This is not my beautiful house...today a network TV show is shooting a scene in our living room. It currently looks like the lair of a comic-book obsessed madman. Pictures to follow.

Design Within Reach Coupon Alert!

 

This might actually make DWR within reach for some of us whose wallets are stretched thin these days. For the next week or two, you can receive $50 off an order of $50 or more at DWR.com, when you enter code BB306 during checkout. That's right, $50 off a $50 order...the only catch is that shipping prices are steep on DWR, and that there are only a handful of items at that low a price. There's also a code for $250 off a $1000 order, but the Dabbler didn't pay much attention to that one for reasons already mentioned.

Enjoy!

No, I don't work for Pinkberry (but I post these updates anyhow)

 

Pinkberry opened today on Larchmont, and supposedly cut into the sandwich business which was slower than usual today at Larchmont Wine, Spirits and Cheese. At 8PM PB was still bustling with customers, and its newest location really does provide the perfect cross-section of the K-Town and West Hollywood crowds, with lots of little kids thrown in to boot. The 'no cameras' sign is particularly large at this outlet.

I believe that it was ar least 8 months ago that Pinkberry leased the former Cafe Chapeau space. It's been a grueling wait, and I don't know why the hell they took so long to open. But now I need only walk six blocks for my acidophilus fix, and this, my friends, is good.

Wine of the Week: Two Hands Lily's Garden Shiraz, 2004

 

I was going to tip you off on a lovely Pinot Noir Rose from Kosta Browne, in the Russian River of Sonoma County. But the wine appears to be unavailable so there is no point in being a grape tease. Instead, I offer you an Australian gem that appears to be readily available, and, in one case, offered for an amazingly reasonable price. Apparently, people are too busy looking for the Carnival of Love to pay proper attention to this one...

Robert Parker writes of the 2004 Lily's Garden McLaren Vale Shiraz, from Two Hands: "Even better than the Harry & Edward’s Garden is the 2004 Shiraz Lily’s Garden from McLaren Vale. With this cuvee, about 25% new American oak is added to the regime of French wood. Full-bodied with stunning, dusty, loamy soil characteristics interwoven with blackberry, cassis, cherry, and plum-like fruit, this rich, pure, intense Shiraz should be consumed over the next 10-12+ years." 95 points

The Wine Spectator says: "Lithe, almost elegant, with impressive depth of flavor and fine texture. The flavors center on blackberry, cherry, dried tomato, exotic spices and mineral notes as the finish sails on and on against refined tannins. Best from 2007 through 2016. 1,500 cases imported."94 points

The Dabbler says: "Mmmmmmmmmmm, yum. Great with Thanksgiving dinner, I would venture to guess." Two thumbs (or should I say hands?) up.

Grab this from K&L Wine Merchants, who offers the wine for the lowest listed price around, $36. On the East coast, if shipping is a concern, Capital Wine in upstate New York stocks it for $45. Elsewhere it can be found for up to $60 a bottle, and it's easily worth it.

Lazy Thanksgiving

 

A couple of years back, The Dabbler decided to make Thanksgiving into a 'date night'. I won't explain the thinking behind this, since it's far too complicated (not to mention, far too uninteresting) to share with you. But I will share some of my discoveries.

The past two years we've gone to the prix fixe ($65 a head) at JAR, where we have enjoyed the family style turkey dinner with fixings. I'm not a cranberry sauce kind of gal, but their homemade version is tangy and delightful. The turnips, potatoes gratin and Turkey with dressing were all perfectly cooked. (Sorry, I know foodbloggers usually provide lovely photography with their 'reviews', but I didn't think to bring my camera last year.)

The first year we attended, we were given so much food that we had a full bag of left-overs to bring home, making the whole 'Thanksgiving at a restaurant' experience feel a little more like going to your cousin's house, and taking home a tupperware container filled with noodle kugel and jello mold. Sadly, last year, we were given more modest portions and watched jealously as the petite Asian couple next to us picked at their overflowing platter that contained at least twice as much food as ours. We were left with clean plate awards and no doggie bags to speak of, and maybe that's why this year I've elected to try another spot instead.

