Happy Weekend dear readers. What adventures do you have planned for this mid May weekend? My dancers are performing in their spring concert this weekend- Merde girls- we are walking a 5K with the bebes and I’m going to head out to the Old Lucketts Store Spring Market. I haven’t yet ventured out to this legendary vintage outpost and their spring market promises to be amazing. They suggest bringing a trailer- Ha. I don’t even have room left in my storage space. Oh well, it will be fun to browse.

I found a new obsession in affordable art. Now that 20×200 has closed (boo), I am really loving Leif. The original canvas above by artist Kate Smithson will set you back $125. Pretty sweet for an original work and I love the purple and yellow color combo. Leifshop has a well edited array of gifts, accessories, tabletop and jewelry to boot.

I can’t wait to see this new Somm doc, I’ve been following its progress and waiting for its theatrical release. A great idea- to document and follow 4 wine pros on their quest to becoming Master Sommeliers. The test is absolutely impossible and I can’t believe anyone actually passes, much less on their first attempt. I hope to attempt the Master of Wine exam at some point in my life, a similar test with less emphasis on service, but it will take me a few years yet to get through my current Diploma program first. Meanwhile, this doc looks pretty great- I only wish there was a woman in the mix.

For the next time you’re in France- 5 French souvenirs under $5.

I absolutely love this travelogue of Argentina- so pretty and inspiring.

Fake twitter avatars for Amelia Earhart and some of her famous female friends.

Somebody made this video compilation of my some of my sister in-law Charlotte’s work on Broadway. She’s completely amazing.

I love this- a photographer mom dresses up her 5 year old daughter as her 5 five favorite heroines for her 5th birthday. What a great idea and what a pretty little model- so inventive.

This story made me cry- what brave parents.

Who knew! Get way more juice out of your lemon by cutting lengthwise. Proof here.

Did you know that Sydney Poitier’s life course was changed by an act of kindness? While working as a busboy, a waiter taught the Bahamian how to read setting him on his course to become one of our greatest actors.

For all the gluten free peeps out there, this new book looks amazing. Her blog has some great tips and recipes for living the high life sans gluten.

California’s Gold- Huell Howser would approve- if you live in Northern California and love wine, this looks to be an exciting new little wine country. Just 140 miles north of San Fran, the Gold country is home to some terrific restaurants and small mom and pop vineyards.

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My mom and I spent Mother’s day together this year- the first time since I can remember. We took in a fabulous brunch with bebes at Bryan Voltaggio’s Volt. Tremendous. T.J. the wine director, paired us up with some amazing wines to boot. A tasting note on my favorite of his picks is below. Here are a few scenes from the day in lovely Frederick, Maryland.

Volt’s beautiful 19th century Frederick mansion.

The bebes go to brunch. The housemade breadsticks with a bit of Vermont butter and sea salt were a big hit, as were the grits and the eggs and the dessert and… well they pretty much loved everything and so did we.

A little Gruner, some Sonoma Chard (delicious with only minimal French oak), a 1er Cru Chablis and of course bottles for the bebes.

I try not to take too many pictures of my food as at the end of the day, it’s not actually all that interesting to look at, is it? And as I just read, obsessive food photography could actually indicate an illness- read the article here- ha. But, with this meal, it was so perfect, I had to share.

I started with a deconstructed clam chowder. The sourdough starter in the spaghetti replaced the bread bowl and the smoked potatoes, and tiny olde salt clams were topped with a zesty breadcrumb and fresh herbs mix for crunch and pretty chive blossoms for a little kick. I loved this dish. I had an amazing almost orange-colored omelet with cheddar, ramps, shitakes and asparagus for my main course and this meyer lemon custard with white chocolate, ruby grapefruit, celery, bitter cocoa and cardamom. Pretty killer.

T.J. paired us up with a Chablis to accompany my pasta and a lightly French-oaked Maldonado Sonoma Chardonnay for the omelet. The asparagus is always tricky and I tasted a Gruner which I loved as well, but the Chard was a bit more weighty and nice with the fresh farm eggs and cheddar. My favorite wine of the day though was my mom’s Nicolas Rossignol Pinot Noir that she sipped with her poached eggs and pork belly- really a sublime pinot, one of the best I’ve had in a while.

