have spent a fair amount of time in the east can say I need to go to WaWa with a straight face. For those of you who have never been to a WaWa, they are like 7-11 or ARCO stations with much nicer food and the BEST coffee. Seriously, people have TATTOOS of WaWa it is that much of an icon.

http://www.wawa.com/WawaWeb/

My favorite Chinese buffet had survied the economy so off we went for lunch, Sharon Zheng Buffet II, and I was thinking now we have buffets just as good in Oregon with all you can eat sushi but NO! They upped the score. They had all you can eat SASHIMI. I should just move there…..Poor MaryLee was still in shock. She kept looking across the table and saying “I can’t believe you are sitting in front of me….you A**HOLE …big smile.

http://www.cubuma.com/cgi/f/lView.pl?li=EML0113656&tc=Chinese&pc=Dining

We had to go back to the chicken ranch and make sure everyone went to bed inside at dark so the hawks, skunks, raccoons etc don’t eat the little dears before dawn. My job was to herd the Sebastopol Geese. They are very cool geese that have long curly feathers and look like they are made of ribbons and lace. One kept hissing at me until it figured out I was throwing corn to it not at it…..

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Geese/BRKSebastopol.html

Then we met up with husband Bill and went off to Red Lobster, which of course was good because it was Red Lobster and we don’t have one in either city I live in, in Oregon. Another glass of Chateau St. Michelle Riesling. (Why mess with a good thing.) MaryLee and I did stop at Canal’s (local liquor store the size of a whole chain grocery store) and I was going to get some local New Jersey wine (yes..there was a section of it..) so I could blog to you about it. MaryLee said..PLEASE DON’T!

Off to bed and up early to go free the flock.

Next I had my conference call out in the field.

Then back to the Philly Airport where, since the drive from New Jersey went perfectly (anything can happen on the Atlantic City Expressway and over the bridges, in fact they closed the Walt Whitman Bridge right behind me, so I left with lots of time to spare) I had a little time so I tried some local brew and got my cheese steak sandwich. (Wit Wit) The brew was Yuengling Lager, made by D.G. Yuengling & Son, commonly called Yuengling, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Yuengling is the oldest operating brewing company in the United States, established in 1829, and I liked it. It was not too dark and not too light (a red amber). Not bitter at all. Really mellow and PERFECT with a cheese steak. Go Philly!
http://www.yuengling.com/beers.htm

Caught my plane to Salt Lake then Eugene. My leg to Eugene brought me a special treat. I was seated next to Ricky McKinnie from The Blind Boys of Alabama. The rest of the band was all around me. They are playing all around the pacific northwest this week. http://www.blindboys.com/

Now I am back in homeland, that is to say Oregon but not home……*snif*
Well, at least I know where the Hef is…….

R -Rated Bingo & Sh*t From Your Pockets

I’m a little late on this but I was busy hanging out in Florida. Its way too hot there and I didn’t see and alligator. *snif*

Monday night I made it back in town in time to actually play BINGO at the biker bar by the Greyhound station. I took my friend. I don’t think we can ever go back…. OK well she might not be able to. They have laws about baring your breasts in public. There were at least 3 long island ice teas that were a precursor to these actions (on her part I as usual was drinking Hef.)

Turns out this is sort of a white elephant BINGO as well as bar goodies. People bring in stuff. The old gay guy brought in some cross stitched teddy bear thing in a frame and some one won it in a game. It is a very interesting crowd of regulars. Old ladies from New York dressed finely, mingling with gay biker dudes and not so gay biker dudes and the BINGO stud who would probably mount a stuffed Chihuahua given any encouragement.

Seriously, He was having fun coming over to us and making graphically nasty propositions…. Now we might have been encouraging him a bit with my friend flashing her boobs and all…. Anyway. I was on the phone and he was saying some cutely nasty stuff and I handed him the phone and said “Say that to the phone!” Which he did with great glee in great detail………to my husband ….Who by the way is an extremely good sport. When I got the phone back he said “Honey, I would be worried about that guy.” “No worry honey I am twice his size and sober. I can take him.” I said . “OK, have fun!” honey says.

Much later in the evening when BINGO stud was trying to talk my friend over to his place and said “Your husband is on the other side of the mountains.” I said “Yes, but MY husband lives a mile away from him and you just spoke to HIM on the phone.”BINGO stud said. “I quit.” I’m running away now!” HA!

SO here’s how it works. For .50 you get a card. There are 3 cards on a strip so most people buy $3 worth (2 strips) I think one of the little old ladies buys 10 strips and she wins almost every game….

