tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51259211486683080032024-03-13T14:36:45.558-07:00Sippin' Saint LouisKCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-84261034167176586892013-03-26T17:02:00.000-07:002013-03-26T17:02:33.406-07:00Retail wine pricingIt's been a pretty good day. I woke up on time, did the stuff I needed to do around the house, ate a healthy breakfast, and headed out the door to a reasonably productive day at work. Toward the end of the day, I got an email regarding an issue that pisses me off. Retail pricing of wine and how the winery gets involved.<br />
<br />
Now, most of the rants online about wine pricing I have ever seen is in regards to restaurants. "They charge too much." "How come I can buy a bottle at Shop-n-Save for $8 and it's $6 per glass at Applebee's?". "I saw this online for x and they charge 4x for it at Caustalauta Bistro Cafe Wine Bar." You get my point, however this isn't what I'm talking about.<br />
<br />
The little glimpse I want to give you is in the scenario that a retail shop buys a case of wine, and puts it online for sale for a profit, but the winery doesn't think they are charging enough.<br />
<br />
Yes, you read that correctly.<br />
<br />
There are wineries that call me if one of my retail customers is advertising a wine on a nationally-known wine price database at too low of a price. Keep in mind these retailers aren't putting the wine at $0.01 over cost. They are making a modest profit. Sure, it's a bit lower than most of the rest of their wines, but they are still making money.<br />
<br />
This issue is that the winery thinks that the price in question "devalues" the wine, and causes them sales problems nation-wide.<br />
<br />
Horsepucky.<br />
<br />
What is most likely is that someone at the winery in question has a big ego, and can't handle the fact that a business might use their popular product to draw customers into their store or webspace. This, in turn, elicits the situation where I have to call the store, asking them to raise the price.<br />
<br />
This, I assure you my friends, is an uncomfortable call to make. They bought the product. They own it. They are within the boundaries of what the State of Missouri has deemed legitimate pricing. They are making a profit. They are using a popular product to draw attention to other products in their mix (a normal business practice). However, someone in California/France/Italy/Australia/Wherever thinks that they should charge more.<br />
<br />
I guess what makes me angry is that the last time I checked, this is America, a free economy. I have also heard over and over again that something "is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it."<br />
<br />
What gives these suppliers the right to price-fix the cost of your enjoyment at home of a nice bottle of wine?<br />
<br />
Before you ask, no, I'm not going to name the winery or the retailer in question. Just realize that there is more going on behind the scenes than you realize when you swipe your debit card for a glass of fermented produce.<br />
<br />
((Stepping down from soapbox))<br />
<br />
Cheers y'all.KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-78238184568848054522013-03-18T07:49:00.000-07:002013-03-18T07:49:23.360-07:00The Kyle Diaries Continued- My Second Restaurant JobAs I said in my last post, I need some practice. Truthfully, I also want to put some of my memories from the early years in the restaurant industry in print for the simple fact that I am hoping it will jog more memories that time or red wine have hidden in my conscious.<br />
<br />
The second restaurant job that I was able to acquire while still in high school was across the street from TGI Friday's in the slightly more upscale Houlihan's. Instead of being a host, this time I got hired as a waiter. Now the big bucks were going to roll in. Never mind the fact that I had never in my life waited tables. How hard could it be? I would just take the customer orders, punch them into the computer, deliver the food, and rake in the tips. Evidently Houlihan's wasn't very worried about my development as a waiter either. My training consisted of memorizing the menu items, taking a test over them, and following one of the more senior waiters for a couple of shifts.<br />
<br />
There I was- like a spotted fawn staring right into the headlights of an oncoming freighter. I could look down into the "pit" at my 5-table section, as it was a lowered section of the restaurant that was 4 stairs below me. The guys on 65 had just been sat, the ladies on 66 needed lemons for their Iced Teas, Dammit, what did the couple at 67 need? The 5 top of businessmen at 68 had been waiting for their steaks for more than the 17 minute standard that had been on my test, Oh good, another table sat. I was, as industry terms go, "in the weeds".<br />
<br />
The first physical sensation that I felt was that my head started to feel a little funky. I never knew that I could actually feel the earth spin, but there it was. My heart started beating at an incredible rate, and my palms were instantly beyond sweaty. Fries! That's what the couple needed- I had forgotten their fries! I walked thought the door into the kitchen to grab a couple plates of the seasoned fries that were under the heat lamp. Vision- blurry. Heart- about to pound out of my chest. Pits- even sweatier than my palms. I heard the expo say something like "The new kid doesn't look so hot" as I leaned backward into the wall and slumped down.<br />
<br />
I don't think I was out for very long, but it was certainly long enough for a small crowd to gather around me. Joe, the hot-shot Assistant GM got me a paper bag, told me to breathe into it, commanded someone to go look after my section, then suggested I take the evening off.<br />
<br />
Great- I was a week into my first waiting tables gig and already being handed my pink slip.<br />
<br />
Nope, Joe assured me. I just needed some training. He had me come in the next day early, took me under his proverbial wing, and taught me properly how to wait tables.<br />
<br />
I always wonder what happened to Joe. He just wasn't there anymore one day. As waitstaff rumors often go, there was speak of money missing from a safe, cocaine addictions, and sleeping with the 17 year old hostess, none of which had anything even approaching confirmation.<br />
<br />
Houlihan's had lots of great stories involved with it- more to come soon.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, have a great day and drink something good.KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-41222472165006911702013-03-05T18:25:00.001-08:002013-03-05T18:40:06.133-08:00The Kyle Diaries- My first restaurant jobSo, the reality of the situation is that I want to someday get paid to write. Sure, I have gotten paid for an article here and there, but it would be really cool to pursue my food and wine passions without hustling every single day for sales.<br />
<br />
That being said, I need to practice more. A lot more.<br />
<br />
That being said again (I guess I need to find another way to start a paragraph), I shall tell you about my first ever job in the restaurant industry.<br />
<br />
When I was a sophomore in High School, my best friend Spencer got a job at TGI Fridays in Overland Park, KS in the shadow of the Oak Park Mall. From what he said about the job, it was the greatest thing ever. He could wear goofy clothes (those hats...ugh), made tons of money, and the hottie post-college waitresses would sneak shots of Malibu into his shift cola. He suggested that my friend Brody and I apply for jobs there as well.<br />
<br />
I remember very little about the interview process except that I wore a dress shirt, tie, and pants that were likely a little too short at the ankle and snug in the waist. The lady that interviewed me seemed too old to work in a restaurant, and reeked of Parliament Cigarettes. Even though I thought I was interviewing for a bus boy position, she offered me a job as a front-door "host". I said sure to the $5.25/hour position and asked my parents to buy me a couple new shirts and pants.<br />
<br />
Most of the memories that I have of my tenure at TGIF are more like Polaroids than actual memories. I do remember thinking that the ability to tell future-paying customers that they will need to wait an hour and a half to be able to sit down to their grilled chicken and free piece of birthday cake was an awful lot of power for a 16 year old kid.<br />
