Beachfan

I usually tell them what I'd like to spend, in a broad range. Or you can point to something you are curious about on the list, and after hearing his opinon on that, ask for his recommendations within +/- $x of that. Don't be afraid to ask for the sommelier. Often the waiter thinks they know stuff, but the best advice is from the sommelier. If you like California wine, avoid the 2000 (I'm talking Cabernet here). Right now, many restaurants have 99 listed, but are out of the 99 and will bring by a 2000 without disclosing (a shameful practice). 98 is something I steer away from , but if a sommelier recommends a 98 Northern Cal Cab, I'll consider it (but not a 2000). The bottle with the biggest markup on a restaurants wine list is usually the second cheapest bottle; that's what people often buy. The wine list is here, but it may not be current. Spark's wine list If you want some suggestions, let us know your price range.

Craig, would you comment on the direction Tim Mondavi was taking the wines; i.e., to an ostensibly older world style and away from the new world style? He was roundly criticized by some of the US reviewers (and I thought his wines weren't as tasty, but I lean towards a new world style drinker). Did you agree with his direction; if so, was there a problem in execution? I'm more talking quality than sales here. note : edited due to ADD when typing in first names

Glad you enjoyed Gotham! I love it for lunch, it's the best bargain at $25 in NYC. Did the prix fixee wine pairings look appealing? Of all the restaurants that don't get much respect on eGullet, this is my favorite. The other best bargain in NYC is Bouley for $45. Between those two, I've got lunch covered!

That's sounds great, I will try it tomorrow!

Thanks for pointing that out. I knew you weren't one of the angry ones.

Here, here! You speak for me as well, jhlurie!! Goodness knows, most of us need a good chortle now and again . . . Now where I *can* become angry is when I hear reports, as I did earlier this very week, of a well-meaning-but-woefully-ignorant vegan couple who inadvertently (one hopes!) starved their baby to death in an effort to make the child as "healthy" as possible. Not good at all. Actually, I heard that news item about the Vegans a few hours after last posting here. Beachfan, I think this (clickity-click) is the explanation for the anger you've been looking for. To assign this criminal behavior to vegans in general as opposed to these individuals is ludicrous.

It was a little on the disappointing side. Not as jammy as I had hoped with an herbaceous overtone that a didn't care for. It wasn't bad, but the other bottle was much better. That bottle was a ZD Pinot Noir 2000. I'd never had thought it was good, but at a wine dinner, someone opened it as a bonus wine and it was delicious. More RRV tasting even though it was a Carneros wine. So I picked up a few bottles. I had dinner at Zemi, my favorite restaurant in Boca Raton, Florida. Unfortuntately, that food was only average, usually it's superlative. I had grouper over crispy spinach with shrimp risotto but the grouper was surprisingly drab (and I LOVE grouper). They did have a fabulous shrimp cocktail made up of great U10 monsters.

Exactly. There are plenty of dogmatic websites. When they ring my doorbell, or send me email, or do something active, then I get annoyed. And I certainly understand disagreeing strongly with many of their assertations. It's the anger I sense in some of the posts that surprise me.

Do you know or hang out with a lot of vegetarians? Is this pesonal experience?

Surprising how much anger this generates. Anyone ever been done harm by a fruitarian? Or just garden variety intolerance? Seems in the same category as a meat and potatoes eater to me. Very narrow dietary preferences. But I don't know too many people who get angry at the meat/potato folks.

Killibinbin is nice; I'm drinking my 98 Aussie's now as I'm not convinced they'll age. well. Tomorrow night I'm having a 98 Fox Creek Reservew Shiraz.

Adam, why not choose something easy that you don't like to prove your point. And then, if Wilfrid and I are invited, it won't go uneaten.

Sorry, stilton and port is not merely a figment of my taste buds, I love it. I don't think there is an absolute on this issue; it's a question of taste.

Barolo and Parmesan

Thanks for these updates JFL. I got my wife to save Wednesday section (cheese!) while I was on the road thanks to this alert!

They may like it, but they know it isn't good. On my first trip to Amsterdam, they had one of those hardcover glossy "Exploring .... (fill in destination)" that is often in hotels. First paragraph under food said something like "For interesting food, try one of our many Indonesian or Thai restaurants. Dutch cuisine is pretty dull, as our women are too busy to spend much time in the kitchen". True story.

The analogy is not bad, but it still reveals a bias. Blue is a primary color. If you counted by number of edible species of plants and animals, animals would not be that large a percentage. Unless you included bugs. Then I could say, if you aren't cooking with bugs, it's like painting without the color blue. So I think you need to move to the right to keep the blue analogy as opposed to kelly green.

My experience with German wines was just like fat-guy's until last week at Roxanne's (which has a very nice wine list by the way). 2001 Selbach-Ostler Kabinett Mosel. If someone is familiar with that wine, can you recommend similar ones? I thought it was very lively, with nice acid to balance complex flavor profile, the exact opposite of every German wine I had before, monochromatic and sweet.

That 96 Cinq Cepages is fabulous, isn't it?

Thanks! I assume it's the best place at Universal (if not, let me know). Any suggestions on what to order (seafood in particular)?

Trader Joe's 4 cheese frozen pizza is excellent, better than 80% of the fresh (true that's not saying much, but it is very good).

Has anyone eaten at Emeril's in CityWalk at Universal Orlando?

I don't know why, but that's been the case for me. Price also is great at lunch.

Bring a newsletter from the Wine Club, Wine Exchange, K&L or some other discount supplier. Then you'll be able to check while you are there.

Selbach Oster Mosel Kabinett 2001. Surpirsingly complex, crisp, tropical fruit. I haven't had many German wines, this is the first that had complexity as opposed to being sweet and monochromatic. I had it by the half bottle at Roxanne's, a real bargain at $17.