Ravenswood Zen of Zin 2007 Sonoma County, CA The nose of this old vine Zinfandel is really nice and earthy. I could sit and smell it for a while. Of course, I wouldn’t get much drinking done then, would I? It is thin-bodied for a zinfandel. Tastes oaky, with rich plum and leather. There are
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Beyu Express Beyu Caffee, Downtown Durham Website $6.75 My picture does not do this drink justice. It’s a martini made with chilled espresso, butterscotch, coffee and chocolate liquors, and milk. Fantastic, a perfect blend of flavors. The butterscotch was used sparingly, providing only an occasional hint of its presence, while the espresso was top notch,
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Sundance Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Maule Valley, Chile This white smells very sweet, with orange and vanilla notes. The taste does a complete 180 from the nose. It’s very acidic, has a lot of stoniness, and no suggestion of that smelled sweetness at all. That’s usually fine with me-I prefer a drier white-but this one fails
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I posted the press release for Empty Bowls 2010 a few weeks ago. It’s a unique annual fundraiser that benefits Urban Ministries of Durham. At the time, I was unsure that I would make it, being as it was my fourth wedding anniversary and all, but we ended up going last Friday anyhow. Why not
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Screw Kappa Napa (S/K/N) Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Napa Valley, CA First, I just have to say that I love the brand name Screw Kappa Napa. It’s so much fun to say and seems wittier than it is, really, kind of like my nom de plume. Plus, the label has a pretty raised pattern that you
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Tsunami Sushi *CLOSED* 6118 Farrington Road Falconbridge, Chapel Hill Website Entrees: $10.95­-$18.95 Sushi Rolls: $3.25-$5.95 Specialty Rolls: $5.95-$11.95 Tsunami Sushi is a small Japanese restaurant that offers all the standard menu choices, including sushi, bento boxes, tempura, and teriyaki. The atmosphere was fine, if a bit plain, with elevator music playing, green walls, and red
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HRM Rex Goliath Shiraz Woodbridge, CA This wine has a lot of pepper on the nose, with some rhubarb and caramel coming through also. On drinking, my mouth fills with that pepper, which is not something I ever mind. It is tart. Raspberry is the primary fruit, but there’s some rhubarb, too. It’s a thick,
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Southern Fast Food Series #3: Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q More than 30 locations throughout North Carolina This location: 3578 Davis Drive, Morrisville, NC Website Boxes of Chicken: $6.99-$22.99 Platters (2 sides and hushpuppies): $5.89-$6.99 Snacks (Fries): $4.49-5.29 Smithfield’s, obviously getting their start in Smithfield, NC, is a North Carolina chain that focuses on fried chicken
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Hawaiian Punch West 94th Street Pub Woodcroft, Durham Website This drink, with its bloody trail of maraschino juice, looks like it’d be great for a Halloween party. It’s made with vodka, Malibu coconut rum, pineapple juice, and more than a splash of blue curacao. It’s a great, simple tropical punch, perfect for sipping on a
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Buitenverwachting Rhine Riesling 2008 South Africa Even after much swishing, the nose is elusive. Some grass, some lime, maybe. I thought it was bubbly at first, which definitely confused me, but it’s just so bright of a wine that it seems bubbly.  The lime from the nose is there with mellow grapefruit and mint. It’s
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