Virgin Bourbon Bardstown, Kentucky 101 Proof I picked up this bottle of bourbon while it was significantly discounted at my local ABC store. I was out of bourbon, which is a horrible tragedy that must always be addressed. It was only $11 for 750 ml, which means it’s much cheaper than the Woodford Reserve and
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28 November, 2011
Bloomsbury Bistro
Comments : 1 Posted in : Dining in Raleigh - NC, Restaurants on by : The Gourmez Tags: apple cheddar puff pastry, balsamic, bloomsbury bistro, brandade, butterscotch pudding, chocolate torture cake, dessert, dining, dinner, fine dining, five points, french, john toler, marscarpone creme brulee, pumpkin risotto gruyere, raleigh, review, shrimp grits cake, tomato bisque duck crouton, upscaleBloomsbury Bistro 509 Whitaker Mills Road Five Points, Raleigh Website Entrees: $19–$35 Bloomsbury Bistro is located in a shopping center right near the Five Points intersection in Raleigh. The restaurant is cozy with French provincial coloring and a mural on the back wall of what looks like a relaxed afternoon in the country. The rest
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25 November, 2011
Geer Street Garden
Posted in : Dining in Durham - NC, Restaurants, Sake, Wine on by : The Gourmez Tags: Beer, beer garden, central market, cobb salad, corn 'n oil, dining, dinner, durham, foster st., geer st. garden, geer street garden, hamburger, late night, local ingredients, lunch, pasture-raised, rueben, sriracha, the pileGeer Street Garden 644 Foster Street Central Park District, Durham Website Sandwiches/Entrees: $8–$17 Geer Street Garden opened last spring, and it’s been a welcome addition to this fast-expanding area of town. Located in an old gas station, it’s a pub with a great beer list featuring plenty of local brews and a menu full of
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21 November, 2011
California Trip 2011, Days 6, 7, & 8: Santa Cruz and Capitola Village Feasting, Hiking, and Beaches
Comments : 1 Posted in : Dining in Santa Cruz - CA, Restaurants, Travel Guide for Santa Cruz - CA on by : The Gourmez Tags: 2011, 515, 99 bottles, balsamic fig, beach, cafe brasil, caffe pergolesi, california trip, capitola, capitola village, chill out cafe, chocolate, coffee, day in capitola, day in santa cruz, day trip, dessert, dining, downtown, dr. miller, guide, mariann's ice cream, restaurant, santa cruz, the penny ice creamery, verveWe are nearing the end of our recent California adventure. The next two blogs don’t have many food-related pictures, because I was too busy talking with my friends to actually devote time to documenting the places we went—that, and I’ve been to most of them a million times during my college years, so I forget
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16 November, 2011
Drunken Horchata at Dos Perros
Comments : 2 Posted in : Bars and Tasting Rooms, Bars in Durham - NC on by : The Gourmez Tags: cocktail review, dos perros, downtown, drunken horchata, durham, horchata, horchata cocktail, kraken, licor 43, nightlife, review, rumDrunken Horchata Dos Perros Dinner Review, Brunch Review Downtown Durham $9 This horchata, Kraken rum, and Licor 43 drink is a vast improvement over its predecessor, La Leche, which I tried over a year ago at Dos Perros. What’s the difference? Only the Licor 43 and a larger serving. It’s possible that the rum has
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14 November, 2011
California Trip 2011, Day 5: Chinatown in the Rain, Staples Center, and Bouchon
Comments : 3 Posted in : Dining in Los Angeles - CA, Restaurants, Travel Guide for Los Angeles - CA on by : The Gourmez Tags: adam sandler, al pacino, banh mi, beverly hills, bouchon, bronze, brown butter, butternut squash soup, chinatown, dine la, dinela, downtown, french, LA, la guide, LA live, lamb, los angeles, magic johnson, nokia, oscar de la hoya, pot de creme, restaurant review, ruilletes de poulet, staples center, statue, subway, thomas keller, transit, trout, via cafe, wayne gretskyOn our fifth day in California, it rained. And rained. And rained. Downtown LA isn’t the most fun or convenient place to be in the pouring rain; I think it’s fair to make that claim of any large downtown. But I had a mission that hadn’t been fulfilled yet, and this was our last day
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9 November, 2011
Martine Galhoune Moulin 2010 Pinot Noir
Posted in : Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Wine on by : The Gourmez Tags: 2010 vintage, can't stop wineing, cheese n truffles, chocolate, martine glahoune mouline, medium dry, mgm, nectarine, spiceMartine Galhoune Moulin 2010 Pinot Noir France Nectarine. The nose of this wine is full of nectarine. It’s thin-bodied, fun to drink, and a welcome shift from the overly dry wines I’ve had lately. I’d call this one medium dry. It has vanilla, spice, nectarine, chocolate, and cherry all balanced well together. The MGM 2010
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7 November, 2011
California Trip 2011, Day 4: Tiara Café, Little Tokyo, and the Barbacoa
Comments : 2 Posted in : Dining in Los Angeles - CA, Mezcal, Restaurants, Sake, Shochu, Travel Guide for Los Angeles - CA on by : The Gourmez Tags: barbacoa, beef jerky, centenary united methodist, chado tea room, cocktail, dine la, dinela, downtown, gardens, halibut enchilada, honda ya, hummus fries, japanese restaurant, koyasan, kyoto hotel, LA, little tokyo, los angeles, mac and cheese balls, nishi hongwanji, pizzette, rivera, rooftop, tea room, temple, tiara cafeOn my second day downtown, and fourth day in LA, my sister joined me for sightseeing and face shoveling dining. We took advantage of DineLA! week to try out a spot called Tiara Café, roughly ten blocks from my hotel. It’s going for a hipster aesthetic with a focus on market-fresh, healthy ingredients and the
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4 November, 2011
G2B Gastropub *CLOSED*
Comments : 3 Posted in : Dining in Durham - NC, Restaurants on by : The Gourmez Tags: arugula pesto, baked alaska, beet salad, carrie schleiffer, chocolate toast, dining, dinner, durham, g2b, gastropub, gnocchi, goat cheese croquettes, lunch, office building, restaurant, restaurant eden, shannon road, starlu, wiiG2B Gastropub 3211 Shannon Road Website G2B is a gastropub located in the ill-fated restaurant space at the back of an office building near the intersection of Shannon Road and University Drive. You may recognize the location from when it formerly housed Starlu, or more recently, Restaurant Eden. Well now, it’s G2B, and it’s the
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2 November, 2011
Bogle Merlot 2009
Comments : 1 Posted in : Merlot, Red Wine on by : The Gourmez Tags: 2009, bogle, brain wines, first pour wine, plum, smooth, spice, strawberry, table wine, vanillaBogle Merlot 2009 Graton, CA This wine strikes me as smooth right away. It’s full of bright fruit, but not tart fruit like so many bottle I drank over the past two months. The main notes are strawberry and a juicy, juicy plum with subtle spice and vanilla. I enjoy how unobtrusive and
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