Ravenswood is a formidable force in the zin world, and Peterson is [...]]]>

I was recently lucky enough to be invited to sit in the presence of wine royalty.  Joel Peterson, the founder and driving force behind Ravenswood Winery, hosted an intimate wine dinner where he poured and discussed his single vineyard designate wines.  What a treat!

Ravenswood is a formidable force in the zin world, and Peterson is one of the few men that can be called the Godfather of Zinfandel.  In the early 70s, he challenged the going jug wine mentality and tried to create wines that tasted of the place and rivaled European wines. Single vineyard designates aer Joel’s passion, where you can work with small lots reflective of the European heritage of winemaking.  Zinfandel is still somewhat of a mystery in terms of growing and manipulating, and experiments with Native yeast, open top fermentation and oak treatments have yielded some beautiful examples.

Most of these wines have very little manipulation, and are reflective of their terroir.  These wines allow the land to speak for them selves..  Zinfnadel is one of the few wines that is very unique to the area it is grown, and might be the most indicative varietal of terroir in the U.S.  there aer so many regions that produce zin, and each region is different in terms of sytle and flavor profile.  If you further refine that to vineyard blocks, you can start to see how the wine takes on the earth it is grown in.  The wide ranges of climate and terroir produces a higher quality over a wider growing region than any other varietal.

Over the course of the evening, we tasted 9 wines, paired with delicious foods from Spruce.  I wish I had saved a bit of each wine to taste with the food, but it was all so tasty!  Each vineyard has it’s own character, and each is from a different corner of Napa and Sonoma. 

2007 Dickerson - 1000 cases of this single vineyard were made of this 100% zin from Napa valley.  I found it light and bright, with juicy raspberry and hibiscus flavors.  I also found apple jolly rancher, with a tiny touch of evergreen.  This vineyard had an issue with leaf roll virus, which caused the grapes to have high acid and low sugar levels, somewhat mimicking the coastal environment of other vineyards.  The second taste I took of this showed black cherry and bosenberry.  My favorite sneaky little tidbit about this wine, is that the same wine, bottled under a different label, actually received different scores by certain influential critics.  How’s THAT for marketing!  This vineyard is located in Napa Valley, and was planted in sections between 1930 and 1985.  It is a classic example of an old, dry-farmed and head pruned example of Zinfandel in a valley dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. $35 This was the first zin of the flight and I would definitely BUY.

2007 Big River – also 100% zin, this vineyard was planted somewhere around 1880.  I tasted cracked pepper, dusty plums and blackberries, with a touch of bark and dark spice.  Joel thinks this wine displays the essence of what zin is.  It is due east of Healdsburg, and at the time fo the planting 100% zin vineyards were exceedingly rare.  Typically, fields were planted with the old Italian varietals in field blends, but this land was special.  It’s currently owned by Bella, who also makes a wonderful Big River zin, and it was formerly known as black Mountain.  The second taste gave me figs, blackberries, pepper and dark blue fruit, with a slightly hot finish. Big River is in the Alexander Valley, where many old stalwarts of Sonoma County zinfandel thrive.  Inland from the cool coastal regions where Pinot is king, Big River thrives with rich ripe flavors that are well balanced and not overpowering.  The soil is full of cobblestones and volcanic nutrients, and is influenced by the cool fog and the hot summer sun.  This was one of my favorites of the night, and is a STRONG BUY at $35.

2007 Belloni - another old planting, in the true field blend style.  Patches of Carignang, alicante, Greanche, Petite Alicate, and zin produce this dark bruiser with blackberry juice, leather, anise, and baking spices.  Thsi is a wine to chew on.  The second taste revealed figs, more cloves adn spice, as well as some tobacco. The Belloni vineyard is on the edge of Santa Rosa, and was planted around the turn of the century.  The 90 year old vines thrive in the cool foggy Russian River climate, adn the classic field blend componants of Carignane, Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet were mixed in to create a great blend that is fermented together creating a complex zinfandel based wine, with layers of red fruit flavor from the other players.  This was a complex wine that was much better with a food pairing to bring out the earthy leather and chewy characteristics.  I would BUY this again if I saw it, but there were others I liked more.

