Special Drinkventure #110: Riedel Winetasting with LearnAboutWine

As I previewed a while ago, the LearnAboutWine's Riedel class at Loft 218 sounded amazing; as with previous LAW events, I always pick up new and interesting facts about wine and it's always fun to mingle with my oenophiliac table neighbors. And to top it off, Riedel Crystal USA's CEO Maximilian Riedel himself will be guiding us through the different wines and glasses and I get to take home a 4-piece set that retails for around $120. So I ponied up the $59 and attended the session last night.

Just like I expected, it was a delightful, informative event and I came out amazed at all the new things I've learned from Max, who is by the is very charismatic and passionate about his generations-old craft, including:

*first and foremost, the actual pronounciation of Riedel (somewhere between 'riddle' and 'REE-dle' but definitely not the more-commonly-heard 're-DELL')

*the 11 generations of Riedel glassmaking, and their pretty involved process in developing glasses specific to not only grape varietals but also specific regions (in our session alone, we used a Burgundy and a Bordeaux glass, though in a pinch it could double over for Pinot Noir and Cabernet/Merlot, respectively.) Their longstanding expertise in this craft actually led them to be approached to make spirit- specific glasses as well.

*and most importantly, how even minor adjustments in the glass' size, roundness, taper and finish affects the final sensation and perception of the wine - running the gamut from how the wine flows through your tongue's different taste zones to how aromas and alcohol is concentrated and diluted.

To showcase the final point, Mr. Riedel had us taste the same wines in assorted glasses and I was surprised by how dramatically different the wine smells and tastes just by swapping the glass. The one that struck the biggest chord with me was how a wonderfully fragrant Cabernet (and this is for a varietal that's not one of my faves!) in the Bordeaux glass wound up smelling one-dimensional and tasting puckery tannic when drank from the Chardonnay glass.

Asides from proving his point that glass sizes made a difference, Max Riedel also demonstrated two of his elegant but functional decanters (and it's his belief that all wines, including whites and even sparkling, benefit from decantation prior to serving) and then took audience questions in regards to proper usage and maintenance of wine glassware.

And, because this event sold out so fast -- Max is actually doing this class again tomorrow (which is why I'm blogging about it so soon.) Ian from LAW told me there are only a few seats left for tomorrow's class so act quick if interested! (And for those looking to get more than one Vinum set, additional ones will be offered for a special discount at the event.) Alternatively, Georg Riedel (Max's father) will be doing a tasting of his own in the upcoming LA Winefest... price tag is a steeper $150 though (though the set you take home there may be different.)

Of course, either of these classes will likely leave you being a wineglass snob henceforth, you've been warned. Cheers!

Special Foodventure #109: Gold Standard (West Hollywood)

Mozza Caprese Salad, photo taken by plus-one extraordinaire Binary Tastebuds

Thanks to goldstar, a great site that sells various event tickets, including concerts, performances and food/drink festivals, at a discount, my friend and I had the chance to check out the Gold Standard for free. And even at their discounted price of ~$42 (compared to the regular price of $60) those tickets sold FAST! Not that big a surprise really, the event isn't too pricey for a tasting event and boasted a pretty wonderful collection of well-known L.A. eateries. So the event was definitely one of the highlights of the week that was.

Since there was so much going on that afternoon, I'll spare you the detailed play-by-play and just provide some of the day's highlights (between all the blogposts, Yelp entries, Chowhound threads, and goldstar reviews I'm sure all the corners got covered thrice-over.)

*As with most tasting events, there are bound to be lots of people and lines at some of the more popular table. However, the Smashbox venue made it worse since there were quite a few chokepoints between the four event spaces -- the doorways and comparative narrow passages definitely made it hard for the throngs of folks, all teetering on the edge of spilling their plates and cups, to squeeze through.

*On a similar note, more eating surfaces (even high-boy tables that we can just stand and put our plates down) would've been nice.

*Thankfully, I decided to do away with dealing with traffic and parking by Metro-ing to Hollywood and Highland and walking the mile and a half over. I could use the hike given all the food I'll be eating.

*Some of my favorite eateries and food: the Mozzas' fresh made mozzarella with roasted tomatoes, basil and olive oil, Drago Centro's wonderfully rich panna cotta with citrus segments, Palate Food & Wine's pork belly with grits and violet mustard.

*Other food booth highlights: the uber-spicy beef curry dish at Jitlada that got me all red and sweaty, Tiara Cafe's vegetarian pho dish in the most outlandish booth setup, and props to Sona for having their bartender make mocktails and Loteria Grill for providing the much-needed refreshing agua frescas!

