It's hot in our little SmartsCo office, so I'm imagining I'm drinking a crisp, cool glass of rosé, while sitting in a little cafe in Paris. In you happen to be lucky enough to be going there soon, we've compiled off-the-beaten-path food and drink suggestions from our newest game, ParisSmarts, edited by Gourmet Magazine's European correspondent Alec Lobrano. He shared some of his favorites, and if you like these...pick up a copy of our new ParisSmarts, for even more suggestions and discoveries in the City of Light.
Alcoholic Sorbet
BERTHILLON
Ty their champagne-infused sorbet. Mmmm … it's a cocktail in a cone.
31 rue St. Louis en l'Ile ,4th
01.43.54.31.61
Crème Brûlée
CAFÉ DU MARCHÉ
Crème Brûlée is elevated to an art form here in the heart of the Rue Cler neighborhood.
38 rue Cler, 7th
01.47.05.51.27
French-Asian Fusion
LE RÉFECTOIRE
This campy take on French school cafeterias (réfectoires in French) features furniture that may take you back to your days in grade school, except with a trendy flair and great food.
80 boulevard Richard Lenoir, 11th
01.48.06.74.85
Macaroons
LADUREE
Traditionally rich and unbelievably light, the macaroons here are one of Paris's most decadent desserts. They are crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and come in an amazing range of flavors including chocolate, raspberry, lime basil and blackcurrant violet. Several in Paris. Try the elegant tearoom at:
16 rue Royale, 8th
01.42.60.21.79
Organic Vegetables
MARCHÉ BIOLOGIQUE
The place-to-be on Sunday mornings for any lover of expertly farmed, all-natural produce.
Boulevard Raspail, 7th
Stinky Cheese
BARTHELEMY
Local and international fromage-philes shop at this Paris landmark. When it's in season, the Vacherin here is the best in the world.
51 rue de Grenelle, 7th
01.45.48.56.75
'60s Bar
POLLY MAGOO
This casual cult bar opened in 1967 and hasn't aged since. Hear that? It's the Doors, probably on vinyl …
11 rue St. Jacques, 5th
01.46.33.33.64
African Bar
IMPALA LOUNGE
The Impala Lounge is more than an African theme bar -- it's also one of the hottest spots in the city, popular for its Afro vibe and original cocktail concoctions. Don't be surprised to see ostrich steaks on the menu.
2 rue de Berri, 8th
01.43.59.12.66
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Monday, June 12, 2006
Traveling to Spain in my glass
Sometimes there’s no time for an actual real-world trip, and a winetasting works quite nicely as a virtual one. Last week Julie and I went to a Spanish tasting (never been to Spain. would like to go), and discovered all sorts of wonderful wines We were lucky to find out about this event thanks to our friends Meredith and Jane at a Chow Magazine.
The event was put on by the folks from WinesFromSpain, and it was delightful. I left refreshed, educated, and no jet lag. Many big tastings feel a little crazed with everyone drinking and scouring the room for some little bit of cheese, and they're not always that much fun. This, however, was great–in a beautiful light-filled space in Yerba Buena Gardens–a modern art complex in SF, with lots of Spanish wineries showing off their wines. It was all very relaxed and social. AND there was excellent tapas, everywhere, which makes everyone happier.
Now for the wines. I enjoyed several of them and it was hard to spit out some of them (I’m getting better…not splashing myself or others quite so much) and now I want SmartsCo to create a WinePassport: Spain, like our other WinePassports. because there’s so much to learn and discover. If you think that would be a good idea, send us an email at info@smartsco.com with what you’d like to learn about Spanish wines.
From Bodegas Martín Códax
Martín Códax Albariño 2005, D.O. Rías Baixas. Albariño is a white grape varietal that tends to create wines with a good amount of fruit and a lot of acidity to balance it out. And the region Rías Baixas in the northwest corner of Spain is known for its Albariño. This wine was lovely – I want some for my home right now. It has tastes of green apple, pears, and a great amount of acid to make it stand up to salty seafood.
Burgáns Albariño 2005, Bodegas Martín Códax. This is a more widely available wine – available in 42 states according to the woman pouring the wine, but to me, it’s less interesting and more like an American Chardonnay – more round and fruity and sweet. People who like those wines might really enjoy this.
