Ah, the holidays.
Relatives in from out of town, friends having open houses, presents to purchase, gifts to wrap, Christmas cards to address.
Seems like there is never time to accomplish the peripheral things... like keeping up the blog.
It's holiday hiatus time. The gnome will be back next week.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
The 800 Pound Gorilla in the Room
Last Wednesday Southern Wine & Spirits posted a news release on BusinessWire.com proclaiming loud and wide that they have been granted a wholesaler's permit to operate in Indiana.
Southern is probably the biggest distributor of alcohol in the country, and when the biggest competitor moves into a new market, it's usually a big deal. The little guys need scurry for cover, right?
And just what, exactly, does this mean for those of us who buy alcohol? Is this good news or bad?
I asked several people in the business and the general consensus is, no one knows. No one is quite sure what Southern is up to.
Southern's declaration of status in Indiana wasn't exactly news to people in the trade. Southern apparently got their wholesaler's license to sell liquor on July 1, 2008 and their license to wholesale wine on July 1, 2009. (If you have a liquor or wine wholesaler's license in Indiana you are prohibited by law from obtaining a beer wholesaler's license. Go figure.)
Southern hasn't actually entered the Indiana market yet. As one of my sources said, "...several other large distribution companies... have been granted the same commerce license in Indiana, but are not active."
The big boys position themselves, waiting for the right moment to jump in. Apparently, this is the right moment for Southern to jump in. After all, if you've had a license for a year and a half, why send out a news release now?
At first blush this is not good news for the companies that handle the biggest national brands in Indiana (Olinger, National Wine & Spirits) since Southern, which handles many of these brands in other states, is likely to try and snatch them away.
On second blush, this may be an opportunity for some smaller distributors to exit the market by selling out to Southern, which will undoubtedly want to acquire an infrastructure in Indiana.
However, two of my sources have told me that the word on the street is that Southern is interested in acquiring National Wine & Spirits. This could be part of a strategy to put pressure on National to sell.
Consider it a shot across the bow. If Southern actually goes to the expense of developing a wholesale business in Indiana (and/or Michigan, the other state National operates in), then there is less incentive for them to buy National, especially if they are successful in taking away several of National's brands. This could push National to consider selling out now, when their business is most valuable, rather than later, when Southern would likely pay less.
How does this effect you and me? In the short run, it can't hurt. Basic economic theory of supply and demand says more competitors equals lower prices.
Since alcohol "pricing and availability are controlled by law and must be consistent," as one of my sources, a wine retailer, puts it, lower prices will not occur immediately. But eventually if more brands enter Indiana, competitive pressures will push prices lower.
In the longer run, however, Southern's move into Indiana may result in fewer competitors, kind of like when Wal-Mart moves into a community and puts a lot of smaller competitors out of business. Southern could swallow National and set their sites on other brands in order to grow the business. This could seriously hurt a smaller company with limited sources of revenue.
Retailers will have to deal with product moving from one wholesaler to another, but that is nothing new. Wineries and distillers change distribution channels all the time.
Anyway, if I worked for National, or for a smaller company dependent upon brands that Southern handles in other states, I'd be polishing up my resume, just in case.
Southern is probably the biggest distributor of alcohol in the country, and when the biggest competitor moves into a new market, it's usually a big deal. The little guys need scurry for cover, right?
And just what, exactly, does this mean for those of us who buy alcohol? Is this good news or bad?
I asked several people in the business and the general consensus is, no one knows. No one is quite sure what Southern is up to.
Southern's declaration of status in Indiana wasn't exactly news to people in the trade. Southern apparently got their wholesaler's license to sell liquor on July 1, 2008 and their license to wholesale wine on July 1, 2009. (If you have a liquor or wine wholesaler's license in Indiana you are prohibited by law from obtaining a beer wholesaler's license. Go figure.)
Southern hasn't actually entered the Indiana market yet. As one of my sources said, "...several other large distribution companies... have been granted the same commerce license in Indiana, but are not active."
The big boys position themselves, waiting for the right moment to jump in. Apparently, this is the right moment for Southern to jump in. After all, if you've had a license for a year and a half, why send out a news release now?
At first blush this is not good news for the companies that handle the biggest national brands in Indiana (Olinger, National Wine & Spirits) since Southern, which handles many of these brands in other states, is likely to try and snatch them away.
On second blush, this may be an opportunity for some smaller distributors to exit the market by selling out to Southern, which will undoubtedly want to acquire an infrastructure in Indiana.
However, two of my sources have told me that the word on the street is that Southern is interested in acquiring National Wine & Spirits. This could be part of a strategy to put pressure on National to sell.
Consider it a shot across the bow. If Southern actually goes to the expense of developing a wholesale business in Indiana (and/or Michigan, the other state National operates in), then there is less incentive for them to buy National, especially if they are successful in taking away several of National's brands. This could push National to consider selling out now, when their business is most valuable, rather than later, when Southern would likely pay less.
How does this effect you and me? In the short run, it can't hurt. Basic economic theory of supply and demand says more competitors equals lower prices.
Since alcohol "pricing and availability are controlled by law and must be consistent," as one of my sources, a wine retailer, puts it, lower prices will not occur immediately. But eventually if more brands enter Indiana, competitive pressures will push prices lower.
In the longer run, however, Southern's move into Indiana may result in fewer competitors, kind of like when Wal-Mart moves into a community and puts a lot of smaller competitors out of business. Southern could swallow National and set their sites on other brands in order to grow the business. This could seriously hurt a smaller company with limited sources of revenue.
Retailers will have to deal with product moving from one wholesaler to another, but that is nothing new. Wineries and distillers change distribution channels all the time.
Anyway, if I worked for National, or for a smaller company dependent upon brands that Southern handles in other states, I'd be polishing up my resume, just in case.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Champagne & Potato Salad
On Tuesday, the S.O. and I met some friends at the The Corner Wine Bar for their annual Holiday Champagne tasting with Michel Pascal and His Amazing Saber Trick. (He pops the top off a wine bottle using a sword ala Bill Pullman in Bottle Shock.)
I am not big on Champagne. To me, sparkling wine has this big, acidic bite, something everyone else describes as "refreshing," but something I have usually described as a queasy stomach in waiting. But the S.O. is big on Champagne and our friends were going, so I tagged along.
We tasted fourteen sparkling wines. Six were fifteen dollars or less, seven between $17 and $46, and one, Perrier-Jouet Fleur, priced at $120. (It included two hand painted wine glasses.)
Amazingly, I got through the entire tasting without getting queasy. The restaurant served some nice hors d'oeuvres - mostly cheese, ginger snaps and chocolate - so I wasn't tasting on an empty stomach, which helped. And I actually enjoyed a few of the wines.
Even more amazing, the S.O. admitted that she had too much sparkling wine. She loves the stuff, but apparently not in such large quantities.
We were asked to rank the wines, and, as you would expect, the gnome's favorite was the most expensive. Not so the rest of the participants. The favorite wines were in the $30's and 40's, but the $120 wine was in the middle of the pack.
The S.O.'s top two wines were Duval Leroy Brut Paris and Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. Both of these were typical Champagnes to me, although of a high quality. My top two were Perrier-Jouet Fleur followed by Tattinger NV Brut. I ranked Vilarnau Cava Brut third, which at $12 was the least expensive wine in the tasting. The S.O. liked it as well. My fourth favorite was the Duval Leroy.
We had a discussion at our table about how each of us liked different wines. I, the non-Champagne drinker, really liked the Perrier-Jouet Fleur, while the Champagne lovers did not. Why is that?
The Perrier-Jouet Fleur was very different from the other sparkling wines. It was lighter and more delicate. The flavors were pure but restrained. And it did not have the huge acidic kick I associate with Champagne; it was creamy instead of tart. To me the wine was more in balance. I could definitely put this Champagne on the table any time.
But to everyone else, it was too different from what they are used to when they drink Champagne. They expect sparking wine to taste a particular way and since this wine didn't meet their expected taste, they did not like it.
This is a phenomena often associated with wines and foods. Each of us has a perception of what something should taste like. Anything that matches the perception is good. Anything which does not is bad. Objectively, the wine or food can be perfectly prepared and delicious, but if it does not meet the imbiber's expected taste, it is rejected.
The classic example of this is your mother's potato salad. Everyone has a different recipe for potato salad. No matter who prepares it, or what ingredients they use, or how well it is prepared, if a potato salad is not an exact replica of what your mother made, it just isn't as good.
This is the reason why some people who drink a lot of Charles Shaw wine (aka Two Buck Chuck) don't like expensive Cabernet Sauvignon. It just doesn't taste like what they are used to.
Once you come to expect a certain taste, that becomes what is good. Things that taste different are unacceptable.
Of course, if you are not expecting something, if you do not have a predetermined standard of comparison, you don't automatically reject it because it is different. Being a person who normally shuns sparkling wine, I approached the Perrier-Jouet Fleur fresh without comparing it to anything. Or maybe I compared it against the wider world of wines in general. And I found it delicious, clearly the best wine of the evening.
If I served Perrier-Jouet Fleur to my friends in another context, say with lobster and cream in pastry, without telling them it is a Champagne, I bet they would love it. But since it was served with thirteen other sparkling wines, they rejected it.
How many other things do we reject every day just because they are different?
I am not big on Champagne. To me, sparkling wine has this big, acidic bite, something everyone else describes as "refreshing," but something I have usually described as a queasy stomach in waiting. But the S.O. is big on Champagne and our friends were going, so I tagged along.
