tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194859542024-03-20T04:26:29.474-04:00jgr imagesthe way I see thingsjens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-27002204183347425652013-01-29T17:50:00.001-05:002013-01-29T17:53:26.533-05:00New Website<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DyDepS17YOh-VngxPhWS0LibDuDXIqRLE1j0_oVoZz2jBhwZPRWolCOhYz-fYQ5pMB-lfo4QnV2C0zM_6L2pXQJd95QQmL5b53GJJqZ_oNOhITQRmr4Xi00_sofXGQIOobur/s1600/2012-12-29+snow+027+(3)+(1280x1280).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DyDepS17YOh-VngxPhWS0LibDuDXIqRLE1j0_oVoZz2jBhwZPRWolCOhYz-fYQ5pMB-lfo4QnV2C0zM_6L2pXQJd95QQmL5b53GJJqZ_oNOhITQRmr4Xi00_sofXGQIOobur/s320/2012-12-29+snow+027+(3)+(1280x1280).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The new website is now live!</div>
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<a href="http://jgrimages.foliosnap.com/#home" target="_blank">http://jgrimages.foliosnap.com/#home </a></div>
jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-5791504741873433992012-11-21T17:33:00.004-05:002012-11-21T17:33:57.847-05:002009 Domaine de Trevallon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoL7HrNPMohtRr3tGOx8Kl5MWse8tnrwpzQu_PeInvj1AF3XfEFm_rXO9Q9EpQkbI6VumgztAsXJmJ4ydKq1fCu0IRYb6Dpt1eAIrIXg5rqOBeyNe2b72ywPzo70zIEiUUIUS/s1600/P1030857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoL7HrNPMohtRr3tGOx8Kl5MWse8tnrwpzQu_PeInvj1AF3XfEFm_rXO9Q9EpQkbI6VumgztAsXJmJ4ydKq1fCu0IRYb6Dpt1eAIrIXg5rqOBeyNe2b72ywPzo70zIEiUUIUS/s320/P1030857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Love it when the Cutting Edge crew stops in for lunch and leaves behind their sample bottle. This is new to their portfolio. It's a bit of a "cult" wine with a story. In my experience wine sells better with a story.<br />
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The property has been in the family since the 50s and producing wine since the 70s. It was originally produced under the "Les Beaux de Provence" AOC but when the rules changed outlawing the 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah, the owners dropped out and now it's just Vin de Pays. Some table wine for about $70! Limited quantities.<br />
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The other story is that the father was an artist (he passed in 2000), and was friends with that other artist Pablo something, and it is the father's artwork that is on the labels posthumously.<br />
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Like I said a good story can sell a wine but in this case the wine sells the wine. Elegant, complex, long finish, with classic Bordeaux notes of gunpowder. But with the Syrah it is very approachable. Also should age well.jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-89985982173347710752012-11-20T16:43:00.001-05:002012-11-20T16:47:06.706-05:002011 Megaphone Ventoux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Old habits die hard. It's been awhile since I reviewed a wine, and this is more of a plug, but this one got my attention. Imported by <a href="http://kermitlynch.com/" target="_blank">Kermit Lynch</a> with some sort of Vieux Telegraphe pedigree. You do the research. I'm too busy fixing dinner. Paired it with grilled sweet Italian sausage and pepper/onions with a touch of heat. Maybe more than a touch. Not a perfect pairing, but no complaints from the crew.<br />
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80/20 Grenache and Syrah. Bold, smooth, and complex. Like me.<br />
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Under $20.<br />
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Bon Appetit and Cheers!jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-41121571719597825892012-10-01T23:21:00.001-04:002012-10-01T23:26:53.035-04:00FotoFocus - Paul Briol<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>October 1, 2012 - Day One</b>
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As this was the first 'official' day of <a href="http://www.fotofocuscincinnati.org/">FotoFocus</a> I ventured down to Union Terminal to the Cincinnati Museum Center. There have already been several previous openings but this is Day One according to the calendar. The <a href="http://www.cincymuseum.org/paul-briol">Photographic Legacy O Paul Briol</a> exhibit is in the basement below the Omnimax Theater. There are 50 or so images from the archives that include scenes from Cincinnati including buildings, people, and places. The photo of Hillforest caught my eye as it is a former family residence, but mostly it was the classic black and white compositions that are worth viewing.
The exhibition is free but parking will cost $6.
Next up the Starn's brothers in Mt. Adams on Wednesday.
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jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-4296272635446710882012-01-27T11:42:00.004-05:002012-03-13T21:37:51.377-04:00Art Openings This Friday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oXoZPxMii4YJQSUFUUGbB2UkfzeVGpcMr8ZXyWTb9RyrQHsn8WudLnrC61YgybJ8xbbnXZU_shm2sUP7fVzhztcvgPpi-NCNADehNCZTy4-sxMvZlNciRGSGAO9imXNrnc26/s1600/P1130913+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oXoZPxMii4YJQSUFUUGbB2UkfzeVGpcMr8ZXyWTb9RyrQHsn8WudLnrC61YgybJ8xbbnXZU_shm2sUP7fVzhztcvgPpi-NCNADehNCZTy4-sxMvZlNciRGSGAO9imXNrnc26/s400/P1130913+%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702353417586670210" /></a><br /><br />Just <a href="http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120127/ENT07/301270018/Art-openings?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Entertainment|s">read the news. Or not!</a>.jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-27914487740280398172012-01-18T16:59:00.003-05:002012-01-18T17:03:32.591-05:00PAC Gallery - Through the Windshield: OTR<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW50mwSL7F9LPzhJdmFpNAGCG84ug90n-A8ar9UdNRJPvTBeaduoxonc3SW6YrI7SQ2e7NJizovGRyFE3Fc4ZpWEccjQaDJfDGBJyBQzB-yDVh7pA8CFRhFDU8PJ2SQ7U_eRj1/s1600/P1120756.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW50mwSL7F9LPzhJdmFpNAGCG84ug90n-A8ar9UdNRJPvTBeaduoxonc3SW6YrI7SQ2e7NJizovGRyFE3Fc4ZpWEccjQaDJfDGBJyBQzB-yDVh7pA8CFRhFDU8PJ2SQ7U_eRj1/s400/P1120756.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699095558833724722" /></a><br />Friday, January 27, 5-9 pm<br /><br />Opening Reception for <br /><br />Through the Windshield: OTR<br /><br />PAC GALLERY will have complimentary valet parking and <br />food and beverages will be provided by Django Western Taco <br /><br /> <br /><br />Jens Rosenkrantz Jr is an avid photographer with a passion for discovering beauty in unexpected places. Rosenkrantz was born in Boston and raised in Denver and Los Angeles. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, he relocated to Cincinnati, his grandmother's hometown. <br /><br />"Uncluttered and unfettered from art classes and technical camera skills I look for the beauty of the everyday wherever I am whether it's Europe, San Francisco, Miami, Charleston, or Downtown Cincinnati," says Rosenkrantz, "There is beauty everywhere, even when taking a wrong turn on a rainy day and getting lost in OTR. "jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-1828461863884059972012-01-16T11:56:00.005-05:002012-01-16T17:00:47.688-05:00Another New Beginning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYE7g0pxHIr889wxUDZYjO93P3CKYjeoe1SHpygotW4OmxR_pK4BcbKslPtt137qWzkNI69h-7gEIHenvNl3ncOdjdg7wR1sbEann8Pb0B4XyDjHQn1ujxjdb983_eT0mfnF5/s1600/P1100289.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYE7g0pxHIr889wxUDZYjO93P3CKYjeoe1SHpygotW4OmxR_pK4BcbKslPtt137qWzkNI69h-7gEIHenvNl3ncOdjdg7wR1sbEann8Pb0B4XyDjHQn1ujxjdb983_eT0mfnF5/s400/P1100289.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698278425150107586" border="0" /></a><br />My last post was in March in Paris last year, and since then much has changed. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Django-Western-Taco/274327409293610?sk=wall">second restaurant</a> is in the works and I now am sharing a studio at the Pendleton Art Center with <a href="http://www.mkatherinehurley.com/">Kay Hurley</a>. At least one person likes my work.<br /><br />I have an opening, my first, January 27th at PAC Gallery in East Walnut Hills with a new series and a departure from my old work. "Through the Windshield: OTR" is about seeing beauty everywhere you go even when lost, and about always having a camera with you, even on a rainy day in December when the lighting is bad and you are driving to work.<br /><br />So I will still post about travels and fine dining (or not so fine dining), but the focus is now on photos, and art, and beauty. Which I see every day. Right here in my backyard, and out the window, and inside my house. Especially inside my house.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ITpTPAWtQvbEC_G2k22-1bIbaGoyMBfawtcpDgw1znNhNnDH9DjNEPzMtB2OiU-iXlw_Zrz4Gcc9Nyak0HD32gcCfCTYLDkhkkYaiL0XZRHxomhDbfdG9c7jyDP6gnQssVOt/s1600/P1140103.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ITpTPAWtQvbEC_G2k22-1bIbaGoyMBfawtcpDgw1znNhNnDH9DjNEPzMtB2OiU-iXlw_Zrz4Gcc9Nyak0HD32gcCfCTYLDkhkkYaiL0XZRHxomhDbfdG9c7jyDP6gnQssVOt/s400/P1140103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698281811145410322" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGW-NMe-pWDPhxxC_YC1Z2pxDVFxIJmpYJUV0MbtJ0el1ouEJHpjTgmvqipWUHOier1Y6A0v7SzZKwt7rvMfzzVNsY7gzq9aN1I8lMCYKoBVdfxPruFySvDK5YUagT1tUFrRk/s1600/P1140195.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGW-NMe-pWDPhxxC_YC1Z2pxDVFxIJmpYJUV0MbtJ0el1ouEJHpjTgmvqipWUHOier1Y6A0v7SzZKwt7rvMfzzVNsY7gzq9aN1I8lMCYKoBVdfxPruFySvDK5YUagT1tUFrRk/s400/P1140195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698281805810813378" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvct7AgF3wDNGDCzcYPYmpPLSCJVmaP1XoBn2vcqz_jR4UTR2VtYCNRr5HS7udQyP4xlt0mwTyLd9xhYm6_veyMVzPvYTDkpf0AxvVQ-23K3n0qc58beRt4bW1XmFxP_ap1Bjt/s1600/P1140104.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvct7AgF3wDNGDCzcYPYmpPLSCJVmaP1XoBn2vcqz_jR4UTR2VtYCNRr5HS7udQyP4xlt0mwTyLd9xhYm6_veyMVzPvYTDkpf0AxvVQ-23K3n0qc58beRt4bW1XmFxP_ap1Bjt/s400/P1140104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698281815535616802" border="0" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-31343732167517701632011-03-16T18:08:00.009-04:002011-03-16T20:40:18.718-04:00Travel Tips to Paris<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifCMO4-XO1V1URaQP3jTTWgRvNZA76iGpmczgmxg-QMCV36668ww5x4bETZy7gONJxnKel0fBZGh-9P64oZxGP1ui0B2Y-RVS31nvXuzcGozzOrkQOu6eo8HS_fjEbcS-VQVj/s1600/CIMG3796.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifCMO4-XO1V1URaQP3jTTWgRvNZA76iGpmczgmxg-QMCV36668ww5x4bETZy7gONJxnKel0fBZGh-9P64oZxGP1ui0B2Y-RVS31nvXuzcGozzOrkQOu6eo8HS_fjEbcS-VQVj/s400/CIMG3796.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584817512561568178" border="0" /></a>I am just a rookie here but I have learned a few things in visiting Paris six or seven times in the last year for a total of about 10 weeks in country. There are those who know much more and it will take years to figure out all the nuances, but this is a first pass for those that have asked recently. I will try to keep this updated if major discrepancies develop.<br /><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Getting there</span> -- Delta has a direct flight from CVG which lands at 7am. From Charles De Gaulle you can take a taxi for about 60 euros into the center of Paris or take the RER to Gare du Norde for about 10 euros but you will have to hump your bags around during rush hour on little sleep through temperamental turnstiles. Your choice. And when (not if) there is a transit strike, all bets are off, and you had better have arranged a car before you leave home.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Hotels</span> -- I stay in an apartment which is an option maybe, but did have luck with Hotel.com landing the Hotel du Louvre for about $250 a night. (The rack rate is 500 euros.) It is in the 1st near the Palais Royal and yes, the Louvre. If you want to go upscale you can stay at <a href="http://www.lemeurice.com/">Le Meurice</a>, the Ritz, or the Crillon for about 700 plus per night. I prefer saving money and sliding into the Hotel lobby bars and pretending I'm elite. I have not yet tried the Plaza Athenee, and I hear it's swell, but in my opinion Le Meurice bar outshines the others. A Martini will set you back 25 euros. Grin and bear it, and be grateful that you are saving about 500 euros a night.