Lucky #13, or 14, maybe 15?

Last year for our anniversary, C and I went to Napa for a lovely 5-day weekend. Neither of us had been before and being the oenophiles that we are (or think we are) we were so looking forward to it...wanting the romanticized experience of tasting fabulous wines, but with the authenticity of finding new, unknown vintners to bring home with us.

Our first night, we went to the Oxbow Public Market for "locals night" at Hog Island Oyster Company. We were enjoying a dozen oysters, as were many patrons that night, when we noticed our neighbors at the bar received their order with only TEN (gasp) oysters in their dozen. We noticed them counting, whispering, and looking overall perplexed, so we piped in and said "Yes, there are a few missing" and a friendship was born.

Little did we know, but we were sitting next to Tom Bardessano and Kristi Seitz - both winemakers, both unbelievably generous, both wanting to share their wine with us.

After days of double dates and wine tours, tastings and recommendations, we found ourselves quite smitten with the 13 Appellations label (of which Kristi is a partner). My opinion is that it is a true taste of Napa Valley, composed of the 'best of the best' from each sub-appellation in Napa (ex. Rutherford, Yountville, Carneros, Howell Mountain are all sub-appellations). Literally the best juice from each of the best growing regions in Napa? What a fabulous concept! And...a wonderfully complex wine.

We bought several bottles on the spot, followed up by a half case 2 months later. The best part is that the wine continues to impress us, as do the winemakers - since they've begun production there are now 14 appellations, with the addition of Oak Knoll, so we look forward to trying the next bottle of juice (w/ 15?) in the near future!

Puerto Vallarta - March Mexico Trip

Just returned from a week off in Mexico - was a wonderful, relaxing, sun-filled vacation south of the border. C and I packed up on a cold, snowy Chicago morning and headed to a family vacation in Puerta Vallarta. No one in the family (aside from a college spring break trip for Hil) had visited before - so it was a great place to explore and relax for the 6 of us. We spent the week at the Westin, in the Marina district, and ate our way through the breakfast and lunch menus (go for the Muesli, and the Veggie and Fish sandwiches).

After doing some general restaurant searching, we started with a list...and we ate our way through it and then some. Outlined are the highlights:

Super Green Salad, Salmon Zaradorado, & Dessert Delux @ Cafe Des Artistes

Margaritas, Asparagus salad, Grilled Sea Bass, & Beef Carpaccio @ Trio

Chile-rubbed Sea Bass, Tuna Sashimi, Veggie Symphony, & Pomegranate martinis @ La Palapa

Cuatro salsas, Margaritas, Chipotle-Tequila linguini & to-die-for Chile Relleno's @ Los Xitomates

Fish tacos (grilled and fried), the guacamole, and the authenticity @ Sayulita Fish Taco's

After the week, we still weren't sick of guacamole, tortilla chips, or margaritas...but it was nice to come home to a cheesy, "American" pizza on Saturday night (complete with a cuddly pup). Thanks to my parents for organizing and funding an amazing warm-weather-family-trip. Love you! S&C

Bacon Wrapped Gourmet Club - A night in Spain

The theme for the first Gourmet club meeting was: Tapas! Everyone whole-heartedly embraced the concept and came prepared with lots of wine, garlic, olive oil, and bread. The conversations were fluid and varied, the kitchen a flurry of pans and pots, the table littered with wine bottles - success!

Definitely a meeting of worthy contenders for best dish - everything from simple roasted peppers with capers, to an onslaught of black bean empanadas and proscuitto wrapped asparagus with oozing goat cheese (I'm craving one of those right now, actually), there was garlic shrimp with a heavenly garlickly oil for dipping, our equally garlicky white bean and garbanzo salad, and delightful bites of bacon-wrapped dates. I personally found the albondigas recipe to be "pork-heavy" and would make several alterations...the saffron sauce came out well, however, and they seemed to be eaten (always a good sign).

We brought a Tempranillo to share, but I'm not sure the structure was up to par with some of the pairings we had - c'est la vie, we drank it anyway!