We tasted fourteen sparkling wines. Six were fifteen dollars or less, seven between $17 and $46, and one, Perrier-Jouet Fleur, priced at $120. (It included two hand painted wine glasses.)
Amazingly, I got through the entire tasting without getting queasy. The restaurant served some nice hors d'oeuvres - mostly cheese, ginger snaps and chocolate - so I wasn't tasting on an empty stomach, which helped. And I actually enjoyed a few of the wines.
Even more amazing, the S.O. admitted that she had too much sparkling wine. She loves the stuff, but apparently not in such large quantities.
We were asked to rank the wines, and, as you would expect, the gnome's favorite was the most expensive. Not so the rest of the participants. The favorite wines were in the $30's and 40's, but the $120 wine was in the middle of the pack.
The S.O.'s top two wines were Duval Leroy Brut Paris and Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. Both of these were typical Champagnes to me, although of a high quality. My top two were Perrier-Jouet Fleur followed by Tattinger NV Brut. I ranked Vilarnau Cava Brut third, which at $12 was the least expensive wine in the tasting. The S.O. liked it as well. My fourth favorite was the Duval Leroy.
We had a discussion at our table about how each of us liked different wines. I, the non-Champagne drinker, really liked the Perrier-Jouet Fleur, while the Champagne lovers did not. Why is that?
The Perrier-Jouet Fleur was very different from the other sparkling wines. It was lighter and more delicate. The flavors were pure but restrained. And it did not have the huge acidic kick I associate with Champagne; it was creamy instead of tart. To me the wine was more in balance. I could definitely put this Champagne on the table any time.
But to everyone else, it was too different from what they are used to when they drink Champagne. They expect sparking wine to taste a particular way and since this wine didn't meet their expected taste, they did not like it.
This is a phenomena often associated with wines and foods. Each of us has a perception of what something should taste like. Anything that matches the perception is good. Anything which does not is bad. Objectively, the wine or food can be perfectly prepared and delicious, but if it does not meet the imbiber's expected taste, it is rejected.
The classic example of this is your mother's potato salad. Everyone has a different recipe for potato salad. No matter who prepares it, or what ingredients they use, or how well it is prepared, if a potato salad is not an exact replica of what your mother made, it just isn't as good.
This is the reason why some people who drink a lot of Charles Shaw wine (aka Two Buck Chuck) don't like expensive Cabernet Sauvignon. It just doesn't taste like what they are used to.
Once you come to expect a certain taste, that becomes what is good. Things that taste different are unacceptable.
Of course, if you are not expecting something, if you do not have a predetermined standard of comparison, you don't automatically reject it because it is different. Being a person who normally shuns sparkling wine, I approached the Perrier-Jouet Fleur fresh without comparing it to anything. Or maybe I compared it against the wider world of wines in general. And I found it delicious, clearly the best wine of the evening.
If I served Perrier-Jouet Fleur to my friends in another context, say with lobster and cream in pastry, without telling them it is a Champagne, I bet they would love it. But since it was served with thirteen other sparkling wines, they rejected it.
How many other things do we reject every day just because they are different?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Are you a wine geek?
Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as terroir. It's just that most of the time it's...
If you answered 5, you are an uber-wine geek.
If you didn't understand the question, you are normal.
- squashed by the wine maker creating an "International" style wine.
- destroyed by the wine maker covering up crappy grapes bought on the cheap.
- undetectable by the philistines who purchase wine to just get a buzz.
- lost in the cacophony of tasting notes and critic points.
- all of the above.
If you answered 5, you are an uber-wine geek.
If you didn't understand the question, you are normal.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Broad Ripple Steak House
We had a late dinner Friday night at the Broad Ripple Steakhouse after attending the reception for the Indianapolis Art Center's Student Show.
It had been a while since we were there. Parking in Broad Ripple is such a chore these days, and you have to compete for space with so many inebriated youngsters, that we generally avoid the area on weekends and late at night.
But we were already in Broad Ripple and thought we would give it a try if we could find a place to park. Fortunately, there was one space still available in the Bungalow parking lot and the $5.00 fee didn't faze us. (We could always make it back on our wine order.)
The other reason we had not been to Broad Ripple Steakhouse lately is because of their reputation for poor service. The S.O. had a bad experience there and said she wouldn't go back. However, things change, and with the devastation of the restaurant industry by the economy, there is no excuse for having bad wait staff these days. There are a lot of good, highly trained servers about. Poor wait staff should be pushed out of jobs by now.
We thought we would give them another try.
So we sauntered in at 8:45 PM on a Friday night looking for a steak. The hostess was very friendly and seated us in the sparsely populated dining room. We were one of only four parties. Maybe because the temperature outside was well below freezing?
The hostess sold us on the Bleu Cheese Crusted Filet almost before we opened our menus. We were in the mood for steaks and both love bleu cheese. She said it was much improved over what it had been just a few months ago, what with a new chef and a new food vendor. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but we are easy.
Service was excellent. Our waiter, Josh, was professional and cheerful. The food was very good as well. We had nothing to complain about. Maybe on another night with another waiter the experience won't be as good, but we were very happy with our meal.
The filets were tender and cooked just right (medium rare) and the bleu cheese crust was sharp and tangy (even Erin should be able to taste the bleu cheese.) It also stayed firmly on top of the steaks, something to which I have yet to learn the trick cooking at home. Around the steak was a mushroom/tomato sauce that did not add or detract from the steak. It added to the presentation but I could have done without it.
We also ordered creamed spinach as a side. The spinach was bright and grassy; this wasn't the thick cream of spinach soup you get at some places. The slightly carmelized cheese on top was strictly for decoration, however; the spinach flavors drowned out the cheese.
We had a bottle of Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a good choice because the wine was very accessible, with a lot of fruit and just a touch of oak. (There probably is a good dollop of sulfur in it, though.)
The wine list was pretty good for a steakhouse list that only runs two pages. There were several high end wines (Insignia, Mondavi Reserve, Opus One) and some nice value selections. The meat of the list is the $40 to $80 range with several good wines like the Phelps and Darioush. And those are just the Cabernets.
So that was our experience at the Broad Ripple Steakhouse this past Friday. We had an excellent steak, and very good service, and pleased they were on their game that night.
I would say that the Broad Ripple Steakhouse is doomed, given the lack of diners and the poor reviews on the Internet, but I bet the bar pays all the bills. Located on the opposite side of the restaurant from the dining room, the bar appears to be quite popular. I am not sure if the dining room is an indulgence of the owner, or serves to distinguish this establishment from other venues. But as long as that bar is hopping, there will be steaks available with lots of yummy bleu cheese on top.
(If the restaurant's web site is down, as it was when I wrote this post, you can get their address and phone number from Google here.)
It had been a while since we were there. Parking in Broad Ripple is such a chore these days, and you have to compete for space with so many inebriated youngsters, that we generally avoid the area on weekends and late at night.
But we were already in Broad Ripple and thought we would give it a try if we could find a place to park. Fortunately, there was one space still available in the Bungalow parking lot and the $5.00 fee didn't faze us. (We could always make it back on our wine order.)
The other reason we had not been to Broad Ripple Steakhouse lately is because of their reputation for poor service. The S.O. had a bad experience there and said she wouldn't go back. However, things change, and with the devastation of the restaurant industry by the economy, there is no excuse for having bad wait staff these days. There are a lot of good, highly trained servers about. Poor wait staff should be pushed out of jobs by now.
We thought we would give them another try.
So we sauntered in at 8:45 PM on a Friday night looking for a steak. The hostess was very friendly and seated us in the sparsely populated dining room. We were one of only four parties. Maybe because the temperature outside was well below freezing?
The hostess sold us on the Bleu Cheese Crusted Filet almost before we opened our menus. We were in the mood for steaks and both love bleu cheese. She said it was much improved over what it had been just a few months ago, what with a new chef and a new food vendor. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but we are easy.
Service was excellent. Our waiter, Josh, was professional and cheerful. The food was very good as well. We had nothing to complain about. Maybe on another night with another waiter the experience won't be as good, but we were very happy with our meal.
The filets were tender and cooked just right (medium rare) and the bleu cheese crust was sharp and tangy (even Erin should be able to taste the bleu cheese.) It also stayed firmly on top of the steaks, something to which I have yet to learn the trick cooking at home. Around the steak was a mushroom/tomato sauce that did not add or detract from the steak. It added to the presentation but I could have done without it.
We also ordered creamed spinach as a side. The spinach was bright and grassy; this wasn't the thick cream of spinach soup you get at some places. The slightly carmelized cheese on top was strictly for decoration, however; the spinach flavors drowned out the cheese.
We had a bottle of Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a good choice because the wine was very accessible, with a lot of fruit and just a touch of oak. (There probably is a good dollop of sulfur in it, though.)
The wine list was pretty good for a steakhouse list that only runs two pages. There were several high end wines (Insignia, Mondavi Reserve, Opus One) and some nice value selections. The meat of the list is the $40 to $80 range with several good wines like the Phelps and Darioush. And those are just the Cabernets.
So that was our experience at the Broad Ripple Steakhouse this past Friday. We had an excellent steak, and very good service, and pleased they were on their game that night.
I would say that the Broad Ripple Steakhouse is doomed, given the lack of diners and the poor reviews on the Internet, but I bet the bar pays all the bills. Located on the opposite side of the restaurant from the dining room, the bar appears to be quite popular. I am not sure if the dining room is an indulgence of the owner, or serves to distinguish this establishment from other venues. But as long as that bar is hopping, there will be steaks available with lots of yummy bleu cheese on top.
