Happy Black Friday! Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you!

Posted on by
2

Yes, this was supposed to be my Happy Thanksgiving post. But we all know that the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. So…….due to this large plate of food and the glass of red wine (Hahn pinot noir, that I will definitely feature in another post) and a small sample of Custom Brewcrafters coffee porter (thanks to my brother-in-law), consumed at my wonderful mother- and father-in-law’s, inducing a nap on the couch with Heather and then an early bedtime (and then this run on sentence), my post never even got started. I was going to try and tackle preparing this year’s Thanksgiving with Friends. That will be coming sometime in the near future….because you can be thankful for good friends anytime!

Heather also pointed out how fitting our son’s school project from 6 years ago is to us and this blog, so I wanted to share it with you. I’m thankful for all of my readers and friends out there….thanks for listening to us, and hope you’ve enjoyed! Cheers!

Happy Halloween! Beware the Clemenstein!

Posted on by
8

What could be better for Halloween than a blend of clementines and Frankenstein? Introducing…the Clemenstein! At least Frankenstein is blended into the name…..not into the drink <insert evil laugh>. The reference seemed appropriate as it’s a little bit margarita, a little bit tequila sunrise, a little bit clementine, (and a little bit mad scientist).

The drink consists of a blend of 2 ounces of reposado tequila (I used my trusty bottle of 1800), 1 1/2 ounces fresh squeezed clementine juice, 1 ounce of triple sec, and a 1/2 ounce grenadine. Oh….and I can’t forget…a chunk of dry ice to create the jaw dropping, eerie smoke effect! The dry ice prevents you from having to stir, as the violent bubbling reaction will mix up your drink for you….turning it almost blood red  <insert evil laugh>. Garnish with a twist of clementine….skin  <insert evil laugh>, serve and have a safe and happy Halloween!

**Be careful not to touch (or consume!) the dry ice…it will burn you. Use a straw to help prevent accidentally swallowing some. More info here.

The clemenstein!

Double Rainbow Sangria

Posted on by
Reply

Why, you ask? Why is this post called “double rainbow” sangria? It’s just due to my wish to occasionally include pop culture references in my posts. Even somewhat dated pop culture references. But really, doesn’t the garnish on the glasses kind of remind you of a double rainbow? It wasn’t originally intentional; just fortuitous garnish karma.

So this is what we did with the Salmon Run Chardonnay that was left over from our tasting get-together. Throw some fruit, whole cloves, a splash of creme de cacao, and 3-4 oz. of brandy in with the wine….let it sit in the fridge for a day or so….and it really kicks it up a notch. Along with the blend of citrus fruits, I think apples are the key fruit addition. The raspberries were overpowered by the rest, but added a nice touch of color (and they tasted great when the sangria was gone).

This was splendid, but the same as with red wine (see our fruity, spicy, dangerously smooth version), there are many variations you could use to make white sangria. Do you have a favorite recipe? Please share while we have a sip…..cheers!

Salmon Run Sextet

Posted on by
2

We recently held a small gathering to taste 6 different Salmon Run white wines. Okay, it was really small – just us and Chef Mark. And six bottles of wine. Yup, we had a good time!

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe……which to pick first? They all look so appealing!

Wanting to start with the driest, we first sampled the Pinot Grigio. This wine’s light straw color – almost clear – would lead you to believe that it was less flavorful than it actually was. Its aroma, with a touch of citrus, was sweeter than its flavor. On the palate, it blended a bit of grapefruit with strong notes of apple, peach, and apricot.

The Chardonnay was very straw-like, both in color and flavor. It had a scent of apple, with a flavor hinting at sour apple and artichoke. Reading this over, it sounds horrible…but it wasn’t. It was good, just not our favorite of the bunch.

The Chardonnay/Riesling blend had us intrigued. It had the sweetest scent of the bunch, with an abundance of honey and peach, as well as a hint of grapefruit. The taste was slightly creamy and sweet to start, followed by a touch of cedar, and a crisp, dry finish. We liked it.