<br />
The following are other snapshots that I have in my mind:<br />
<br />
There was a head bus boy nick-named "Crash" because he once knocked over an entire cart of racks of glasses, breaking them all. We thought he was cool.<br />
<br />
There was a poser-type host named Ryan that had frat boy hair, and drove a white mercedes that his parents gave him. He once lost the car for a couple days because he let some girl at a bar take it for a spin. The cops called him two days later when they found it abandoned in the parking lot of a K-Mart.<br />
<br />
I watched the OJ white-bronco chase on one of the overhead TVs during a shift.<br />
<br />
That restaurant was the first time I ever got hit on by a guy. I was so incensed (he worked there) that a manager told me not to hit him, otherwise he would have to fire me.<br />
<br />
There was this stacked dude named Reggie that got me to come out and play softball with the restaurant team one time. I struck out all three times up at bat, and a waitress slid me a Cape Cod at the ensuing lunch.<br />
<br />
There was this petite little waitress there- I'm not kidding, she was like 4'2" and must have weighed 87 lbs- that was always getting sent home for wearing too short of a skirt. When I came back from college and was drinking some sort of frozen peppermint schnapps drink at the bar, she ran up and hugged me like we were long-lost best friends. That made me feel special.<br />
<br />
I once got a phone number from a lady that wanted "one last fling" before she got married. I didn't follow up on that opportunity- probably for the best.<br />
<br />
I saw Expos in the kitchen drop food on the floor, pick it up, plate it, and serve it. I saw waitstaff box up pieces of cake that were left on the table with two bites taken out of it, take them home, and eat them.<br />
<br />
There was a girl named Heather that got fired because she dropped a GI Joe toy tent on a table that had been "camping" too long.<br />
<br />
I used to tell girls that I went to UMKC so they would talk to me. I was in high school.<br />
<br />
I'm sure there are more memories that will pop into my bewildered mind. Hang tight- more to come.<br />
<br />
Cheers!!<br />
<br />
<br />KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-55899753199805342852013-01-11T08:10:00.001-08:002013-01-11T08:10:43.403-08:00The Champagne ConundrumHappy New Year. How far into the year can one get away with saying that without sounding weird? My opinion is that the end of the first full week in January is it, no later. Or (assuming you still write the date on anything) as soon as you stop having to think about writing the 3 in 2013.<br />
<br />
I digress.<br />
<br />
Something I have started to notice over the last couple of years, and confirmed this week by a visit to one of the great restaurants that I sell wine to, is that for New Years Eve a lot of people talk about champagne, but very few people actually drink it.<br />
Now, I'm not talking about sparkling wine in general. Plenty of people drink Cava, Prosecco, Sparkling from California/New Mexico, etc. I'm talking about actual Champagne from France. It curious to me that whenever you see images of NYE, or hear people talk about midnight on that particular occasion, Champagne is always mentioned. However, nobody drinks it.<br />
<br />
On the 31st this year, I did a wine tasting at a retail store- in the entire time I was there, not a single person bought a bottle of Champagne. Later, I was at a party with about 30 people this year, most of whom are beyond wine fans and more on the level of aficionados, yet there was only one bottle of actual Champagne on hand. I talked to the GM of a really nice restaurant and he told me that, at midnight on that day, they had about half of the restaurant full, yet not a single bottle of Champagne was on any of the tables.<br />
<br />
I wonder why this is. Is it cost prohibitive? I wouldn't think so- you can get into decent Champagne for $40 per bottle. Are people intimidated by it? Possibly.<br />
<br />
My best guess is that a lot of people like the idea of Champagne but in reality consider it only a special occasion drink, so they actually know very little about it. That's a post for a different time- you can drink Champagne year-round.<br />
<br />
What are your thoughts- did you drink "real" champagne at the stroke of Midnight, January 1, 2013?KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-59147786078372465162012-10-15T07:09:00.000-07:002012-10-15T07:09:02.154-07:00Back at it (again)Wow. 10 months since my last post. Bad blogger, Kyle, bad blogger.<br />
<br />
Well, in case anyone has actually been checking in on this thing, here is the skinny on what has happened since my last post:<br />
<br />
-The Mrs is doing well- she retired from roller derby after the regular season was over, and is now working part time at Russell's Cafe in Fenton (if you haven't been, you need to go.)<br />
<br />
-The wine charity effort last November and December was very successful. As a result, Harsha Wines donated a little over $1000 to Mission St Louis!<br />
<br />
-My dad and I merged Harsha Wines with another company called Vintegrity (www.vintegritywine.com). I now run the Eastern half of Missouri for this company. My dad stepped out of wine sales altogether, and now runs a small company focused on draft (draught?) wine and beer system installations. It's pretty cool, check out www.primotap.com<br />
<br />
-On a personal note, our black lab Scout passed away earlier this year. To keep our other dog from being lonely, we got a new pup from Stray Rescue St Louis named Winston. He is.....full of energy.<br />
<br />
-Now that I have a little less paperwork to do on a weekly basis, I really do plan on getting back on here and posting frequently. Let me know if you have wine topics you would like to see discussed.<br />
<br />
Until then, cheers, and drink something good!KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-2581223774448309712011-12-14T09:29:00.000-08:002011-12-14T09:35:20.486-08:00Updates from the land of Charitable WineHey folks,<div>Many people have asked me where they can buy Ludovicus wine in order to support Mission: St Louis.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is an updated list of the accounts that have purchased it in November and December.</div><div><br /></div><div>Veritas</div><div>St Louis Wine Market</div><div>33 Wine Bar</div><div>Five</div><div>Blood & Sand</div><div>Atomic Cowboy</div><div>Home Wine Kitchen</div><div>Straub's- all locations</div><div>Robust</div><div>Demun Oyster Bar</div><div>Market Grill in Soulard</div><div>One 19 North Wine Bar</div><div>Modesto Tapas</div><div>Wine and Cheese Places</div><div>Bottle Cellars</div><div>Vino Gallery</div><div>Truffles</div><div>Naked Vine</div><div>Lukas Liquor</div><div>Friar Tuck- all locations</div><div><br /></div><div>So, get out there, buy some wine, and support a great cause!</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-31841560064287730332011-12-01T07:48:00.000-08:002011-12-01T08:14:49.562-08:00Why Wine-on-Tap?Hi.<br /><br />What an amazing month November was! Because of the generosity of those in St Louis that are buying Ludovicus, I'm already going to write Mission: St Louis a check for over $500, and we still have December to go! Keep up buying that wine!<br /><br />I did want to make a short post about wine-on-tap. Yes, you read that correctly. Wine in kegs, just like beer kegs, has hit the St Louis restaurant scene. Sasha's on Shaw and Green Bean are already carrying it. It is being installed in Atomic Cowboy and 360 nightclub within the next couple of weeks, and several other places are heavily considering it.