Our decision? We're going to Upstairs 2, the restaurant above the Wine House, one of LA's best wine stores. We've dined at Upstairs 2 before, and have always had a good time. The food comes care of the former chef of Joe's in Venice, and is high quality grub. The price is even more attractive than JAR's, at only $39 a person. Additionally, any bottle of wine you've purchased at Wine House can be consumed with your meal for a moderate $10 corkage. And there's always the option of ordering a bottle from the large and moderately priced wine list that includes many options by the glass.

Some other restaurant Thanksgiving options to consider are:

• Angeli Caffe, 1st seating is sold out but call (323-936-9086) to find out the details for seating number 2. This Thanksgiving dinner is a continuation of the restaurant's ongoing Thursday night family-style supper series. Chef Evan Kleinman is host of KCRW's Good Food program and this is a casual, comfortable place.
  
• Campanile, $65 per person. This restaurant is ALWAYS good. So this time I'll forgive them for charging an extra $25 for the truffle option on the Thanksgiving menu.
• Simon LA, $65 per person for 3 courses, or full menu available. Frankly, the website is rather annoying and I won't even provide you with a link. If you want cotton candy for dessert, this is the place for you.
• Whist at the Viceroy, $75 per person. Personally, I've eaten here and it's just okay. And overpriced. But if the ocean calls you, then it's something to consider.
• Zucca Restaurant, $34 per person for four courses. The name of the restaurant means pumpkin, so expect plenty of orange menu options.

And, if you're both lazy and cheap (nothing to be ashamed of), try Norm's. I'd be surprised if the tab goes over $15 a person.

Make your plans in advance, though, as space is limited at all of these spots (except for Norm's).

DJ Dabble: Running, running, running, and more running up that hill...

 

Who knew there were so many covers of this song? I didn't even know there was one until the Placebo track was prominently used in a maudlin montage in the OC's terribly trashy season opener. And, knowing my taste in music, you will understand why the OC soundtrack sent me searching in the iTunes Music Store...

But where is the Kate Bush version (which I think is the original...unless it's Kiki and Herb)? Has she not given permission to iTunes to distribute her music? In fact, the bulk of her library is indeed on iTunes, with this particularl track noticeably missing. Hopefully these 11 covers will fill that glaring omission.

And, no, I can not send you a burned CD of these songs since there is no way I'm paying for eleven versions of the ditty. This one, you'll have to buy for yourself. But at the very least, click on this link and go to iTunes, then listen to the 30 second samples of each song. Pretty funny, I think.

1.Running Up That Hill, Placebo
2. Running Up That Hill, Kate Bush Tribute (sung by a Kate Bush sound-alike)
3. Running Up That Hill, Icon and the Black Roses
4. Running Up That Hill , Faith And The Muse
5. Running Up That Hill, Danielle French
6. Running Up That Hill, The Lund Clements Churchill Trio
7. Running Up That Hill, Thee Heavenly Music Association
8. Running Up That Hill, Jenna Myles
9. Running Up That Hill, Kiki & Herb
10. Running Up That Hill , Karaoke (I believe this is all instrumental, and you provide the lyrics)
11. Running Up that Hill (A Deal With God), Dave Rummans (nice job adding the parenthetical to the title, Dave)

Dabbling in Democracy

 

The Dabbler says GO VOTE (especially if you lean left).

Enjoy your Tuesday.

Pinkberry: secret menu alert and Larchmont update

 

Three quick Pinkberry tidbits...

First, I discovered that there is a topping available for the yogurt that isn't in the display case, but is kept below in a refrigerated compartment. It's mochi (or some refer to it as 'rice cake'), and the gelatinous neutrally flavored chewy squares add a absolutely delectable texture to the whole yogurt-eating experience. Try it!

Next, the pink plywood is finally gone from the Pinkberry Larchmont location. In its place, a glass storefront and a floor of tiny shallacked pebbles (still a really stupid material choice considering all the foodstuff can get stuck in the nooks and crannies). I'm guessing that the store will be open around Thanksgiving or just after.