The Rkatsiteli’s scent was a blend of fruit and asparagus, which may not sound like a good start, but this wine ended up being our unanimous favorite. The taste was of peach and apple with a bit of orange creaminess. It was a good blend of flavors that led to a “delightfully crisp finish.” This quote is actually in our tasting notes, but we can’t really remember who said it…

The Gewürztraminer had a touch of pear to start, a bit of creaminess, and a nice spice to finish. It was our second favorite of the bunch. Okay, so our notes got a little thin near the end…

The next night, we were lucky enough to have some Gewurzt left to pair nicely with our grilled swordfish and mango salsa.

We saved the Riesling for last, thinking it would be the sweetest. It was, but not overly so. It had a nice blend of peach, grapefruit, melon, and lemon. We think. My handwriting was a bit hard to read by this point.

Mysteriously, all the corks ended up next to the Riesling bottle….

Cheers to Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars to a wonderful collection of Finger Lakes white wine!

Splendidly spectacular skirt steak

Posted on by
2

It takes every ounce of my being to chew slower.  Slow….down….absorb….flavor. Do you ever try to do that when something tastes really delicious? I bet you’ll have a hard time with this splendid combo. If I were to tell you that a skirt steak comes from the diaphragm muscle, please don’t let it creep you out. And if it did creep you out, pretend I didn’t tell you. You should definitely try this….seared on the grill in what seemed like no more than a minute due to it’s thinness….to medium-rare. Cover it with a little guacamole, and serve with a nice red wine. The steak was super tender, delicate and extremely flavorful.

Skirt steak draped in guacamole. This was delicious.

The 2010 red from Pesquie Terrasses brought a stunning 94 points (Wine Advocate) of Rhone Valley Grenache (70%) and Syrah (30%) to the table for less than $15. We picked up a nose of pepper, spice and plenty of red fruit. On the palate was pepper, cherry, strawberry, blueberry, anise, and spice that all lingered nicely. “We need to buy more of this,” Heather said.  It was a perfect match for the delicate steak, and the creaminess of the guacamole really blended everything together…with the jalepeno kicking up the spice in the wine. Try to chew slower…I dare you. Cheers!

2010 Chateau Pesquie Terrasses from the Rhone valley. 94 points from Wine Advocate.

Chillin’ with red wine at the lake

Posted on by
2

We recently had the chance to sample two of Montezuma Winery’s reds. I’m not usually a sweet wine kind of guy, but these were perfect to have chilled on a warm day at the lake.

The Fat Frog Red was the sweeter of the two, and Heather quite liked it. In fact, when I asked her what she thought it would pair with, she said that sweet wine goes with anything!

Even though the Frog was a hit, we both actually preferred the Cranberry Bog. This wine was sweet yet tart, almost like a cranberry vodka cocktail. We thought it would be a great addition to Thanksgiving dinner. It would also make a great autumnal sangria, and I believe we will give that a try soon!

Both wines were nice to enjoy on the cottage porch while taking in the sunset over Keuka Lake. Cheers!

Keuka Lake at sunset.

Osteria Rocco (Neapolitan pizza, part three)

Posted on by
Reply

And for the final installment of Heather’s Neapolitan pizza article written for CITIZEN magazine:

Osteria Rocco, 165 Monroe Ave., Rochester, 585-454-3510, roccorochester.com

            Okay, so this pizza wasn’t cooked in a wood-fired oven, but was it ever good! The cooking method here is to use a brick-lined gas oven that runs at about 700 degrees. Yes, 700 degrees. That’s hot, and the nicely charred crust is evidence. This crust was a bit denser than at the other two places. It was crisp on the outside and super chewy on the inside, and we loved it!

First up was the margherita, which had crushed California tomatoes, basil leaves, and – cue the choir of angels – FRESH mozzarella. I did say we were pizza snobs, right? To me, a margherita just isn’t quite the same without the fresh mozzarella. The Rocco margherita was, therefore, my favorite.