(If the restaurant's web site is down, as it was when I wrote this post, you can get their address and phone number from Google here.)
Friday, December 4, 2009
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
It's a great time to be a wine loving gnome.
There are open houses, and tastings, and dinners, and oh my.
Last night was Vine & Table's Holiday Extravaganza. 19 tables of wine and other libations scattered throughout the store, and lots of nibbles and snacks and even more substantial noms. I didn't get into line for the pastas, but I did have a roast turkey sandwich that reminded me of Thanksgiving.
As for the wines, while there were a lot of them, I wasn't overly impressed. The S.O. liked the Gruet Brut NV from New Mexico and the Domaine St. Michelle Brut NV from Washington. She was also a fan of the 2008 Verus Pinot Gris, the 2008 Niner "Boot Jack Ranch" Cabernet Sauvignon, but she walked out with two bottles of the 2007 Cloudline Pinot Gris.
I liked the 2005 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon (3+) and the 2007 Novy Family Winery Viognier (3). The S.O. and I both agreed on the 2006 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon (3).
But none of those was my favorite wine of the evening. I told a friend that I could have predicted which wine was my favorite by just checking the wines on the list before I came. He knew exactly which wine I was talking about, the 2004 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (4). Of course, at $99.99, it was the most expensive bottle in the tasting.
I didn't walk out with any wine, but the Stonestreet, Novy and Penfolds Bin 407 are definitely going on my restaurant wine ordering list.
This Saturday, December 5, in addition to the usual wine tastings about, 21st Amendment is having special Bordeaux tastings, 2003's and 2005's, at two of their stores: 86th & Ditch and 131st & Hazel Dell. Each store will have a different selection of six wines.
Even better, both Pairings and Cork & Cracker in Broad Ripple are having Open Houses Saturday afternoon.
Pairings' Open House, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, will feature food from Viking Lamb, Diana's Petite Pies, and Joseph Decuis. They will have door prizes in additional to special deals. I am hoping to pick up some lamb for dinner Saturday night.
Cork & Cracker's Holiday Preview Party is from noon to 6:00 PM, and features wine and food.
But it doesn't stop there, especially if you like Champagne.
Next week is the Corner Wine Bar's annual Champagne With Michel Pascal. Spread over three nights, Monday through Wednesday, this is a night of heavy hors d'oeuvres and lots of sparkling wine. The S.O. will be in heaven. The gnome will endure. Call for tickets as this event typically sells out.
A week from Saturday is Kahn's annual holiday Champagne tasting. Over 20 sparkling wines along with bread, cheese and fruit. The entry fee includes a Riedel Champagne flute.
There are open houses, and tastings, and dinners, and oh my.
Last night was Vine & Table's Holiday Extravaganza. 19 tables of wine and other libations scattered throughout the store, and lots of nibbles and snacks and even more substantial noms. I didn't get into line for the pastas, but I did have a roast turkey sandwich that reminded me of Thanksgiving.
As for the wines, while there were a lot of them, I wasn't overly impressed. The S.O. liked the Gruet Brut NV from New Mexico and the Domaine St. Michelle Brut NV from Washington. She was also a fan of the 2008 Verus Pinot Gris, the 2008 Niner "Boot Jack Ranch" Cabernet Sauvignon, but she walked out with two bottles of the 2007 Cloudline Pinot Gris.
I liked the 2005 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon (3+) and the 2007 Novy Family Winery Viognier (3). The S.O. and I both agreed on the 2006 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon (3).
But none of those was my favorite wine of the evening. I told a friend that I could have predicted which wine was my favorite by just checking the wines on the list before I came. He knew exactly which wine I was talking about, the 2004 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (4). Of course, at $99.99, it was the most expensive bottle in the tasting.
I didn't walk out with any wine, but the Stonestreet, Novy and Penfolds Bin 407 are definitely going on my restaurant wine ordering list.
This Saturday, December 5, in addition to the usual wine tastings about, 21st Amendment is having special Bordeaux tastings, 2003's and 2005's, at two of their stores: 86th & Ditch and 131st & Hazel Dell. Each store will have a different selection of six wines.
Even better, both Pairings and Cork & Cracker in Broad Ripple are having Open Houses Saturday afternoon.
Pairings' Open House, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, will feature food from Viking Lamb, Diana's Petite Pies, and Joseph Decuis. They will have door prizes in additional to special deals. I am hoping to pick up some lamb for dinner Saturday night.
Cork & Cracker's Holiday Preview Party is from noon to 6:00 PM, and features wine and food.
But it doesn't stop there, especially if you like Champagne.
Next week is the Corner Wine Bar's annual Champagne With Michel Pascal. Spread over three nights, Monday through Wednesday, this is a night of heavy hors d'oeuvres and lots of sparkling wine. The S.O. will be in heaven. The gnome will endure. Call for tickets as this event typically sells out.
A week from Saturday is Kahn's annual holiday Champagne tasting. Over 20 sparkling wines along with bread, cheese and fruit. The entry fee includes a Riedel Champagne flute.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Judging Restaurants on Opening Night
An interesting discussion up in Chicago about restaurant reviews and whether or not it is appropriate to "review" a restaurant on a single visit, prompted by a well known food reviewer tweeting about his dinner at the opening night of a new restaurant.
Restaurant Intelligence Agency: First Night Reviews
My favorite line in the entire discussion: "If you are making life decisions based on anyone's 140-character posts, you've got bigger issues than what type of taco to order."
I reached this discussion while reading a post on R.I.A.'s blog titled "How to tell, on opening night, if a restaurant will close." The answer is, apparently, clarity and humility. R.I.A. promised to detail what that means in blog posts today and tomorrow.
Required reading for would be food critics.
Restaurant Intelligence Agency: First Night Reviews
My favorite line in the entire discussion: "If you are making life decisions based on anyone's 140-character posts, you've got bigger issues than what type of taco to order."
I reached this discussion while reading a post on R.I.A.'s blog titled "How to tell, on opening night, if a restaurant will close." The answer is, apparently, clarity and humility. R.I.A. promised to detail what that means in blog posts today and tomorrow.
Required reading for would be food critics.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
My Restaurant Review Criteria
To paraphrase myself, critics create rating systems to make themselves seem important.
Today I am creating a rating system for restaurants, a criteria for judging them that I hope will allow anyone reading this blog to determine whether or not they want to visit the restaurant reviewed.
The corollary to my first statement is, the more complicated the rating system, the more pompous and arrogant the critic is. Did I mention that this rating system has eight major components, six based on a five point scale, making this a (6 x 5) + 2 system?
Okay, okay. It's not as bad as it seems. But I need to spell this out now, because when I actually get around to reviewing a restaurant, you are going to want to know what all those numbers mean.
Here's what it's going to look like in my blog.
The Gnome and I
432 West Fantasy Street
Indianapolis, IN
reservations: 317-555-1212
Menu: 3 | Food: 2 | Ambiance: 4 | Service: 2 | Wine: 3
Pro: Great Coq Au Vin, Waitresses have short skirts.
Con: Overcook most everything, Slow drink service.
I am going to hear about it from the S.O. about the short skirt comment.
I think most of this is self-explanatory (the height of ego is that you believe everyone knows exactly what you are talking about), but I will define each component separately.
We (the imperial we, of course) start with the name of the restaurant, its address, and phone number to call for reservations. If the restaurant is on Open Table I'll put their icon next to the phone number. If the restaurant has a website I will link it to their name.
To the right I have a star rating. This is a overall judgment of the quality and attractiveness of the restaurant, based on my feeling where this restaurant fits into a continuum relative to the other restaurants in the area.
What that means is that restaurants in NYC and Indy are judged slightly different. Five star restaurants have to be the best regardless of where they are, but since the competition is so much greater in NYC, a four star restaurant in Indy probably only gets three stars in NYC.
Got that? Also, note that I give half stars. The example above is for a two and a half star restaurant.
What the stars mean:
Five Stars: Gastronomic Nirvana. Only Michelin three stars need apply. Usually you will need to save up for months to be able to afford these restaurants.
Four Stars: Highly Recommended. These are the best of what the rest of us can afford. An extra half a star means these restaurants have consistently performed flawlessly when I have dined there.
Three Stars: Recommended. Very good restaurants. Well prepared dishes from an interesting menu.
Two Stars: Acceptable. You can get a good meal at these places if you are choosy as to what you eat. Usually they are more value oriented than quality oriented.
One Star. Forget it. There's a McDonald's on almost every corner that will provide you will better flavor and nutrition.
Below that I will will rate each restaurant in five separate areas: menu, food, ambiance, service and wine (or another beverage if no wine.) Each area will be rated between 1 and 5. I haven't decided if I am going to do .5 ratings or not.
I break these out because the star rating is just too general. Each restaurant is going to have strengths in particular areas and failings in others.
When deciding where you want to dine, you will often take different factors into account. Sometimes you want the best food, but sometimes you want the best atmosphere. Zaggat understands that, and so do I. On Valentine's Day I'm taking the S.O. to the restaurant with the most romantic ambiance.
Menu: This is a rating of how ambitious the restaurant is in designing dishes. A five is going to be a restaurant that pushes the envelope. We are talking tasting menus here. An example of taking this to the extreme, see this blog entry from Grant Achatz.
Four would be a restaurant offering innovative cuisine, three is traditional but still tantalizing, two is commonplace, and a restaurant with a one menu bought the damn thing at a going out of business sale for another restaurant.