2007 Barricia - was planted in 1888 and became a vineyard designate wine in 1996.  This may very well be one of the oldest continuously planted zinfandel vineyards in America and the wine is quite an interesting little number.  Dark spcies, plumes, stewed prunes, and a slightly tannic backbone were very well integrated.  This wasn’t my favorite of the flight but still a very well balanced wine that went well with the pork loin I was eating.  The Bariccia Vineyard is named for partners Barbara and Patriicia, which also means wine barrel in Spanish.  The vineyard is planted on alluvial depositsa nd volicanic soil which washes down fromt eh moutains surrounding the vineyards.  100-year old vines were planted in 1892, while later plantings of zin were planted in 1995 accompanied by Petite Sirah in 1998.  The complexitiy of this wine did not taste like a classic zin, and really opens your eyes to the possibilities of terroir.  It was subtle and interesting, and worth a BUY for $35.

Old Hill (1995) – This older vintage was a fun wine to taste, with a firm structure and dark fruit.  There was a tocuh of lavender, bright raspberry and chocolate as well.  the most interesting thing about this wine that i found was a dusting of chili pepper in the palate.  The Old Hill is technically a zinfandel, but it has at least 13 other vaireies in it, making it a bit of a mutt and very old school in style.  The second taste brought more smoke and dirty forward, with a lot of cocoa powerder adn cinnamon followed but a touch of vanilla inflused coffee.  The Old Hill Ranch was ressurected in 1981, when the land was abandoned and overrun with brush and blackberries.  A determiend farmer ignored conventional wisdom and chemicals, and clearned the land the old fashioned way, stumulating the vines back to life.  The Sonoma Valley vineyard was planted in 1880, makingit the oldest vineyard that Ravenswood uses.  the clay loam is planted once again, with the classic Italian field belnd of Zinfandel, Carigninae, Mataro (Mouvedre), Grenache, Alicante Bouchet, Petite Sirah and who knows what else, giving the resulting wine a complex flavor.  I LOVED this library selection, which proves that you absolutely CAN age a zinfandel if it has the structure and strength to do so.

As a point of comparison, we also tried the 2007 Old Hill. This was big and bold, with a log of spcie.  I also tasted the essecne of violets and roses, followed by raspberries.  It has the classic blackberry notes, and grows in intensity as you leave it in the glass.  I enjoyed this wine, as the others, but it wasn’t my favorite of the night.  $60

2007 Teldesci – This vineyard has been farmed continously by the same family since 1910, in the heart of zinfandel country, Dry Creek Valley.  There is something to be said for farming continuously for that long, especially in an environment where family farms often change hands or break in to pieces.  This zin was dark adn robust, with dusty red pepper (spicy) and black raspberry.  The Dry Creek benchland gives it a coffee and molasses flavor that on Decanter Magazines best red wine in America award.  22% Petite Sirah and 2% Carignane are fermented seperately, and then blended to create teh final wine, which varies slightly every year, depending on the fruit.  $35 STRONG BUY

The moral this zinfandel story is that you can find  everything from A to Z in this wine.  Zinfandel CAN be aged well, and develop fascinating characteristics.  There is more to zinfandel than jammy overblown examples that are a dime a dozen.  Go out and look for some single vineyard designagtes and perform an experiment in taste sensations!

Happy Drinking

*Wine and food provided by Ravenswood Winery and Folsom & Associates marketing.

As luck would have it, this [...]]]>

For this month’s adventure in the themed blogging topic known as Wine Blogging Wednesday, our hostess @sonadora from Wannabe Wino, is hosting us for the 5th Anniversary.  This time, Megan goes back to her love of Zinfandel, and encourages us to taste our favorite zins paired with some yummy BBQ.

As luck would have it, this post coincided with the annual ZAP Summer Celebration, which is famous for it’s BBQ and plethora of zins.  To start out, we took a little tour of some of the ZAP producer vineyards, starting out with Pete Seghesio at Saini Vineyards.  Saini was planted in 1946, and is now run by the 4th generation of Sainis.  Prior to being farmed for grapes, it was planted with apples, pears, and prunes, as was much of the Dry Creek Valley where this vineyard is located.

Saini zin undergoing veraison

You may not have known this, but dry farmed zin can be one of the most difficult grapes to grow because it can rot from the inside out; the cool fog that drifts in to the valley over the western mountains cools down the fruit and can make it damp, and prone to botrytis.  Now, if you’re in to Sauternes, this is a good thing.  In red wine, not so much!  Dry farming also can have a 1pt increase in the over all brix (measurement of sugar) a day, in the summer heat.

