This will be our last goodbye

But you dont care,

so I wont cry.

This is actually my second attempt at this post. My first was scathing and was basically a lash out at the guy who hosts Park and Orchard in Rutherford, New Jersey. I went to click the "publish post" command and got an error message, then went back to an empty screen. My friend Mikki says it's destiny and the way it's supposed to be, and she's smart so I'll just let it go.

I'd be lying if I told you he didnt have a powerful negative impact on what was otherwise an awesome night, so I wont. But I will tell you about what is ordinarily one of New Jersey's very best restaurants.

Park and Orchard must have been an auto body or gas station or something in it's past lifetime.

But now it cranks out fresh and unique meals to people who all seem to really appreciate it. Like any great restaurant anymore there's still the mangagalupe in shorts and a Tshirt, but for the most part people dress appropriately and the atmosphere is very crisp, very clean, and downright delicious.

I come here for lunch whenever possible. It's a little less crowded and I love lunch. Italians live their worlds around lunch, it's a nice way to live. Park and Orchard lives it's life to be different from the other restaurants that have found success in one of the most competitive (and densely populated) food service markets in the world. They've succeeded, and they've done so on their own terms.

I could mention the Grand Award they got from WS. But who cares. It means nothing.

What I will mention is that this guy has the stones to put wines on the list he wants his guests to enjoy. There are the standards, but then there's a whole bunch of stuff you've never heard of. Right up my alley. Buddy would like my wine list, I should send it to him. You could put just about any of my producers in a room with him and he'd probably come away with a new best friend. But that's the beauty of my winemakers, they're actually people.

We only had time for appetizers since we were going to be late for the show by the time we got sat, but they were remarkable. Some mussels, some stuffed mushrooms, a little tomato salad, plate of fresh mozz with the balsamic you pay a whole bunch for, the carpaccio.... everything was nice. The chick who got our table was a little bit in the weeds, but she was stellar, and her colleagues stepped right in to help her out (they were less busy... hmm?). We ate, we paid, we raced to the Meadowlands and saw the Police. Missed two or three songs, but whatever. It was fun. I made a new friend that night, got to see one of the bands that made up the soundtrack of my teens, and didnt get arrested. Overall.... a success.

Tourists Don't Know Where They've Been

And Travelers don't know where they're going.

If you had a choice to go anywhere; where would it be?

If someone or something came down (or up) out of nowhere and granted you the freedom to launch off to a place you've never been, where would you chose?

I dunno either. Brasil comes to mind first (for obvious reasons). I'd also like to take in Scandanavia. Especially now while it's 100degrees here in NY. I hear it never gets above 76 in Copenhagen, and that sounds like Heaven right about now.

With all the options the world presents it would be impossible to pinpoint where exactly the ideal adventure would be. If you developed the inner thirst to wander the earth, would that put you that much closer to God? My God has told me more than once she'd prefer I ventured into myself to find the answers to the questions I frequently ask. I try all the time, but always seem to come up remarkably short. Where there is clarity and feeling would be my ideal destination. Is that a place that can be reached by plane?

My role over the years has changed dramatically. The floundering (bouncing on the dry dock desperately seeking life/water/oxygen) has numbed my ordinarily good senses and dignity.

It begs the simple question; should I hit the road?

All New.... All The Time

Two new producers added to the list this week. The first, KitFox, is a little larger than the standard AVAWine.com winery, but the story and passion were there so we went ahead and posted them. It's an interesting story (the Vogel Family), I strongly suggest you check them out.

The second is Fantesca. Husband and wife team with the passion caught deep. They realize some expert help would go a long way, and they go out and get a father and son outfit that now produces stuff they can proudly put their names on. Classic but familiar story, although the ending never bores me.

Have a look for yourself, and if you have the means I strongly suggest you pick up a few bottles.

Die Harder.. and Stay Dead

We all do things for money. And if the thing you have to do will gross you $50million dollars, it's going to have to be pretty gruesome for you not to do it. I think we can all agree on that, so I wont spend any more time trying to make that point.