<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />Well, the short answer is that with wine-on-tap, you get the same benefits that you do with beer. The long answer is, well, longer. Here are the crib notes:<br /><br />1) It's more Eco-friendly<br />Every time I order wine from a supplier, it comes shipped to me wrapped up on a wooden pallet. A normal pallet of wine is 56 cases, and weighs roughly 2000 lbs. It also contains 56 cardboard boxes, and 672 glass bottles that people say get recycled, but most often end up in a dumpster. For the same amount of cubic feet, I can bring in the liquid equivalent of 87 cases of wine in kegs, and it weighs 1300 lbs. This is a huge savings on the carbon footprint created by the shipping portion of this game. That also means that there is a recycling/landfill savings of 87 cardboard boxes and 1044 glass bottles. <br /><br />2) It's less expensive<br />From the distributor (my) standpoint, the savings created by the wineries not having to produce bottles, boxes, labels, etc for all those cases of wine comes out to about $1-2 per bottle. I also save money on shipping, since it is lighter. This means that I charge restaurants less money, and they in turn charge less to the end consumer. At the end of the day, the consumer is getting a better bottle of wine for less money.<br /><br />3) The wine lasts longer<br />If you run a bar, you know the feeling of coming in after you have been closed for a day or two, and having to dump out the leftovers in the bottles of wine that you pour by the glass. Most restaurant owners take this into consideration, and add padding to their pricing structure for the waste. With wine-on-tap, there is almost zero waste. The kegs are topped off with inert gas (usually a blend of nitrogen and co2) that keeps the wine from spoiling. Industry-types say that the wine will last over 6 months in a keg, but truthfully nobody knows. The wine is almost always sold before then. Once again, because the wine costs less, and there's no waste, you get to drink it for less $.<br /><br />I think that's a wine-win.<br /><br />Cheers.KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-71915575669431638082011-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:002011-11-18T08:34:40.389-08:00Be NiceIf you saw my Facebook rant last night, you know that I was pretty upset with some of my fellow food/wine industry cohorts. Yesterday, we held a launch party for a new wine-on-tap project that my company is carrying (more about that on another day). We held the party at a local wine bar that serves food as well. The way that it worked was that for $20 people got 4 tastes of wine, each paired with a small dish. Well, the party was really successful. Probably 120 people took advantage of the tasting, which is awesome. However, as the night got later the establishment understandably started running out of items (they were surprised by the number of people that showed for the event). At about this time, an individual that is involved with the local industry said to their server "You didn't save any (item X) for when I got here?" <br /><br />Are you kidding me? This person really thought that the restaurant should say to their staff "Hey, such-and-such might be coming in, make sure you don't serve the 120 other people something so that they can get some when they are here."<br /><br />This is the ultimate example of expecting to be treated like a rock star, and it drives me nuts. Just because you have a job in the industry, you should NOT expect to be treated in a special manner. Often you will be. It's nice, it's great, it's a perk of having friends in the industry, but you should never think that a restaurant should put service to someone else at risk, in order to feed your own self-worth.<br /><br />Later in the night, a person with a job in the industry was given something of substantial value for free. They then left without tipping their server on the item. This is just plain asinine. Once again, in this industry, a lot of chefs, managers, bartenders, etc are extremely generous. However, if you get something for free, be it a dish, drink, bottle of wine, etc, you really need to tip your server on it. They are deprived of the opportunity to sell you something in that case, which they would have likely gotten tipped on if they had sold it to you.<br /><br />That's the calmest way that I can explain myself. I want to rant, rave, cuss, spit, and call people out publically on their arrogant actions, but I won't. I have done wrong things in the past that doesn't put me in any position to judge. At the end of the day, please just get over yourself, and be nice.<br /><br />Cheers.KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-30801903049648894642011-11-10T07:30:00.000-08:002011-11-10T07:37:23.913-08:00The World Series CurseI have now had the opportunity to live in 2 different major baseball towns when their respective teams won the world series. My time in Boston and in St Louis has shown me one thing- World Series games are not good for the restaurant industry, and even moreso for wine sales in those towns.<br /><br />You might think it's the opposite- that people pop good wine and champagne during the celebrations that follow wins. The truth is that people drink beer during baseball. They also go to sportsbars. I guarantee you, during any of the NLCS or the World Series games, you could walk into otherwise full restaurants and get a seat immediately. Friends of mine in the industry said that retail sales of wine were down roughly 15%, and that overall sales of restaurants (not sports bars) were off up to 25%.<br /><br />Craziness.<br /><br />In good news, if you have been following our drive to donate money to Mission: St Louis by selling Ludovicus, please add Blood and Sand, Home Wine Kitchen, and the Straub's stores in Webster, CWE, and West County.<br /><br />Thanks all for your generosity!<br /><br />Cheers.KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-81554564577251362042011-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:002011-11-02T08:13:13.932-07:00Back in the GameWhat? It's only been since February since I last posted.<br /><br />Since my last post, Nicole made the roller derby league, and subsequently a team. We all had birthdays. Peggy unfortunately had to leave the company, but we did hire a driver (Stephen), and and office manager/ sales person (Kelly). We have also grown the company after a rough summer to something that is really wonderful. We are riding our best two months in a row, and continue to be successful.<br /><br />That being said, I'm going to try to blog more, and keep the few people that read this thing in the loop as to what is going on.<br /><br />...Which brings us to the charity that we are working with in November and December. Basically, for every bottle of Ludovicus that we sell, we will be donating $1 to Mission: St Louis. This is a great organization that is committed to transforming the city of St Louis through education, empowerment, and education. Please check out their website at <a href="http://www.missionstl.org/">www.missionstl.org</a><br /><br />Now, what is Ludovicus, and where can you get it? The wine is a grenache-based blend from the area of Terra Alta, Spain. Those of you familiar with the wines from Priorat will probably like it. It's a similar style, and much, much cheaper.<br /><br />The wine will cost you around $12 at a retail store, and about $25 per bottle at a restaurant, so drink up!<br /><br />Right now, the St Louis locations that are committed to working with it are:<br /><br />Friar Tuck Beverage<br />33 Wine Bar<br />Lukas Liquors<br />St Louis Wine Market<br />Kaya's Imports<br />The Wine and Cheese Places<br />Wine Merchant<br />Robust Wine Bar<br />Atomic Cowboy<br />Demun Oyster Bar<br />Vino Gallery<br />Bottle Cellars<br />Five Restaurant<br />Veritas<br /><br /><br />I will be updating this list as more places come on line with Ludovicus.<br /><br />So, please go buy a bottle- it really will help your fair city!<br /><br />Cheers, it's good to be back.<br /><br />KyleKCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-1697157790227678832011-02-21T06:50:00.000-08:002011-02-21T07:31:44.755-08:00Not wanting to be a "beer poser"Something that I have noticed when some of my "normal" friends come to an event that is flush with my "wine geek" friends is that they normally try to bring an impressive bottle of wine. Sometimes this works out well, but often, we look down our nose with the snobbery we say that we eschew, and think "oh, that's cute" in regards to the bottle they bring. Hey, at least I'm admitting it. Wine folks are a funny crowd. They ALL say that they aren't snobs. They ALL say that they don't want to be pretentious. However, I dare you to roll into a meeting of Saint Louis Wine Therapy with a bottle of Yellow Tail, Beringer Stone Cellars, or Rombauer (gasp!!!) and see what happens. They will be cordial, but nobody will touch the damn stuff. It's not the person who brought it's fault- they just didn't know.