Rant: Splitting A Plate At Matadora
The restaurant industry is a competitive field, with far too many restaurants closing after only a short time in existence. There are a myriad of factors which can help a restaurant survive, and sometimes those factors are small, seemingly inconsequential, ...

Happy Thanksgiving: Giving Thanks
Today, all across America, many of us will gather together with family, friends and others, savoring a lavish feast of food and drink. We might also attend local football games, watch it on TV, or check out the Macy's Day Parade. We will talk and laugh, toa...

Les Vins Georges Duboeuf: Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé Comes To The U.S.
S ome people feel that Beaujolais Nouveau is simple to produce, and thus show disdain for this "first wine" of the vintage. However, earlier this year,  Romain Teyteau , the North America Export Director for Les Vins Georges Duboeuf , told me that Beaujolai...

The Table at Season To Taste: An Intimate Gem
As I've mentioned before, it's usually the newer restaurants that get the most attention. Thus, as time goes by, some excellent restaurants fall off the radar, despite the fact they remain worthy of your attention. They are generally known by the appreciati...

A History of Bacalhau: A Portuguese Staple
“ The greatest delicacy and triumph of the Portuguese cuisine is bacalhau (codfish), which is costlier than turkey, game or the best of beef .” -- Indianapolis Journal, December 24, 1899 Last week, after my plane landed in Porto , I was taken to lunch and t...

The Iconic Francesinha in Porto: Mission Accomplished!
It's 11:30pm and I'm in Porto , just having finished dinner. What do I do now? Well, I went to another restaurant for a Francesinha , an iconic sandwich of Porto which is sometimes referred to as a " heart attack on a plate ." Yes, maybe I was a bit obsesse...

My Return From Porto & The Douro
“ There is something about the longevity of port that naturally helps to vinously place our lives in perspective .” -- Andrew Hawes Last night, I arrived home in Boston, returning from an amazing journey to Porto and the Douro region. I'd long yearned to tr...

2014 Kay Brothers Amery Vineyard Block 6 Shiraz: Ancient Australian Vines
During the last few years, I've bought or drank very few Australian wines, having been turned off by the large amount of jammy fruit bombs that country seemed to produce for a time. I didn't want a sledgehammer of wine to assault my palate, but I rather des...

Pizza For Lunch: Osterio Posto & Spiga Ristorante
Pizza is pure comfort food.  I probably eat more pizza than any other type of food, and I never grow tired of it. I can easily have pizza for lunch and then have pizza again for dinner.  And then do it again the next day. Greek, Neapolitan, White Pizza, Thi...

Provence Rosés: Château de Berne Emotion & Urban Provence
As I wrote recently, When Labor Day Arrives, Don't Stop Drinking Rosé ! It's not just a summer wine, but one which should be enjoyed year round. Let me provide reviews of a couple Provence Rosés which you can enjoy this fall and winter. Château de Berne , l...