The first part of the game is any straight line BINGO. Then the person who wins gets to pick a pattern off the sheet of options. Most people tend to pick “The Butthole” in a normal BINGO parlor this is known as “The Small Picture Frame” but hey, this is biker bar BINGO.
Then the game progresses to a blackout. For the first two parts the winner gets a buck and some prize. The teddy bear needlepoint or a wind chime or the BINGO caller’s underwear.. you get the idea. The last part, the blackout, you get some money. Around $15 or so.
They have one game where the cards are $1 each and the bar must chip in because you win some decent money and a serious prize…like a camera or a 30” T.V.
Then…there is the LAST game. “Sh*t From Your Pockets”. The BINGO caller goes around to everyone and gathers “Sh*t From Your Pockets” and puts it in a basket. Whoever gets a blackout first wins everything in the basket.

Guess which game I won ..... Yep…..“Sh*t From Your Pockets”.
I won:

$12.67
a menu from the Voodoo Doughnut stand and wedding castle in Portland
paper napkin rose
purple pearl tampon
basketball keychain & bottle opener
shampoo from Shilo inn
business card for "Drix the computer geek"
pen
1/2 taquito
1/2 cigarette
matches from Tan Republic
walmart receipt for a fenshui CD$

A pretty good haul. I think I made a little $$$ and I really needed the shampoo.

Jimmy Buffett & Rum

OK. I fess up. There may not end up being anything in this post about rum other than this. All I know about run is if you drink too much of it you might try to climb on the horse and sit with El Cid in Baloboa Park and barf up a perfectly good salmon dinner (the pink never comes out of the cream Berber carpet)…. but Jimmy Buffett & Riesling just doesn’t sound right.

I am a PARROTHEAD

“Parrot Head or Parrothead is a commonly used nickname for fans of Jimmy Buffett. "Parakeets" is the term used for younger fans of Jimmy, or children of Parrotheads. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrothead)”

Here is the URL to the Parrot Head Webring so you can keep up with all things Jimmy Buffett. http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Lagoon/3292/Parrot.htm

There are a lot of cool charity things going on at the Parrot Heads In Paradise.
http://www.phip.com/

My favorite songs mostly seem to be on “Son Of A Son Of A Sailor”, which I had to order on CD because it is so old (which makes me so old). Originally I had it on a dark blue cassette tape, which I still have in a box somewhere but have nothing that will play it. Specifically I wanted "Coast of Marseilles" as I had just come back from there and it is just as advertised. I often wonder if he was out on Friol Island. Also, my all time favorite JB song is “African Friend" which is also on that album. Ackkk..CD.

I am very fond of “A Pirate Looks At Forty” Which is on several CD’s. I have it on “Songs You Know By Heart.” And I do…know them by heart.

According to “Cheeseburger In Paradise” a cool draft beer is acceptable Buffett refreshment. On that topic I shall ramble over to give a short review on some draft beers I had at the Bingo Biker Bar the other night.

Since I believe you should start with something you like to put you in a good frame I started with a Hef, you can read about Hef in the Bingo, Bars & Bad Fairies post. I was getting adventurous and since the Snow Cap, which is a seasonal beer put out by Pyramid was dropping off the tap the next day, decided despite the warning of the bartender, to give it a try. Should have listened to him. I really like Pyramid’s Apricot Ale and they make a good Hef. The Snow Cap was a little weird. Dark-ish, not too dark, and had this kind of banana sweet hint to it. I like bananas but not so much in beer. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either.

Next I had a Ninkasi IPA. I have read a bunch about Ninkasi lately but had not tried one of their beers. The IPA was nice. Fairly uncomplicated like an IPA should be. A little malty and orange, not too bitter. It went well with BBQ ribs and Blues Night.

The other offering they had on the board was “Power & Pibb”. I thought it might be a beer…and something? Glad I asked. Whiskey and Mr. Pibb (a Dr. Pepper tasting substance). YIKES…..My Irish ancestors are shaking a finger…..One should not do that to whiskey. Humm.. Come to think of it I have tried that with RUM! That’s what inspired me to try and ride with El Cid. (I believe that attempt was thwarted by law enforcement.)

<--------El Cid

Bottom line. If you drink all the beer and all the rum and the whiskey & Pibb…. Watch out for that other most famous Jimmy Buffett song…..because some guy is bound to ask…Hey baby “Why Don’t We Get Drunk”……(You can read the rest of that song title for yourself J) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_We_Get_Drunk

I am now going to confuse my coworkers by wandering away with my hands over my head pretending to be a land shark while singing “Fins”.

Possibly, since it is me, they will not be confused at all………………………..

A Very Short Story On Cabernet & Spies

Last night I cannot comment on much except for the wine. How much trouble can you get it talking about wine?.... Unless you’ve just been stopped by a cop for a possible DUI. Probably not a good time to give a dissertation on wine.

