The Shores

Saturday, February 13th - The Shores; La Jolla, California

The Shores is located on the beach at La Jolla and they were offering A "Savor & Sip Pairing Dinner" that was based on chocolate in honor of Valentine's Day. The price was great: $30 per person for three courses and an additional $15 per person with wine pairings. Chelsi & Jason had attended a different dinner series at the Shores last year and really enjoyed it - this menu sounded really promising and we thought it would be a great way to kick off the trip!

Four hungry foodies


First thing first - once we were seated we ordered a drink. It had been a long day, what with getting up at the butt crack of stupid in Stinktown to catch a time machine to the west coast, and nothing helps ease the leftover tension travel like a good drink. Jay ordered a Blood Orange Martini made with Grey Goose, Grand Marnier, and Blood Orange while I opted for a drink called the Diva: Sparkling Wine, Elysium Black Muscat, and Aqua Perfecta Raspberry Liqueur. Both drinks turned out exceptionally well - either one could have been too potent or too sweet but they were subtle and tasty and packed a nice punch.

Thank you sir, may we have another?


Not surprisingly we were pretty hungry since all we'd really had to eat were those terrific burgers at Hodads earlier in ther day, so we ordered a cheese plate to share around the table. This was a wonderful cheese plate and a terrific bargain: for $10 we received Humboldt Fog, Point Reyes Blue, Winchester Gouda, and Green Hill Brie along with crostini, fresh fruits, nuts, and some kind of jam (probably fig). Apart from the blue, which I don't particulary care for, I enjoyed all of these cheeses. Nothing says vacation like a fabulous cheese plate!!

Cheesy does it!


The first two dinner courses allowed for a choice between two items while everything received the same dish for dessert. For his first course Jay chose the Sugar Cane Skewered Jumbo Prawns served with Sweet Potato Hash, Watercress, and Chocolate Balsamic BBQ Sauce. If we had a single complaint with this offering it was that it only came with one prawn - a single shrimpie isn't much in the way of an appetizer even if it is served with a tasty tater hash. It all tasted great, especially the balsamic BBQ sauce, but it would have been nice if they'd been a little more generous with the seafood.

Only one prawn ...


I went with the other option for my first course: Saffron Buttercup Squash Bisque with Citrus Herb Croutons, Proscuito, and Spicy Cacao Nibs. As skimpy as Jay's shrimpie dish was I felt like I was given a bottomless tureen of creamy, squashie soupie goodness. The soup was wonderful, especially with those bits of prosciuto. Both dishes were accompanied by a glass of 2008 Riesling, S.A. Prum, Mosel, Germany. I'm not always a fan of Riesling because many of them strike me as too sweet, but this one was very nice - light and bright.

Yum!


For my second course I selected the 5-Spice Midwestern Filet Mignon served with Mascarpone Whipped Potatoes, Fresh Veggies, and Chocolate Port Reduction. This was very good although I would have like more of those whipped taters - they were light and creamy and practically melted in my mouth. The filet was good and the reduction was a nice compliment to the meat. My wine was a 2005 Red Blend - Deerfield "Red Rex", North Coast, CA - I'm not always a fan of red wines because they can give me headaches but I liked this one ... in very small doses. It was a blend of Cab, Merlot, Syrah, Cab Franc, Malbec, and Sangiovese - it was strong and I ended up giving it to Jay because this is really his kind of wine.

Needs more taters, precious!


Jay chose the Pumpkin Seed Crusted Sea Bass with Portobello Mushroom Risotto, Candied Fennel, and El Rey Mole' Sauce. He really enjoyed this dish and said it was quite good - given the seeds and the mushrooms this was something I didn't even bother to taste. I know when I'm beat! Jay's wine was a 2007 Chardonnay, Cuvaison, Napa, CA - this wine I liked a lot even though it was supposed to go with Jay's fish. It was light and citrusy for a chardonnay, and not at all too heavy or oakey.

Seeds, shrooms, and sea bass


Dessert was the same for everyone: Half Baked Chocolate Molten Cake with Vanilla Bean Gelato, Sugar Cookie Roll, and Morello Cherry Coulis. We were all given a glass of 2007 Essensia Black Muscat, Quady Vineyards, Madera, CA. This was a lovely end to a very tasty meal - gooey sticky chocolate and rich vanilla gelato with a dessert wine that tastes just like port! It was almost too much, but we all made an heroic effort to clean our plates.