Cuatros Pasos 2004, Bodegas Martín Códax, D.O. Bierzo. OK – I had to taste this red wine because it has three bright red bear paws on the label, and it’s named Four paws because the winemakers found tracks in their vineyard. It’s made from a grape I hadn’t heard of before, Mencia. It’s a very hard grape to work with. And it is waaaay unusual. It smells really smoky, which I was told is one of the characteristics of the grape. And it tastes like smoked wood. Almost like a campfire with some beef jerky (which, I have to admit, I have never eaten but fer sher know the smell well).
Other favorites were from Codorníu, which is the largest bubbly producer in Spain (I've been told they have a great visiting tasting room), Their Cuvée Raventós Brut, D.O. Cava was amazing. Made mostly from chardonnay it was, as the experts say, YUM. Tastes of pecans, yeasty, vanilla, dry, with a long finish. I tried several of their wines and was similarly really into them
Vinña Pomal Crianza, 2000 Bilbaínas, DOCa Rioja. This is made from the Tempranillo grape and is amazing. The aromas are of cooked dark fruites like berries and cherries and a little bit of cedar. Just the aromas feel rich. And then at the first sip it tasted just like the aroma – you could eat it with a fork. Wow.
The event was put on by the folks from WinesFromSpain, and it was delightful. I left refreshed, educated, and no jet lag. Many big tastings feel a little crazed with everyone drinking and scouring the room for some little bit of cheese, and they're not always that much fun. This, however, was great–in a beautiful light-filled space in Yerba Buena Gardens–a modern art complex in SF, with lots of Spanish wineries showing off their wines. It was all very relaxed and social. AND there was excellent tapas, everywhere, which makes everyone happier.
Now for the wines. I enjoyed several of them and it was hard to spit out some of them (I’m getting better…not splashing myself or others quite so much) and now I want SmartsCo to create a WinePassport: Spain, like our other WinePassports. because there’s so much to learn and discover. If you think that would be a good idea, send us an email at info@smartsco.com with what you’d like to learn about Spanish wines.
From Bodegas Martín Códax
Martín Códax Albariño 2005, D.O. Rías Baixas. Albariño is a white grape varietal that tends to create wines with a good amount of fruit and a lot of acidity to balance it out. And the region Rías Baixas in the northwest corner of Spain is known for its Albariño. This wine was lovely – I want some for my home right now. It has tastes of green apple, pears, and a great amount of acid to make it stand up to salty seafood.
Burgáns Albariño 2005, Bodegas Martín Códax. This is a more widely available wine – available in 42 states according to the woman pouring the wine, but to me, it’s less interesting and more like an American Chardonnay – more round and fruity and sweet. People who like those wines might really enjoy this.
Cuatros Pasos 2004, Bodegas Martín Códax, D.O. Bierzo. OK – I had to taste this red wine because it has three bright red bear paws on the label, and it’s named Four paws because the winemakers found tracks in their vineyard. It’s made from a grape I hadn’t heard of before, Mencia. It’s a very hard grape to work with. And it is waaaay unusual. It smells really smoky, which I was told is one of the characteristics of the grape. And it tastes like smoked wood. Almost like a campfire with some beef jerky (which, I have to admit, I have never eaten but fer sher know the smell well).
Other favorites were from Codorníu, which is the largest bubbly producer in Spain (I've been told they have a great visiting tasting room), Their Cuvée Raventós Brut, D.O. Cava was amazing. Made mostly from chardonnay it was, as the experts say, YUM. Tastes of pecans, yeasty, vanilla, dry, with a long finish. I tried several of their wines and was similarly really into them
Vinña Pomal Crianza, 2000 Bilbaínas, DOCa Rioja. This is made from the Tempranillo grape and is amazing. The aromas are of cooked dark fruites like berries and cherries and a little bit of cedar. Just the aromas feel rich. And then at the first sip it tasted just like the aroma – you could eat it with a fork. Wow.
WineSmarts editor celebrates new book
I went to a winetasting a few weeks ago celebrating WineSmarts editor and friend Ray Johnson’s new book, The Good Life Guide to Enjoying Wine. There was a nice crowd of about 30 people.
It was held at the Viansa wine bar in San Francisco, and in addition to tasting their Italian-inspired wines, we also got to taste some oldies but goodies that Ray generously shared with us.