From Saini Vineyard, we went over to Lytton Springs, where Ridge has 175 acres planted next to their straw bale winery.  One of the most interesting things we saw was a newly planted field on the drive in, which is a purpose ffield blending of Zinfandel, Charbono, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Mataro, Cinsualt, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Palomino and pretty much everything else in the kitchen sink.  This is an old school Italian field blend, and should be some interesting stuff.  Ridge will be harvesting this vineyard block by block, and while this will allow them to harvest depending on each varietals individual ripening, it will undoubtedly have some cross over.

The Lytton Springs Vineyard is planted on old river rock, and you can really see the red soil coming through.  This vineyard is on a small bench, that seperates the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, and is between 80-100 feet in elevation.  The red river rock holds those 100 year old Zin vines in the cool morning fog, with hot summer afternoons.  This will give it a district flavor profile from the Saini Vieyard, which is on the more fertile flood plain of the Russian River.

Ridge purchased fruit here since 1972, and bought he property in the early 1990s, making it part of their estate portfolio.  There has been zin planted here since the very early 1900s, when the old Captain Litton (spelling changed later) owned the land and had a large variety of grapes growing here.  That history of complementary varitals is show in that new field blend I mentioned above.

But enough about the grapes, what about the wine!  After the vineyard tours, we headed back to Seghesio in Healdsburg where we were treated to a smorgasbord of ZAP Producer zinfandels, including the delicious Rock Wall Sonoma County zin.

If you don’t know, the Rock Wall Wine Company is Kent Rosenblum of Rosenblum Cellars fame.  Rosenblum is now owned by Diageo, but Kent and his daughter Shauna started the next chapter up down the street and are producing some mighty tasting stuff.

The Sonoma County zin is a punchy one, at 15.6% ABV, but I found it well balanced and subtle, even in the 80 degree heat.  There were only 475 cases produced, so at $25 you better get out and buy some before it’s all gone.  I tasted the classic blackberry, but also some dark raspberry and bittersweet chocolate.  I was lucky enough to meet Shauna, as she was behind the table pouring, so I thank you and look forward to seeing you in September for the ZAP Volunteer Thank You party!

Rock Wall Wine Company tastes their wines by appointment only (hey, it’s a licensing thing kids!) and is located at 2301 Monarch Street, Suite 300, in Alameda.  For you locals, that’s part of the old Naval Air Station, and is spitting distance from Rosenblum.  It is part of the booming urban vintners trend, and is a member of the East Bay Vintners Alliance. I love the fact that I can taste at almost 20 wineries less than 20 minutes from my house!  Keep an eye out here for urban winery events soon.

I also had the chance to taste Duane Dappen’s zins, from D-Cubed Cellars, in Napa.   Duane is the new ZAP Board President, and I have been talking to him on Twitter, so it was fun to meet him in person.  Duane has been working in Napa Valley since the early 80s, and has worked with some of the biggest names in zin, like Grgich Hills, Storybook Mountain, and Rombauer.  Happily, he now has his own label, and was pouring both the Napa Valley and the St. Helena versions at our BBQ.

I loved the 2006 St. Helena Zinfandel, which is now in its second vintage.  It is made from the Korte Ranch Vineyard, which was planted back in 1910. Talk about some old vines!  OK, so they’re not 100+ years old, but they are old at the same.  This fruit creates a wonderfully bold and balanced zin, with raspberries, blackberries, notes of vanilla, and some herbal notes.  It’s also relatively low ABV for a zin, at 14.5%.

You can taste D-Cubed wines, along with a dozen others, at the Vintners Collective in Napa.  They are located at 1245 Main Street, and area a great destination in town!

With both of these wonderful zins, as well as a smattering of tastes of others, the BBQ boys were there serving up pulled pork sliders, ribs, and sausages.  This is classic zin food, where the richness of the BBQ sauce and its tang goes with the bold dark berry flavors of the fruit in the zin.