Mmmmm, dessert!


All in all this was a wonderful meal in a lovely setting - the food was well prepared and nicely presented, the service was good, the drinks were generously poured, the comapny was fabulous, and who among us doesn't enjoy listening to the sound of the ocean waves lapping the shore while having dinner? If we lived in San Diego we would definitely pay The Shores another visit. As it is, dining there with our friends was a great treat - one we hope to repeat some day!

Hodads - Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

Saturday, February 13th - Hodads Burgers and Paradise on Earth Two Thousand Miles and a Beach Away from Stinktown!

Considered one of the best burgers in America and recently listed by CNN as one of the five best burgers in the entire country, Hodads has been flipping beef patties in Ocean Beach since 1969. The place is something of a dive but don't let that fool you; these burgers are so good that people - the four of us included - will stand in line outside the store front for a table inside the cramped little establishment where burger nirvana awaits. I'd say we waited in line for about 30 minutes before a four-topper opened up, but who cares about wait times when you're with your lovey, your long-lost foodie friends, and are standing two blocks from the beach in 70-degree temperatures with an ocean-kissed breeze blowing through your Stinktown hair?

Pacific Ocean with high waves


Hodads from a distance


Some interior shots of the establishment for your viewing pleasure:

We all ordered tall glasses of refreshing water along with some beer to get the trip properly started; Jason, Chelsi and Jason (yes, there are two Jasons ... get used to it!) also split an order of onion rings which came with "I'm not crying" hot sauce for dippage.

Onion Rings o'Plenty

I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with tomato - they held all the other stuff that normally comes with the burger (onions, lettuce, mayo) because I don't like any of it, especially on a burger. Jason ordered a bacon cheeseburger basket, which means his came with fries. This was one of the best cheeseburgers I've had in a long, long time. The meat was juicy and flavorful without excess grease; the bun was fresh and soft; and the bacon was amazing - rather than plop down a couple of slices they formed a sort of bacon patty that was placed over the hamburger patty, ensuring that each bite was filled with bovine-porkie goodness!

Bacon Cheeseburger


Bacon Cheeseburger Basket

So, was Hodads worth the wait?

Hell, yes!

Would we go back again?

Absolutely!

Should you pay Hodads a visit when the opportunity presents itself?

Yes indeedy, because as they so succinctly state on their website: cows taste good!!!

Eleven Eleven Mississippi

Saturday, February 20th - Jay & Bendy Try a New Dinner Spot Way Far Away in Downtown St. Louis

Here's how it all started:

STL Foodie offered a really unique and fun product around the Christmas holidays: a pack of 52 playing card-sized gift certificates worth $10 off a meal at 52 specific St. Louis restaurants. They are all owner-operated establishments and many of them are trendy hot spots - for $30 we were able to buy the entire pack and a portion of the proceeds were donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I can't pass up something like that - a worthy cause gets some much needed money and my belly gets some much needed food!

Jay and I had tickets for the St. Louis Symphony's performance of Bugs Bunny on Broadway this night and since we were already going to be driving so far from home we thought we might as well use one of our gift certificates to try a new restaurant. I chose Eleven Eleven Mississippi because it's located about five minutes from Powell Symphony Hall and because their menu really sounded appealing. They market themselves as a blend of Northern Californian and Tuscan influenced cuisine operating as something along the lines of a wine country bistro. The restaurant is located in a restored historic brick warehouse in the Lafayette Square neighborhood. That doesn't mean much to either Jay or me ... we just want good food, especially if we're driving 45 miles out of the way to eat it.

Now, to be totally fair and upfront, I was sick last weekend when we dined here. I brought home a nasty cold from California and I'm more than willing to admit that my tastebuds may have been off. But I will say this: Jay didn't disagree with my final assessment and he wasn't sick then and still hasn't gotten sick one week after the fact. So, he either agrees with me one hundred percent or just doesn't care enough to offer up a dissenting opinion. ;-)

Our reservation was for 5:30PM - we arrived a bit early but were seated immediately. The restaurant was only about 1/3 full at that time but when we left the place was packed. It's popular, no doubt about that. Our waiter took far too long to make it to our table and thankfully a completely random waiter brought us some water to drink ... he probably thought I was going to choke to death with all that hacking I was doing at the table.

