Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Are You Afraid of the Dark? – Episode #571

November 5, 2008

The video came out a little darker than usual, but we had a fabulous time tasting wines during Bacchanalia at the Napa Valley Grille in Paramus, NJ.

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Comments on this episode(135) Leave a comment ›

“Just found the show! Yea! Good stuff! And, lo and behold, another PV h…” by Kell Brigan
“QOTD: By far its Cafe Juanita in the Seattle area. Ive typed about t…” by Dessert Wine Nerd
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2007 Round Hill Oak Free Chardonnay
2006 Flora Spings Napa Chardonnay
2006 Trinchero Family Pinot Noir
2004 Twomey Cellars Merlot

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

The Napa Valley Grille in Paramus NJ

135 Responses

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June 9, 2009

Kell Brigan
Just found the show! Yea! Good stuff! And, lo and behold, another PV head! I KNEW I wasn’t the only one. The notes on the Pinot Noir from Trinchero are interesting, since I lurve their PV varietal because of all the earthiness. (Best dang glass of dirt you’ll ever drink! Got a bottle that’s been aging since 2001. Can’t wait to open that thing.) Sounds like I need to check out their Pinot as well. In other words I need to take a wine buying trip out to Napa. (Yes, I live in Sacramento, which means a whole lot of heaven is less than a tank of gas away…)
January 25, 2009

Dessert Wine Nerd
QOTD: By far its Cafe Juanita in the Seattle area. Ive typed about them before, but will rattle on again. Just fantastic food and service in a home-like setting. Absoultely one of the best if not the best restaurant in Seattle. Please check them out the next time youre in Seattle.
December 19, 2008

Robin C
QOTD: Next time I’m in New Jersey I’ll try the Napa Valley Wine Grille. I can’t think of a favorite restaurant right now. Santa Fe has the best restaurants, but the chefs keep ricocheting around. If I could find a restaurant that served a good cioppino, that would be my favorite.
I’m writing this from 12/19 and am hoping that Gary will emerge again in good health and with the store in good shape.
December 17, 2008

yowens
QOTD: La Laiterie in Providence, RI
November 19, 2008

JayZee
QOTD: I’ll give you two great food and wine restaurants in Cleveland: Lola bistro run by our own “Iron Chef” Michael Symon and Crop Bistro, both in downtown Cleveland, OH are excellent choices and two of my favorites – but I have so many!
November 18, 2008

MattUD
QOTD: Douzo in Boston
November 18, 2008

Kristen
QOTD: I’ve got 2 in France- Les Marrioniers in Montagne (in the St. Emilion appellation) and La Table du Lavoir, the restaurant at Chateau Smith Haut Lafite. Absolutely fabulous, both of them.
November 15, 2008

CraigG
I went with my wife to Four Ways Restaurant in Bermuda. The veal was unbelievable. That always seems to be the most amazing piece of food I ever put in my mouth.
November 11, 2008

Heather
QOTD: My new favorite restaurant is Ristorante San Daniele (Italian) in a small subdivision of Hamburg called Poppenbütel. It’s not even really a restaurant as much as it’s a fine dining experience from heaven. There is no menu, you simply say fish and/or meat and each of the 7 courses are left to the discretion of the cook. Of course it is a little on the pricey side, well at least for my meager budget, but I highly recommend anyone who gets a chance to go to Hamburg to go to this restaurant. And the house red wine is also amazing, I wish I would have written down the name, because now it escapes me. As for in the US, tons of places in New Orleans, love me some good ol’ cajun cooking. And on behalf of my father, because he raves about this place non-stop, Fogo de Chao in Houston. It’s a Brazilian Churrascaria cooked the traditional “gaucho way”. Still haven’t had the chance to go, but I’m looking forward to it in Dec.
November 10, 2008