<div><br /></div><div>I found myself potentially on the other side of this situation not too long ago, regarding beer. Being in this industry, I have quite a few friends that are into beer (check out my buddy Mike's blog www.stlhops.com), and that get together to play cards/trivia/rockband every once in a while. Another guy that I know gave me a bottle of beer that I knew nothing about. I didn't know if it was a "nice" beer or a "oh, that's cute" beer in the eyes of my beer geek friends. I literally worried about showing up with what I thought was a nice bottle, and have them view me as a beer poser. Therefore, I did what I suggest to my friends regarding wine- I drank it with some friends that know less about beer than I do. This way I wouldn't be tempted to show off the next time the beer guys got together, and I saved myself from being "that guy".</div><div><br /></div><div>Last night, I talked to Mike about the beer in question. He undoubtedly knows more about beer than anyone else I know. However, he had never heard of it. I told him about my dilemma, and the solution. He agreed- that sometimes the best thing you can do is drink the bottle with some people that will truly enjoy it, and not over-analyze it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-44404056980631122692011-01-24T07:03:00.000-08:002011-01-24T08:27:08.911-08:00The Restaurant I Wanted To Hate......But didn't.<div><br /></div><div>On Saturday night, the Mrs and I were looking for something to eat after I had done a wine tasting in Chesterfield. Now, if you aren't from Saint Louis, this might not mean much to you. Let me explain. Chesterfield Valley is an area located on the very Western edge of the St. Louis metroplex, and is home to what is (I have heard, cannot confirm) supposedly the longest strip mall in America. Literally every convenience is here- Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Target, and Sam's are all located within less than a mile of each other. There is literally an example of every type of chain restaurant that you can imagine, and most have multiple examples represented. As someone who champions the small, independent, family owned businesses of our great country, it's areas like this that I really despise. It's the type of place where everyone drives a Lexus, but nobody owns it. Too much convenience, no soul.</div><div><br /></div><div>We mentioned that we were hungry, and literally had Babbo's Spaghetteria recommended twice in 45 seconds by people at the tasting. "Surely there can't be decent Italian in the Valley" I thought to myself. But, hunger overtook pride and we made the trek.</div><div><br /></div><div>Upon entering, my snobbery continued. No bar? No seating area? Great. The hostess was very pleasant, even though the place was busting at the seams at 8:30 on a Saturday night. She assured us that the wait would be "no more than 15 minutes" and asked us if we would like a glass of wine. I ordered one, and we stood at one of the two cocktail tables available to wait at. To my surprise, we were seated within the time it took me to take a second sip of wine.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ambiance at Babbo's isn't for those looking for a quiet, white tablecloth date night. There is roughly seating for 100 people at mainly 4-top, wooden tables, and a visible bustle and energy in the room. The wine list is all-Italian, and even though you get a menu, it is also posted on a gigantic chalkboard on one wall. The tables were set with small water goblets- each containing the necessary fork, spoon, and knife, and water comes in a chilled bottle pre-set on the table. The rusticity of the table set up is actually charming, and doesn't come across as lazy or cheap.</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, so I was starting to gain confidence at this point. Our server was efficient, friendly, and didn't pull the whole "I like everything" when asked. He actually had an opinion and recommendations, which I followed.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first course of Bruschetta was really simple, well made, and delicious. The diced tomatoes had been tossed in some sort of vinaigrette, and my wife and I literally fought over the scraps left on the plate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Salads are enormous. I ordered the "Del Pietro", which was lightly dressed, not soaked, and had a nice brightness to it. Sure, it was Iceberg and Romaine, but that's okay- it was only like $3 or $4.</div><div><br /></div><div>The real surprise came with the entrees. I followed the server's lead, and ordered the House made lasagna. One of the greatest compliments that I can give to lasagna is that it tasted like something you would eat at a friend's grandma's house. So many restaurants try to make these 18-layer, heavy as a brick lasagnas with all kinds of weird stuff. This one wasn't in that mode at all. It was a bit lighter, the beef had a nice crumble, and you could tell that they didn't just slop it out of a pan. They took the time in the kitchen to put the piece in the oven for a few minutes to get the edges crispy. It wasn't "gooey", and I really appreciated that!</div><div><br /></div><div>The Margherita pizza was pretty darn good, too- fresh tomatoes and basil on top of slightly greasy cheese and crust that actually had enough salt in it.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point, we were almost to the point of conceding that the $10 lasagna and $8 pizza were well worth their price, but wait...what about dessert? The only item offered was tiramisu. A Ha! We would get them on this one! Nobody does Tiramisu well in the Midwest.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dang, we were wrong. It wasn't frozen (my pet peeve) and it wasn't boozy (my Wife's pet peeve). We finished the piece before the server could check on us.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, there it is folks- there really is well made food for a decent price, with just a touch of someone's Italian grandmother available in Chesterfield.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-34081754027174908142011-01-18T10:52:00.000-08:002011-01-18T11:18:12.891-08:00Thankfulness and looking forward to 2011The rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated. I know I have been quiet, but in retrospect, the last couple of weeks have brought some craziness:<div>I was in a tornado</div><div>I had surgery on my abdomen</div><div>We decided to step down from leadership of our church community group</div><div>I found out a dear friend has cancer</div><div>The weather has been less-than-spectacular</div><div><br /></div><div>Frankly, I have every reason to bitch and moan. However, I will choose not to. I have noticed lately that people have been talking about how bad 2010 was for them. I can't say it was the best year I have ever had (per my last post), but some amazing things really did happen. In that spirit, I want to list a few of the things that I am thankful for, and looking forward to this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am thankful for my beautiful, wonderful wife. During my surgery she was amazingly sweet and supportive. I am also proud of how she is starting to step out of her own personal comfort zone, and try Roller Derby. It's really fun to see her "find her voice" as she turns 30 this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am thankful for my family. My father has proven to be a great business partner, and has done a great job selling for a guy that has never held a sales position before. My mom has also been very patient and understanding when I don't talk to her about "other stuff" during the day. My sister and her family are continuous examples of how to live within your means, and how to truly live a faithful life for God. My brother and his family have dealt with a job loss with faith and aplomb, and I look forward to a repeat of our BBQ Road Trip again this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am thankful for Peggy, the first employee of Harsha Wines in St Louis. She works like a rock star, and is proving to be one of the smartest decisions I have made in running the company. I look forward to her building a successful route on her own, and achieving some of the wine educational goals she has set for herself.