Die Harder with a Vengeance has such a thin plot and is just a series of big-time unrealistic explosions. He "kills" a helicopter with a squad car, he runs an Expedition from a parking deck into the heart of a closely guarded command center that serves the Northeast Region's water supply. That scene was the first of many that had me checking to see where the exits were.

They forget to make the movie interesting or believable, me thinks. Just throw a bunch of cool fights and chases and "bah booms" and John T. Normal will marvel in delight. A shame. A shame along the same lines as the Jerry Springer show. How can the guy who made the first Die Hard want anything to do with this one? $50million dollars, that's how.

Hudson House Inn

This place reminds me of something. It reminds me of a very successful uncle that reached his peak, and is now coasting his way into his twighlight. There must have been a time when the kitchen at Hudson House bustled with new energy and excitement, but now it's just churning out plates and enjoying it's reputation.

Worse things can happen to a restaurant and Inn on the banks of the Hudson river. You've got a view of West Point, a very quaint town square and developed public space on the water across the street. The staff works their tails off, and when they go back next year to finish High School, they'll have a high end joint to put on their applications to the CIA in Poughkeepsie. Let me tell you it's still worth the trip.

The menu reads like 1999. The plaques on the walls confirm your suspicion. The food is fresh and the wine list is just a little better than garden variety crap you get an hour or so south in NYC. I went mid level with an Arrowood 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. We featured Arrowood one month two years ago for our wine club, our comment box didnt overflow with praise or complaints. It's nice they found a national distributor. It's lame they sold out.

If you know a master chef who isnt living up to his potential, or someone with mad money who wants to park it in an ideal location, you should reach out to the owners of HH. I dont know their situation, but a breathe of fresh air might be the key to restoring this hidden gem.

"Dish" Red Bank New Jersey

This doesnt have to be a long post. This restaurant was expensive, and the food was good.

It's in a good location, in a cool town, and they're BYOB. I brought a Bourassa Carneros Chardonnay, and that was the gold brick of the evening.

Started with mussels.. they were ok. A tad cool, but they made them for me without garlic so I just ate them. I had the Tuscan Stew for an entree. A whole bunch more mussels, a few pieces of shrimp, and a scallop or two. There might have been a clam in there, nothing popped. It wasnt bad, but I think by the time the two person waitstaff started to rush us (and two other tables) out the door, I had forgotten what I had eaten.

My guest had some sort of pasta. I remember mostly that it was almost $30 and had something to do with strangling a member of the clergy for a name. She picked at it, so did I. Whatever.

Not going back to Dish. There are zillions of other dining options in this town, and if I'm going to spend $100 at a BYOB, you're going to let me sit there until I've closed the deal.

When the Music's Over

I realize the above photo has little to do the final espisode of "The Sopranos", but this character from season 1 (episode 12) has always stuck in my mind. She represented so many things, and all of them good.

Last night's finale. Interesting. Lots of stuff. Everybody who guessed, was wrong. I was wrong (see previous blog post). I was pretty certain I was going to be right, but I was really wrong. Just like everyone else.

Ok, enough of the stutter point writing style, I'm sick of it. I want to make some observations. Did anyone notice Paulie's rant about Cat's.. and how they suck the life out of babies? Then the cat sits and stares at Chris Moltinsanti's picture all day? Any connection to Tony sucking the life out of Chris? How about the guy in the Trucker Cap in Holstein's diner in the final scene? I couldnt help but think about Frank Whaley's incredible performance with Danny Devito and Jack Nicholson in "Hoffa". Waiting at the edge of your seat as Meadow tried to park her IS250... try and tell me you werent going out of your head. I was.

I always had this guilty obsession with The Sopranos. Obviously I lived my life around Sunday nights for the past 8 years, but at the same time I resented the free association people would make with all of us with the vowel on the end of our name from New Jersey. I suppose you have to take the good with the bad. I always charged them with being criminals, and not people to idolize, but they're also just putting on a play.. and you always sympathize with people you know.... you just can't help it.

