Diary of a Dilettante

Art:LA 2007

2007-01-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

So I missed the boat in telling you about Photo:LA, a show each year at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium that boasts about 70 photography galleries, dealers and bookstores displaying (and hawking) their wares. It took place this past weekend, and I went yesterday. Although I couldn't fully enjoy the various offerings, owing to the crutches that impeded my mobility and left me huffing and puffing, it was on par if not better than last year's show.

Fortunately, I can still fill you in on the companion piece to Photo:LA, which takes place next weekend at the aforementioned location. Art:LA will showcase galleries, dealers and booksellers that offer works in an array of media.

Some artists I dig, whose work has been shown in the past and will likely reappear this year, include Megan Whitmarsh, former Royal Art Lodger Jonathan Pylypchuk, Souther Salazar and Saelee Oh. There are also galleries from far-flung and strange lands such as Vancouver, Milan, Stockholm and Miami, so there should be ample new discoveries to behold as well.

Check it out if you have a chance. It's a bargain at $15 for a day pass (Photo:LA was $20).

FAIR LOCATION

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
1855 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401

FAIR HOURS

OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, January 25th, 6 - 9pm

PUBLIC FAIR HOURS
Friday, January 26th , Noon - 8pm
Saturday, January 27th, Noon - 8pm
Sunday, January 28th, Noon - 6pm

Coming Soon: Domaine 547!

2007-01-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

In addition to the holidays and an injury, the Dabbler has been semi-absent because she has been hard at work setting up a new internet-based wine club and retailer, Domaine 547. The good news is that the website is getting ready for its launch (so long as the California ABC approves the liquor license). The bad news is...well, there is no bad news at this point (assuming the ABC approves the liquor license).

The club and store are directed at anybody and everybody (disclaimer: of legal age) interested in drinking wine, learning about wine, talking about wine -- in a welcoming and unpretentious environment. If you're curious to know more about the club/store, just email me and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. I would also love to offer DoD readers a special charter membership rate. For membership inquiries, please email info@domaine547.com.

Injured List

2007-01-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

The dabbler apologizes for not having posted in a while, but she is currently recovering from (minor) surgery and, prior to that, a hectic holiday season. She should be off the injured list and back in business in a week or two. Thanks for your patience. Maybe Ivy Pinkerton can fill in for her in the meantime.

Wine of the Week

2006-12-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

Holiday Edition

While I don't want to seem repetitive, I feel the need to recommend the latest vintage of a wine I profiled last year, as it is much improved and worthy of note. Additionally, it makes a great, reasonably priced holiday gift (okay, I'm a little late in the game to be recommending anything for the holidays) as well as a lovely fireside swill.

So here it is, the 2005 Orin Swift "Prisoner". I was skeptical, as last year (though still recommended) was a little flabby in the mouth and definitely fell apart sooner than it should have. But I tasted the new vintage and was happy to find a bit more tannin and acid to ground the wine with a nice backbone. Okay, I'm starting to sound like one of those wine snobs, so let me rephrase that. This year's "Prisoner" tastes more like adult wine and less like it should have come out of a juice box. It has less Zin in it, and the fruit is less ripe with more tempered extraction.

As usual, the bottle is very handsome, with the label featuring the Goya painting after which the blend is named. Available at many retailers for $32.

Pinkberry in the media

2006-12-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

Click on the hypertext article title if you want to see Travel & Leisure's late arriving blurb on the oft-blogged-about yogurt emporium. My guess is that the Larchmont branch is doing close to the same numbers as Huntley, though the rent is undoubtedly higher. They have Baskin Robbins, two doors down, shaking in their boots as traffic to the ice cream shop has dropped drastically. Comparison photos to arrive here, soon.

This is not my beautiful house (finally): Photographic Edition

2006-12-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here are the photographs. I may as well post them here since you're unlikely to ever see them on the TV. I am guessing unless RAINES does gangbusters in the ratings, NBC will just cut their losses further and air only the first few episodes, and bury the additional. If it turns out to be a surprise hit, our living room may just have its television debut after all. But that's an uphill battle at best.

The above shows you the 'blacking out' of our living room that they implemented on the 'set-up' day.

If you look closely, you'll see hordes of people shooting an exterior shot a couple houses up from ours. But mostly you'll see the roof of my car.

Above, you see the interior of our living room, dressed to resemble a crazy forensics artist/comic book nerd's lair. Oh, a dead crazy forensics artist/comic book nerd's lair...

Should we be concerned that they kept a few personal effects of ours to dress the fireplace, including three photographs of us? And, no, I'm not referring to the more prominent, and very creepy drawings. Those I will have to credit the art department with.

Below: I'm ready for my close-up...

And finally, at 5PM, they get to the scene at our house. Notice anything missing below? Like the black-out tent they set up the day before? Well, it was already dark, so no artificial movie magic needed. Plus, the grips got to wrap early.

You'll also note in the right photograph our driveway being used as a satellite craft services station as well as the sound guy's area. Nobody was munching on granola bars or pixie stix, however (except me), as the bulk of the crew was in our house, trying to get the day overwith. Plus, I was told that there was a truck around the corner with a much better array of foods.

Well, in the end it doesn't look like our living room looks so different from the way it usually does, but for the addition of those odd drawings and some clutter. They kept our rug, our furniture, even our drapes. Should we be flattered, or reconsider either our design standards or careers? I hear the LAPD is looking for forensics artists.

Camera charge

2006-12-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, so my camera is ALMOST done charging. I will post photos soon. But in the meantime it looks like Raines, the show that used our living room might be D.O.A., as it was announced in various publications this week that NBC has curtailed production as of episode seven (we were episode six).

2006-11-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

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)

2006-11-14T22:33:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

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...

2006-11-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

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

Enjoy your Tuesday.

Pinkberry: secret menu alert and Larchmont update

2006-11-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

"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.

Has Jonathan Gold read my Pinkberry posts?

2006-10-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

From the yogurt trenches, the Dabbler reports:

The latest issue of LA Weekly features an article by Jonathan Gold, resident food critic extraordinaire, where he discusses the proliferation of Pinkberry and its many copycats. While I love that he references fellow Food/Pinkberry-blogger Colleen Cuisine (although not in completely flattering terms, tsk tsk Mr. Gold), his overall content made me wonder whether he had clicked a link or two on Rosie's website and read my article on how to open your own Pinkberry-style yogurt shop.

I'm NOT accusing Mr. Gold of plagarism -- he is one of my LA food heroes and will remain that way. However, his references to the Taylor machines used in all the yogurt shops, the cheapness of kiwiberri's aesthetic, and the Design Within Reach availability of yogurt-store furnishings are all right there in my little how-to primer, published weeks before LA Weekly's article appeared (September 15th vs. October 25th).

Hence, I will take it as a badge of honor that Jonathan Gold MIGHT have actually visited my site...though, it begs the question, why do people only read my blog when I talk about Pinkberry? Aren't you interested in cheap wine, Los Angeles culture, my television viewing habits or bad music? I realize Mr. Gold is a food critic, but the rest of you?...

Coming soon, an article on the latest La Brea/Melrose Pinkberry copycat. I won't ruin the surprise, but it involves a secret menu that includes pork products. Hopefully the promise of another Pinkberry-centric piece is enough to entice you to SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG since I know from my obsessive tracking of Google Analytics that my numbers spike high at the mention of tart yogurt.

Until next time...

DJ Dabble: Dorky Cardio Edition/Nike + iPod

2006-10-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

So, I've been trying to get back into the exercise mode lately. Recently my gym installed these very exciting individual television monitors on the cardio machines, enabling one to watch E! True Hollywood Stories while burning calories. At first, I found that I would work out longer just so I could see what happened to Pink and her dirt-bike racing boyfriend (they got married). But then Time Warner took over the cable company and deleted all the good channels, and all we seem to get now is C-Span and Eric Garcetti holding court on the LA City Council. Not really stuff that inspires you to push yourself to extreme physical limits.

Thankfully, Nike and iPod have teamed up to give us what more or less amounts to a really high-tech pedometer. With the 'Nike +' adapter for the iPod Nano, a pair of 'Nike +' compatible sneakers, and some good tunes in your music library, you can have your own personal trainer in your ear. Additionally, the device allows you to keep track of your workouts and load all the information on to Nike's website, setting calorie, distance, time and speed goals if you choose. At the end of a workout, If you've run faster than usual,Lance ~~Bass~~ Armstrong might congratulate you and encourage you to keep up the good work. Pretty nifty, even if it's just a gimmick. God I'm such a sucker (and consumer).

Of course, Nike and iPod have compiled some of their own personal-training/music combos that one can download for a fee. But I've browsed through the selection and the music is just not up to DJ Dabble's standards. Which is to say, the music is just too damn good.

When it comes down to it, I want to work out to terrible pop music. And if I'm getting tired , the music should be all that cheesier. Luckily, this gadget has a special function: at any time I can simply press the center button on my Nike enabled Nano and it will jump straight to my 'power song', which currently is set to a Linkin Park anthem: nothing quite says 'sprint' like soft-metal-rap-fusion.

What follows is the mix I've been jogging to lately. Criterion for inclusion? A song must have a more than fair chance of appearing on the soundtracks of TV shows such as The OC, Grey's Anatomy, or Laguna Beach. For the more dated music, I should probably also include The Real World New York (second edition) and Las Vegas. I'll leave it up to you to guess which songs might appear on which shows, though suffice it to say Grey's Anatomy, with its KCRW taste, is on the under-represented end of the spectrum, and MTV's Laguna Beach is there in full force. Yay for Kelly Clarkson!

Without further ado, here's the mix which you can purchase at the iTunes Music Store (or, as always, write me and maybe we can work something out):

1. I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Panic! At the Disco
2. Crawling, Linkin Park
3. Semi-Charmed Life, Third Eye Blind
4. Move Along, All-American Rejects
5. Hips Don't Lie (featuring Wyclef Jean), Shakira
6. SOS, Rihanna
7. Here It Goes Again, O.K. Go
8. In the End, Linkin Park
9. Bring Me To Life, Evanescence
10. Hung Up, Madonna
11. Miss Independent, Kelly Clarkson
12. Soundtrack to Your Life, Ashley Parker Angel
13. Diry Little Secret, All-American Rejects
14. Steady as She Goes, The Raconteurs
15. How To Save a Life, The Fray
16. What's Left of Me, Nick Lachey

LA Times does espresso

2006-10-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today's food section in the LA Times is devoted to coffee and espresso, and where to find the best of the best in Los Angeles. Take note, the feature writer uses a Rancilio Silvia and Gaggia MDF at home, just like the Dabbler! Click on the post title to jump there.

Wine of the Week

2006-10-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this is more like a "Winery of the Week" entry. As some of you may know, it can be difficult to get on the mailing lists of some of the better California wineries, with Sine Qua Non, Sea Smoke, Williams Selyem and others boasting long, sometimes multi-year waiting lists to even be offered the chance to buy their wines.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I signed up for the Pax mailing list earlier this week and immediately got a personalized email from the owner of the winery, Joe Donelan, inviting me to buy an array of their upcoming releases. Pax is a highly regarded, high Parker score earning Sonoma winery that specializes in Rhone style Syrahs, though also offers a couple of nice whites and a delightful rose in the springtime. Their packaging is meticulous, with ultra-thick bottles that fall somewhere between Burgundy- and Champagne-style in shape, and a hand-dipped wax seal over the cork that is almost so beautiful that it seems a crime to actually open a bottle of their wine.

Joe explained to me that they do things differently at Pax, and want to give an opportunity for all to try their wines. So if you sign up for the mailing list, you will receive the same treatment as I did, as long as the wine they've allocated for new mailing list customers lasts. NB, the Pax wines are not inexpensive, averaging about $50 a bottle (but for the rose for $18 and the whites which are in the $30 to $40 range). As far as I know, there is no minimum order so sign up even if you only want a bottle or two, as certain vineyard designations can be hard, if not impossible, to find in retail stores.

Art: free booze and culture (and a good cause)

2006-10-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

If anybody is interested in contemporary photography AND a good cause (along with a free wine tasting), check out the Larchmont Charter School Auction Benefit hosted by the Paul Kopeikin Gallery. The event, to be held from 6 to 9PM on Friday, October 19th, will feature a silent auction including work from J. Bennett Fitts, Jill Greenberg, Kahn & Selesnick, and Chris Jordan among others. In fact, a Jordan owned by the one and only Dabbler might just be hanging in the show...

To boot, the Dabbler will be not just in attendance, but 'working' the show as a wine pourer alongside Simon Cocks of Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits and Cheese. We will be featuring an array of Spanish wines including two Monastrells from the Gil Family of Jumilla, a Garnacha/Tempranillo blend, a Cava and two Chardonnay/Viura blends.

Silent auction is from 6 to 8:30, live auction begins at 8PM. RSVP to 323.937.0765 or info@paulkopeikingallery.com.

Paul Kopeikin Gallery
6150 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Weekend Update: Pinkberry hits K-Town, Cork Taint and the DSM-IV meets TV once again

2006-10-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

So I was slow to the blogosphere and got scooped about Pinkberry's recent opening at 6th and Berendo in Koreatown. It's definitely the most lively crowd so far, and makes you feel like you're not in LA, which is nice. I haven't been able to travel much lately, and eating dessert here is like a little journey to Asia all for five dollars, thirty minutes, and 150 calories. It's much more hospitable than the other locations, and I had to laugh at the 'no photo' policy since clearly it hasn't stopped the copycats: on Western and 6th, there's a sign for "Snowberry: Coming Soon!". I wonder what that could be...
I had my first day of instruction at the Laguna Culinary Arts school, and learned a few things. First, it only takes about an hour to drive from LA to Laguna at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Second, it takes much longer to drive back in the afternoon. Third, we were given a 'systematic approach to tasting wine' which maybe I'll go into later, maybe not. And we also learned about wine faults. Did you know that approximately 10% of wines are ruined by cork taint (click on link for detailed definition)? Most people can't recognize the fault and assume they just don't like the wine, too shy to send it back at a restaurant or return it to the store where it was purchased. However, if something seems off, just send it back. The restaurant and retail stores can just return the wine to the distributor for a full refund, and won't lose any money as a result of your discerning palate.
You can get paid by film productions for doing almost nothing, like letting them put a few pieces of equipment in your driveway. We were lucky enough for a mid-season replacement show called "Raines" to come knocking on our door this past week. In exchange for postponing our planned termite fumigation, we were handsomely rewarded. FYI, the show stars Jeff Goldblum as a detective who solves crime with the aid of the 'voices' he hears in his schizophrenic mind. Hmmm, how many detective shows can there be where the crime solver has some sort of mental disorder? Well, exactly how many disorders are outlined in the DSM-IV? The pilot for this one was written by Graham Yost and directed by Frank Darabont, so it could be really good or really bad, considering the track records of both.
I promise, I'll write another blog entry complete with pretty pictures and witty remarks, soon. But not today.

TiVo Travails: 2006 Fall TV Season Begins! (Update)

2006-09-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I said I'd get back to you with my picks and pans for the new television season. But I have encountered a bit of a problem. I just don't care. I have searched far and wide for new series to get excited about, but I honestly can't find any. So far, I watched the new sit-com "Class" which is mildly amusing but not must-see fare; I glimpsed at M. Night-esque "Heroes" which, well, was too M-Night-esque for my taste, but in a cheap TV kind of way. I did force my husband to watch "Men In Trees" but he has since threatened divorce if I ever subject him to the 'Sex in the Northern Exposure City' skein again. Otherwise, I haven't even been able to get myself to even watch anything else.

(Oops, I lied. I did watch "Studio 60" and sort of like it but sort of don't care. Which is what I can say about all the other stuff out there. WHO CARES?)

With "The Office", "Earl", "Grey's Anatomy", "Lost", "Project Runway" and a few other things out there that I already watch regularly (yes, I watch "Grey's Anatomy" even if it is McCheesy, and "Lost" even if it is McConfusing-for-the-sake-of-being-confusing), do I really want to add anything else to my schedule? I am having far more fun blogging about yogurt and discovering widgets that I think I will be retiring the remote for the season and focusing on other activities.

Come to think of it, there may be an even more reasonable explanation as to why I'm bored by TV. I am officially outside of the all important 18-34 youth demographic that advertisers salivate at, and that network programming is geared toward, by and large. Maybe, just maybe, I am not interested in TV because TV is no longer interested in me.

I might just have to consider a 'book of the month' column, transitioning to an old person appropriately touting old media.

Pinkberry vs. gelatoDay: a modern day David and Goliath battle for Yogurt supremacy

2006-09-26T01:45:00.000-07:00

I know, the whole 'yogurt' craze in Los Angeles is getting a little/lot tiresome. But I can't resist sharing with you the flyer that was placed on my car this weekend advertising gelatoDay, a joint very close to Larchmont Village that has the edge on the Larchmont Boulevard Pinkberry Franchise since it is actually OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

Now, gelatoDay's product might not be the greatest (but it's certainly passable) and its portions may be small on the small end of the spectrum (but who really needs a vat of yogurt when a few ounces will do?). However, gelatoDay's marketing rocks. Its shaky grasp on the English language, and sheer boldness make me really want to root for the place. It's not some Starbucks-style corporate juggernaut, it's classic mom and pop, word of mouth, grass roots style stuff. And here it is in all its glory:

FRONT:

BACK:I have to give props to anybody who uses the descriptor "sweet and sour" to describe a food product that isn't a poultry dish on a Chinese take-out menu; or that touts "constipation" as one of its unique benefits (does the yogurt relieve or cause constipation? The flyer is unclear).

