jparrott

Full Disclosure Blah Blah Blah. I'll be presenting 2 tastings this week of Haus Alpenz products: Thursday, 12/20, 4-7PM at Local Vine Cellar, 425 11th St NW, smack dab in the middle of Downtown! Saturday, 12/22, 12-2PM at Society Fair, 277 South Washington St in Old Town Alexandria. Please come out to one or both, if you can!

I don't have any problem with Arpy's use of point scores, or the types of wines he likes (to each his own), or even some of the questionable activities some of his underlings undertook during the 2000s. My problem with Parker is that, in my opinion, his style of writing tasting notes shows that he has little or no interest in his readers learning about wine. He eschews criticism and context in favor of the "laundry list of froot/wood notes" approach. It's mesmerizing. And not in a good way. Rarely, if ever, does RP bother to compare wines in a way that might enhance his readers' contextual understanding of the wine he is discussing, and/or a class of wines in general. To me, it almost seems as if Parker is afraid that if he gives his readers some knowledge, they'll run away.

The Domaine d'Esperance Armagnac Blanche (imported by the most excellent Nicolas Palazzi) is available in DC through Ledroit Brands. It is excellent. Retail penetration is small so far; best to have your retailer contact Ledroit.

Congrats, Dr. Joe. Going to make your long-awaited return as a DJ?

With the crazily generous introduction from Rocks, I feel like I should unleash a wild and wacky question. And I suppose I do have one. But first: 1. Traditional white Rioja. Lopez de Heredia and who else? Or is RLdH considered wacky in the context of "tradition," as well? 2. [slightly wilder and wackier] Does anyone still make the fortified/aromatized aperitif style "Jerez-Quina"?

New threads for questions, Rocks?

(Full disclosure blah blah blah) Moscato from Asti is also the base wine for the Cocchi Aperitivo Americano and the Cocchi Vermouth di Torino. Unlike Chambéry-style vermouths, which are intended to be light, herbal, and not particularly wine-focused, Piemonte-style aperitivos traditionally must have that lush character (which occasionally comes from one of the Malvasias as well. Watch this space.)

Kiyo's is still awesome for what it is. Neighborhood has an excellent burger. And Noble Experiment, the "speakeasy" that you walk through N'hood to get to, is excellent and very welcoming. Anthony Schmidt is an excellent classicist bartender, much in the mold of DC's own Dan Searing. The other two bars from the same crew, El Dorado (SD's answer to The Passenger in some ways) and Craft & Commerce (think of a larger, scene-ier Room 11) are also excellent hangouts, though very different.

Just wanted to drop a short line to let y'all know that I've finally wriggled out of the "day job" and I am starting with Haus Alpenz as a traveling rep in September. Watch my Facebooks and Twitterz for my whereabouts and what's going on. Drink more vermouth, everyone!

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Bravo to Mr. Slater for providing an excellent wine experience under challenging (space and temp-control) conditions. From day 1, Ray's has always kept a small corner of their list for the type of wines I prefer with steak: angular, mineral, high-acid, old world wines. I presume this will continue.

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I'm 91 points on that. It lacks insouciance.

A rickey.

Salers (full disclosure blah blah blah) is typically drunk with an ice cube and lemon peel. I also find it useful to use to provide an herbal, white-pepper edge to vermouths as complex modifiers to medium-bodied spirits such as pisco or good blanco tequila.

Parkmobile provides a service for which I shouldn't be willing to pay 32 cents, but I am. I believe this is called in "market language" a "spread." That said, I'd love for them to be able to tell me what spaces "turn off" at 6:30pm versus 10pm.

Invision needs a "Like" button. Simmering broth for noodle soup and drinking equal parts Plymouth gin and Byrrh (full disclosure blah blah blah--go buy it at Ace!) on the rocks.

Tequila is made in Jalisco from (mostly) Weber blue agave. Mezcal is made in Oaxaca from a variety of agaves. Neither is a subset of the other. Tequila tends to be made in a cleaner style (agave steamed, some or all column-stilled), while Mezcal tends to be funkier (agave roasted, often with hot stones, mostly pot-stilled). Much mezcal is serious stuff these days, with complexity (and price) on the level of good Islay malt whiskeys. More mixable than Islay malts, though, particularly with vermouths, French herbal liqueurs, and softer amari. I sincerely believe you have to get to the bottom of the bottle (over many days) to discover its versatility and learn its many facets.

China Garden does a large Chinese wedding banquet trade, and, as its location is close to neither an abundance of wedding ceremony locations nor an abundance of easy parking, some of those buses may have been chartered by wedding organizers.

Note that the (quite tasty) chops menu was a one-night-only thing...Jack Rose does something at ludicrously high food cost on the first Monday of most months. Info available via their Facebook page, IIRC.

It can be. The fried oyster sandwich at the Passenger is delicious. The fried shrimp sandwich on the bar menu at Trummer's On Main is ridiculously delicious, a sick-good value, and, on more than one occasion, an excuse for me to detour on my way home after a late night at the office. But they are called po-boys. And they are not po-boys. And when a place makes a proffer of "authenticity" ("It's all about the bread" is as close to a po-boy stake-in-the-ground as you can make), there's not point in not holding them to it (and educating those who ask, about what "authenticity" means in this context). I hope it's delicious, too. If it is, I'll keep going. And if the bread doesn't hold up to scrutiny, I'll say that too. Both can happen at the same time.

While it's easy enough to try to make comparisons, the way to look at Sakuramen is as a proper, neighborhood noodle bar, with an intentionally lighter style. In that oeuvre, it is brilliant.

Undoubtedly true. But after seeing (and surviving) a kajillion fried oyster/shrimp sandwiches (many of them quite delicious) on chewy, fancypants, often thick, sourdough bread, all of which were called "po boys" on menus, a little recognition for a shop that at least proffers a more "real" po-boy experience is the least we can do, on a food board. Of course, we shall see.

Ah yes, but ham and swiss on the correct style of bread is also a po'boy. And I believe french-fry and gravy sandwiches have a worldwide following...and that was one of the ORIGINAL po'boys.

1.5 ounces Mezcal, 1.5 ounces Dolin blanc (full disclosure blah blah blah), 2 dashes celery bitters (or 10 drops Bittermens "Orchard Street" Celery Shrub). Stir with ice, strain, and slap some sort of citrus peel on it if you're feeling fancy.