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Getting around</span> -- Except for very late at night I skip the taxis unless you like watching the meter spin during gridlock. Take the Metro and then walk. Bring comfortable walking shoes, an umbrella and a carry bag. Paris is the best people watching in the world so why not dive in shoulder to shoulder. On average I walk 2 to 3 miles a day. Get in shape.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The facilities</span> -- The toilets and the kitchens are small. Get used to it. This isn't Indian Hill.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The food markets</span> -- Well, this is an interest of mine and a few locals. Whether you think Findley Market is quaint, or not, walk through a local food market and be amazed at how most Parisians shop for their food everyday. The produce, meats and seafood are fresh. Very fresh. <a href="http://frenchmarketmaven.blogspot.com/">There are internet sites</a> listing the 75 markets inside the City. It will make your next trip to Kroger very uneventful.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Shopping</span> -- I can't help you here but if you want to drop $175,000 on a watch and some other fashionable accessory, then you are in the right place. I buy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Bon_March%C3%A9">clothes at Bon Marche</a>. Remember when you were a kid and Shillito's downtown impressed you. Well, try not to stare with your mouth open and embarrass yourself. There are many tourist department stores on Opera, but Bon Marche is where Parisians shop.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Manners</span> -- Paris is a major city (10 million total) but in the stores and restaurants, it is a small village. On the street they are distant and won't make eye contact, and will pretend that they don't understand your bad French. But when you walk into a store or restaurant, it is imperative to say hello. For gods sake don't launch into questions about prices or tables before saying bonjour. I have seen a local Parisian chastised by street vendors for not saying bonjour before asking for simple directions. A street vendor. She grovelled profusely and was somewhat pardoned. And once you do get a table expect to wait a good 10 minutes plus before anyone approaches you for a drink or food order. They are not ignoring you or being rude. It's Paris. Don't take it personally.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The museums</span> -- I can't help you here. Go for it but be prepared for lines. The Louvre is open some nights so keep that in mind.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >La Tour Eiffel</span> -- I see it everyday and have no interest in waiting hours to ascend, but have fun.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Printemps</span> -- I skip the Tour Eiffel and get my <a href="http://departmentstoreparis.printemps.com/store/haussman/index.aspx?ln=en">views by going to the top floor and having lunch</a>. No waits and the food isn't all that bad though the wine selection sucks. There is no selection. But on a sunny day it is hard to beat being up 7 stories outdoors with a 360 degree view of central Paris while snacking and sipping an indifferent Red wine. Bring your camera. You did pack your camera?!</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Restaurants</span> -- I will list below the places I like. I prefer bistros and wine bars. If you want <a href="http://www.guysavoy.com/">the 3 star treatment, have fun</a> and get ready to throw down 200 to 300 euros per person, before wine -- if you can get in. And be prepared to stand by while the 'money' drops 10,000 euros without blinking. It's a different world over there at the high-end. The other irony is that you also can't get into the new hot 20 seater by the 'Chef du jour'. And get ready for attitude and not gratitude. Go figure. I like to go to places where they will at least pretend to like your business. And the other trick I have learned is that many times you can actually get in at lunch whereas dinner reservations are booked months out. Hey, you're on vacation. What's wrong with having a three hour lunch with a few bottles of wine. You are allowed to take naps in Paris. Google <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,843018,00.html">'cinq a sept'</a>.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Spring</span> -- Good luck getting in. I've been twice and dropped 500 to 1,000 for a small table. There <a href="http://springparis.blogspot.com/">is a wine bar downstairs</a> that you can walk in and sample some apps and go crazy on the wine list. Say hello for me.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Willi's Wine Bar</span> -- After thirty years <a href="http://www.williswinebar.com/">you think Mark knows</a> what he's doing? Great wines and food. A 'must stop'.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maceo</span> -- Mark's <a href="http://www.maceorestaurant.com/maceo_paris_welcome.html">'real' restaurant</a> with a colonial feel and upscale food. Try the seasonal fixed offerings.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Isse</span> -- For a change of pace try <a href="http://isse-et-cie.fr/isse/">this sushi/sake spot</a> in the 1st in a part of town they are starting to call 'Little Tokyo'. Great food and enough sake choices to dazzle your head.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Villaret</span> -- A little secret that a friend found while wandering her grandparents' old neighborhood, and then upon further research we find that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/12/style/12iht-trfood_ed3_.html">the New York Times</a> liked it as did <a href="http://alexanderlobrano.com/">Alex Lobrano</a>. Alex called it one of the best little secrets in Paris. I agree.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Square Trousseau</span> -- In <a href="http://www.squaretrousseau.com/">the 12th off the beaten</a> path. I usually stop in after oysters at <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/05/le-baron-rouge/">Le Baron Rouge</a>. Old school bistro with very good food and nice service.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">L'Avant Comptoir</span> -- <a href="http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/standing-room-only-lavant-comptoir-in-paris/">Stand up wine bar for 15</a> people max. Always mobbed. Some of the best treats available. Keep snacking until you fill up. Short but solid wine list by the glass or bottle. It's an ex-pat scene so watch your swearing. And there is no phone but just head to the Odeon station and sniff around.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Suffren</span> -- Off <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/le-suffren-paris">the Champ de Mars by the</a> Tour Eiffel. Mostly locals and UNICEF workers with few tourists. Solid seafood in a classic setting.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Minzinque</span> -- In the 15th, this is my favorite spot in my neighborhood, if you don't count home cooking. But if your French is weak, good luck. This is for locals only and very old school. Solid food and let the owner pick the wines. And there is no listing on Google, so good luck. It's off Rue Commerce by the Charlie Birdy bar.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Tipping</span> -- Service is mostly included for your meals but I throw down a few euro coins to say thank you. Though I have been known to throw Eric at L'Avant a 20 because I hate waiting in line. It does get noticed if you plan to return a few times during the week.<br /></li><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg_uZSfHNCsaDmBVORO9lzodqywTCyMFILyBgTpFUglBLWtX6jzfK2EGsv5HL0krUvzZ7poK5Sli_gvqw7ZKg9ZJJQpmlAllwTA8szWtjeKrGNy0uX_dIcH211Krm6KEavBZF/s1600/CIMG8036.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg_uZSfHNCsaDmBVORO9lzodqywTCyMFILyBgTpFUglBLWtX6jzfK2EGsv5HL0krUvzZ7poK5Sli_gvqw7ZKg9ZJJQpmlAllwTA8szWtjeKrGNy0uX_dIcH211Krm6KEavBZF/s400/CIMG8036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584829367001086194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvWeMB3BEQbmmyrBii7m7uHgkiqfgMDdjahByizwY6FLaNFfT0OoZvQUBlxM4zYgk0qGpUx7hgj4dCVV5g1vvIsdFoT8fS2Ll4VzPfMVGLlNonjOHOvpXckX9qgzsPj5gD7k6/s1600/CIMG8115.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvWeMB3BEQbmmyrBii7m7uHgkiqfgMDdjahByizwY6FLaNFfT0OoZvQUBlxM4zYgk0qGpUx7hgj4dCVV5g1vvIsdFoT8fS2Ll4VzPfMVGLlNonjOHOvpXckX9qgzsPj5gD7k6/s400/CIMG8115.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584828455685930594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyDvFJWg6bmwJq_dyNQ5mWtzOpjeen4BEnOibGWzgQEVd0m_CFkFJYx_wkuVqElmEAjvFF0rxSCz_KZS6ToLLh1tWoiNED_QIHBooXFhakKjxOiIHAE6hWfr4DnwirAVR-s2G/s1600/CIMG8111.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyDvFJWg6bmwJq_dyNQ5mWtzOpjeen4BEnOibGWzgQEVd0m_CFkFJYx_wkuVqElmEAjvFF0rxSCz_KZS6ToLLh1tWoiNED_QIHBooXFhakKjxOiIHAE6hWfr4DnwirAVR-s2G/s400/CIMG8111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584835516639194306" border="0" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-31884320721281226042011-03-08T17:31:00.002-05:002011-03-08T17:33:52.026-05:00Stay Tuned -- Film at 11<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFejsIXJWe77zMj7Ej7715vlv5OX9kvKeoJNDYpKWvp_gyDWl8FH3leaBpXA-0NJa27KYsPP4jV4D3mUA7i7uEywIB7V27elYI4z5q0LjDJ04rIYcOy-_-_HojZQC2PKD022S/s1600/CIMG7744.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 85px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFejsIXJWe77zMj7Ej7715vlv5OX9kvKeoJNDYpKWvp_gyDWl8FH3leaBpXA-0NJa27KYsPP4jV4D3mUA7i7uEywIB7V27elYI4z5q0LjDJ04rIYcOy-_-_HojZQC2PKD022S/s400/CIMG7744.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581840877998680706" border="0" /></a>I am still digging out from three weeks in Europe so just be patient. Stories and photos to follow.<br /><br />The train will be leaving the station very soon.jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-84514765825362557422011-02-25T17:47:00.006-05:002011-02-26T02:56:49.787-05:00Mensa & Washington Post Word Invitational<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmUU1o3Hd_ORd_MZ9J2qvokU8AAwxJUcifvfAxcVOu3LQ0wAYqIej5xUqtWAQYaRplg4AhRoywjIz7lKhdHACEoFKF4QYOL0Bzs8yn9HOC4eDB2WCl3_p5F3Q7jICIZD57Mtw/s1600/dictionary11.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmUU1o3Hd_ORd_MZ9J2qvokU8AAwxJUcifvfAxcVOu3LQ0wAYqIej5xUqtWAQYaRplg4AhRoywjIz7lKhdHACEoFKF4QYOL0Bzs8yn9HOC4eDB2WCl3_p5F3Q7jICIZD57Mtw/s400/dictionary11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577904004298822658" border="0" /></a>It's not wine and it's not travel but this is too funny not to post.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">From the Washington Post's Mensa Word Invitational where people are asked to change one letter of an existing word and provide a new definition.</span><br /><br /><p>"Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational New Words Contest"</p> <p>"Here is the Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition."</p> <p>Here are the winners:<br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cashtration</span> (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.<br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ignoranus</span> : A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.<br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Intaxicaton</span> : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.<br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Reintarnation</span> : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.<br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bozone</span> ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.<br />6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Foreploy</span> : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.