Also, to creatively target the large but underserved market concerned with both colon health/yeast infections and also seeking yummy dessert products is simply genius! I am equally intrigued by the term "grow food".

In any case, while the folks at Pinkberry are carefully developing their style sheet, decor guidelines and grammatically correct shelf-talkers and marketing materials that the 1000 franchise applicants will be forced to use in each of their branches, the yogurt-preneurs of gelatoDay brashly move forward with a charming innocence -- and tendency for malapropisms (or just bad translation) -- that is winning me over. Bigtime.

Wine of the Week

2006-09-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

2003 Chateau de Segries Lirac Reservee

I'm trying to branch out, to try wines from different regions and villages than I have in the past, and to be honest with you I've done things ass-backwards and am now arriving in France after having tasted a lot from the New World. The folks at Du Vin in West Hollywood suggested that this Lirac (the Rhone village where the wine is produced) would be a nice sipping wine, good to drink on its own and aside from a meal. So I bought it, and finally opened it up last night.

While I agree with them that it's a nice sipping wine, I found it to be more substantial than they had implied. It was defnitely lighter in body, but composed most likely of Grenache and Syrah, with possibly a little Mouvedre thrown in, the wine had an earthy texture and some strong berry aromas. The tannins were soft, just noticeale enough to give the wine some structure without coating my mouth. There was also a smokiness to the wine that I thought was a tad unpleasant at first, but then seemed to actually complement the food we were eating. I think on its own, I would have recoiled at the tar-like quality, but in this case it turned out to be a welcome layer of complexity.

For those of you who care, the village of Lirac is just across the river from Chateauneuf-de-Pape. I can't really compare this to its famed neighbor since I have yet to delve into those revered 13 grape blends. But at around $13 a bottle, this is an approachable wine that was a nice step away from the huge California Syrahs and Australian GSMs that I'm more familiar with.

The more experienced tasters at Gang of Pour have their own opinion, which I am reprinting here for your perusal. Their blurb was written over a year ago, and as a result the wine probably needs less air these days (we decanted, but poured less than a half hour later):

"2003 Château de Segries Lirac Reservee, 13.5% alc.: Dark garnet, with a smoky tinge, and not giving much at all on the nose at first, but this is a wine that needs time to open and show what it has. With a few hours of air, what at first seemed a somewhat dull, clunky wine evolves to exhibit some real depth, with earthy dark plum, blackberry and black currant flavors and aromas that are accented with a little tobacco and underbrush. Medium tannins will take this at least a few years down the road, and bottle age should allow this to develop nicely."

You can find this wine at the aforementioned Du Vin (where it costs about $13.00) or at Wine House, for a mere $9.99. I was not able to locate (care of Wine Searcher) any east coast outlets carrying the wine, but that doesn't mean they don't exist...

Wine 101: My education continues care of Laguna Culinary Arts

2006-09-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that I will soon be able to speak about wine with an authority that has some basis in actual experience and education, as yesterday I enrolled in an eight week course to get my intermediate certificate from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust of the United Kingdom. If it's British, it must be legit, right?

Anyhow, the course is being taught by a Master Sommelier (and high level executive of the Henry Wine Group, the distributor that handles Jorge Ordonez selections) at Laguna Culinary Arts, if anybody should want to join me in my endeavors. Here are the details:

Level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wines, Spirits and Other Alcoholic Beverages
Instructor: Peter Neptune, Master Sommelier
Dates: Saturdays, beginning October 7 through December 16, 9:30am-12noon.
This class will skip some Saturdays Â dates will be determined by the instructor.
$550 per person for 8 weeks

Call 949-494-0745 to enroll

For non-Los Angeles/Southern California based budding oenophiles, there are courses offered in Vancouver, Toronto, Napa (at COPIA), Denver, Cleveland, New York and other cities. Click here for a complete listing.

The Ivy Pinkerton Files: The Return of Ivy!

2006-09-20T10:08:00.001-07:00

From New York, Ivy reports:

I’ve been on hiatus. I thought I had come down with a rare summer depression but then pinpointed the cause of my posting inactivity to this. Dear readers, you will remember Rochas as being a source of inspiration to me, and now, I have found myself floating, uninspired, amongst a tedious crop of tired 80s leggings, layering, and chunky tops instead. Ho hum.

Until I saw these. And these. In this season of design regurgitation, the chunky, funkified space-age shoe from Balanciaga or Marc Jacobs makes my heart pitter patter! It calls to mind the best of the 80s, which means innovation, such as vintage Comme des Garcons. And I feel like I can now applaud the return of the inverted 80’s triangle silhouette (skinny bottom, big top) as long as it sits atop this inventive, modern, badass pedestal.

--IP

New Yorkers can keep reading my blog because now you have your very own Pinkberry too!

2006-09-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Just click on the title of this post for details. And somebody please let me know if and when the NYC-PB actually opens, since the 2nd outlet in LA has yet to materialize.

TiVo Travails: 2006 Fall TV Season Begins!

2006-09-17T18:18:00.001-07:00

I am going to take this evening to examine the Fall television schedule, and come back at you with a rundown of what I hope and expect from the exciting array of network and cable offerings (finally, a post about something other than wine or yogurt). At the very least, fall TV should prove more exciting than the summer's smorgasbord of reality schlock whose highlight was surely former Tap Dance Kid Alfonso Ribeiro on Celebrity Duets. Or not.

Anyhow, I haven't had time to 'study' the grid yet, so 'stay tuned' for the Dabbler's picks and pans.

One pre-season glimmer of hope was last week's premiere of Nip/Tuck, which never fails to disappoint with its over-the-top stunt casting (I can't wait for Alanis Morisette to play the lesbian lover of Roma Maffia's anesthesiologist) and its utter inability to understand the notion of 'subtext'.

Creator Ryan Murphy spells everything right out -- even more this year than before -- with Dr. Troy wondering in the opener (after the notion is suggested to him by a Tranny-esque Brooke Sheilds) if he might actually be in love with his longtime 'partner' Sean. But my bet for a must-see plotline is mullet-haired Matt's supposed trip down Scientology Lane, which could provide a few gems. Ultimately this is a show to TiVo, but to watch cautiously, with one thumb on the fast-forward button, at all times.

(By the way, did anybody see the ad for Murphy's film RUNNING WITH SCISSORS? Can anybody say 'ROYAL TENENBAUMS'?)

You too can open your own 'Natural' Yogurt shop -- watch out Pinkberry!

2006-09-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Apparently all it takes is a few thousand dollars and a storefront, as well as enough credit to buy some chairs at Design Within Reach, Kartell or IKEA, and you, too, can open your very own Pinkberry clone.

Since Pinkberry is taking its time, I invite any willing competitors to jump on the bandwagon and rent a space to open up shop. Once you've found the perfect location (let's say a mini-mall near Vine and Melrose, perchance, at a rate of a couple bucks per square feet), here's all you need to know:

First, go to Taylor Equipment and buy your very own soft serve machine, from which you'll dispense the stuff. Or buy it from Orange County distributor Specialized Services. If you're in a real hurry check out Surfas Restaurant Supply in Culver City where they can get you one of these machines in 3 days assuming you're LA-based. (As soon as I have some costs on the machine, I'll post them here. But I'm guessing they won't be astronomical.)

Next, get your yogurt ingredients. You can actually get something pre-mixed called YoCream, in either non-fat plain or premium natural flavors. This comes in liquid form and uses active yogurt cultures. I'm making the assumption that this is what some of Pinkberry's competitors might be using, or at the very least a noble equivalent. At only $23.63 per 6.5 gallon cartons, through Southwest Traders Distribution, you'll be swimming in yogurt (considering their $300 minimum order, you'll be receiving approximately 85 gallons) for quite some time. Southwest Traders can be reached at 951-699-7800.

Another cost: seating. The chair on the left, from DWR, is on sale for about $50. The ones in the middle and on the right, also from DWR, $100 minus a 15% discount for buying more than one. Since your space is sure to be small, you'll only need a half dozen, max.

And while I haven't been able to find the exact costs of getting a restaurant permit from the LA County Health Department, it appears to be nominal.

With relatively low start-up costs, and at pennies per serving of the product (before toppings), this tells you just how much money the folks at Pinkberry are making -- and why everybody is copying them. That's not to mention that it took me under an hour to gather all this information, I can think of about a half dozen decent locations, and all the products needed appear to be available for delivery in under a week with a few double-clicks of the mouse.

In total, you should be up and running with start-up costs hovering in the $5000 range (let's say $10,000, max), which is nothing in the restaurant world. Hmmmm, maybe I should do this. I can see it now: Coming soon! The one and only Dabblerlicious Natural Yogurt Supreme, somewhere near Sunset and Vine...

Wine of the Week: Second Label Alert! DuMol Pinot Noir Bargain...

2006-09-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

I was recently in Sonoma, and I found out about a supposedly great second label Pinot Noir from DuMol, available at only a few restaurants and one retailer, the Wine Shop in Healdsburg. I can't say who told me so or even verify the information as I was sworn to secrecy (see how good I am at that?).

But if anybody wants to try a Russian River Valley Pinot from a top notch producer and pay less than half the cost of the first label's price point, then check out the '04 Maranet Pinot Noir. I have yet to taste it, but I can't wait to open up my $30 bottle and see how it drinks.

To order, call the Wine Shop in Healdsburg at 707-433-8333. More recommendations to come soon from my Sonoma travels.

Chris Jordan: 'In Katrina's Wake' photography opening at Kopeikin Gallery

2006-09-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

For those interested in art, in social issues, in the rapid decline of the American empire, and in pretty (though sad) photographs -- oh, and free cheap booze -- check out the opening this Saturday evening at the Paul Kopeikin Gallery, located at the 6150 Wilshire Blvd. gallery complex.

Photographer Chris Jordan's previous work dealt with manmade landscapes composed of urban detritus and the vestiges of mass consumption, with haunting images of unimaginably large piles of discarded cell phones, crushed cars, recycling yards filled for infinite distances with broken glass; objects we probably throw away on a daily basis without a thought or care.

In his latest show, however, we see something different: photographs of the remnants of homes, of belongings, of things left behind unwillingly by the victims of hurricane Katrina, not because they were trading up, but because they had no choice. In their state of decomposition and abandonment, these weathered objects and places tell the story of the have-nots, of people who can't simply consume and discard, but who might have had very little to begin with before the tragedy of losing not just their possessions or heirlooms, but their entire communities.

It would be nice to think that a few years from now we might see another set of photographs, from Jordan or others, showing a rebirth of New Orleans -- not in a Disney/42nd Street/ersatz kind of way, but in those small details Jordan captures so strikingly -- just as we're sure to see images of Lower Manhattan coming back to life (replete with a Starbucks and Banana Republic on every other block, and the requisite bronze statues commemorating firefighters or Giuliani). But since investment banks and the NYSE were not the main residents of the Lower Ninth Ward or Jefferson Parish, among other Leftie reasons I will refrain from spouting here, I suspect that things might look like they do in Jordan's images for quite some time.

In Katrina's Wake: Photography by Chris Jordan
Paul Kopeikin Gallery
6150 Wilshire Blvd.
September 9th, 2006, 8PM

Project Manager Olive Survives!

2006-09-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

I realize that I've been primarily posting on food and wine, possibly in an attempt to ingratiate myself to the foodblogging community and boost some traffic to my site. This has made me somewhat of a specialist, rather than the dilettante I pronounce myself to otherwise be. I promise more scattered, haphazard entries in the near future that will have nothing to do with food or wine.

In the meantime, I thought some of you folks who followed the progress of the Garage Project would like to know that Olive, the Project Manager, after a scuffle with another neighborhood contractor, is just about back to her feisty self. I will refrain from posting 'before' pictures, since they are none too pretty. But here's an 'after' to show you how well she's healed. Hooray! She'll be back to work soon and I can stop paying her worker's comp.

Scooped by Robert Parker: Jorge Ordonez rocks!

2006-09-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

I had been planning a follow-up to my ten dollar wine entry from last month, to tout the greatness of importer Jorge Ordonez, who seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to choosing wines from Spain worthy of consumption. Many of the bargains I mentioned were his selections, though he finds gems at all price points for those willing to (over)pay.

Unfortunately, Robert Parker seems to have beaten me to the punch, imagine that, with an article on Ordonez in the most recent issue of the venerable Wine Advocate (#166). So instead of being a tastemaker I will look like a copycat. Oh well. I guess I'll have to find some other way to get my big break into the highly lucrative and not at all competitive field of wine journalism.

In any case, here are some selections from Ordonez that I think you should check out. I will refrain from posting WA scores or Parker's tasting notes, since I wholeheartedly believe that anything you see at a wine shop that has the 'Jorge Ordonez' symbol on the back label, as shown here, is at the very least worth a try. By the way, all of my recommendations are red wines, so sorry to you white drinkers.

*Hijos de Juan Gil '04 (approx. $13-15 depending on store -- available at Cost Plus, Wine House, Larchmont Wine & Cheese)

*Luzon Jumilla '05 ($6.99 -- available at Larchmont Wine & Cheese)

*Altos de Luzon Jumilla '04 ($11.99 -- soon to be available at Larchmont Wine & Cheese)

*Alto Moncayo Veraton '03 ($19.99 -- available at the Wine House)

*Alto Moncayo, Alto Moncayo '04 ($43.99 -- available at John & Pete's in the past)

*Bodegas Zabrin Garnacha de Fuego '05 ($6.99 -- new project from Juan Gil and Ordonez, not yet released and availability to be determined)

*Agricola de Borja Vina Borgia '05 ($5.49)

Colleen Cuisine: Kiwiberri Grand Opening

2006-09-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Colleen Cuisine: Kiwiberri Grand Opening

Pinkberry Yogurt, get your act together, and fast!

2006-09-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

So what exactly is the hold-up with all those Pinkberry franchises supposedly popping up all over town? To date, only the original Huntley Drive location (the one that 'launched a thousand parking tickets') is operational, and the Larchmont Boulevard shop remains untouched since it was first branded with a 'coming soon' sign nearly six months ago.

Now, we have Cafe Fiore in Little Tokyo (not bad, I tried it recently -- the consistency might actually be better than Pinkberry, but the taste is a little off, not quite the pucker your lips tart, but not too tart, that Pinkberry has mastered). And then there's the Kiwi-Berri shop on 3rd and La Cienega, which I believe has already opened up shop. Can't vouch for their product, but the decor is certainly a pale imitation of the Asia-Pop-Moderne of both Pinkberry and Fiore, which each boast Phillippe Starck furnishings among other recognizable Design Within Reach selections. I think that Kiwi-Berri may have picked up some of their pink pleather barstools from former neighborhood institution Ed Debevic's, in the restaurant equivalent of estate sales. And of course there is sad Cafe Miafe on Larchmont, which no longer has a banner announcing their pathetic natural yogurt product, though I suspect they still offer it to the one or two people who frequent the mostly empty joint (drug front, anyone?).

Drumroll please...we now have "gelatoDay Italian Natural Low-Fat Yogurt", at 5770 Melrose Avenue in the same mini-mall just east of Vine as the Lo-Carb-U store (photos to follow soon). And guess what they sell? Pinkberry-style yogurt. Like Fiore, the consistency is good. Like Kiwi-Berri, the decor is low-rent moderne (though more Barbarella than the latter). Unlike any of them, they only offer one product: plain frozen yogurt. No green tea, no shaved ice. Just plain yogurt with about a dozen choices for toppings. Portions are small. Product is just okay.

But this place has something going for it that Pinkberry (aside from the Huntley drive location) doesn't. You guessed it! It is actually open and doing business. Up and running. Imagine that! No bubblegum pink plywood boards advertising the elusive hope of tart 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt'. gelatoDay is no cocktease, unlike that hard-to-get vixen Pinkberry.

I ask you, what good does it do to have 30 locations leased out and 'under construction' when countless copy-cats are opening up in mini-mall after mini-mall? The market will be saturated with Italian/neo-Asian Yogurt shops before the second Pinkberry franchise has its grand opening.

So, my dear Pinkberry, I beg of you the following:

Concentrate on getting a few locations up and running before you try to conquer the world (or, at least, LA County). I know I once said that you were spreading like bird flu and that this was a good thing, but this statement has turned out to be only a half-truth. Like bird flu, you are causing a frenzy in your word of mouth; you have successfully hyped the hell out of yourself. But (also like bird flu) you have failed to actually arrive in any pandemic way (in the case of the disease this is good; in the case of PB, bad). You have the best product and it would be a shame if the 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt' fad were cycled through by the time you've blown your wad on a year's rent for 30 shops, none of which have opened or have any sort of revenue stream. Stop over-extending yourselves and expand slowly and methodically. Otherwise, I fear for your fate.

