Bill Miller

I'm confused -- we have a fair number of BYOB restaurants in Houston. The Chronicle did a story on BYO in early March, if I recall properly. Is this a county-by-county thing??? ← If the restaurant serves wine you can't bring your own bottle. This new bill would allow you to take a bottle from your home, pay a corkage fee, and drink it at that place. It doesn't affect BYOB places that don't serve wine.

It is so discouraging to find so little interest here--this is a major thing for foodies and wine lovers in Texas--I don't understand.

Fax your state senator-support the "Dewhurst Bill"--it will allow you to bring a wine from home to your favorite resteraunt and pay a "corkage fee" and enjoy it. I have many wines in my cellar--Diamond Creek, Caymus Special Selection, the Justice series, a 96 Calavotto Barolo, etc--you can't order there--lobby your people--wouldn't it be fun!?!

We enjoyed Seagrill in Rockefeller Center--expensive--excellent seafood. We also liked Victor's on 52nd st for cuban food--laid back--we ate there before a matinee on a Sat PM--I think they would let you stay the afternoon if you bought wine or drinks after lunch

Ruth went to the NY Times several years ago and is now editor of Gormet. I meant to say Ruth set the standard for both papers--she changed the NYT food section. She has a new book.

Drink a Brunello di Montalcino--a mutation (and a happy one ) of Sangiovese, while you get over this years mutation of the flu. Darwin taught us so much about how things work. Evolution has even returned the gin martini when vodka didn't work--now the Vodka Martini is ordered like that--still around, but not the real thing. Survival of the fittest.

Spend a little more and get 18 year old Highland Park. Perfection!! It will spoil you though. Enjoy.

I'm sorry but we ate there last Wednesday--it was wonderful--deconstructed osso buco, mint pillows, a 98 Barbaresco--wonderful service--quiet on the second floor--where were you? I think you need harmone pills!!

Capital Grill on Westhiemer--good steaks, reasonable wines. Try the crabcakes. Pappas--great steaks, wines are outrageous. Mortons-Galleria area- good balance. I love wine with my steak--I would go to Capital Grill--the spinach, potatoes, and mushrooms go well--crabcake early. Enjoy. Houston is a great resteraunt town!!

I read you can get lunch in the tavern for $14.95, weekdays. We had dinner, I think at 8 twoyears ago. I think I reported then--fine experience. We are coming to NY next week and I got reservations at Babbos Wed nite at 8PM. I called exactly 30 days ahead at 10AM EST and got it.

How the hell is the small producer to exist...do you only want big production wines...they will get shelf space...not the small producer...so screw it I will keep on selling our the front door and handcrafting my wines...will they make us go Bkrupt hell no...will the distributors they pay off the buyers of the big stores with cash...you tell me... ← If you can't compete, fold up your tent and find something else to do. If your product is good enough you will be successful. How do you think state stores help you? That is socialism--only the big prosper in that market--I lived in Pa.--I only got to drink what Big Brother wanted me to---and I couldn't buy from out of state. Don't preach to me!!!

I get so tired of this cr-p. The market should rule. If you can't compete use our convienient bankruptcy laws and reorganize. Texas has been a wonderful place since we opened up--I'm ordering wine from Oregon, Napa, Sonoma, Washington, and Zachys in NYC. I still get my local Texas wines--try them --you will be surprised. STOP PROTECTING MARKETS THAT ARE NOT COMPETATIVE!!! They will eventually fail after they take more of your money--I'm talking about wine, liquor, and --automobiles!

Thank you Kevin--we'll give this place a try.

We bought some sun dried tomatoes , we think from Sam's named "L'-------may be followed by oi or oel--very reasonable--large jars, minced, julliend, whole, chopped--can't find them--help!!! Please. Thanks

Outside Barcelona, you might try Austin. Please research your market--there is nothing worse than going broke making a statement. In the end there is no satisfaction. Your family comes to your aid and you are humiliated. Research your market.

Absolutly gorgeous wine- thick, rich, full of berries, plum, --I'm not good with this--just a damn fine wine--loved it!! This Cab got some bad reviews--I don't see why.

Drinkable, tannins still fierce--at least 2 more years! I think it will be great--I just couldn't wait to try it!!

Flemings makes great steaks.

Ditto on the first two--after Jane began getting her taste back post chemo (MD Anderson) we started to try and make cancer recovery fun!! It worked--real change of pace and world class. These places are really good. We will now try the others!

← I eat lunch at a pretty good Chinese rest. about once a week. They play the same music every day--a mixed bag of easy listening and my lunch always conludes with Kenny G. playing "Let It Snow" followed by " Auld Lang Syne" and another year has gone by. I love Chef Andres.

If thats all you drink you don't need a cellar. I have Barolos, Barbarescos, good cabs, Amarones--10 yrs plus--I plan to keep some barolo until it is 20. Proper storage is necessery.

A cellar has to be 2/3 full to run properly. I had a mixture of $10 wines with my good stuff for over a year--I think I bought 3 cases of chianti, zin, and less expensive shiraz just to fill it up. Now it is what I wanted and I'm overflowing into closets etc.

No. You can store a limited number of bigger bottles on the top shelf though. The top makes a nice snack table.

About 4 years ago I bought an 84 bottle Vinocraft from Cal Wine Cellars. It is a nice piece of furniture to put in the living room. It will last forever. The compressor didn't work when it arrived and they promptly replaced it--no return required. I paid around $2400 delivered then. I thought it was all I would ever need--wrong. Now it is full of Barolos, Barberescos, Caymus, Diamond Creek, Grand Crus, Silver Oak, good Pinots--I have a small refer in my pantry with Sancerres and Primier Crus--a shelf in my wifes closet is full of chianti, zinfandel, and shiraz. One fridge is half full of misc whites to be drunk in the next 6 mos. It is addictive. I plan to drink them all before I die--I'm losing ground!!

I feel very lucky, I've enjoyed both Caymus Cabs-(in multiple years), Cavollotto Barolos (12 years old--I still have 2 I'm saving), Domaine Drouhan Pinots,and Silver Oak Cabs. But Gabbiano Chianti and Firesteed Pinot still taste good to me at the right time. There is joy in simplicity to the learning tongue as well as complexity. By the way I've never spent more than $175 for a bottle-the Gabbiano is $8 at Specs and great with my home wood burning pizza oven baked pizza.