<br />7. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Giraffiti</span> : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high<br />8. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarchasm</span> : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.<br />9. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Inoculatte</span> : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.<br />10. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Osteopornosis</span> : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)<br />11. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Karmageddon</span> : It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.<br />12. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Decafalon</span> (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.<br />13. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Glibido</span> : All talk and no action.<br />14. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dope-ler Effect</span>: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.<br />15. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Arachnoleptic Fit</span> (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.<br />16. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Beelzebug</span> (n.) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.<br />17. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Caterpallor</span> (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.</p>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-47557506187966074632011-02-25T16:48:00.010-05:002011-02-26T05:44:31.013-05:00Hotel Posta - Livigno, Italy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpADULQW_HiPEND4NU9VsmM9xHjSPTTk3zeUxROWAyQ7lHer0qyHKfQiLhQy831gPopAnvwAmRjw5KYcOELQEOpnfUUN7UJDMkqyB-vpmfUHHEcM_cXF99T1dOyFY8b3Zvmtt_/s1600/CIMG7805.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 93px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpADULQW_HiPEND4NU9VsmM9xHjSPTTk3zeUxROWAyQ7lHer0qyHKfQiLhQy831gPopAnvwAmRjw5KYcOELQEOpnfUUN7UJDMkqyB-vpmfUHHEcM_cXF99T1dOyFY8b3Zvmtt_/s400/CIMG7805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577753031411165106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0QgkotxEtBczzgWtAM3tEM_vqV7oV41rjJmJOckUJHgtKtQblhC0UZ89_qMfPbKK8gF8-VC159Kz-Edva4gHmqRCa61JySso9ZQa3g1ibx2nVEfIH6VKJoIg4atK2o6nvc4d/s1600/CIMG7915.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0QgkotxEtBczzgWtAM3tEM_vqV7oV41rjJmJOckUJHgtKtQblhC0UZ89_qMfPbKK8gF8-VC159Kz-Edva4gHmqRCa61JySso9ZQa3g1ibx2nVEfIH6VKJoIg4atK2o6nvc4d/s400/CIMG7915.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577757216311879538" border="0" /></a>As skiing was out this week <a href="http://www.hposta.it/posta/ING/ristorante.htm">on the trip to Livigno</a> due to some minor malfunction in one knee, I spent the days crawling around like a tourist and trying to find a good lunch and some souvenirs. (It is a good sign when it is near impossible to find a T-shirt shop!) Hotel Posta sounded familiar and it came with a strong recommendation from a cousin whose long time friend runs the place.<br /><br />Livigno is a few clicks from St. Moritz on the Swiss/Italian border and before the tunnel was dug in 1964 was inaccessible in Winter. If you stand on top of the ski area you can see the mountains around St. Moritz, but it will take you an hour to drive there. Livigno is a duty free zone owing to its smugglers past and is quite lively year-round. There are three ski areas to select from and it is above the tree-line, groomed skiing. Dining options are numerous on the mountain from 3 star to BYOB, the lines manageable and the lift tickets reasonable. <br /><br />Lunch was quiet in town as all able-bodied tourists <a href="http://www.mottolino.com/en/winter/photos/burn-river-jump-2010.html">were on the mountain </a>, so we had the whole place to ourselves. Service was brisk and atttentive. The wine list was mostly local. And the pasta was great as was the sliced, cured meats from local sources. All in all, it was a wonderful meal. And I even managed to sneak one of their own wine labels home for dinner tonight to ease the unpacking and long train ride.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Eu95M26G1aHF3YknWZVVicJn2_MWmXKDfuUBELm_RrMgVksRfPa_v1FZc3modhHeECh197ywxO5e5E8sn5L6_AO06cNe7Ka_B4DUlmB4fVE5jW86X-4nzZe6Zj5jleIqRTXE/s1600/CIMG7912.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Eu95M26G1aHF3YknWZVVicJn2_MWmXKDfuUBELm_RrMgVksRfPa_v1FZc3modhHeECh197ywxO5e5E8sn5L6_AO06cNe7Ka_B4DUlmB4fVE5jW86X-4nzZe6Zj5jleIqRTXE/s400/CIMG7912.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577757210961609826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHq1Fbxb1cYAMDjH3vCmgjzMzLkOFj92gUYEH9W1Wess-TwySQMJC60pP6VDs4EtOW9l6Vp4HDGzc1uv6e_go6K1Fr2yTyuobyLGf3qh-nF_lRvurqMHMG5Yx0zSJOyYgN686/s1600/CIMG7921.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHq1Fbxb1cYAMDjH3vCmgjzMzLkOFj92gUYEH9W1Wess-TwySQMJC60pP6VDs4EtOW9l6Vp4HDGzc1uv6e_go6K1Fr2yTyuobyLGf3qh-nF_lRvurqMHMG5Yx0zSJOyYgN686/s400/CIMG7921.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577757207069437490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVlMmV9RKOSROH17YFoy1dOw9ffAt3MlNWU4FJiwB3kYUivsozzJTRdVxHLGOuck0hbIBX_zGnAjtdMgxeh1Lpn8agXRPHVKIdU4fZY-QWTO79JzF56noykrmyElMhX6sbv2J/s1600/CIMG7920.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVlMmV9RKOSROH17YFoy1dOw9ffAt3MlNWU4FJiwB3kYUivsozzJTRdVxHLGOuck0hbIBX_zGnAjtdMgxeh1Lpn8agXRPHVKIdU4fZY-QWTO79JzF56noykrmyElMhX6sbv2J/s400/CIMG7920.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577753048337784242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglueML-5JddXYIUEP_kCa-z2WyECfM4i0LUbrZMnKiUtaUCEbBerTQGUqatqNKhRNpoAqxOl_DiSALw61cu_8N1UVLkpXfKlbp6HNzDYMEzqEzo_Dt1uNAWUq9sQ2QFbtyvWrI/s1600/CIMG7919.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglueML-5JddXYIUEP_kCa-z2WyECfM4i0LUbrZMnKiUtaUCEbBerTQGUqatqNKhRNpoAqxOl_DiSALw61cu_8N1UVLkpXfKlbp6HNzDYMEzqEzo_Dt1uNAWUq9sQ2QFbtyvWrI/s400/CIMG7919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577753041870370386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqeSi2Ahdx0ES0oBowKWtKo_csvi3-Wl-jzLBanckmhLLK-LpL53hIYTkFVTZTFN6zX_8L9HURHpzFZfjF5JDAEuKqsedq7pizL3DG3rvMkryjLRJZNpKxAVWic3rIjwWHzoo/s1600/CIMG8017.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqeSi2Ahdx0ES0oBowKWtKo_csvi3-Wl-jzLBanckmhLLK-LpL53hIYTkFVTZTFN6zX_8L9HURHpzFZfjF5JDAEuKqsedq7pizL3DG3rvMkryjLRJZNpKxAVWic3rIjwWHzoo/s400/CIMG8017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577753034688859234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW35hazk-7DqDbp5aIj605oW4xI9fyaxEIih7JoMcQJIVbTjIQZg-KOWq8RTCELOziliGV9MjZlwywJVuVGcXlupxHtHSEGSFqmwuUo3FgVTMymDBZFrffxkHJqbXFejX4kL5/s1600/CIMG7916.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW35hazk-7DqDbp5aIj605oW4xI9fyaxEIih7JoMcQJIVbTjIQZg-KOWq8RTCELOziliGV9MjZlwywJVuVGcXlupxHtHSEGSFqmwuUo3FgVTMymDBZFrffxkHJqbXFejX4kL5/s400/CIMG7916.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577753032203133842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspV9O1qCba9LWJ3sLUPlR_iwZfoG5JEv9jU7Nw_RRsvLuoqmWIKd-iByL8fSnHeKFb8h70yxt_h9HE-EqVWJ4PGKCVa6Ro3xG9WSi_BWNNYmAKhUUoky6nyllcXdtHd22yQMX/s1600/CIMG7925.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspV9O1qCba9LWJ3sLUPlR_iwZfoG5JEv9jU7Nw_RRsvLuoqmWIKd-iByL8fSnHeKFb8h70yxt_h9HE-EqVWJ4PGKCVa6Ro3xG9WSi_BWNNYmAKhUUoky6nyllcXdtHd22yQMX/s400/CIMG7925.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577945692553713986" border="0" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-86334413381997111362011-02-20T12:14:00.007-05:002011-02-20T15:16:45.214-05:00Le Baron Rouge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDH9HdD2IWFSi-sG6bPgsOWc9mUkmEo0wXg99DEE0gZ35gTSPE-u3mU1DPqzTQhFP5Vb4ZgRybfVKq9cx3zWij3R9ZY6C2Aa8-p20AzRcUC7-3n1ugLlUXMgrs2AnLJKrSia2r/s1600/CIMG7687.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDH9HdD2IWFSi-sG6bPgsOWc9mUkmEo0wXg99DEE0gZ35gTSPE-u3mU1DPqzTQhFP5Vb4ZgRybfVKq9cx3zWij3R9ZY6C2Aa8-p20AzRcUC7-3n1ugLlUXMgrs2AnLJKrSia2r/s400/CIMG7687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575834749150796450" border="0" /></a>Today was supposed to be a quiet Sunday. Waking up past 8am, having coffee leisurely while checking the mail before casually meeting a cousin at the Opera Metro station at 11am. So when I awoke at first light and wandered into the kitchen to fire the coffee machine I was a bit surprised to see the clock on the wall read 11. Eleven!!! Oh putain!<br /><br />So I hadn't planned on reviewing <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&cp=15&qe=bGUgYmFyb24gcm91Z2Ug&qesig=cCR70efBx42NBge1xrejWw&pkc=AFgZ2tn7A2wWhE6iY4VCrmOFkecT1axPHadawRJ09ug7PkLfKSlb01TBY-W62vXCss2xvHfQZKBOCnHVCwnCrxehFk7Oh67uyw&client=firefox-a&hs=vhD&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=le+baron+rouge+paris&fb=1&hq=le+baron+rouge&hnear=Paris,+France&cid=12299704364868389706">Le Baron Rouge</a> today as I dashed out sprinting to the Metro an hour late. Desole! I knew I was going there to reload some house wine and buy food for dinner at the nearby market and check out the flea market before a meal at <a href="http://www.squaretrousseau.com/">Le Square Trousseau</a>, but for some reason hadn't planned on writing up Le Baron Rouge. I was still waking up.<br /><br />They offer bulk wine at under 5 E's per liter for fresh, simple house wine which is a steal and perfect for parties. The returnable bottles with a deposit are poured from 225 liter barriques offering about 6 different blends. The Reds, Cotes du Rhone, Touraine and Merlot, are simple and quaffable but not memorable. The Touraine Blanc however is more than quaffable and is perfect with some chicken dishes, seafood and oysters. Did I say oysters?<br /><br />There are many reports on the weekend oyster offerings at Le Baron Rouge were throngs of people from every corner of the world descend during the Winter months to wash down dozens of oysters with good, cheap white wine. The rumors are all true. If you are shy about pushing into a crowded mass to secure 'le pot' of Blanc and fight for some counter space while your team holds up their end of the bargain by bringing 18 small oysters with lemon and bread and butter, then please don't go. Please! Save room for me on my return.<br /><br />The oysters bar is set up outside on the sidewalk where people mill around swilling wine, smoking cigarettes and pounding oysters by the dozen. I didn't get the details of where the oysters were from as it was my job to get the wine remember, but my guess is that they were #3s from Normandy, maybe Claires or Brittany, that were at most one day old. You could taste the brine of the sea as you threw them back. Someone suggested dripping some of the wine into the brine before slurping and that worked too. I always listen to good ideas that involve oysters and wine. We were told by the 'shucker' that they go through "a couple hundred dozen" each day on the weekend. A couple hundred dozen. She would know.<br /><br />There are other food offerings like pate and bread and charcuterie and the wine list, besides the 6 or so in bulk, totals about 50 by the bottle or glass. During the week the place is dead quiet and locals stop in to re-load their house wines and chat with the owner. Today there were maybe 100 people packed into a room the size of you living room which explains the street scene. Yes, you should go and if you don't like crowds, stand outside and send a friend in for the goods. This will give you time to exchange emails and phone numbers with the other fanatics from England, Argentina, Spain, Oslo and Cuba. I will definitely be contacting Ernesto from Cuba, and maybe the chef from Oslo who is from Spain. They all agreed that Barcelona was calling......and then Cuba.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvJJLgKUR4Bd4Myv0HPRSKGyXXpzqksPXOFsdWhxD1nARYjTvYzTM0Zivb9d7EWIRkkf1QOhLvlDAnYHGYdCXH2P-SrN26Y5PJIDHyBiR7YivANWVOIBJURdmG-73CK0y5kh2/s1600/P1110470.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvJJLgKUR4Bd4Myv0HPRSKGyXXpzqksPXOFsdWhxD1nARYjTvYzTM0Zivb9d7EWIRkkf1QOhLvlDAnYHGYdCXH2P-SrN26Y5PJIDHyBiR7YivANWVOIBJURdmG-73CK0y5kh2/s400/P1110470.