Heather cutting the margherita!

Our chef’s choice pizza was the vongole. Its toppings consisted of clams (yes, clams!), pancetta, parsley, chili peppers, and garlic oil. This pizza had a really nice heat to it. The toppings made for a delightfully unusual flavor combination.

The vongole, fresh from the kitchen. Clams on a pizza!

The pizza at Rocco is served in the traditional Neapolitan style, which means that it comes whole, and is meant to be eaten with a knife and fork. This reminded us of our beloved Una Pizza, where the pizza is also served whole. However, Rocco helps you out by providing you with a pair of kitchen shears with which to cut your pizza into slices, if you so choose. How fun!

We had an appetizer before our pizza. Fresh homemade ricotta. It’s worth a trip all on its own!

Fresh homemade ricotta. Incredible.

We’re sure that there are many more Neapolitan-style pizzas out there for us to try, no matter where you are. If you have any recommendations, leave us a comment!

Lucca Wood-fire Bistro (Neapolitan pizza, part two)

Posted on by
Reply

Sorry for the delay (we’ve been a bit busy!) – here is the second installment of Heather’s Neapolitan pizza article for CITIZEN magazine:

Lucca Wood-fire Bistro, 90 W. Main St., Victor, 585-924-9009, luccawfpizza.com

Like at Ember, this pizza is cooked in a wood-fired oven, this one reaching temperatures of around 550 to 650 degrees. We really like this crust, which is a great blend of crunchy and chewy.

For the margherita, the toppings were sliced plum tomatoes, grated mozzarella, chopped basil, garlic, and olive oil. We liked that the basil was put on after the pizza came out of the oven, keeping it nice and fresh, and that there was lots of it! We’re kind of partial to basil.

The funghi, along with the margherita, and a couple glasses of old vine zin!

Our second pizza, chosen by the chef, was the funghi. The toppings for this pizza are garlic and oil, mozzarella and asiago cheeses, roasted red peppers, spinach, prosciutto, white and portobello mushrooms, finished with truffle oil and parmesan. Wow! What a pizza! It is rich, creamy, and decadent, and one that we will certainly go back for.

This is a wonderful time of year to visit Lucca. They have plenty of outdoor seating, and we adore sitting on the porch and watching the world go by while we enjoy our delicious meal.

Good pizza AND good dessert!

I just have to add that while we were there, we also had the chocolate chip cannolis for dessert. They were excellent! Oh, and the boys enjoyed their cheese pizza, too!

The “my father is a photographer” syndrome.

After giving it much thought and consideration, we consider Lucca Pizza to be our favorite pizza this side of the Mississippi. Tell chef/owner Matt Gervasi we sent you!

Ember Woodfire Grill (Neapolitan pizza, part one)

Posted on by
1

We were at it again! The next CITIZEN magazine is out. Check it out here, or look for a copy on a newsstand near you! Heather wrote a very nice article which I am going to break into 3 parts to post, as I have a few pictures from each location to add. Here is her intro to Pizza Bliss, featuring some of greater Rochester’s finest Neapolitan-style pizza:

Rich and I are, admittedly, pizza snobs. We favor Neapolitan-style pizza with a nice thin crust that’s chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside. Our favorite pizza in the world used to be found in the East Village of New York City at Una Pizza Napoletana. This amazing pizza was crafted in the traditional Neapolitan way, using a heavenly sourdough crust and delectably simple toppings that were brought into perfect harmony in a super-hot wood-fired oven. Unfortunately for us, Una Pizza moved to San Francisco. Thus began our search for an incredible pizza closer to home.

We’ve tried many restaurants in and around Rochester during our search for the perfect pizza, and decided to share our top three finds with you: Osteria Rocco, Lucca Wood-fire Bistro, and Ember Woodfire Grill. At each place, we ordered a margherita pizza (a traditional Neapolitan with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella), as well as asking the chef to choose a pizza for us.

I can’t elaborate much (except for the extra pictures!), other than to say…this is not your average pizza. And, I would go get some…..now. But, back to the article….