Ray gave some great tips on wine and food pairing:
* Don't spend so much energy chasing the perfect wine and food match. Things change depending on what you feel like, who you’re with, etc.
* Avoid the trap of picking a single wine for a whole table of people—everyone has different tastes, so find out what kinds of flavors they like and order a few bottles.
* Pairing wine with sweet foods: try a wine sweeter than the food. For fruit, crèmes and pastries, try a sweet white. With black fruits or chocolate, try a red. And, Ray suggests, don’t forget Malmsy Madeira (Madeira is made on the island of Madeira just off of Portugal, and Malmsey is a grape that makes one of the richer, sweeter madeiras)--it’s especially delicious with Roquefort.
* Young trophy wines – when you have an elegant bottle that’s still young, pair it with a dish with lots of protein and salt to work with the heavy tannins.
*Old gems – taste an older wine before your guests do—sometimes they fade with time. You might want to serve it with something very delicate, or just enjoy it alone.
Here are the wines we tasted:
From Viansa,
I had a lovely, light, dry white, with some mineraly taste and a long finish. Tocai Friulano that would make a great summer white.
Tocai is a grape made famous in Italy and has recently been the subject of international disputes, because the name is so similar to the Hungarian Tokaji or Tokay, that makes a very different, sweet wine. Here’s more information on the Tokay dispute.
From Ray’s collection:
1) Sori’ Paitin Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, 2003
2) Poliziano, Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano, DOCG, 1999
100% Sangiovese
3) Silvio Grasso, Barolo DOCG Pì Vigne, 1998
YUM. This is a wine made from the Nebbiolo grape which had an aroma of stewed black fruits. It had quite a bit of tannin but would have been great with food. Ray noted that “while Nebbiolo is typically hard as nails when young,” they can age beautifully.
It was held at the Viansa wine bar in San Francisco, and in addition to tasting their Italian-inspired wines, we also got to taste some oldies but goodies that Ray generously shared with us.
Ray gave some great tips on wine and food pairing:
* Don't spend so much energy chasing the perfect wine and food match. Things change depending on what you feel like, who you’re with, etc.
* Avoid the trap of picking a single wine for a whole table of people—everyone has different tastes, so find out what kinds of flavors they like and order a few bottles.
* Pairing wine with sweet foods: try a wine sweeter than the food. For fruit, crèmes and pastries, try a sweet white. With black fruits or chocolate, try a red. And, Ray suggests, don’t forget Malmsy Madeira (Madeira is made on the island of Madeira just off of Portugal, and Malmsey is a grape that makes one of the richer, sweeter madeiras)--it’s especially delicious with Roquefort.
* Young trophy wines – when you have an elegant bottle that’s still young, pair it with a dish with lots of protein and salt to work with the heavy tannins.
*Old gems – taste an older wine before your guests do—sometimes they fade with time. You might want to serve it with something very delicate, or just enjoy it alone.
Here are the wines we tasted:
From Viansa,
I had a lovely, light, dry white, with some mineraly taste and a long finish. Tocai Friulano that would make a great summer white.
Tocai is a grape made famous in Italy and has recently been the subject of international disputes, because the name is so similar to the Hungarian Tokaji or Tokay, that makes a very different, sweet wine. Here’s more information on the Tokay dispute.
From Ray’s collection:
1) Sori’ Paitin Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, 2003
2) Poliziano, Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano, DOCG, 1999
100% Sangiovese
3) Silvio Grasso, Barolo DOCG Pì Vigne, 1998
YUM. This is a wine made from the Nebbiolo grape which had an aroma of stewed black fruits. It had quite a bit of tannin but would have been great with food. Ray noted that “while Nebbiolo is typically hard as nails when young,” they can age beautifully.
Stuck in Dulles airport? Want some wine?
If you're flying through Dulles you might want to do something that is against your better judgment -- go out of your way to get a long layover there and check out the airport's Vino Volo. This great wine bar is a wonderful retreat from the depressing grays of the airport carpets and never-ending walkways.