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575842118159798386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVOkmCKo_qs8_sNkpXDF9K1Uvi1wRK5uSGuh1blvKKg4IQP_aaMR4GHmr5SGl5tiCTqGJTKOkKXz79uFWhf9FAoaCaE3TSTtuj9JFwvwvHpjoeAd7Y5PfZ2yWFvzEQZplaur0/s1600/CIMG7684.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVOkmCKo_qs8_sNkpXDF9K1Uvi1wRK5uSGuh1blvKKg4IQP_aaMR4GHmr5SGl5tiCTqGJTKOkKXz79uFWhf9FAoaCaE3TSTtuj9JFwvwvHpjoeAd7Y5PfZ2yWFvzEQZplaur0/s400/CIMG7684.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575834745355491986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_ww_32i4LvwUr1EkB3ODxeM5XB1uSUH52HXmbVgT3zd8X5pSwfzPGXwCfLdRBFf5MurUYw3HuJ9foBv8-OcYsU_fpH5itmCO9Voudl7ApNurAHbGv3IBh3iFxN9RwH3p3WMX/s1600/CIMG7688.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_ww_32i4LvwUr1EkB3ODxeM5XB1uSUH52HXmbVgT3zd8X5pSwfzPGXwCfLdRBFf5MurUYw3HuJ9foBv8-OcYsU_fpH5itmCO9Voudl7ApNurAHbGv3IBh3iFxN9RwH3p3WMX/s400/CIMG7688.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575834740716137378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0GhtHv8CsXkhwfHIBPzY-4ekJWs-r9YFIsTHWtQeOaOIVHGDsVeFAQctPTcqWLGVvcnntpksyo0yBcpc7Jzhnycovi6-W654vCsRmJ8SpMOlJFcMPPpxEAFMBCHDyPQBmV0J/s1600/CIMG7706.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0GhtHv8CsXkhwfHIBPzY-4ekJWs-r9YFIsTHWtQeOaOIVHGDsVeFAQctPTcqWLGVvcnntpksyo0yBcpc7Jzhnycovi6-W654vCsRmJ8SpMOlJFcMPPpxEAFMBCHDyPQBmV0J/s400/CIMG7706.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575834741814251314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouRqbuQJDqp2AtZ14Ly0GW9mtmtitDdfYghW0nl_hepfrodOwl8IWhmuBgfnRmxtIOYg7F1CBVRYgx8g-Fb_G9STzxPhCrfxrtdAEMZQKEWQ2GCLixzzhNu_be6esNoEnhkiF/s1600/CIMG7708.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouRqbuQJDqp2AtZ14Ly0GW9mtmtitDdfYghW0nl_hepfrodOwl8IWhmuBgfnRmxtIOYg7F1CBVRYgx8g-Fb_G9STzxPhCrfxrtdAEMZQKEWQ2GCLixzzhNu_be6esNoEnhkiF/s400/CIMG7708.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575868135386984994" border="0" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-81831752329070321042011-02-19T06:05:00.009-05:002011-02-19T07:35:58.370-05:00Le Garde-Robe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgyJJv4zDCTT4yyRD5A2dtDThFZ2pdSmPauuI249P8y_m9y4inn10JIeIKuiku7AkBIUxFy-ySUjd7xA2LCUQUM_LLYuZClJQEYUl9xOQ1_EEmnk3KohnJRUSrv6It9I9EOtc/s1600/CIMG7633.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgyJJv4zDCTT4yyRD5A2dtDThFZ2pdSmPauuI249P8y_m9y4inn10JIeIKuiku7AkBIUxFy-ySUjd7xA2LCUQUM_LLYuZClJQEYUl9xOQ1_EEmnk3KohnJRUSrv6It9I9EOtc/s400/CIMG7633.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575368106854811794" /></a>This is my third wine bar review on my march through Paris this February and I am beginning to figure out that there is a wide range of flavors in this niche, from hole-in-the-walls to trendy 'hot' spots with 100 open bottles. I would put <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/07/le-garde-robe-and-spring-paris-restaurant-wine-bar/">Le Garde-Robe</a> in the class of a hole-in-the-wall with simple charcuterie and cheese offerings and a medium wine list that is good for dine-in or carry out.<br /><br />Yet, with the more than pleasant and chatty servers and the ability to pull a bottle off the shelf at retail and drain it on the spot, I would recommend a visit. It is rustic and charming and conveniently located in the 1st, near Spring and Le Fumoir. The plates were very good with a touch of flair (loved the idea of honey on the cheese plate!) and the simple bottle of Blanc set me back 15 E's for a total bill of under 50 E's for two.<br /><br />Whereas <a href="http://cinciwine.blogspot.com/2010/12/willis-wine-bar.html">Willi's offers</a> actual fine dining in a casual setting with great wine selections,and <a href="http://cinciwine.blogspot.com/2011/02/l-avant-comptoir-redux.html">L'Avant Comptoi</a>r has a short simple wine list but with mouth watering taste morsels, Le Garde-Robe is a plain vanilla wine cafe. If you are in the neighborhood it is worth a visit. And if you do go, ask the bartender/cook how <a href="http://film-book.com/lassaut-the-assault-2011-movie-trailer-julien-leclerq/">his new movie is doing</a>.<br /><br />"How do you tell if you're a good actor?"<br />"You're only working weekends at the wine bar."<br /><br />or<br /><br />"So what do you do for a living?"<br />"I'm an actor."<br />"Really, what bar do you work at?"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJLL4jrSUqolDCqjRuToYnQCZK2fBqPK0hF0kI8lPcZuxWSDw5qXa8om79Wo6YgaloXIEchhXcL3YPx96mb-QkL_afTWHZjeXiTpdVzOoFkLJydDMyWt9K-Ix-YfOYxbtmotp/s1600/CIMG7645.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJLL4jrSUqolDCqjRuToYnQCZK2fBqPK0hF0kI8lPcZuxWSDw5qXa8om79Wo6YgaloXIEchhXcL3YPx96mb-QkL_afTWHZjeXiTpdVzOoFkLJydDMyWt9K-Ix-YfOYxbtmotp/s400/CIMG7645.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575368099911293826" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3oM6GeVTnvd5WnXD1olJ6IFGfZv-AB4WxYbu-sEIJ7uGPvRkjRuq_9xnGj6_BuomOGATwFODOAxH7hRi-NZsNXODsDN-1cKk7slkXf9tGtyke12yBA9rIHvLCPZtBkx-Omfy/s1600/CIMG7651.JPG"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibc1eHGK30a_XFS3U4Z0lPQVB2KIwI3VkxnUt0JT4GNQGsQU15DiH1KQ50S7xQwsuxvmqbs6p3uJk-tOR1eUa-U9rHvs1jeSWS7PcSwi_nwgGo1n4pHhEtBEBjxCcOLgtO2vOd/s400/CIMG7636.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575367598032943634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj1G5nwQ_ltzmg73l2Bq6oioJBtg7xC_P-UBN7JOgT-Mb-P5UqcwdyVe-E1-9GJVxStgisH7hfnnZdmCfZLhpxBGHNSCPSCLpvQ2_310zr2OtH9N8Q27ry0m2cJSt-79rLBwI/s1600/CIMG7637.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj1G5nwQ_ltzmg73l2Bq6oioJBtg7xC_P-UBN7JOgT-Mb-P5UqcwdyVe-E1-9GJVxStgisH7hfnnZdmCfZLhpxBGHNSCPSCLpvQ2_310zr2OtH9N8Q27ry0m2cJSt-79rLBwI/s400/CIMG7637.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575367595335586482" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-34683637161122331572011-02-19T04:32:00.006-05:002011-02-19T05:46:20.647-05:00Isse - Paris<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBMi4Hy17jD0O1G2H3h5i1tTLwy7vOLvSGttaE2Xhr2iMkGe4q5jgUcw9AuvWUJ1cL_Fv9rsgkieOSdwybl5pJ04PgYIneFZuaPHuhYv6o0Z-U1c_XR4RdrfhZ_aP7eLhrUVZ/s1600/CIMG7564.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBMi4Hy17jD0O1G2H3h5i1tTLwy7vOLvSGttaE2Xhr2iMkGe4q5jgUcw9AuvWUJ1cL_Fv9rsgkieOSdwybl5pJ04PgYIneFZuaPHuhYv6o0Z-U1c_XR4RdrfhZ_aP7eLhrUVZ/s400/CIMG7564.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575347673186830466" /></a>Although I am more familiar with the wine bars and traditional restaurants in the 1st, I have noted and read that the 1st is becoming the 'Little Tokyo' of Paris and is chock full of all types of offerings from 5 seat sushi hole-in-the-walls to high-end gastronomique affairs at 100 euros per person, and everything in between. My curiosity was peeked and I was ready for a change-up from steak frites.<br /><br />Having walked past the windows the night before I was taken by <a href="http://isse-et-cie.fr/?lan=french">Isse's clean decor</a> and array of sake bottles, so we walked in and were ushered downstairs as the upstairs was full. And as I am no expert on Japanese cuisine or sakes we invited the server to throw down 4 to 5 courses paired with a variety of sakes which we all shared.<br /><br />This has proven to unnerve some restaurants we have visited recently for some reason but I think it is a great way for a restaurant to showcase their best offerings. I know for a fact that at La Poste we would welcome the challenge, but as Isse had been only open (or, re-open) for a week I forgave their shyness and welcomed their grace.<br /><br />Across the board the food offerings and sakes were enjoyed and there were some favorites. All in all it was a most enjoyable night and although I am no expert on sushi (and avoid all the half-off offerings in Cincinnati) I would say that the quality and freshness of the raw fish was the best I have had to date.<br /><br />Isse is part of a four venue chain which includes a grocery store with sake tastings and a light lunch. It will be on my next stop to "Le Petit Tokyo de Paris" after crossing off a few more wine bars on the to-do list.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBZ9GD1qLKiQi3hHE0GRAWI_md_IGgWxX_EWmRFtnqu8kO2tIJJ73NTlISztK0So68lYI5VrEERflvbVsXXdAFJ6RXbc-Hhm2b9SDKlvGs5FExjTJ_L_gPwEuhe0L408UDiDA/s1600/CIMG7543.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBZ9GD1qLKiQi3hHE0GRAWI_md_IGgWxX_EWmRFtnqu8kO2tIJJ73NTlISztK0So68lYI5VrEERflvbVsXXdAFJ6RXbc-Hhm2b9SDKlvGs5FExjTJ_L_gPwEuhe0L408UDiDA/s400/CIMG7543.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575347674975374706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHGzWQPgoWYAVo57Av4xtj2M4LrQ59wlHu3qXj2xUX3-8a50ISbNft-el4wPOlOm1dAsXSZddyoMHI-NuhtrKWUvieEtBb0eVtugknHkcf4SCBv-tq2OvuGvadQ1Z1ylw1MPV/s1600/CIMG7533.JPG"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5fHEXF5yL-k0DtereLgHi7zg2z9t4WBAO8Lk_cqDjk_c04J6-T38I6kXYLrr2_llhUUOxTciFiZRJAVDsr53sMT3TEPiNYA0-L9m0vX7b4Q4_Lxd_LJ7hkENiSkbUwD34vIA/s400/CIMG7540.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575338349483570946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGeb92U9gqLuoGbsyQxCdhmBp0ciasvv_tOtkaWxLV7ZaqjGKaqaue7kNU_NyfoxS8m8VuqsK2c5q0XMnOduoIu7l1BQxKGoFpr3mzqT9PE8F2ZEfD6n09oHzDNYMT9_NgGxq/s1600/CIMG7561.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGeb92U9gqLuoGbsyQxCdhmBp0ciasvv_tOtkaWxLV7ZaqjGKaqaue7kNU_NyfoxS8m8VuqsK2c5q0XMnOduoIu7l1BQxKGoFpr3mzqT9PE8F2ZEfD6n09oHzDNYMT9_NgGxq/s400/CIMG7561.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575338347124161954" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-20919259435396277042011-02-18T08:07:00.000-05:002011-02-19T12:15:09.689-05:00Willi's Wine Bar - Again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6UKLKW2gPNzEvVdmGsC7mKmZ7KRPqqV0e4jn-j9vIahOF9hplUINz805kO3eKX8PtAGRRn9-SIh3dT9bJ1MqR8hAZJRmV6BbRESGUMCN4Eg3f-RiYdRlwCRI37B_e1QfsE_Y/s1600/CIMG7490.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6UKLKW2gPNzEvVdmGsC7mKmZ7KRPqqV0e4jn-j9vIahOF9hplUINz805kO3eKX8PtAGRRn9-SIh3dT9bJ1MqR8hAZJRmV6BbRESGUMCN4Eg3f-RiYdRlwCRI37B_e1QfsE_Y/s400/CIMG7490.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575393811451100258" /></a>Willi's is a must stop every time in Paris (along with Maceo), so once again I found myself there one late afternoon because I was in the neighborhood on the way to the kitchen and bath supply house to research tile, toilets and shower faucets for the apartment remodel. I had insisted on a bribe of wine and food because I thought that it would help with my attention span later.<br /><br />The advantage of being a regular at one of your favorite wine bars(and being naturally pleasant to all servers) is that when you arrive at 2:30pm and the couple in front of you is told that the kitchen is closed, you can sit down quietly at the bar and the server whispers to you that if you want the 'plat du jour', there is no problem. Smiles all around.<br /><br />As we were in a hurry and the kitchen WAS closed, we shared a simple apple/onion tatin on arugula lightly dressed in olive oil and then lamb tagine over couscous. The wine bar, however, was wide open. The <a href="http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1021355">Saint Joseph blanc</a> that was suggested was outstanding and the Red paired well with the lamb. If I could find this Blanc back in Ohio, it would be my personal house white. It is a stunning, bright, complex blend of Marsanne and Roussanne.<br /><br />So connections do help, but manners will serve you better. So it's not always about dropping big tip bombs. Next time though I will get there earlier so that I can run through the whole menu, and yes she did get more than 4 euros for her efforts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75qIJsZwFRz3J3ezYrSmnYQcbalXO1x9Y0-dBQdBKnEn_MgK1LjTkAFGju6fcwvabHmGCnE_kuXwRjewpVpQMFddc6z5Gzv18pVwCFSmjC4CAmtjuJrczOqXpTVwua975euxS/s1600/CIMG7493.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75qIJsZwFRz3J3ezYrSmnYQcbalXO1x9Y0-dBQdBKnEn_MgK1LjTkAFGju6fcwvabHmGCnE_kuXwRjewpVpQMFddc6z5Gzv18pVwCFSmjC4CAmtjuJrczOqXpTVwua975euxS/s400/CIMG7493.