Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Touring the Left Bank, Bordeaux

Our second day of touring in Bordeaux took us to the Left Bank, home to D's favorite wines.  The Left Bank is on a peninsula, jutting up between the Gironde River and the Atlantic Ocean, and includes the famous wine appellations of Margaux, Pauillac, and Saint-Julien. As we drove, Henri pointed ... continue reading...


Touring the Right Bank, Bordeaux

Considering how much Bordeaux D and I have enjoyed over the past many years, it's perhaps no surprise that one of the highlights of our recent Europe trip was drinking our way around visiting our favorite wine region. We arranged two full-day tours with Henri Challeau of Bordeaux Wine Travel, who ... continue reading...


The Belvedere and Plachutta, Vienna

Our second day in Vienna dawned beautiful and sunny, ideal for a morning stroll to the Belvedere Palace.  Originally built in the early eighteenth century as a summer palace for Prince Eugene of Savoy (actually two palaces, an orangerie, and a massive garden - yep, just a basic summer home!), today ... continue reading...


Cafe Sacher and the Kunsthistoriches, Vienna

We arrived in Vienna in the morning and promptly set about checking off two important to-dos: Sachertorte at Café Sacher and a visit to the Kunsthistoriches Museum. It helped that we were staying at Hotel Sacher, so we popped into the café while waiting for our room, ready for our first Viennese ... continue reading...


Palais Coburg and Silvio Nickol, Vienna

One of our most-anticipated activities in Vienna was a tour - not of landmarks or art, but of a wine cellar. Five cellars, actually, in the Palais Coburg, once an actual palace and now a hotel with a Michelin two-star restaurant, Silvio Nickol.  We booked the cellar tour followed by dinner, and ... continue reading...


Schnitzel around Vienna

When I started planning our trip to Vienna, D's first (and really only) request was for wiener schnitzel. Goal: achieved. Here's a roundup of the schnitzels we had in Vienna... Cafe Mozart Our first meal in Vienna was at this cafe just around the corner from our hotel, where we sat outside ... continue reading...


Chicken chili verde

I can't believe it's taken me this long to make chili verde! Given how often I make chili - it's so easy! - and how much I love chilaquiles verdes, this was a natural next step.  It's a bit more involved than my usual tomato-based chili, but worth the effort. As in my chilaquiles recipe, the ... continue reading...


Alinea 2.0

Last fall, D and I headed to Alinea - the revamped, Alinea 2.0 - for his birthday. Am I behind the times in sharing our experience?  Most definitely.  So without further ado... We attended the Gallery experience, the more involved of the two options (the other being the Salon, served ... continue reading...


Fallen chocolate cake

Much like Cookie Monster, I believe that baked goods should be devoured straight from the oven.  And that's especially true for chocolate! This cake is a rare exception, however – it needs to sit for a bit, so that the airy center can fall and settle into a rich, dense texture.  And there's more ... continue reading...