Restaurant Nightmare No. 2

Restaurant Nightmare No. 2

This post is taken from my new book which will be published this fall. It’s called “Strong Water: On Food, Wine, and Restaurants.” It’s a collection of essays written over the last ten-plus years. One of the first sections in the book deals with various...

Same As It Ever Was

“And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shackAnd you may find yourself in another part of the worldAnd you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobileAnd you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wifeAnd you may ask yourself,...
Moratus Vinum

Moratus Vinum

If the Romans had written something about the topic of this post, it would have been called moratus vinum—delayed wine drinking. It’s a phenomenon that’s best illustrated with a story from the distant past. When Carla and I decided to get married, it was anything but...
Restaurant Nightmare No. 1

Restaurant Nightmare No. 1

This fall I’ll be publishing a second book called “Strong Water: On Food, Wine, and Restaurants.” It’s a collection of essays written over the last ten-plus years, some of which previously appeared in this blog. My first book, “Message in the Bottle: A Guide to...
Making Sense—Hearing Scents and Seeing Flavors

Making Sense—Hearing Scents and Seeing Flavors

I’d never heard of him until after reading an article in the latest Gambero Rosso email. His name is Baldo Baldinini, and he’s one of the first master perfumers in Italy. By all accounts, Baldinini has a remarkable sense of smell. He can recognize almost 50,000...
About European Hotels

About European Hotels

I remember my first wine tour in Europe over 25 years ago. It was an importer trip to Germany in the spring of 2000. I traversed the country with a group of U.S.-based sommeliers and buyers for over a week, visiting major wine regions and tasting hundreds of Rieslings...