Strolling through pretty downtown Frederick. With Carroll Creek running through the center of town and lots of great shops, restaurants and Civil War history, it makes for a great day trip.

If you go, don’t miss:

Silk & Burlap: a really well edited boutique filled with vintage and modern apparel and home wares. I love these Italian mint booties and this pillow, but they were a bit out of my budget. I did find a killer statement necklace here- big fan of this place.
The Tasting Room: 40 wines by the glass with a great list.
That Cuban Place Café: tasty Cuban place in a casual setting. Man, I wish I had this place around the corner from me.
National Museum of Civil War Medicine: an interesting look into the medical side of the war.
Schifferstadt: this little gem of a museum is housed in one of the oldest structures in Frederick. Built during the French and Indian Museum, this is a great example of German Colonial stone architecture and the museum highlights the historic architecture of the area.
And of course, I highly recommend blowing it out at Volt.

My favorite wine of the day- a Nicolas Rossignol Burgundy:

Rossignol is a young winemaker who has recently taken over his family’s operation. He’s making waves in Burgundy by turning out some terrific wine, I’m so glad to have been introduced to his juice. If you spot a bottle on a menu or in your favorite wine shop, I highly recommend picking it up, you will not be disappointed.

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Today I’m couch tripping in the land of the Baja’s newest sensation- the Valle de Guadalupe- a killer wine country led by pioneering winemakers churning out some terrific juice and serving it alongside innovative eats. It sounds more like California than Mexico. But this is the Baja baby and winemakers like Hugo d’Acosto have arrived equipped with years of experience in France, Italy and Napa, determined to make a name for Mexican vino. As if I’m not already totally geeked out, add this hotel to the mix and I’m sold. Faux ticket bought, faux reservation made and I’m off.

The lobby and winery are the first things you see upon entering the hotel. Talk about dramatic- well done, Endémico. To top it off, they hand their guests a glass of their house wine upon arrival. Ok, I know this is a simple and small detail but man does it go a long way. If I ever own a hotel, I will be passing out drinks all over that lobby. Nothing makes a weary traveler happier than a fresh, free cocktail or copa di vino.

My shoulders drop just looking at these photos.

Here’s what I’m packing:

All I want to do on this couch trip is traipse around in fabulous caftans and dresses with great heels (thank you Emerson Fry for dressing me on this faux vacay). I’ll read Bruce Berger’s travelogue about the Baja and throw on my floppy straw hat poolside in my one piece- ha, sounds good, right- all the while sipping on local vino from the region like this little beauty:

Cin Cin!

Hotel Endémico, doubles from $167

{Images from Hotel Endémico}

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Woot Woot- kitten heels, mid heels and low wedges are back baby. I could not be happier, it’s never been easier to find a stylish pair of sensible shoes on a sensible budget. Sure, you can peruse the 8th floor at Saks and drool over the pretty mid heels a plenty but are you really going to blow $650 on a low wedge?  Let’s get real people. There are plenty of low heeled, low budge shoes for the taking.

I admit, I actually loved wearing crazy high heels in my 20s but it seems the minute I turned 30, I lost my tolerance for the uncomfortable torture wear. Now I just want a stylish shoe with a nice line and a little lift even if I’m wearing sandals. Hey, every little bit helps. Below are 11 current favorites, most for under $100 and a couple for a little more (Anthropologie- what can you do?). Nothing’s over $176.

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And of course, a Sensible Sparkling Wine Pairing with these sensible shoes. I would pick up a Conde de Subirats Rosé NV sparkler. At $10 a bottle, you really can’t go wrong. And it really is a sophisticated little wine. I usually pick it up at my local Whole Foods, you can also buy it via Amazon here, a great buy for dinner parties.

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A few highlights from Austin’s Food & Wine Festival with my brother Ben and sister-in-law, Lauren- both Austinites, both foodies extraordinaires. They were in their element last weekend as their hometown hosted a mecca of celebrity chefs, food and wine tastings and cooking classes galore. They have shared a few of their favorite moments with us. Don’t you love the Veuve Clicquot airstream- so Austin, I want it in my backyard (if I had one). That pork perfection above is compliments of Barley Swine chef, Bryce Gilmore. His Austin hot spot is one of my picks in my Austin Getaway Guide. The pork and handmade focaccia were both slow roasted over open fire pits.