Signed,

Your Harried and Hopeless Yogurt Loving Public

Barista 101, Pinkberry Drama, Wine Vocabulary Builder, and a Comeback for 'The Comeback'

2006-08-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested in finding out how that Whole Latte Love 'latte art' contest wound up, check here. Personally, I don't think the winner of the beginner category should qualify as a beginner with an almost perfect looking leafy fern design. I'm still stuck on what I like to call 'the amoeba'.
For those of you craving 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt', there has been much anticipation and drama in the LA area as Pinkberry and Kiwiberri race at a tortoise's pace to see who can open their additional franchise doors first. Additionally, KB doesn't seem to be the only copycat. Now there's Fiore in Little Tokyo, and the doomed Cafe Miaafe on Larchmont (couldn't even find a link to share with you the sadness that is Miaafe) striking up acidophilus enterprises. Everybody's blogging about it.
For those of you who care, Chablis is a place, not a grape. It's one of the major errors made by American wine consumers, who were raised on Gallo & Gallo and Riunite on Ice.
For those of you who dismissed last year's short-lived HBO 1/2 hour show 'The Comeback' as unworthy of Season Pass status, you have a chance to redeem yourselves. Buy it on DVD and hope that the brilliant Lisa Kudrow as the deluded Valerie Cherish earns her a much deserved Emmy (I love you, Jane Kaczmarek, but you've won enough).

Ten Dollar Wines

2006-08-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article on ten dollar wines, from this morning's LA Times. However, it fails to mention Larchmont Wine, Spirits & Cheese where they stock a great selection of bargains. Check out the article, and here are some additional wines to look out for of the 'everyday variety', focusing on value Spanish selections:

2004 Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla ($5.99, Larchmont Wine and Cheese)

“The 2003 Protocolo Tinto is a tank-fermented 100% Tempranillo that spends three months in neutral American oak prior to early bottling. Its dark ruby color is followed by Pinot Noir-like aromas of flowers as well as sweet and sour red cherries. This fresh, lively, youthful red begs to be drunk over the next 1-2 years. It can even be served slightly chilled.” (Robert Parker on 2003 vintage; 2004 is at least as good.)

2004 Cortijo III Rioja, 100% Tempranillo, D.O. Calificada (7.99, Larchmont Wine and Cheese)

"Bodegas Aldeanueva’s 2004 Cortijo III Tinto (made from 100% Tempranillo) is a tank-fermented and aged Rioja that sells for a song. In fact, I cannot think of another Rioja at this price level that offers this much character and fruit. Its moderate ruby color is accompanied by a sweet nose of strawberries, cherries, spice box, dried herbs, and tobacco. With a lush texture, medium body, and no hard edges, it should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 1-2 years. This is an excellent bargain." (Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, June 2005.)

2004 Luzon Verde, 100% Monastrell certified Organic, D.O. Jumilla (7.99, John and Pete’s on La Cienega)

“The dense ruby/purple-tinged, medium-bodied 2004 Luzon Verde reveals a crisp, elegant, sweet nose of blueberries, plums, lavender, and anise. With lovely sweetness and purity as well as a spicy, long finish, it should provide plenty of enjoyment over the next 2-3 years.

One of the oldest estates in Jumilla, Finca Luzon was founded by the Gil family in 1916. It has been a consistent source of high class values for a number of years, and readers should be happy to know this is completely certified organic agriculture. This offering represents a superb bargain.” (Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, June 2005.)

2004 Mano a Mano, 100% Tempranillo, D.O. La Mancha ($7.99, John & Pete’s, Wine Exchange in Orange)

“This crisp, elegant, refreshing, medium-bodied, dry red exhibits sweet cherry fruit intertwined with a subtle notion of wood. It is a fruity bistro red that can be served slightly chilled if desired. Consume it over the next 1-2 years.” (Robert Parker on 2003 vintage; expect similar comments on 2004.)
2004 Bodegas Ercavio, Tempranillo Roble, 100% Tempranillo, La Mancha (Larchmont Wine and Cheese)

“Run don't walk to pick up the latest version of this red wine bargain. The 2003 sold out so fast that if you blinked, you missed out! The 2004 is even better---more length, depth and concentration. Made from 100% Cencibel, the local name for Tempranillo, this tinto is made using a blend of traditional and modern methods…spending some time in large clay amphoras known as tinajas and aged for 5 months in a mix of French and American oak. Full and fleshy, this red from La Mancha has plenty of ripe black cherry fruit and a long finish. Enjoy the Ercavio Roble with your favorite grilled steak!” (Anne Pickett, K&L Wine Merchants Spainish buyer)

And from Robert Parker, regarding the previous vintage: “An astonishing value, the 2003 Ercavio Roble, made from 100% Cencibel (the local term for Tempranillo), smells like a great Cabernet Sauvignon made by Napa’s Ann Colgin. Gorgeous blueberry liqueur notes intermixed with graphite and minerals jump from the glass of this dark ruby/purple-colored 2003. It boast fabulous intensity, an alluring texture, and a rich, concentrated finish with no hard edges. This offering could easily compete with wines selling at four to five times the price, but given its origins, I would suggest drinking it over the next 3-4 years. Bravo!”

And finally, one California wine I happened to taste just yesterday (it might be a while before this makes it to stores, but it should be in the ten dollar range):

2004 Ten Mile "The Broken Road" Proprietary Red Wine (available through K&L online, soon in local stores)

From the K&L website: "The inspiration for this wine was based upon the classic field blends of California from the late 1800's. Sourced from several dry farmed, old vine vineyards, "The Broken Road" is a blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Malbec and Carignane. 325 barrels made."

From my tasting, this was a complex wine with good structure but without overpowering tannns (I'm pretty sensitive to them). It's meaty and chewy, and if you tasted it blind without knowing the price (as I did), you'd probably mistake it for something much more dear (as I did). It's a very new world take on an old world style.

I think I'm turning A.D.D. I really think so...

2006-08-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

So the verdict is in. I love widgets! Who knew you could get lyrics to any song in your itunes library as it was playing? Who knew you could see your evite calendar without navigating the web, logging in, yadda yadda yadda? Well, you can. And I have.

Now I think I'm ready to move on to customizing my RSS feeds so I can get real time updates whenever a new post arrives on Defamer. Yay!

Widget Madness

2006-08-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

I just discovered widgets, and have placed some on my 'dashboard'. Currently, I have a Sodoku widget, a 'this day in history' calendar, up to the minute local weather, reverse phone number look-up, and this very application on which I'm typing the blog post you're reading...

So, just what is a widget? I'm not sure. It's supposed to make you more productive. But instant access to Sodoku, blog-posting mechanisms, tools to help stalk people, and fun facts (such as the English novelist John Galsworthy having born this day in 1867) seem more like procrastination aids than efficiency boosters.

Apple defines a widget as the following: "mini-applications that let you perform common tasks and provide you with fast access to information. With a single click, Dashboard appears, complete with widgets that bring you a world of information — real-time weather, stock tickers, flight information and more — instantly. Dashboard disappears just as easily, so you can get back to what you were doing."

I'll let you know how I feel about widgets after a trial week or two. First, I have to finish that Sodoku on my dashboard, though...

Subscription service changes

2006-08-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Dear faithful readers,

I have once again changed subscription services, and you will now be receiving DoD updates (assuming it works) from Feedblitz instead of Bloglet.

Should you receive multiple notifications of a post, just go to Bloglet to unsubscribe -- you'll still be on the Feedblitz distribution list if you do this. However, considering how inconsistent Bloglet has been in keeping you updated (has anyone received an email in the last month?) I am confident that this step won't be necessary.

Yours truly,

The Dabbler

Wine(ry) of the Week: Mollydooker

2006-08-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

I heard rumors last year that there had been a rift between the Marquis family and Dan Philips, who had been so successful over recent years with their collaborative Marquis Philips wine label. Their occasional offering 'Integrity' had consistently scored off the charts in tastings, and their lesser priced screw cap bottles were also solid crowd pleasers. It must have been one hell of a fight for these two parties to give up what could only have been a cash cow.

Now Dan Philips has teamed with Chris Ringland, already having released Pillar Box Red (a Shiraz blend) and Three Rings Shiraz this past year through his Grateful Palate distribution entity (Philips has begun pushing his wine through Costco, which could be a sign of strength or of desperation, I'm not really sure).

Finally, it's the Marquis's turn to venture out on their own. And though Ringland is a renowned vintner, the Southern Hemisphere may not have a more talented winemaker/marketing combo in Sarah and Sparky Marquis. Their new label is called Mollydooker, which means 'left handed' in Australian (apparently Australian is indeed a language all its own).

Among their early fans is the venerable Robert Parker, who says the following about their first release, "The Boxer":

The 2005 The Boxer Shiraz (primarily from McLaren Vale, followed by Langhorne Creek and Padthaway) exhibits a black/blue/purple color, an incredible density of fruit along with that tell-tale purity, blackberries, white flowers, melted chocolate, sweet licorice, and subtle wood. Full-bodied, beautifully textured and layered with an awesome finish, it should drink well for 4-6+ years. Two more expensive Mollydooker cuvees will be reviewed in my full Australian report in the October issue.

Sarah and Sparky Marquis, who live by the motto, “We make wines that make people go wow - through attention to detail and commitment to excellence,” have hit pay dirt with these brilliantly packaged, screw cap-finished wines with labels that resemble Broadway vaudeville acts from the mid-thirties. Even more innovative, their back labels have a small postage stamp with all the relevant information so restaurant consumers can remember the wine by pulling off the stamp and taking it home. 95 points.

Personally, I haven't had a chance to try any of the wines since most have just made it to market or are still listed as futures; but I am definitely going to place an order. Currently the best prices for the Boxer and the Two Left Feet -- the first two releases -- can be had at K&L Wine Merchants in the Bay Area ($19.99 a bottle with a six bottle limit of each release). But the wines are also available at Wally's in Los Angeles, and at Zachy's for New York readers for $25 a bottle, a premium that might be made up for with saved shipping charges.

Hell, I would buy these just for the labels alone, which have a Chris Ware quality that could inspire me to place the bottles on my shelves, as art objects, long after their liquid contents have been emptied. This is something I never could have done with the 'Roogle' mascot that graced the Marquis-Philips bottles.

More M Cafe de Chaya

2006-08-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

Since I've been unmotivated to write anything over the past few days, I thought I'd point you to a very informative review of M Cafe de Chaya, by a serious "food-blogger" whose handle is ColleenCuisine. I'll write something original soon, I promise. In the meantime, here's somebody else's hard work to make up for my laziness.

Why Bravo's new show "Work Out" is awesome!

2006-08-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

When it comes to reality fare, I've graduated from MTV to Gay-TV, since my two favorite shows of the summer are on Bravo. Project Runway doesn't really need to be defended. It's one of the only reality competitions in which the contestants have skills and talent, though it does

cast its share of flamboyant (not in a gay sense -- at least all the time) personalities who are there for the drama more than for the contest. Work Out, however, is sure to have its share of detractors. All I can say is that they must not have given the show a fair shot. It's like the best show ever!

Why? Well, I'm not sure I can put it into words, nor do I feel like I should have to defend it.

But I will, because I fear that it will be brazenly dismissed, due to the brief six episode season, a less than desireable time-slot, not to mention the general public's possible lack of interest in watching wealthy people (most of whom are already svelte and toned) train at a private fitness facility in Beverly Hills...the list goes on. And to counter the naysayers, here are my thoughts.

First, Jackie Warner is fascinating simply because she's the spitting image of Scarlett Johansson -- well, she would be if Scarlett Johansson were taller, in her late 30s, and butch (or if she's ever tapped to reprise Linda Hamilton's role in future Terminator installments). They have the same husky voice, and look as if they could be long lost sisters.

Second, Jackie is charismatic. She doesn't take any shit. Except from her dimwitted, and not-even-that-pretty-young-thing, girlfriend Mimi (who likes to bite and is a really bad painter. Hmmmm).

Third, it's sort of like watching a non-mockumentary version of 'The Office' (actually the best show on TV, not a 'best of shitty summer' TV) only with narcissitic weight lifting Hollywood types and C-list celebrities; imagine watching the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show after seeing Best In Show and maybe you'll get what I'm saying.

Fourth, the reviewer at the New York Times also likes it, so it must be good.

Fifth, I found out that Jackie Warner used to date the woman from The Biggest Loser (Jillian?) (incidental information), and that the two of them used to run the small private training facility where I occasionally go (the important detail here) and sweat alongside various WB actors and sundry B-listers. Just yesterday I learned that Jackie got in trouble and possibly fired for running an insurance scam at the gym, and also got in frequent fist-fights with Jillian...fascinating stuff. Sky Sport and Spa also takes insurance, by the way.

Sixth, everything else on TV these days (with a few exceptions) sucks ass.

Z Pizza: The Squeamish Gourmet

2006-08-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

As you may already know from previous posts, I have developed somewhat of a phobia of restaurants in LA receiving less than an 'A' letter grade from the county health inspectors. I rarely eat at a 'B' restaurant willingly, though I do allow for the occasional exception.

Two weeks ago, my husband and I called ahead to Z Pizza on Larchmont Boulevard, to order lunch that would be ready for us to eat in the restaurant upon our arrival. We have dined at the CPK-ish mini-chain before, and while it's nothing to write home about, it's certainly adequate -- especially when you receive a coupon in the mail for a free 10" pie (as we had that week). Remember, the Dabbler loves free stuff.

We were about half way through our lunch when I looked above the doorway and saw something startling: the branch had received a letter grade of 'C' from the health department! What to do? I had already eaten a significant portion of my food, there was no turning back. We were blind-sided since we ordered our food off-site. Z has received 'A's in the past, and the open kitchen environment has never seemed unclean to me. But you have to be in pretty foul shape to get a 'C'. According to records, the health department website closed the restaurant on July 27th due to a lack of hot water and potable water supply; it re-opened on the 28th. Previous letter grades have all been solidly in the 'A' range, but the LACDoH website only includes inspections through April, so I'm not sure when the place got the 'C' and whether it pre- or post-dated the closure.

I don't think I'll make Z a frequent stop on my dining route, but if they achieve a more respectable status in the future -- and send another coupon to entice me -- I just might make one of my rare exceptions.

Other recent restaurant closures of note:

--Le Pain Quotidien, Beverly Hills, Closed (and re-opened) on June 13th for sewage issues.
--Mastro's Steakhouse, Beverly Hills (one of the most expensive steak joints around), closed July 11th through 13th for vermin infestation (and that's not a reference to all the agents who dine their regularly).
--Many, many, many restaurants with either 'Taco', 'Boba' or 'Mandarin', 'Thai', 'Wei', 'Wee' and other ethnic sounding words in their names.
--Congratulations letters U, X and Y: no restaurants beginning with any of these letters were closed by the health department over the past few months.

Pinkberry Yogurt in the news

2006-08-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

From this morning's LA Times:

The Taste That Launched 1,000 Parking Tickets
Pinkberry addicts cramp the style of one neighborhood.
By Deborah Netburn, Times Staff Writer
Photo caption and credit: Owner Hyekyung (a.k.a. Shelly) Hwang has big plans to expand (Lawrence K. Ho / LAT)
August 4, 2006

This is a story about yogurt, but it is also about entrepreneurship, financial and cultural expectations, beating the heat, beating the caloric system and parking. It's a feel-good story about an ambitious 32-year-old Korean woman whose small business has become successful beyond all reasonable expectations. And it's a feel-bad story about a sleepy neighborhood attacked, out of nowhere, by an army of frozen-yogurt fiends.

On Huntley Drive just south of Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, a small frozen-yogurt shop is nestled between NutriBliss, the natural Viagra store, and a private home. It's called, preposterously, Pinkberry, and it has become an obsession with weight-conscious Angelenos. The yogurt itself is tangy and stiff, without the overbearing sweetness that screams artificial flavoring. And because it is the owner's own recipe, it is impossible to find elsewhere.

So Pinkberry addicts come from Los Feliz, the Valley, South Bay and Beverly Hills to get their fix. They circle their cars around the neighborhood looking for parking and wait patiently in 20-minute lines that have been known to go up the block and around the corner.

It has been called "Crackberry" and "frozen heroin juice" by its fans and detractors because many of the college kids, television writers and well-to-do families who cheerfully queue up as many as four nights in a single week agree with food blogger Rosie O'Neill, who wrote recently: "I would get Pinkberry IV'ed into my veins if I could."

Leslie Grossman, an actress, described it like this: "The first time you try it, you're like — 'Eh,' and then you're like, 'Did I eat that whole thing?' And then the next day you are like, 'I could really go for a Pinkberry right now.' "

Before Pinkberry, there was a tattoo parlor and before that there was a medical marijuana distribution center and before that there was a garage. Then 2 1/2 years ago, Hyekyung Hwang (a.k.a. Shelly) signed a lease for the 600-square-foot space and decided to open an English Tea Room. The neighbors shook their heads, laughed and wished her luck. When she asked for outdoor seating, the neighbors voted it down. When she asked for a beer and wine license (so she could serve sherry), they voted that down too. Hwang crunched the numbers, and it didn't look good. She scrapped the idea and decided to open a frozen-yogurt store instead.

Hwang, the daughter of a factory owner in South Korea, came to America in 1992 for business school at USC. She is smart, quiet and tougher than she seems. Her business partner, Young Lee, a kick boxer turned architect, was once a bouncer for nightclubs before he started to design them.

Hwang understands that people want food that is healthy and low-calorie and that they will pay more money for it than you might think. Pinkberry yogurt is made with real milk and is about 20 calories per ounce, and a medium cup with three fresh fruit toppings (nothing comes from a can or is soaked in syrup) costs $4.95. What Lee knows is that aesthetics matter, and even if you are only going to spend 20 minutes in a yogurt store it should be a refreshing 20 minutes. So he painted the inside of Pinkberry in sherbet hues of peach, green and blue, and used Philippe Starck furniture and Le Klint plastic hanging lamps from Design Within Reach because, he said, they remind him of yogurt. The effect is modern Asian, not kindergarten.

