In Line For Wine

Having finally recovered from a great weekend of food, wine, spirits and fun at the third annual Clearwater Beach Uncorked I started thinking about a strange phenomenon that occurred.

Chilly, misty weather on Saturday greeted the two day festival on the beach. Sunday was sunny and perfect, however, most of the tickets were sold for Saturday. The weather forced attendees to cram into the food and wine tents, rather than enjoy the ample outdoor seating and standing space.

Individual lines to get food samples somehow turned into a giant que around the entire perimeter of the two giant tents. I kept thinking this would never go over in Miami, at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival. I wondered if people were just polite or did they not have a clue that the tent and tables of samples were wide open; that queuing up as they were, was actually slowing down the entire process.

There is also a kind of unspoken etiquette at events like this. After you get the taste and a brief description of what you are trying, you get out of the way for the next person. This never ending line caused the tables to be blocked by people with full glasses and plates.

Most people seemed OK with this, after all they were still drinking on the beach in February. But it was too restricting for me so I stayed in the middle of the party and when empty, kindly inquired if I could reach through for a pour, since everyone around the table was already full.

Always looking for the lesson in things, I came to this conclusion:    
At times we get so accustomed to following the crowd we don't look up to see there is a wide open tent in front of us. Cheers.

Day Five At Avenue5

Diver Sea Scallops

And on the fifth day, the media descended.

Avenue5, the newest restaurant to open on Naples' trendy 5th Avenue South, is ready for the pubic and the press. Not even open a week yet, last night I got to tour the newly renovated space and taste the creations of Chef John Welch.

Avenue5 occupies the old McCabe's Irish Pub space. As we relived stories from the party pub days, we discovered our table was in the spot where the men's restroom used to be.

The dark old pub has been completely transformed into a contemporary, light space, with glass doors opening onto the plaza and the street. The wine wall holds 3500 bottles

Chef's specialty is lobster so we had to try the lobster sliders on fried green tomatoes. The parsnip slaw they were served with helped offset the richness of the dish.

Another favorite appetizer was the 100% Heritage Berkshire Pork Belly. The chunk of meat was generous for an appetizer and came with a three bean salad that included celery, apple and pickled rhubarb. The flavors were bright and addicting.

The entrees we sampled included a perfectly cooked Colorado Rack of lamb that melted in your mouth. One diner said she liked it better than the New Zealand variety. The diver sea scallops were a tad bit salty but the oysters and sweet corn stew helped to off-set this and gave some nice layers of flavors.

The Sea Bass was a big hit, served in a bowl with boo chou, mushrooms and noodles; a perfect accompaniment to the creamy fish.

Prices at Avenue5 range from $9 appetizers to $56 entrees.

It never hurts to remind diners who arrive at restaurants within the first few weeks of opening, that the chef and staff are still finding their groove and working out the kinks. Try not to be too critical if things aren't  exactly what you expect, and let the managers know in a constructive way, so they can make the necessary adjustments.

Cue The Quinoa

I signed up for a cooking class at a health food store (Ada's Natural Market) this week to A) learn something new B) benefit a charity (the new Golisano Children's Hospital in Fort Myers, FL). Of course as soon as I commit and send in money, ten thousand other things pop up on the same night. For instance a drive-by from a friend I haven't seen in ten years who lives 2000 miles away and just so happened to be in town on business…..for a few hours.

The text went like this:

Me: I know we can coordinate something….but I have signed up for a cooking class at 5:30

Friend: Cooking Class? You don't know how yet?

Me, trying to sound important: It's a charity thing.

Friend: Cooking for you might be considered that….so I've heard.

Someone's got jokes…..

Well I made the class and we started the night with a naked tasting…..of three different quinoa's. The white was mild with a smooth texture, the red was a  little more crunchy and nutty, the black was very crunchy and a bit bitter. 