Grilling ribeyes and sipping white wine first thing in the morning with Tim Love of Fort Worth’s Lonesome Dove. His colorful vocabulary served as the perfect wake up call for their early morning haze. Lauren’s mom had her arm signed in true rockstar style. Hundreds of grills dotted the Austin lawn as each participant was equipped with his or her own Weber grill, how cool is that.  Go big or go home- it is Texas after all.

A good grill guided by Love.

A few good sips with Food & Wine’s wine editor. It looks like Ray Isle is doing the old “Thank You Austin… and Good Night, I’ll be here all week, try the fish.” I’m guessing that’s not what he was saying but I kind of wish it was. Nice hat, Ben.

Apparently this d.j. was busting out Eddie Murphy’s, Party All The Time. Yes. Spinning that one hit wonder would ignite a spontaneous dance party anywhere. Check out Eddie Murphy’s video for the song here, it’s kind of amazing. Rick James’ hair is beyond, the extras in the sound booth are priceless and can I just say how I love how the 80s took itself seriously- how is that even possible? Will we look back at this decade and think we were as ridiculous? I hope so but I’m thinking we’ve become too retro-conscious- what a shame. But back to the food at hand- that poached prawn is perfection- another tasty morsel by Chef Gilmore.

And… they’re out. Lauren’s shirt kind of says it all. Looks like a blast. Thanks for sharing guys.

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A few things for mom that are all about her. I would love any of these things and wouldn’t allow myself to buy any one of them (except for the soap- which I LOVE- nothing like a coffee scrub first thing in the morning). Brunch is always nice too.

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I’m also loving these cute custom cards from Scout and Whistle. I love the grandma personalization too.

A nice bouquet, a beautiful card and maybe breakfast in bed or brunch at her favorite place are always a winning combination. And if all else fails, get her a spa treatment. You really can’t go wrong with one of those.

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We hopped up to NYC for the day sans bebes to see my in-laws in Broadway’s Pippin, as previously posted. Fun side note: my brother in law, Terry was just nominated for a Tony for his performance- yay! While C was working, I hopped around town before the show.

The highlight of the day: my delicious lunch for 1 at Cafe Cluny. I just love the old New York vintage living room feel of the place and the waiters’ Frenchie striped tees. And how cute is that wallpaper? They just used pages from a book of botanical prints, glued them to the wall with wallpaper adhesive and applied a clear varnish on top. Brilliant. I had a lip smackingly good Anjou Blanc with my salmon galettes. It was just a tiny bit sweet and would go beautifully with seared scallops. I’m pretty much always happy with a good chenin blanc from the Loire. This one was very good. 
Cin Cin!

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I thought this was kind of fun. A rendering of some chic shelf styling by artist, Bella Foster. I saw her illustration and then found this shelf styled by Emily Henderson. They resemble each other and I love the idea of Foster’s illustration- a still life for the styling set. You can buy the print here. Here are 22 shelf styling ideas from Real Simple.

I took this photo at an amazing vintage and antique shop in Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue last summer in Provence. These amazing objects were just sitting on the shelf perfectly styled like so. Thrown together, they’re perfect. You couldn’t style anything to look this cool, I love the horse head in the vase. If you are headed to Provence, you absolutely cannot miss the Sunday market in Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue, 3rd only to Portobello Road and Paris’ Les Puces de Saint-Ouen Market, this is not your everyday flea market. It is a tastemaker’s paradise. Design folks come from all over the world to peruse, find inspiration and buy at this market. The shops that line the South end of town near the train station are kind of mind blowing. Oversized vintage metal desks and clocks, petite club chairs with just the right worn in patina- it’s the kind of stuff that you see Restoration Hardware and ABC Home try to knock off, sometimes successfully, but there’s no substitute for the real artifacts. I pretty much drooled my way through town.

If you spend the day in Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue, make sure you make a reservation for a long, blissful lunch at Daniel Hebet’s Le Jardin du Quai. Maybe one of the best lunches I’ve ever had- honestly. Dine outside on stone tables while partaking in some seriously divine French food and wash it all down with a local rosé. I love their wine glasses so much, I tried to buy them but alas, no sale. I settled for these instead- pretty cute.

{Image: Emily Henderson’s shelf: TeriLyn Fisher}

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Jane Birkin in the kitchen with her kids. I love this.

