Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Lazy Ox Canteen

Great meal at Lazy Ox Canteen. Creative. Great quality. Casual environment but serious food.

Lazy Ox Canteen

241 South San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012-3808
(213) 626-5299


Highly recommended!


One of our go-to Arneis, the Roero, Val del Prete.













Great mussel dish. Order extra pain grille for the broth!













The last bottle of Luigi Giusti, 08 Rosé of Lacrima di Moro d'Alba.













Anchovy and piquillo peppers.













The star of the night, the 1990 Parusso Barolo. Amazingly fresh and vibrant. A real treat.













Super desserts with Brachetto and Beaumes de Venise.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Most Interesting Man in the World

His shirts never wrinkle.
He is left-handed. And right-handed.
He has been known to cure narcolepsy, just by walking into the room.
His organ donation card, also lists his beard.
He’s a lover, not a fighter, but he’s also a fighter, so don’t get any ideas.
Even if he forgets to put postage on his mail, it gets there.
The police often question him, just because they find him interesting.
He once punched a magician. That’s right. You heard me.
When he orders a salad, he gets the dressing right there on top of the salad, where it belongs…where there is no turning back.
On every continent in the world, there is a sandwich named after him.
He doesn’t believe in using oven mitts, nor potholders.
His cereal never gets soggy. It sits there, staying crispy, just for him.

He is The Most Interesting Man In The World.

Why not? It's some funy sh#t.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Lioco Wines!







We have always been big fans of the Lioco wines (as we have been carrying them pretty much since we opened). They are made honestly. They are priced realistically. And most of all, they taste great. True to form these new releases, now in stock, represent some fantastic Summertime drinking.

2009 Lioco Chardonnay Sonoma County
A blend of four complimentary vineyards -- all of them sustainably farmed and hand harvested: Stuhlmuller, Ricci, Mazzera, and Valentine. No bulk juice used. Fermented in stainless steel (no oak) using a wild yeast. A naturally occurring malo finshed completed. Aged sur-lie with no battonage.
Price: $17.99

2007 Lioco Indica Mendocino County
The 07 Indica has less tannin and more satin than its 06 incarnation. The additions of some cold-climate Grenache and Mourvedre produced unexpected high tones in the wine. Now the entire orchestra is playing. Bouquet of morello cherries, red plums, and rhubarb, accented with hints of baking spice. Tastes of sour cherries, dried blueberries, and something wonderfully herbaceous.
Price: $17.99

2008 Lioco Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Vineyard sits in the Petaluma Wind Gap--a place renown for cold, old-born wind and fog. Clones 667 and 115 planted on a hillside in loamy Franciscan soil. Fermented open top using a wild yeast. Manual punchdowns. 20% whole cluster. Aged 11-months in neutral oak. Bottled without fining or filtration.
Price: $29.99

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Ceviche



















My favorite Ceviche recipe:

3 Citrus Ceviche
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespns extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound fresh sea bass cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 pound bay scallops
1/2 pound medium shrimp, cut in 1/4" pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small red onion, small dice
2 avocados, cut in 1/4" pieces
Salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, ginger and olive oil. Add the sea bass, scallops and shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. The flesh of the seafood should be opaque. Add the cilantro and onion at the last minute and stir through. Then top with fresh avocado when ready to serve. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Open a cold rosé and report back.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Beirut: the band

Pretty cool stuff. Great instrumentation.
Check them out here: http://www.beirutband.com/


Italian Sparklers

Of course we love French sparklers but you have to admit Italy is coming on strong in the bubbles department. They are working with unique grapes and, in some cases, producing some incredibly good quality juice. The pricing is fair and if you are willing to look hard (that is mostly our job) you can find some fantastic stuff. Here are three of our favorites, in stock this week.

2008 Dama del Rovere Brenton Durello Brut, Veneto $18.99
A unique Venetian bubbly. Pure white fruit and wildflowers show in its perfume; the mouth is lined with lime zest and lemonade, with a suggestion of flint and spice. Very energetic on the palate; the finish lingers with notes of quince and gooseberry.

NV De Conciliis Selim, Campania $19.99
Crafted from Fiano and Aglianico, two grapes indigenous to Campania, this spumante is made in the charmat method. The yellow-green Selim itself has a refreshing nose of tropical and citrus fruits, peach and apple. Intense, unusual and beautifully balanced. Selim, spelled backwards, is Miles, for Miles Davis (Bruno De Concillis is a big fan).

2007 Murgo Brut Metodo Classico, Sicily $22.99
The Murgo Brut is made from the Nerello Mascalese red grape native to the mineral-rich soils of the volcano. This is an excellent, refreshing sparkler with good complexity and verve. Since 1981, Emanuele Scammacca, Barone del Murgo, helped by sons, Michele, Pietro, and Matteo, has been modernizing both the winery and the vineyards to improve the quality of his wines, which are now considered some of the foremost in the Etna area.

Summer is Almost Here
























Photo by Kyrsten Wetzel
In the photo Todd Goldsworthy (brother of Dr. Patricia Goldsworthy)
Duotone Treatment Jeff Zimmitti

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Wines of Umbria






Umbria is a region of Central Italy, bordered by Tuscany to the west, the Marche to the east and Lazio to the south. This region is mostly hilly or mountainous. There are some real treasures for wines in the region but Umbria always seems to play in the shadows of Tuscany. We happen to really love the wines and here are some fantastic picks if you’d like to explore the region (all in stock).

2008 Palazzone Dubini Bianco, Umbria $6.99
Perfect picnic wine. Stainless steel fermentation creates a fresh, fruity wine with plenty of floral notes. Crisp acidity. Dry finish. Steal of a price. Blend of 50% Procanico, 20% Verdello, and Grechetto, Drupeggio and Malvasia round out the remaining 30%.

2006 Fratelli Pardi Montefalco Rosso, Umbria $12.99
Made with 70 % Sangiovese , 15% Sagrantino and 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet in color and chock full of red and black fruits with a backbone of soft, round tannins and pleasant acidity. Good stuff. Great price.

2007 Barberani Polago, Umbria $14.99
Barberani's vineyards sit in the heart of the Umbrian hills, nestled among the olive groves and forests. This fresh wine is a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Ruby red in color. Fruity and lightly herbaceous. Good body and pleasant aromas.

2004 Terre de Trinci Sagrantino di Montefalco Ugolino, Umbria $56.99
(90 Points: Wine Spectator) Blackberry bush, with hints of tobacco and ferrous earth. Very floral. Full-bodied, with firm, vanilla- and mineral-coated tannins and a long, firm finish. Precise and focused on the palate. Best after 2009. 1,000 cases made.

2002 Paolo Bea Rosso de Veo, Umbria $57.99
The Rosso de Veo is special. The 2002 vintage over most of Italy was challenging. In order to craft the best possible wine (and most great winemakers will do this) Bea declassified their best fruit from their best sites, meticulously hand-sorted, and made an incredible wine. This is a blend of 70% Sagrantino, 15% Montepulciano and 15% Sangiovese. For almost half the normal price for his Sagrantino you can try one of the masters of winemaking.

2004 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso San Valentino, Umbria $65.99
Some say the Bea wines are the pinnacle of Umbrian wine. There are only 500 cases made of this wine and very little to go around in the States. The Montefalco Rosso is a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and 15% Sagrantino, all from the San Valentino site situated on a high-altitude slope in Montefalco. This is a rich wine of deep purple-blue tint; it tastes of sweet fruit (plums and wild black cherry). It is slightly nutty as well with chicory and vanilla flavors. A complex, intense and expressive wine.