Chef Winfield Lentz then took us through the subtleties of three dishes, from proper pans and rinsing, to how to cut onions. First recipe; Spring Rolls. I learned that it takes a delicate hand to roll the wet rice wrappers; say that fast three times, wet rice wrappers….GO!

Second dish; Brown Rice & Quinoa Pilaf. I was reminded that pilaf and I never really hit it off to begin with, so why start now. 

Third dish; Un-Meat Balls, utilizing the red quinoa and black beans for a base. They were surprisingly substantial and with homemade sauce drizzled on top, I can buy into this for sure. Or better yet, make bigger patties for meatless burgers!

I have been a fan of quinoa for a long time and happy to be inspired by these three dishes. And as for my friend, I was still able to get a couple of hours of quality time in over oysters, Mahi and delicious red wine. Who says you can't do it all!

Gourmet Gifts and Party Pleasers

It seems like no matter how much you plan for the holidays, you always forget something or somebody. So wether you need to put together a last minute gift basket or stock your kitchen with goodies to last through the rest of the year. I've recently found a few fun consumables that are also new to the marketplace in general. Impress your guests and your hosts with some or all of these treats.

You can never go wrong with putting bags of gourmet chips in your gift baskets and having extra bags in your pantry, for when celebrations lasts longer than anticipated or unexpected guests arrive. When I opened a box of English chips from Tyrrells, you would've thought I had a box of gold, the way my friends reacted. Tyrrells chips have recently been launched in the US with unique flavors like Mature Cheddar and Chives, Worcestershire and Sundried Tomato or Beetroot, Parsnip and Carrot with a touch of Sea Salt. What makes them different, besides the flavors is that they are cooked by hand in small batches. We couldn't wait to open them and dig in and I couldn't get enough of the Sweet Chili and Red Pepper. They run around $10 a bag.

On the sweeter side, look for Snappers, a delicious new product from the Milk Shake Factory by Edward Marc Chocolatier. They are the perfect flavor combination of salt and sugar. And the perfect texture combo of crunchy and chewy; made with pretzels, caramel and chocolate.  Until now, you've only been able to find these in the Pittsburg market. However, Costco has picked up the tempting treat and now sells Snappers at select locations for $8.99 a bag. They are turtle-like but without the nuts and also a bit messy but soooo tasty.

 To wash down both of these treats, try something sparkling, like a lovely Cremant d'Alsace from Helfrich winery in France. The grapes in this bubbly come from the oldest documented and northernmost Grand Cru vineyard in Alsace.  A bit yeasty with lots of minerals, flavors of green apples and in the $20 range, it's one heck of a great bargain for what's in the bottle. It's tre impressive! I could drink champagne or sparkling wine every day, all day, on it's own and with almost any food. In fact one of my favorite things, because it's so yin and yang, includes bubbles and chips!

Grab these for your Christmas or New Years celebrations and enjoy. Cheers.

Fab Finds; Bread Pudding, Butterflies and Bennett's

If you are visiting or have friends visiting the Southwest Florida area for the holidays, I have a few new Fab Finds to help you both entertain and feed the family.

Reuben's Catering is now open to the public, only it's called Reuben's Smokehouse! Look for it on US41 in Fort Myers in the former Miami Connection location. Reuben serves up amazing comfort food like cheesy mac-n-cheese, green beans, coleslaw, homemade rolls and LOTS of flavorful meat, smoked everyday! SO good!

Chef Reuben has even bottled his own hot sauce. The beer and wine license just came in so the stash is in the process of getting stocked!

One thing you DONT want to skip is dessert and  the carmel, chocolate chip bread pudding. It's good enough to make you wanna fight over so, get your own!

The Shell Factory Nature Park in North Fort Myers opened it's new Butterfly Garden this week. It was fun tasting Lobetia wines, that appropriately enough have a butterfly on the label,  while watching awkward kids try not to squish or step on the beautiful creatures during the butterfly release.

The Nature Park is a family friendly, local find with, some amazing animals like alligators, owls, big cats, birds and lots more. Oh, and you don't have to go the middle east to ride a camel, they have one of those too!