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575393806641830498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzFe9sCstXpotX8rhh6jke9LaDaeyghliY0pjCeOD2dmXABzR_RB-3B8tf1ZMjGimKYmmKgB9ooRRL9lBcgGmOlJkt-uXKx5RZAluSfuCGUnL3P-RR0EQQGmxWegA3EqtT0nm/s1600/CIMG7496.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzFe9sCstXpotX8rhh6jke9LaDaeyghliY0pjCeOD2dmXABzR_RB-3B8tf1ZMjGimKYmmKgB9ooRRL9lBcgGmOlJkt-uXKx5RZAluSfuCGUnL3P-RR0EQQGmxWegA3EqtT0nm/s400/CIMG7496.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575393100139547890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6r0EkqFtQvu-AKkqIbEDF6kpog_HWImlXo7wFGRoT947vVH78YVq4SPRmd3s71OXDvE0aSX2ELxQ75uXrR_HamGp8x4UkoSOVLpAPhgJopqFWsx1nPo9UoobOf1sECBeotMPr/s1600/CIMG7494.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6r0EkqFtQvu-AKkqIbEDF6kpog_HWImlXo7wFGRoT947vVH78YVq4SPRmd3s71OXDvE0aSX2ELxQ75uXrR_HamGp8x4UkoSOVLpAPhgJopqFWsx1nPo9UoobOf1sECBeotMPr/s400/CIMG7494.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575393097310875042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyw-GqwqOkNs-AmrPb-XbSbPFuvYZ67QxZvB4Cf9H2EYZBzSwNvstIYSUyOIArLT0fSXDrHAAv3bKfHRQ6FSHoqKRASQ-0tFDeJsJ3ZP95LJknrUWI2G3iEGI_aJOfpfMrPno/s1600/CIMG7491.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyw-GqwqOkNs-AmrPb-XbSbPFuvYZ67QxZvB4Cf9H2EYZBzSwNvstIYSUyOIArLT0fSXDrHAAv3bKfHRQ6FSHoqKRASQ-0tFDeJsJ3ZP95LJknrUWI2G3iEGI_aJOfpfMrPno/s400/CIMG7491.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575393095804065218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGI8sYTSadgtu-izkKFMkZ79Q8Qqrc4Yl6P5fT1TkjyZzJNLT0cBS0Mfbcam3w8cPYANlBTjryDRmLA3Hb1QZw0VmT6IhdBxVlSXVn9W6Py4DLlgpL6xP9yszgGPH6hxMsbJF/s1600/CIMG7497.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGI8sYTSadgtu-izkKFMkZ79Q8Qqrc4Yl6P5fT1TkjyZzJNLT0cBS0Mfbcam3w8cPYANlBTjryDRmLA3Hb1QZw0VmT6IhdBxVlSXVn9W6Py4DLlgpL6xP9yszgGPH6hxMsbJF/s400/CIMG7497.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575393091235621778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH52cfUL2Ysejo0BFSr4zrIOU8qIMz7sAXHTF9CKxnYkU_6CHjVTkxGxmt9CbaUShC9fK2DtKIKksdJ6jl2f3Hcx4XxyXPMfKGOCbgrSlQfezYVRAlU5Ml6hb-Uytxirn3rIVN/s1600/CIMG7499.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH52cfUL2Ysejo0BFSr4zrIOU8qIMz7sAXHTF9CKxnYkU_6CHjVTkxGxmt9CbaUShC9fK2DtKIKksdJ6jl2f3Hcx4XxyXPMfKGOCbgrSlQfezYVRAlU5Ml6hb-Uytxirn3rIVN/s400/CIMG7499.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575393089199663042" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-37171394410110248092011-02-17T07:04:00.006-05:002011-02-19T12:50:17.710-05:00L' Avant Comptoir - Redux<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWDCANV2BvRz7yBpwe67n7uolC9sZaGbVD6Ao0VDjgPpkhfwYQgBqjzKQJT4i1fYfHb751k2fW7OejIHaXft5px5YJhNg4BDI8Ib15SjxHYMJjAZYmlnLsPlBv2mW81gPLCp5/s1600/CIMG7449.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWDCANV2BvRz7yBpwe67n7uolC9sZaGbVD6Ao0VDjgPpkhfwYQgBqjzKQJT4i1fYfHb751k2fW7OejIHaXft5px5YJhNg4BDI8Ib15SjxHYMJjAZYmlnLsPlBv2mW81gPLCp5/s400/CIMG7449.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574631676819942674" /></a>On my first day in Paris after the red-eye from CVG, I am hungry and thirsty and fatigued and a bit spaced out and a sommelier/friend from some fancy LA restaurant wants to hit L'Avant one more time before heading home. No problem, so we hit it hard for my first time this trip, the first of many as I average about 3 stops per week here. <br /><br />I will spare you the adjectives. Just go. But it's always crowded so be prepared to get jostled, and chatted up by the other ex-pat fanatics. Maybe you will hear a story of the best 'couscous' restaurant in Paris run by some 90 year-old man who will only let you in his secret location if he knows you and likes you. A 'couscous' speakeasy. We're not in Cincinnati anymore.<br /><br />And as the sun burns through the morning fog we walk a dozen blocks to window shop and check out the liquor store across the street (all three levels) and then catch the bus home for those that like the street views. I'm an underground Metro kind of guy but I get vetoed all the time. Better to follow sometimes, and not lead especially if someone else is holding the tokens.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYE3RQodRSa6j6t7OpUfbX2gB6a6N2PnTYfn4VFCcnilmquqokuwTRrAHEokL17cQTQcfwJQ9Kcp-wgTMMYq_H01z_pNqO-TbHSbjOJLrh4Iz8d1uS8pFp8p4p67Y-KbVF37Th/s1600/CIMG7452.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYE3RQodRSa6j6t7OpUfbX2gB6a6N2PnTYfn4VFCcnilmquqokuwTRrAHEokL17cQTQcfwJQ9Kcp-wgTMMYq_H01z_pNqO-TbHSbjOJLrh4Iz8d1uS8pFp8p4p67Y-KbVF37Th/s400/CIMG7452.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574631678857650482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJXILqwvjxIaoHhMJnXbYxo2fiJaFTiQdSy0gCE7mh39guygXTk49mGhP_0zqFHii9tBYI-aR60BbbkM_UgbRhHoPCKqa-B0Iltsn13VuihnrtoOizT7NzhfKSwuyCPPWr8iA/s1600/CIMG7454.JPG"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAziyh8YISaabCp4L4IXqZtmLhDrv2JgiAehuxdbgTbkyRbmGKLKfDfRGgakhDOoJzqJMw3qqO8WyfN8FLFUSAGiZ5jANegpPmOhadzBXSaTbSAAxByTJnhL1JG_oxfYQEeyv4/s400/CIMG7446.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574630977201500066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBVnaNj7MylHWaqPwPQZg8fOiKhCefsPkmH6YKNdErPh1dMhaLTo1sO-so16GdUnAvsyVqJZH5DlTA_Psxrpwqe-A7R9_6XLhaG5buk4JI0Ym4Axa_ygXjs8cjavgWLDurxrQ/s1600/CIMG7458.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBVnaNj7MylHWaqPwPQZg8fOiKhCefsPkmH6YKNdErPh1dMhaLTo1sO-so16GdUnAvsyVqJZH5DlTA_Psxrpwqe-A7R9_6XLhaG5buk4JI0Ym4Axa_ygXjs8cjavgWLDurxrQ/s400/CIMG7458.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574635461213622690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbmXX5sJiLb5yXSEtqLOx-h1SC-n1IF2019Wi_OnxD6_jTuy27mpQ9dbAPQz6RVMDQO5no4LyuVvOl0S8DLiU0M0627PUVIu3BcW9fEAjP_6MAAiKyWnE-v6Nh8PyeHnpKjrB/s1600/CIMG7480.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbmXX5sJiLb5yXSEtqLOx-h1SC-n1IF2019Wi_OnxD6_jTuy27mpQ9dbAPQz6RVMDQO5no4LyuVvOl0S8DLiU0M0627PUVIu3BcW9fEAjP_6MAAiKyWnE-v6Nh8PyeHnpKjrB/s400/CIMG7480.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574630976487040834" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-58838833665289161092011-02-17T05:03:00.004-05:002011-02-17T05:30:39.701-05:00Paris - A Night on the Town<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENQwCnAMePfnvIaYfMgBZTrfgPEcEk2hbWh5tkhxECWdol5D-lZgKRcn74ZwQ1i8DF3K5UGrg4wC9MDMtta4M3CRtuHkLPXAI1RuXu6xaxRxFdYBoIKVEx31SJXxK4RGYPuaR/s1600/P1110030.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENQwCnAMePfnvIaYfMgBZTrfgPEcEk2hbWh5tkhxECWdol5D-lZgKRcn74ZwQ1i8DF3K5UGrg4wC9MDMtta4M3CRtuHkLPXAI1RuXu6xaxRxFdYBoIKVEx31SJXxK4RGYPuaR/s400/P1110030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574603077094343762" /></a>I am not sure what the best part of Paris is, whether it's the fantastic people watching, the Metro rides, the late night walking around, the classic, elegant rooms from long lost eras, or great meals with wonderful wines. Yes, that's it! Yes, that's it exactly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBUJhTnoXPERJ5Q2AuzY564l0tkz8fduymWu9YNfL5OWZneFusNJwgx2v3_cyrtsEvVkcfi0e_C6tvnrR1Y6mlBYIwV8wJW8M1mf1MlVEANInRioOpI9uQi-pvkHU_1fnTXnv/s1600/P1110025.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBUJhTnoXPERJ5Q2AuzY564l0tkz8fduymWu9YNfL5OWZneFusNJwgx2v3_cyrtsEvVkcfi0e_C6tvnrR1Y6mlBYIwV8wJW8M1mf1MlVEANInRioOpI9uQi-pvkHU_1fnTXnv/s400/P1110025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574603068814020322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAzj0NAuk4f1Qw5w7njaA06QZLQQ3cSgRWQXwBO1naQMFEElkA9mAWNPidWmdOZl0P6zcJOufsUS3gq3Jn7a0zfLU3Zb7FgaYi1GU7n8yh74jupwY8KFGkfrdozipgKY41INJ/s1600/P1100993.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAzj0NAuk4f1Qw5w7njaA06QZLQQ3cSgRWQXwBO1naQMFEElkA9mAWNPidWmdOZl0P6zcJOufsUS3gq3Jn7a0zfLU3Zb7FgaYi1GU7n8yh74jupwY8KFGkfrdozipgKY41INJ/s400/P1100993.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574602585518120274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCT28ZsmYHezfzzklQ-sFhgRcVqT-RJS3y4wxykMABmlpN4SDdrFmlTbg47TuJf6-EYk9hO2E2iCome-FGo5yT46VZXx6bafMvGhjdmsr8YURZT3JwQ7M_ss318ARDv5puPmS/s1600/P1100991.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCT28ZsmYHezfzzklQ-sFhgRcVqT-RJS3y4wxykMABmlpN4SDdrFmlTbg47TuJf6-EYk9hO2E2iCome-FGo5yT46VZXx6bafMvGhjdmsr8YURZT3JwQ7M_ss318ARDv5puPmS/s400/P1100991.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574602581750671970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hS3NuEg492fJeWe-_YMspl9sTU9V0Hiah_FbV8fwFv3K1vYv_Z5uNwY6n1QMc9ktuQH6LTmbcCd2_mqhiuT_Bdi4h4rnDI6k2bH3Gio3elZplru3QIyBjmX7SCPRY7bSeymx/s1600/P1100990.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hS3NuEg492fJeWe-_YMspl9sTU9V0Hiah_FbV8fwFv3K1vYv_Z5uNwY6n1QMc9ktuQH6LTmbcCd2_mqhiuT_Bdi4h4rnDI6k2bH3Gio3elZplru3QIyBjmX7SCPRY7bSeymx/s400/P1100990.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574602579121010450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3BYVwW-EDKMu8g5GFp08B0G6m6aKTo2uMbmLNl9J_70dsSIrba8HePxOAWLJlp9H7H4wF2ovCa1HNI99X0xftXZAX3zlajYt7LQPdSywAp1N-RUnDX6TRCJue1SZxM8I1jAy/s1600/P1100988.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3BYVwW-EDKMu8g5GFp08B0G6m6aKTo2uMbmLNl9J_70dsSIrba8HePxOAWLJlp9H7H4wF2ovCa1HNI99X0xftXZAX3zlajYt7LQPdSywAp1N-RUnDX6TRCJue1SZxM8I1jAy/s400/P1100988.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574602574609990338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgjOHcnL8ZDr2KC9Kw10SoKqvLbh98Z85e2TyDw8tq4JO5nW7RVYmv6vEukcjGJQeDoBnw0v51qAsq7LP-aAX2MyG2XLYSiMOXmCztU7lNxp76nPo9WmFDdVDKyIKJ_W9P9tN/s1600/P1100930.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgjOHcnL8ZDr2KC9Kw10SoKqvLbh98Z85e2TyDw8tq4JO5nW7RVYmv6vEukcjGJQeDoBnw0v51qAsq7LP-aAX2MyG2XLYSiMOXmCztU7lNxp76nPo9WmFDdVDKyIKJ_W9P9tN/s400/P1100930.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574602572077447666" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-52081347155752088872011-02-14T23:09:00.003-05:002011-02-14T23:41:12.689-05:00WBW #70 -- Wine Blogging Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz1plBauOEO_OVj-LRIQIGRKu2M52g3Y-R8qlZGSYXGZPB-_ePbPG5IUVMB8Kgs0t8MDOLVctkcjbj6GH2Xt192403yD6CQw1nAUFtYG7d0McEzPuDX-sO6w2GYZ5AwCNyFU3/s1600/CIMG7430.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz1plBauOEO_OVj-LRIQIGRKu2M52g3Y-R8qlZGSYXGZPB-_ePbPG5IUVMB8Kgs0t8MDOLVctkcjbj6GH2Xt192403yD6CQw1nAUFtYG7d0McEzPuDX-sO6w2GYZ5AwCNyFU3/s400/CIMG7430.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573770973793148498" /></a>I almost left town without <a href="http://catavino.net/wine-blog-wednesday-remember-me-its-time-for-wbw-70-spain/">posting for WBW #70</a>. This month's theme is 'wines from Spain' which is perfect as I am working on plans to skip down to Barcelona from Paris for a few days at the end of February. My travel consultant is getting tired of my chant that I want to go to Barcelona before anyplace else. <br /><br />Details <a href="http://winebloggingwednesday.org/">on WBW are here</a>. It is an internet event started in 2004 by wine bloggers that spread like wild fire. They even let me host an event once. Once. I'm back!<br /><br />I cheated a bit and dug through the cellar to find a bottle of <a href="http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a20080927.html">Alvear, Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 from the Montilla Moriles</a> region. Cheated in the sense that I have covered this wine before so it is not new, but the wine is already old. Not a vintage from 1927, but there is a little piece of the 1927 vintage in every bottle as they blend subsequent batches of each vintage until they have a blend of the very old with the new. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64046821759">Jorge Ordonez</a> is the importer and in my book that is a seal of approval.<br /><br />It is unctious and dripping with balanced sweetness and all I can think of is that it is a dead ringer for <a href="http://www.laposteeatery.com/">Dave's 'Bread Pudding' at La Poste</a>. I am not sure it would pair well because it is so dead on, and great pairings are similar but offer contrast, either more acidity or fruit or RS. Ying and Yang. This would be Ying and Ying.