crhutch

Hello all, my name is Cullen and I joined up after reading about it in the Washington Post today. I am a avid wine enthusiast and I love eating so this was a great find. I look forward to the adventure.

Traif in Brooklyn, in the Williamsburg section, 229 S 4th St ((between Havemeyer St & Roebling St). Jewish chef/owner who does everything that not kosher....lots of pork and shellfish. My wife and I went here with my daughter who lives in NYC. What a nice experience and really good food. My daughter and I started out with a drink called The Rude Little Pig, sort of a margarita with bacon bits on glass's edge rather than salt . To eat we had the pork belly, sautéed broccoli rabe, and seared scallops which we we drank a bottle of viura/verdejo. To top it off we had the bacon donuts. The food was good, tasty and well presented. The wine accompanied the food well. And the nicest surprise is we spent less than $100 for 3 people. Definitely a place to go to again.

My wife and I have been going to The Wine House, just about every week, since they first opened a couple of years ago. The thing that we like about The Wine House is it is a wine shop where I can eat and not just a little serving of cheese, sausage and crackers, but a plate of good food to go with my wine. Their wine selection is outstanding and the prices reasonable. I am particularly fond of their Spanish wine selection where I can always find a great wine. As an eatery, it is a fun place to go. The food is good, the people are friendly and the ambiance is welcoming. What we mostly like is being able to pick a bottle off the wall and then pair it with a meal. We are never disappointed.

Both these offer the Wine & Spirit Education Trust certification courses (www.wsetglobal.com). They offer intermediate, advance and diploma courses. The Capital Wine School is run by Jay Youmans who is one of two (I believe) Master of Wines in the DC area. Excellent courses...I highly recommend.