Back Talk Lake Highlands

Wine review: Dufouleur Père & Fils Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru Les Saint Georges 2002

Regular readers know that I don’t put much stock in expensive wine. Even when it’s worthwhile, these wines often fail the 10 times test: Is a typical $100 wine 10 times better than a typical $10 wine?

This red Burgundy (what the French call pinot noir) is from a 400-year French wine family and it does pass the 10 times test. The 2002 vintage, meanwhile, is one of the best in Burgundy in decades. Even better, the wine is only about $30 (available at Goody Goody). This is classic red Burgundy, with zippy tannins and a pleasantly rustic feel and taste. It isn’t especially fruity, so if you drink a lot of New World pinot noir you may be disappointed. Try it anyway.

I drank most of a bottle of this on the porch, enjoying the pleasant fall weather we’ve had lately. The St. Georges will also pair with almost anything you can throw at it for Thanksgiving, and it has lots of aging potential. How often can you say that about a $30 wine?

Blast off to LHE for dinner and some science

If you head over to Lake Highlands Elementary this Thursday at 5:30 pm, not only can you get a great deal on a hot meal but you can also be blinded by science and mesmerized by math (for those of you who are numerically gifted).  While you dine, you'll be entertained by the world famous LHE second graders too.  Such a deal!

The third annual Science/Math Night at the school promises to be a good meal and a fun time.  The 4th grade parents are again offering up a dinner of steaming hot baked potatoes with all the fixin's and cool crisp salads at the best prices in town.  There will be all sorts of experiments set up, manned by the teachers and guaranteed to test your brain power and sense of adventure.

Rumor has it there will be a visit from 'Rocket Man'.  Who can resist that opportunity?

Thursday November 20th, 5:30 pm, Lake Highlands Elementary, 9501 Ferndale, 469 593-2100

Council subcommittee considers a smoking ban in bars, billiard halls

A city council subcommittee is considering expanding the city's current smoking ban from restaurants and workplaces to bars, billiard halls and within 15 feet of entrances to publicly accessible villages, according to the DMN. A majority of the six councilmen on the subcommittee seem to be leaning in favor of the proposal, according to the News story and more comments on its blog.

I have to admit that when the city council first decided to restrict smoking in restaurants and other public places a few years ago, I had my doubts: It seemed like a draconian measure, and it seemed likely to drive business out of Dallas. Today, though, I haven't seen a single study indicating that significant business was lost to the more smoking-friendly suburbs, and the air in most places I go these days is cleaner and clearer.

Franki's of Casa Linda in trouble, at best

No secret that it's turbulent times for area businesses — Brothers Chicken and La Parrillada , both on Gaston Avenue shut down. Then, Bailey's bit the dreaded back-tax dust. Then there were reports  that Franki’s Lil Europe shuttered. Then there were more reports that Franki’s was going to re-open soon. It’s no surprise that Franki’s was in trouble. In fact, they sent out an e-mail to customers about six weeks ago reaching out for help:

"Times are tough all over; even the major banks need help, so who do the little guys have to turn to.  In talking to several of our regular clients, it was suggested that we should honestly turn to our clientele," wrote owner Jeffrey Batt. “As the economy has hit a rough patch and the Casa Linda area has undergone some dramatic age shifts, our business has diminished to an inoperable pace.  Combine that with the construction project going on and we are in very dire straits.  However, it is our contention that when the renovation of the square is completed and the area stabilizes, our product and concept will shine.”

The letter goes on to say that the restaurant is actively tapping the surrounding community for investors and partners, and that he hopes patrons will respect his decision to lay it all out there — blisters and all. “Sometimes you have to open, honest, and brash if you truly believe that you dreams are worth preservation,” he concludes.

I haven’t been able to reach Batt for details, and I wonder if they’ll be able to hold on through the Casa Linda construction period (no doubt rent has gone up in the past year). I hope they find a way to pull through. Franki’s has been a part of this neighborhood for a long time — I remember going there as a kid and thinking it was sooo fancy with it's birdbath-y waterfall outside and all. It’s been pretty reliably good eatin’ ever since.