*Surprising amounts of wine were available -- though between the cramped space and body heat I would've like to seen more beer as well (I only recall Singha, Kirin and Stella being available there). Felt sorry for the cash bar, with all that wine and beer poured generously for free, who's going to really pay for a spirited drink?

*Of course, met a whole lot of bloggers and writers. Waited in line with Food Marathon and the Glutster, hung out a bit with Caroline on Crack, e*star LA and Binary Tastebuds, Mattatouille, folie a choisauce and SinoSoul, and also met Diglounge, Gourmet Pigs, Food Destination, Eating L.A. and Social Domain. Heard chowballa and Pleasure Palate were there too. Sorry if I missed anyone!

*And of course, how could I forget the J.G. behind this event? Saw Jonathan Gold making the rounds a few times throughout the evening (I hope he actually got to eat some of the stuff being served!) Totally chill and pleasant guy, with a local food IQ that's off the charts!

For an inaugural event, this was a pretty good one and I would definitely hope that it'll roll back again next year. Some pointers for improvement: a logistically better space or more crowd control, partnering with spirit brands so cocktails are free or just do away with the bar altogether, and of course, I wouldn't complain if there was even more restaurant representation (invite the entire Gold 99? ;) ) Of course, hoping that all parties, from the participating eateries to LA Weekly and Heal the Bay, considered this a success.

Friday Quickies #50: Must-reads and almost-must-dos

Wondering if Shojin will be serving these amazing avocado-mushroom-veganaise brown rice sushi at the March 29 matsuri?

Wow, this week has been great in terms of fun food reads and oodles of wicked events coming up. And of course, sharing is caring ;)

It's nice knowing that LA Times' Food staff is only human too, that's certainly how I felt when I read editor Russ Parson's account of botching up his vegetable soup for a dinner party, followed by a sitcom-like-sequence of attempts to repair the bitter and salty concoction before doing a decent fix job at the end. The chaotic frenzy sounds like my usual cooking style in the kitchen and yea, I don't entertain often.

I also quite enjoy Mike Steinberger's essay at Slate.com about the American obsession with the health benefits of wine. A Puritanical guilt trip for imbibing something so pleasurable? The ever elusive quest to justify the French paradox? (Let's not even go into all those medical recommendations on exactly how many glasses to drink a day/week/etc. to thwart cancers and heart diseases) Whatever the case, I'm in pretty good alignment with Mike, drink the stuff 'cause it taste good and enjoy it in moderation and just let the good times roll.

Also, The Knife comes back with vengeance with a nice blogpost about food writers and bloggers dining for free and, more importantly, the etiquette of tipping at these events. She pretty much blows all the usual excuses out of the water and frankly, I agree, it's a bit tacky to just assume management will take care of the gratuity or that the staff expects no extras, and besides, isn't tipping a nice thing to do after scoring all that free food and beverages? In any case, my general M.O. is to guesstimate how much the comp'd food/drinks would otherwise cost and tip my usual ~20% based on that. It's bad enough that I can be considered a shill (even if I do disclose my freebie blogposts) I don't need cheapskate as a personal modifier too.

But onto happier things with a few delicioso events down the turnpike . . .

March 8: If the Gold Standard isn't taking place on the same date, I really would've considered checking out Hungry Cat's 4th Anniversary event from noon to 10 p.m. that day. The hostess was a little hush-hush about the details when I called, but I was told a giant clambake is in the works, along with special prices on their delicious, market-inspired cocktails and their primo raw oysters. Reservations are recommended, but they're prepared for walk-ins as well.

March 12: West Hollywood's Trust Beauty Salon is holding a kickin' party from 8 p.m. to midnight with music, art and fashions with food from downtown's Tapas & Wine Bar C and Venice's new vegan spot Seed Kitchen and Marani vodka cocktails and swanky goodie bags with lots of chic hair- and skincare products. The admission price? A large bag full of non-perishable foods for the Westside Food Bank to help feed the city's less fortunate. For those who don't want to be shlepping bags up and down WeHo, I was told pre-assembled bags will also be available for purchase there.

All March long: One of my favorite vegan joints, Shojin, is celebrating their 1st year anniversary with a special five-course dinner every night for $19.95! Additionally, they'll be having their anniversary festival on March 29, with live music and all-you-can-eat vegan goodness buffet (including vegan sushi, which I'm a big fan of over there!) for $20. Tasty, wholesome and wallet-friendly.