I have always enjoyed this event, because we not only get to stuff our faces with pork product, but we get to taste a lot of different zins in one place that is more restrained than the Grand Tasting in January.  On a final note, for dessert, I took my raspberry sno-cone, and poured some leftover zin of unknown origin in to it.  Let’s just say it was probably the best zin based dessert I’ve had since the Zinfandel ice cream at Rosenblum’s Open House Last year.

I hope you’ll go out and taste some zin for yourself, and be sure to try some tasty BBQ treats with it!

PS please stay tuned to Palate Press for some more news regarding zin soon!

Since I had agreed to host the event at my place, I was on the hook for providing vittles.  What else would I do, then [...]]]>

Last Saturday, I had my wine friends Marshall & Brittnay of WineQ, Liza of The Brix Chicks, Ward of WineLog and some other friends over to celebrate Open That Bottle Night.

Since I had agreed to host the event at my place, I was on the hook for providing vittles.  What else would I do, then make something with bacon!  Of course, we had the requisite cheese, bread and crackers, but I felt the need to go a little food slutty and make a scrumptious yet oh-so-easy pizza bread to eat with our Twitter Taste Live wines.

This Caramelized Onion, Brie, and Bacon pizza worked particularly well with the two red wines of the evening, Insoglio del Cinghiale, and Perriers Vallee Du Rhone.  The sweetness of the caramelized onions, and the smokey sweetness of the bacon, paired with the creamy rich brie that was slightly melted, rounded out the slightly rough edges of these European gems and made the circle complete.

To make this delight, you will need;

1. 4 medium onions, any kind
2. 1 package ready made pizza dough (not frozen, fresh – it should make 1-12 inch pizza)
3. 8 slices GOOD applewood smoked bacon
4. brie
5. shredded mozzarella
6. optional:  Fig Jam

The night before, you will need to caramelize the onions.  To do this, simply slice them in to a pan with some hot olive oil.  Fry them until you get a nice browning, and then turn the heat to low.  Make sure to add plenty of salt, and let them simmer for about an hour.  You will know they are done when they look golden and have a caramelized texture, and smell sweet.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

The day you are gong to eat this pizza, roll the dough out to make 2 6-8″ pizza rounds.

Cook the bacon until done.  It doesn’t need to be too crispy, since you will bake it.

Spared the rounds with a thin layer of fig jam if you have it.

Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.

Add onions.  A little, a lot.  It’s up to you!

Slice brie and add 3 or 4  1/8″ thick slices to the pizza.

Crumble the cooked bacon over the top.

Pop the whole concoction in to the oven, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Enjoy with a nice red wine!  Try a grenache blend.

Inspired by the Wannabe Wino’s post on this topic, I thought I’d see how well my drinking habits match up to my eating habits.

Have you had these things? Does this make me a [...]]]>

Yes, we all know I love my wine. And vodka. And other fermented products. But, do I love my food?

Inspired by the Wannabe Wino’s post on this topic, I thought I’d see how well my drinking habits match up to my eating habits.

Have you had these things? Does this make me a foodie?

According to the rules of the game, for this list:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at Very Good Taste linking to your results.

