Success #6?

Enough with Brandon M.. Only Kidding

Enough with Brandon M.. Only Kidding

It’ll never be enough 🙂

Gary,

I almost passed out when I heard that you’re going to reveal your “plan” for the heat episode! OMG!!! You’ve got a plan!! Like D-Day!!! A plan, a strategy! Oh man, it’s gonna be great!! I can’t wait!! It’s going to happen! It’s going to happen!!!! I’m hyperventilating!! 🙂

Thanks, Gary. I appreciate you putting up with my nagging all this time and I really look forward to your “plan”.

Tony

P.S. Here’s some new grape photos taken this weekend: http://adunnphotography.com/galleries/new.asp?date=9/11/2006

Don’t get too excited, they’re from vineyards owned by Sutter Home. Most were already harvested, but we watched them mechanically harvest a couple of vineyards. The huge harvesting machines really rip up the vines. The mechanical harvester can’t get the grapes at the ends of the rows; most of these photos were taken of missed grapes.

Gary,
I liked todays episode a lot. Just doing a single wine and answering a lot of questions was nice change. I have always been interested in trying wines from Ridge but wasn’t sure where to start. I think todays wine might be a good place to.

As far as my favorite resturant, that is a really tough question. When in St. Helena, I like Pizzeria Tra Vigne (right accross from Merryvale). Good food, decent prices, great atmosphere, and no corkage fee. That whole no corkage fee is great. Lots of resturants in the Napa Valley charge you so much just to bring your own wine. So if you come to the Napa Valley, I will meet you at Pizzaria Tra Vigne and I will bring the wine.

When you go on your Tour are you going to list the dates and cities you will be in so fans of WLTV can show up?

I don’t get out all that much because we have a little, so when we do we like to go grown-up all the way. I adore both Tru in Chicago and Tribute in Detroit.

Great call on the Ridge today! That zin is awesome!

I live in Central NJ and to tell you the truth we sure are missing our favorite BYOB “75 South” in Freehold that closed down 2 years back. But we are always on the lookout for some nicer BYOB’s, so if any fellow viewers have any recommendations or GV yourself – please post them up.

As for our current favorites:
Salt Creek Grille, Rumson/Fair haven
Dorris & Ed’s, Highlands

Gary – wow! 10K viewers! Your WSJ article really shined the spotlight on WLTV… well deserved.

Favorite restaurant: I guess I SHOULD say Morton’s in Pittsburgh, since that is where all the Steelers eat (I wish so so so badly that they were going to play the Jets this year – so I could definitively say that the Jets won’t be 16-0, and I could get free shipping on the ~1000 cases I want to buy from WL), but I ain’t a gonna… ZACH’S in Berkeley, CA – the best damn pizza restaurant ON THE PLANET.

Thanks again for the show – you rock!

Alan

PS – where are the test-tubes??!?

Hey, I like Churascurria La Plataforma in NYC. Great atmosphere and meat served Brazilian style – the best to go with those great reds.

Restaurant Daniel in NYC. Tremendous food, tremendous atmosphere, great place.

Tony…great pics….great talent.

QOTD – My favorite restaurant here in Roseville, CA is a new one called La Provenance. French American with a great wine shop next door. My wife and I always have a wonderful meal and they have a pretty fair wine list.

Gary…What’s one of your favorite “Out of the way” steak houses around NY / NJ.

B

Gary,

Great episode. I appreciate your confirming my approach–which is to try as many wines as possible. I have many friends who pride themselves on how many cases they own. That works for them, but I like to explore, drink and enjoy.

I have many favorite restaurants all over the country, but let’s stick to your neighborhood or mine. In New York, I love Circus on Lexington. It’s a great Brazilian restaurant. Though there are a number of good restaurants in DC, I love Charleston in Baltimore. Great food and a wine list that should please just about anyone.

I want to thank my fellow WLTVers for great questions. I learn everyday coming here. I am in the process of remodeling my kitchen and I will be adding a wine fridge. Nevertheless, I look forward to the heat episode.

Best,
Matthew

Gary,

Great episode! I’m looking forward to trying the Ridge Zin. It sounds wonderful for the price.

Having moved to Virginia (from Northeast Pennsylvania) less than 3 years ago, we have not yet found too many “not to be missed” places. So far, the nicest we’ve found near here is the Hotel Strasburg in Strasburg, VA. One of our favorites back home is the Stone Bar Inn in Snydersville, PA. We miss it.

http://www.hotelstrasburg.com/menu.htm
http://www.stonebar.com/main.htm

Gary,

Great episode! I’m looking forward to trying the Ridge Zin. It sounds wonderful for the price.

Having moved to Virginia (from Northeast Pennsylvania) less than 3 years ago, we have not yet found too many “not to be missed” places. So far, the nicest we’ve found near here is the Hotel Strasburg in Strasburg, VA. One of our favorites back home is the Stone Bar Inn in Snydersville, PA. We miss it.

http://www.hotelstrasburg.com/menu.htm
http://www.stonebar.com/main.htm

Well, when I lived in NJ it was the Stagehouse in the Drake days but since then I have relocated to Virginia Beach and Todd Jurich’s Bistro http://www.toddjurichsbistro.com/ would have to be it. Awesome wine list with fair prices and a knowledgeable Sommelier. A place that has been a godsend after moving away from the NY/NY area.

