My Daily Wine! July 15, 2010

Today's Wine: 2007 Stuhlmuller Cabernet Sauvignon


When Parker and the Spectator discovered Fritz Stuhlmuller's 2006s -- rating both Cabernets 91-93 points -- the market jumped on board. Set in the heart of Alexander Valley, with Jordan next door and Silver Oak just across the river, winemaker Leo Hansen's small production Cabernets bucked the trend. While neighbors struggled, Stuhlmuller's entire production was depleted in a few months.


Why? First, those 2006s were fabulous, if not quite as rich and muscled as this absolutely stunning 2007. But second, since Stuhlmuller sells most of his fruit, he just never jumped on the pricing bandwagon. These gorgeous, dark cassis Cabernets sell for a fraction of the neighborhood price tags. 


With this 2007 Stuhlmuller Soda Rock bottling, Hansen took a new tack, and did one better. Read on to discover how he coaxed a little Oakville Grade Merlot out of a winemaker friend (guess who?), filling out this chiseled estate-grown Cabernet, adding weight, warmth and volume.


THE DEAL: 2007 Stuhlmuller Cabernet Sauvignon Soda Rock Vineyard. Normally available for $40 a bottle.  Available now for as little as $19.99/bottle (on cases).  Shipping is included on 6 bottles or more!


CLICK HERE!!

Tasting Notes from the WineAccess Travel Log 2007 Stuhlmuller Cabernet Sauvignon Soda Rock Vineyard "Dark purple color to the edge. Explosive aromas of ripe cassis. Rich and compact with a delicious currant core; warm, voluminous, compact and powerful. Excellent persistence with ripe -- but firm -- tannic structure. Drink now for the sheer 2007 hedonism or age for up to 7 years."

My Daily Wine! July 14, 2010

Today's Wine: 2009 Benoni Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast


When Monsieur X made his proposal last year, offering his top vineyard Pinot Noirs for sale on WineAccess, his logic was compelling. He'd sell the wines to WineAccess members based on the going rate for top shelf Pinot Noir on the California bulk wine market. Last year, buyers raved after tasting the 2008 Benoni Pinots, going on and on about the dark fruit intensity -- and the pedestrian $25 price tag. 


The 2009 harvest will go down as the greatest of the decade in Russian River. But the economic storm clouds have moved even faster than the coastal fog. The Pinot Noir market took a nosedive, and Monsieur X got 'boomeranged.' 


The grapes were like BBs at harvest. Monsieur X conducted his benchmark cold soak, nursing all the fabulous wild cherry aromas from the small clusters. The mid-palate is ripe and sweet, packed with more cherries and crushed red fruits. The finish is small berry and endless. 

THE DEAL: 2009 Benoni Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast.  Normally available for $35 a bottle.  Available now for as little as $15.99/bottle (on cases).  Shipping is included on 6 bottles or more!


CLICK HERE!!!

Tasting Notes from the WineAccess Travel Log 2009 Benoni Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast "Dark ruby color. Explosive aromas of dark, wild cherry, crushed red fruit. Sweet, rich core of dark cherry and raspberries, a touch of black tea. Great high-toned flavors, with excellent persistence. Fine definition on the back palate with superb freshness and vibrancy. Drink now (hard not to) or age for up 5 years in a cool cellar."

My Daily Wine! July 12, 2010

Today's wine is the 2006 Sangiovese Santa Ynez Valley!


When the brilliant Tuscan enologist, Alberto Antonini, told Tom Stolpman he wouldn't be able to make Chianti Classico-like Sangiovese on this small experimental hillside planting in breezy Ballard Canyon, Stolpman gulped. But when Antonini added that Stolpman had what he believed to be California's only shot at Brunello, the tightness in Stolpman's throat disappeared.

In 2006, winemaker Sashi Moorman realized Antonini's vision, putting out one of the more striking red wines made in Santa Barbara in quite some time. Wildly aromatic (does anything match Sangiovese for pure red fruit fireworks?) with a wonderful, darkly concentrated red berry core; it's the ripe Brunello-like tannin structure that really carries the day. This one is New World ripe and rich, but Old World long and complex.

The deal: 2006 Sangiovese Santa Ynez Valley. Rated ST 91. Normally available for $36 a bottle.  Available now for as little as $26.99/bottle (on cases).  Shipping is included on 6 bottles or more!

CLICK HERE!!