Hwang and Lee agreed that the store should be streamlined, so there are only two flavors of yogurt — plain and green tea. You cannot buy anything else. Not even water. There is little waste and the staff can be trained in a few hours (it's not hard to yank down on the handle of a soft-serve yogurt machine).

By February 2005, one month after it opened, Pinkberry was already turning a profit. The lines started that summer. By that August, it was discovered by Daily Candy. By spring, Los Angeles had fallen hopelessly in love. The little store on Huntley where the tattoo parlor used to be now serves about 1,300 to 1,600 customers a day.

This, of course, was not exactly what the neighbors thought would happen. Hwang said when she first opened the store the neighbors were friendly and welcoming. "They were like, 'Good luck, Asian lady' and buy a yogurt," she said. Now they are plagued with increasing traffic on their once sleepy street of million-dollar bungalows and people double parking "just for a minute" to run in for a quick Pinkberry (though with the long lines, there is no such thing as a quick Pinkberry any more).

For neighbors, there is Pinkberry trash on their lawns, and sometimes Pinkberry customers too. The angriest of the neighbors stand outside at night to remind yogurt lovers that the street is all permit parking, and they will be ticketed if they park illegally. But even that doesn't always work.

"The bottom line is the customers that go to Pinkberry don't mind paying $68 for a tub of yogurt," said Huntley Avenue resident Oliver Wilson, handily adding the price of a parking ticket to the $7.45 cost of a large yogurt. "It's all Escalades and Mercedes and BMWs. You tell them, 'Don't park here,' and they do. They can afford it."

The neighbors held meetings to discuss the problem, and talked about it in between meetings as they walked their dogs. They explained their situation to the city and demanded that measures be taken to make sure people were not parking illegally. The city has sent extra parking-enforcement officers to Huntley to ticket customers who are parked illegally. The city also has asked Hwang to station a security guard by the front door seven nights a week to remind people that the street is permit-parking only, to make sure customers put their trash in the garbage can and to make sure that the line goes north toward Santa Monica Boulevard and away from the neighbors.

The guard Hwang hired is also handy for cutting the line off at 10:45 p.m., 15 minutes before the yogurt shop closes. But the neighbors say it's still not enough. "It's really become intolerable," said Tom Alexander, who lives three houses down from the store, even as his wife, Jeanne, admitted that the yogurt is not bad.

There is another hearing on Sept. 18, and the outside chance that the city of West Hollywood will shut down Pinkberry — but nobody really thinks that will happen. And that's not what the neighbors want anyway.

What they really want is for Pinkberry to move up to Santa Monica Boulevard, where Hwang could set up outdoor seating and the pedestrian traffic would help other West Hollywood businesses. That's what the customers would like too. "It's not convenient. Parking is a nightmare, there's nowhere to sit down and eat, and the sun beats down on you in the afternoon line," said one fan who added that he nevertheless comes to Pinkberry three times a week.

All this might be moot anyway. For the past year Hwang and Lee have been working to expand Pinkberry in a big way — and when they do the crowds on Huntley will likely thin out. Next week a second Pinkberry is scheduled to open in Koreatown, on the corner of Sixth and Berendo streets. "All my friends that live in Koreatown say West Hollywood is too far," Hwang said. "I say, 'OK. All right.' "

The third Pinkberry will open on La Brea and Melrose avenues in early September, and pink and green "Pinkberry coming soon" signs have gone up in storefronts in Studio City, Beverly Hills, Westwood and Larchmont Village. Hwang said in the last year she has signed leases on 30 locations in L.A. alone. She's also been traveling. With the help of her friend D. Choi, who has lived in New York for 30 years, she plans to open 30 locations there. She has seen properties in Las Vegas and San Diego as well. It sounds like a scarily rapid expansion, but Hwang said she has been careful in choosing locales. "We are targeting neighborhoods where people care about their health and body," she said, "where people want to diet."

Meanwhile, Pinkberry has already encountered what appears to be a copycat. Across the street from the Beverly Center, a sign announces the upcoming arrival of a nonfat frozen-yogurt shop called Kiwiberry, which already has a location in Claremont. John Bae, 26, also Korean and one of Kiwiberry's founding partners, was vague about what differentiated Kiwiberry and Pinkberry. "It is generally the same idea," he said, "but the taste of it is more like, a richer taste."

Hwang does not seem concerned about the competition. When Kiwiberry's logo looked too similar to Pinkberry's, she let Bae know it would be a problem, and he changed it. In general, her attitude toward him was unexpectedly altruistic. "When I think about him, I remember my past," she said. "I don't want to discourage his dream."

On Huntley, the neighbors can only hope that Kiwiberry and the new Pinkberrys siphon off from the steady stream of yogurt fans on their block. It's not that they want Hwang to fail, but they'll be happier if the original Pinkberry becomes, in the months ahead, a little less successful.

Crazy theory regarding Crazy Mel Gibson

2006-07-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

So I had a thought and (against my better judgment) I have decided to share it. Since my readership is so low there isn't much risk of increasing the population of people who already think I'm an idiot...

I was in Malibu yesterday, the town that Mel Gibson 'owns', so of course his antics have been on my mind. The fact is, Mel Gibson in a sober state could never utter an anti-Semitic comment and have any excuse for it. However, being slightly over the legal blood-alcohol level for driving (which probably wouldn't account for belligerent behavior) and considered 'drunk', Mel could intentionally sputter off some anti-semitic remarks (buried amidst some sexist and egotistical doozies) and then apologize for it later, saying it was the booze talking, not his true self.

The question is, why would somebody, especially of Mel Gibson's status, intentionally create a scenario in which to say such unseemly things?

Consider the following: Mr. Gibson has a big budget movie (Apocalypto), financed fully out of his own pocket, soon to hit theaters. Disney has invested in the U.S. distribution of the film, leaving Gibson with no stake in the performance of Apocalypto stateside. So it doesn't matter to him if he alienates an audience that, let's all be honest, was probably not going to flock to a film about the Mayan empire, filmed in an ancient Mayan dialect. Passion enthusiasm aside, the American/Christian fanbase normally avoids subtitles.

However, interestingly, Icon Productions, Mr. Gibson's company, holds all international distribution rights to Apocalypto. With worldwide anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment at its all-time high (at least during my lifetime), could the comments of a tipsy film director have been with purpose, and targeted at territories who might actually be impressed by, and rally to the support of a filmmaker who feels exactly the way that they do?

Is this just another Hollywood publicity stunt to engender a fanbase, albeit one that isn't typical by marketing exec standards? If the territories outside of the U.S. and Israel flock to the film, Icon (and therefore Gibson) will make a mint. He doesn't need the Christian fanbase that hit Passion out of the ballpark; it's Disney that needs them (hey, wasn't Walt a famous Jew-hater too?). This incident has grabbed the public's attention faster and more ardently than any of the fascinating couch-jumping or coke-snorting celebrities mishaps of the last year.

Just how rapid the news of Mr. Gibson's tirade spread over the internet -- from Nikki Finke to TMZ.com to Defamer and then to the traditional print media like the LA Times and venerable NY Times -- is astonishing to me. Within 12 hours of the arrest, I had an email forwarded to me by my 66 year old mom, who had received the TMZ link from my 70 year old aunt, about the 'incident'. Viral marketing has infected not just the youth, but the AARP too.

I can see what's coming next very clearly. Al Jazeera will soon be airing a tape of Osama bin Laden, not just urging the faithful to continue jihad, but giving two thumbs up (and one severed American head on a pike) to Apocalpto. The Joel Siegel of Islam, he'll exclaim "I loved this movie" and suggest that if anybody feels like taking a break from terrorist training camp, they should go see the film.

Wine Snobs: Vocabulary Builder

2006-07-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to learn more about wine, and you are the beneficiaries. So here's a new DoD feature devoted to increasing our wine vocabularies. Entry number one is a fairly basic but oft misused word, "tannin".

A) Basic definition (provided by Wine for Dummies)

Tannin: a substance in the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes; a prinipal component of red wines, which -- unlike white wines -- are made using the grape skins. Tannin also is a component of grape barrels. 'Tannic' wines are those that seem to be high in tannin.

B) More detailed explanation (provided by Wine Definitions)

Tannins are a family of natural organic compounds that are found in grape skins, seeds, and stems. Additionally, during the aging process oak barrels infuse tannin into the juice. They are an excellent antioxidant and natural preservative; also helping give the wine structure and texture. Tannins provide an important flavor dimension in wine.

Winemakers have a good degree of control, and use that to enhance the final product. They use specific juice extraction techniques to reduce or increase the amount excreted. Specifically, they can very gently squeeze the grapes to extract the juice, whereby not releasing much of the tannin. The opposite is true as well. In the case of red wine, grape skin contact is longer, the crushing of grapes is more violent, and barrel aging is longer...resulting in a stronger tannin dimension in the wine.

In concentrated quantities, it will cause occasional pucker sensation in the mouth and back of the throat. This is sometimes accompanied by a bitter aftertaste, which is referred to as tannic. Visually, tannin forms part of the natural sediment found in the bottom of the bottle.

Red wines with little tannin should be drunk young. However, a red wine that should age and improve for perhaps three or more years requires a lot of tannin. As the wine ages, the tannin softens and becomes less noticeable.

The Garage Project: Final Edition

2006-07-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been done for a while (short of my pathetic attempts at landscaping; the dabbler has no green thumb) and finally I thought I'd post some photos for you to see the end result of a project long in the making. You'll see more of the exterior patio than you will the interior, which has been covered fairly extensively in prior reports.

For fun, I'm trying out a new way of showing you photos: Flickr. See that little animated box to the left (somewhere on the sidebar) and click on it to see the photos. I'll try to post a shot or two within this entry later today, but right now something is wonky with Blogger.

Let me know if you like Flickr, or if you prefer things the old fashioned way.

Acidophilus Alert! Pinkberry vs. Kiwiberri

2006-07-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

I was puzzled recently when driving by fave cheap noodle joint Mishima, at La Cienega and 3rd in LA, to see a sign that read "Coming Soon: Kiwiberri". The resemblance to chain Pinkberry's name was not unnoticed. I had to assume that Kiwiberri was some sort of knock-off. And my suspicions were confirmed when I did a little research on the web this morning.

However, after seeing the impressive list of planned Kiwiberri franchises (see left) compared to Pinkberry's three or four, in addition to becoming impatient at the languid pace of Pinkberry's supposed bird-flu like spread around Los Angeles (none of their under-construction locations has yet to open), I have begun to wonder...is Kiwiberri the original, and Pinkberry the counterfeit? Or the other way around? If anybody holds the key to this riddle, please let me know.

Not that I really care about anything except for the splendid proliferation of 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt'. This trend seems to be catching on (or should I say, this thing appears to be on the brink of becoming a trend), and hopefully copyright infringement, patent or other potential lawsuits between the two too-similarly named outlets won't be the death of a product that should finally have its day in the sun. That is, if either company ever gets its act together and opens their doors to the yogurt-starved public.

DJ Dabble: Summer Edition!

2006-07-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

Since I've been so bad about posting (all my spare computer time has been spent scouring wine auction sites -- more on that later) I'll keep this intro to a minimum. I know you've been waiting for it, and here it is: the latest DJ Dabble Mix!

Sales have been rivaling the 'Now! That's What I Call Music!' series. Buy it on iTunes or let me know if you want a copy. As usual, preferred song order is listed here (the iTunes order is arbitrary).

1. Manteca (Verve 2 Remix), Dizzy Gillespie
2. One Big Holiday, My Morning Jacket
3. Jerusalem, Matisyahu
4. Let U Go, Ashley Parker Angel
5. Walk Away, Kelly Clarkson
6. It's A Shame, Monie Love (not available through iTunes)
7. Gone Daddy Gone, Gnarls Barkley
8. Comfortably Numb, Scissor Sisters
9. The Killing Moon, Echo and the Bunnymen
10. Rebellion (Lies), The Arcade Fire
11. Highwayman, Johnny Cash
12. The Captain, Kasey Chambers
13. Unbroken Chain, The Grateful Dead
14. Dream a Little Dream..., The Beautiful South

Wine of the Week

2006-07-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

I tried this over the weekend and it's as good as this Wine House marketing plug suggests. So buy it. There's only one place you can...

Straight from my Wine House e-mail newsletter:

WINE HOUSE EXCLUSIVE! Only Wine Store in the Country to Get an Allocation! 2004 TENSLEY SYRAH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY ONLY $17.99 A great everyday wine from one of our favorite winemakers in Santa Barbara. Most of the fruit comes from Tierra Alta Vineyard, which is right next door to Purisma Mountain. Big, rich, and bold for such a low price! Flavors of blueberry, pepper and cassis with thick richness and a silky finish. Robert Parker writes,"Joey Tensley, formerly a serious soccer player who played for an American team while living in Bordeaux, is a self-taught winemaker. His philosophy embraces basic artisinal winemaking techniques, including hand-harvested fruit, fermentation in small one and a half ton fermentors, punching down, some cluster usage depending on the vintage conditions, and little racking or intervention until the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Tensley's 2003's are very good, but 2004 looks like a killer year for this estate."

Unannounced leave of absence complete

2006-07-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'm back. I'm not going to write much now, but in days to come you'll find out more about my hobbies, adventures, and things you probably couldn't care less about. Potential topics:

-My recent visit to Koreatown's California Market

-Jollibee, a new Phillipino fast food enterprise that has enticed me with it's signage touting Crispy Chickenjoy and their signature Yumburger.

-The unwelcome arrival of humidity in Los Angeles

-More wines of the week (and the joys and sorrows of online wine auctioning)

-More restaurant reviews

-More movie recommendations

-DJ Dabble, Summer Edition

-Garage Project: The end of an era

Well, you get the idea. More of the same stuff you're already used to. See you soon.

Deal of the month: Peet's Coffee strikes again

2006-06-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

If you missed all the free coffee you could ever hope for during April, you now have a second chance to take advantage of the generous/marketing savvy chain, Peet's Coffee and Tea. They have created a new line of blended offerings, and are promoting them hard. For the next three Saturdays, from 2 to 4PM, you can get a free 'sample' of their Scharffen Berger Chocolate Mocha Freddo.

I'm not exactly sure what constitutes a 'sample', and whether the portion size is as generous as their April anniversary extravaganza. Nor am I sure whether you can get the chocolate-only product (you lame non-coffee drinkers out there) as part of this promotion, or just the mocha.

FYI, if you're unfamiliar with the company, Scharffen Berger is considered to be one of the better American chocolate makers out there.

Me? I'm just a sucker for anything free.

Wine of the Week -- Update

2006-06-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Waterstone 2003 Napa Cab...

Back from dabbling in laziness (when it comes to blogging, that is), I am happy to report on the wine I mentioned a few weeks back. If you remember, I had read about it in several newsletters, and then picked up a bottle to try out, recommending it to you BEFORE I had even tasted it myself.

Well, I've finally tried it, and I can say that the juice lives up to the hype, especially if you're a cab fanatic. To address the concerns of one reader, the wine tasted as good (if not better) five days after opening, with no 'falling apart' Prisoner issues to speak of.

Thumbs up.

We were at the Palm, everybody had matching towels (or bibs)

2006-06-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

Apologies to the B-52s. But summer is almost here, and there's a great meal deal for any fan of lobster. This is especially enticing for a California transplant who once spent her summers on Cape Cod and in Maine, where the crustacean was in plentiful supply and of the New England clawed variety, rather than the New Zealand/Australian spiny version oft found in LA.

For the next two and a half months, the Palm Restaurant (including most locations) is celebrating 80 years of existence with the "80 days of jumbo lobster" event (kudos to the marketing guy who thought such a clever name).

The deal is as follows: two salads, two family sized side orders, two coffees or teas, and one four, five or six pound lobster for $75, $85 and $85 respectively.

For anybody who has accidentally made the mistake of ordering a lobster for one at the Palm in the past (ahem, Mr. Dabbler), you will know that the Palm normally charges $25 a pound for a minimum three pound beast. That includes only the lobster and bib, and none of the other edible accoutrements. So you can see how this current situation constitutes a 'deal'.

One point of advisement: stick with the four pounder. Anything larger has probably built enough muscle traversing the ocean floor over the many years it takes to reach such epic size that it will likely be tough. Bigger is not always better as far as lobstah is concerned. Plus, you can always use the ten or twenty bucks you'll save to turf it, with the addition of a steak to your meal, or to dessert it, with an oversized piece of chocolate layer cake to accompany your complimentary coffee.

Go under a rock, or to the Palm, from now until August 19th.

Rock Lobster!!!
Down, down...

Underneath the waves
Mermaids wavin'
Wavin' to mermen
Wavin' sea fans
Sea horses sailin'
Dolphins wailin'

Rock Lobster!!!

The Ivy Pinkerton Files: "Sox in the City"

2006-06-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

From New York, Ivy reports:

I have been a bit delinquent in posting. What can I say? There are too many things to write about. I’ve been stymied by the multitude of fashion nuggets thrust upon us this season. Wedges? Black and white stripes? Eyelet? Metallic shoes redux?

Instead, I am compelled to post on a more metaphysical topic: the potential influence of baseball teams on mating. Huh? Let me explain. I have uncovered a phenomenon of which all single Manhattan women should take note. If you are looking to meet more men, don’t buy a puppy (pooper scooping is not chic, anyhow), wear a Red Sox T-shirt.