Eleven Eleven prides itself on having a comprehensive wine list. It was decent but I can't say that Jay or I were bowled over by it. Maybe if we'd had a server who was more interested in discourse we might have pursued it a little further and opted for a wine flight, but he really wasn't overly helpful so we just selected a glass of Pinot Grigio for me and a Shiraz for Jay.

We split an appetizer that had tremendous promise based on the menu description: Wild Boar Ravioli with Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Raviolis


My issues with this dish were two-fold; first of all it was drowning in sauce and secondly there was hardly any filling in the ravioli. It's a Stinktown failing to smother pasta in so much sauce that it's impossible to taste anything else, but I do not like that habit one bit. A little bit of sauce goes a long way and when there is a surfeit of it I always end up wondering what the kitchen is trying to hide. In this instance I think they were trying to hide the fact that these little pillows were only half filled with beef ... or boar ... or whatever it was supposed to be. There was just a hint of gamey flavor but with all that damn sauce it was really hard to tell what kind of meat went into that filling. I was disappointed - this sounded so wonderful when I read it on the menu and the result was mediocre at best.

Jay and I both ended up ordering dinner specials for our entrees. I selected the Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops with Grilled Spinach and Apricot Risotto - there was also a port wine reduction mixed with a buerre blanc. The scallops were pretty good - I did get one that was way too chewy and gristly to eat, but the rest were cooked very well and were light and silky. The sauce was a nice compliment to the scallops but again ... there was major disappointment with this dish and in this case it was the risotto. I expected the apricot to be very subtle but instead it was overpoweringly sweet and I couldn't eat more than one forkful of it. I will give them credit for cooking the risotto well but the apricot was a total mis-fire and ruined the whole effect of the dish. Who wants to eat sweet risotto with their scallops? BLEH!

Scallops and plain old bad risotto


Jason ordered the veal shank which was served on a bed of creamy mashed taters and vegetables that unfortunately included mushrooms. His dish was the real winner of the night - the meat was tender and flavorful and those potatoes were a creamy dreamy taste treat! Luckily he shared them with me so I was able to experience some spud-love.

Veal Shank


I was less than impressed by the dessert menu. I must be turning into a demanding snob in my old age, but it seems like everyone has the same damn dessert options: creme brulee; bread pudding; dark chocolate cake; some kind of banana-y dessert; and maybe gooey butter cake as a nod to local tastes. We went for the one thing that we thought sounded different and chose the Peanut Butter with Dark Chocolate Tower, Peanut Brittle Crisp, and Concord Syrup. We both ordered cappuccinos to drink with dessert.

The mousse looked promising and was very light; the initial taste was reminiscent of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup so I thought that we might have found a winner but then unfortunately it finished off with a really sour aftertaste that no amount of chocolate could erase. We also were under the impression that the sauces on the plate were supposed to be salt caramel and chocolate ... instead we got something that tasted like runny grape jelly and simple syrup. Too sweet again - BLEH!

And, just to continue the nothing made Bendy happy at dinner theme, there was far too much foam in my cappuccino and not nearly enough coffee. So there!

Foam-u-ccino and a horrid peanut mousse thing


We really felt like the restaurant was trying too hard to impress. There are some great ideas on the menu and the presentations were nice in most respects but the flavors need work. In many cases what we found was that certain aspects of a dish overpowered the primary item; for example the tomato sauce that covered any taste of the wild boar ravioli. Perhaps Jay and I are just becoming more discerning and demanding after having a chance to try different things around the country; perhaps my under-the-weather-ness influenced my taste pickiness; perhaps the kitchen had an off night. All I know is that the experience wasn't good enough or impressive enough to warrant a second visit.

As an end note, I'd just like to say that Bugs Bunny on Broadway was tremendous fun and if the show ever makes an appearance in your city and you have the opportunity to attend, do so! The show has great cartoons including What's Opera Doc? The Rabbit of Seville, and a Corny Concerto and truly wonderful classical music performed by a first class orchestra. Even though I was feeling pretty punk I'm glad we decided to go - laughter is the best medicine after all!

Small Batch Bourbon Tasting

Harvest Restaurant, St Louis, MO - Small Batch Bourbon Tasting and Dinner to Boot!

The internets are a wonderful thing when they bring an endless parade of tempting local wine, beer, and spirit events to my email inbox. I have been pleasantly surprised by the variety and number of events that are being held on a fairly frequent basis in the metropolitan area and have begun selecting events with a more practised eye. To that end, when I was on the receiving end of Harvest's January newsletter and spotted a Bourbon / Appetizer pairing on the one Wednesday night Jason didn't have to work late, I was on it faster than a Disney foodie freak on Food & Wine Festival special event booking day!