<br /><br />So this is a rushed review, and a day early. My bad! If I get to Barcelona I will follow up with copious notes and photos from late night dinners. Just don't call during siesta time.jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-45837869711063863002011-02-14T21:25:00.003-05:002011-02-14T22:16:01.055-05:00Wine Technology<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnqGUKlSrPCnpvWAxuENvge7uqZ3L24DQsiIPgzzeUlKr5d29HGEwGAitA6N3WYWcJ0_bCbpxQMBIR-AeVeXFMTMDlymlYfBGsX0xXuJdo7Y9tks5Z4kluBAhaGhULUzAfk79/s1600/CIMG7428.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnqGUKlSrPCnpvWAxuENvge7uqZ3L24DQsiIPgzzeUlKr5d29HGEwGAitA6N3WYWcJ0_bCbpxQMBIR-AeVeXFMTMDlymlYfBGsX0xXuJdo7Y9tks5Z4kluBAhaGhULUzAfk79/s400/CIMG7428.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573748306439959090" /></a>Last Saturday I was hanging out in a Hyde Park wine store chatting up the owner and tasting some new wines and the topic of wine gadgets came up. I think most gadgets are a waste of time and money. Don't get me started on magnets. They are great on refrigerators as decorations and for checking for bondo on that used sports car you are in love with. Trust me, there is rust in that old car. You won't find it until it's too late.<br /><br />Magnets for wine however don't work <a href="http://www.vinturi.com/vinturi-red-wine-aerator/?gclid=CPqM84-OiacCFUdN4AodMwHPfQ">but the Vinturi</a> (and its kind) work. They add 5 hours of decanting time to a young wine in 30 seconds. Just don't use it on any wine older than 10 years or it will cough up sediment and you will need to finish the bottle in 20 minutes. It will not open slowly and delicately over the evening. It will be slammed open like opening a soft top on the highway.<br /><br />So new technology does sometimes improve your life. I will still always take a 40 year-old Marantz receiver over a new black box, but I am beginning to see the advantages of iPhones, USB turntables and those new spring loaded staplers. I love those staplers. I just can't figure out where they put the batteries to power them up. <br /><br />Buy a Vinturi and do the test. But give me vinyl and an old Marantz with some AR bookshelf speakers in the kitchen and I can rattle the dishes while I am savoring a perfectly aerated bottle of wine. Now, is there any device out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0BkoyqTweY">there to take the warps out</a> of old records? That would be a game changer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7y6BYUaUFcg8bAaZT_2fVpbW_7WcoCTIgu0NXtUEhSp12xJ953IO41h8Leff2SWbPNt7mguRlH1fwky0veAS9baV3VTnjpEpNtgzZVnmgmtJ_0XkX3tErXFJBIUPjjhWxj8M/s1600/CIMG7427.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7y6BYUaUFcg8bAaZT_2fVpbW_7WcoCTIgu0NXtUEhSp12xJ953IO41h8Leff2SWbPNt7mguRlH1fwky0veAS9baV3VTnjpEpNtgzZVnmgmtJ_0XkX3tErXFJBIUPjjhWxj8M/s400/CIMG7427.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573748299916381522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC7WdhRbQZm3UEF8R7b7ZmSngDyF1xkN98xFO0V6wnS6U3kkxNaRyKD2VY0sFkx62ByQjfBQapaVS_5aUno-_gAVXhyqd2TXnd5AlCqOYYINtESOfXkQv1Eq_IFvtk8tojkeb/s1600/CIMG7426.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC7WdhRbQZm3UEF8R7b7ZmSngDyF1xkN98xFO0V6wnS6U3kkxNaRyKD2VY0sFkx62ByQjfBQapaVS_5aUno-_gAVXhyqd2TXnd5AlCqOYYINtESOfXkQv1Eq_IFvtk8tojkeb/s400/CIMG7426.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573748297741027650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbjwh4W5W7FVdyfz6PFiJ1qi9ZvIn3xHt4cqOlPRqwl2cC1oXIvzbfugz-67ilVr2j0XWYuit3bDLZN0P_a9GEHSrc2_Ye3rdBbbIJ4azdPkoZu7TIDYCqT6uJH2edcGdhsN_/s1600/CIMG7424.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbjwh4W5W7FVdyfz6PFiJ1qi9ZvIn3xHt4cqOlPRqwl2cC1oXIvzbfugz-67ilVr2j0XWYuit3bDLZN0P_a9GEHSrc2_Ye3rdBbbIJ4azdPkoZu7TIDYCqT6uJH2edcGdhsN_/s400/CIMG7424.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573748291529863202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixh3vjElDGNMbsL_oukjA2sAxtgsyWHH_vdtB12bKFHbdedMLveCjutThPMoe4cyP6D7HHqOp8Z7E74ZGfJKDyrab-krJfQTwP-rSQnL-x3njQBcUIdUD6-8Y9SFBy3Fu9Lia3/s1600/CIMG7429.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixh3vjElDGNMbsL_oukjA2sAxtgsyWHH_vdtB12bKFHbdedMLveCjutThPMoe4cyP6D7HHqOp8Z7E74ZGfJKDyrab-krJfQTwP-rSQnL-x3njQBcUIdUD6-8Y9SFBy3Fu9Lia3/s400/CIMG7429.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573748289289716802" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-88652986865866807942011-02-13T20:53:00.002-05:002011-02-13T21:01:51.347-05:00Sunday -- Chili in Cincinnati<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKJuxpKsZPD-tflNMT_ennfS2mJEPEZpMFidi7i_g7PW6d7rVZVSfoa3-G7vBu97KaLn7-LoTr8I7ofzikCNVtk7oMjqitbpgeGNv6OVfPvVcZFIek5wzpnAe0iztcppEAbaE/s1600/CIMG7391.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKJuxpKsZPD-tflNMT_ennfS2mJEPEZpMFidi7i_g7PW6d7rVZVSfoa3-G7vBu97KaLn7-LoTr8I7ofzikCNVtk7oMjqitbpgeGNv6OVfPvVcZFIek5wzpnAe0iztcppEAbaE/s400/CIMG7391.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573357227212977154" /></a>Well, not the weather, as it hit the 50s today with sunshine.<br /><br />Today we make Chili on Sunday after some yard work, and yes some putting practice until the birds chased me away as they were hungry to get at the feeder. It's hard to concentrate on draining 20 footers when they are chatting away. They won, but I'm coming back in two hours so they had better eat up.<br /><br />If you want the <a href="http://cinciwine.blogspot.com/2005_11_27_archive.html">recipe just get it here</a>. No, there is no spaghetti in this version even if I have lived in Cincinnati for 35 years and there have been a few changes to the recipe recently due to new culinary skills and sensibilities. More organic, even if in a can, and the minced garlic hit the trash this morning. One day I will try fresh kidney beans and diced tomatoes, but today I am saving time to pack for the next trip. Searing the meat on high heat in the Lodge Pot first seems like a good idea, and then adding the other grilled vegetables and let them all blend together in their own juices before adding the beans, tomatoes and liquids makes sense. And then add spices. Sounds like a plan.<br /><br />The new secret ingredients are bacon and sage (but lightly on the sage), and with the new stereo in the kitchen I recommend <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ziNhJwor0">Little Feat - Dixie Chicken</a>. But it should be 'live' with Lowell Thomas George, RIP. There are more complete versions of this song and this song cuts out before he is done (like his life was). After 1979, 'Little Feat' died. <br /><br />'<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDp3Grz28mE&feature=related">Fat Man in the Bathtub</a>' will work in a pinch.<br /><br />Oh, if anyone has been to '<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/32/1481911/restaurant/Cincinnati/West-Chester/Jens-Bar-Grill-Liberty-Twp">Jens Bar & Grill</a>' in West Chester, let me know. If they are using my name, it had better be good! (That obscure reference came up as I was Googling my original recipe.)<br /><br />The plating ideas were not mine, but were inspired by something I saw on the Food Network. I'm not saying it was Rachel Ray. I'm just not saying. Personally, I like a large bowl with freshly grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhXY6R09FuUQezbLjhxZTHL6SAHxKTfGpa9DiBJjt98FCBgAI43K8Hl2C4Nh6xDDHnF-BENjaW3KNF1AKzuuJXg6fVdjVH1NEqYZ-oRrSA3TtIwTm_gbHDbh9pNXZtuzm1-7G/s1600/CIMG7387.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhXY6R09FuUQezbLjhxZTHL6SAHxKTfGpa9DiBJjt98FCBgAI43K8Hl2C4Nh6xDDHnF-BENjaW3KNF1AKzuuJXg6fVdjVH1NEqYZ-oRrSA3TtIwTm_gbHDbh9pNXZtuzm1-7G/s400/CIMG7387.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573351424604576914" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXd0pLEC8Y1luqtASrgJkLQWWg2JQ8b-tGr9c9GS2ESRg58TTGV20xBVLb_x__848iI1mE7ZpW0SvpY-NhBs3fom5zIsdnPESbLqW447MZFh40tf49dF-8NWqCeaIRke-eaWJY/s1600/CIMG7389.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 141px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXd0pLEC8Y1luqtASrgJkLQWWg2JQ8b-tGr9c9GS2ESRg58TTGV20xBVLb_x__848iI1mE7ZpW0SvpY-NhBs3fom5zIsdnPESbLqW447MZFh40tf49dF-8NWqCeaIRke-eaWJY/s400/CIMG7389.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573350972219749938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m4zLZJwxlwWwSOzzdkOAgKjWcnjsulOv6nAo5ln82diHY8kSIRQUU8yZzhwCCFVGw1U1-YAZPlwErCNvlQ0V_DfyKVS2b53WoNAafL2jvPjk9reaP7FjOIL-UkI3u4v5F5qx/s1600/CIMG7390.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m4zLZJwxlwWwSOzzdkOAgKjWcnjsulOv6nAo5ln82diHY8kSIRQUU8yZzhwCCFVGw1U1-YAZPlwErCNvlQ0V_DfyKVS2b53WoNAafL2jvPjk9reaP7FjOIL-UkI3u4v5F5qx/s400/CIMG7390.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573350969237761426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmXOp09q3LlpEDV0NeVuOkLynxsflj38QCYLt8O8bJRxAbwyUi0I9v057JuECjZtUR0fT0u_lJS4zRcS6Kl0T0CemB8QbXBham2aarmECnU1kZWd-U-yfVNQ-rlygNtbzywg0/s1600/CIMG7388.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmXOp09q3LlpEDV0NeVuOkLynxsflj38QCYLt8O8bJRxAbwyUi0I9v057JuECjZtUR0fT0u_lJS4zRcS6Kl0T0CemB8QbXBham2aarmECnU1kZWd-U-yfVNQ-rlygNtbzywg0/s400/CIMG7388.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573350964365923442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCLQOk-DyX_qQY7tcyn-IMs4S1vKf43NZVqkzlPbgvqwHDJqyjzgaFbz8kFo5vNJ121DCEvsZMgwhFU6L6CONJbksI8k9-v-ZQfwud9i6LRG-11vSStQRVQWlMqPLeMALe2ms/s1600/CIMG7392.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCLQOk-DyX_qQY7tcyn-IMs4S1vKf43NZVqkzlPbgvqwHDJqyjzgaFbz8kFo5vNJ121DCEvsZMgwhFU6L6CONJbksI8k9-v-ZQfwud9i6LRG-11vSStQRVQWlMqPLeMALe2ms/s400/CIMG7392.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573350961160137010" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiTRUCUqUvPCVJm31-pgGojoalUYT_kWmBnar-SN8J-8Ukc5S0kCWCj6ed0QqGyoeLdzZFerhWEFj1Hl9tECBKBCaLsfVHnL2mT1lp3d9az8nceClz39EwR1qxsLY2dORWv8J/s1600/CIMG7397.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiTRUCUqUvPCVJm31-pgGojoalUYT_kWmBnar-SN8J-8Ukc5S0kCWCj6ed0QqGyoeLdzZFerhWEFj1Hl9tECBKBCaLsfVHnL2mT1lp3d9az8nceClz39EwR1qxsLY2dORWv8J/s400/CIMG7397.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573350957880498882" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-12712492072429888182011-02-13T16:09:00.004-05:002011-02-13T16:39:51.810-05:00Nectar -- Sunday Brunch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIvejKe_g3LG1FgmS-a_ugT-AS4G6Vg82Rc4m-e2A1AxUHeAUH_8dKzBeYXwUUj4xqzjW7Y4qAZAkEa9KZi5rPA-CmwKsnWggUv_CN6idMwPom7EOFMd0LnHCE1pOadgjiyrx/s1600/CIMG7372.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIvejKe_g3LG1FgmS-a_ugT-AS4G6Vg82Rc4m-e2A1AxUHeAUH_8dKzBeYXwUUj4xqzjW7Y4qAZAkEa9KZi5rPA-CmwKsnWggUv_CN6idMwPom7EOFMd0LnHCE1pOadgjiyrx/s400/CIMG7372.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573289540423342706" /></a>There have been a fair amount of conversations around these parts that there is no fine dining left in the Hyde Park area, the Square in particular. I wouldn't want to get in that debate as I am not partial because, as they say, I have a horse in this race.<br /><br />But on Sunday the choice for a great meal in a quiet setting is simple. I drive by the Square and head to Mount Lookout. Annabels has a line out the door, and is very good, but <a href="http://www.dineatnectar.com/">Nectar is my first</a> choice.<br /><br />Julie Francis is one of the best chefs in town and is often ranked in the Top Ten by food critics, and by anyone who knows good food in this town. She is a strong proponent of farm to table and using seasonal, local ingredients.<br /><br />And I would have said that even if she hadn't been so nice to send out a treat. I need to use that Birthday line more often. But really, my Birthday is on the 24th and I will be out of town for her Dinner Series featuring chocolate. Sign up as reservations are required and it sells out.<br /><br />So this is the Carnitas and fruit side which has blood oranges which I love. I am on the look out for <a href="http://www.organicdirect.com/product_info.php?products_id=7247">Blood Orange juice</a> as it is my new favorite breakfast drink. The treat was a chocolate mouse and banana gelato topped with blood oranges. I love blood oranges.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WaXuvfI8b5OLoy9PN-trBFie4kHmucI51G3W8BSDRKXuQLVbnuxveJ2XTO12xlu3milh0wcygv4g_3RVurPxYY1KpPmA0jGKxfI4yNAveGZsrrQwmnaJAOUMUTLqRyPccsuE/s1600/CIMG7377.