Wine review: Garnacha de Fuego 2007

I have never been a huge fan of this wine, mostly because it cost as little as $6 and $7 in other parts of the country, but costs $12 and even $15 in this area. Lately, though, the price in Dallas (where it's widely available) seems to have settled closer to $10. That makes this Spanish red a fine bargain.

Garnacha is a grape that produces very fruity wines with little in the way of tannins. This one has a lot of red fruit, but it's not especially heavy, which is a testament to Spanish wine making skills. The wine magazines adore this wine, and I've never quite been able to figure out why. One reason, probably, is that it's imported by Jorge Ordonez, who is one of the best at bringing Spanish wine into the U.S.

Drink this on its own, because it's light enough, or with pizza or similar casual food. It will also be more than adequate with Thanksgiving dinner (and don’t tell anyone, but the non-wine drinkers might even enjoy it chilled).

Technorati Tags: Spanish wine,red wine,garnacha,Jorge Ordonez,Garnacha de Fuego

Chi Omega Christmas Market

One of my favorite ways to kick off the holiday season is to attend Chi Omega Christmas Market, November 20-22. This charity fundraiser is held annually at the Dallas Convention Center, where more than 150 merchants from all over the country offer everything from handmade jewelry to specialty foods to decorations for the home to gifts for everyone in the family. Referred to by many as "Market in the Meadow on steroids," this is your chance to arrive at the gift exchange with presents they've never seen at the mall. Proceeds will go to several local charities, including Make-A-Wish, Genesis Women's Shelter, Austin Street Center, Equest, and several others. You can take the DART train right to the convention center stop, and there's a cafe inside to replenish your shopping strength. New this year, VIP shopping Thursday night from 6-9 pm, with refreshments and a party atmosphere. Check the website for details about hours of operation & special events, and discount tickets are available at all Tom Thumb stores (or from me if you see me around town).

Faith on Tap searches for a new location

Heard from Rev. Brent Barry today, and the news of Bailey's First & 10 closing was a shock to the Faith on Tap crew when they got wind of it yesterday afternoon. He's calling around trying to find a new place, and welcomes suggestions from neighbors.

We'll keep you updated once the new spot is named.

Central Market: The makeover

The folks at Central Market were kind enough to host a recent preview of the new cafe and other special features of the store, a result of the ongoing construction over the last few months. The cafe received a complete overhaul, and other minor improvements throughout the store only enhance Central Market's reputation as the go-to place for gourmet to-go.

For starters, there's the new and improved cafe menu. My husband was eyeing the hangar steak and pommes frites, and I went crazy over the Kobe sliders, topped with caramelized onions, gouda and chipotle barbecue sauce. Don't worry if you're not a beef fan — there's something for every taste. Just imagine if you're a grocery store that stocks gourmet ingredients, and has all of these ingredients available to you when you're creating dishes, and that gives you an idea of the menu. Yum.

Here's a sampling of the other store changes you can expect:

Wine review: Saint Clair Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2006

New Zealand sauvignon blanc is so well made and so inexpensive that some wine drinkers are starting to take it for granted. If it doesn’t cost $10 and taste like $35, they get upset.

That’s their problem. I’m just happy to find wines like the Vicar’s Choice (about $13 at Central Market) –- balanced, with the fruit and acidity playing off each other the way they should, and with more than just the usual New Zealand grapefruit up front. Look for tropical flavors in the middle, and even a bit of a stony finish.

Drink this as an aperitif, or with the usual sauvignon blanc entrees. It wouldn’t be out of place with a cheese course featuring harder, nuttier cheeses, either.

 

Technorati Tags: sauvignon blanc,New Zealand wine,white wine,Saint Clair Vicar's choice

Democracy is so very sweet

Here's another election-day freebie. Ben & Jerry's is giving out free scoops of ice cream from 5-8 p.m. Unfortunately, the nearest participating Ben & Jerry's is located in Plano at 1501 Preston Road. That's quite a drive for free sugar.