Food and Wine Corner

                                               Food and Wine Corner                                               WINE LIST SAVVY  It has happened to all of us, you are out to dinner with friends and they hand you the wine list and you gasp. Nothing under 3 figures! What to do? Order a bottle of just  OK house wine ? Nope! Go “Primitive”, young man (or ladies). Ask if they have “Primitivo”. So what the heck is it? Well, you’ve come to the right place. “Primitivo” is Zinfandel's long lost very attractive identical twin. Originally from Croatia, Primitivo hails from southern Italy , specifically Puglia , where the very dry climate , fertile  soil, and Mediterranean breezes from 3 sides , makes these grapes very happy indeed. The name refers to the fact that these grapes ripen very early but none of that really matters to you. What does matter is that it is very inexpensive , I am talking less than $25/bottle. On the palate this wine is quite satisfying, smooth and refreshing with a n

                                                                                     Joie De Vivre , Magic in Philly Ah “Paree” , to be dining al fresco overlooking le  gorgeous parc to be  spoiled  silly with super  decadent fare , its richness only superseded by the commotion in the street and the warm  sunshine in your face. But ze airfare, it is prohibitive, no? What to do , mon faire? Hop in ze car  and drive my friend over the bridge of Benjamin Franklin to Filadelphia  ze city of “Amour   Fraternite”.  Enter restaurant Parc ( 227 S 18th St. Philadelphia, PA) one of Insiders 100 most scenic  Restaurants,  where  top restaurateur Stephen Starr  pays homage to the authentic French   Bistro. Starr in case you don’t know is huge deal with over 40 innovative restaurants to his credit  In New York ,  Pennsylvania and Florida including Buddakan, Barclay Prime and Morrimoto.  Starr , the ex rock promoter hits it out of ze Parc here with Je Ne Se Quoi (whatever that  means) to spare, chic

                              ALMOST FAMOUS  (GOING BACK FOR SECONDS)                              ( Sampling  the world’s best at a fraction of the cost) Hello fellow Oenophiles and bargain seekers.Wanna know a little secret known only to the  wine cognoscenti that saves you a boatload of dough while drinking like the rich and famous? Da? Of course you do. Well my friend, welcome to the world of “second labels”. “What is that,  you ask?” Good question. Quickly, these are wines that have been deemed by the producer   to be unworthy of  the Chateau’s Grand Vin (top tier) designation.This could be for one of   many reasons including unanticipated variations in weather , soil , pests and the like.  Ah,  “second”, not a place that one would aspire to.  Afterall, it's the first loser, not good enough to  win, defective or flawed. Who would want seconds when you can have firsts?  Well, you do my  friend and of  course  I am going to tell you why. See, in the world of wine, the concept of

  .                                                           TELL ME . . .  So we have all been there.  You find yourself wandering around New York,  for one reason or another. Maybe you finally sprung for tickets to the hot show that  everyone else saw 5 years ago or decided on a  whim  to witness firsthand the sartorial genius  of  some dead fashion Icon. Anyway, it's getting close to dinner time and  there you are,  in the  culinary center of the universe, with  25000 restaurants to choose from and and your friends have left  it up to you to find somewhere to eat dinner but where ?  Some trendy overpriced  touristy spot with a “prohibition style theme?” No my friends  because you know from reading  this column that translated it means 3 ounce drinks in very tiny glasses at $19 a pop.Trattoria  this, Trattoria that, This Grill , That Grill , It is all so confusing. Why didn’t you remember to bring  that outdated Zagat's guide stuck to the bottom of the wire magazine rack in

      Day Tripper, Sunday Driver Yeah                   Hindu Holiday                   Are you sitting around, watching the paint dry in your condo? Has your life become how  can I  say this, “BOOORING?” Well my friends, it may be time to gas up the Desoto and head for the  Hills. Can you say “ROAD TRIP?” But , “where to go?’ Not too close because you’ve already  been there 1000 times, not too far as your non sciatica begins to bark after 2 hours. How about  India? I bet you haven't been there. Well not real India but close. This one is located just 30  Minutes away  and you won’t believe your eyes. If you haven’t been to the Mandir Temple (  technically the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir) 112 Main St in Windsor , it is a sight to  behold. It is the world's largest Hindu Temple outside of India with some of it still under  construction. Admission is free and open to all interested in Hindu spirituality , art and culture.  The temple itself is set on a moat and is like nothing y

                                              Chain, Chain, Chain, Chain  of  Food Looking for a place to meet that geographically undesirable  friend from (gulp)  North Jersey  who you never see because they live in the boondocks? Are you trying to pick a spot that is only  half way from nowhere?  Then I would seriously consider checking out Seasons 52 ( 217  Lafayette St Edison ) at the Menlo Mall. Really, you ask?  Isn”t that a chain? At the Mall?  Yes,  yes and yes. Ah, “Chain Restaurants”,  not a phrase  that conjures up thoughts of culinary  dreams. The Olive Garden, Chili's, Applebee’s, food so mundane and boring , that you have  forgotten what you’ve eaten even before you’ve eaten it. Well my friend, prepare to be  surprised,  welcome to Seasons 52 the “Unchained Chain”. Seasons is a very upscale grill and  wine bar featuring 100% fresh ( never frozen) ingredients  served at their seasonal peak,  healthily prepared in a brick oven or roasted over an oak fire.  Likewise thei