OK. So I was spying on someone. It wasn’t stalking, I don’t intend to make a habit of it so that makes it “an investigation”.. .and Spy sounds more fun than “investigator” coupled with a great restaurant and wine. Very sexy. So nice that the spyee had great taste in food. Did I mention I love my job? (ok right then… there are frequent times I’d rather be on fire, just out of reach of chocolate or told that prohibition has been reinstated.)

So after leaving my trench coat and slouchy hat at the door I knew I had to blend in so I scored a really nice ’06 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet. Hearty red but with mellow oak and just an all around pleasant finish. It went really well with my seafood pasta in red sauce. This place also had the most heavenly chocolate orange cake thing. Yummy. I was about to try a dessert wine with it when I realized that falling off the barstool might attract attention (a good spy uh.. investigator… does not attract attention) and I also had my car down the street and it was a long walk back to the quaint motel next to the BINGO biker bar. I did not want to be giving dissertations of any kind to any law enforcement…..I had coffee. It was great.

I said this would be short so that’s it.

Bye.

Bingo, The Bar, & Bad Fairies

Last night was one of those weird happenings that came about, well, I’m not sure how it really came about except it was late, I was exhausted and I needed food.

hhhhhhhh

I’ve been working out of town on and off, mostly on, and I stay at this one old motel. It is quaint and homey, close and if I leave my laptop cord there I know I’ll get it back. It is also across the street from the Greyhound Bus station and next to the Greyhound station is a bar. I have avoided the bar because it looks a little hard core and …it’s next to the Greyhound station and it’s a bar.

Last week my friend and I discovered a REALLY nice Italian restaurant (you may read $$$ into that as well as fantastic food) a couple blocks away from the motel. (That was another wine experience I can relate later.) and I knew that the Italian place was usually open late so I headed over there in anticipation of a great meal and some good wine. They politely informed me that the kitchen had just CLOSED. Ackkkk. The waiter pointed in the opposite direction of my motel and said there was another place 2 blocks away that was sure to be open. I headed off in that direction. After a block I was really wondering. It looked like there was nothing in the distance that was open. That’s because there wasn’t. In fact it looked like this part of the city had been quarantined and I missed it. All places closed. The outcome was an 8 block circle back to my motel in which I saw ONE other person. I decided to be brave and headed for the bar.

I passed the bus depot, nodded at a sketchy looking character hanging out at the door and went into the bar. There was large sign at the door that said “BIKERS WELCOME”. Hummmm…. I was immediately VERY enthusiastically greeted by a several little old ladies armed with booze and BINGO daubers, a BINGO caller that looked like the Oak Ridge Boy with all the hair crossed with biker (obviously in the right place) and the humor of George Carlin, and a young guy with a voice like a D.J. Yes, they were playing BINGO in the bar. All you can eat spaghetti and BINGO on Monday nights. $5.95 The BINGO caller announced “I-18… I love it when they’re 18.”….oh boy. Too funny. I wonder what happens when he calls O-69? I explain that I can’t play BINGO right now because I am still handling a crisis at work by phone and am starving. Next week, I promise.

I ordered a Hef. Now I give reviews on great wines but when it comes to beer if you don’t know what a Hef is..just go somewhere and say “Give me a Hef please.” When you want a beer that is the one. I opened the menu dreading the prospect of “bar food”… the menu was loaded with wonderful sounding items, many vegetarian. I AM SHOCKED. Beer, BINGO and some great food all at a very reasonable price. I got my beer and got on the phone and work on the issue at hand for a bit. My salad comes and it is huge and full of yummy stuff. My beer seems to have vanished in synchronicity with its appropriate yumminess. I order another. My sandwich comes it is fantastic. I feel stupid. This place has been ½ block from my motel the whole time.

People at the bar are friendly. It is a very nice slightly cavernous homey place. The BINGO caller announces a trivia contest. Mostly about Mr. T. I know almost nothing about Mr. T except he had some auspicious bling, but it is funny as hell. Then he says, “The next trivia question….What is MY NAME?” Someone shouts out something and he says YES! I shout out “STUD?” He looks over and says in his sexy D.J. voice. “That is not correct …BUT YOU WIN!” My phone rings again for some work crisis. I answer the phone on the way to the BINGO caller table as the Bingo Stud yells. .. “GINGER WINS A PAIR OF MENS UNDERWEAR.” The guy on the phone says “WHAT THE HELL?” I have to explain… a girl has to eat. In actuality I won a Southern Comfort shot glass, sadly empty of Southern Comfort.