Happy Weekend to you all! We’ll be Amtraking it back from NYC to hang with the grandparents CiCi (aka my mom), Papa Jacques (aka my father-in-law) and the bebes. We’ve got lots of fun plans- brunch at DC’s Tabard Inn, (this place eludes me, got a rezzie a month in advance) another wine class at Grape + Bean (love these guys: this time Brunellos and Super Tuscans including Casanova di Neri- y.u.m.) and a day trip to Annapolis to visit my niece who is studying at St. John’s and partake in some Maryland crabs at Cantler’s Riverside Inn. It is action packed- just the way I like it.

A Little Link Love:

This Brooklyn hotel looks amazing, love the signage.

Talk about a conversation piece. This DIY runner makes for some good table talk.

Sign me up for this wine tasting weekend in Bordeaux!

Suffering from insomnia or just can’t get back to sleep after your little one wakes you? Apartment Therapy names this the most relaxing song ever.

I love these metallic storage bins.

This photo of this darling bambina inspires me to become a better photographer.

This new Sundance Channel show created by Ray McKinnon of Deadwood and from the producers of Breaking Bad sounds interesting.

The stock market gets spooked by social media, this is a little scary.

A mango and strawberry paleta in Tulum- yum. If you’re not headed to Mexico anytime soon, make your own. The Pineapple-Chile paleta sounds fab.

Make your own sparkling herbal water or infuse your still water with Jaime Oliver’s quick and easy recipes.

I’m so DIY’ing this updated take on Julia Child’s pots and pans pegboard in my next kitchen. Love the grey paint with the bright white shadows.

And ok, I just had to include this. This is the most insanely ridiculous thing I have ever read and now heard. Read by Michael Shannon, this is the letter that the University of Maryland sorority present actually emailed to her sisters. What. Is. Happening. This chick needs a hobby. WARNING: big time profanity.

Cin Cin and Happy Weekend! What are you all up to?

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I recently attended a tasting of Dr. Loosen Rieslings led by Ernst Loosen. What a treat. I arrived at Grape + Bean, one of my favorite vino haunts, to be greeted by Mr. Loosen (or Ernie as he refers to himself) seated on a stool sipping some Hefeweisen. The quote of the night:

It’s funny how winemakers, somms and wine geeks alike hightail it to the bar for a beer after hours. Makes sense, I used to go for a foamy frosted glass after a long day of staff and/or industry tastings. (sounds like a rough life, right.) A refreshing cleanse of the palate is always welcome. Ernie said that he likes to “keep it very much like the Australian winemakers”. Ditto dude.

Ernie told tales of growing up at the Dr. Loosen estate that has been in his family for over 200 years, since 1787. He spoke of sipping as a six year old from tiny glasses of Riesling at both lunch and dinner and of the varying winemaking styles from his paternal and maternal sides. His great grandfather believed dry Rieslings were the superior showing of the grape while his maternal side felt the off-dry and sweet Rieslings were really the only way to go. They were both right. The estate now produces both styles. He also reminisced of dinner parties where the Loosen estate’s Rieslings were tasted all the way back to 1900 with ’53 and ’71 being particularly good years. How do I get invited to that dinner!

We tasted through 5 of Dr. Loosen’s Rieslings and 1 Eiswein. All delicious, the standouts for me were the Erdener Trepchen Kabinett ’11, a zippy and effervescent off-dry riesling and the Ürziger Würtzgarten Ausleses Gold Cap ’06.

That ’06 botrytis is killer- a great vintage and perfect growing conditions in the Mosel Valley for noble rot- the petrol was fuming. Yum. For those of you wondering about all this talk of botrytis, noble rot and gasoline (sounds delicious, right), botryris- aka noble rot- is a fungus that attacks grapes. But this is no ordinary fungus, it’s the fungus of all funguses. This is the stuff of dreams folks. Winemakers grit their teeth and chew their nails hoping that the perfect storm of weather elements will converge and invite the botrytis to show up and attack their grapes. Those grapes are then hand selected during harvest and used in the making of certain types of Rielsing, Sauternes and Tokaji. They tend to produce a petrol-y, gasoline note on the nose. Not to worry there’s no gas in your wine, it’s just that yummy fungus.

Cin Cin and thanks Ernie!

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