I was given a Red Sox T-shirt by my husband. Knowing next to nothing about baseball, I wore it around Manhattan and was amazed how many men spoke to me – at the bakery, post office, park, wine shop – every where I went some man would strike up conversation mentioning such foreign words as “Bonds”, ”innings”, ”outs”, and “frozen rope”, whatever the heck that is. It dawned on me that this is a total guy-magnet conversation starter. For those who don’t know, the Red Sox are totally hated by Yankees fans, which make up approximately 90% of Manhattan single men.

Being happily married, I had to tell my single girlfriends because I knew I was really on to something. In fact, I bought one dear friend a Red Sox shirt and had her report back. She says: “Suffice it to say, it worked a super-powered magnetic charm. I would say that I met more men in those three hours then in three months of wearing ‘party tops’ and four inch heels”.

Ladies, take note. Throw out your Jeter shirt – it’s not special. Manhattan men respond to controversy. You’ll get more interest with your contrarian stance – go Varitek! Go Ortiz! Go Manny! Go get your Red Sox T-shirt now. --IP

Oh Ivy, where art thou?

2006-06-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

With summer just around the corner, I bet we could all use some fashion tips. I certainly know the Dabbler needs all the help she can get. So I plead to Ivy, stop doing your actual work and enlighten us on the dos and don'ts of the impending season. We need and miss you!

Tivo Travails: end of season wrap-up

2006-05-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

With Memorial Day weekend having just kicked off the summer season, and closed off the 2005-2006 TV season, we have a lot to celebrate. Here are some of those things (and just to keep things from getting out of hand, I'll limit my list to ten -- or twelve -- items)*:

1. Everwood did not make it to the CW. After four seasons, the show was getting too expensive to produce and the ratings were decent but not good enough to warrant a pick-up.

It's a miracle that the show lasted long enough for Delia to get Bat Mitzvahed, but thank you CW for knowing when to say when. Sorry fans but your campaign was a failure...

2. I don't know if I am happy or sad about this, but I'll put it on my list anyway...Scott Wolf, former object of my desire back in his Po5 days, seems to have had a series picked up for the fall schedule. So even though Jake from Everwood will cease to exist, Scott lives on.

3. Veronica Mars got picked up for a third season. Full 22 episode order. Though season 2 was not quite as strong as season 1, the show was able to sustain its unique tone, as well as continue the mystery elements from last season in a logical, compelling manner. Thank you, CW. Airing after the Gilmore Girls next year, I believe this show has a chance to find an audience.

4. We won't have to wait another 2 years before we see the next installment of the Sopranos. Even without Adriana, this has been an excellent season and I applaud having brought Drea back for the brilliant cameo with Cosette last week. New episodes will air within the next six months or so.

5. We learned who the Carver was, and it was horrendously predictable and anticlimactic. No more need to EVER watch Nip/Tuck again. Take that one off the season pass, permanently.

6. I have kicked my Real World habit. I watched neither the San Diego nor the Key West editions. I did watch the RW/RR challenge (Gauntlet 2) but I think I'm even tiring of those. No Miz? No Trishelle? Pshaw.

7. Joey got cancelled. 43 episodes late, but it got cancelled.

8. Rather than just being a re-do of its British predecessor, the American 'Office' found its own rhythm and produced often hysterical results. The funniest show on television.

9. That is, the funniest show other than Kath & Kim. You must watch this. It's ghetto-ized on the Sundance Channel (not sure why it wound up there, it has nothing to do with independent filmmaking) but seek it out and you will be rewarded. Warning, it takes a while to get used to the accents, so give it a chance.

10. Though I've only seen about five minutes of the much praised Top Model, I thank Tyra Banks for teaching me how to 'smile with my eyes'. It was the most informative segment of reality television I have ever encountered. I now understand why ANTM fans are so rabid in their support of the show.

11. Sometimes, great TV isn't actually on TV, but on the internet. Thanks to sites like TV-Gasm and YouTube, we can all catch missed segments -- like the Clay Aiken K.D. Lang makeover on American Idol, which the Dabbler can't watch without the threat of divorce, or old pre-SNL Andy Samberg clips -- as well as viewer-created montages and mini-films that are sometimes as entertaining, if not more so, than network fare. Take for instance this merger of Marissa Cooper's death on The O.C. with the aforementioned Idol. So much more than the sum of its parts. Brilliant. The revolution will be internet-ized. (And a big thanks to Fox, too, for letting the acting-challenged Mischa Barton out of her contract.)

And finally, what you've all been waiting for...

12. Lost got more confusing over the past year, but all is not lost (I couldn't resist, even though the pun, if it's even a pun, is completely unfunny). Help is on the way in the form of my friend (and DoD subscriber, I believe) who is joining its writing staff. I know she will make sure the show stays both interesting as well as challenging.

In the meantime, I would like to offer my theory of what's really going on with the folks stranded on that mysterious island. If the Lost writer happens to read this, I'm sure you will confirm how brilliant and spot on this theory is compared to others circulating on the web.

To recap, the final episode showed us some backstory for Desmond, the character who Locke et al first encountered when they discovered the Swan hatch (though Jack had met him some years before while both were doing some athletic training in the same stadium).

We learn that Desmond was on some sort of self-imposed exile, a journey in a sailboat named for the love of his life whose father forbade him to see her, trying to buy Desmond off unsuccessfully. Unfortunately, Desmond's journey saw him wrecked on the same island Oceanic would eventually crash into. But it would be more than three years before Locke would open the hatch and find Desmond stranded there alone, to push the button every 108 minutes.

Except for that one time, which Desmond and Locke come to realize caused the plane crash of Oceanic on September 22, 2004.

So here's the theory: if Desmond had been in the hatch for over three years at the time of its discovery by Locke, then that put him there as early as September, 2001. You see where I'm going, right? Wrong!

When we see the hatch in 2001, it is equipped with the same washer/dryer as it is in 2004. A late model GE or Maytag (or maybe Kenmore, since this is the network that brings you Extreme Makeover, Home Edition) set with an orange color. Having purchased my own washer/dryer around 2001, I know for a fact that these models were not on the market.

Therefore, the Lost island is actually a top secret appliance testing lab, which requires really dirty, grungy people in order to get the washers as effective as possible. Some nasty ring around the collar can result from continuously sweating for 50 days on end without bathing.

Further proof? Kate, Jack and Sawyer were all very clean and groomed when taken by the others, but since Hurley continues to be a veritable perspiration factory, the others sent him away. When people are too clean, they either die, or are taken by the others who will then train them to become either appliance repair technicians, customer service reps (you thought you were calling Bangalore?) or Best Buy salespeople.

Forget the whole purgatory theory. Forget the whole virtual reality mental hospital theory. Poo-poo to those who claim the island is a eugenics lab started by an escaped Adolph Hitler (who is now named Alvar Hanso, even though Alvar Hanso's bio plainly states that he was part of the WWII resistance). Clearly, Lost is where new washing machines are born!

-------

And there you have it. Tivo is taking a much needed break. See you all in September. I highly recommend watching the clips that I've offered links to and offer a money back guarantee to anybody who enjoys them less than they did Cinderella Man...

Barista 101: Latte Art Contest!

2006-05-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

Have you been making espresso at home and practicing your microfoam technique these past few months?

If so, take a photo of your best Latte Art creation and send it to Whole Latte Love for a chance to win some not so bad prizes (though not as good as the Gaggia Titanium they gave to somebody last month).

Just click on this link for some more Latte Art tips and the contest rules.

Play-Doh Perfume + Ramen and Family Mart News

2006-05-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

It has been brought to the Dabbler's attention that Hasbro, in association with cosmetics company Demeter, is issuing a new scent in their line of perfumes. Demeter has puzzled me in the past with offerings including Cotton Candy and Grass. But apparently somebody at the company has the same response to certain childhood items as the Dabbler (I never claimed I was unique in my interests). You guessed it -- Eau de Play-Doh! The marketing angle on it is:

"Those fresh-from-the-can, full-of-potenial, childhood memories. Now in a convenient spray."

Personally, I don't know too many people who want to smell like Play-Doh, even if the smell of Play-Doh itself is comforting. Hurry up and get your Play-D'eau -de-toillette (I like my name for their product better than their's), to celebrate the toy's 50th anniversary, while supplies last.

Next, I wanted to add another restaurant entry as well as a small discovery in Little Tokyo (east) to my Japanese food blurb...first, the ramen joint Chabuya, on Sawtelle, is not your garden variety noodle shop. Here you can get just about the best gyoza and fresh ramen, with Kurobata pork slices, that I have had anywhere outside of Japan. It's probably no coincidence that Chabuya also has a location in Tokyo. Photo to the left is of the Los Angeles franchise.

Finally I discovered an actual 'Family Mart' on 1st Street in downtown's Little Tokyo. No bao offered, but it's a peek into the more downscale convenience store that has spawned upscale offspring Famima!! (Famima is 'Fami' from family plus 'ma' from mart; I have no idea why they thought this was a good name for the U.S. market, though I suppose it's more hip than its namesake). I suspect this particular store is a tad more run down than the average Japan based Family Mart (pictured right).

Wine of the Week: Bargain Edition

2006-05-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Finca Luzon Verde, Jumilla, Spain, 2004

The Dabbler says:

Picked this up at John & Pete's recently, because of the pretty label, the price, and past luck with its importer. At $7 a bottle, it seemed worth a try. And even with my challenged palate due to the tail end of a headcold, the wine was incredibly pleasant. FYI, the 'Verde' in the name stands for the organic farming of the wine's 100% Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) grapes, not to its color which is a deep garnet.

Robert Parker says:

The dense ruby/purple-tinged, medium-bodied 2004 Luzon Verde reveals a crisp, elegant, sweet nose of blueberries, plums, lavender, and anise. With lovely sweetness and purity as well as a spicy, long finish, it should provide plenty of enjoyment over the next 2-3 years. One of the oldest estates in Jumilla, Finca Luzon was founded by the Gil family in 1916. It has been a consistent source of high class values for a number of years, and readers should be happy to know this is completely certified organic agriculture. This offering represents a superb bargain. 89 points.

In LA find it at John & Pete's for $6.99 a bottle. In New Jersey, at Gary's Marketplace for merely $5.99 a bottle! This is an amazing steal, even at the $8 it sells for elsewhere.

Importer: Jorge Ordonez, Fine Estates From Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767.

I think I'm turning Japanese I really think so

2006-05-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

So I'm not sure if I've touched upon this yet in DoD, but I've been a longtime fan of all things Japanese. When I was a kid, I watched Battle of the Planets and Starblazers (aka Space Battleship Yamato, pictured left), played not with Voltron (defender of the universe) but with Daitarn, a largescale, die-cast metal robot whose box was completely in Kanji (I still mourn the loss of Waltham's Mr. Big's Toyland, which stocked unconventional items).* I collected manga (though I called them comic books) because I liked the aesthetic, since I surely couldn't read the words. On the more girly end of the spectrum, I couldn't get enough Sanrio. Hello Kitty, Patty and Jimmy, Little Twin Star...you name it, I had them all. Too bad the outstanding Chococat wasn't around back then.

This fascination has morphed over the years, and with three trips to Japan under my belt, it has matured into a true interest in the history, culture and popular culture of the country. I have a small collection of contemporary Japanese art (yes, the image to the right is 'Art'), a subscription to the Japanese equivalent of Dwell Magazine (Casa Brutus), and I like to think of myself as something of a Nipponophile.

But the thing I love most about Japan -- and possibly know the most about -- is its food. I have grown to appreciate the culinary delights that the Land of the Rising Sun has to offer. And now there are several places in Los Angeles where I can find out of the ordinary Japanese treats, and not just your standard Ramen or Sushi.

The first, Beard Papa, is worth the trip to the brutal Hollywood and Highland complex. Beard Papa specializes in cream puffs, made to order, with vanilla or green tea whipped cream custard filling. They are delicious. They are cheap. They are currently not on my diet. But they should be on yours. Go get them! (FYI, they are also available in New York and have recently opened up in Boston at Fanueil Hall Marketplace.)

The second, Famima!! (the two exclamation points are so very Japanese), is the U.S. name of Japan's Family Mart, a 7-11 type convenience store. In addition to band-aids, tweezers, magazines and prepared foods, they offer several types of steamed bao, prominently displayed in a case next to the check-out register. Actually, bao are not technically Japanese in their origins -- they are either Chinese or Vietnamese -- but the way they are sold here, and the feeling of the store in general, is exactly the same as it is in the countless convenience stores found across Japan; hence you will have an authentic Japanese experience, if not a singularly Japanese food. Though the convenience items are pricey, the bao are about $1.50 each and quite filling. Yum. Famima!! is quickly sprouting up all over L.A. as its American test market, and hopes to open elsewhere across the country.

Finally, on the westside's Sawtelle strip (aka Little Tokyo West) check out the generically named 'Tokyo Japanese Outlet' in the mini-mall north of Olympic, on the west side of the street. There, you'll find Pretz and Pocky sticks (apparently the official snack of anime) among countless other Japanese treats, like a mysterious starburst-esque candy that tastes like yogurt. In addition to food, you can stock your kitchen with items such as a mandolin to slice green onions with, or an omelette pan in which to cook your tamago. Most of the products sold here are $1.50 or under, so I call this the 'everything for 100 yen or so store'.

*Wow, how I love the internet. Please click on the Mr. Big's link above, and you'll be directed to YouTube.com, where you can see an actual television commercial for the one and only Mr. Big's, touting their huge selection of hard to find Starblazers and Battleship Yamato diecast metal toys and robots...

Pinkberry is spreading like Bird Flu! (but in a good way)

2006-05-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

Just had lunch at local fave M Cafe de Chaya, and a new tenant is building out the space next door. Pinkberry! One of the men there, presumably an owner or employee of the yogurt specialty shop, told me that the company is also opening up shop in Koreatown and Studio City...and other places too.

While I am overjoyed at the thought of three Pinkberries within a mile and a half radius of my home, I pray they don't pull a Krispy Kreme.

If I were really clever and had photoshop, I'd put together a map showing the rapid spread of Pinkberry across the Los Angeles landscape. It might look sort of like this map to the right, only instead of noting the death and disease of birds and humans, there would be little smiley faces to represent the infectious health and happiness that the availability of 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt' will bring to the masses.

Art Galleries -- free booze and culture! New York Edition

2006-05-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Go see this show if you're on the island of Manhattan.

Souther rocks. He shouldn't be relegated to Giant Robot (though GR has it's own cool/outsider factor goint for it), he should be represented by Zwirner, Boesky, or someone of that ilk. This is art to live with, and might prove a great investment too.

Fascination of the Week: An American Girl Place

2006-05-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday, I went to the Grove in Los Angeles -- something I rarely do anymore, and even more rarely on a weekend -- expecting the usual droves of tourists, Valley-ites (LA's 'bridge and tunnel' equivalents), pseudo hipsters, families, etc. And there I encountered something unexpected: a marked shift downward from the usual demographics, towards not just the tween set, but to kindergarteners. And almost all of these micro-shoppers (accompanied by adults, of course) were girls.

Mesmerized, I followed a veritable sea of pink to the newest flagship store at the Grove: An American Girl Place. There are so many things I could write about this experience and how odd it was; how conflicted I felt about the early indoctrination to the world of consumption these tots were receiving; at my delight at observing a girl check her 'doll' into the 'hospital' to get its 'injured eye'...'healed'. This made me lament the old days, when if Ollie the gel-filled octopus got punctured, into the bin he went. This 'hospital' was surely a win-win situation for all involved. I'm sure the parent was happy she didn't have to invest the $90 it would have cost to get a new doll rather than the $20 or so for the 'hospital' visit; her offspring was happy to have Molly back to normal, rather than having to either rename her Helen Keller, or having to resort to an eye-patch solution (while American Girl offers historically themed dolls, they don't offer pirates (yet) as a category). But I also worried about what might come next. Health insurance for dolls?

I also started adding up dollars on boxes, counting the number of dolls offered, the sets of books associated with each doll, the price for the child and doll photos that seemed to be a must-have souvenier, and the cost of getting a dolls hair braided at the 'beauty salon'. to name a few. Oh, and let's not forget the brunches, lunches or afternoon teas at the cafe, with parent, child and doll, for $16.95 a pop (doll's meals are happily free).

For merely $270, an adult and child can spend a full day at the store-cum-theme park, and for merely $60 a head, a child can host a birthday party to remember, lasting a whopping 90 minutes. The sheer amount of money that can be spent at this store is astounding. While most of the parents seemed to delight in their kids' reverie, I could see sweat forming on the brows of others, probably wondering how they would pay their mortage and buy the "Addy" Civil War era escaped-slave doll (and the twelve outfits, including the cotton -- I mean "flower picking" one below -- that she'll need to safely traverse the dangerous underground railroad). Forget about college savings. How about American Girl funds? And to fit all that crap in the house, a McMansion (with matching McDollhouse) will need to be built.Personally, I felt relieved -- another reason not to dabble in parenting, my hubby and I agreed. Or at least a reason to pray for that Y chromosome, since apparently market research has shown no need for the creation of 'An American Boy' store (though my husband, a former boy himself, pointed out that there are plenty of other items to capture a boy's imagination and their parents' wallets...video game consoles, for instance).