Tasting Notes 2006 Stolpman Vineyards Sangiovese Estate Grown Santa Ynez Valley "Medium red. Dried cherry, redcurrant and rose aromas are complemented by musky herbs and anise. Sappy red and dark berry flavors are framed by silky tannins and pick up a note of bitter cherry skin with air. Turns brighter on the finish, with the redcurrant and floral notes repeating. Very successful for a New World sangiovese." 91 points--Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar "Bright ruby color. Explosive nose of ripe red fruits and dried flowers; lots of new wood sweet spice. Dark kernel of crushed red fruit flavors, dark, wild cherries, earth. Rich and voluminous on the palate with surprisingly ripe tannins freshening up all the richness. Drink now-2015." --WineAccess Travel Log

Everything you ever wanted to know about wine can be found in this very in depth book from Karen MacNeil!

My Daily Wine!

Are you a wine lover? I am adding a new feature to my blog - My Daily Wine! I will post a new wine daily (Ok, ALMOST daily!) with a description, tasting notes and a link to a good deal if you are interesting in buying! I use an exclusive source for limited production wines - WineAccess.com.

Today, we are featuring the 2005 Arcadian Westerly Vineyard Syrah!


This is why winemakers should never fall in love with their wines. The astounding   2005 Arcadian Westerly Vineyard Syrah was drawn from three tiny parcels called "The Three Sisters" in Happy Canyon --  planted on seemingly solid rock.

Joe Davis fell so much in love with the slow evolution of this Syrah from a miracle harvest that was blessed by a couple rare winter downpours, that he waited until the wine hit full stride for release. But by then, the market had done a one-eighty. You now know the rest.

Never moved from the Arcadian cellar since bottling, the 2005 Arcadian Westerly is world class; packed with chiseled dark Northern Rhone concentration, laced with a mouthwatering finish that doesn't fade after two days of air!

Tasting Notes 2005 Arcadian Winery Syrah Westerly Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley "Bright medium red. Red and dark berries, smoked meat and Christmas spices on the nose. Midweight raspberry and bitter cherry flavors are complicated by beef jerky and floral pastille qualities. This strikes me as a blend of pinot noir and syrah, with the former variety's finesse and sweetness and the latter's game and earth character. Finishes crisp and long, leaving a peppery note behind." 91 points--Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Deal:   2005 Arcadian Westerly Vineyard Syrah. Rated ST 91. Normally available for $40 a bottle.  Available now for as little as $21.99/bottle (on cases).  Shipping is included on 4 bottles or more! 


To take advantage of this great deal, click HERE!!!


If you are interested in learning how to taste wine, check out this book by Jancis Robinson!

Cadillac Ranch

I went out for dinner some friends last night. I had already tried the Cadillac Ranch for lunch and it was pretty good. We decided to give dinner a try!

It's a nice place, located in the Villages at Gulfstream in Hallandale. It's a pretty large restaurant/bar. They have lots of outdoor seating and they had a good band playing outside. It was a little humid for out tastes so we ate inside.

There are TV's located just about EVERYWHERE with just about every kind of sports. The biggest screen had the World Cup match playing at the time.

The place gets pretty noisy. If you're looking for a nice quiet dinner, this is definitely not the place for you.

We shared an appetizer of their home made potato chips which have ranch dressing and balsamic dressing drizzled all over.

It was prime rib night and I love prime rib. Needless to say, it was a no-brainer decision on what I was going to order.

It was a very nice 12oz slice - tender and juicy - served with a horse radish sauce that had a really good kick to it! My sinuses were havin' a party!

It's not as good as the prime rib at The Village Tavern, but I would say it is close.

It was served with creamy mashed potatoes and green beens. I would have preferred a baked potato but I was not given the choice.

Overall, I give Cadillac Ranch 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's worth a try for sure.

I have made my own prime rib at home. It's a huge crowd pleaser! If you want to try to make you're own, check out the 21-day aged rib eye! Top quality!

The BEST Lasagna Recipe EVER!

I have made this lasagna several times and it's always been a hit. I don't make lasagna very often simply because it's a lot of work. But, this is the only one I will make when the mood strikes.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 12 dry lasagna noodles
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

You can't beat fresh herbs. I use them as much as I possibly can. If you wanna try growing your own, check out this cool little starter kit for growing them indoors.

Great deal from Restaurant.com

From time to time I will be telling you about some good deals related to the food industry. One of my favorite places to get awesome deals is from Restaurant.com. Just check out THIS one and you will see what I mean!

Save 70% Off Restaurant.com $25 Gift Cert. + get a FREE $10 gift certificate. Use code DAD and pay $3 thru 6/13/10.


Only two days left on this deal so check it out now!

Renaissance Italian Update

Ok, you're probably going to be seeing a lot of updates about Renaissance Italian. It's simply my favorite place right now.


I was craving an Italian sub today. Normally, I would just go to Publix and  get a Boars Head Italian sub from them. After all, they do make a mean sub too.