Finally, I have been to the Pinkberry location next to M Cafe several times now, all at different times of the day. I can safely say, given the steady stream of customers each and every time I've frequented the place, that Pinkberry is making a killing. They easily serve 100 customers an hour (yesterday they served more than 30 in the 15 minutes I was there), and probably even more during rush hours. At an average of $5.00 per serving (most opt for the cost effective 3-topping medium), 100 servings per hour, 10 hours a day, seven days a week...well, you do the math. Pretty unbelievable.

Wine of the Week: Mollydooker redux

 

"I told you so (well, sort of)" edition...

I should point out to begin with that I don't (purely) go by Parker scores when buying wines, but I do like me some big Aussie Shiraz, as does Mr. Parker. So when something is released that seems like it might garner a big score from the Wine Advocate, I snap some up as quickly as possible, knowing that the wine will become unavailable should it hit the jackpot.

Case in point? Mollydooker. When I first published my 'Wine(ry) of the Week' article on the new Marquis venture, the Boxer and Two Left Feet ($20 each) had already scored high and were available, though not in huge supply. Soon after, the prices rose and they became impossible to find except on the secondary market.

Parker telegraphed the likelihood of high scores for the Mollydooker premium line ($60+ per bottle) in his suggestion to look for their scores in an upcoming issue of the Wine Advocate, and as soon as they became available I snapped a couple up (in small supply, considering the expense). I did this not so much as an investment, but because I hate the thought of not being able to try something -- and I know that high scores from Parker can easily make wines unavailable. Hence, the preemptive purchase.

Literally one day after I acquired my bottles, the wines were reviewed by Parker online and in issue #167 of the Wine Advocate. Lo and behold, the Carnival of Love Shiraz received a whopping 99 points. I did my best to track down a few additional bottles for some family members, and was lucky to find a handful still available at retail prices.

Now, just one week later, the only place to find this wine is on the secondary market, at auction sites such as WineBid.com or Winecommune.com. As you can see from the snapshots of current auctions (closing imminently), it's selling for more than double, sometimes triple, the original retail cost. Crazy what people will do for something they haven't even tasted.

My advice? Buy early, before scores have been released -- and buy based on your taste. It isn't any sort of prize to have a high scoring wine that you either likely won't enjoy (based upon your palate), or don't plan to drink as often people are afraid to open their trophy bottles. But it's a shame to have ridiculous scoring systems dictate what is or isn't available to you to try. The only way around it is to trust your instincts (as well as to trust the Dabbler's occasional picks) and buy accordingly.

FYI, here is Parker's actual review of Carnival of Love, which I am not so sure makes it sound appetizing (aside from the high score):

"Amazingly, the 2005 Carnival of Love ratchets up the level of quality. A selection of the finest Shiraz barrels, it boasts an extraordinary black/purple color, gorgeous notes of blackberry liqueur, camphor, and smoke, and an enormous voluptuousness that would make even Pamela Anderson jealous. Great purity, symmetry, and harmony as well as remarkable balance for such a rich, intense wine, as it sat in the glass espresso, vanillin, white chocolate, and additional black fruits also emerged. It should drink well for a decade, although the winemakers suggest it be consumed over the next four years. If you are wondering what to serve with this beauty, Sarah and Sparky Marquis recommend such fish as marlin, hammerhead, and great white shark, white meats such as snake and crocodile, red meats such as emu and kangaroo, and aged wallaby mild cheese. Yum!

Readers should not forget the value-priced Mollydooker cuvees from Sarah and Sparky Marquis that I recommended in issue #165 (6-30-06), including the 2006 Verdelho The Violinist ($15; 92 points), 2005 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Two Left Feet ($20; 94 points), 2005 Cabernet The Maitre d’ ($20; 92 points), and 2005 Shiraz The Boxer ($20; 95 points)." --RP, 99 points, drink 2006-2016, est. cost $60

Great white shark as a good food pairing for a 16.5% alc. by volume red wine? References to Pamela Anderson? That, to me, says 'ewww' more than it says 'yum'.

Come to think of it, if any of you are dying to try the Mollydooker Carnival of Love, and can't find it anywhere...the Dabbler just might be able to locate you a bottle or two at a very reasonable $175 per bottle, plus shipping and handling. Just let me know...

Coming soon, an article on wines that scored less than 90 by Parker or the Wine Spectator that deserve a try.