The Gourmez

Absente Minded Posta Tuscan Grille, Raleigh Website $12 The Absente Minded cocktail, which I tried at the Triangle Foodie Tweetup held last week at Posta Tuscan Grille, was a delightful, satisfying, smooth cocktail. I enjoyed it so much that night that I came back the next one for another before heading to the Adam Lambert [...]

Yellow Jersey Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Burgundy, France A plastic bottle of wine!? What is this world coming to? Eh, I’m trying to work up wino rage, but I just don’t care that this is in a plastic bottle. The fact that it’s quite good probably helps with that. There’s no nose to speak of. The [...]

Beringer California Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Napa Valley, CA Full disclosure: I’ve been drinking some cheap merlot all night, now to be supplanted by a cheap something else. That something else smells like . . . laundry bleach? It smells like dried strawberries rolled in Clorox. I’m not averse to the smell of bleach, but [...]

Margaux’s 8111 Creedmoor Road, Suite 111 Raleigh Entrees: $19–$31 Website I hadn’t heard of Margaux’s, so when my friends’ gourmet club chose it for their next destination, I was excited to try it out (Note: I’m always excited to try someplace new out). They have an interesting hodgepodge of styles going on in both their [...]

Caipirosca Bahama Breeze, Raleigh Website A caipirosca is the Russian version (read: vodka) of a caipirinha, a Brazilian cocktail made with cachaça, lime, and sugar. Bahama Breeze takes the change in base liquors a step further by subbing in mango vodka. The sugar is replaced by a mango puree, but the lime stays the same. [...]

White Satin Bahama Breeze, Raleigh Website This drink started out very, very well. It’s a delicious combination of coconut rum, Cointreau, coconut milk, and just a hint of ginger. Served in a large martini glass, the first half of the drink was a heavenly blend of those elements, with the orange and ginger flavors highlighting [...]

Bean & Barrel 50100 Governor’s Drive Governor’s Village, Chapel Hill Website Bean & Barrel is a coffee shop, bar, and grill. Have I mentioned how much I love that NC restaurants serve both coffee and alcohol? Having a cappuccino followed by a glass of wine is just way too much fun to pass up. During [...]

Novella Synergy 2008 Paso Robles, CA This is a very smooth blend of bunches of varietals. The nose smells richly of ripe strawberries and blueberries. There’s a hint of spice. It’s a lightweight wine and easy to drink. Tannins are light, and the strawberry is in full effect when sipping, with a small amount of [...]

It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to upload photos. I finally got to some yesterday, and thus, you must now see some of my faves from that trip here. For Ben’s birthday in June we went to Wrightsville Beach, NC, which was pretty nice. The hotel we stayed at had great rooms; [...]

My lovely friend, Laura, paid close attention to my status updates and decided to buy me a bottle of green chartreuse, a liqueur I’ve been intrigued about for years but never had the chance to purchase. She found it in NYC and voila! A long-time wish is fulfilled. Green chartreuse is a blend of 130 [...]