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm even thankful for those dogs. As much as I act like I don't like them to Nicole, she knows I'm joking.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm looking forward to building relationships with new accounts this year. We have already added Truffles, Scottish Arms, and soon Milagro to our business partners- This means we have even more fun, locally owned, quality places to eat! I'm thankful for the friendships that I have developed- people like Jeff at 33, Rich at St Louis Wine Market, Jim at Atomic Cowboy, Anthony at Five, Chris Spina, and a host of others are people that I now consider friends that I just happen to be lucky to do business with.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm looking forward to developing my wine, beer, spirit, and food knowledge even more this year. This will come only through my friendships with people in each of these communities that are incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. I also want to get my CWE and CSS (Certified Wine Educator, and Certified Specialist of Spirits) by the end of the year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens with Harsha Wines this year. We were fortunate to turn a profit (albeit a infinitesimally small one) in 2010, and we hope to add another full time salesperson and a full time delivery person by the end of the year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, I'm grateful for the opportunity to get paid for writing for Avid Magazine. If you haven't seen it yet, check out www.avidmagazine.com for a preview- it's cool.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's make this a great year. It's up to you to decide to do so.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-10078575094782442272010-12-27T08:01:00.001-08:002010-12-27T09:07:37.476-08:002010 in "Snapshots"Looking back at 2010, I would say that it has been a tough year, but also a lot of fun. I'm going to do the requisite blog post of reviewing the year in terms of snapshots- I'm going to pick some of my favorite moments from each month, and talk about them, and what beverage was in my hand at the time.<div><br /></div><div>January- The moment that sticks in my mind from January was the night my neighbors decided to have a "progressive" dinner. We started at our house for apps, went to another house for entrees, and to a final one for dessert. One of my neighbors loves this whiskey-based stuff called Sweet Lucy. The snapshot is of us trying to drink this crap, while he also tried to teach me to play guitar. It was a lot of fun.</div><div><br /></div><div>February- one thing that we did in February was go to the Dorm Room dinner put on by the guys from Niche. At the dinner, Gerard served the most over-the-top thing I have ever eaten- Two peanut butter cookies with about 2 oz of foie gras and a moscato gelee in between. I think I was drinking Spanish wine, but it didn't matter. That wonderfully obscene dish still makes my stomach hurt.</div><div><br /></div><div>March- On March 17th, I played hooky. That was Saint Patrick's day, and I went to a party that my friend Sara was throwing. The mental image of that fantastically fun, sun-soaked day was watching a 50-something year old woman dance with a 20-something year old guy, and she was wearing only a bra and jeans. Gross? Yes. Fascinating? You bet. I'm sure I had a beer in my hand, and it was probably a can of Guinness.</div><div><br /></div><div>April- April was a great month, and I'm having trouble picking one particular moment. One is my birthday party, which was amazing. However, the next day after a crawfish boil and riesling tasting, we went out to Farmhaus with my friends Bill and Ellie- the snapshot was Bill demanding in beer-soaked logic that their soon-to-be-born baby be named Megatron. I think I was drinking Schlafly something.</div><div><br /></div><div>May- The snapshot of May came on May 7th, when I turned in my notice from Premier Cru. I left the office, returned a plant for my wife, and then had a terrible Mexican lunch. I sat there, scared as hell, drinking a Bud Light, wondering if I had just made the biggest mistake of my career. It wasn't.</div><div><br /></div><div>June- June was a crazy month, as we were getting then Epiphany Wines off the ground. The snapshot is from when my folks brought over a couch from KC, and we sat on it, toasting the new company with a bottle of bubbly. Little did we know what we were in store for!</div><div><br /></div><div>July- this was another month full of snapshots. In fact, I have two. One was sitting at the noodle bar of Momofuku in New York, eating one of the best things I tried in 2010- their ramen bowl with pork belly, drinking a Shiner Bock. The other came on my BBQ Road Trip with my brother- standing in front of Jerry's in Memphis, "drinking" a Dreamsicle Supreme with some of his friends. It was fantastic!</div><div><br /></div><div>August- the snapshot from August came when I had a cup of coffee in my hand. That was the morning that I was talking to my friend Ben on the phone, and the Fed Ex lady showed up with a certified letter. Uh oh. That letter was the "Cease and Desist" from Parker Station winery- we had to stop using the name Epiphany in our business. Oh well, truth be told I like "Harsha Wines" better.</div><div><br /></div><div>September- The moment that sticks out in my mind from September is when we took my parents out for an outstanding and fun meal at Niche for their anniversary. We had great wines (04 Baumard Quarts du Chaume stands out in my mind), and Gerard really took care of us.</div><div><br /></div><div>October- I can't bring up the month of October without talking about Tour de Moose. Man, I both loved and hated that day. The snapshot is watching my sweet bride sing karaoke at DD's lounge, while drinking Bombay and Tonics with my friend Ned.</div><div><br /></div><div>November- For some reason, I was fairly grumpy in November. Maybe it was stress, working 60 hour weeks, or just the weather turning. At any rate, I had a great time with my family at the In the Vineyards event. Too many wines to list, but it was a really fun evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>December- The image burned in my mind came yesterday. My parents got my nieces a Wii. All three of them squealed, starting hugging each other, and fell on the ground. At that time, my brother's 2 1/2 year old son did a flying, get-fined-in-the-NFL style leap on top of them, and they all laughed. It was such a great moment watching childish innocence in action. Beverage-wise, I had a Diet Coke in my hand.</div><div><br /></div><div>This has been a great adventure of a year. Thank you to all my friends and family for their support of my insane ideas. I love you all, and here's to an "epic" 2011.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers.</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-42346910953748909612010-12-16T07:40:00.001-08:002010-12-16T07:54:09.916-08:00Thankful for Generous Food and Wine FriendsI'm a blessed man. Not only do I have an awesome bride, a family that loves me despite my multitude of mistakes, a great little house, two dogs that like me, a growing business, and a car that gets me from here to there, but I also am surrounded by friends that share the same passion for food and wine that I do.<div><br /></div><div>Seriously- the people that I often hang out with to eat good food and drink good wine are some of the most generous people I have ever met. In fact, it's crazy how much more giving they are than a lot of the "church people" I'm in contact with. I have wine buddies that regularly open $60-$300 bottles of wine, just to share. I have a friend that footed a $100 dinner bill for me, so I could experience a fantastic meal this week. This is a great group of people that I know, and am proud to call them my friends.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, in the Christmas spirit, I want to publicly thank Ned, Kelly, Bill, Ellie, Mike, Irene, Eliot, Amy, Izek, The moved-away Tony and Janet, Steven, Jeff, Mike, Dylan, Chad, Chris, Kris, Shannon, Jonathan, Jim, Peggy, Patrick, KBO, Lou Jack, and anyone else that my coffee-fueled brain has skipped for the drinks and bites to eat this year. I'm really glad that you are in my life- you rule.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers! Don't slip on ice today.