In any case, while I decided that I must write about American Girl, two days later I am still not really sure what I want to say or how to say it. And I am too lazy and tired to really think it through on this Sunday (now Monday) afternoon. Fortunately, I am not the only person fascinated with American Girl. And I am certainly not the best writer. Lucky for all of us, Pulitzer Prize winning Dan Neil, of the LA Times, has articulated his thoughts in a much more convincing and provocative manner (not to mention concise...) than I ever could (or will). And so timely, too.

In keeping with my laziness, I direct you to his column from Sunday's Los Angeles Times Magazine (curiosly, now called 'West') on the very topic I had planned to ponder...and sort of already have. Because you might have to register for the LA Times in order to read it, I have reprinted it here in full. Please let me know if this causes any format issues with the blog.

________________________________________

800 WORDS
Thank Heaven
Dan Neil
May 14, 2006

If you have daughters of a certain age, you've probably heard of American Girl—a lot. American Girl is, first of all, a brand: The Mattel-owned direct-marketing company sells dolls, little doll outfits, charming novelettes about the dolls in Nancy Drew-like adventures, and an array of doll accessories so vast as to founder the cargo ships upon which it all arrives from China.

American Girl is also a place, an "experiential" retail environment (read mind-numbing monster store), the latest of which recently opened in the Grove shopping mall in Los Angeles. With its own sugarplum café, theater, photo studio, doll hospital and doll hair salon, American Girl Place is to doll-obsessed preteens what bars near the airport are to alcoholics, a place to indulge their addictions to bathyspheric depths.

My plan at the grand opening was simply to stand outside and observe the families coming and going, to watch the little girls and—well, you see the problem. Such is the beleaguered state of innocence that no man's motives can be taken for granted, and it wasn't long before, under the sidelong glare of suspicious parents, I began to feel distinctly like a creep.

I introduced myself to a group of 10 parents and children gathered outside, knee-deep in the store's carnation-red bags. To celebrate Paige Mathias' ninth birthday, her friends from school and her Brownie troop made the trip from Corona in two minivans. "We had our reservation for the café in January," says Paige's mother, plainly an enthusiast. Paige was wearing an old-fashioned lavender party dress—an American Girl design, of course—and white patent leather shoes, and she was holding, boneless and limp in the crook of her elbow, her new Samantha doll, part of a haul worth $250.

As a commercial phenomenon, American Girl is as charming as it is appalling. With annual sales growth of 15%, the company racked up $436 million in revenue last year, with an estimated $100 million profit. For all its retro rag-doll simplicity, American Girl is mega-commerce, exploiting children's most primal hoarding instincts—the sort of collect-them-all mania that has provided Barbie with an income comparable to the GNP of oil-producing nations. American Girl is yet another gateway drug to the addiction of mass consumerism.

So said my cynical self. But then at some point walking around the store, I fell in love.

There is much to commend in the American Girl universe. The company's mainline products are his-torically themed dolls, such as Molly, a little girl growing up during World War II; Kit, who endures the hardships of the Great Depression and eventually becomes a cub reporter (she's my favorite); Addy, an escaped slave who makes her way north on the Underground Railroad; and Kaya, a horse-loving little girl of the Nez Perce tribe growing up in 1764 (not a particularly auspicious time for Native Americans).

It's not simply that these dolls are educational, civics lessons in Cabbage Patch drag. It's that these dolls' personal narratives take place at some time other than the present—the oppressive and hyper-sexualized, relentlessly trendy, precociously cynical reality that most children and their toys have to contend with. Forget Barbie and her late-model Corvette. Have you ever seen Bratz dolls? I give you the Bratz Wicked Twiins Ciara and Diona, raccoon-eyed, gothy tweens in platform boots looking like—in the beautiful phrase from "Sex in the City"—baby prostitutes.

I think that children, especially girls, are railroaded into their sexual awakening, a kind of premature psychic menarche that robs them of some fraction of their childhood. As a result, even the most progressive-minded fathers can be driven by the princess-making impulse, the desire to keep their girls naïve, if only for another day. Such fathers would be only too grateful to pull out their platinum cards at the American Girl counter. Plenty of mothers would too.

"When you consider all the awful things that are out there, I don't have any worries about this," says Paige's mom, Ann Rita Mathias, gesturing to the collection of store bags, and the recreational shopping binges they imply. "At least this is wholesome."

The store's other big-selling items are the "Just Like You" dolls, which are a series of 23 figurines of varying ethnic phenotypes, from dark African-featured dolls to blue-eyed Swedes. And, like Paige, girls can purchase adorable outfits matching their dolls' clothes. Consequently, you see a lot of little girls clutching tiny, cloth-skinned versions of themselves.

This seems important. At some point, before or at adolescence, girls must become aware that they have a target on their backs. Perhaps the intuition comes even earlier. As I watched the little girls wandering among the Grove's crowd of bored hipsters in mirror shades and coeds in jailbait couture, I couldn't help thinking that these dolls might serve as some sort of talisman, ever wide-eyed and vigilant, accompanying them on their long and scary walk among strangers.

Wine of the Week

2006-05-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2003

In the last week I have read about this wine at least twice, though I admit I have not tried it myself -- nor is there a Parker score (yet) to back up the hype. Considering the buzz, this could become The Prisoner of 2006. Even the folklore surrounding this wine is similar: some suggest that it's made from grapes hailing from declassified lots of several of the Valley's most prestigious cult cab vineyards (Harlan is cited on one website). At the very least, the team behind this wine says that their aim is to offer luxury wines at reasonable prices.

Likened to a "finely crafted Merlot but with the flavor profile of a plush Cabernet" in one newsletter, and praised as "immensley enjoyable now, no need to decant" in another, this seems worth a try if you can track it down.

Available in Northern California at the San Francisco Wine Trading Company ($23.95) and K&L Wine Merchants ($19.99), in Southern California at 20-20 Wine Merchants ($24.00), and at the Wine Shop in New York ($19.99).

Acidophilus Alert!

2006-05-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, a few shops on Larchmont Boulevard closed. Among these were the drab and dreary Cafe Chapeau, a diner that could have been special but didn't even rise to the standards of places like, let's say, Denny's. A neighbor of mine informed me of the closure, lamenting not the loss of the dining option, but the rumor she heard that some yogurt or ice cream store was moving in. She wondered what Larchmont needed with a dessert shop just a few doors up from 31 Flavors.

But my eyes lit up. I told her that maybe the shop would turn out to be Pinkberry, the divine West Hollywood (but Singapore feeling) yogurt outlet with the most delicious, albeit basic, plain or green tea soft serve 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt', with appropriate toppings like fresh fruit and not gummy worms offered elsewhere. The chances of this? One in a million. Well, maybe not one in a million, but probably pretty slim.

Still, every time I walked by the shuttered storefront, I searched for a sign or some sort of indication of what would be taking over the space. For several weeks, the plywood clad exterior wall remained blank, but for a handwritten request to 'post no bills'. At the sight of this, I would go into a Walter Mitty-like haze, entering a world filled with rivers of plain yogurt and raspberry flowers. A girl can dream.

Imagine my excitement, then, as I was walking down Larchmont this morning, to see the 'post no bills' sign covered with a color poster that said, "Coming Soon: Pinkberry". My prayers have been answered! This is the best addition to Larchmont since I have lived in this city. This will have a profound effect on my life, especially during the upcoming summer months. Pinkberry chose the perfect location for all sorts of reasons -- Larchmont is a heavily trafficked walk street, the shop has a distinct Asian feel and the locale is closely situated near Koreatown, there is nothing else like it available for miles around -- but I bet they didn't think of the best one...that the Dabbler lives nearby.

I couldn't be happier. On the other hand, the woman next to me a few moments later couldn't have been more upset. A longtime patron of Cafe Chapeau's, she told me she hated yogurt. Especially the kind that didn't aspire to be ice cream. She's out of luck. I am not.

Enjoy Pinkberry, folks. I know I will.

Disappearing Madeleine: Jell-o Pudding Pop edition

2006-05-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me as I was looking through the freezer section at my local grocer, seeking a low-cal treat (though still craving a deep fried apple pie), that sometime -- without any protest or fanfare -- the Jell-o Pudding Pop disappeared from existence. When did this happen? Why?

Wasn't the dessert, along with spokesperson Bill Cosby, a fixture of the 80s? It was all over the place -- not just a Marathon Bar that a few loved and most ignored, but a staple that may have even overtaken in sales the inferior Fudge-sicle. The Popsicle brand even tried to bring back the dessert in 2004, but apparently it didn't take. I'll add the Jell-0 Pop to my list of disappearing Madeleines, and I'm also curious (considering NOBODY commented on my last post on the matter, not to mention my recent posts on ANY matter) what foods/toys/whatever you might remember fondly from your youth and for which you currently pine.

Just so you know, I'm not the only one thinking about these things. If you, too, miss the creamy, low calorie delight of the 'puh-deeng' (Bill Cosby-onics pronounciation) pop, then feel free to add your name to this online petition. Or start your own petition for something else. Just let me know what it is -- the Dabbler is interested!

Wine of the Week

2006-04-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Aussie Threesome

Here's one of the best deals I've encountered lately: three wines from South Australia (that at regular price are already more than reasonable) are now carried by Costco at discounts exceeding 20%! Check to see if they stock these in your region before making the trek -- at the Los Feliz branch they were fairly picked through and my guess is they'll go fast. All are imported by The Grateful Palate, which is owned by Dan Philips (of Marquis Philips).

Hare's Chase Red Blend, Barossa Valley 2004

Robert Parker says: Located in the Marananga sector of Barossa, Hare’s Chase is a reliable producer of Australian reds. Their value-priced 2004 Red Blend (70% Shiraz, 16% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and tiny amounts of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon) offers a dark ruby/purple color as well as aromas of cherries, black currants, and flowers, a graceful entry on the palate, no hard edges, lush fruit, surprising elegance (a characteristic of the finest 2004s), admirable freshness and purity, a layered mouthfeel, and medium-bodied flavors. Drink it over the next 2-4 years. 89 points. Estimated cost $15 (Costco price: $11.49)

3 Rings Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2004

Robert Parker says: The aim of this project, a partnership between importer Dan Philips, renowned winemaker Chris Ringland, and famed grape grower David Hickinbotham, is to offer good value Shiraz from relatively old vine Barossa fruit from vineyards in the Kalimna, Gomersol, and Vinevale sectors. There are 9,000 cases of this voluptuous, supple-textured 2004. Its dense purple color is accompanied by a flamboyant, extroverted bouquet of blackberries, white flowers, earth, and background oak. The wine offers pure, supple, blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with hints of graphite and camphor. Consume this excellent value over the next 3-4 years.9 1 points. Estimated cost $20 (Costco price: $14.99)

Marquis Philips Shiraz, South Eastern Australia 2004

Robert Parker says: The 2004 Shiraz reveals blackberry, tar, pepper, and toasty oak characteristics in its spicy, rich, deep, voluptuous personality. It will drink well for 1-3 years.

This partnership between Dan Philips and winemakers Sarah and Sparky Marquis (who will no longer be making these wines starting with the 2005 vintage) has been a blockbuster success in the American market. And why not? They are delicious efforts possessing varietal character in addition to being loaded with fruit. In short, they are hedonistic, fun wines to drink ... just what wines should be. And, when you consider their prices, they represent exceptional values. The 2002s were knock-outs, the 2003s, while good, were less successful, and the 2004s hit the bull’s eye once again. 90 points. Estimated cost, $15 (Costco price: $11.49)

My Disappearing Madeleine...McDonald's Deep Fried Hot Apple Pie Locator

2006-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

At some point, whether in science class or while reading Proust, we've all learned that olfaction and memory are closely related (guess where the post-literate Dabbler learned this tidbit?). Just the other day, I was at a neighbor's house sitting with her son, who was concentrating intensely on molding his play-do. I joined in, and as I brought the squishy, fluorescent lump to my nose, I was transported by the slightly salty odor to the comfort of childhood. And not to a specific moment in my youth, but that general feeling of being a kid.

Of course, closely related to the sense of smell is that of taste. And as I age, I find myself seeking out tastes from my youth that seem to be on the brink of extinction, if not totally vanquished. I speak of brand-name items such as the individual Betty Crocker chocolate cakes that one cooked in an Easy Bake Oven; of the McDonald's Shamrock shake (they don't offer this, even seasonally, in California); of one of a kind, local delicacies like the long shuttered Wellesley Cookie Jar's wafer thin, crispy, buttery, chocolate chip cookies. The cocoa morsels weren't Toll House gooey, but tiny bittersweet punctuation marks, to cut the almost carmelized, overly sweet flavor of the silver dollar sized biscuits.

Maybe this explains my fascination with 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt', as the early 1980s saw the invention of Fro-Yo, and Columbo soft-serve machines all over the North East dispensed a Raspberry variety that was not too sweet, not too tart. My quest for acidipholous in its purer forms could be a psychological grasp at some sort of fountain of youth. Sadly, this product is not readily available in the United States, and maybe one of the reasons I feel so ancient these days.

And neither is one of my most coveted flavors of the past: the McDonald's deep fried 'Hot with a capital H' apple pie. As in, law suit-inducing, 'careful, filling is scaldingly hot' apple pie. No vented crust, no baking, and certainly no fear of lard. The item was virtually obliterated by Ronald and company in 1993.

But, fortunately, just like 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt', there are places outside of the U.S. (and apparently a few inside) that still carry the actual deep fried delight. Places, perhaps, where the people are less litigious. Lands, perhaps, where people realize that its preferable to eat a small portion of meat, fruit and vegetables, sumptuously fried to a crisp in animal fat , than humungous portions of low cost items baked (or fried) using supposedly more health conscious vegetable oils. If the health consequences are six and one half dozen, I'll take taste over quantity.

So, where can one still find the deep fried hot apple pie? While normally I would not set foot in an American fast food chain (save In 'n Out), I find no shame in having entered a Champs-Elysees adjacent Mickey D's to get my fix. Nor was I embarrassed to dine alongside Harajuku Girls in, well, Harajuku, Tokyo, on the endangered dessert. And I certainly felt no shame in Puerto Vallarta in buying the fifty-cent confection, at least compared to the 100 ounce spring break special Margaritas at Senor Frog's that I could have chosen instead. My only complaint? The sell-through on this item must not be that high, as in all countries I ended up with something akin to a warm apple pie due to the pastries' prolonged waits for suitors.

According to McDonald's Corporate Relations department, there are a few outlets left in the U.S. that due to space limitations can't accommodate the 'baking' oven and therefore continue to fry their pies (many of these are actually in Wal-Mart stores). The percentage as of 2003 stood at roughly 90% serving baked, and 10% fried. In the rest of the world, that figure can surely be inverted. Yet another reason to travel -- I can be transported not just to another country and culture, but also to my youth, when on Tuesdays before all-city band practice, I would regularly burn my tongue on the nearly boiling filling, leaving my mouth numb enough to get through an hour playing the Dallas theme song on the trombone.

I sense another issue of the Wandering Dabbler coming soon. I hear they still fry their apple pies in China...

P.S. Get your old-fashioned Easy Bake Oven soon, as Hasbro has announced plans to change the heating element from the trusty light bulb to something more akin to a toaster coil. Where's the fun in that?

Loophole Alert!

2006-04-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

If you're as persnickety as the Dabbler, you probably find yourself on phone calls trying to navigate the ever increasing web of voice activated prompts on your way to a 20 minute plus wait for a customer service representative. Sometimes the wait isn't worth the minor complaint you were going to lodge, or question you intended to ask. Recently, for instance, I spent over an hour on hold with Cingular tech support -- while sitting at a Cingular store no less -- just for somebody to tell me that pressing a little reset button on my Treo would restore the Caller ID function. Why nobody at the store knew this little tidbit about one of their flagship items, I do not know.

What I do know is that it sure would have been nice to get through to a human being right away, rather than after pushing myriad buttons, saying 'yes' or 'no' or 'technical support' only to be misheard by HAL, and ultimately having to listen to corporate Muzak for a good chunk of my Sunday.

So imagine my delight when I was told about the following website, designed to furnish loopholes to various automated call centers for corporations with whom one might be likely to have a gripe. It's called Get Human. I can't wait to try it out the next time my computer breaks down. Customer service reps, be warned!

Art Galleries -- free booze (well, maybe) and culture!

2006-04-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

New York edition

One of my favorite young LA-based artists, Saelee Oh, is having a show at Giant Robot New York, and will be in attendance at its opening this weekend. Her boyfriend, Souther Salazar, is also an artist on my 'list' and the two have a very illustrative style that is both playful and profound. Well, maybe not profound. But the alliteration sounds good, doesn't it?

Here's the flyer for the New York show. The pieces should be reasonably priced as Saelee is still an artist of the more underground or low-art variety. But she could be on the rise, you never know...and her cut-outs are intense.

Swap Meet!

2006-04-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Dabbler has been doing some organization at home, now that the garage project is coming to a close (photos to eventually follow). And with spring cleaning comes the necessary paring down of possessions. While I was able to sell a couple of items on Craig's List, for some reason I kept getting fraudulant emails in response to a desk I listed.

Hence, I am moving said desk, and other items, from Craig's List to the newly inaugurated Swap Meet section of DoD. Please send this posting to anybody you know who might be interested in the following items. Note, large items are probably most suitable for purchase in the Los Angeles area.

Item number one: reproduction mission style sconce by Mica Lamp Company. This is suitable for indoor use only, and no longer fits with the decor of Domicile Dabbler. The retail value (though it came with the house so technically I didn't pay this) is about $300. It can be yours for a mere $75 (obo).