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WaXuvfI8b5OLoy9PN-trBFie4kHmucI51G3W8BSDRKXuQLVbnuxveJ2XTO12xlu3milh0wcygv4g_3RVurPxYY1KpPmA0jGKxfI4yNAveGZsrrQwmnaJAOUMUTLqRyPccsuE/s400/CIMG7377.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573289263727539698" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqVcoVoCiKBN_kD576QYkG4P-O2Q7sogRTNL_CEO97Pif-U-n9RUxSgO6bt2fEzZQW3V8AgHGUUpLbVSB8BGxdYk8Pg2cQUAXIpV9dqfv-wC4I1NhlDLfTHkV9gFE5H75sljV/s1600/CIMG7378.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqVcoVoCiKBN_kD576QYkG4P-O2Q7sogRTNL_CEO97Pif-U-n9RUxSgO6bt2fEzZQW3V8AgHGUUpLbVSB8BGxdYk8Pg2cQUAXIpV9dqfv-wC4I1NhlDLfTHkV9gFE5H75sljV/s400/CIMG7378.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573289257697305314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vaAw5FRk2cAnUABYGaz4Tek1TfkkGZtBnkbTq3NJXa7V1nuiLXvuQ2r2Xd_7WpbgFWW5jS3c9_7B_V4kMXam6cWsJ7akyElLIIPdOpbhXJ-QOfo335TtU-hv8kPf0NchqS6e/s1600/CIMG7379.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vaAw5FRk2cAnUABYGaz4Tek1TfkkGZtBnkbTq3NJXa7V1nuiLXvuQ2r2Xd_7WpbgFWW5jS3c9_7B_V4kMXam6cWsJ7akyElLIIPdOpbhXJ-QOfo335TtU-hv8kPf0NchqS6e/s400/CIMG7379.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573289259074755346" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOrVLTXoeBpH1CIjQ-Z__w-B4bDCRB8Czj-cAnG53ePrQXQOdv8CaNkxJ3tBYVafSqCmehhewh7EOkYFIihYzI-lTFnmfXEPzCytCLBSB3wvFoQogWeqX5GLQVucbTYGbY4ep/s1600/CIMG7382.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOrVLTXoeBpH1CIjQ-Z__w-B4bDCRB8Czj-cAnG53ePrQXQOdv8CaNkxJ3tBYVafSqCmehhewh7EOkYFIihYzI-lTFnmfXEPzCytCLBSB3wvFoQogWeqX5GLQVucbTYGbY4ep/s400/CIMG7382.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573289255399015970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgiDeawrHFbCB00wt69HkSeXUUIoqnlRQkk3KaHDHES9NxpqvwGpOcEywirUaOJVLLyK_j1F801SnJt_klxB4bEcLVmkcUTfuIHAxgBtXCM89n0ZETMji1QMJ0f6m8V4vrqqC/s1600/CIMG7383.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgiDeawrHFbCB00wt69HkSeXUUIoqnlRQkk3KaHDHES9NxpqvwGpOcEywirUaOJVLLyK_j1F801SnJt_klxB4bEcLVmkcUTfuIHAxgBtXCM89n0ZETMji1QMJ0f6m8V4vrqqC/s400/CIMG7383.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573289249832889474" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-12849754079673171142011-02-12T18:11:00.008-05:002011-02-19T19:41:29.353-05:00Back to Paris<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzd-R267uUhKtusvUknwPpaGBiPStsHjgnDtHv_fEZEBzxFmr4ba0WBbebhglWCBWBeqQ8Ea9gQscDzzVtLkOTKF6vhIFcUhCzcVY0E8E9JoZ5V61sueXaGcPFaNPDUk04W9w/s1600/CIMG3983.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzd-R267uUhKtusvUknwPpaGBiPStsHjgnDtHv_fEZEBzxFmr4ba0WBbebhglWCBWBeqQ8Ea9gQscDzzVtLkOTKF6vhIFcUhCzcVY0E8E9JoZ5V61sueXaGcPFaNPDUk04W9w/s400/CIMG3983.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572954997073983986" /></a>Actually this thread is about when I left Paris last February after my first "real trip" to Europe with stops in Italy to ski and in Paris to meet old friends and maybe meet a new one. And finishing a break from the past after a year of living on my own. I almost didn't go. That's fate.<br /><br />Nothing ever turns out as one plans although the skiing and company were great and I plan to return in 10 days if I can negotiate the TGV schedules. But the trip to Paris changed me on so many levels that it will take years to figure it out entirely. Old friends were met and lost, new friends stayed friends I think and the newest friend became my best friend.<br /><br />So I head back to Paris in a few days but I can remember the last days from a year ago, the travel home and arriving back at home. All this while I pack to go back.<br /><br />The alarm rings early at 6am to make the direct flight to Atlanta and I awake alone and still fuzzy from the night before having closed the local bistro. No one is at the Metro station at Commerce and the RER out to Charles de Gaulle emerges from the underground in the dark but the first light of dawn is coming. <br /><br />The Airport is shiny and new but the great deals at Duty Free are not alluring. The meal on Air France is miles above Delta with free flowing wine and spirits and a selection of 40 movies on my own TV screen which I can pause at will. And tracking the flight path as it passes the city I was born in and a recent Summer retreat is captivating, and ironic.<br /><br />I arrive home with some new toys but the house is very quiet in the evening sun. Very quiet. As I process the last three weeks, not consciously, what emerges is a desire to travel and to share that wonder, and so in four days I will head back to Paris to share that compelling need to walk foreign streets, relax in new bistros, pick through flea markets and wine bins, walk some vineyards and watch the sun come up in the morning. And share a laugh or two.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrXPdCtVPZ0Y8Ugrdc1FWgHx1nc815QxvQm1S1OSGbw9iq-8DBnp93ZXdDqx7uTou3fgyfJ67sLZ-ot7FgTHbevUSMcpiyH0W1vD4U-vFy5g5rNTMJxtArlOZhov55QCDD5YY/s1600/CIMG3972.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrXPdCtVPZ0Y8Ugrdc1FWgHx1nc815QxvQm1S1OSGbw9iq-8DBnp93ZXdDqx7uTou3fgyfJ67sLZ-ot7FgTHbevUSMcpiyH0W1vD4U-vFy5g5rNTMJxtArlOZhov55QCDD5YY/s400/CIMG3972.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572954984036391858" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcew0lDumOGwwE8X-U9YfvdKMqVrf62qxL6-KfblTz8ySr6l2MBk7klfz-qZqLKmLZ5XwNvsldMoTlwsmIgcObhwc_WbMwDdiAo-6oEj1Kz0w4uOw4CaF03RJKNyjgw1Xw2u3/s1600/CIMG3976.JPG"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMPx2aXatYxwTiJbeLruC0p2O6bK62BH1ixyu0tD_d5TEgpba0RNYhMfknSriIAsvESaD5dCr4nGDkHOkCAEFWNUEepGZLAZACr_rIXSEzXaKu3KDhByaU9AGKE_WvSM_cHta/s400/CIMG4025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572953565150531810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfb1zdV9mUR4LGn4cSwv4GWQMJij9wOUqK25x-7X_r9wjoK7H7Ow3C73EPEhPZNgwxDPEL1_KRo420xiV3QDNTk_smy-TpWDrcgI20jdGz8bF2a2lGUYhevQug7vXYXBEQJPr/s1600/CIMG4028.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfb1zdV9mUR4LGn4cSwv4GWQMJij9wOUqK25x-7X_r9wjoK7H7Ow3C73EPEhPZNgwxDPEL1_KRo420xiV3QDNTk_smy-TpWDrcgI20jdGz8bF2a2lGUYhevQug7vXYXBEQJPr/s400/CIMG4028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572953559813465890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwMvGLmffQXezi_s9jTYHIpgPnmpkQGutLd2ynJn9pLDK2U9QtCCGzHuoK9sV12tkzZ9r42X5lKhKPbz1F-UScnwcVg7Z7Ri9bRGmaRd4Q3_jVHxJwqsKeW9tuqmHAXkrjAeD/s1600/CIMG4029.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwMvGLmffQXezi_s9jTYHIpgPnmpkQGutLd2ynJn9pLDK2U9QtCCGzHuoK9sV12tkzZ9r42X5lKhKPbz1F-UScnwcVg7Z7Ri9bRGmaRd4Q3_jVHxJwqsKeW9tuqmHAXkrjAeD/s400/CIMG4029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572953555152916226" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-45921856437430582282011-02-10T00:12:00.007-05:002011-02-14T23:00:21.681-05:00Moving Quickly Backwards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQxH102iTqCVf_WHbFLkFB7PrDBaJDELmWXHOJfHewszKBD6HUDoKrVyWM3XB_tIyA_tww714MCiFaIuiRoOdQDRec9b1-y0K8KUsCtp3jagXIXgxNtasvVVNAF6dkF8B0L-j/s1600/CIMG9627.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQxH102iTqCVf_WHbFLkFB7PrDBaJDELmWXHOJfHewszKBD6HUDoKrVyWM3XB_tIyA_tww714MCiFaIuiRoOdQDRec9b1-y0K8KUsCtp3jagXIXgxNtasvVVNAF6dkF8B0L-j/s400/CIMG9627.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571935955018782162" /></a>As we get older we often look backwards while still putting one foot in front of the other as we enjoy new experiences and places to visit. We re-connect with old school friends and we cherish our family history and collect souvenirs, and photos. Mostly photos, if we are lucky enough to find them.<br /><br />So on my trip last Summer to Copenhagen to visit family and walk through the old 'homestead', I collected many pictures of my cousins and my Grandparents, whom I never really knew. My Grandmother I saw maybe 10 times in my life and my Grandfather died in the 30s or 40s so I never laid eyes on the Baron.<br /><br />They met at The Homestead in Virginia as he was looking for a wealthy American and had a Title, and she was looking for...well, who knows as she was just 18 and probably did what her parents suggested. Her family had come down from a farm near Columbus Ohio during the Civil War and had stayed in Cincinnati during its heyday and done well as a Federal Judge and working for a small soap company that went public.<br /><br />So they were wed in a high society event at the Cincinnati Country Club in the 20s but after two kids and a few years living in Denmark where my Father and his brother were born, they separated and the reasons are lost to history but like today there are always two sides to every story. He drank and she cheated or she drank and he cheated. Or neither. Just like today, relationships are complicated. He died in a taxi accident in New York City and she spent the rest of her life moving around the country with a few years in Cincinnati until dying on her farm in Maryland. <br /><br />So last summer I headed to my father's homeland and was greeted warmly by Danish cousins and we visited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenholm_Castle">Rosenholm near Aarhus</a> after a few hours of driving and a ferry ride from Copenhagen. The place is sort of a private museum and beautiful on a warm August day but I would hate to have to pay the heating bills in Winter. Of course, it would be a snap to shut down a few wings to save heat as indoor plumbing was not part of the original plans back in the 1500s,<br /><br />I learned that back in the days the owners were quite a party crowd and during one party they threw thousands of glasses in the moat as this was some sort of custom back then, and the Queen and King would come to visit for the weekend primarily to hunt, but the Rosenkrantz's got tired of him taking the best stags so in his room they put in a 6 foot bed. He was 6 foot 2.<br /><br />And when one of the daughters refused to take the hand of several knights in marriage after many years and then fell in love with a local boy who was not from the aristocracy, her father grew enraged, invited the boy over under the pretense of granting his daughters wish and knighting the poor boy. When the boy knelt down to be knighted the father drew a sword and cut off his head. The daughter was unconsolable and when she died was cemented in the wall of the castle. Xrays prove there is a skeleton in the wall, and there is a ghost in the place. My Father saw it when he spent the night back in the 40s.<br /><br />So we all have some baggage and have stories to tell and now I know it's in my blood to travel and throw glasses in the moat and can relate to relationship changes, and can understand while I love Cincinnati as a hometown, I feel very at home in Europe.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCXMcGomrPqII6NmuYrfHoeV-bFaoBnBWfwGo6VynzFdOe7jF7tJzL1kECCuhPXY_YNHeQRuzAd3A3XaYeiGG7vgHxIdT4GLpJFdQpSZCfZV3b2fNy1At6SAQ28aWv2e0FoFo/s1600/CIMG7403.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCXMcGomrPqII6NmuYrfHoeV-bFaoBnBWfwGo6VynzFdOe7jF7tJzL1kECCuhPXY_YNHeQRuzAd3A3XaYeiGG7vgHxIdT4GLpJFdQpSZCfZV3b2fNy1At6SAQ28aWv2e0FoFo/s400/CIMG7403.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573757517603093810" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCT0O6hVHLgF4k-hx2JLsiLme786KES2kODCaH8fH29T56-DfHNQsOPG6iqE3vGg4o_fL3d5oALEWn5PwEpkwsIeFy-aAA4vBMNYfF7rE9BiCRtviuCCAGkLqR6ZAv6vPimhL/s1600/CIMG9127.JPG"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPwwx6an_W0X6j3PDioSxfj7cW-j-HApwzieL1Fb-iit-TlrEIOOdocb97PWmbZyHCF7vRGHjdqskCGj0Z_oITELH8ziPyVisxXwxZI3NCBzfzpujd3iZ2n0EJbupv2gNviNn/s400/CIMG9383.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571937091437019314" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdc2iGEupmy_Doy63OTz_Qh4HS0rDan6kxzx3FIQpjK_VJEmenWr9a6B6GaAw3Gl2VGlBJuiA-OhLXaeZgBqPDC-1xcs3S8iIsjfdzPaHvG30x710W8pztt2KUxEZBG16mLzw/s1600/CIMG9304.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdc2iGEupmy_Doy63OTz_Qh4HS0rDan6kxzx3FIQpjK_VJEmenWr9a6B6GaAw3Gl2VGlBJuiA-OhLXaeZgBqPDC-1xcs3S8iIsjfdzPaHvG30x710W8pztt2KUxEZBG16mLzw/s400/CIMG9304.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571935936334078274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWe2gIqEs5Dm0iwcVDovIVETbT56MQQ19WBUfAWy7Yeu83udRca_KwE43e8RBRvaOYzMyo5yk7CjplS830kU-7EApWUV7PDGoDwTaiQJFXg5NWFmdUzvvOvyWoL6J4STkYPKi/s1600/CIMG9325.