GAYOT's Blog

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by Michelle Kwan

 

The region of Burgundy (English for “Bourgogne”), situated in the heart of France, contains five wine-producing areas: Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais. Primarily comprised of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the wines grown here are noted for their quality, diversity and adaptability to virtually every type of fare. To prove this, the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) selected some top New York City restaurants to serve as testing grounds for the compatibility between Burgundy wines and various international cuisines.

Continue reading “Burgundy Takes Manhattan” »

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Virgin Galactic is making history while pioneering commercial space travel. On April 29, 2013, the SpaceShipTwo, a rocket-powered space vehicle, took off from Mojave, California, at 7:02 a.m. Pilot Mark Stucky and co-pilot Mike Alsbury ignited the rocket motor at an altitude of 47,000 feet, reaching a maximum altitude of 55,000 feet and a supersonic speed of Mach 1.2. SpaceShipTwo landed smoothly at approximately 8 a.m. after a successful flight. Following a series of similar tests, Virgin Galactic and partners expect to test full space flight within the year.

Continue reading “Successful Test of Virgin Galactic’s Future Commercial Spacecraft – Travel News” »

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The New Persian Kitchen

By Louisa Shafia

(Ten Speed Press, 2013)

In The New Persian Kitchen, Louisa Shafia draws on her Iranian heritage to create modern dishes that blend Old World Persian cuisine with contemporary farm-to-table cooking. The book’s 75 recipes combine time-honored Iranian ingredients like pomegranates and pistachios with non-traditional foods such as amaranth and quinoa.

Continue reading “The New Persian Kitchen — Book Review” »

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Following the Wine Trail from Genesis to the Modern Age

By Randall Heskett & Joel Butler

(Palgrave Macmillan, 2012)

What wines would Jesus drink? Would he choose a classic French Champagne, a cult Napa Cab or perhaps a kosher wine from Israel? The authors of Divine Vintage speculate that if Jesus were alive today he would drink wines flavored with resin, spiced with honey or mixed with seawater — ancient styles with which he would already be familiar. Mas des Tourelles in France, for example, makes such wines today under the guidance of archaeologists.

Despite the title, Divine Vintage is less a book about religion than about eastern Mediterranean wine. Randall Heskett, a biblical scholar, and Joel Butler, a Master of Wine, each bring their own expertise to bear on the region’s ancient winemaking history as well as its contemporary wine industry. The first half of Divine Vintage is primarily concerned with references to wine in the Bible, which are put into a wider historical context and illustrated by archaeological finds, such as earthenware wine jugs and stone winepresses.

Continue reading “Divine Vintage – Book Review” »

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Price: $28

Rating: 14/20

Region: Southern Dalmatia, Croatia

Varietal: 100 percent Plavac Mali

Alcohol: 14.5 percent

Tasting Notes: Like its cousin Zinfandel, the Plavac Mali varietal makes bold red wines characterized by black fruit flavors and high alcohol content. The Dingač Vinarija 2008 Postup is a bright, intense wine showing firm tannins and complex mineral notes.

Food Pairings: Olives, anchovies, meaty stews

Other red wines we have tasted

Check out GAYOT’s Europe Travel Guide

Continue reading “Dingač Vinarija 2008 Postup – Wine of the Week Review” »

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By Anneli Rufus

 

 

Happy hour just got happier at Poggio. The Sausalito trattoria has launched its new Negroni Hour — serving six different types of Negroni for just $5 each at its bar every Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“Poggio’s Negroni Hour was inspired by owner Larry Mindel’s many trips to Italy and his favorite bar, Harry’s Bar, which makes a mean Negroni,” explains the restaurant’s managing director Amy Svendberg.

Harry’s Bar is in Florence. Legend has it that the Negroni was invented at yet another Florence bar, Caffe Casoni, in 1919, when a local nobleman — Count Camillo Negroni — asked the bartender to fancy up the count’s usual Americano by replacing its seltzer water with gin. And the rest is gin-, vermouth-, and Campari-flavored history, give or take a few variations.

 

Continue reading “Poggio’s Negroni Hour Offers Bittersweet Pleasures” »

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Price: $21

Rating: 14.5/20

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Varietals: 98 percent Malbec & 2 percent Cabernet Sauvignon

Production: 2,300 cases

Alcohol: 13.9 percent

Tasting Notes: The Ñandú 2010 Malbec features intense flavors of blueberry and blackberry with a touch of sweetness reminiscent of an Amarone. In the mouth, it shows a bright acidity, supple tannins and an expressive finish.

Food Pairings: Steak, empanadas, sausage ravioli

Other Malbecs we have tasted

Check out GAYOT’s Argentina Travel Guide

Continue reading “Ñandú 2010 Malbec – Wine of the Week Review” »

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by Anneli Rufus

Bay Area Restaurants Offer Mimosas, Prime Rib, Sashimi and More

There are a lot of places in the Bay Area to make Mom’s day even more special. Allow GAYOT to be your guide this Mother’s Day.

Chaya Brasserie in San Francisco will offer a three-course chef’s menu with bottomless mimosas and Champagne. Options include smoked trout, rainbow sashimi, buttermilk-fried organic chicken breast, soy-marinated flatiron steak, five-spice duck-confit hash, Japanese cheesecake, coconut-kale sorbet and more.

The lofty-ceilinged, Belle Èpoque-outfitted Grand Cafe in San Francisco’s Hotel Monaco will serve a Mother’s Day brunch buffet featuring an omelet station, a seafood station, a pastry station and more.

 

Continue reading “Mother’s Day Brunch at San Francisco Restaurants” »

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You don’t need a time machine to travel back to ancient China with Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco’s “Terracotta Warriors” package. In celebration of the opening of China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy, the hotel is offering accommodations for one night, an exhibit keepsake and two VIP admission tickets to the Asian Art Museum. The exhibit features 120 objects from the tomb complex of China’s first emperor Qin Shihuang (259-210BC), including eight life-size terracotta warriors and two horses.

Continue reading ““Terracotta Warriors” Package at Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco – Travel Special” »

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by Michael Gately

 

Eat, Drink and Save Dinero

Since Cinco de Mayo falls on a Sunday this year, there’s even more reason than usual to celebrate at one of the LA-area restaurants that are hosting special events and promotions.

Both Border Grill locations are holding Cinco de Mayo celebrations from May 3-5 with beer and tequila specials. Santa Monica will also have a photo booth, while the downtown location is offering beer-wrapped hot dogs and a live DJ. Susan Feniger’s STREET is hosting a Cinco de Mayo Taco Night, featuring homemade tortillas by Border Grill as well as aguas frescas and margaritas. The tacos will include both standard and unique options like carnitas, carne asada, lengua, chicken pibil, beer battered shrimp, smoked octopus, chipotle jackfruit, beer battered okra.

Continue reading “L.A. Restaurants Celebrating Cinco de Mayo” »

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