I also checked out progress on the new Bennett's Fresh Roast on Sanibel Island. The downtown Fort Myers coffee shop has gained international attention for outstanding, made from scratch donuts and fresh roasted coffee. It's also the place to see and be seen.

Bennett's much anticipated opening on Sanibel will happen within weeks. I've seen the space and it looks great! Lots of light and lots of seating including outdoors. There is even a parking spot where you can plug in your Prius!



Lobster Lady Seafood in Cape Coral has a new chef and work is currently underway on some new menu items. I sampled this tasty tuna appetizer this week and it was fantastic. The garlic sesame peanut noodles were a delight.

I can't wait to see what new creations come out of the kitchen.

Wine Wednesday; Lobetia

I went to Spain for Wine Wednesday and didn't even have to buy a plane ticket. Although that would've been kind of nice.

I actually went to the grand opening of the new Butterfly Gardens at the Shell Factory Nature Park and was introduced to a "butterfly wine"; well kinda. It has a butterfly on the label.



Lobetia is a Spanish wine made from organic and biodynamic farming practices. We sampled two as we participated in the release of dozens of beautiful butterflies.


Tempranillo is Spain's signature red grape. This one was nice and light on a warm afternoon; with flavors of plums, cherry and mocha

The Chardonnay was unoaked, bright and fresh with flavors of tropical fruits and pineapples.  Both wines are in the $10 range and perfectly suited for the festivities of the day.

Cheers!

Wine Wednesday; Tasting Violets

It's a special Wine Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve. As I sat in my living room drinking a glass of Leese-Fitch Pinot Noir (research for my next wine column for TOTI Media) My parents were thumbing through current TOTI editions, getting caught up on my stories.

My Dad, peering over the top of his glasses, looked at my mom and said, "I want you to listen to what your daughter wrote." For a split second I went into little girl mode….oh no what did I do?  Think fast; did I say something obscene, risqué ? It was published, can't be THAT bad, not like a blog or a Facebook post.

He read aloud what I wrote about the 2010 Unus from my wine tasting at Mendel in Mendoz, Argentina, "It has a toasty, creamy nose and flavors of violets." He pauses and adds, "Apparently your daughter has been grazing in a field of violets."

I suppose it does sound strange. No, I haven't been eating violets, smelling them yes. I tasted their smell, but that takes up too many words and valuable space to explain in print. Wine critiques and descriptions often sound strange and define things you might not normally want to taste, like leather and dirt. But in the big picture it works.

My story on travel to Mendoza is in the Times Of The Islands edition currently on the stands (Nov/Dec 2013, pages 34-39).

Dad finished up with, "I'm very impressed with your writing and ability to graze on flowering plants." Reading the article again, I had a deep yearning to return to Argentina. So I pulled up some photos, opened a bottle of BenMarco from winemaker Susana Balbo and Dominio del Plato, toasted an amazing trip and being with my wonderful family on Thanksgiving. Cheers! 

Wine Wednesday; Glassy Gimmicks

A question for wine lovers: How many wine gadgets and gifts have you collected over the years?

A question for friends of wine lovers: How many of these kind of gifts have you given over the years?

I attended a private function at the Shell Factory in Southwest Florida this week where I found a plethora of wine paraphenalia and found myself, momentarily, in a frenzy. It just so happens I have also been working on a Christmas shopping story for 10Best, so perfect timing.

There is a fine line between cool and crap when it comes to any theme related, specialty gift. That was the question I was faced with when looking at this wine glass. Coming off a week of helping to take care of my two nephews, I still had family on the brain, plus I know how much both Grandma's like their fermented libations.

Would it be cute to have them pose for Christmas photos holding the above glass, while the kids held their plastic sippy cups and bottles? Or would it be tacky. I had consumed the perfect amount of wine at that time to be painfully indecisive. Perhaps you are on either side of the threshold and can advise me properly??