Item number two: restored vintage steel desk with unique credenza style and bookcase design. Beautiful metallic gray/green color with glass top, in perfect condition. Purchased within the last 8 months, the desk has become obsolete due to garage project. Measures approximately 18 deep by 60 long and normal desk height. Purchased less than a year ago. $400 (obo; note, mess does not come with desk).

Item number 3: Heywood Wakefield M175/M190 China Cabinet. Finish is in fair to good condition, but still a nice looking piece. Classic deco that will never go out of style. Comes with sliding glass doors not pictured here. Please note, this photo is not of my piece, but of the same exact model. Mine is in slightly poorer condition. $400 (obo; note, top and bottom of cabinet are not attached, so it is easily transportable in truck or S.U.V.)

Somebody, please buy the Dabbler's stuff!

The Ivy Pinkerton Files

2006-04-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

From New York, Ivy reports:

Starved for Leggings

While visiting the Dabbler in LA last week I learned a few important things:

1) LA is sometimes colder than NYC in the spring
2) The Dabbler and I have the same pajamas
3) Leggings are spreading like bird flu

You might figure that when a trend is featured in Star magazine it is practically over. Not so. This one is just getting started.

While lunching with the Dabbler in a vegan-macrobiotic- inanimate-object-cruelty-
free restaurant as hip Angelinos tend to favor, I became aware of another important fact about leggings – they attract the very, very skinny. As I waited in line to order, the legging-clad woman in front of me (pictured left, center), ordered “brown rice with steamed kale” and then debated over what additional flavor-free roughage should accompany her “meal”, I couldn’t help think that I’d rather have pie (make mine meat pie) than leggings any day.

Leggings are really only fashionable on the super-skinny, cause if you aren’t whippet thin, you risk looking about as unfashionable as a pre-surgery Star Jones in dance pants (see right). And who can take that chance? --IP

Restaurant Review: Lou on Vine

2006-04-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

The Dabbler's Los Angeles neighborhood, Larchmont Village, is a great little spot, the street lined with restaurants, coffee establishments, a local general store, hardware store, flower shop and bookseller. However the restaurant category leaves a lot to be desired. Almost all of the restaurants are Italian, and the ones that aren't are either overpriced (Le Petit Greek), chains (Louise's Trattoria) or just plain bad (Cafe Chapeau, which thankfully closed a week or two ago). And there's not one place where you can go to just get a drink, unless you count the wine store where drinking on the premises is a no-no.

So imagine my excitement when I read that a new wine bar/small plates establishment, named Lou, would be opening at the intersection of Melrose and Vine. Though not on Larchmont, Lou's locale in the generic mini-mall anchored by the quixotic and always empty Flaming Patty's (home of the grease grenade) is certainly convenient.

Unfortunately, my high expectations led to a disappointing first encounter at Lou this past weekend. For the time being, Lou is a poor man's A.O.C. -- and while my wallet appreciates the financial aspect of the 'poor man' designation, my palate does not. The carefully picked wine list is really not that interesting (not even one Australian red on the menu), the food might have been good if it hadn't been seasoned with an entire jar of sea salt, and the service left a lot to be desired. I'll chalk up the last two items to opening month jitters.

The wine list must evolve, though, to include some more appealing options. Of the four wines the Dabbler and her oenophilic spouse tasted, only one was quaffable. We started with a pour of the most expensive red on the menu, a Super Tuscan which was barely a Decent Tuscan. At $50 a bottle (and a two ounce pour for ten dollars or so) it was hardly a huge loss, but I expected more from the highest ticket item. A Napa Cab, a California Pinot, and a Syrah from somewhere I can't remember were less expensive (all bottles under $35, pours in the $5 to $7 range) and equally as good (or should I say bad). The wines were too young, had been open too long, or hadn't been open long enough considering their age.

Though I'm basically panning the place, I will definitely give Lou on Vine another chance. It really is so convenient. And that it's owned by the husband of the New York Times' lead film critic means there are sure to be loads of film intellectuals and other people-watching-worthy Hollywood types hovering around. It really could be a sweet little spot.

But unless the wine list gets better, even the crispiest pig candy (heavily fried maple and brown sugar glazed bacon with a dash of cayenne pepper) won't be enough to bring me back a third time. There isn't enough food on the menu to really constitute a meal, so the wine component is quite important. And though I admire the proprietor's attempt to offer what he calls "real wine" from "family producers, regional grapes and traditional winemaking" sources, his palate could use some refinement or he might consider hiring a sommelier.

(Or, if Lou happens to be reading this, the Dabbler would be happy to share some of her recent well priced discoveries with him...Oregon's Raptor Ridge to name just one.)

Lou on Vine
724 N. Vine Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 962-6369 (no reservations accepted currently)

Name That Breed interactive guessing game

2006-04-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Bandit has joined our family, and though all of your name ideas were greatly appreciated, his slave name has stuck. Thanks for participating in that debate.

But the fun doesn't end here. It seems that Bandit, who was billed as a Chihuahua-Dachshund mix (known as Chiweenie's in the crazy-dog-people world), is probably half Chihuahua and half something else. What do you think the other half is? Several people have already suggested that he shares similarities with a breed not to be named that has been outlawed in a few states and countries, but I am in denial of such a possibility.

Keep in mind that he's over twelve weeks old, only six pounds, has very long, skinny legs and shows no aggressive tendencies. Here's a recent photo to fuel your speculation.

Finally, I welcome not only suggestions of breed, but I encourage you to designate an appropriate designer dog neologism (like Labradoodle) to describe his mix.

Free Coffee Alert!

2006-04-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

This one goes out to everybody in the vicinity of a Peet's Coffee outlet. If I hadn't been on hiatus you might have been able to take full advantage of this month long offering, but at least you still have the rest of April to imbibe.

To celebrate Peet's 40th anniversary, every Peet's location is giving away free coffee between 1PM and 3PM daily. You can get hot coffee or iced coffee. I don't believe you can get blended drinks; and if you are a tea drinker, you may be out of luck (though you might be able to argue discrimination and get a pot on the house if you're pushy enough).

Now, this isn't the type of giveaway involving a dixie sized cup enticing you to try the latest Sumatra beans or hazelnut flavored beverage. The staff asks what size you want, and it's up to you to choose. Presumably refills are allowed too.

So, if you continue to remain disinclined to become your own barista, I offer you yet another reason to stop frequenting Starbucks .

Return of the Dabbler

2006-04-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

Some new and exciting things are soon to appear on Diary of a Dilettante. You can all relax now, the hiatus is over.

Coming up, look out for:

--Free Coffee Alert!
--More Ivy Pinkerton (I hear a piece on leggings is in the works)
--Design that is actually within reach (unlike the store of the misleading name)
--Guess the Breed interactive game
--More Dabbler mixes
--Restaurant reviews (Lou on Vine, Cafe Verona)
--TIVO Travails, spring edition
--And additional random musings on art, coffee, home theater projectors and MUCH MUCH more

BLOG HIATUS

2006-04-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Dabbler is off...dabbling. She will return sometime next week with reports of her activities.

Until then, you'll have to find clever tidbits elsewhere on the internet (since this blog is undoubtedly your usual epicenter of wit).

Cheers.

Naming Opportunity

2006-03-26T11:50:00.000-08:00

We have been approved by the SOAR Animal Rescue organization to adopt the puppy soon-to-possibly-be-formerly-known-as-'Bandit'. Olive and I have spoken spoken extensively, but both of us are stumped as to what we might name our new family member. Can you help? Please post your ideas. Remember, Bandit is a boy, and half Dachshund, half Chihuahua.

Here's another photo so you can have a visual aid as you brainstorm names:

DJ Dabble: March Madness

2006-03-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is more of a mellow selection than in the past. Use it for your cool down at the gym, to help battle a bout of insomnia, or to sit and wallow in your depression. (That's what I do...)

Again, a track or two may not be available through iTunes and the Dabbler can burn and send if you'd like your own copy.

Enjoy!

1. The Blower's Daughter, Damien Rice (Sounds Eclectic 3 live version)
2. Counting Stars on the Ceiling, Stars
3. We Both Go Down Together, The Decemberists
4. Goodnight and Go, Imogen Heap
5. Into Your Arms, The Lemonheads
6. Blame it on the Tetons, Modest Mouse
7. Destiny, Zero 7
8. Thinking About You, Ivy
9. Useless (Kruder + Dorfmeister remix), Depeche Mode
10. Intergalactic Friends, Dandy Warhols/Beastie Boys mashup (not available through iTunes)
11. Killing Me Softly with His Song, The Fugees
12. Doll Parts, Hole
13. Where I Belong, Sia

Wine of the Week

2006-03-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

Two Hands Angels Share 2004 Shiraz

Get it while you can. At less than $30, with the scores this wine is getting it won't be around for very long.

Robert Parker says: "The 2004 Shiraz Angel’s Share is a hedonistic effort. A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by a fruit-filled wine with a gorgeously complex nose of lead pencil shavings, charcoal, blackberries, and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, with admirable purity, balance, and the tell-tale opulence and voluptuous texture this estate’s wines all seem to possess, it should be enjoyed over the next 7-8 years.

This brilliant operation is a credit to the meticulous winemaking of Michael Twelftree and his staff!" 95 Points

The Dabbler says: I have been saving this for a special occasion, but I haven't had a Two Hands wine that hasn't been excellent, and I can't wait to open up this particular screw cap. Points TBD.

Find it in New York at Varietal Wines and Spirits, and in California at the Woodland Hills Wine Company.

Pet Adoption News!

2006-03-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Having always felt guilty for buying a pet from a dog breeder instead of rescuing, the Dabbler is thinking about adding to her family with a pound puppy.

It was Project Manager Olive's fourth birthday yesterday, and what could be a better gift for a little lady than a baby brother? An application has been submitted to SOAR Animal Rescue for this little Dachshund/Chihuahua mix they call Bandit.

If we are lucky to pass muster with the organization, I may ask your help in renaming the 8 week old pup. Or do you like Bandit? If he goes to another home, we will be heartbroken...

Sale Alert!

2006-03-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

cisco brothers, a Los Angeles based furniture manufacturer that sells only to designers and retail outlets, is having a blow-out sale direct to the public. For those of you who are unfamiliar with cisco but have been to the Dabbler's abode, that suede chair in the living room is a cisco product.

In LA, you can find their wares at Empiric, Civilization and countless other home furnishing stores. In New York, they sell at ABC Home and Carpet, in Boston at Heartwood, and most likely they manufacture items for Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and stores of that ilk.

With prices up to 65% off, it's probably worth a look if you're in the market for a couch, ottoman, bed or chair. Skip the overrated, overpriced CA-Boom show in Santa Monica and head to South LA for some real bargains (though DON'T skip the CA-Boom home tour which features the lovely Weber residence).

ciscobrothers Showroom at the LA Design Center
5955 S. Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90047
t 323-758-8006

Hours: Thursday, March 23rd and Friday, March 24th, 8AM to 5PM; Saturday, March 25th, 9AM to 5PM.

The Ivy Pinkerton Files

2006-03-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

Airbrushed by the sea

A little while ago, I attended my niece’s bat mitzvah. It was an inspired affair, topped off with a teen-infused, Beatle band banquet and dance party. One of the attractions at the reception, aimed appropriately at thirteen year old attendees, was an airbrushed T-shirt stand. So kitschy, right?

But I wanted one, bad. Not just any one, but one featuring a flaming heart on the front and a statement that “I rocked out” at this particular great young lady’s Bat Mitzvah on the back.

Why did I so want this shirt? Truth be told, the teens convinced me. Despite all the awkwardness of hormonal changes and shape shifting, thirteen is one of the most delightful, albeit painful, time in ones life – full of potential, of becoming, but not knowing what the hell will happen next. As someone in my late twenties (wink, wink), I am as Edith Wharton said in the House of Mirth, past the point where “the warm fluidity of youth is chilled into its final shape”. And what better captures the teenage, fluid spirit than an airbrushed t-shirt?

Shortly thereafter, I found myself on a Dominican Republic beach trip with four close female friends. Among the crashing waves and the rowdy company it was the perfect venue to debut my inner teen.

At the sea, my airbrushed T-shirt and I were in perfect harmony.

--IP

The Wandering Dabbler: Puerto Vallarta Edition

2006-03-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

It had been some time since I had done any sort of leisure travel involving a pool and some sunshine. For some reason, I've been more compelled to arrange vacations around things involving culture, whether it be of the high-, culinary- or viti- variety (Europe, Japan, Sonoma, etc.). I guess this is appropriate considering seeing 'important' art, learning about the nuances of grape varietals, and eating fish next to the now closed-to-the-public Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo are all dilettantish activities. They are the experiences that make one a Jack (or Jill) of all trades and allow one to talk proudly about their vacation that involved 'learning' and 'experiences' rather than a 5 day margarita-induced alcoholic bender.

However, this week I learned a lot about the benefits of travelling to a place where there is essentially nothing to do, and no culture other than that offered by Senor Frog's Spring Break Foam Parties.

I had no expectations going into this, my only knowledge of the resort coming only from the distant memories of Charo and Captain Merrill Stubing docking here in the 1980s. So there was a lot to experience.

In no particular order, here are some things that the Dabbler found pleasant, learned, or took note of during her sojourn to 'PV', as the locals say:

--Staying at a timeshare condo, I was afforded the opportunity of occasionally preparing my own food. Hence, several trips to the nearby Mega supermarket were made, and, as in any country, you can learn a whole lot about a place by how it does its shopping, especially for necessities. In PV, the Mega was exactly as the name indicates. Huge. Products available here include not just food, but clothing, bicycles, appliances, sporting equipment, eyewear, over-the-counter Ciproflaxin and pretty much anything you can imagine. It seems that the closer to the 3rd world a country is, the larger their supermarkets are (and the less expensive the items sold there are). Which leads me to the conclusion that with Wal-Mart and big box stores taking over the U.S., we are surely slipping in status from first world to something less.

--One department more advanced in Mexico than U.S. is culture. Well, to be more specific...active yogurt culture(s). The Mexicans seem to really enjoy their dairy products, and the scope of yogurt offerings at the Mega was breathtaking. And as you all now know, the Dabbler loves nothing more than 'yogurt that tastes like yogurt', found here in abundance. Acidopholus is alive and well in PV.

--I didn't miss television. Though there was one in our room, we didn't turn it on all week. Of course, the fact that trusty Tivo was back in LA recording the season premiere of The Sopranos comforted me during my week of visual media dieting.

--I read. A lot. I read Barbara Ehrenreich's depressing but illuminating 'Nickeled and Dimed' (which offers further proof that the US is slipping from 1st world status to something else, just a tad lower); I read Vanity Fair, and pondered whether Teri Hatcher was noble in her admission of having been sexually abused as a child, or a typical publicity-seeking-Hollywood -monkey; when I ran out of gossip magazines, I resorted to the New York Times, which I read cover to cover, two days in a row!

--I ate. And I ate. And then ate some more. I continued to consume, thinking, hoping, that I would contract some sort of stomach ailment, the turista that Mexico is so well known for. I arrived in PV with Pepto Bismol and Immodium in hand. But, alas, Montezuma never took its revenge, so my liberal eating backfired just a little bit.

--I exercised. So the eating did not do the damage that it might otherwise have. The complex had a decent little workout room that enabled me to shed some of the cervezas and camarones (and yogurt) consumed over the week. So I'm not losing so much sleep over not having contracted diarrhea.

--Highly polluted Los Angeles is nothing compared to PV, where emmissions standards remain at perhaps the 1975 benchmark. I fear for the polar icecaps.

--I learned that when you ask a cab driver to take you to an authentic restaurant in PV, he takes you to the most remote and expensive place he can find, presumably getting some kind of kickback from the restaurant, or at the very least, a guaranteed fare back from some other similarly duped tourist finishing their meal just as you arrive.

--I found out that I am actually a full fledged adult as I gawked with astonishment and confusion as 20 year old co-eds on Spring Break drank 60 ounce frozen strawberry margaritas as they danced on the bar at Senor Frog's (visible from the boardwalk; I did NOT go inside). I just couldn't wrap my head around the appeal of such an activity. Come to think of it, such antics haven't ever really enticed me, so I guess I have been a full-fledged fuddy-duddy all my life. The Dabbler has never gone, will never go, Coyote Ugly.

--Tequila...I haven't indulged in the poison since 1989, at my sister's bachelorette festivities at the Golden Banana on Route 1 in Saugus. The smell of the drink makes me cringe, as do the spotty memories of Conan the stripper's stage show.

--Hence, I had some beer. I haven't ordered beer in a restaurant in aeons, not since I have become an aspiring oenophile. And the beer was tasty.

Not that one can't do shopping, eating, reading and drinking on other types of vacations, but a fun-in-the-sun week is definitely more conducive to such activities than a museum hopping, countryside touring or urban immersion kind of trip. Puerto Vallarta, rock on!

Tivo Travails: Real World Edition

2006-03-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

So I pulled the plug on my season pass to MTV's mainstay, The Real World. How can you top the Dizzy Rooster, I ask? You can't. So Austin is the end of the series' stronghold on the Dabbler's remote control (though any 'Challenge'-style show featuring the likes of the Miz, Trishelle, Danny or Coral will certainly be grandfathered).

Also, a strange fascination with 'There and Back', the Ashley Parker Angel reality series, has developed -- though being in denial, the Dabbler only catches this particular program if happened upon by 'chance', and the former O-Towner will not be granted season pass status.