</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-67924819111074429042010-12-15T08:09:00.000-08:002010-12-15T08:22:47.857-08:00Winter WhitesHello all,<div>Yeah, I know it's been a while. Running a company during the holidays leaves little free time to pound out inane thoughts on the interwebs. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today, let's talk about white wines for the winter. I know it's about 3 degrees outside, and the last thing on your mind is a cool, refreshing glass of sauvignon blanc. However, the winter time does lend itself to some really fun whites. It's not like people completely stop drinking white wine between December and March, so you might as well drink the good stuff! Think about these:</div><div><br /></div><div>Bubbly- Anyone who knows me for more than about 2 hours knows that I love bubbly wines. Saturday night, the mrs and I had a late dinner reservation, so we stopped at a wine bar. Did we drink Syrah, Cabernet, or a 17% ABV Zinfandel? Nope. They were warning of some weather apocalypse outside, so we drank Champagne, and it was delicious. Although bubbly should be drank year round, I think this is the perfect time to open Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, or any other sparkling wine with a loved one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chardonnay- Yes, you read that correctly. I'm a wine guy, and I'm saying it's okay to drink Chardonnay. In fact, a lot of the restaurants are putting out dishes this time of year with a ton of butter, cream, etc in them. The perfect match to these dishes is a chard with a touch of oak to it. Many of the big, heavy wines that you used to see coming out of Cali are much more restrained now. Also- don't fear white Burgundy. They are delicious, and if a restaurant or shop is carrying them, there's a good chance that someone on staff can tell you about that wine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Riesling- I'm suggesting this for two reasons. First of all, this is a high-acid wine that cuts right through the fat of heavy, wintery dishes. Also, riesling is produced where it's cold. See? People in Germany, Alsace, and Upstate New York are producing white wine- it must be okay to drink in times besides the summer. Although they aren't made from Riesling, there are also similar wines from Savennieres, Quarts du Chaume, and Coulee de Serrant that fit the bill for the same reasons.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, there you have it. Definitive, unarguable proof that it's okay to drink white wine in December.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers.</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-18629752691094720292010-11-30T07:42:00.000-08:002010-11-30T07:49:41.085-08:00Enough AlreadyLast year, I noticed a trend starting that irritated me from the beginning. This has nothing to do with wine, but rather with the use of the word "Epic". That has become part of our current vernacular, meaning great, awesome, amazing, etc. I understand if people used it, like, once a year. However, now people have started using it to mean anything that is basically slightly better than "good." <div><br /></div><div>Can we just all agree to quit using the word? Thanks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, it would be great to consider when to use words like "awesome" (which I am guilty of- but not nearly as often as I thought. I used it twice on Twitter in November- once in reference to Cook's night out, once in reference to a friend of ours that really does cause awe with her dedication to a charity.) Another one is "Amazing". do that many things in life really cause you to be amazed?</div><div><br /></div><div>I realize this post sounds grumpier that it should. I'm actually in a really good mood today. I am just trying to figure out another adjective to describe the Dorm Room Dinner last night, prepared by Anthony Devoti from Five. The courses were well thought out, delicious tasting, and had a bit of whimsy that was fun to be part of. Was it Epic? No. Was it Awesome? I guess not. Was it a really fun evening that I would love to repeat? Absolutely.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, if we could all just quit diluting these words, that would be awesome.</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-34770615295537181652010-11-22T07:17:00.001-08:002010-11-22T07:24:16.832-08:00One of those weird weeksThe week of Thanksgiving is always a strange one in the wine business. Here's how it will go:<div><br /></div><div>Monday- Check in with basically all accounts that are open. Nobody will want to take a delivery on Wednesday, so all of this week's worth of work will be packed into two days. However, it will also be just an order-taking day, as most accounts will not even consider a new product for the week. This is a bit of a stretch of a day to work hard, because most people use Monday as their "warm up lap", and aren't used to working hard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday- make some deliveries, and check in with the restaurants that weren't open Monday. This is actually the easiest of the days this week. My advice is to eat lunch somewhere good.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday- because every retailer and restaurant in the city will be covered up with people, you feel like you have to be working hard. The truth is, most accounts don't want you there bugging them. This is a day where some retailers like you to hang out, and help people shop for wine. Others just want you out of the way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday is the day that we eat too much, drink too much, and nap too much- all in the name of giving thanks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy your Thanksgiving, folks! If you want to pair wine, think along the lines of riesling, gewurtztraminer, Champagne, pinot noir, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers.</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-57344013538670004082010-11-16T06:12:00.000-08:002010-11-16T06:34:30.127-08:00The same questionsYesterday, I taught a "Basics of Wine" class to a group of about 55 senior citizens. It is so funny to me that, whenever I teach a class like this, the same group of questions always seem to pop up. So, here are the answers that I'm thinking in my head to them, as opposed to what I really say out loud.<div><br /></div><div>Q: "My husband and I bought a bottle of wine on our honeymoon 26 years ago. It it still any good?"</div><div>A: I don't know. I have no idea what the wine is, where you bought it, what conditions it was stored under, or if it was good enough quality to begin with in the first place. My guess is that it has been moved 17 times, stored in a rack on top of your refrigerator, and probably resembles cat urine right now.</div><div><br /></div><div>Q: "Have you ever heard of Blackstone Merlot?" </div><div>A: Yes. And what an amazing point that you bring up, interrupting me in the middle of my segment of how to make Champagne. Thank you for derailing the presentation altogether.</div><div><br /></div><div>Q (when tasting the wine): "Does this have any oak in it?"</div><div>A: Nope. That's why I have been talking about the oak treatment on this wine for the last 2 1/2 minutes, talking about the specific oak barrels, and how you can taste the vanilla notes in the wine as the result. I was trying to trick you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Q: "I like a really sweet, kind of dry wine, what should I try?"</div><div>A: Getting your terminology right. Those terms are opposite. That's like saying "I like a black, kind of white paint job on a wall."</div><div><br /></div><div>Q: "I like to put ice cubes in my wine. Is that okay?"</div><div>A: Only if you are drinking it out of a Dixie Cup.</div><div><br /></div><div>Q: "Do you like Missouri wines?"</div><div>A: For the most part, no. But I'm going to tell you I do, because I don't want to hurt your feelings.</div><div><br /></div><div>Q: "Your job sounds awesome! So, do you really just drink wine all day?"</div><div>A: Yes. I never do anything like get to my office at 6:30 am to unload 72 cases of wine by hand from a surly truck driver that is about to cough up a lung on my sweatshirt. I also don't spend hours filing, updating quickbooks, emailing, and dragging around a heavy bag of samples just hoping that a given account will see me and buy something so I can afford to pay my mortgage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, before you get offended, realize that these answers are just the smart ass ones that flash through my mind. I wouldn't ever actually say them, and most of them are exaggerated a bit. I love my job, and would want to do nothing else right now.