Designed like a wine bar that might get rave reviews if it just opened in San Francisco, Vono Volo takes you away from airport exhaustion--you might even enjoy a slightly longer delay in your flight. VinoVolo (meaning wine flight - nice airport pun), offers a nice selection of wines by the glass as well as by the bottle--at reasonable prices considering it's the airport, along with tasty small bites such as fresh smoked salmon warpped around crab. The staff know what they're talking about and are friendly and hip --so much so that the two women next to me who were very happy, spent a good bit of the evening flirting with one of them.
I started with a flight of bubblies, because we just finished our WinePasport: Bubbly, a friendly guide to bubblies around the world, complete with nifty pop-out map, and I'm a little obsessed with all things sparkling. From Austria I tasted Steininger's sparkling which is a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc from Austria ($36/bottle at Vino Volo). It was rich and delicious, perfect with the smoked salmon.
Another thing I loved about Vino Volo is that in addition to California wines and wines from around the world, they dedicated an entire flight of wines to Washington DC area wines--great local angle that also made being there feel like a real place as opposed to one of thousands of airport watering holes.
Wines are served on a little paper mat describing each wine with friendly tasting notes. Go visit! I can't wait until they open in other airports -- I may make my travel plans around that. Until then, visit them at Concourse C near Gate 4.
Designed like a wine bar that might get rave reviews if it just opened in San Francisco, Vono Volo takes you away from airport exhaustion--you might even enjoy a slightly longer delay in your flight. VinoVolo (meaning wine flight - nice airport pun), offers a nice selection of wines by the glass as well as by the bottle--at reasonable prices considering it's the airport, along with tasty small bites such as fresh smoked salmon warpped around crab. The staff know what they're talking about and are friendly and hip --so much so that the two women next to me who were very happy, spent a good bit of the evening flirting with one of them.
I started with a flight of bubblies, because we just finished our WinePasport: Bubbly, a friendly guide to bubblies around the world, complete with nifty pop-out map, and I'm a little obsessed with all things sparkling. From Austria I tasted Steininger's sparkling which is a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc from Austria ($36/bottle at Vino Volo). It was rich and delicious, perfect with the smoked salmon.
Another thing I loved about Vino Volo is that in addition to California wines and wines from around the world, they dedicated an entire flight of wines to Washington DC area wines--great local angle that also made being there feel like a real place as opposed to one of thousands of airport watering holes.
Wines are served on a little paper mat describing each wine with friendly tasting notes. Go visit! I can't wait until they open in other airports -- I may make my travel plans around that. Until then, visit them at Concourse C near Gate 4.
Winetasting in Argentina
I just spent a week in Buenos Aires, and all along the way tasted delicious (and inexpensive!) Argentinian wines...
I spent the last week in the busy, huge city of Buenos Aires. I was there with three friends, all of us celebrating our birthdays. We found that after our first day we had already acclimated to what Becca called the Argentinian Lifestyle--getting up at 10am, leaving the hotel by noon, walking around for a while, then enjoying a 2-3 hour lunch (we had very simple food, but that's the pace of lunch), and then dinner at around 9pm and asleep by 1am.
Some highlights: We explored the Teatro Colon, which is an intricately designed old opera house/theater that currently employs 1200 people to put on its operas and plays. We also walked around Palermo neighborhood--a bit like New York's SoHo, with elegant boutiques and quiet little streets.
The wines we had were excellent and almost all from the Mendoza region. Wines we enjoyed in restaurants were never over $15 U.S. and most were about $8-$10. And unlike in the U.S., restaurants barely mark up wines, so you can walk into a wine store and get the same wine for almost the same price.
Our best wine and food experience was our last night at Gran Bar Danzon --a hip, lively, dark and modern restaurant, bar and wine bar on the second floor in the Recoleta neighborhood. It was packed at 9pm on a Wednesday night, and we had delicious sushi (they serve all kinds of foods but we were craving sushi) and then chose 4 wines by the glass to try from their large list. The waitress brought all four, each with a little printed tag detailing which wine was which, with a few tasting notes. The pours were generous and it was all done with a great deal of fun rather than serious, quiet wine snobbery.
Our top two favorite wines from that night were:
Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontés (my new favorite white wine grape), 2005. From the Cafayate area within Mendoza. This slightly rich white wine with great acid and fruit balance, has a floral nose, and a creamy texture. Reminded me of a viognier and it was a crowd pleaser with Margot, Ali, and Becca. These wines are made by a well-known woman winemaker--Susan Balbo.