Wine Wednesday: Bonarda

Have you ever had a bottle of Bonarda or Charbono? They are the same grape depending on wether you are in Argentina or France, respectively. I admit to generally discounting Bonarda as a blending grape; until this week.

Bonarda is another one of those French grapes that is flourishing in Argentina, similar to the superstar, Malbec. On a recent wine whirlwind in South America, I learned a lot  about Bonarda and how many producers are adding it to Malbec in higher percentages. Its the second most planted grape in Argentina and apparently it's the next big thing, or clever marketers are trying to make us believe it is.

And now Bonarda is the new "house wine" for my brother and sister-in-law. For wine Wednesday, we got geeky and did a blind test of two bottles from Mendoza, Argentina; Tercos and La Posta. Tercos smelled musty, tasted a bit leathery with dark fruit but didn't have much of a finish. The La Posta smelled lighter than it tasted with a bit of a cherry cola nose. This wine had more flavors of dark berries and a longer finish. Being a frequent buyer of Tercos, my brother said it generally tastes better after being open a day, as do many wines. It was a close contest, but La Posta won the taste test. Both are in the $15 range and both are good food wines.

Do you have a favorite Bonarda to recommend? Happy Wine Wednesday!

Flipping Over "Flipper's"

Photo by Sharon Arnold 

People always ask me where to dine on Fort Myers beach. I typically ask, "Do you want barefoot beach food, fine dining or some crazy combination of both?"

While I wouldn't call Flippers On The Bay "barefoot beach food", it is a crazy combination of fine dining in a casual atmosphere. On Estero Bay, the al fresco establishment is all undercover, except for a small deck on the beach; perfect for those who come by boat. You can come in your shorts and T-shirt but people DO dress for the deck; at night it is even quite romantic.

I recently dined at Flipper's while writing a piece on waterfront dining for 10Best, a division of USA TODAY, and fell in love with Chef Juan Cruz; not just his food but his infectious laugh and inviting smile. Cruz has worked with famous chef's like Wolfgang Puck and Thomas Keller and has quietly been building a loyal following at Flipper's.

Chef brought out a bunch of small plates for us to sample so don't judge the portion sizes in the slide show below. Our appetizers included tender calamari prepared Mediterranean-style, with Kalamata olives and tomato; Yellow Fin Tuna Ceviche ($11.90) with a ginger avocado cucumber relish that was so fresh and had a nice little kick; a flavorful Spanish-style shrimp cocktail called Campechana that also had lump crab and avocado; and a glass of crisp Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Each was unique, well balanced and I would order again.

We switched to a Krug Chardonnay for the next round which included the Shrimp Sunset ($22.90); papadale pasta with shrimp in a creamy and delicious red curry, tomato basil and parmesan sauce. The popular Asian Chicken Salad was sweet and spicy, with a fresh crunchy texture. Two more hits!

About this time the breeze picked up, the sun started to set and the dolphins came out to play. Not only can you see the sunset from this dining deck, you can also see it rise in the east. Flippers serves breakfast and I'm dying to try the Lobster Eggs Benedict!

After pausing to honor Mother Nature it was on to red wine, Erath Pinot Noir, and one of my favorite dishes of the night;  Chilean Seabass ($32.90) in a citrus miso sauce. It melted in my mouth. The Bohemian Grouper was also quite good; served over mashed plantains, topped with a citrus pineapple relish then drizzled with a lemon beurre blanc. There are selections for land lubbers too, although not many.

Flipper's On The Bay is one of the best hidden gems in Southwest Florida. It is not well marked and not in the middle of the craziness of the beach. If you are visiting Southwest Florida you've got to seek it out, at the southern end of Fort Myers Beach, almost in Bonita Springs, across from Lovers Key State Park. If you live here, why aren't you there now!

Fab Finds; Sweet Ginger's Gelato

Have you ever had gelato? I mean REAL gelato! not the one that reads "gelato" in your grocery store freezer section.