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's about that time- sit back, crack a bottle, talk to someone you love, and enjoy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers.</div><div><br /></div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-60165251603621791732010-11-05T06:27:00.001-07:002010-11-05T08:54:40.931-07:00Advice for the youngin'sLast night I had a great meal at Five with a buddy of mine that just graduated from Med School. One thing that came up in our discussion is that medical schools don't do anything to prepare newly graduated doctors for the social situations that they are about to find themselves in. So, if you are just about to head out into the work force (whether you're a doctor or not), here are some rules to live by when it comes to the wonderfully awkward situation known as "meeting for cocktails" in a business setting. Most people eventually get invited to a business dinner- we will go over etiquette for that later. Before said dinner, you will be asked to meet for cocktails. Here's how you survive, without looking foolish:<div><br /></div><div>1) <b>Have a drink that you can order with confidence.</b> Make sure this is a cocktail that is relatively easy to make, and classic in style. You also want to order something that makes you look professional. Stay away from anything that uses coke or fruit juice as a mixer. My go-to cocktail is a Manhattan. If you aren't into something that big and bold, you might consider something in the realm of vodka tonic, Campari & soda, or simply your favorite (which should now be Ketel or something similar) vodka on the rocks. Under no circumstances should you order Rum and Coke, Vodka and Orange Juice, or a Singapore Sling. You are out of college- leave those drinks behind. Also, no shots are to be ordered. Ever again.</div><div><br /></div><div>2) <b>Only have one or two of your cocktail</b>. After this point, things may start spiraling out of control for you. If people are pressing on, switch to beer.</div><div><br /></div><div>3) <b> If you order a beer, make sure it's decent</b>. Again, leave the Bud Light in your college apartment, or your fridge at home. If they don't have a craft beer at the bar (they should), then at least order something that is locally made, or Guinness.</div><div><br /></div><div>4) <b>Don't get drunk</b>. This is a touchy one, as the people who invited you might have too much to drink. However, if you cross the line, they will see you as less-than-professional, and won't forget. One easy way to keep this in check is to drink a full glass of water for each cocktail or beer you have. This will slow your consumption rate.</div><div><br /></div><div>5) <b>Be wary of wines by the glass</b>. This totally depends on where you are. Most restaurants basically don't have very good wines by the glass and are making a ton of money on cheap product. If you at a wine bar, or a place that specializes in wine, throw this rule out. Also, don't ever, ever, ever order "House Red" or "House White". That's Busch league.</div><div><br /></div><div>6) <b>Offer to buy a round</b>. When you do this, don't say anything about the prices of the drinks- they will cost significantly more than they do at your corner bar. Everybody already knows this, by mentioning it you will look like a rookie.</div><div><br /></div><div>7) <b>Have something to talk about</b>. There will be some work talk, but also have a few subjects that you have brushed up on. One good way to do this is to read the front page of MSN.com, and ESPN.com so you can know what's going on in the world and in sports. Just like Momma told you- stay away from politics and religion. These usually just get people riled up, and aren't appropriate for most business situations. Oh, and don't talk too much.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you follow these rules, and actually smile and have a good time, you will be just fine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-51613923953137169372010-11-03T06:22:00.000-07:002010-11-03T06:36:00.167-07:00Many things going onI'm glad I didn't blog over the weekend. On Saturday, I had a couple of posts written in my head. Mainly, they were about the following points:<div><br /></div><div>1) To all small business owners- Don't forget that the very customers you complain about, are rude to, and are sending away because you are "too busy during the holidays" are the same people that put food on your table, pay your electric bills, and put shoes on your kids' feet. Don't treat them as the enemy.</div><div><br /></div><div>2) To other small business owners- Okay, I get it. You have thoughts about politics. However, you might want to chill with them a bit on social networking sites. Don't forget that roughly 50% of the people in your shop/restaurant/building are voting for the other side. By spouting off too much, you will certainly get your viewpoint across, but also risk driving your customers across the street to your quieter, nicer competitor.</div><div><br /></div><div>3) If you have never been to a restaurant, it's a really jerk move to go there 3 days before it closes, and write a scathing review on Yelp. That doesn't give you power, rather just makes you look arrogant, selfish, and foolish.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure if I had written the full extent of the posts I had in mind, I would have named names, or dropped big hints, and as a result probably put part of my own business at risk.</div><div><br /></div><div>From the offices at my small company, we are proud to announce that we have officially hired our first employee in St Louis- she will be doing deliveries during the holidays, and slowly start building a sales route. We also bought a big ol' van to drive these deliveries around.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, as you prepare for the holidays, check out these wines: Domaine St Vincent (delicious sparkling wine from New Mexico), Villa Creek (awesome Rhone-style blends from Paso), Hermann J Wiemer (killer whites from New York), and Pavan Moscato (the ultimate wine for guys to say "I'm sorry", "I love you", or "Let's get freaky" to the woman they love.)</div><div><br /></div><div>That's all. Have a great week. Make sure you look at the difference between "urgent" and "important" regarding the things in your life- they often aren't the same.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers.</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-89571876094725320682010-10-28T06:33:00.000-07:002010-10-28T06:46:43.831-07:00Mangalista<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__8n49fxBsdI/TMl-OwW0fQI/AAAAAAAAAFo/WN95ep5QhGg/s1600/mangalista.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 190px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__8n49fxBsdI/TMl-OwW0fQI/AAAAAAAAAFo/WN95ep5QhGg/s320/mangalista.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533092409165249794" /></a><br />I am here today to talk about the mighty mangalista. Never heard of it? That's okay. Up until about a year ago, when I started hanging out with my extremely food-centric friends (note that I did not use the term "Foodie". Evidently that's a bad word), I hadn't either. The food folks were talking about it because it is raised specifically for its lard, and evidently tastes better than most other pigs. Now, that's saying a lot. Those that know me realize very quickly that I am a fan of all things porcine. In fact, I would have made a terrible Jewish guy- I love bacon, chops, tenderloin, belly, skin, etc, etc, etc. When I heard that there was this super-pig hailing from Hungary, I had to check it out. Then I had to eat one. <div>Much like the Budini, an elusive cat in the hills of Argentina, I had a hard time tracking one of these monsters down. I would hear about them popping up for a night or two at a restaurant, but by the time I got there, they had already been eaten.</div><div><br /></div><div>What was a guy on a mission to eat a wooly pig to do?