Food: A judgment on how well the restaurant actually prepared the dishes. It is all well and good to have a seductive menu, but you have to deliver as well. A five is where the chefs consistently surprise you with how good the meal is. You have to over deliver to get a five.
Four is a restaurant that consistently puts excellent cuisine on the table, three means that they do it more often that not, two's you need to visit on a good day, and a one is a restaurant that doesn't give a damn.
Ambiance: Strictly how enjoyable the space is, how much you like being in the restaurant. A five has an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean, or lots of secluded nooks where you can be alone with your sweetie, or a breathtaking view of the city. Whatever it is, it has to be beautiful and breathtaking.
Fours have character, threes are comfortable, quiet and/or classy, twos are brassy and loud, and ones are dirty, smoky and/or crude.
Service: The customer is always right, and the wait staff has to be attentive without being intrusive. They should also be well trained in everything they have to do, including wine service. You would be surprised how many waiters don't know the basics of serving wine. Restaurants that deserve a five are flawless when it comes to service. (And their waiters deserve very large tips!)
To get a four a restaurant has to provide excellent service, threes do a good job but sometimes neglect you when you need something or fawn over you when you wish they would just go away. Twos come around when it is convenient. Waiters at a one restaurant think this is really McDonald's and you are supposed to serve yourself.
Wine: The gnome's subjective call on how good the wine list is. Now, some restaurants do not serve wine, breakfast places come to mind, so this may change to "Beverage" or "Tea." (The S.O. does coffee, but the gnome does not.) Regardless of what libation is the house specialty, this is my judgment of how good the list is.
Now you might think that places like Ruth's Chris and St. Elmo's would get fives from the gnome, but we are not talking quantity here, but quality. Just because you have a wine list as long as War and Peace you are not going to get a five. In fact, a really long list gets demerits for being too pretentious and confusing. It has to be a good wine list (or tea list or whatever list), but it has to be accessible as well.
Fours have a nice list, one that is appropriate to the type of cuisine they serve. (Easiest example is a very good Italian wine list at an Italian restaurant.) Threes have a good list with a variety of selections. Twos have a narrow list with maybe an acceptable wine or two. Ones only have recognizable, national brand, mediocre wine.
Finally I will pick out the most obvious good and bad facets about the restaurant (Pro and Con.) Following that will be my writeup about the restaurant, elaborating on the numerical ratings.
Sounds pretty pretentious, huh?
A lot of restaurant critics think the purpose of a review is to make or break the restaurant. The power of a critic is the power to destroy. And I am sure some critics have run some restaurants out of business.
But I don't see that as my mission in reviewing restaurants. I don't want the power to destroy somebody's business. So don't expect Dorothy Parkeresque reviews.
My mission is to give you an idea of what to expect when you visit a restaurant. I want you to be able to read my review and decide if this is a place you want to try. You may hate the restaurants I love, or vice versa. And that's okay. We all have different tastes.
My purpose is not to impose upon you my tastes in restaurants, but to give you a glimpse of what a restaurant is like so you can decide if it is for you or not.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
What's with this "meal review" thing?
I am sure you haven't noticed, because who, besides some obsessive compulsive geek, would care, but I have changed the "restaurant review" labels on my posts to "meal reviews."
To date, when reviewing a restaurant, I have written up an account of a single visit, whether or not I liked the food, and told you in general what I think about it. I haven't really tried to judge or rate the restaurant. I have just conveyed an impression. I have reviewed the meal, but not the restaurant.
There has been some debate among some Indy food bloggers on this point, and some feel that one visit is enough to judge a restaurant. After all, that's what most people do. After a bad experience at a restaurant, most people never go back.
But I don't consider myself to be "most people." Do you?
A critic has an unwritten responsibility to be responsible. To not make snap judgments based on incomplete information. To make judgments based on substantial, objective information. Kind of like the criteria for a jury, beyond reasonable doubt.
To do that one has to visit a restaurant a number of times, experience the best and the worse a restaurant has to offer, taste more than just a sampling of the menu, expand beyond the dishes that one orders time and time again, judge the full experience, not just an impression.
Suppose you go to a restaurant the evening the train wreck of a brother-in-law is given the reins to insure the domestic tranquility of the head chef, the night before he can be justifiably be fired without divorce papers being filed.
Or the last night the sous chef, a future Food Network superstar, covers for a drunken head chef, quitting the next day in disgust over the lack of discipline and creativity in the kitchen.
In either case, a review of the restaurant based on a single experience would be terribly misleading. If you want to be a restaurant critic and do true restaurant reviews, you have to actually experience a restaurant, not just a meal.
There is a place for "menu reviews." After all, it is difficult if you are not being paid to eat dinner out all the time, to eat dinner out all the time. And restaurants come and go, sometimes so fast you hardly knew they were there. So the "meal review," an impression based on one visit, allows the food blogger to at least get the word out without making a "judgment" about the restaurant.
Besides, there are places where I will never get a chance to do a true review. I only get to New York City a couple days a year and I am not going to repeat my dinner experiences there. I want to try something new every time I go.
So I changed the label of my impressions of various restaurants, both domestic and far afield, to "meal review" from "restaurant review." Because that is what they are.
But that doesn't mean I am not going to do restaurant reviews. That is the topic of tomorrow's blog post. Right now I want to watch the New Orleans Saints knock the snot out of The New England Patriots.
To date, when reviewing a restaurant, I have written up an account of a single visit, whether or not I liked the food, and told you in general what I think about it. I haven't really tried to judge or rate the restaurant. I have just conveyed an impression. I have reviewed the meal, but not the restaurant.
There has been some debate among some Indy food bloggers on this point, and some feel that one visit is enough to judge a restaurant. After all, that's what most people do. After a bad experience at a restaurant, most people never go back.
But I don't consider myself to be "most people." Do you?
A critic has an unwritten responsibility to be responsible. To not make snap judgments based on incomplete information. To make judgments based on substantial, objective information. Kind of like the criteria for a jury, beyond reasonable doubt.
To do that one has to visit a restaurant a number of times, experience the best and the worse a restaurant has to offer, taste more than just a sampling of the menu, expand beyond the dishes that one orders time and time again, judge the full experience, not just an impression.
Suppose you go to a restaurant the evening the train wreck of a brother-in-law is given the reins to insure the domestic tranquility of the head chef, the night before he can be justifiably be fired without divorce papers being filed.
Or the last night the sous chef, a future Food Network superstar, covers for a drunken head chef, quitting the next day in disgust over the lack of discipline and creativity in the kitchen.
In either case, a review of the restaurant based on a single experience would be terribly misleading. If you want to be a restaurant critic and do true restaurant reviews, you have to actually experience a restaurant, not just a meal.
There is a place for "menu reviews." After all, it is difficult if you are not being paid to eat dinner out all the time, to eat dinner out all the time. And restaurants come and go, sometimes so fast you hardly knew they were there. So the "meal review," an impression based on one visit, allows the food blogger to at least get the word out without making a "judgment" about the restaurant.
Besides, there are places where I will never get a chance to do a true review. I only get to New York City a couple days a year and I am not going to repeat my dinner experiences there. I want to try something new every time I go.
So I changed the label of my impressions of various restaurants, both domestic and far afield, to "meal review" from "restaurant review." Because that is what they are.
But that doesn't mean I am not going to do restaurant reviews. That is the topic of tomorrow's blog post. Right now I want to watch the New Orleans Saints knock the snot out of The New England Patriots.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Loon Lake Lodge
The Monday before Thanksgiving my niece from North Carolina and her family drove through town on the way to visit her parents in Illinois. We had a mini family reunion with eight of us, including my great-niece and great-nephew, ages ten and eight.
For dinner I suggested somewhere child friendly, Loon Lake Lodge in Castleton.
Loon Lake is operated by the same family that used to run Laughner's Cafeteria (or so I've been told), one of our go-to restaurants when I was ten years old.
There is a sea plane on the roof, just like the planes that take hunters and fishermen to isolated Canadian lakes. Inside the decor is rustic hunting lodge, with the dining room situated "outdoors" among simulated deep forest trees and wildlife.
Oh, yeah. In the trees they've got animatronic bears.
When my niece's kids saw the video of the restaurant on the Internet their comment was "awesome."
We all met there and had a nice dinner. I use the word nice advisedly. Loon Lake Lodge is not going to compete for cuisine awards. But for what it is, it does a decent job. And what it is, is kid friendly.
I think every party in the restaurant that night had young children. The decor made it seem like a Disney attraction.
Every few minutes prerecorded sound effects of owls or bears would play, accompanied by the movement of the animatronic animals. Well, that's what happened the only other time I was there. This night the bears seemed to be broken. No movement. A disappointment. The children were old enough, fortunately, that they were satisfied with the atmosphere.
The menu is a shatter shot collection of steakhouse and pub food. They extend the back woods theme with a few specials, such as the "Hunter's Feast" (duck and elk loin) and "American Bison Meat Loaf."
For appetizers we ordered the Elk Medallions and Crab & Shrimp Dip to pass. The dip was nice, but the medallons were rather ordinary, nothing I would order again.
I ordered Hickory Smoked Baby Back Ribs which were tender enough. The barbeque sauce was nothing special; it wasn't integrated with the ribs. The S.O. was happy with her Black & Blue Salad, blackened filet tips and Maytag bleu cheese. The rest of the adults had everything from rotisserie chicken and prime rib to hamburgers.
