You can find fast-paced, ongoing barista competitions in any corner of a Coffee Fest show, but at their heart, these events are trade shows. And I had far more fun than expected discovering up-and-coming products among the many established brands. This isn’t a list featuring my favorite coffee beans from the weekend—that would be expected.
Read more

Oak Farm Vineyards Winery (23627 Devries Road) is on its way to becoming the first of its kind in the Lodi, CA, appellation: a family-owned estate that offers the full experience of a large-scale destination winery, minus the glitzy hotel and pretension. I took part in a media preview of their new expansion, which will
Read more

For Christmas, the darling husband bought us Santa Cruz Mountains wine passports, an excellent gift. I wasn’t a wine drinker when I lived in Santa Cruz, so now that I’m in the Bay, I’ve wanted to try what that designation has to offer. Plus, any excuse for a weekend in Santa Cruz is a good
Read more

Plaza Café 411 Fayetteville Street Downtown Raleigh $4-8 Breakfast, Lunch It’s my first blog of 2013, and well, I wish I had one for you exploding with praise. Instead, it’s on a joint that’s mostly unremarkable. I’ve passed the Plaza Café many times while wandering in downtown Raleigh. It seems ideal for grabbing food in
Read more

The Carolina Table: East Meets West Dinner We have finally made it, dear eaters. It’s the last of my posts on TerraVITA 2012, which you may find funny because I passed up the Grand Tasting on the Square, which is TerraVITA’s main event. It did not take place until the day after this meal, and
Read more

Fall Menu at the Fairview Dining Room (and a glimpse into the presidential suite!) Fairview Dining Room Washington Duke Inn 3001 Cameron Blvd. Duke Campus, Durham Entrees: $19—$30 Website As you may recall, I was invited to try the spring menu at the Fairview Dining Room last March. Last Thursday, I previewed the fall menu
Read more

6th Sense Syrah 2005 Lodi, CA Lodi does wine? Who knew? Not this uncultured gourmet, apparently. Also, the back of the bottle has a somewhat gruesome poem about being buried in a barrel of wine. I think it’s meant to be metaphorical, but I don’t really want to imagine someone in the vat this came
Read more

This past weekend, I was able to attend Farm to Fork for the first time, an event I’d heard a lot about in the past couple of years. It’s basically a celebration of the restaurant-farmer relationships of the fantastic food scene we are blessed with in the NC Piedmont and of course, a fundraiser, too. 
Read more

Renwood 2002 Viognier Other stuff on the label: Select Series, Lodi This white tastes like creme brulee that’s finished with a splash of orange juice. It has a sweet and sourness to it, like a buttery mixture of vanilla, pineapple, and allspice. The smell is leafy, which doesn’t at all fit with the taste, but
Read more