</div><div><br /></div><div>Stumble into one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday, I was having a "business lunch" at the Crossing. Ian, the chef there, came out and asked the magical question: "Have you all ever heard of Mangalista"?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes!</div><div><br /></div><div>I have!</div><div><br /></div><div>Me! Me! Me!</div><div><br /></div><div>Look over here!</div><div><br /></div><div>Long story short, he served up some piggy ribeyes that were one of the best things I have eaten pig-wise in my life. The meat was tender, with just enough bite to keep it from being soggy. The flavor was amazing, as the fat on the pig is- I don't know- sort of lighter than your normal pork chop. It was freaking delicious, and worth the wait.</div><div><br /></div><div>Should you come across a Mangalista, either on the street, or in a restaurant, grab a bottle of high acid red wine (we had a Barbaresco, and a Barolo with ours), and dig in. You'll thank me for it.</div><div><br /></div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-62441394544134278522010-10-25T06:52:00.000-07:002010-10-25T07:07:03.489-07:00Tour de Moose, reduxThis last weekend, I was invited to participate in one of the most painful, yet fun, things I have done in quite a while. There is this annual bike ride/pub crawl/benefit fund raiser that happens each year called the Tour de Moose. It is called that because the guy who sets it all up is nicknamed "Moose" I guess. Basically, about 70 riders meet at Lemmons on Gravois on a Saturday morning, and start riding their bikes. Each 3 miles or so, they stop at a watering hole for games, beer, food, contests, and the like. The entire ride took about 17 miles to complete, and hit probably 8 different establishments. The money raised went to benefit the Matthew and Andrew Akin Foundation (www.matthewandandrew.org)<div>My wife didn't participate, as she was worried that it would be just an insane drunken brawl of a time. Truth be told, it really isn't. Most people (yours truly included) take it easy on the drinking and eating front because you have to get back on the bike and ride more. Those of you who know me, or at least have seen me in real life, probably could guess that I'm not much of a bike guy. In fact, this ride was a tough one for me- 17 miles on a borrowed bike that didn't fit me resulted in cramped legs, and being quite "Saddle Sore". Oof.</div><div>The portion of the event that was the most interesting was the after party at Double D's on Hampton. This is a cramped, smoky, local-style bar just down the street from Record Exchange. A group of 5 of us walked in to survey the scene. What we saw was a little, well, sad. There were 6 people in the bar, and 4 of them were related to the bartender, Tom. Tom let us know in no uncertain terms that any Karaoke (which is offered on Saturday nights) would have to wait until after the Mizzou-OU game. However, his tune changed as soon as about 25 more people walked in, money in hand. The game got turned down, the karaoke got fired up, and I'm sure the Double D lounge had one of their better nights in sales for the last several months. The original 6 people at the end of the bar left.</div><div>This is all to say that the biking portion was tough, but I made several new friends and had a great time. The Mrs. was even persuaded to get up there and sing karaoke, which is something I didn't think I would ever see. </div><div>I will be Touring with Moose again.</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-83305995948913493962010-10-15T08:58:00.000-07:002010-10-15T09:13:28.956-07:00Winery Profile- Boedecker CellarsEvery once in a while, I have to completely rely on those around me in regards to wines to bring in. Such was the case when a buddy of mine told me I had to try the wines from Boedecker Cellars. This is an urban winery in Portland that uses grapes from some of the best vineyards in Oregon to make their wines. Wine geeks will recognize that their grapes come from such vineyards as Shea, Stoller, and Carlton Hill.<div><br /></div><div>The philosophy of Boedecker is simple- the husband and wife team of Stewart Boedecker and Athena Pappas each make their own Pinot bearing their name, and their own sense of style. Put simply, the wines flat out taste delicious. Besides the "Stewart" and "Athena" wines, they also make single vineyard versions of Pinot Noir, an unoaked Chardonnay called "Purity", Pinot Gris, and a line labeled "Pappas" which is their entry-level. In order to be earth-conscious, they package all of their wines in lightweight bottles, and screwcaps.</div><div><br /></div><div>Check out the Stewart Pinot, which will retail around $30- it is fairly fruit forward, showing notes of black cherry, a touch of vanilla, and really nice cigar box aroma. </div><div><br /></div><div>Other wines that are available in MO are the Purity Chardonnay (about $17), the Pappas Pinot (about $23), and the Pappas Pinot Gris (about $20)</div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125921148668308003.post-44757286074802117302010-10-07T07:12:00.000-07:002010-10-07T07:32:58.982-07:00Advice from Spiderman's UncleIn the comics, Peter Parker's (Spiderman) uncle Ben said "With great power comes great responsibility". I am slowly learning this in small increments. If you follow me on Twitter, last night there was a tweet that I put out there encouraging people to read this blog today and get a negative review on a local restaurant. About 20 minutes later, I got a text from a friend that owns another establishment, encouraging me to rethink my intentions. (Yes, I got a text about a tweet that referred to my blog. Welcome to 2010!!).<div><br /></div><div>I quickly thought about the implications of what I was about to do, and I decided not to review the restaurant on here. I also deleted the tweet. This was for a couple of reasons:</div><div><br /></div><div>1) <b>This is a wine blog, not a restaurant review site</b>. I do this thing for free. Even though it has led to a small, paying, writing gig, I am not paid to talk about restaurants here. The intention of this blog is to inform people about beverages. Sure, I eat out a lot but I'll let the full-time critics give you their views.</div><div><br /></div><div>2) <b>It's not fair to the restaurant</b>. Look folks, just because you have the ability to get onto a blog, twitter, Yelp, etc doesn't mean you should. If you are blessed, like I am, with people that actually read your words, remember that they will also listen to them. This is where Uncle Ben's words come into play. Really think about the appropriate way to discuss your experience. One option (which I will take) is to send a letter or email to the restaurant if you had a negative experience. This gives them the opportunity to respond. Trust me, restaurant owners hate Yelp. Anyone can get on there, covered by anonymity, and say just about anything they want. I don't wish ill fate onto restaurants that don't serve good product. I wish they would fix their issues and deliver food that is worth the hard-earned money that I'm paying for it, but I don't want them to go out of business. </div><div><br /></div><div>3) <b>I'm a food snob</b>. There, I said it. I think that you can get a great dining experience at any price point, but you can also get pretty bad food as well. In my restaurant and wine career, I have had the opportunity to eat at some of the greatest restaurants in America. This has jaded me a little in that I'm pretty critical about anything that is put in front of me. The meal last night wasn't bad at all- I was just going to be picky about little things in it. Truth be told, most people would have probably found the meal amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div>4) <b>I'm trying to avoid hypocrisy</b>. Last week, I wrote a post about how people aren't positive enough. Razing a restaurant on here would not have been positive, and would have gone against my own desires.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, there you go. The next time you are about to flame some other business, just think first about all the people that will be involved, and the fallout that your words might have. I'm not saying not to ever bring up negative points, just do it in a manner that is fair and equitable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br /></div>KCKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06361332504306749565noreply@blogger.com0