The kids were pleased with Chicken Tenders and Pasta, the real basic, plain stuff that kids like. For the kids dessert my great nephew had Worms & Dirt. They made up a brownie sundae for my great niece even though it wasn't on the menu. Definitely brownie points in the kid department.
Since we were there on a Monday night, wine by the bottle was half price. Their wine list is heavy in the current "sweet spot" for restaurant wine lists, $20 to $40, almost all domestic. I think there may have been a bottle or two from France, max.
We ordered "Lone Wolf" Red from Grey Wolf Cellars, the only wine from Paso Robles I have discovered I like so far. At half price, we paid $16.50 for the bottle, a very nice price since this wine has gone for $16.00 at Vine & Table and $15.00 at Grapevine Cottage.
I recommend Lone Lake Lodge if your party includes children between the ages of six and twelve. This is their market. The atmosphere is geared towards the little ones and they are used to having lots of parties with lots of kids about. You needn't be self conscious about noise or them running about.
They do need to get those bears fixed though.
Parents and other relatives can get a decent meal here if you stick to the basics. Steaks, hamburgers, chicken. I would stay away from items that sound exotic or gourmet. Stick to pub food and you'll be fine.
For dinner I suggested somewhere child friendly, Loon Lake Lodge in Castleton.
Loon Lake is operated by the same family that used to run Laughner's Cafeteria (or so I've been told), one of our go-to restaurants when I was ten years old.
There is a sea plane on the roof, just like the planes that take hunters and fishermen to isolated Canadian lakes. Inside the decor is rustic hunting lodge, with the dining room situated "outdoors" among simulated deep forest trees and wildlife.
Oh, yeah. In the trees they've got animatronic bears.
When my niece's kids saw the video of the restaurant on the Internet their comment was "awesome."
We all met there and had a nice dinner. I use the word nice advisedly. Loon Lake Lodge is not going to compete for cuisine awards. But for what it is, it does a decent job. And what it is, is kid friendly.
I think every party in the restaurant that night had young children. The decor made it seem like a Disney attraction.
Every few minutes prerecorded sound effects of owls or bears would play, accompanied by the movement of the animatronic animals. Well, that's what happened the only other time I was there. This night the bears seemed to be broken. No movement. A disappointment. The children were old enough, fortunately, that they were satisfied with the atmosphere.
The menu is a shatter shot collection of steakhouse and pub food. They extend the back woods theme with a few specials, such as the "Hunter's Feast" (duck and elk loin) and "American Bison Meat Loaf."
For appetizers we ordered the Elk Medallions and Crab & Shrimp Dip to pass. The dip was nice, but the medallons were rather ordinary, nothing I would order again.
I ordered Hickory Smoked Baby Back Ribs which were tender enough. The barbeque sauce was nothing special; it wasn't integrated with the ribs. The S.O. was happy with her Black & Blue Salad, blackened filet tips and Maytag bleu cheese. The rest of the adults had everything from rotisserie chicken and prime rib to hamburgers.
The kids were pleased with Chicken Tenders and Pasta, the real basic, plain stuff that kids like. For the kids dessert my great nephew had Worms & Dirt. They made up a brownie sundae for my great niece even though it wasn't on the menu. Definitely brownie points in the kid department.
Since we were there on a Monday night, wine by the bottle was half price. Their wine list is heavy in the current "sweet spot" for restaurant wine lists, $20 to $40, almost all domestic. I think there may have been a bottle or two from France, max.
We ordered "Lone Wolf" Red from Grey Wolf Cellars, the only wine from Paso Robles I have discovered I like so far. At half price, we paid $16.50 for the bottle, a very nice price since this wine has gone for $16.00 at Vine & Table and $15.00 at Grapevine Cottage.
I recommend Lone Lake Lodge if your party includes children between the ages of six and twelve. This is their market. The atmosphere is geared towards the little ones and they are used to having lots of parties with lots of kids about. You needn't be self conscious about noise or them running about.
They do need to get those bears fixed though.
Parents and other relatives can get a decent meal here if you stick to the basics. Steaks, hamburgers, chicken. I would stay away from items that sound exotic or gourmet. Stick to pub food and you'll be fine.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Black Friday
What are you doing on the Internet? Why aren't you out shopping like a fool, spending all your money, bolstering this economy?
Oh. Too much to eat yesterday. Just thought you'd stay at home and relax. I see.
Well, then, in that case, here's some light reading to occupy you while you are resting up from Thanksgiving.
A Plea for Calm
NY Times Columnist Eric Asimov ponders the subjectivity of taste and the relativity of wine.
Is There Such a Thing as Agro-Imperialism?
Foreign investors are beginning to buy up huge tracts of land in countries where people are malnourished, in order to grow food for export. Exploitation or development?
The Flu Fighters—in Your Food
If you have the sniffles and think it might be that piggish flu, the Wall Street Journal tells us you can get a serious boost to your immune system by ingesting foods high in vitamins A & C and zinc. But if they aren't recommending we drink more wine, can we really take them seriously?
Try on Traminette!
Indiana apparently has a signature wine. It's Traminette! Does any one know what Traminette is? Does any one care?
CRAV Hardens the Tone
Wine producers in southern France up the violence to protest the slipping away of their livelihood, although given this link found on Robert Parker's web site it is anyone's guess as to what is really going on.
Oh. Too much to eat yesterday. Just thought you'd stay at home and relax. I see.
Well, then, in that case, here's some light reading to occupy you while you are resting up from Thanksgiving.
A Plea for Calm
NY Times Columnist Eric Asimov ponders the subjectivity of taste and the relativity of wine.
Is There Such a Thing as Agro-Imperialism?
Foreign investors are beginning to buy up huge tracts of land in countries where people are malnourished, in order to grow food for export. Exploitation or development?
The Flu Fighters—in Your Food
If you have the sniffles and think it might be that piggish flu, the Wall Street Journal tells us you can get a serious boost to your immune system by ingesting foods high in vitamins A & C and zinc. But if they aren't recommending we drink more wine, can we really take them seriously?
Try on Traminette!
Indiana apparently has a signature wine. It's Traminette! Does any one know what Traminette is? Does any one care?
CRAV Hardens the Tone
Wine producers in southern France up the violence to protest the slipping away of their livelihood, although given this link found on Robert Parker's web site it is anyone's guess as to what is really going on.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Roxie and Regina
Last Friday, despite colds all around, the S.O. and I ventured out to see Chicago and have dinner at R Bistro.
R Bistro is the current go-to, pre-theater restaurant for the Murat since the demise of Elements. We could not get our preferred time, 6:00 PM, since they were already booked, but we were able to slip in at 6:30. With a curtain time of 8:00, we figured we had plenty of time.
By the way, even though R Bistro is on Open Table, I called for reservations. Restaurants have to kick back some for each reservation made over Open Table, so I try to call when reserving at an independent. They can use the extra money.
R Bistro is a great, little, gourmet bistro with an intimate atmosphere and an ever changing menu. As long as you understand that Regina does not tolerate any screwing around with her dishes - no salad dressing on the side or hold the onions here - this is the most adventurous and epicurean restaurant in Indy. After all, the menu changes weekly.
The S.O. had the mixed leaf salad and I ordered the soup of the day - a French peasant soup. My soup was wonderful, especially since I was coming off a cold. It was tomato based with potato, cabbage, onion and bits of other stuff. None of the flavors overwhelmed the others. It was tenderly balanced and delicious.
We both ordered Beef Bourguignon, a French style beef stew. This was as spot on as if Julia Child had made it herself. Perhaps our colds had dampened our palettes so we were not very discriminating gourmets, but the robust stew was exactly what we craved and we scraped our bowls to savor every bit.
For our wine we ordered the 2003 Eagles Trace Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a very nice, young (Young? It's six years old!) Cabernet that needed a little time in the glass to let the oak blow off and then mellowed out into a nice, typical California Cab. With the hardiest of the Bourguignon we needed a robust wine to stand up and this suited us just fine.
We skipped dessert even though we probably could have fit it in, and were out of R Bistro in an hour. We drove to the Murat - we learned from last time that R Bistro is just a touch too far to walk, at least in heels for the S.O.- and got one of the last parking spaces in the Murat's lot.
Chicago was great fun. The principals were very good, especially Roxie, an actress from Mexico City. I especially loved the scene where she detailed her life story. She interacted with the audience and had us hanging on every word. It helped, of course, that the comic timing was impeccable.
The play is very Bob Fosse (who was one of the creators.) You can tell that from the choreography even though it was his wife that choreographed the original play.
The staging was sparse but totally convincing. The orchestra was on stage rather than in the pit, and the conductor was even incorporated into more than one of the scenes.
All in all we had a fabulous time, even though we were both suffering from colds, me on the down side, the S.O. on the up slope. The S. O. missed the next two dinners, but finally recovered enough to make it to Loon Lake Lodge with my nieces and great niece and nephew.
But that is another blog entry entirely.
R Bistro is the current go-to, pre-theater restaurant for the Murat since the demise of Elements. We could not get our preferred time, 6:00 PM, since they were already booked, but we were able to slip in at 6:30. With a curtain time of 8:00, we figured we had plenty of time.
By the way, even though R Bistro is on Open Table, I called for reservations. Restaurants have to kick back some for each reservation made over Open Table, so I try to call when reserving at an independent. They can use the extra money.
R Bistro is a great, little, gourmet bistro with an intimate atmosphere and an ever changing menu. As long as you understand that Regina does not tolerate any screwing around with her dishes - no salad dressing on the side or hold the onions here - this is the most adventurous and epicurean restaurant in Indy. After all, the menu changes weekly.
