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Category Archives: Lifestyle
Universal
For Christmas I gave Dani a VIP tour of Universal Orlando. She was sick after Christmas, so she flew back to town President’s Day weekend to do it. These tours are limited to twelve people. A guide takes you around … Continue reading
Posted in Dani, Linda, Orlando, Theme Parks
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Ron’s Birthday Extravaganza
Ron puts together a fantastic collection of wines to celebrate his birthday, and this year was no exception. We met in the private room at Eddie V’s. In attendance were: Ron and Bev Linda and Steve Keith and Parlo … Continue reading
San Francisco and Central Coast 2014
Prior to spending Thanksgiving in Los Angeles, we met Dani in San Francisco for a few days of sightseeing, and then drove down the coast. Our flight in gave us a spectacular view of the coast, the Golden Gate Bridge, … Continue reading
Posted in Central Coast, Dani, Dining, Linda, San Francisco, Wine
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Home on the Grange
We gathered for a most interesting tasting at Eddie V’s. The event was organized by Ron. Because of the cost of the wines and the desire to limit the event to ten tasters, the group was comprised of somewhat different … Continue reading
London
After Linda’s push to get “Tree” (AKA “A Bug’s Life”) open at Animal Kingdom, we were able to slip away for a transatlantic cruise. On Friday we picked up a rental car at Disney and on Saturday we packed it and … Continue reading
Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing and Crunchy Cashews
Ingredients ¾ cup uncooked quinoa 2 cups shredded red cabbage 1 red bell pepper, diced ½ red onion, diced 1 cup shredded carrots ½ cup chopped cilantro ¼ cup diced green onions ½ cup cashew halves 1 cup edamame Fresh … Continue reading
Next: Trio
Next is Chef Grant Achatz’ “next” restaurant. Achatz is the creator of Alinea, regarded by many as America’s greatest restaurant, and Chicago’s only 3-star Michelin restaurant. I approached Next with some trepidation because I’m not a fan of Alinea. I … Continue reading
Three Dots and a Dash
I’ve always loved Tiki bars, since I grew up in Los Angeles, frequenting Trader Vic’s, Don the Beachcomber, the Islander, Beachbum Bert’s and many others. It’s sad that they’re all gone. But the good news is that Three Dots and … Continue reading
Boka
Of all the Michelin starred restaurants in Chicago, Boka must be one of the greatest bargains. For little more than the cost of a typical restaurant you can have a spectacular meal. And the cozy yet classy, relaxed yet professional … Continue reading
Pride Sushi and Thai
What a delightful surprise! This small fusion restaurant is creating some of the most beautiful—and tasty—sushi in Chicago. The menu is about half Japanese, half Thai, and many of the fusion items are spicy, such as their take on … Continue reading
Grace
Grace is certainly deserving of its two Michelin stars. Everything about the experience is near perfection, from the extremely professional yet friendly service to the plating of the food, which turns each dish into an individual work of art, combining … Continue reading
Chicago Dining – Summer 2014
L2O Having dined at nearly all the top places in Chicago, this one stands out. Just on the basis of the exceptional wine list, L2O (which stands for Lakes to Oceans) deserves its Michelin stars. Each offering is so well … Continue reading
Really Old Burgundies
You know you’re drinking some great Burgundies when the DRC shows up and it’s not even in the top ranks of the night’s wines! That’s what happened last night at the Chef’s Table at the Edgewater. Ron, Bev, Linda and … Continue reading
Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients 1 eggplant cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1 cup grated parmesan 12 plum tomatoes EVOO thinly sliced fresh basil minced garlic Preparation Heat barbecue. Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil and EVOO and set aside. Coat eggplant with EVOO. Grill about … Continue reading
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Moto 2014
It had been a couple of years since we went to Moto, Chicago’s temple of molecular gastronomy. We had a very different experience on this visit from our past visits. It began with a table downstairs, in a space we … Continue reading
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