Today I thought I would test Carmine again. I mean really - the pizza is outstanding, the meatball sub was awesome. I wanted to see if he would be consistent! 


Carmine made the sub for me. I expected him to take out a prepackaged, pre-weighed portion of meat. (You know, like they do at Subway, Firehouse Subs, etc.) WRONG! Out comes a whole ham, salami and capicola and he slices each one right there in front  of me. 


The bread was nice and soft, the way I like it. Layers of the freshly slices meat and freshly slices provolone cheese, followed by some fresh veggies and oil and vinegar. He uses a mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil with red wine vinegar. Tops it off with salt, pepper and lots of oregano. Done? Nope! Ya know how when you get a sub, open it up to eat it and the veggies begin to spill out all over the table? Well, Carmine has a solution - he takes ANOTHER layer of the ham, and folds it over the veggies, tucking it nicely into the sub! I only lost a few onions while eating this delicious monstrosity of a sub! Oh, and this was the 7 inch SMALL sub.


The sub was $7 plus tax - worth every penny!


That's three things that I have tried at Renaissance Italian. Bases are loaded! Tune in next time to see if Carmine hits a grand slam!




Are you a fan of Mario Batali? I am! Check out his collection of recipes in his book!

Sub Center Sandwiches

Everyone has their own litmus test when trying to decide if they like a restaurant or not. For pizza, I order plain old cheese pizza. When it comes to sub shops, I judge based on their tuna sub!

Hands down, the best tuna sub I have EVER had comes from a little joint called Sub Center Sandwiches.

All of their subs are great, though! They prepare both hot and cold subs. In fact, I also love their pastrami sub.

One of the things that stands out about this place is that ALL of the veggies are fresh - not bagged! They shred their lettuce, slice their own onions and peppers, etc. You can even choose between white or red onions. I personally go for red onions.

They staff are friendly and promise to make your sub exactly the way you want it.

The next time you want a sub, don't go to Subway. Stay away from Quiznos or Firehouse Subs! Sub Center will make exactly the same sandwiches for you with better quality and fresher ingredients!

Click on the link a few paragraphs up to go to the Yelp! page and check out all the other reviews!

Enjoy!

Are you a sandwich lover? Check out this book by Nancy Silverton!

Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

I happen to be a huge fan of blue cheese dressings. I found Bill's Blue Cheese Dressing at AllRecipes.com, which is where I find most of my recipes that I make at home.

Now, if you're watching your fat intake, avert your eyes! Don't read on! Otherwise, this is a must try recipe. You may want to tweak a little here and there. The dressing is thick so don't be surprised at the consistency.

The only tweaking I did was I added MORE blue cheese! One thing: PLEASE make sure you let it sit 24 hours like the recipe suggests. It makes a world of difference in the taste!

Ingredients

3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce. Season with mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in blue cheese. Cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Want to learn more about cheese? Check out this book and you can be a connoisseur!

Hollywood's best pizza!

I have been living in Hollywood, Florida for about 12 years and probably tried about every pizza within delivery distance to where I live.

I love pizza and am very picky about it. So, when I tell you that I ordered the majority of pizza over the years from Papa Johns that should tell you how bad the rest of the pizza in the area was - until NOW!

About a month ago, a new "hole-in-the-wall" pizza joint opened up called Renaissance Italian. With great skepticism I ordered a pizza from them to give it a try. Boy, was I glad I did! FINALLY Hollywood has a great pizza. (By the way, you can read my full review by clicking on the link to my Yelp review.)

For those of you that live in the area, you probably have heard of John the Baker in Cooper City. They have pretty darn good pizza. (But, alas, they are not in my delivery zone.) For years they were my favorite. Sorry, John, but Carmine, owner of Renaissance Italian, has nudged you out of first place into a very close second.

Not in the mood for pizza? It's all good! They have a nice menu consisting of subs and salads too! My wife and I tried their meatballs sub a couple of weeks ago and it ROCKED as well!

Don't go there for table service - or even tables for that matter! Inside they have a couple of counters and stools. There are 2 or 3 tables outside if you can stand the humidity. Stick to take-out or delivery.

Have you tried them yet? If so, I would love to hear what you thought of the place!

Thus endeth my first review for the blog! Now, GO EAT PIZZA!


Wanna make some pizza at home? Try out some of the more than 60 pizza recipes in this book!

Yes, another food blog!

Yeh, I know there are TONS of blogs about food, but I don't have one yet! :P

I guess there really can't be too many food blogs. I like to research reviews about recipes and restaurants just as much as the next foodie! So, maybe you'll find some useful information in my blog!

I live in South Florida, so the majority of my restaurant reviews will be for this area. I will also be sharing my favorite recipes that I have tried over the years!

I sure hope you will find my rantings helpful!

Mark