The S.O. had the mixed leaf salad and I ordered the soup of the day - a French peasant soup. My soup was wonderful, especially since I was coming off a cold. It was tomato based with potato, cabbage, onion and bits of other stuff. None of the flavors overwhelmed the others. It was tenderly balanced and delicious.
We both ordered Beef Bourguignon, a French style beef stew. This was as spot on as if Julia Child had made it herself. Perhaps our colds had dampened our palettes so we were not very discriminating gourmets, but the robust stew was exactly what we craved and we scraped our bowls to savor every bit.
For our wine we ordered the 2003 Eagles Trace Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a very nice, young (Young? It's six years old!) Cabernet that needed a little time in the glass to let the oak blow off and then mellowed out into a nice, typical California Cab. With the hardiest of the Bourguignon we needed a robust wine to stand up and this suited us just fine.
We skipped dessert even though we probably could have fit it in, and were out of R Bistro in an hour. We drove to the Murat - we learned from last time that R Bistro is just a touch too far to walk, at least in heels for the S.O.- and got one of the last parking spaces in the Murat's lot.
Chicago was great fun. The principals were very good, especially Roxie, an actress from Mexico City. I especially loved the scene where she detailed her life story. She interacted with the audience and had us hanging on every word. It helped, of course, that the comic timing was impeccable.
The play is very Bob Fosse (who was one of the creators.) You can tell that from the choreography even though it was his wife that choreographed the original play.
The staging was sparse but totally convincing. The orchestra was on stage rather than in the pit, and the conductor was even incorporated into more than one of the scenes.
All in all we had a fabulous time, even though we were both suffering from colds, me on the down side, the S.O. on the up slope. The S. O. missed the next two dinners, but finally recovered enough to make it to Loon Lake Lodge with my nieces and great niece and nephew.
But that is another blog entry entirely.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Comments
You can leave comments to any post if you like. Just click where it says "Comments" below the post. Also click there is you want to read any comments that have been posted.
Most people, I imagine, don't read the comments. I read them all because I have to approve them before they are posted to the web. I have another blog where I used to not moderate the comments and I got lots of google bombs and other spam. That's all I am trying to filter out. I let negative comments through.
Anyway, there have been a couple of comments I am especially proud of, and I thought I would share them with you.
The first was in response to one of my posts about our trip to New York City.
The second comment was attached to my entry mentioning a fund raising dinner for Andy Herod at Oakley's.
Lastly I want to mention a direct message I got on Twitter, not a comment. This person called me to task for using the phrase, "high quality," to describe Bart Peterson and other movers and shakers dining at Midtown Grill. He asked, "If I am neither frmr mayor - mover/shaker,would that make me low quality?"
Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best word choice. "High powered" or "politically potent" or "bombastically egocentric" might have been better choices. But as I tweeted back, this is just an Internet blog. Don't take it too seriously.
For a moment, just the briefest flicker of time, I considered tweeting back, "Yes. You are of very low quality. USDA Choice at best." Unfortunately, my sense of humor often fails to come across sufficiently in a 140 character text message, so I resisted the temptation and kept that comment to myself.
But I was tempted.
Most people, I imagine, don't read the comments. I read them all because I have to approve them before they are posted to the web. I have another blog where I used to not moderate the comments and I got lots of google bombs and other spam. That's all I am trying to filter out. I let negative comments through.
Anyway, there have been a couple of comments I am especially proud of, and I thought I would share them with you.
The first was in response to one of my posts about our trip to New York City.
Just wanted to let you know that my wife and I joined another couple at L'Ecole this weekend based on your review - we also found the food terrific, reasonably priced, and reasonably portioned - we weren't stuffed upon leaving. The other couple was from NYC, and couldn't understand why they hadn't already been there, particularly for the eighteen dollar weekend brunch. Thanks for the tip!My goal in commenting about restaurants is to give you an idea of what to expect when you dine there. I am happy that at least this once I appear to have met my goal.
The second comment was attached to my entry mentioning a fund raising dinner for Andy Herod at Oakley's.
Thanks for the scoop on the dinner at Oakleys and scoop re: Ruth's reopening.I hope this person went to the dinner and contributed to Andy's fund.
Lastly I want to mention a direct message I got on Twitter, not a comment. This person called me to task for using the phrase, "high quality," to describe Bart Peterson and other movers and shakers dining at Midtown Grill. He asked, "If I am neither frmr mayor - mover/shaker,would that make me low quality?"
Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best word choice. "High powered" or "politically potent" or "bombastically egocentric" might have been better choices. But as I tweeted back, this is just an Internet blog. Don't take it too seriously.
For a moment, just the briefest flicker of time, I considered tweeting back, "Yes. You are of very low quality. USDA Choice at best." Unfortunately, my sense of humor often fails to come across sufficiently in a 140 character text message, so I resisted the temptation and kept that comment to myself.
But I was tempted.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Ownership
So early to judge, and soooo harshly. Is there another business subject to more criticism than a restaurant? (Neal Brown on Twitter)
Who owns a restaurant? The chef or the customers?
This question came to mind recently while reading the opening paragraph of the special edition of Indianapolis Monthly's "The Dish" email newsletter about Neal Brown's new restaurant, Pizzology.
The fact that "The Dish" sent out a special newsletter solely about a restaurant the day after the first night it was open to the public, during the period when most restaurants are in "soft opening," a time to work out the bugs and train the staff while the customer load is light, should tell you something.
This was the most anticipated restaurant opening of the year. People were foaming at the mouth to get there.
And what were they expecting?
Your first impression of Neal Brown's new pizza spot in Carmel, Pizzology (13190 Hazeldell Pkwy.), which opened last night, is likely to be 'uh, where's Neal?' Not in the literal sense, of course—he was buzzing all over the restaurant yesterday—but figuratively. Where are the white tablecloths and spare décor, the obscure ingredients, and the prep area where Brown can play to his diners—all things we had become accustomed to at L'Explorateur, Brown's previous restaurant, which closed in January. The honey-hued wood floors and slate-toned walls with chalkboard writing are lovely of course, and oversize black-and-white photographs of Italian scenes feel just right in the space, and yet...Apparently, they were expecting l'Explorateur. And what they got was a pizza joint.
Now I am only picking on The Dish because they are bold enough to put into print what others must be thinking. And that is, "Why isn't this place another l'Explorateur?"
The answer, of course, is contained within the question: "...L'Explorateur, Brown's previous restaurant, which closed in January."
Chef Daniel Orr, chef/proprietor of FARM in Bloomington, has a similar image problem. Orr is a veteran of a number of top restaurants: Auberge des Templiers, Restaurant Daguin, and L’Espérance in France, Restaurant Bruneau in Belgium as well as working his way up to executive chef at New York’s famed French restaurant, La Grenouille, and then at Guastavino’s.
When Orr gave up the glitz of the world of competitive haute cuisine and returned to his native Indiana, all the foodies in the state were expecting him to open Indiana's first Michelin starred restaurant. But what did he open instead? A high class college hangout, complete with a subterranean, bourbon & DJ bar.
And what did I hear about FARM before I visited there the first time?
"He could have done so much more."
So, who owns the restaurants, the chefs or the customers? Is it reasonable to judge a restaurant by your expectations based on the history of the chef? Or should you judge a restaurant solely by what it tries to be?
I think you know my answer.
Neal opened a pizzeria (and a catering business and soon two hot dog carts(!) and whatever he is going to do around College and 49th) in large measure because his previous venture closed its doors. As praised as l'Explorateur was, there were not enough bodies coming through the doors on a nightly basis to make it a viable business.
Bottom line, you have to pay the bills.
And if you have put in your time in the heat of the line at the top of the craft and it no longer excites you, and what you want to do is open a restaurant that will appeal to young people in a college town, who's to say you should not?
Apparently some of his customers believe they should.
If the customers get to decide who you are, you will never find yourself. Ultimately you have be yourself, not what people want you to be. The people that like what you do will find you, and the rest can go somewhere else.
If enough people like what you are doing, you will be able to feed your family. If not, then maybe you should open an Italian restaurant, or a hamburger stand, or sell plumbing supplies. And if what you are doing isn't making you happy, regardless of what it pays, do something else.
So if Neal Brown is happy and can support his wife and kid making pizza, that's just fine with me.
(Of course, if Neal Brown were to make it onto "Top Chef," then a new l'Explorateur, especially in downtown Indianapolis, would be a runaway success. But it won't be the locals paying the bills. It will be the out-of-towners, the tourists, and the reality show junkies. Us locals probably still won't show up in decent numbers.)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Midtown Grill
Last week I had a window midweek to have dinner with the S.O. I can't tell you how rare those are these days.
We opted for a restaurant we had not been to together, the Midtown Grill in Broad Ripple. It has a decent reputation and was recently in the news because Neal Brown had consulted on some changes to the menu.
The ambiance is small bistro with minimalist decorations and white table cloths.
Small crowd in the dining room, even for 7:00 PM on a Wednesday night, but high quality. Bart Petersen was having a drink at the dining room bar with one of his former deputy mayors, and a couple of other movers and shakers came in while we were eating. (There is another bar on the other side of the building which we did not enter, which could have been packed.)
Service was attentive, although you would expect that with a small crowd. The menu was slightly upscale, maybe not as class as Meridian.
We ordered the lamb sliders to start. They come with shoestring potatoes, chipotle bbq, and a cheese, cucumber and onion topping. I think these started me on my hamburger binge this past week. The shoestring potatoes were perfectly crisp. I think either of us could have had this as our entree.