Question: What Pinots do you find more appealing CA or Wash/OR. I find myself seesawing between the 2 areas. Love the balls that the Sea Smoke and Kosta bring but then a Shea vineyard Pinot is just so delicate and unique. It’s a good problem to have I guess.

As to retaurants, I like to go to different places as much as I can. When I travel, I like to go to a new place every night. When my wife and I go to the City (out here on the west coast that means San Francisco), we always eat someplace new. I’ve never eaten at the same place twice there. Too many new places to choose from! Why stick to one place?

So, I don’t really have an all time favorite, though I will say that I had the best steak of my life (and an incredible view of Mt Hood) at the Portland City Grill in (you guessed it) Portland. If you’re in Portland, that’s one place for sure I would go.

As far as local establishments, the Sierra Nevada Grill at the Sierra Nevada Brewery is easily the best restuarant in Chico. Not a place for a good wine list, of course, but everything they do – from steak to lamb to ahi – they do incredibly well.

Anybody got recommendations for Rochester?? Matty Van? I’m always looking for great food when I travel.

P.S. Gary, I changed my gravatar over a week ago, and it shows changed on their site, but my old gravatar still shows up here. Is there something that needs to be done to grab the new gravatar?

Gary,

The first 3 resturants I’m listing are all Steak Houses (the finest) on Long Island. They also have decent wine lists/cellars, and the first one on my list you are able to BYOB. So…If you like “Steak”, you shouldnt miss these great places:

1 “Vintage” in St James
2 “Mac’s Steak House in downtown Huntington
3 “Tellers” in Islip

And for the “Italian” lovers

1 “Mama Lombardi’s” in Holbrook
2 “Mario” in Hauppague

I could go on and on, there are sooooo many Great Resturants Here on the Island, I could write a book…..oh wait….its been done.

gary,
another great episode.
I second pete B. Doris and Ed’s in Highlands is my favorite seafood restaurant bar none (http://dorisandeds.com/). Pete, check out thyme square in red bank for a BYOB with great food. It is new so they are still working out the kinks but their halibut is delicious.

Gary,

It is just fantastic what you are doing with wine tv! Your store is also great. As a fellow young wine professional, it is great to see your intense enthusiasm.

Bravo!

Craig

Craig Girolami
General Manager, Chef & COO
The Park Club
219 west south street
Kalamazoo MI, 49007
http://www.parkclub.net

Gary,

It is just fantastic what you are doing with wine tv! Your store is also great. As a fellow young wine professional, it is great to see your intense enthusiasm.

Bravo!

Craig

Craig Girolami
General Manager, Chef & COO
The Park Club
219 west south street
Kalamazoo MI, 49007
http://www.parkclub.net

Gary, you’re right on with Ridge. The cool thing about Ridge is the quality/price ratio. I’ve been drinking their zins since the early 90’s and while most other california wines have skyrocketed in price (ie the cult cabs), Ridge’s wines can still be had for under 30 bucks a bottle. Paul Draper is the man.

As for restaurants, I live in Allentown and it sucks. Locally I enjoy the Farmhouse in Emmaus. In New York I’d have to say Gramercy Tavern is one of the consistently best restaurants at which I’ve eaten. I also like Veritas quite a bit for their killer wine list (the food is great too). In Los Angeles, one of the best restaurants I’ve eaten at was Matsuhisa. In Chicago, it was Tru. In New Orleans it was Bayona. In San Francisco every restaurant is good (bastards!).

Keep up the good work,

Rob in Allentown

Nice episode. I’ll have to try the Ridge.
As for restaurants, locally (near New Hope, PA) I like Porterhouse. Great bar food! Upstairs, great steaks. Not much in the way of wine, though…since they brew beer there.
I agree with Justin that Tra Vigne is an excellent place that my wife and I love going to when in Saint Helena.
Doubt I’ll be back, but the restaurant at the Adelaide Hilton is called The Grange. Fantastic wine list and marron. Marron is similar to lobster, but MUCH better.

Hi Gary, another winner episode! I usually buy 2-3 bottles of a recommended wine that is designed to “evolve”. I drink one within the year, one at about the half-way point, and/or one when the time is “right”. That way I get 2-3 different experiences with the same wine.

My favorite restaurant is absolutely Ciao Baby in Brick, NJ: http://www.ardore.com/listing.asp?r=ciaobaby15&c=Ocean&m=c&u=

They are BYOB and have an amazing menu. Everything is done perfect from Pizza to really fancy seafood dishes. Really nice, modern style too. Hope you try it out . . . you won’t be disappointed.

They also have a sister-restaurant in Wall, NJ . . . Lubrano’s Trattoria. Food is just as good but the restaurant is a little louder and more rustic in style: http://www.restaurantpassion-nj.com/listing.asp?r=lubranos13&c=Monmouth&m=c&u=Family+Dining

Thanks for the thoughtful answer to my question of yesterday. Best restaurant is a tie: Le Bec Fin, Philadelphia; Maisonnette, Cincinnati. It would have been a three-way tie, but Le Francais in Wheeling, Illinois is closed.