Eat & Drink
Here are a few of my favorite things: The beignets during Rue Cler’s brunch service. Lemon, new potato and leek soup from Toast. The pickled pepper portabella bagel sandwich at Monuts Donuts. Goat Lady Dairy eggs Benedict at Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club’s Fairview Dining Room. The chilled cucumber […]
After they closed the much-loved Magnolia Grill in 2012, chefs Ben and Karen Barker said they’d only return to the daily grind of working in a restaurant if their son, Gabe, returned from cooking in California to open his own eatery here. With 27-year-old Gabe back in town, the family […]
Collio is a northeastern region of Italy, bordering on Slovenia. Part of the larger Friuli commune, it recently lost permission to name its most famous white “Tocai Friuliano” anymore. The Hungarians complained it sounded too much like their “Tokaj.” Ah well, the Italian wine is now known as “Tai.” TAi-ing […]
I love soup. It took me almost 30 years to realize just how much I actually love soup. Maybe it was because I grew up in the South, where mild winters never really required a bowl of warm soup, or perhaps because I was only ever exposed to the mixture […]
Chances are pretty good that you’ve already tasted — or at least heard of — the delicious biscuits and doughnuts at Tom Ferguson’s Rise. And chances are you’ve already heard that (thank our lucky stars!) Tom is franchising and bringing new Rise shops to more cities. They’re now serving customers […]
One could say that Charles Heidsieck is that “other” French Champagne. Piper-Heidsieck is better known in the U.S., but the Charles Heidsieck brand, affectionately known as “Champagne Charlie,” makes splendid Champagne in the ancient city of Reims. I’ve been fortunate enough to sell and write about this house for decades, […]
When my oldest daughter married last year, many friends expected me to serve Champagne. But the taste of 125 varied people can present “issues.” I knew of a solution — a wine from the region that claims to have first produced sparkling wine! That region is Limoux, in the southern […]
’Tis the season for entertaining! Whether you are going to a party, hosting one or expecting house guests, it can be overwhelming. This pimento cheese and prosciutto rarebit is the perfect recipe for the holidays — easy and versatile. Rarebit is a classic English dish/appetizer that would be the American […]
Petite Sirah has had a recent popularity resurgence. It never truly went out of style, but its midnight dark color, viscous texture and strong tannins made it less of an everyday dinner choice. And although “drinkability” seems to be a prime buzzword today, at least one estate has never allowed […]
When it comes to crafting the cocktail list, which gets updates at least once a month, The Little Dipper’s Ben Neal will often go “Iron Chef ” on his bartenders. “He’ll say, ‘OK, your secret ingredient of the day is this liqueur or fruit or something,’ and then we toss […]
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