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Category Archives: Family
July 4th
July 4th was hot in Evanston. 102, to be precise. We stayed in, except for a run to Whole Foods, but in mid-afternoon the power went out and we were thankful our dinner plans included Dani’s new portable gas barbecue. … Continue reading
Kinky Friedman
One of the funniest authors I know is Kinky Friedman. He began his career in the 60s as a folk musician with the band The Texas Jewboys, and also played backup for Bob Dylan and many others. His biggest hits … Continue reading
Paint Test
After three years, we’re finally getting rid of the hideous hospital green paint that the former owners of Dani’s condo painted the bedrooms. Testing is in progress.
Evanston
I’m spending the summer in Evanston with Dani again. She’s taking a three week physics course, and then doing an eight week psychology study that she got a grant for. In between we’re going to tour the national parks and … Continue reading
An Evening with the Sommelier
Last night was the bi-monthly Vine and Dine at the Rosen Everglades restaurant. Linda, Matin, Dani and I attended. This is always a fun event because of the dedicated staff. I think Chef Fred enjoys getting to try some different … Continue reading
Aged Rioja
Keith Edwards organized a stellar tasting of old Spanish Riojas. The event was held at the Bull & Bear restaurant at the Waldof Astoria. Attendees included Keith and his wife Parlo, Russell Edghill, Ron and Bev Siegel, Linda and I, … Continue reading
Lange Estate Winery and Vineyards at Everglades
The Vine and Dine events at the Rosen Centre Hotel are always fun. We enjoy the home grown atmosphere, and Chef Fred Vlachos rises to the challenge with some interesting dishes that I suspect are a stretch for him, but … Continue reading
Adobe Road at Luma
Luma and Adobe Road put on what was perhaps the best food and wine pairing dinner I’ve ever attended. It was held in the private room in the basement, which had been cleared out to accommodate more than 30 guests … Continue reading
Scott Joseph’s Supper Club at Taps Wine, Beer and Eatery
Scott Joseph’s Supper Club is a group that meets at different restaurants around town. It’s usually a fairly upscale wine and dine experience, so I was a bit surprised when this event was posted at a wine and beer bar. … Continue reading
Berns Burgs
Last night we explored some old Burgundies at Berns Steakhouse in Tampa, with our friends Ron and Bev Siegel. Our tasting began before we even arrived. Our driver Angelica picked us up at 4:45 pm and we met up with … Continue reading
Thanksgiving in Los Angeles
For Thanksgiving Linda and I flew to Los Angeles from Orlando, and Dani flew in from Chicago. Linda and I were lucky, and my medalion status (from credit card miles, I guess) got us upgraded to first class. Once again … Continue reading
Posted in Dani, Dining, Linda, Los Angeles
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New York to Istanbul
With a lull in Linda’s projects for Disney, she was able to get away, so for her birthday we booked a cruise in the Mediterranean. When Delta changed their flight schedule, our connection through JFK became dangerously short, so we … Continue reading
Coogee
Although it was an early morning, our plane flight from Aukland to Sydney was otherwise painless, and, taking advantage of the two hour time shift, we were in Coogee by 11am. this is the town where Pamela grew up, so … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Dani, Dining, New Zealand
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The 22 Hour Night
It takes 22 hours to fly from Orlando to Sydney, Australia. That may sound like a long time, but Dani and I discovered that if you have the right seat, it actually isn’t too bad. The sun set as we … Continue reading
Stuffing Meat Loaf
Linda made a new meat loaf recipe last night that’s the best I’ve tasted. Rather than bread or cracker crumbs, it uses Stove Top Stuffing mix: 2 lbs ground round 1 package Stove Top Stuffing mix 2 eggs 1 medium … Continue reading
Lemon-Free Hummus
Because Dani’s roommate is allergic to citrus (and several hundred other things) they’ve discovered some interesting alternative recipes. Today she made this, which I think I like better than regular hummus. Recipe 19 oz can of chick peas 3-4 tbsp … Continue reading
Yorktown and Clamagore
Dani was up late editing her Duchess of Malfi video, so she slept in, and when she got up we walked a few blocks to The Pit Stop Deli for some tasty sandwiches. Then we drove across Charleston’s impressive Bridge … Continue reading
Posted in Charleston, Dani, The South, Wine
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Lincoln Park Zoo
Now that Dani has finished her German class (and got an A, of course) we have a couple of free days in Chicago before our road trip. We spent today at the Lincoln Park Zoo, a lovely oasis of greenery … Continue reading
Fourth of July in Evanston
We decided to avoid the traffic and stay in Evanston for the Fourth of July. Dani made her traditional berry and jello flag cake, I grilled some steaks, Linda made Julia Child’s sauteed pearl onions, and we watched the spectacular … Continue reading
The Girl and the Goat
The Girl and the Goat is the new restaurant by Stephanie Izard, winner of Top Chef. Barely open a year, it has already won a James Beard award, and is the hottest restaurant in Chicago. I reserved our table three … Continue reading
Moto
Saturday night we made our annual visit to the molecular gastronomy weirdness that is Moto. We often use a limo service to get to Chicago, because the cost for a town car is about the same as a cab. But … Continue reading
Songwriters Showcase
Last night we attended the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Showcase, where 16 incredibly talented young songwriters show off the songs they’ve written during the past week’s workshop. Last year it was the highlight of the summer shows we saw, and it … Continue reading
Father’s Day at The Stained Glass
Dani and I spent a pleasant day in Evanston before the start of summer session at Northwestern. We walked up to Al’s Deli for lunch. Al’s is an interesting place, because it sounds very American, but is, in fact, French. … Continue reading
Deep Purple at the Ravinia Festival
Ravinia is an outdoor music festival founded in 1904. It’s a few miles North of Evanston. Dani and I went to see Deep Purple with the Ravinia Festival Orchestra and opening band Ernie and the Automatics. Dinner at the upstairs … Continue reading
Owl City
Dani and I went to see Owl City at The House of Blues. The first warm-up band, Unwed Sailor, consisted of a talented drummer and three people who stared at the floor. In the absence of any melody or words (no … Continue reading
Bull and Bear
Ron organized a last dinner before my trip to Evanston, and we met at The Bull and Bear at the Waldorf Astoria. Dani flew in Friday, so she was able to join us. The five of us spent a lovely … Continue reading
Cocina 214
Most restaurants open to indifference and close within a year. But every once in a while someplace hits upon exactly what the public wants and is an instant success. Cocina 214 is not a place I would have predicted would … Continue reading
The Science of Wine
This fund raiser for the Orlando Science Museum was everything we hoped the event two weeks ago at Dellagio would be, but wasn’t. There were over 100 wines arranged around the fourth floor of the museum. Each table had 4 … Continue reading
LOST
Tonight Linda and I finished a six month project of watching all of LOST on DVD. For me, it was the first time to see seasons 1 and 2, for Linda it was her first time seeing seasons 5 and … Continue reading
Linda’s Gazpacho
Linda made some delicious gazpacho last night. She started with a recipe from Food Network and modified it. Ingredients 2 cucumbers, diced 3 large tomatoes, diced 1 red pepper, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 red onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced … Continue reading