I'm not sure if I'm glad it's over. I dont know what to feel. The ending with "Dont Stop Believin" by Journey.. and then no music with the credits. What's that about? Come to your own conclusions? Move on with your life? Who knows. David Chase is a nut. Now he's made history, I'm sure his parents are very proud.

The Stage House

The Stage House in Scotch Plains New Jersey could be considered an "oak". It's housed in a building so old it still has the bollards with hooks to tie your horse, while you go inside for some of the best food in Union County.

Now, let's be honest. Union County (despite it's proximity to NYC and obscene wealth) is not a hotbed of culinary excellence. It's disappointing, but true. We could only hope for more restaurants on par with the Stage House. Tom Britt (formerly of the mighty "The Frog and the Peach" in NB) has continued the long tradition of this NJ staple with overseeing a superior waitstaff (dont get me started about the hostess), and by supporting the truely talented kitchen master Eric Hambrecht. I dont know Chef Hambrecht, but his reputation is stellar and consistent.

You can tell a restaurant is great by all the great chef's who list it on their resume's. The Stage House can be found on some of the Garden State's most powerful resumes. It's always seemed, to me, to be a launchpad for great careers. I can name 5 killers off the top of my head who have their own showcase restaurants, all of whom speak fondly of their training at this particular restaurant.

I'll get to the details. I had ravioli of short ribs with peas and mushrooms that wanted for nothing. An excellent first course. For an entree I went again with the braised Beef Ribs that worked perfectly with my appetizer, as a different preperation on what had to be a special piece of meat. This course had the delicate sweetness of pomegranate and red cabbage that I thoroughly enjoyed. I only chose it over a seafood selection because of the wine we were drinking, I didnt want to change gears mid-meal. I wont mention the brand (as it doesnt deserve to be printed), but let's just say it was typical, but not awful.

My guest had to be pushed into trying the gnocchi (which is ricotta based instead of the traditional flour creation I grew up with), and she almost got to finish it alone. Her Tuna entree was good, but I'm anxious to see the next stage of Tuna creations. It's about time this ingredient had a breakthrough.

Overall, The Stage House doesnt need any help. They know what they're doing and only get better each year. They have a tavern and an outside seating area that rocks 3 seasons (heatlamps allow us to continue to enjoy the outdoors deep into the Fall). I cant think of a better alternative in the Westfield/Summit/Scotch Plains corridor, and if you havent found it already, I strongly recommend it.

False Idols

I dont have a lot of idols. There are some people that I admire, but idolatry I usually save for unattainable women, or cars I strive to one day have in my garage. People, in my opinion, do not deserve to be idolized. We're all guilty of something, we all have a skeleton somewhere in a closet or under some bed.

Sometimes when I hear people talking about Tony Soprano, it makes me mad. They have such respect and sympathy for a sociopathic murderer, whose moral compass was probably broken before he even entered his teenage years. It also angers me when some asshead, with whatever sliver of Italian ancestry, lightly infers a possible connection to La Cosa Nostra. Like it's a badge of honor to have an uncle who kills, steals, intimidates, or wears a tracksuit all day. Get a job already, any moron can be a criminal.

I was speaking on the phone this afternoon to my lifelong friend Joe. I've known Joey since I can remember, and both our dad's were the kind of men who got their dead asses out of bed every morning and set out to make an honest living to raise their rapidly growing families (not to mention provide for the expensive tastes of both our mothers). These guys had tremendous responsibility, and never buckled. If they needed something, or suffered a failure, they just worked harder. If you're going to idolize somebody, these are much better candidates.

I'm going to print my prediction of the demise of Tony Soprano. I've been saying it out loud for years, but people just dont seem to remember. Tony Soprano is going to jail. He's not going to slither through the bars like a Gigante or even "Uncle Junior", he's going to the can..... like Gotti.
He's going to get booked, tried, and then convicted. Probably because one of the younger meatheads gets a parking ticket and sings like a bird. The last scene is going to be him being ushered into his cell, orange jumpsuit covering his gorilla body, he's going to turn dramatically back towards the camera and sit on the bed that's built into the concrete wall. Then they're going to close the door. Good.

Tater Salad at the Taj Mahal

Saw Ron White last night at the Taj in Atlantic City. Ron White is one funny cat.