1. Venison BAMBI? NO way!
2. Nettle tea – Surprisingly good when in the Outback and cold.
3. Huevos rancheros – breakfast time!
4. Steak tartare – I just don’t eat cow. Sorry.
5. Crocodile EWWW!!!
6. Black pudding – Tried it but did NOT enjoy it.
7. Cheese fondue – yum yum YUM! All day all night. First experience was in Switzerland!
8. Carp – Love fish, so yes.
9. Borscht – DA!
10. Baba ghanoush – I prefer other Mediterranean specialties, but…
11. Calamari – It has to be perfect, otherwise tastes like a rubber band to me.
12. Pho – Delicious! I have Pho at least once a month if not more.
13. PB&J sandwich – Who hasn’t! But, what kind of jelly?
14. Aloo gobi – I had to Google this one. I am going to say I’ve had it since I eat Indian a lot.
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses – another one I had to google so nope. Never had it but not opposed to trying as it is CHEESE!
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream (Yummy in my tummy!)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese – um ICK!
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper – I prefer to keep my taste buds in tact, thank you.
27. Dulce de leche – ohh creamy caramel goodness!
28. Oysters – these came to be late in life but OH my god. ORGASMIC if they are right!
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda – umm nope, don’t know what that is.
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl – A San Francisco Tradition!
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float – love love love a good float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar – cognac yes, cigar? NO!
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo – but not with shrimp.
40. Oxtail – ick
41. Curried goat – ick
42. Whole insects – DOUBLE ICK
43. Phaal – too spicy for me
44. Goat’s milk – sadly. I was raised on the stuff.
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more – Show me the way, to the next Whiskey Bar!
46. Fugu – no thanks. I like to be alive the next day.
47. Chicken tikka masala – LUNCH!
48. Eel – too squirmy!
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut – mwhhhaffffahhhahff. Oh sorry. My mouth was full.
50. Sea urchin – err don’t do sqirmy things.
51. Prickly pear – never have, but I’d be game!
52. Umeboshi – okkkkay
53. Abalone – See entry for snail!
54. Paneer – Cheese!
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – well I don’t eat beef, but if you thrown in a chicken sammy, I’m there.
56. Spaetzle – High on a hill there’s a lonely goat herd, yodeelleeaaheeoddleaayyyeeehoooo
57. Dirty gin Vodka martini – I’m a dirty girl
58. Beer above 8% ABV – wheeeeeee
59. Poutine – SOUNDS good, but the pictures are well…less than appetizing.
60. Carob chips – what can I say. My parents thought they were h
ippies.
61. S’mores – 8 years of summer camp baby!
62. Sweetbreads – why!
63. Kaolin – not really sure why I would but seems innocuous?
64. Currywurst – again. WHY?
65. Durian – P.U.!
66. Frogs’ legs – KERMIE!!!
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – all of the above are fried food heaven!
68. Haggis – tried really hard to try this, but the smell. Barf
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette – no thanks. Really.
71. Gazpacho – I don’t really know why I haven’t had this.
72. Caviar and blini – not really interested in the fish eggs thanks.
73. Louche absinthe – The Green Fairy doens’t appeal to me, I’m crazy enough as it is.
74. Gjetost, or brunost – Like I said, my parents are strange.
75. Roadkill – you are kidding right?
76. Baijiu – looks like vodka to me!
77. Hostess Fruit Pie – BURP!
78. Snail – no thanks. I don’t do slugs.
79. Lapsang souchon – I love tea almost as much as I love coffee, which is not as much as WINE!
80. Bellini – many many many Bellini!
81. Tom yum – yum is right!
82. Eggs Benedict – with really good bacon. Amazing with bottomless mimosas!
83. Pocky – nto yet anyway
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant – i WISH!
85. Kobe beef – no moo! no mooooo!
86. Hare – no fwuffy bunny wabbits! nOOOOO!
87. Goulash – DA!
88. Flowers – if you’re goinnnng to eat in San Francisco…be sure to havvvve some flowers on your plate
89. Horse – no f’ing way. That’s just nasty. NASTY!
90. Criollo chocolate – chocolate a plenty, so I’ll add this one to the list
91. Spam – Ya brodah! Hang ten!
92. Soft shell crab – sigh. Allergic.
93. Rose harissa – sauce is sauce right?
94. Catfish – MEOW
95. Mole poblano – viva Mexico!
96. Bagel and lox – Breakfast of champions!
97. Lobster Thermidor – allergic to shellfish so oh well
98. Polenta – with tons of good Gorgonzola, it’s like heaven in a bowl
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee – ohhhh so so very tasty
100. Snake – not on your LIFE unless I was lost in the woods

Inspired by the Wannabe Wino’s post on this topic, I thought I’d see how well my drinking habits match up to my eating habits.

Have you had these things? Does this make me a [...]]]>

Yes, we all know I love my wine. And vodka. And other fermented products. But, do I love my food?

Inspired by the Wannabe Wino’s post on this topic, I thought I’d see how well my drinking habits match up to my eating habits.

Have you had these things? Does this make me a foodie?

According to the rules of the game, for this list:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at Very Good Taste linking to your results.

