Author: Ann Bauer

Here’s hoping the Thursday evening Mill City Farmers Market picks up steam over the summer. It’s a great concept — limiting entrants to local growers and regional businesses — and I hear the Saturday sessions are packed. But last Thursday at 5 there were only a handful of stands operating, most of them selling pricey soaps and textiles. There was, however, an interesting vendor, Azariah Acres Farm, offering lamb, wool products, and ground yak. I’ve never tried yak, so I bought a pound for a little over $5. It’s a beautifully lean meat — that’s the upside — with virtually NO flavor. Like tofu, ground yak picks up whatever taste you add (cayenne, onion, etc.), and it leaves your grill nearly grease-free. . . .But I’m thinking there may be something mindful and zen about eating yak — the opposite of filling your body with, say, grizzly bear. Azariah Acres farmer Sue Peterson says yaks are supremely docile and very easy to raise. Plus, their ancestors hung out and grazed near the Dalai Lama.

It’s time for us to have a little talk about the appropriate temperature for serving wine.

A delicate white, such as a Riesling, should be served downright cold: 45-46 degrees. A heartier white, a Chardonnay or Sauterne, may benefit from a 48- to 52-degree environment in which it can mellow a bit. Lighter reds (Beaujolais, for instance) are best when served on the chilly side, around 55 degrees. And finally, rich reds — everything from Zinfandel to Shiraz to Bordeaux — are at their best when between 59 and 65 degrees.

But under no circumstances should an open bottle of, say, Cabernet Sauvignon, be stored near a sizzling kitchen in an 85-degree room, then served in a glass still warm from the dishwasher. And I wish someone would run right now and tell the entire staff at Minneapolis’s newest trendy wine bar, Spill the Wine.

I went there tonight, not intending to write about the place. It was simply an evening out with my husband — and a preview for me. But the experience was so abysmal, I decided I owe it to every patron in the Cities who cares one whit about whether their wine is oxidized, watery, sharp-tasting, or brown, to say something now.

First off, if you’re going to enter the oenophilic field in the Twin Cities, competing with wine bars such as Lucia’s, Heartland, and even Cafe Barbette, you should hire people who know a little something about, um, wine. . . .We asked our server two questions about the offerings, which was enough to know she had no idea what she was talking about. I ordered the White Knight Viognier (a wine I’d never heard of) and found that though it had a nice, bright opening flavor, the finish was dull and slightly bitter.

I switched to red even though it was 90 degrees outside (and not much cooler at our table): first, a glass of the Estancia Cabernet. I’ve drunk this several times — it’s a not-spectacular but perfectly serviceable dinner wine. The glass that arrived, however, was warm to the touch. And what was inside simply wasn’t drinkable. It was roughly the temperature of the inside of someone’s mouth and had the distinct off-taste that occurs only when a bottle is poorly handled: thrown into the trunk of a car on a summer afternoon, stored next to an oven, or left uncorked for a day and a half.

I rarely do this, but I sent the Cab back and asked once again for a recommendation. The polite but clueless young woman shrugged. So I went with the Parker Station Pinot Noir, another lackluster wine but one, frankly, that’s hard to screw up. This pinot is simple and its flavors quite pliable. The glass, when it arrived (about ten minutes later) was barely passable: lukewarm and thin-tasting, but forgiving in its sweet berry qualities, as I’d hoped.

My husband drank a glass of the Trivento Malbec, a thick Argentinian wine, which he deemed mediocre and. . . .it was the theme of the evening where reds were concerned. . . .far, far too warm.

We ordered a light dinner — the Waldorf salad for him and a Cobb for me — and though neither was bad, each was so uninteresting, we easily could have made a comparable meal at home by opening a package of Dole pre-washed lettuce and squeezing the dressing that came with it out of a little plastic tube.

Our bill for this underwhelming adventure: $43.

I worry about places like Spill the Wine. I worry about the fact that an artsy little location — just east and south of the Guthrie, and only blocks from the West Bank — tin ceilings, black napkins, and an assortment of funky glassware, will convince some people they’re getting their money’s worth and experiencing fine wine the way it was meant to be consumed.

Not so. Someday, this could be a nice place: it has the cool old building, just-outside-downtown vibe, and proximity to the river road, where we enjoyed a nice walk after our meal. But I respectfully suggest that the managers of Spill the Wine should call up someone like Mitch Spencer at Haskell’s, or Bill Summerville at La Belle Vie, and ask for a few basic lessons.

You? Right now, you’re better off buying some nice salads at D’Amico & Sons, stopping at the liquor store for an $11 bottle of McManus Viognier or Bogle Old Vine Zin, and having a casual dinner in the comfort of your own home. Serve the wine at the right temperature and it doesn’t really matter if you don’t have a set of matched goblets. Jelly glasses will do.

David Fhima announced today that he will be closing Fhima’s on Saturday, June 16. “It’s been a great five-year run,” says the restaurateur — currently executive chef for Life Time Fitness — who closed the opulent Louis XIII last year amid rumors that his debts were nearing the $1 million mark. “We introduced Moroccan food to people who had no idea where Morocco is. And this will always be a happy memory for me.” Fhima says the restaurant will serve until the regular time (1 a.m.) Saturday night/Sunday morning and he will be on hand to talk with regular patrons. He has given no official reason for the closure, saying only that it was business decision and “it’s time.”

Doug and Jessica Anderson (formerly of Bakery on Grand, currently proprietors of A Rebours in St. Paul) plan to open Nick and Eddie on Loring Park later this summer. A combination breakfast spot, singles hangout, and rock ‘n roll bar, Doug promises this place will have the “right” music — including plenty of old Rolling Stones — as well as great food, a full bar, and picnic deals for people who’d rather eat in the park. “I want every freak and every queen, plus the young families to use this place,” he says. “We’re going to be very democratic.”

First there was Alma: Spanish for “soul.” Now, Chef Alex Roberts is opening Brasa (which means “hot coal”) at 600 E. Hennepin on the site formerly occupied by Betty’s Bikes and Buns. At Brasa, Roberts will serve soul food from Latin America, Peru, and the Caribbean — sweet potatoes, rice, beans, pork shoulder, and rotisserie chicken — only the majority of the ingredients will be Midwestern, organic and locally sourced. “I’m devoted to fine dining and that’s my training,” Roberts says. “But I also really love good wholesome everyday food.” Expect the 45-seat Brasa to open the last week of June, with a full takeout menu and prices in the $12-20 range.

Speaking of inexpensive road trip wines: We stopped in Chamberlain, SD, last night and went to Casey’s — a quirky little hybrid diner/drugstore/wine shop on the banks of the Missouri River — where we picked up a bottle of Prosperity Red – Cabernet Sauvignon for $10.99. This is *not* a complex wine. But it’s big and fruity and cheerful, full of cherry and youthfully sweet for a Cab. Utterly drinkable, it rounds out with air and has a poignant, Steinbeckian label, featuring a farmer who looks like Tom Joad might have if the Dust Bowl hadn’t rolled in. Take a look, at the Prosperity Wines website. 13% alcohol