Linda flew in to Chicago for a long weekend and to escape her Disney projects. Dani and I met her at Midway with Korean Barbecue tacos from the nearby Dos Ricco’s Mexican and Asian Cuisine. I like the Korean taco, … Continue reading
Bottles and Bottega
Last month Dani and her friends visited Bottles and Bottega to drink some wine and paint a picture. It looked like so much fun I suggested we go there on the evening I arrived in Evanston, and Dani eagerly agreed. … Continue reading
Posted in Art & Sculpture, Dani, Evanston, Wine
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The Revenge of Burgundy
A few weeks ago we got together with Ron and Bev for dinner at The Vineyard, with the shocking result that the Bordeaux outshone the Burgundy. This almost never happens. So when Ron invited us to join Rhett from … Continue reading
The Night Bordeaux Beat Burgundy
Long, long ago, when I first became interested in wine, there was a general perception that Bordeaux wines were better than Burgundy, particularly when they were aged. Over the decades that I’ve been tasting wines, I’ve come to the conclusion … Continue reading
Great Old Wines at The Chef’s Table
We convened in the private room at The Chef’s Table at the Edgewater for a tasting. I have been trying for a couple of years to get Kevin Buckler of Adobe Road to schedule an extra day when he is … Continue reading
Ron’s Birthday at Scratch
Ron Siegel celebrated his (ahem) 60th birthday at Scratch. It’s the new restaurant on Fairbanks in Winter Park, next to All Fired Up. The place is owned by three young restaurateurs who have done an amazing job of designing … Continue reading
Solaia at K Restaurant
Keith Edwards organized this great vertical tasting at K on Edgewater in College Park. Attending were Keith and Parlo; Ron and Bev; Steve and Linda; Niccolo’ Maltinti, the Antinori US Brand Manager; Tobias Fiebrandt of Leitz Wine; and Marc and Kai Frontario. We began with a … Continue reading
2011 Bordeaux
Last year we attended the 2010 Bordeaux tasting at the Rosen Shingle Creek, and it was a terrific event, so we were looking forward to this year’s version. Quite a few of our friends also attended, so there were 15 … Continue reading
Butter Cookie Taste-Off
We did a butter cookie taste off, buying tubs of butter cookies all over Solvang. Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery was the first of four bakeries in Solvang where we purchased a tub of five dozen butter cookies. These were among … Continue reading
Posted in Dani, Dining, Linda, Los Angeles
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Ancient Wines at The Vineyard
Close to a decade ago Ron purchased three old Burgundies from Premier Cru for next to nothing–$75 a bottle he recalls. Over the years we consumed the 1899 and 1893 bottles. I rated them both 100pts, and number them among … Continue reading
1990 and 2000 Bordeaux Tasting
Hart Davis organizes an annual Bordeaux retrospective, and this year’s event was particularly impressive. It was held in the private room above Spiaggia overlooking Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It’s a beautiful space, although Spiaggia itself is a fairly terrible restaurant. … Continue reading
Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse
Dani and I went to an Adobe Road Wine Dinner here, rather than experience the normal dining room offerings. We were going to meet in the bar, but on a Wednesday night after work it was a madhouse, so we … Continue reading
Easy Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
These turned out as delicious as they look. Ingredients olive oil 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 package diced frozen peas and carrots 2 medium celery stalks, diced 1 cup green beans 1 potato, diced … Continue reading
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Cauliflower, Potato and Green Bean Curry
Here’s a simple recipe for curry made from scratch. You can pretty much use any vegetables, this is just what I had lying around. Ingredients (in order used) 4 potatoes, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large sweet or red … Continue reading
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Lamb Burgers
These turned out well. They taste like Kefta. I served them with Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Ingredients 8 oz. ground lamb 1 tsp. dijon mustard 1/2 tsp. finely chopped parsley 1/2 tsp. finely chopped mint 1/2 tsp. finely chopped dill 1/2 … Continue reading
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