The Gourmez

Wine: Chateau Julian Bordeaux Sec 2008 Region: Gironde, France I can’t help but feel like a wine with lots of stamps and small print, as this label has, means that I’m supposed to really like it. I am, right? But I suppose I’m supposed to think that of all wines. Regardless, all the appellations intimidate [...]

2 shots Two Fingers Gold Tequila 0.5 shot Feeney’s Irish Cream Liquor 4-second pour of Hershey’s Nonfat Chocolate Syrup 4 shots orange juice, heavy pulp  ’cos that’s how I roll Sprinkle of cinnamon Shake the first four ingredients and pour over crushed ice. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. This cocktail, by all rights, should not be [...]

Wine: Taylor Marsala Region: Finger Lakes, New York The color of this dessert wine is fantastic. It’s like looking at a blood red rose, with a copper hue around its edges.  It smells like port, with rich, dense, scents of overripe peach and tamarind. The flavor is smooth and definitely has peach notes, but the [...]

Last summer, I posted this blog about my cat, Loki, having disappeared a week earlier. It is leaps and bounds ahead of every other blog entry I’ve posted in terms of hits, and that must be because so many people have had pets go missing and reach out to find others in the same situation [...]

Sarah Findle, with the Frankie Lemmon Foundation, sent me an e-mail to let me know about the Triangle Wine Experience 2010, thinking it would be an event right up my alley. She was right! Unfortunately, I’m going to be out of town that weekend, so you all need to go and enjoy yourselves on my [...]

Wine: Snapping Turtle Chardonnay 2007 Region: California     I popped this one open to simmer some risotto in it.  It tasted like lemon meringue pie, though not as tart. When cold, it seemed dry but got sweeter as it warmed to room temperature. There was some green apple peel in the mix as well. [...]

Jamaica Jamaica 4853 NC Highway 55 Intersection of highways 55 and 54, Durham Lunch Entrees: $7-13, $1 more for Dinner Sides: $2-6 Jamaica Jamaica is a small, cafeteria-style restaurant that focuses, as evidenced by its name, on Jamaican specialties. Vibrant paintings hang on the walls, which gives the two seating rooms some character. Lively, island [...]

For those of you who keep up with the local food scene, the closing of Fins and eventual opening of bu*ku is already old news. But I just wanted to comment on it anyhow, because I’m so intrigued by Chef D’Auvray’s plan for the space and am really interested to see how it turns out. [...]

One of my New Year’s Resolutions this year was to spend less money on alcohol. While you might think this would cut down on my wine and cocktail reviews, I refuse to let it! Reviews of cocktails from nearby bartenders will, indeed, be less frequent, but I plan to fill that void with cocktails of [...]

Tonali 3642 Shannon Road Durham Entrees: $10-25 (I think) I’ve been wanting to try Tonali for quite some time because I’ve seen it show up on many people’s lists of favorite Mexican spots in the area. It’s upscale fare with an intriguing list of appetizers and entrees to choose from.  Service was a bit brusque, [...]