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWe2gIqEs5Dm0iwcVDovIVETbT56MQQ19WBUfAWy7Yeu83udRca_KwE43e8RBRvaOYzMyo5yk7CjplS830kU-7EApWUV7PDGoDwTaiQJFXg5NWFmdUzvvOvyWoL6J4STkYPKi/s400/CIMG9325.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571937087736608866" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-40118707039857632432011-02-06T14:40:00.005-05:002011-02-06T15:22:51.180-05:00Findlay Market -- Cincinnati<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-KITbKNC-Rm7dGbkCW2XLzy-zb2r7HoXeSYkO36RQyJ4umLYS2kbIlxIiKP9FQ9XaiYklHpvTHsVqofB8cwYeB8KTOhAGDZgCD9iodCtst74fiHDYIo_WZOVZJ23Z0_m8Ls7/s1600/CIMG7324.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-KITbKNC-Rm7dGbkCW2XLzy-zb2r7HoXeSYkO36RQyJ4umLYS2kbIlxIiKP9FQ9XaiYklHpvTHsVqofB8cwYeB8KTOhAGDZgCD9iodCtst74fiHDYIo_WZOVZJ23Z0_m8Ls7/s400/CIMG7324.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570668261769904210" /></a>While my friends are walking to the farmers market under the Metro tracks on Rue de Grenelle, I am driving to the other side of the tracks to Cincinnati's only covered <a href="http://www.findlaymarket.org/">market at Findlay</a> in the Over the Rhine area. In many ways we are worlds apart, yet more markets are popping up in local neighborhoods during the warmer months here in Cincinnati while in Paris the 70 plus markets run year-round and shopping in the rain and snow and dragging your daily rations back home is a time honored tradition. That's why scarfs are not a fashion statement but a necessity. <br /><br />However, Findlay Market has much to offer and is a treasure to be supported. And as it is a small community one can ask your friend <a href="http://authenticwaffle.com/">the waffle maker</a> which seafood vendor is the best and so you walk over there and then chat up the vendor and tell her of your new way to cook mussels in a teapot, and as you leave she thanks you for the tip. Very French, yet in America. Not sure you can find that at Kroger these days. That's the difference. Some people like to know the people they buy their food from.<br /><br />So with the idea that I needed materials to pre-game I loaded up on mussels, scallops, baguettes and bacon and headed home to start the festivities we call the Super Bowl. Maybe one day we will catch up with Paris and have dozens of year-round markets and a bistro on every corner, and maybe one day you can board a high-speed train in Cincinnati and be in Chicago in 3 hours. Right! <br /><br />Pass the chips and salsa and get me another Bud from the 'fridge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BSoX_yExa92qzjfYI9-UXN7vId2227BhpjwVvc_G5d9lowSYIH6mqxHe0CHrFPPJQjA4w3d0tyecLKqd0QxEwB8TdI_8luiHCEgvWZKk0ilcEVgn7VirnSFxitEYIDYek948/s1600/CIMG7333.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BSoX_yExa92qzjfYI9-UXN7vId2227BhpjwVvc_G5d9lowSYIH6mqxHe0CHrFPPJQjA4w3d0tyecLKqd0QxEwB8TdI_8luiHCEgvWZKk0ilcEVgn7VirnSFxitEYIDYek948/s400/CIMG7333.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570668253489880642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76r3jcl10DRRXdcnApO4m2oIqQn7Mqx4fn89ysbI2KgCyEo5bdykmoOQqs9ThmqewfvcUhyphenhyphenyv0CUi89Wl3fWbx9oYlHuvdbH8BqXI0_3_8FpjBhQvd0HdrQvD6OzNQUTHS48k/s1600/CIMG7332.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76r3jcl10DRRXdcnApO4m2oIqQn7Mqx4fn89ysbI2KgCyEo5bdykmoOQqs9ThmqewfvcUhyphenhyphenyv0CUi89Wl3fWbx9oYlHuvdbH8BqXI0_3_8FpjBhQvd0HdrQvD6OzNQUTHS48k/s400/CIMG7332.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570669728569736322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD3-5yxy5y1vMaKA84Vl6h6AdhLpJINx4Ii5koJaMsyXFI9PXpZ4540_kL9BGNPcp_lCsxQbU08GIxbEboupCyNE8LRvr8CvhId3c6U0JjfobzMltPMBEiZs944lXYusISNJr/s1600/CIMG7328.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD3-5yxy5y1vMaKA84Vl6h6AdhLpJINx4Ii5koJaMsyXFI9PXpZ4540_kL9BGNPcp_lCsxQbU08GIxbEboupCyNE8LRvr8CvhId3c6U0JjfobzMltPMBEiZs944lXYusISNJr/s400/CIMG7328.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570667527401635042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPmxr65EenR3i_F6p1FuFUNxOenHVgouGlyBNJQwkEmXQBj_J1AH9maKvBOB8SDGMCy3Lq-uHqQN0Pc1n3E7hrW0tMmD9__4aM78LlbQg9oUBBRK1cO2k4fbfrS2fHtUVt4-l/s1600/CIMG7331.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPmxr65EenR3i_F6p1FuFUNxOenHVgouGlyBNJQwkEmXQBj_J1AH9maKvBOB8SDGMCy3Lq-uHqQN0Pc1n3E7hrW0tMmD9__4aM78LlbQg9oUBBRK1cO2k4fbfrS2fHtUVt4-l/s400/CIMG7331.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570667518235295954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtuc7GtrCVDZZRIp6YRY0aMmhzWrFK1d2eH1BRybf11vbtVqMtALXwHAOQ4f3L-KNX_jlANu6RRn8QOT685IvNJQ4Hm5M_8N49-L-Az_iCbaH5bokSeCPeNlK1ZDqiwSy_Wge/s1600/CIMG7334.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtuc7GtrCVDZZRIp6YRY0aMmhzWrFK1d2eH1BRybf11vbtVqMtALXwHAOQ4f3L-KNX_jlANu6RRn8QOT685IvNJQ4Hm5M_8N49-L-Az_iCbaH5bokSeCPeNlK1ZDqiwSy_Wge/s400/CIMG7334.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570667512914358786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pZlRaZbY0ERdveJXNZTGqPA7Q_-2jmn69g7Yt71EF2e0DTpsGL8YHTKCn7fuQuh9BfhhzX_Yi-llNhew8ppRB-FqEsLefr81u-WApgvgsYldzxxOvFTi3RPITkr5eGHy3bfX/s1600/CIMG7335.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pZlRaZbY0ERdveJXNZTGqPA7Q_-2jmn69g7Yt71EF2e0DTpsGL8YHTKCn7fuQuh9BfhhzX_Yi-llNhew8ppRB-FqEsLefr81u-WApgvgsYldzxxOvFTi3RPITkr5eGHy3bfX/s400/CIMG7335.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570667510035172610" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yMNP2XxKqvgv-PcZ5aB-3jtyaqqHKUx-fKDwKRAGqyhmjiFvzGNgUqLPv0H56vtfPgLx8SlWmc5mgyTKxFivvsUdrAcYMyw4twnjVMLpZZC_cQwPGHb1t7Bb1maID3GL9yUD/s1600/CIMG7336.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yMNP2XxKqvgv-PcZ5aB-3jtyaqqHKUx-fKDwKRAGqyhmjiFvzGNgUqLPv0H56vtfPgLx8SlWmc5mgyTKxFivvsUdrAcYMyw4twnjVMLpZZC_cQwPGHb1t7Bb1maID3GL9yUD/s400/CIMG7336.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570667502828002994" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19485954.post-59693495090231864502011-02-05T17:02:00.005-05:002011-02-06T14:19:16.541-05:00Mayonnaise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7XJNMowCMlebQbAsGp0ZITCvY6rjCHw0tbjwOKE9qjB38n1rOhiUSveF4xkmEkD532RmhyphenhyphenSoeZ_Fs6-MRQAqavokN74RMHD4Ibf9CYVtMTvP4rmeMcUjYItxLmxCUIr8qp0z/s1600/CIMG7317.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7XJNMowCMlebQbAsGp0ZITCvY6rjCHw0tbjwOKE9qjB38n1rOhiUSveF4xkmEkD532RmhyphenhyphenSoeZ_Fs6-MRQAqavokN74RMHD4Ibf9CYVtMTvP4rmeMcUjYItxLmxCUIr8qp0z/s400/CIMG7317.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570332622505082930" /></a>I was recently <a href="http://frenchmarketmaven.blogspot.com/2011/01/mad-for-eggs-mayonnaise.html">challenged by a chef</a> that even I could make 'mayo' after seeing her whip up a batch and then enjoying some real <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayonnaise">mayonnaise</a>. So I pulled out a new cookbook I found on eBay (a First Edition mind you) and dove in. <br /><br />I will leave alone <a href="http://www.neatorama.com/2006/12/22/whats-the-difference-miracle-whip-vs-mayonnaise/">the debate between which is better</a>, Hellmann's or Miracle Whip, even if Miracle Whip is trailer trash. There is probably a Facebook page for that debate. But this is about making something in my own kitchen with my own hands.<br /><br />With a blender it's a snap to make mayonnaise and the permutations are endless what with herbs and other secret ingredients as mayonnaise is considered one of the mother sauces, a mother with many children. The father is Hollandaise, and his sons, which requires heat and butter instead of oil. Hollandaise is glorious but keeps only a few days and demands some effort and attention to make, while Mayonnaise can be blended together quickly in minutes and can last a few weeks. Like life, there are trade offs. <br /><br />The first batch was a bit salty and very thick so I made another batch without salt and a bit less oil and married them together. The result was a creamy, full flavored sauce in which you can actually taste the ingredients unlike the national brands. Be warned, if you are used to the national brands, the flavors might scare you a bit as you reconcile what you think mayo should taste like as the flavors of home-made mayo are over-the-top. <br /><br />Normally I would not slather mayo all over a flash-grilled skirt steak but tonight I will slather away. (This I can do in my sleep. Not the slathering. The grilling. Grilled on high heat in a cast iron skillet in this morning's leftover bacon grease with garlic and olive oil and some lemon juice leftover from the mayo experiment because I miss the sunshine of California.)<br /><br />I whipped this together so quickly that I even had time to experiment with a new Martini. 'Throw and go' some Lillet in a chilled glass, pour in frozen Bombay Sapphire Gin and garnish with a twist of lemon. I think I will call it 'Ze Freench Tarte'. Talk about fast food. I think I have time to make another.<br /><br />Thank you chef for challenging me and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/books/review/28riding.html">thanks Julia</a> for spending 7 or 8 years writing your masterpiece and testing every recipe with American products and equipment in your tiny French kitchens so that it was right. That's dedication, even after being told that your book was "unpublishable". And you were 50 years before your time in insisting on fresh seasonal ingredients and the notion that time spent in the kitchen and in the markets sourcing and preparing meals for your family and friends is not wasted time. Quite the contrary. I look forward to passing this on to the next generation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxou2-9C3En7AlILMWnksSK4z5Bws56-2fjXcyhOCpqKOT9qNFYO_tjYnshavC2FvE8O-7oz-rK9PApjHip66UfD13VWnndOwD0xwhjQLw1HBtkSdN2cX4UlhSR0e97Zy9JT/s1600/CIMG7314.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxou2-9C3En7AlILMWnksSK4z5Bws56-2fjXcyhOCpqKOT9qNFYO_tjYnshavC2FvE8O-7oz-rK9PApjHip66UfD13VWnndOwD0xwhjQLw1HBtkSdN2cX4UlhSR0e97Zy9JT/s400/CIMG7314.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570332578258174418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_F0wiAHva_e4PTI3fKe0wUrldKiO6Dml4lkZtTX43Wak349CH3OaCSUQ_-hb1qGFixr6UqLKFhPE_Yk-Cwx-xx0GflAIWefgv_1B5WIT02tDn1U5jfPJr0PplBPuLOoXsl9lo/s1600/CIMG7316.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_F0wiAHva_e4PTI3fKe0wUrldKiO6Dml4lkZtTX43Wak349CH3OaCSUQ_-hb1qGFixr6UqLKFhPE_Yk-Cwx-xx0GflAIWefgv_1B5WIT02tDn1U5jfPJr0PplBPuLOoXsl9lo/s400/CIMG7316.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570332536581916002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8rsAPTOEwXXBoxwDOTO1g8wnYqRTV_GPzuwW0n-gCpMLISY8Z4io3Z_9VqmAjF8LjZYaoCpDik4imdT4Tf4IKLY89ud8QVuWt9YT_aiGR_Dq8HnRYyVw1Zt7RqmX9szKH-6B/s1600/CIMG7319.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8rsAPTOEwXXBoxwDOTO1g8wnYqRTV_GPzuwW0n-gCpMLISY8Z4io3Z_9VqmAjF8LjZYaoCpDik4imdT4Tf4IKLY89ud8QVuWt9YT_aiGR_Dq8HnRYyVw1Zt7RqmX9szKH-6B/s400/CIMG7319.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570332526784523042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDYS_fFqWMUz9Kpb1BraEI3SZq3nrS-PdoFYVXZ1MsOiikxNiDNDcqCBdWOCSe1FkxVNIIJ92hCYp4zFj2IIbdXgLIKPL-0Pde80kalDROcp9dQfA8Q-u3wZwS0aXWeDDqgiC/s1600/CIMG7322.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDYS_fFqWMUz9Kpb1BraEI3SZq3nrS-PdoFYVXZ1MsOiikxNiDNDcqCBdWOCSe1FkxVNIIJ92hCYp4zFj2IIbdXgLIKPL-0Pde80kalDROcp9dQfA8Q-u3wZwS0aXWeDDqgiC/s400/CIMG7322.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570351310380560258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa6vJaedtXeESJxtJScpL32PoD8Er09cVh7VhKZFq_8z_ZZSudL0ly2eMnMQa8jNcJnmmS7h-hiNWzNKEovRSuHcwrhsMmYizLv5Pp5gf_cwpLX454bOwoMfn6AnI-2WupfR-/s1600/CIMG7337.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa6vJaedtXeESJxtJScpL32PoD8Er09cVh7VhKZFq_8z_ZZSudL0ly2eMnMQa8jNcJnmmS7h-hiNWzNKEovRSuHcwrhsMmYizLv5Pp5gf_cwpLX454bOwoMfn6AnI-2WupfR-/s400/CIMG7337.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570657859381748978" /></a>jens at cincinnati winehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10304861179157329324noreply@blogger.com0