If anybody has insight into the following matter please pipe in: Ashley calls his bratty fiancee/mother of his child 'Tiff' but in Entertainment Weekly she was referred to as Lynn. What's up with that? And does it creep anybody else out that Ashley calls Tiff/Lynn's live-in mother 'mom'? Or is it just sweet? For a while I couldn't figure out if 'mom' was Ashley or Tiff/Lynn's parent.

The Garage Project: Almost Completed Edition!

2006-03-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

It's still not finished but here are some photos as we enter the final stretch. First guests arrive on Saturday so we're down to the wire...

Sale Alert!

2006-03-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

Furniture junkies and Mid-Century Modern enthusiasts will delight in the bonanza of a sale being held this Saturday (10 to 4) at the Modernica warehouse somewhere east of downtown Los Angeles. The store's ludicrously overpriced furniture has been slashed down to only slightly overpriced (the Case Study storage units, for instance, are made of inexpensive birch plywood, five dollar steel angles, and your standard furniture gliders; the retail mark-up must be somewhere in the 1000% range. At the sale, mark-up is probably about 300%).

The Dabbler was treated to a preview sale last night for mailing list members, and found relative bargains (again, considering how much Modernica usually charges). For the retail price of the Eames Case Study work table that was going to be the final purchase for the Garage Project, said table, an Eames fiberglass shell chair on casters (photo to right), and a George Nelson bubble lamp (photo to left) were all procured. All are in perfect or near perfect condition. Best of all, one can leave with purchased items in hand. It's like instant gratification eBay.

A word of warning: supposedly people line up an hour before the sale so they get first crack at the merchandise. However, it seemed like Case Study daybeds, bedframes, Eames shell chairs (with various bases), bubble lamps, storage units and other items were available in abundance, so camping out overnight is probably unnecessary. I would recommend a morning visit, however.

Sale details: Modernica Warehouse, 2135 7th Place, Los Angeles. Take the 101 South to the 7th Street exit. Take a right onto 7th Street, a left onto Santa Fe, and another left onto 7th place. Park anywhere. Bring your S.U.V. (though delivery is available for a fee).

DJ Dabble is back!

2006-02-28T08:48:00.000-08:00

For your listening pleasure, please enjoy DJ Dabble Mix 2, now available at the iTunes music store (or just ask and I'll burn you a copy for free...).

This eclectic offering includes some New Wave favorites, recent reinterpretations and songs derivative of that era, and, finally, some contemporary cheesiness to round things out.

Again, iTunes arbritrarily reorders the songs, so please note that The Dabbler's preferred sequence for a maximized audio experience is as follows:

1. Love Will Tear us Apart, Nouvelle Vague
2. Since U Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson
3. Somewhere Only We Know, Keane
4. Let Go, Frou Frou
5. Shellshock, New Order
6. Breathe Me, Sia
7. Come On Closer, Jem
8. Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair, Nina Simone (Verve Remixed version ideal, but not available on iTunes)
9. Re-Offender, Travis
10. Spanish Lament, The Durutti Column
11. Prayer for the Dying, Seal
12. Transatlanticism, Death Cab for Cutie
13. How Soon is Now (live), Morrisey
14. Numb/Encore, Jay-Z & Linkin-Park

Wine of the Week -- Update

2006-02-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

Tried the $20 Brunello. It was more like a 75 pointer, Tanzer was generous. You're far better off with the eight dollar Rioja recommended earlier in the week. Cheers!

Wine of the Week

2006-02-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

Twenty Buck Carlo?

Wandering down the aisles of Trader Joe's isn't usually terribly exciting. Occasionally the store introduces a new product and promotes it heavily in their 'Fearless Flyer', such as the wondrous garlic fries that suddenly appeared in the freezer case last year. But mostly it tends to offer the same items over and over, from soup to nuts (to wine).

So imagine my surprise when I encountered a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino prominently displayed by the same purveyor who popularized Charles Shaw wines just a few years back. Ten times the price of 'Two Buck Chuck', twenty dollars is still more than reasonable for a Brunello (unless there is something horribly wrong with it), and even better for the 1999 vintage.

The winery is Casisano Colombaio. Stephen Tanzer gives this vintage and bottling only 87 points and a mixed review, calling it "a bit clenched and medicinal in the mid-palate despite possessing good concentration". But considering the pricepoint, I'm willing to taste it myself and see if it's worth $19.99. I'll let you know what I think soon.

FYI, if the Trader Joe's in your state doesn't carry alcohol, the wine retails for an inflated but still modest $26.99 elsewhere.

The Ivy Pinkerton Files: Jumpsuit update

2006-02-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

Ivy Pinkerton has forwarded a photo sent to her by “a reader, a novelist who fancies wearing jumpsuits to dinner parties" -- and, undoubtedly, other events worthy of such festive attire. The velour adds that special air of luxury.*

Ivy, might this garment also be referred to as a 'Parisian Nightsuit'?

*Readers, please don't hesitate to participate in the comments section or send tips, photos, or anything you would like published. I think the bar has been set quite low (or really really high?) by this particular write-in...so don't be shy.

The Garage Project: Tile Edition (take 2)

2006-02-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

The Dabbler has often heard that construction projects never end when they're supposed to. But she didn't think it would happen to her -- especially with Project Manager Olive on board.

Nevertheless, some things wound up out of their control, like the shoddy job resulting from the the harder-to-install-than-they-look, super-cool 'Hampton's Blend' mosaic tile. Though it may look decent in the photo to the left...up close? A disaster painful to even the untrained eye. Hence, the garage project continues long past its target finish of December 23rd, 2005.

Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, Olive interviewed about a half dozen tile contractors before settling on one. Some insisted they could use the existing tile as a base for new layer of tile they'd lay right on top of the old. Others suggested that the entire job needed to be demolished. Everyone pretty much agreed it would be more expensive to repair the myriad errors in the mosaics than to start all over again from scratch with new materials. And there was an even stronger concensus that labor costs to redo the job with the same mosaic tile would be three times as much as with a simpler, larger, ceramic product.

Hence, the Dabbler consulted with Olive, and after much consdiration and slightly broken hearts (Olive will be bathing here too, after all), they decided to use a very basic (read, boring) 3x6 white subway tile as a replacement.

Though not exactly the funky, hip environment she once envisioned, the Dabbler is happy with the craftsmanship of the job, and knows that Olive advised her to make the right decision. The look is now more classic than spa sanctuary (or spa acid-trip as some might have said). But it might just stand the test of time, style-wise, even better than the previous design; most importantly, it is bound to hold up better against dry-rot and mold.

Here, photos of the satisfied PM, in the process of putting together the pedestal sink; and a detail of the new tile, complete with inset shelf for shampoo and other sundries.

With the Garage Project heading toward the finish line, more updates will be posted soon.

The Ivy Pinkerton Files

2006-02-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

From New York, Ivy reports:

As rare as a snow leopard sighting in the Himalayas, imagine my surprise when I turned the corner and spotted this (below) in the window of a Soho store. Perhaps its emergence was inevitable, along with other late 70’s referenced items like flipped hair and tube tops that are popping up.But unlike other regurgitated trends, this one has me as giddy as a snowboarder doing a fakie mctwist (below). For the jumpsuit is the ultimate in efficiency dressing. You have your pants and shirt on (or off!) with one easy zip.

I’ve often been envious of workers who don coveralls, both for simplicity and aesthetic appeal. I imagine if I owned a company, I’d outfit my workers in something like this (below) only better tailored and with multiple color options and gladly don one right along with them.

The one downside to the jumpsuit is that if you happen to be tall like me, there is the very real fear of camel toes (below). And that is enough to put these coverall dreams back to bed. --IP

Wine of the Week

2006-02-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

2004 Bodegas Aldeanueva Cortijo III Tinto
Rioja, Spain, 100% Tempranillo

Robert Parker says: "Bodegas Aldeanueva’s 2004 Cortijo III Tinto (made from 100% Tempranillo) is a tank-fermented and aged Rioja that sells for a song. In fact, I cannot think of another Rioja at this price level that offers this much character and fruit. Its moderate ruby color is accompanied by a sweet nose of strawberries, cherries, spice box, dried herbs, and tobacco. With a lush texture, medium body, and no hard edges, it should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 1-2 years. This is an excellent bargain." 87 points.

The Dabbler says: run to the Wine House in West LA or to Larchmont Wine and Cheese and grab this $8 bottle while you can. It drinks incredibly well and would be perfect for dinner parties given the price. New Yorkers, you'll have to hunt this one down on your own. The Dabbler is too lazy to search the web right now for Tri-State area package stores carrying this gem. Yummy.

The Dabbler Visits Disney Concert Hall!

2006-02-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

Though I consider myself a culturally literate person, there are certain areas that have not called out to me in the same way as the contemporary visual arts have -- like, say, for instance, live musical performances, especially of pre-20th century genres. Maybe it's because I have a hard time embracing things that I can't also collect on my own, items that don't have some component of accumulation. Music is abstract while art has physicality. I hate to think of myself as such a materialist, but in nine years of living in Los Angeles, not once had I attended a concert at the Music Center downtown, nor had I done anything other than admire the 2 year old exterior of Frank Gehry's Disney Conert Hall. That is, until Tuesday.

The Dabbler's husband usually sticks to the old standards for Valentine's Day. Some flowers, maybe dinner. He really hasn't ever strayed from this, except for our second V-Day together when he got me one rose instead of a dozen, claiming that its simplicity was more romantic than a garish bouquet could ever be. He was quickly disavowed of that notion. (Note to men: more is more much of the time.)

So imagine my surprise when the romantically challenged Mr. Dabbler presented me on Tuesday with tickets to the LA Philharmonic, and whisked me for an evening of baroque chamber music. I was pleased with the creativity. I was impressed with the choice of venue, as classical music lends itself to romance. Ultimatley, though, the experience of the 2 hour concert was somewhat frustrating, and thinking about why that was the case has helped me to understand the reasons I have avoided going to symphony all these years.

First, I don't like hearing music for the first time in a live venue. I want to be familiar with it. I want to know what to expect. I want to know the duration. It was not my dislike of orchestral music that had me squirming in my seat on Tuesday, but rather my anxiety at having no idea when each piece would end. It was like being in a spinning class where the instructor has chosen some techno-electronica with a pulsing beat. Without an endpoint in sight, I can't turn the resistance to ten and spin my ass off; but as long as I know when the next chorus of "oops, I did it again" is going to ring out, I'm a cycling machine.

So, with Rameau (right) and Gluck (left) on the program for Tuesday's event, I was put in the position of complete unfamiliarity. All I could do was look at my watch, cross and uncross my legs, and quiver with anxiety. The chairs at Disney Hall being excessively uncomfortable only exacerbated the squirming issue. (Note to Frank Gehry: more leg room is never a bad thing.)

Next, I don't love operatic vocals, though if I am familiar with the piece, this obstacle can sometimes be overcome. On this evening, the overly flowerly compositions were sung by a diva in an antiquated gown and ringlets in her hair worthy of the 18th Century. Performed in French, a language of which I have some knowledge, it bothered me intensely that even though I could read and translate the lyrics in the program, the words themselves were incomprehensible to the ear. Ironically, even though I much preferred the style of the non-vocal selections, the fact that lyrics were printed for me to follow along with during the songs somewhat allayed my nervousness at not knowing when things were going to end. They were the "Oops, I did it again" of the LA Phil.

Finally, I realize that though I have complained about the unoriginal flower/dinner Valentine's Day combo in the past, there is a reason why it's the old standby. As romantic as going to see the Phil was in concept, it didn't allow Mr. and Mrs. Dabbler to actually interact with one another. Yes, we were sharing an experience together. But we were experiencing it differently, personally, and ultimately separately. Valentine's Day is supposed to be about connecting. (And flowers...and chocolate...and presents.)

Don't think of me as a complete philistine, however. I will happily go back to Disney Concert Hall to see any number of programs, but beforehand I will have to know the music that is being performed. This is not to say that I will only go when the Four Seasons or Beethoven's Fifth are on the docket. I do like to be introduced to new things. So I will have to get ahold of the CDs ahead of time (do I see a collection beginning?), listen, learn, and then know what I'm in for. On any day of the year but February 14th...

Movie of the Week

2006-02-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

R. Kelly's Hip-Hopera Masterpiece: "Trapped in the Closet"

For over a week now (this was meant to have been last week's Movie of the Week), Ihave been trying to find the right words to explain the myriad reasons that you must watch "Trapped in the Closet", but it's just too difficult. All I can really say is that it's a phenomenon that can't fully be explained. It's pure unintentional comedy genius.

Because the words escape me, I have cut and pasted some text from Wikipedia, as well as Chapter 1 lyrics, below. But just do yourself a big favor: get the DVD, and first listen to the audio only; then, watch the whole thing through with audio and video; finally, watch it with R. Kelly's visual/audio commentary running, in which he explains -- among other things -- the artistry of rhyming, with the example of "baretta" and "dresser" to show off his creativity. Just how many layers of literalness there are is fascinating.

You can further explore the details of each intricate chapter at Wikipedia's website, just one of many trackers of this cultural phenomenon which seems to have divided our nation. There are no Red States or Blue States. Our country is divided into those who know (and love "Trapped in the Closet", since to know it is to love it) and those who don't. Many people even intimately know the South Park episode (912) which contains numerous references to the R&B star's tome, or have seen SNL's parody, yet have no idea that it is a reference to an actual 45 minute ditty. It is the most oft-referenced, but seemingly least widely known piece of pop culture material I can think of, ever, in the history of all pop culture, in all times. This contradiction is part of what makes the 'hip-hopus' that much more hypnotic (or would it be hip-hopnotic).

If you would like a copy of the DVD on loan, my copy is currently in Ivy Pinkerton's hands. If you write me in the comments, I can have it delivered directly to you. You will not be disappointed.

------

Wikipedia sums up the basics of this triumphant but controversial masterpiece with the following description:

"Trapped In The Closet" is a single released by R&B singer R. Kelly. The song is an ongoing narrative which Kelly has sent to radio one part at a time. As of November 2005, twelve parts have been released, played on radio. The story is about a man named Sylvester, portrayed by Kelly. Sylvester is likely named after Kelly's middle name. The song is notable and unique for many reasons including its absence of a chorus, its detailed and linear narration of a story in a conversational and sometimes rambling manner, its dramatics, and its dangling cliffhangers that occur between parts. Detractors of the song argue the story is told with a choppy, semi-literate tone, while the music and vocalization are the same in every part of the song. Kelly maintains that he is a genius for pioneering what he calls, "hip-hopera."

Chapter 1 lyrics:

7 o'clock in the morning and the rays from the sun wake me
I'm stretching and yawning in a bed that don’t belong to me
Then a voice yells “good morning darling” from the bathroom
Then she comes out and kisses me and to my surprise she isn’t you
Now I've got this dumb look on my face like “what have I done”?
How could I be so stupid to have been laid in to the morning sun
Must have lost the track of time, oh what was on my mind?
From the club went to her home, didn’t plan to stay that long
Here I am quickly trying to put on my clothes
Searching for my car keys trying to get on up out the door
Then she stretched her hands in front of me
Said “you can’t go this way”
Looked at her like she was crazy
Said “woman move out my way”
I Said “I got a wife at home”
She said “please don’t go out there”
“Lady I’ve got to get home”
She said her husband was coming from the stairs
“?? quiet, hurry up and get in the closet”
She said “don’t you make a sound or some ____ is going down
I Said “why don’t I just go out the window”
“yes, except for one thing, we’re on the 5th floor”
Think, think… “quick put me in the closet”
And now I'm in this darkest closet trying to figure out
Just how I'm gonna get my crazy ass out this house
And he walks in and yells “I’m home”
She says “honey I'm in the room”
He walks in there with a smile on his face saying “honey I've been missing you”
She hops all over him and says “I've cooked and ran your bathwater”
I'm telling you now this girl is so good she deserves an Oscar
The girl’s in the bed he starts snatching her clothes off
I'm in the closet like man, what the f_ck is going on?
You’re not going to believe it but things get deeper as the story goes on
Next thing you know a call comes through on my cell phone
I tried my best to quickly put it on vibrate
But from the way he acted I could tell it was too late
He hopped up and said “there’s a mystery going on and I'm going to solve it”
And I'm like “God please don’t let this man open his closet”
He walks in the bathroom and looks behind the door
She says “baby come back to bed”
He says “say no more”
He pulls back the shower curtain while she’s biting her nails
Then he walks back to the room. Right now I'm sweating like hell
Checks under the bed (bed)
then under the dresser (dresser)
He looks at the closet (closet)
I pull out my berretta (berretta)
He walks up to the closet (closet)
He’s close up to the closet (closet)
Now he’s at the closet (closet)
Now he’s opening the closet (closet, closet, closet)

Happy Birthday Ivy!

2006-01-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

Please join the Dabbler in wishing Ivy a very happy birthday. Woo hoo! Par-tay!

Maybe if Ivy's companion takes her to a fashionable joint to celebrate, we'll hear all about the New York social scene in her next report, adding a new dimension to the always interesting 7th Avenue-centric snippets.

And maybe if the Dabbler's companion were as thoughtful as Ivy's, she, too, would have woken up to a breakfast of bagels, cream cheese and caviar instead of a self-poured bowl of Cheerios. Well, there's always next year (or Valentine's Day - hint, hint, spouse of Dabbler).