Domingo Molina Malbec (the grape for which Argentina is famous), 2002. Bodega Domingo Hermanos. From the Cafayate area within Mendoza. Delicious medium bodied wine that was totally smooth.
Another favorite during our tastings at other restaurants were two wines by Alta Vista winery. We had a delicious Torrontés 2005 and a rich, smooth Malbec Grand Reserve.
Our other goal while we were in BA was to find the ultimate Alfajores. We tried several and found our favo
rite at a crowded little bakery in the Recolata neighborhood, called Cofiteria Panaderia "La Exposicion" - we also had a delicious chicken empanada there and could have spent several days tasting through their selections.Now that I'm back home I'm off to search for the Argentinian delights available here....
Yep, it's us on TV and radio!
Jen and Julie featured in OPEN from American Express ad campaign
Perhaps recently while you were driving to work, watching TV, or flipping through a magazine, you saw or heard...us! While we haven't had people recognize us in the street yet, this ad campaign has been a great chance for us to introduce our games and guides to a larger audience... How did this happen?
The short answer is: we got incredibly lucky. The long answer is, we've worked really hard and have had some huge helping hands to get us to this point. A few years ago we applied for a small loan from Count Me In a great nonprofit dedicated to helping women-owned businesses grow. The application was simple and quick (when have your ever heard THAT about a loan?), and we got it. Then about a year later, the friendly, smart and helpful women at Count Me In got in touch with us and suggested we apply for a Make Mine a $Million (aka 3M) award (yes, that $ sign is supposed to be there), sponsored by Count Me In and OPEN from American Express.
We applied and got to the next level - a few minutes in front of a board of judges and an audience in Long Beach, California. Julie flew down and did a great job, and the judges were so impressed with everyone that they awarded not just three (the original number of winners), but all six. We all got access to financial and marketing support as well as mentorship and coaching, and access to an incredible network of smart and energetic women with great ideas.
American Express found out about us through this award, and with luck on our side, they selected us to be in the national TV and radio and print campaign. It was totally fun filming and recording -- everyone in the crew was amazing. Now we know why the Academy Award thank you's are so long - we only did a commercial and had a huge list. The commercial was directed by Jesse Dylan, a brilliant, creative, and all around nice guy.
Now what's next? A NEW group of smart, entrepreneurial women recently won 3M wards at a big event in San Francisco. So check out Make Mine a $Million and apply for the next round of awards in October in New York City. A million women business owners at or above a million dollars could create a lot of change in the worlds of policy, employment, and more...
Perhaps recently while you were driving to work, watching TV, or flipping through a magazine, you saw or heard...us! While we haven't had people recognize us in the street yet, this ad campaign has been a great chance for us to introduce our games and guides to a larger audience... How did this happen?
The short answer is: we got incredibly lucky. The long answer is, we've worked really hard and have had some huge helping hands to get us to this point. A few years ago we applied for a small loan from Count Me In a great nonprofit dedicated to helping women-owned businesses grow. The application was simple and quick (when have your ever heard THAT about a loan?), and we got it. Then about a year later, the friendly, smart and helpful women at Count Me In got in touch with us and suggested we apply for a Make Mine a $Million (aka 3M) award (yes, that $ sign is supposed to be there), sponsored by Count Me In and OPEN from American Express.
We applied and got to the next level - a few minutes in front of a board of judges and an audience in Long Beach, California. Julie flew down and did a great job, and the judges were so impressed with everyone that they awarded not just three (the original number of winners), but all six. We all got access to financial and marketing support as well as mentorship and coaching, and access to an incredible network of smart and energetic women with great ideas.
American Express found out about us through this award, and with luck on our side, they selected us to be in the national TV and radio and print campaign. It was totally fun filming and recording -- everyone in the crew was amazing. Now we know why the Academy Award thank you's are so long - we only did a commercial and had a huge list. The commercial was directed by Jesse Dylan, a brilliant, creative, and all around nice guy.
Now what's next? A NEW group of smart, entrepreneurial women recently won 3M wards at a big event in San Francisco. So check out Make Mine a $Million and apply for the next round of awards in October in New York City. A million women business owners at or above a million dollars could create a lot of change in the worlds of policy, employment, and more...
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