Very little material was familiar... and his new stuff was rock solid.

It really makes you think about commitment and dedicating yourself to your craft.

The sum total of failure this guy must have had before he made it to a point where he could make a living must have been amazing. His big break came after Jeff Foxworthy broke through, and took Ron along with him to open his shows. Which seems to sort of be the catalyst for the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" series. You really dont know when/where/how the tipping point will come about, but if you keep at it, sometimes it happens.

We're waiting for our tipping point here at www.avawine.com . Maybe we can open a show or two for Larry the Cable Guy. Or a publicity stunt of some type. I'm giving it major thought.

Greetings from Augusta National

Now, before all you fanatics get excited, I havent yet met Tiger Woods. Although it might happen. Tomorrow night I'm going to an event hosted by Jim Nance, which promises to be fun.

I'm sure the food will be good. Both Tiger and Jim would have to come over to me and introduce themselves, as I'd sooner stick a fork in my eye than join the flock of freaks who hound celebrities and athletes.

I'm down here with Maybach working the event, and so far things are going fairly well. I drew high card and scored the master bedroom in the house we're renting (local people rent their homes out during the Master's week, schools coincide their spring breaks so kids can go too).

I've only had to eat fast food once ( ok twice, but that ends today). And the weather is just about perfect. Northern Georgia is beautiful... that is not to be refuted.

I had to put to sleep my IBM thinkpad laptop. I had her for 5 years. She was a good old girl.

So this is my first blog with my new Toshiba.. it's got all kinds of cool stuff, I'm sure in 5 years I'll figure some of them out.

Muscardini Cellars Joins the Fold

Another excellent example of how passion and dedication can produce some of the finest varietals the entire WORLD has to offer. Truly a family affair, Mike Muscardini puts his name on each and every bottle of wine, and that's your assurance it's going to be great.

We are elated to welcome Muscardini Cellars to our portfolio of the finest California Boutique wineries.

"Through Muscardini Cellars, the Muscardini family shares their zest for life and profound appreciation for the fruit of the vine with the Muscardini Cellars artisan wines. The mission of Muscardini Cellars is to culminate the knowledge, tradition and respect of more than a century of family experience in the industry with wines that artfully capture flavor and spirit. "

We at www.avawine.com welcome you to enjoy these hard to find selections. To learn more about Mike and his beloved winery, goto www.muscardinicellars.com !

Have you seen 300?

I love movies about heart. Rocky, Forrest Gump and the Blues Brothers were all movies about heart.

Nicol and Mike Duffy have heart. They make wines they are proud of, they put their family and friends and reputation first. They dont sell out, and they dont cave and make wines to adhere to those tastes that are popular with the weirdos who rate wines. They stand on their ground and wait for the rest of us to come around.

I saw 300 last night. I enjoyed it more because before I left for the theater, I had a glass of Optima's Chardonnay. Life is better after a glass of anything from the Duffy's.

http://www.avawine.com/wineries-optima-wine-cellars-c-42_194.html?osCsid=974b4c58c1d8876a62a0a073b120f057

Drop The Hammer

I'm not a hippie.

And I dont even really hate corporate America. Heck, without it we wouldnt have the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. But I think it's been made pretty clear, I hate corporate wines.

Maybe I'm a walking contradiction? Perhaps. I dont like Gallo wine, but I like the story of Ernest Gallo. People who strive and punch and kick and keep striving and punching and kicking inspire me. This guy did all that.

A few years ago Alan and I had an appointment at some winery somewhere that had the "boutique" moniker attached to it. We were warmly greeted and while we were being shown around, the secret came out. Old Ernesto had just snatched up that winery to become part of his new "boutique" program. Turns out we just missed him (and his helicopter landing) by about a day. I would have liked to have met him, and told him how well his selections work on cleaning the rims of my car.

I wouldnt have done that, I dont go out of my way to introduce myself to famous people (Jessica Alba being an exception), but if by happenstance we crossed paths I would have been respectful and jocular. Neither terms would be used by anyone to describe me otherwise.