Look for the sign on the wonderfully renovated train station!

Ember Woodfire Grill, 21 Livonia Station, Livonia, 585-346-0222, emberwoodfiregrill.com

            First of all, I have to rave about this building.  The owners took over a year to renovate this old train station before opening in December of 2009, and boy did their efforts pay off! The super-charming interior manages to be open, airy, and traditional all at the same time. The old section of the building blends seamlessly with the new addition to create a very inviting space.

            Now, to rave about the pizza! Being cooked in a 650 to 700 degree wood-fired oven, the crust came out with some nice uneven charring on the bottom and edges, in fine Neapolitan style. This crust was uniquely light and airy, which we found very pleasing, and had a fantastic blend of crispiness and chewiness.

            The margherita pizza had extremely flavorful crushed tomatoes, a nice combination of chopped and whole basil leaves, sliced mozzarella, and was topped off with a bit of olive oil and salt.

The margherita!

            For the chef’s choice, we were delighted by the steak pesto pizza. This was topped with grilled steak, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, fresh basil, walnut pesto, and gorgonzola. The steak was incredibly tender, and blended so well with the other toppings that the combination didn’t overpower the delicate crust in the least.

Steak pesto pizza….grilled steak, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, fresh basil, walnut pesto, and gorgonzola.

            All in all, a fabulous pizza experience!

Yes, we did travel to Livonia! Near the North end of Conesus Lake. It’s really not that far away.

There were many things we wanted to try on the menu, and we will be back soon to do so. They have an awesome patio….go check it out! (Article part two and three coming soon!)

Heather on the porch of a great old building we passed heading east out of Livonia.

Disney during the “value season” – a dream come true!

Posted on by
Reply

January 2nd through mid-February is Value Season at Walt Disney World. We’d never pulled the boys out of school for a vacation, but with junior high looming ahead of us soon, this past winter seemed like our last chance to take advantage of the value season. In addition to the rock-bottom room rates, we were able to find amazingly cheap airfare AND a special offer for a free Disney Dining Plan, making this vacation offer too good to refuse. So, the boys and I dragged Rich away from his computer (yes, he was retouching right up until the last second!) and headed for the airport just ahead of a snow storm. What perfect timing!

Waffles a la Chef Mickey, Contemporary Resort.

Some of the dining highlights of this trip were: hot dogs at Casey’s Corner in the Magic Kingdom (our first-night-at-Disney-World tradition!), brunch at Chef Mickey’s (who can resist Mickey-shaped waffles?), lunch at Hollywood Studios’ Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (great food and cool ambience), and pizza & pasta at Via Napoli (located in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion).

Pasta & pizza (and dessert!) at Via Napoli, Italy Pavilion, Epcot.

Some highlights from Epcot: Rich’s view on Test Track, hanging with Chip at the Land Pavilion, our son’s picture of Chinese lily pads, me & my crew, Spaceship Earth.

What did we learn by visiting Disney in January? We learned that the Value Season rocks! I know that winter weather in Orlando can be a little unpredictable, but ours was perfect. It was sunny with temps in the 70s during the day, the evenings cooling down just enough to make us perfectly comfortable in light jackets. Crowds were better than during our summer trips to Disney World, allowing for much more interaction with the Disney characters and shorter wait times for rides and shows. Because we snagged the free Dining Plan, we were able to eat at a few places that are normally beyond our budget, such as Chef Mickey’s and Via Napoli (and we loved them both!) We also learned that the best place to watch the Wishes fireworks show (in the Magic Kingdom) is behind Cinderella Castle, just in front of Mickey’s PhilharMagic.

Wishes Nighttime Spectacular at the Magic Kingdom, lunch at Hollywood Studios’ Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom.

Visit the Walt Disney World site to plan your vacation or to peruse their current special offers. If you’ve ever considered Disney World in the off season, but you’re just not sure – go for it! You’ll be oh so glad you did!

Our view on the way home. Can’t wait till next time!