The next meeting is likely at our house - though we'll post more pics and recipes from Tapas night...thoughts, suggestions, let me know!

What's in a name?

Help us name our "gourmet club" - here were some options....
Epicure
CGC (Chicago Gourmet Club)
The Urban Gourmet
Mangia Group
Meet and Mangia
Buongustaio (Gourmet in Italian)
Il Buongustaio Urbano
Club Cucina
Vino e Cibo (Wine and Food in Italian)
Le Bon Vivant (Gourmand in French)

We'd like to have SOMETHING to call our gatherings...leave any additional thoughts in the comments!

The Gourmet Club begins...

Several months ago, on a cold, wintry work day, Erin and I had a lengthy discussion around our desire for a "gourmet club". She has been thinking about this for some time now, found a sounding board (and core member) in me and hence...the club was born.

Here are the details from the original email - this will set the stage for you:
- Meet once a month on a Saturday
- Everyone rotates hosting, and the host picks the theme for the next month (if your place is too small to host, someone else will happily step in while you still are officially the "host")
- We will have a core group of people who are serious about committing to this (criteria = having an interest in food, and genuinely excited to spend time cooking once a month, hosting, etc.) with some wiggle room for guests (i.e., dates, others we extend the invite to on a monthly basis but who may not be up for it EVERY month)

Core Group:
Erin
Sara
Chris
Sarah R.
Bill
Amanda
Tricia
Colleen
Sarah
Orin
Ryan
Mica (and Peter)

So, it's unlikely that all of these people would agree, but say they do... That said, if everyone in agrees, we're at 11. Maybe we just pick an additional person or two. And, as mentioned, we could always invite people on a monthly basis, maybe seeing how the first few months go and what attendance is like.

Possible themes to get excited about:
- Cuisine (Italian, French, etc.)
- Secret ingredient
- On a budget (i.e., less than $10 dishes)
- Cook-off (i.e., chili)
- Inspired by a movie, song or book
- Wine/beer pairings
- Small plates

Oh, the possibilities are endless!

Our first meeting is Friday, March 5 - they're 8, possibly 10 folks attending. Stay tuned for more!

Art Institute - Free Februarys

I think the title mostly explains this blog post, which is to tell anyone (er, all 9 of you) that doesn't already know about the Art Institute's "Free February" promotion! All month you can simply walk in and stroll the halls filled with such wonders as Untitled and Untitled. I understand that you may not know exactly how to explain your art/work/painting/sculpture, but can't you at least ATTEMPT a name? In contrast, every third painting in Italy is Madonna e bambino.

Irregardless of what you see or how long you go, try to make it to the 3rd floor of the modern wing, it's the European Contemporary rooms that make me happy. Lots of color, bold shapes, random sizes... who can resist a Picasso or a Matisse? Enjoy!

Nella Pizzeria

Went to check out the new Nella Pizzeria in LP this past Friday - we were looking for a low-key place to grab a bite, have a glass of wine, and not spend $1MM. Nella fit the bill.

A-Shan and I immediately ordered a glass of Sangiovese, a Friday night special, and launched into our weekly de-brief. After our patient waiter returned to take our order (for the 4th time) we selected two salads (arugula for me, mixed green for her) and the Fiorentina pizza (mozzarella, spinach and ricotta). The salads were a great size - fresh, perfectly dressed, plus a wedge of lemon for mine that was an added bonus. I would have loved some fresh cracked pepper, but I didn't ask...

Our pizza was a great size for two ladies sharing - thinking that if C and I went, we'd need to get another one and/or an additional appetizer - and we ate the entire thing. The crust was nice and chewy, the sauce was a perfect ratio with the cheese. I "dressed" mine with crushed red pepper flakes and it was divine...a great Friday night meal with a great friend.

The place really filled up after I got there (about 6:45pm) but there were always seats at the bar. Good energy, good food, reasonable prices and walking distance are a winning recipe for me!