Now I am having way too much fun when the guy on the stool at the corner of the bar says “You should have been here on Sunday. It was fetish night. I wasn’t wearing black so they didn’t let me in.” YIKES! He said he went on down the street the other bar that was hosting “Bad Fairy Night”…Now that sounds just plain scary. I think I’ll start with BINGO night.
All in all I had more fun there than I have had anywhere I have been in the many months I have been here. Before the last BINGO game the Oak Ridge Boy came over and gave me a hand written invitation on a BINGO card to come play next week. Very sweet, I will definitely be there! Bad fairies STAY AWAY!

As I walked out the door The Bingo Stud said, “Please come back soon. I am single, relatively disease free and have a college degree.”

A pretty good recommendation these days.

Superbowl & Dog Shows & Ice Wines

Yesterday.. Superbowl. It was a very exciting game. Sadly the Cardinals did not win but they gave the Steelers a run for their money. My husband made cool munchies. Little sliders, cheese plates and stuff. He isn’t much of a sports fan, he’s the cooking guru so he is in charge if FOOD (you can follow his blog at http://www.jerryskitchenplayground.blogspot.com/)


OK so cheese plates of course will bring me around to my favorite topic. WINE.
I tried several new wines yesterday, no boss related issues, so really just on the path of true enjoyment.


Last week I went into Whole Foods to indulge in one of my other passions. CHEESE. Picked up some killer cheeses, Lemon Stilton, a new blue I had to try from Cashel, Ireland, one of my favorite places to go on a self guided drinking tour. At some point I will get my travel blog going and you can see the great castle at Cashel (say that really fast 3x).




OK back to cheese.
Anyway, of course next to the cheese is the wine section and this nice lady was doing a tasting. Remembering I was the driver I only tasted a little.


I am not real big on Petit Sirah’s but this one had a dog on the label. I am easily distracted by dogs. I love dogs. I think Molly, who won the Eukanuba Dog show last week was the prettiest dog. A real D-O-G not a poofy mop with tiny feet…. I was rooting for her. She did better than the Cardinals. http://www.akc.org/nationalchampionship/index.cfm?section=special_pages&type=BIS&key_image=74980 She has a really sweet face.



Back to wine. Hey.. it is called RAMBLING 101 for a reason....

Turns out some of the proceeds from the sale of this particular wine went to the San Francisco SPCA. Yep a bottle went in the basket. I did actually try it and it was pretty good. Better than I expected. (I suppose if it was truly terrible I could have just given the $$$ to the SPCA myself.) Vinum 2006 Petit Sirah “Pets” http://www.vinumcellars.com/vinum/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1004 I think it was somewhere around $10 was over $10 and under $15.


My next find was at COSTCO. I was a very good girl. I am CRAZY about the Harris Bridge Pinot Gris Dessert Wine “Sarah’s Stories”. Seriously, I took this wine to France as a gift. If you are going to take wine to France it better be REALLLLLLY GOOD. Then I had to ship MORE there for Christmas. This stuff is liquid gold from heaven! It comes in ½ bottles and is spendy I drive 25 miles to get it and pay $30 per bottle and consider it worth every little drop. http://www.harrisbridgevineyard.com/Wine%20Descriptions.html


<----Harris Bridge Sarah's Stories

Now here I am at COSTCO and I spy some ½ bottles of something….. Here comes the part where I was a very good girl. Chateau St. Michelle, one of my stapes for Riesling, has out a 2006 Horse Heaven Hills Ice Wine Chenin Blanc, and there it was… $36.99 per ½ bottle. Ouch. Probably very much worth it but the $180 at Best Buy on the latest version of my favorite photo program and Digital SLR’s For Dummies to go with my new Canon Rebel the day before was still on my husband’s mind. Next to the Horse Heaven Hills (I just like typing that….it’s such a cool name and it gives me hope for George, our ancient horse who went to horse heaven last spring.) Was some St. Chapelle 2006 Ice Wine Riesling from Idaho, $15.99 for a ½ bottle. Price wise that almost put me into the virtuous category so in the basket with the Dubliner cheese and the Pico De Gallo it went. I wish I could find a picture of the bottle…I think the ½ bottles are very cool looking and perfect for long stem flowers, but alas no pictures on google images. (Of that bottle.)


So, the wine was nice, WONDERFUL for the price. Sweet and fruity peachy with some apricot to it lots of flavor. Went great with the emmentaler and the camembert. http://www.northwest-wine.com/Ste-Chapelle-Ice-Wine-Riesling.html


Now I think after stumbling on this site (it has a blog too) http://community.winepressnw.com/I might have to do some more testing of ice wines. Seems there are a LOT of different ones. http://www.northwest-wine.com/Ice-Wine.html



Some days it’s good to be me ;)