March 29: 18 cakeries will be squaring off at The Cupcake Challenge at Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, with lots of mini-cupcakes for attendees to taste and judge to determine the city's best. This year's contender list include a mix of old and new from SusieCakes to Kiss My Bundt. Oh yea, free coffee and Nesquik will be served to stave off that sugar crash. $40/person.

Mini Foodventure #108: Chicky BBQ & Grill (Duarte)

One of my favorite loves about L.A.'s food scene is the wonderful representation of many ethnic cuisines, which are not only tasty but often very affordable as well (heck, even the five-stop, eight-hour jungle food marathon was about $40.) Another case in point, Chicky in Duarte, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite lunch spots in the San Gabriel Valley.

A fairly small strip mall fast-casual eatery specializing in Indonesian fare, their dishes are generous in portions and wonderful in flavor and aromas, a complex mix of sweet, savory and tangy with a good dose of spiciness that makes it perfect for a rainy day.

It's hard to decided on a favorite dish, but one I reliably order time and again is the nasi kuning (simply meaning yellow rice, from the color it takes on from the tumeric), that is served with tumeric-flavored fried chicken, beef and egg in a vibrant and spicy red sauce and potato croquette (also tumeric/curry flavored). It may sound like a spice-overload, but it is very well balanced with the other ingredientss (like coconut in the rice, or the plain starchy-ness of the potato), making for a combo plate that is infinitely vibrant and ever more intriguing and delightful with every bite. And all that for $6.95!

And oh, they also have avocado and durian shakes too (for those who are into that.)

For those with more conservative palates, they also serve Americanized Chinese/Japanese fare like orange chicken, teriyaki salmon, egg foo young and tonkatsu curry too. But if you're as foodventurous as I am, stick to the stuff that needs pronounciation and explanation guidance from the staff ;)

Only one other opinion so far: Gate 419 also marveled at the main courses here

Chicky BBQ & Grill
1206 E Huntington Dr., Suite A
Duarte, CA 91010
(626) 357-1500

Eating Happenings Around Town . . .

The tasty Queso Flameado at CASA (too bad the fire went out by the time I could take a photo)

Now that the rain and the cold's winding down and it's "going out" weather again (is it March already?! Those first two months zoomed by fast!) the events (one-time and recurring) are picking up too. Here's a few that came to my mind by way of other bloggers, PR folks, and my own sleuthing for fun and yummy to dos.

For those who can't get enough of multi-restaurant tasting events after the Gold Standard -- and have the dollars to splurge -- Planned Parenthood is holding its 29th Annual Food Fare event at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on March 12. Some of the more noteworthy restaurant participants include A.O.C., Il Grano, the Mozzas, Animal, Lucques and XIV along with drinks provided by Wally's, Quady Winery, Bonny Doon Vineyards and Angel City Brewing. Prices range from $125 to $200 (depending on if you're doing the day or evening session and if you pre-ordered or buying at the door). More info at their webbie here.

Famed wineglass-making company Riedel, known for their finely-crafted glasses specially made to accentuate the characters of different varietals, is pairing with LearnAboutWine for a Riedel Tasting Seminar on March 11 - with Max Riedel himself guiding the tasting. In addition, participants will also get to take home the complete Riedel "Vinum" four-wineglass set (valued at $129) -- all for $59/person (additional sets will be available for a special price at the event.) Sounds very worthwhile for both the budding and the seasoned oenophiles. More info here.

Another fun downtown wine event will take place at Ciudad on March 15, when they pair with Jake-Ryan Cellars to do a tapas-paired roundtable tasting. In addition to four wines from Jake-Ryan and five courses from Ciudad (including Spanish-style duck rillettes and drunken grapes withh blue cheese toast, rosemary and crispy serrano ham) you'll also taste Brazilian Palma Louca beer and Ciudad's hand-muddled pomegranate mojito made with Starr African rum. A delightful way to spend an afternoon for $45/person.

There are a few ongoing events of worthy note as well. First is Craft's new Craftbar menu, featuring a variety of not-your-everyday bar bites for $9 or under (think spaghetti with local abalone and maine lobster & smoked bacon roll) and $8 cocktails. For more info, check out the intel from Zagat and Tasting Table.

Another debuting ongoing event is downtown CASA's happy and late-night hours, with specials from $3 Modelo cervezas to pitchers of house-blended sangrias for $12. The under $7 happy hour menu includes their gooey, tequila-fired queso flameado and albondigas (Mexican meatballs) with a roasted salsa roja. And I can definitely testify to the deliciousness of the queso (I presumed the albondigas to be mighty tasty too, at a preview event the whole tray got emptied by the time it got to my table... twice!) Hours and menu posted here.