It's one of the many amazing foods that Italians do so well. I remember being in Italy with my family years ago, drooling at the beautiful mounds of this sweet treat in gelateria's lining the streets; and my mother declaring with great enthusiasm, "I'm going to eat gelato every day!" And she did, sometimes twice a day. As a loyal daughter, I could not let her eat alone!

So when I heard a little buzz about a new gelato business opening in Southwest Florida, I was intrigued to say the very least. Now that I know the full story, I'm EXCITED.

Owner Denise Kulisz has a great story that you will be hearing more about; not just in SWFL but soon, nationwide. A former stay-at-home mom in Chicago, she decided to go into the food truck business to sell gelato. No, its not an "Ice Cream" truck it's a food truck; gelato is a food, a dessert food, but still food.

Success came quickly until someone pointed out that her "gelato" wasn't really authentic; a common problem in the US. So Kulisz went to Italy to see for herself. Long story short, she ended up in gelato school, bought the proper machines and then brought an Italian pro to Fort Myers to share his techniques and even some family recipes with her.

Kulisz then hired a well known local chef, Ruth Cohen, to lead her new, state of the art Gelato Lab in Fort Myers. Still practicing for perfection, I got to do a little sampling today and am in love. I tried cream, pistachio, hazelnut, chocolate and a non-dairy dark chocolate that tasted like a velvety mixture of mousse, ganache and pudding.....without milk or cream. Wow!

Gelato may taste rich but it actually has less fat than ice cream. Sweet Ginger's did not give me that sugary buzz and it was full of clean, distinct flavors. As of now Kulisz does not plan to have a local gelateria, but instead serve her cold elixir at special events, select restaurants and out of her food truck.

Nothing like a sweet treat to make all of your cares disappear. Welcome Sweet Ginger's Gelato! Can't wait to see your food truck roll up the next event I'm at!

Stand Your Ground

Yesterday, I had a harrowing incident on bicycle involving a squirrel. I decided the best way to get over that trauma was to get back on the bike and ride. So today, I put on my backpack and rode to the grocery store for some staples.

My eyes darted left and right like a mad woman, on the look-out for rogue squirrels. I felt victorious as soon as I made it safely out of my community and once again tried to enjoy the sunny skies and low humidity. I made a slight detour into another neighborhood to get in some extra cardio when I saw another bicyclist coming toward me. I hugged the right side of the road as I had been doing since I departed. Funny thing, she was on the same side, doing the same thing. We were headed directly at each other. Did she sense I was an interloper? 

I thought, "Surely this woman knows the rules of the road and will move over." But not an inch. I double checked, yes I'm on the correct side of the road as all things with wheels move in the same direction; it's pedestrians that go against the traffic flow.

As we get closer she is still not moving over. Since it is more important for me to be right than to avoid another collision, I stay the course and maybe even pedal a little faster. Finally, she moves slightly and I cheerily bid her Hello while under my breath I say once again, "What the Hell?"

As I recounted this story to some friends over dinner, to my surprise they both said, "Yes, I ride against traffic so I can see what's going to hit me." Are you serious? Am I going mad?

Once again I'm left analyzing what I'm suppose to learn from this incident; besides the obvious idiocy in proving that I'm right. Its simple; STAY THE COURSE.  Just stay the course and eventually things will work out.

Good thing the lady coming at me didn't have the same philosophy.

Not sure I'm going to take out the bicycle again tomorrow, perhaps "it" needs a rest. However, it's given me such great stories and insight this week.....

Suicidal Squirrel

Photo from Lin's Domain

I have several friends who've been hit by cars while riding bicycles. But have you ever been the one to hit anything while riding? I mean other than random potholes, curbs or bushes?

After several hours behind the computer today, I decided it was time to move my body. I got on my bike and breathed deeply, enjoying the sunny blue sky and low humidity. About a minute into my ride, as I'm about to exit my neighborhood, my attention is strangely diverted to a squirrel ahead. He had moved quite quickly through the grass, paused and perched himself  at the side of the road.