For our entrees, however, the S.O. had the Chicken Montrachet and I had spaghetti with Veal Meatballs. The bite I had of the Chicken Montrachet (chicken breast stuffed with spinach, goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes) was quite nice. The spaghetti was good too, very much what I expected with the veal being more tender than ground beef.
Neal Brown supposedly tweaked the menu, and I guess you find his influence in using veal and lamb in these dishes instead of beef and changing the cheese topping for the sliders from Monterey jack. It freshens up the menu without straying too far from the solid Midwestern fare you find on their web site menu.
For wine, we went against wine pairing rules and had the Walter Clore Reserve from Washington. A very nice Bordeaux blend from Columbia Crest Winery. I was familiar with the wine since it was in The Grapevine Cottage's wine club a while back, and I even reviewed it for the blog! Last time I was in Zionsville they still had some on the shelf.
Midtown Grill is not going to earn any Michelin stars, but is a nice neighborhood restaurant in Broad Ripple, suitable for everyone, even us old farts who wouldn't be caught dead in one of the swinging hip hop bars. Younger people will like it if they want to spend some quiet time together before they hit the bars.
We opted for a restaurant we had not been to together, the Midtown Grill in Broad Ripple. It has a decent reputation and was recently in the news because Neal Brown had consulted on some changes to the menu.
The ambiance is small bistro with minimalist decorations and white table cloths.
Small crowd in the dining room, even for 7:00 PM on a Wednesday night, but high quality. Bart Petersen was having a drink at the dining room bar with one of his former deputy mayors, and a couple of other movers and shakers came in while we were eating. (There is another bar on the other side of the building which we did not enter, which could have been packed.)
Service was attentive, although you would expect that with a small crowd. The menu was slightly upscale, maybe not as class as Meridian.
We ordered the lamb sliders to start. They come with shoestring potatoes, chipotle bbq, and a cheese, cucumber and onion topping. I think these started me on my hamburger binge this past week. The shoestring potatoes were perfectly crisp. I think either of us could have had this as our entree.
For our entrees, however, the S.O. had the Chicken Montrachet and I had spaghetti with Veal Meatballs. The bite I had of the Chicken Montrachet (chicken breast stuffed with spinach, goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes) was quite nice. The spaghetti was good too, very much what I expected with the veal being more tender than ground beef.
Neal Brown supposedly tweaked the menu, and I guess you find his influence in using veal and lamb in these dishes instead of beef and changing the cheese topping for the sliders from Monterey jack. It freshens up the menu without straying too far from the solid Midwestern fare you find on their web site menu.
For wine, we went against wine pairing rules and had the Walter Clore Reserve from Washington. A very nice Bordeaux blend from Columbia Crest Winery. I was familiar with the wine since it was in The Grapevine Cottage's wine club a while back, and I even reviewed it for the blog! Last time I was in Zionsville they still had some on the shelf.
Midtown Grill is not going to earn any Michelin stars, but is a nice neighborhood restaurant in Broad Ripple, suitable for everyone, even us old farts who wouldn't be caught dead in one of the swinging hip hop bars. Younger people will like it if they want to spend some quiet time together before they hit the bars.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
4th and 2
I don't think anyone will disagree with me that last Sunday's Colts-Patriots football game was the biggest game of the NFL regular season this year.
Two weeks ago I decided that we should stay downtown after the game, rather than spend an hour or so fighting the post game traffic at midnight. Seems like I was a bit late in making that decision, because most of the hotels downtown were booked solid. Only some high end (expensive) hotels had rooms. We stayed at the Canterbury, still only 3 blocks from the stadium.
The Canterbury is a nice older hotel. It reminded us a lot of the Algonquin in NYC. Same ambiance.
I checked restaurants for pre game dinner at the same time, and about half of the restaurants downtown were already booked at 6:00 PM. Some, like St. Elmo's and Harry & Izzy's were booked solid from 5:00 to 7:30. I imagine St. Elmo's had been booked since the schedule came out.
It was nice to see the restaurants and hotels downtown packed solid on a Sunday night. Anyone who thinks the City made a mistake in accommodating the Colts on a new stadium needs to talk to the service industry downtown.
I am sure that the Colts, the Pacers and the Convention Center keep a lot of these businesses in the black. Imagine downtown with a lot of restaurants and hotels boarded up.
We drove down early, checked into the hotel and then walked over to Tastings for a glass of wine before dinner. I tried out Molly Dooker's The Boxer (2), a full bodied Shiraz from Australia, a high alcohol, highly extracted fruit bomb. It needs lots of time to mellow out before I can tolerate it. This is the kind of wine it is said will "tire" you out, and I believe it.
Bob Costas, in town to do "Football Night in America," came into Tastings with three other gentlemen and sat down near us. I don't think his companions ordered anything, but Bob had coffee. Black.
Dinner was at Oceanaire. We had the usual very nice meal. Oceanaire is a traditional, "gentlemen's" seafood restaurant, with crab legs and lobster and raw oysters. You could say that Oceanaire is to seafood what Ruth's Chris is to steaks.
I had a cup of New England Clam Chowder (no, I did not think of the coincidence of the name of the dish to the sporting event until just now) and Salmon Oscar. They are very traditional recipes, just what I wanted, and spot on with the preparations.
We had a Cristom Pinot Noir (2+) from Oregon, I believe it was Louise Vineyard. I found it to be a pleasant, young pinot, but my companions liked it much more than I.
When we arrived at the stadium, Bob Costas was set up on the field just in front of us. So, we meet again, I thought.
The football game... well... what can I say. The game was a classic struggle between two teams that circle the date on the calendar as soon as the schedule is released.
It started off slow, the Colts scoring first, and we were hopeful this year we would finally blow out the hated Patriots. The Patriots responded quickly with a score of their own, and the first quarter ended in a tie. The second quarter the Patriots pulled out to only a ten point lead, but they did it with several, massively big plays. It looked like the Colts were going to be the ones blown out. The third quarter was a dead tie with neither team scoring any points.
Both teams had opportunities to score lots of points. The Patriots had two drives end with turnovers in the end zone. The Colts failed to convert a number of third downs.
During the second quarter I got depressed because of the ease with which the Patriots were moving the ball. Was Randy Moss going to run free all night? Couldn't we at least jam him a bit at the line and try to disrupt Brady's timing?
During the third quarter the S.O. got depressed and I consoled her. I had already gotten over my depression and was into resigned mode. She asked me if we were really this bad or were they really this good. I told her the Patriots are really, really good.
A lady behind us announced loudly to the crowd in the middle of the third quarter, "If they can't play better than this, I'm leaving." She left. I estimated about fifteen percent of the crowd left by the middle of the fourth quarter.
The Patriots opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Randy Moss on the second play. They were up 17 points.
The Colts responded quickly with a five play, two minute four second, 79 yard drive. Pierre Garcon, who had dropped several passes earlier in the game, caught the touchdown pass. The S.O. said that Pierre redeemed himself. I wondered if it was too little, too late.
The Patriots next drive stalled and they punted to the Colts. The Colts were only down ten. If they could score another touch down they would only be down three with lots of time to play.
On the first play of the Colts drive, Peyton Manning threw a pass to Reggie Wayne who he believed was going to break to the outside. Reggie didn't see Peyton's hand signal to change the play and broke to the inside. The Patriots got an easy interception. The Patriots had the ball at Indy's 31 with just under eight minutes to play.
I told the S.O. "That's the ball game."
Fortunately the Colts were not paying any attention to me. Remarkably, neither was the crowd. Throughout the whole game, even when it was obvious that the crowd thought the Colts had little chance, they still kept screaming and cheering, trying to disrupt the Patriots timing. You would have thought we had the lead.
The defense stiffened and the Patriots only got a field goal. They were up thirteen points.
The next drive Manning took the Colts 79 yards down the field in 1:49, and the lead was cut to six.
Then, the Colts' coaches made a decision that sharply contrasts with the decision the Patriots' coach made a few minutes later.
The Colts lined up in on-side kick formation. This is the kind of desperation maneuver teams that are behind make at the end of games. The Patriots put their "hands" team on the field to counteract the Colts tactic.
The Colts obviously needed the ball back. A successful on-side kick would do that. But on-side kicks are successful less than half the time. The odds are it won't work. But when you are desperate, it can be the only chance you have.
However, the on-side kick was a fake. The Colts kicked it deep. The Patriots, who did not have their kick return team on the field, could only down the ball in the end zone for a touch back and started their drive on the twenty.
Remember this play. These kind of decisions tell you where the strengths and weaknesses of a team lie. The Colts big Achilles heel is special teams. They "faked" the on-side kick so the Patriots could not have a big return. The Colts put the fate of the game into the hands of their defense.
The defense had to stop Tom Brady or the game was lost.
I think everyone knows what happened next. It's all the sports pundits have been talking about. One would think that the Patriots were playing the Patriots and the Colts were there merely to provide a backdrop, like so many cardboard cutouts.
Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth down was predicated on two things.
One, he has a damn good offense with one of the best quarterbacks in the game.
Two, the Colts had scored two touchdowns in about two minutes each already in the fourth quarter. Belichick knows the Colts gets better as a game goes on. (Manning and his coaches figure out what the opposing defense is doing and use it against them.)
So Belichick put his faith in his offense, not in his defense, gambled "recklessly," and lost.
The Colts, in contrast, in their decision to kick away with less than three minutes left in the game, put their faith in both the offense and the defense. They only withheld it from special teams.
