Ann Bauer Earlier this week, I received a note from a reader who wanted me to recommend a German Riesling for her office Oktoberfest celebration. I was stumped. If you lined up all the varietals in the world from goal post to goal post on a football field — jammy, dark, South American Malbecs at one end … Read more
It started with Don Lee, my colleague in the English department at Macalester. Don is new to the Twin Cities, author of the novel Country of Origin, and we’re very pleased to have him. So when he told me he was mostly happy with Minnesota but disappointed in the small number of restaurants serving authentic … Read more
I was — perhaps rightfully — taken to task by a reader (see comment on the entry below) for downplaying the risks of wine by posing questions about whether the most recent study to find a link between breast cancer and alcohol consumption also controlled for things such as smoking, high-fat diets, misreporting, etc. Mr. … Read more
Occasionally, I’ll give my creative writing students an exercise that goes something like this: take a candelabra, a piece of fishing wire, a map, a casual lie that can’t be taken back, and come up with a story. It must contain all of these elements, but beyond that the world of fiction is open to … Read more
To know thyself. . . .no less a mind than Socrates said it’s important. And I agree. For example, I’m a food writer but I am not Ruth Reichl or Calvin Trillin. Culinary trends don’t rise and fall with my whims. And I’ve come to terms with this. OK, I’m working on coming to terms … Read more
A couple months ago, I posted a piece about the health benefits of wine — including the information that red wine had been found to have both cancer-enhancing and cancer-preventive effects on breast tumors in women. My hope — quixotic, perhaps — was that it was a wash: the antioxidants in wine would cancel out … Read more
I stopped at Zeno one afternoon last week to meet a friend for a glass of wine. A lot has changed since the new owners took over last year. When Zeno first opened in late 2003, it had an aggressive “we’re the coolest” culture: thrumming techno music, servers with multiple piercings, and two New York … Read more
OK, so you probably can’t be a Food Network star, but you can be in the presence of an infamously uncensored one. Anthony Bourdain is coming to Solera on Tuesday, November 27, for an evening of Spanish wine and tapas, during which he will answer questions [beware!] and autograph copies of his new book, “No … Read more
Here’s my theory: the brains behind Parasole Restaurant Holdings (owners of Manny’s, Chino Latino, Good Earth, Muffuletta, Figlio, Salut, and Pittsburgh Blue; and originators of Oceanaire and Buca di Beppo) have buried enormous, powerful magnets beneath all their restaurants. Then they abducted the entire citizenry of our state, one by one, and implanted corresponding metal … Read more
Here’s a winery on Mt. Konocti in Napa Valley’s Lake County that produces exactly ONE wine: a Sauvignon Blanc made of 100% Musque clone grapes. “My husband believes in doing one thing well before he moves on to something else,” said Barbara Snider, co-owner of Fortress Vineyards and — by the way — mother to … Read more