"Don't you do it!" flashed through my mind. But the lil' bastard DID! He ran right in front of me so fast I had no time to brake. I felt a bump, felt his furry F-ing tail on my leg. I hit a damn squirrel on my bike! Who does that? I was horrified, didn't know what to do. I mean I couldn't look back and risk seeing that lil body jerking and writhing in pain from the impact of my powerful Mongoose. And if that was the case, what would I do? I certainly didn't have the guts to finish him off; kill him and put him out of his misery.

by George Coghill

I rode a few feet with my hand over my mouth, also wondering if any neighbors had witnessed the alleged squirrel massacre. Of course curiosity got the best of me. I just had to look over my shoulder; I had to know what happened to that furry guy. To my surprise, there he was sitting in the middle of the road upright, not twitching. Was it my imagination or was he looking at me like "What the hell?" Or was it really his mother looking at me like "What the hell, MY BABY"S DYING IN THE DITCH!!" My imaginary conversation continued with the mama squirrel, this time with me saying "What the Hell! Didn't you teach that boy not to play in traffic?"

Now my beautiful bike ride is mired in reliving the harrowing experience and analyzing what the near death experience with a squirrel was meant to teach me. When presented with openings in life you either have to make a mad dash, or wait for the traffic to clear and walk more calmly into it. But that moment of indecision, pausing on the side of the road, will get you smacked at best; more likely squished flat. I think I was being told to be patient, take a breath before making any more mad dashes.

Not completely satisfied with my conclusion I looked up the meaning of squirrel energy and found the power of the rodent is a "great gift" reminding us to lighten our load of things that are unnecessary and cluttering our lives. The last quote I read about squirrels on the website Lin's Domain confirmed what I had already figured out, "Take the time to stop and listen to your inner self, and don't forget to play." I got it! Hopefully you get it too!

If I ever decide to start a band, I'm calling it "Suicidal Squirrel".

Wine Wednesday, Everyday Finds

For Wine Wednesday this week I attended a fund raising, wine tasting for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer at Fresh Market in Naples, FL. They closed the store and put on a beautiful event with lots of good food to boot. Navigating the different tables set up throughout the store, I was reminded of some great everyday wines that I sometimes forget about like; Casa Lapostolle, Oyster Bay and Bogle.

But I really enjoyed bouncing between the Joel Gott and Ferrari Carano tables, thank God they were side-by-side and in the cheese section of the store; Heaven. I may or may not have ended up in the case at one point.

The Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc was not the citrus explosion you might expect from a California Sauv Blanc. It had lots of stone fruit and a nice $13.99 price tag.  In Florida, you can never go wrong with that one or the Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc ($14.99); peachy with a little spice on the finish. One of my long-standing favorites.

As for reds, my favorite was Ferrari Carano Cabernet ($24.99); cherry, smoke, tobacco, yum. And the Joel Gott Red Blend ($17.99). It was juicy and nicely balanced.

After picking up a few bottles of red, I picked up some chocolate in the bulk food bins. It was a beautiful sight to see this morning on my kitchen table! Is it 5:00 yet?

Wine Wednesday, Zaha

Ah, another Wine Wednesday and another maddening dilemma of what to write about, especially since I'm fresh off of the Fall Show for Opici Wines. I tasted so many amazing wines yesterday!

One of the things I love to do is let you know when something new is coming to the area, the area being Florida. If you are in other states or countries, I certainly hope you can find this fantastic Malbec, ZaHa.

It's no secret I'm a fan of Malbec from Mendoza and this is now one of them. Its not a typical Malbec though. While it has good fruit like black cherry, it is smoky with a bit of coffee and spice. While ZaHa is 90% Malbec, it has just a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot to round things out.

In the $40 range,  the 2010 got 92 points from Wine Advocate. ZaHa means heart and it got mine!