1. Venison BAMBI? NO way!
2. Nettle tea – Surprisingly good when in the Outback and cold.
3. Huevos rancheros – breakfast time!
4. Steak tartare – I just don’t eat cow. Sorry.
5. Crocodile EWWW!!!
6. Black pudding – Tried it but did NOT enjoy it.
7. Cheese fondue – yum yum YUM! All day all night. First experience was in Switzerland!
8. Carp – Love fish, so yes.
9. Borscht – DA!
10. Baba ghanoush – I prefer other Mediterranean specialties, but…
11. Calamari – It has to be perfect, otherwise tastes like a rubber band to me.
12. Pho – Delicious! I have Pho at least once a month if not more.
13. PB&J sandwich – Who hasn’t! But, what kind of jelly?
14. Aloo gobi – I had to Google this one. I am going to say I’ve had it since I eat Indian a lot.
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses – another one I had to google so nope. Never had it but not opposed to trying as it is CHEESE!
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream (Yummy in my tummy!)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese – um ICK!
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper – I prefer to keep my taste buds in tact, thank you.
27. Dulce de leche – ohh creamy caramel goodness!
28. Oysters – these came to be late in life but OH my god. ORGASMIC if they are right!
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda – umm nope, don’t know what that is.
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl – A San Francisco Tradition!
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float – love love love a good float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar – cognac yes, cigar? NO!
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo – but not with shrimp.
40. Oxtail – ick
41. Curried goat – ick
42. Whole insects – DOUBLE ICK
43. Phaal – too spicy for me
44. Goat’s milk – sadly. I was raised on the stuff.
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more – Show me the way, to the next Whiskey Bar!
46. Fugu – no thanks. I like to be alive the next day.
47. Chicken tikka masala – LUNCH!
48. Eel – too squirmy!
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut – mwhhhaffffahhhahff. Oh sorry. My mouth was full.
50. Sea urchin – err don’t do sqirmy things.
51. Prickly pear – never have, but I’d be game!
52. Umeboshi – okkkkay
53. Abalone – See entry for snail!
54. Paneer – Cheese!
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – well I don’t eat beef, but if you thrown in a chicken sammy, I’m there.
56. Spaetzle – High on a hill there’s a lonely goat herd, yodeelleeaaheeoddleaayyyeeehoooo
57. Dirty gin Vodka martini – I’m a dirty girl
58. Beer above 8% ABV – wheeeeeee
59. Poutine – SOUNDS good, but the pictures are well…less than appetizing.
60. Carob chips – what can I say. My parents thought they were h
ippies.
61. S’mores – 8 years of summer camp baby!
62. Sweetbreads – why!
63. Kaolin – not really sure why I would but seems innocuous?
64. Currywurst – again. WHY?
65. Durian – P.U.!
66. Frogs’ legs – KERMIE!!!
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – all of the above are fried food heaven!
68. Haggis – tried really hard to try this, but the smell. Barf
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette – no thanks. Really.
71. Gazpacho – I don’t really know why I haven’t had this.
72. Caviar and blini – not really interested in the fish eggs thanks.
73. Louche absinthe – The Green Fairy doens’t appeal to me, I’m crazy enough as it is.
74. Gjetost, or brunost – Like I said, my parents are strange.
75. Roadkill – you are kidding right?
76. Baijiu – looks like vodka to me!
77. Hostess Fruit Pie – BURP!
78. Snail – no thanks. I don’t do slugs.
79. Lapsang souchon – I love tea almost as much as I love coffee, which is not as much as WINE!
80. Bellini – many many many Bellini!
81. Tom yum – yum is right!
82. Eggs Benedict – with really good bacon. Amazing with bottomless mimosas!
83. Pocky – nto yet anyway
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant – i WISH!
85. Kobe beef – no moo! no mooooo!
86. Hare – no fwuffy bunny wabbits! nOOOOO!
87. Goulash – DA!
88. Flowers – if you’re goinnnng to eat in San Francisco…be sure to havvvve some flowers on your plate
89. Horse – no f’ing way. That’s just nasty. NASTY!
90. Criollo chocolate – chocolate a plenty, so I’ll add this one to the list
91. Spam – Ya brodah! Hang ten!
92. Soft shell crab – sigh. Allergic.
93. Rose harissa – sauce is sauce right?
94. Catfish – MEOW
95. Mole poblano – viva Mexico!
96. Bagel and lox – Breakfast of champions!
97. Lobster Thermidor – allergic to shellfish so oh well
98. Polenta – with tons of good Gorgonzola, it’s like heaven in a bowl
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee – ohhhh so so very tasty
100. Snake – not on your LIFE unless I was lost in the woods