The crowd in the stadium was electrified. We were deliriously happy even though we had no clue how the Colts won this game. We were sure they would lose. But we learned a long time ago just to soldier on in faith. Remember Tampa Bay?
The Colts never panic, never give up, never stop working. The hill they have to climb might be impossible, but the next step is not, and neither is the one after that.
Patience and perseverance are the two most necessary ingredients to success in any venture, whether is winning a football game, running a business, getting a degree, or, even, writing a blog.
That is the lesson for today.
Two weeks ago I decided that we should stay downtown after the game, rather than spend an hour or so fighting the post game traffic at midnight. Seems like I was a bit late in making that decision, because most of the hotels downtown were booked solid. Only some high end (expensive) hotels had rooms. We stayed at the Canterbury, still only 3 blocks from the stadium.
The Canterbury is a nice older hotel. It reminded us a lot of the Algonquin in NYC. Same ambiance.
I checked restaurants for pre game dinner at the same time, and about half of the restaurants downtown were already booked at 6:00 PM. Some, like St. Elmo's and Harry & Izzy's were booked solid from 5:00 to 7:30. I imagine St. Elmo's had been booked since the schedule came out.
It was nice to see the restaurants and hotels downtown packed solid on a Sunday night. Anyone who thinks the City made a mistake in accommodating the Colts on a new stadium needs to talk to the service industry downtown.
I am sure that the Colts, the Pacers and the Convention Center keep a lot of these businesses in the black. Imagine downtown with a lot of restaurants and hotels boarded up.
We drove down early, checked into the hotel and then walked over to Tastings for a glass of wine before dinner. I tried out Molly Dooker's The Boxer (2), a full bodied Shiraz from Australia, a high alcohol, highly extracted fruit bomb. It needs lots of time to mellow out before I can tolerate it. This is the kind of wine it is said will "tire" you out, and I believe it.
Bob Costas, in town to do "Football Night in America," came into Tastings with three other gentlemen and sat down near us. I don't think his companions ordered anything, but Bob had coffee. Black.
Dinner was at Oceanaire. We had the usual very nice meal. Oceanaire is a traditional, "gentlemen's" seafood restaurant, with crab legs and lobster and raw oysters. You could say that Oceanaire is to seafood what Ruth's Chris is to steaks.
I had a cup of New England Clam Chowder (no, I did not think of the coincidence of the name of the dish to the sporting event until just now) and Salmon Oscar. They are very traditional recipes, just what I wanted, and spot on with the preparations.
We had a Cristom Pinot Noir (2+) from Oregon, I believe it was Louise Vineyard. I found it to be a pleasant, young pinot, but my companions liked it much more than I.
When we arrived at the stadium, Bob Costas was set up on the field just in front of us. So, we meet again, I thought.
The football game... well... what can I say. The game was a classic struggle between two teams that circle the date on the calendar as soon as the schedule is released.
It started off slow, the Colts scoring first, and we were hopeful this year we would finally blow out the hated Patriots. The Patriots responded quickly with a score of their own, and the first quarter ended in a tie. The second quarter the Patriots pulled out to only a ten point lead, but they did it with several, massively big plays. It looked like the Colts were going to be the ones blown out. The third quarter was a dead tie with neither team scoring any points.
Both teams had opportunities to score lots of points. The Patriots had two drives end with turnovers in the end zone. The Colts failed to convert a number of third downs.
During the second quarter I got depressed because of the ease with which the Patriots were moving the ball. Was Randy Moss going to run free all night? Couldn't we at least jam him a bit at the line and try to disrupt Brady's timing?
During the third quarter the S.O. got depressed and I consoled her. I had already gotten over my depression and was into resigned mode. She asked me if we were really this bad or were they really this good. I told her the Patriots are really, really good.
A lady behind us announced loudly to the crowd in the middle of the third quarter, "If they can't play better than this, I'm leaving." She left. I estimated about fifteen percent of the crowd left by the middle of the fourth quarter.
The Patriots opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Randy Moss on the second play. They were up 17 points.
The Colts responded quickly with a five play, two minute four second, 79 yard drive. Pierre Garcon, who had dropped several passes earlier in the game, caught the touchdown pass. The S.O. said that Pierre redeemed himself. I wondered if it was too little, too late.
The Patriots next drive stalled and they punted to the Colts. The Colts were only down ten. If they could score another touch down they would only be down three with lots of time to play.
On the first play of the Colts drive, Peyton Manning threw a pass to Reggie Wayne who he believed was going to break to the outside. Reggie didn't see Peyton's hand signal to change the play and broke to the inside. The Patriots got an easy interception. The Patriots had the ball at Indy's 31 with just under eight minutes to play.
I told the S.O. "That's the ball game."
Fortunately the Colts were not paying any attention to me. Remarkably, neither was the crowd. Throughout the whole game, even when it was obvious that the crowd thought the Colts had little chance, they still kept screaming and cheering, trying to disrupt the Patriots timing. You would have thought we had the lead.
The defense stiffened and the Patriots only got a field goal. They were up thirteen points.
The next drive Manning took the Colts 79 yards down the field in 1:49, and the lead was cut to six.
Then, the Colts' coaches made a decision that sharply contrasts with the decision the Patriots' coach made a few minutes later.
The Colts lined up in on-side kick formation. This is the kind of desperation maneuver teams that are behind make at the end of games. The Patriots put their "hands" team on the field to counteract the Colts tactic.
The Colts obviously needed the ball back. A successful on-side kick would do that. But on-side kicks are successful less than half the time. The odds are it won't work. But when you are desperate, it can be the only chance you have.
However, the on-side kick was a fake. The Colts kicked it deep. The Patriots, who did not have their kick return team on the field, could only down the ball in the end zone for a touch back and started their drive on the twenty.
Remember this play. These kind of decisions tell you where the strengths and weaknesses of a team lie. The Colts big Achilles heel is special teams. They "faked" the on-side kick so the Patriots could not have a big return. The Colts put the fate of the game into the hands of their defense.
The defense had to stop Tom Brady or the game was lost.
I think everyone knows what happened next. It's all the sports pundits have been talking about. One would think that the Patriots were playing the Patriots and the Colts were there merely to provide a backdrop, like so many cardboard cutouts.
Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth down was predicated on two things.
One, he has a damn good offense with one of the best quarterbacks in the game.
Two, the Colts had scored two touchdowns in about two minutes each already in the fourth quarter. Belichick knows the Colts gets better as a game goes on. (Manning and his coaches figure out what the opposing defense is doing and use it against them.)
So Belichick put his faith in his offense, not in his defense, gambled "recklessly," and lost.
The Colts, in contrast, in their decision to kick away with less than three minutes left in the game, put their faith in both the offense and the defense. They only withheld it from special teams.
The crowd in the stadium was electrified. We were deliriously happy even though we had no clue how the Colts won this game. We were sure they would lose. But we learned a long time ago just to soldier on in faith. Remember Tampa Bay?
The Colts never panic, never give up, never stop working. The hill they have to climb might be impossible, but the next step is not, and neither is the one after that.
Patience and perseverance are the two most necessary ingredients to success in any venture, whether is winning a football game, running a business, getting a degree, or, even, writing a blog.
That is the lesson for today.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Pizzology
Neal Brown's latest venture, Pizzology, launched over the weekend with a friends and family party on Friday and a private launch party Saturday night. Sometime this coming week he will open the doors to the public, we hear Wednesday, so start lining up. The official "Grand Opening" has not been announced yet.
If you had been following Neal on Twitter you would know that he put up for bids dinner for two during Saturday's private launch as a fund raiser for Gabe Jordan. Gabe was shot in the back by robbers while walking his dog November 8. If you are interesting in checking on Gabe's recovery or helping his family, you can go to GabeJordan.org.
The winning bidder was Renee Wilmeth of Feed Me/Drink Me. Her bid of $150 was matched by Neal and by Cavalier Distributing, an independent beer distributor in Indiana, raising a total of $450 for Gabe and his family. Nice gesture on all their parts.
We are waiting for Renee to blog about her dinner though. Give us the inside scoop, Renee!
Friday, November 13, 2009
An Embarassment of Wine Club Richs
Everybody these days is starting a wine club.
Here are just some of the companies that have started up wine clubs this year:
Border's is specializing in value wines. Six wines for $6.99 a bottle plus free shipping. NOW's "Feminist Wine Club" specializes in wines from women wine makers.
And for intellectuals, there is the New Scientist Wine Club, which includes an educational science story with each wine.
The explanation for this explosion of wine clubs from unlikely sources is easy. If you have a hook, and a constituency to tap, then letting a company that specializes in wine clubs borrow your name to sell wine is an easy way to make money.
I'm holding out for The South Park Wine Club. Can you imagine what that will be like?
Here are just some of the companies that have started up wine clubs this year:
- The Wall Street Journal
- USA Today
- The New York Times
- Chef's Catalog
- Border's Book Store
- New Scientist Magazine
- National Organization for Women
- The National Rifle Association
Border's is specializing in value wines. Six wines for $6.99 a bottle plus free shipping. NOW's "Feminist Wine Club" specializes in wines from women wine makers.
And for intellectuals, there is the New Scientist Wine Club, which includes an educational science story with each wine.
The explanation for this explosion of wine clubs from unlikely sources is easy. If you have a hook, and a constituency to tap, then letting a company that specializes in wine clubs borrow your name to sell wine is an easy way to make money.
I'm holding out for The South Park Wine Club. Can you imagine what that will be like?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)