Mark Horvatich

This seems to be true in a lot of bakeries and it's definitely true at Upper Crust -- if you go there after, say, 11AM the "good stuff" is gone for the day. That's also true at Cortez Bakery, though if you can speak even a little Spanish, the folks there will "find" some goodies for you in back if you arrive later in the day... Mark

I haven't seen it mentioned, but the best meals I've had in the Champaign-Urbana area have been at Kennedy's, at the far SE end of Urbana in the Stone Creek development just off Windsor Rd. Has anyone else been there? Mark

Have you tried Upper Crust in Lisle (corner of Main and Burlington) or Early Riser in Downers Grove (on Main just south of Curtiss)? And since you mentioned Puerto Vallarta, maybe you can try Cortez Bakery in West Chicago (on Roosevelt in the strip mall just east of 59). Tasty Bakery moved to Cass Avenue in downtown Westmont, but you can get their products at Lindstrom's bakery in Lisle (on Main just north of Upper Crust). Venture out of Naperville...there's lots of great stuff in the rest of Dupage County! Mark

You won't have much trouble walking in without appointments at the wineries you listed on Silverado Trail. Vincent Arroyo is a particularly good place to visit. But you will have a GREAT deal of difficulty doing so at many of the Spring Mountain places you listed. These wineries (Pride, Paloma, and Schweiger to name three) have installed electric gates at their entrances, and if you're not on their appointment list, they won't let you in! I suspect the only two on your list which may not require an appointment would be Keenan and Spring Mountain... Mark

I agree that Gino's East falls a bit short -- but remember, it's not the ORIGINAL location, there's a reason "East" is in its name! The best deep-dish pizzas I've ever had were from the days when there was but the one Gino's on Rush Street. Wow. I just realized that the "glory days" of the original Gino's were more than 25 years ago. Now I feel old... Mark

I'm sure that Charbono/Zinfandel sign at Evanston First dates back to when Bob Back was the wine manager. That sounds like something he would have done... Mark

Knightsbridge (in Northbrook) and Schaefer's are the most expensive places to buy wine and spirits in the Chicago area, unless you catch something during a rare sale. If one needs to buy a lot of spirits, it would be well worth their while to go to Kenwood Liquors in Oak Lawn (on Cicero just north of 111th Street). They have the lowest spirits prices in the Chicago area, and in many cases the difference between their price and the next-lowest is pretty amazing. Of course, I'm only talking about price here. The value of service is subjective and varies from person to person, and I'm sure that's why Schaefer's is such a popular place in spite of its high prices. Mark

You make it sound like Munster IN is in another time zone! While in Indiana, it's closer to downtown Chicago than, say, Northbrook or Schaumburg... I go to Munster quite often to visit my dad, and if I were to choose a restaurant in the area to be on Check Please, it would be Cafe Elise. Mark

Between Eugene and Portland is the heart of Oregon's wine country, and in that area you'll find some excellent restaurants. I'd suggest Tina's and Red Hills Provincial in Dundee, and Joel Palmer House in Dayton. You might also want to pose your question on the eGullet wine board, as I'm sure many folks there have visited the Willamette Valley... Mark

A few comments... The driving time between St. Helena and John Ash is 30-45 minutes, depending on how comfortable one is when driving on hilly roads. There are no hilly roads between St. Helena and the town of Sonoma, but the driving time is at best 40-45 minutes -- in most cases longer than it is to John Ash! And FYI, Mirepoix is about a 5-minute drive north from John Ash. However, after saying the above, I cannot stress strongly enough that the roads between St. Helena and John Ash are hilly. You would be driving them at night, and likely after having consumed some wine. Keep this in mind if you select a restaurant in the Santa Rosa/Healdsburg corridor. I suppose the biggest question is, where are you planning to go when you're in Sonoma County? As others have mentioned, the county is very large, and if you're planning to go to wine areas such as Russian River Valley or Dry Creek Valley, the driving time between those areas and Sonoma Valley (where the town of Sonoma is located) can be well over an hour. I would suggest that you plan your day in Sonoma County first, and then where you wind up at the end of the day is where you have dinner. For example, you DO NOT want to end your day at Ferrari-Carano winery and then drive to Girl and the Fig for dinner! And FWIW, from my own experience, Mirepoix is on another level compared to the places I've dined at in Sonoma Valley (which include Girl and the Fig and General's Daughter). Mark

There were a number of factors which compelled me to buy a bottle when I visited Neal. The folks there were accommodating when I called to schedule a visit, and the visit itself was quite pleasant. The only problem was that I didn't like a single wine I tasted! Since I know a number of people who like big, oaky, alcoholic wines like the 2001 Neal cab, I knew I could always bring the bottle to a tasting or give it as a gift. And if they're not a current customer, I do feel it's good form (though not required) to buy something from an appointment-only winery when one schedules a visit. Your mileage may vary... Mark

First post here... I've had the 2001 Neal cab on a few occasions. I've even visited the winery and tasted through several 2002 barrel samples. And I'm still waiting to try something I can tolerate for more than one sip! The folks at the winery were quite nice, though, and I bought a bottle of 2001 cab out of courtesy to them, even though I couldn't stand the stuff. I know these wines have their admirers (mostly on the wine board you advertise in your signature), but to my tastes they are overripe, extremely oaky, and their alcohol levels burn the nose and palate. I suspect the only way I could drink them is if they were very cold (40-45F). As for ageability, I would bet that the 2001 cab will be a stewed, alcoholic mess in 10-15 years, as would most any other cab with 15.3% alcohol... Mark