Ilse
it’s nice for the atmosphere to do shows in restaurants and bars, but I always find it a bit annoying, as wines are often chosen because it’s fashionable to have this wine, that blend, another brandname, etc…not exactly my way of seeing wines (e.g. the owner of my wine shop in Spain here needs to buy a specific type of sparkling Italian wine, just because it is “in” nowadays in a lot of Italian restaurants over here…it’s expensive and not nice, it actually tastes like water, boring as you would say). I’m not sure whether I want to try the first wine, for instance…the label and the way of marketing the unoaked aspect sounds like a commercial trick which might be used for soda’s, but for wines???
QOTD : I prefer the “real stuff”, so no modern restaurant showing off with mediterranean food you have to pay a lot for in NY or so, but a small, not always newly decorated place where the “mama” (or equivalent for other types of cuisine) still prepares the dishes her (grand)mother taught her…it’s not always easy to find, but in Spain, you can still find them, even in big cities as Madrid and Barcelona (just spent a week there).
November 10, 2008

Sharon
QOTD: Hi, hmmm prolly Filho’s Cucina near me as the food is awesome, it is a BYO, and I can walk there.
November 10, 2008

Jayhitek
QOTD: Grill23 Boston
November 10, 2008

Patrick Haaren
QOTD : Martini House St. Helena CA
November 10, 2008

Logan
Good episode, Gary, nice energy as usual!

QOTD: Junkadelic in Tokyo- a stylish yet down-to-earth, reliable Tex-Mex restaurant in Naka-Meguro, Tokyo; in a city that is pretty much gourmet paradise (ranked #1 by Michelin- 80,000 restaurants baby!) it can be tough to find reasonable, dependable Mexican fare, but Junkadelic is holding it down.
My buddy Jey tends bar there so say “hi” and mention Logan if you’re in the neighborhood!
November 10, 2008

Dr. Lance
Great show, as usual.
QOTD: Takasho Restaurant in Tsubame City, Niigata Japan. Classic, fresh Japanese food with a modern flare. The best place to have fugu (blowfish) in all of its glory: sashimi, as a nabe (hot pot), and as a porridge…the best part with all of the flavor. Well, the owner/chef is my brother-in-law, but I try to keep my bias to a minimum.
November 9, 2008

Glenn Schliep
I have to tell you, the best restaurant that I have ever been to has to be Merenda located in the heart of Bend, OR. Over 800 wines on the bottle list not to mention 80 by the glass. I feel like a kid in a candy store.
November 9, 2008

Shawn_944
Nice Show! Good Job GV
November 9, 2008

6-3-2
Favorite restaurant? Hmm, Noble Fish is Clawson, Michigan. A little sushi restaurant in the back of a grocery store, and it kills.
November 8, 2008

Tony & Lisa
Blue in Charlotte NC, Great Mediterranean influenced food and a great wine list.
November 8, 2008

Jim in Atlanta
QOTD – My favorite restuarant is Muss and Turner’s in Smyrna, GA. It has great food, wine, beer, and friendly staff. It is an informal place where you can always find interesting people to talk to if you go alone. They also do weekly beer and wine tastings and bring in winery and brewery owners for wine and beer dinners.
November 8, 2008

J Crazy
There are two restaurants that you have to go to before you die, Gary.

#1: Ricardo’s Mexican Restaurant in Chico California.
The tostada and burrito especial are incredible.

#2: Edogin Sushi in Kamisu, Japan.
The cod sperm sack, crab brains, oysters and ALL the sushi are absolutely out of this world. Pair it with some organic sake from Tsukinoi and you can die a happy man.
November 7, 2008

Fred
That is awesome, man. Love it!:)
November 7, 2008

Weston
QOTD: being from Vancouver Canada here I like Fuel, Chow restaurant, Sholin(sp) noodle house they make there own hand made noodles awesomeness for cheapess

~
November 7, 2008

Brian Kachel
Laicos in jersey city 1st!
Casa danta in jersey city 2nd.
November 7, 2008

Mike P
oh and get well soon man, best of luck.