Food and Wine Corner

                                                                                  COMMITTED PIG OUT Hello my friends and  discerning gourmets everywhere. I was a little late from the get go   this month , but the thought of leaving you all alone  without my words of wisdom was  more than I can bear. So here goes.  Wanna a knockout lunch in a super cute town  less than  30 minutes away ?  Of course you do. Well welcome to the “Committed Pig” ( 165 Main Street in  Manasquan). Before you ask, the name comes from a parable in which  a chicken  ...

                    THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS                                    ( LOCAL EDITION) Hello my favorite people. Did you notice that your dinner bill now  has three digits at the  bottom no matter where you seem to go? Of course you have. Since you are paying the price of  admission anyway  it has become  more important than ever to,  as my daughter in law says,  “ make smart choices”. So , my friends let me ask you this, “ how many  times has this  happened to you?” You finally decided to bite the bullet and  reserve a table at that pricey place  that everyone says (possibly even me) is the best in town. You decide to throw all caution to the...

                 SWANNIE , HOW I LOVE IT , HOW I LOVE IT   Hello my fellow food Cosmonauts and bargain seekers. Today I want to speak about a subject that is very dear to my heart. That's right, Happy Hour. Just the name of it  brings me unbridled joy. A time specifically designed for your pleasure and enjoyment.   Now you're talking. The term was first mentioned  in print  in the early 1600’s by no  other than Willie Shakespeare  largely regarded as the greatest dramatist and writer in  the English language ( though it is very clear he was no yours truly). The term was later used in the early 1900’s in the US Navy to denote specific periods set aside to amuse   the sailors with a variety of entertainment including boxing , wrestling , music and  dancing. The specific idea  of imbibing prior to dinner  gained prominence during...

                                               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. Origin...

                                                                                     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 ( 22...

                              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...