For a mere $30 per person, the restaurant was hosting a local spirit expert who would provide eight small batch bourbon tastings, each paired with a yummy appetizer to prevent guests from falling out of their chairs in a drunken stupor. I took a big risk attending something like this in the middle of the week - one never knows what will set off that goblin bastard what lives in my intestinal tract - but spirit tastings are much harder to come by in Stinktown and we've only recently discovered the joy of bourbon, so I rolled the dice and on this night came out a winner!

There were about 25 people in attendance, which surprised us - in a good way. It's nice to know that there are others out there who enjoy this kind of stuff ... hopefully it will encourage local restaurants to continue offering events like these which are both educational and drunkenly delicious!! We tasted the bourbons in groups of three because table space was at a premium. Taking pictures of all the shots was rather pointless because they all looked the same, but I did take one and will include it here just for fun.

Here are the bourbons we sampled with tasting note information:

Conecuh Ridge: 90-Proof; Aged 6 years; Dark Amber; Tastes of Butterscotch and Sugar Maple Candy

Four Roses Small Batch: 90-Proof; Aged 6 years; Medium Amber / Dark Gold; Tastes Spicy with Sweet, Fruity Notes

Four Roses Single Barrel: 100-Proof; Aged 9 years; Deep Amber; Tastes of Honey, Maple Syrup, and Cocoa with hints of Ripe Plum and Nutmeg

Jefferson's (a personal favorite of Jay & Bendy): 82-Proof; Aged 8 years; Amber; Tastes of Vanilla, Caramel, and Dried Fruit (pairs wonderfully with mulled cider!)

Jefferson's Reserve: 90-Proof; Aged 15 years; Deep Amber; Tastes of Vanilla, Raisins; Caramel and Butterscotch

Old Pogue: 91-Proof; Aged 9 years; Medium Amber / Pale Bronze; Tastes of Maple, Caramel, Plum, and Sweet Corn

Rowan's Creek: 100-Proof; Aged 12 years; Deep Amber; Tastes of Honey, Vanilla, Citrus, Caramel, Cinnamon, and Molasses

Noah's Mill: 114-Proof; Aged 15 years; Deep Copper; Tastes of Butterscotch, Vanilla, Citrus, Pecans, and Brown Sugar

And then we were told that we were going to get a sample of pure Rye Whiskey that the distributor had just received that morning - hot damn! Bonus Booze is one of our favorite daily life surprises!!!

Bonus Booze: High West Whiskey Rendezvous Rye; 92-Proof; Age Confused because it's a blend of a 6-year 95% Rye and a 16-year 80% Rye; Amber; Tastes of Spicy Cinnamon, Caramel, Honey, Mint, and Vanilla. This baby won a double gold medal at the 2008 World Spirits Competition ... just another reason I wish we lived somewhere other than Stinktown. An interesting note about this Rye - it's made in Park City, Utah. Maybe I'm the only one who thought it was odd that in a fairly dry state someone has established a first-rate distillery ... but then again maybe it's not so odd after all - Lynchburg, Tennessee is a dry county and they push out barrels and barrels of Jack Daniels on a daily basis.

Jay and I were in complete agreement about the bourbons that we liked best: Jefferson's, Four Roses Small Batch, and the Rendezvous Rye. We liked the Rye so much that we bought a bottle at the end of the event because, as I rather tipsily explained to Jay, this would allow us to make the perfect sazerac at home since we already have the Absinthe and the Peychaud's bitters! Jay told me later that he was quite impressed with my ability to recall the drink recipe after downing all that bourbon, especially since I'm so forgetful in everyday life. Perhaps bourbon has amazing restorative powers when it comes to my memory?!

Bourbon times three!


Our appetizers for the evening were wonderful and creative; I will list them out and then give you the pleasure of looking at the pretty pictures - they are listed in the order in which they were served.

Maple Cured Smoked Trout Salad with Preserved Lemon; Rosemary Grilled Chicken Salad with Belgian Endive and Blood Orange; Harvest's Specialty Canadian Bacon on a Toasted English Muffin with Brick Cheddar and a Quail Egg; Smoked Venison Sausage on Crispy Grits with Dried Cherry Relish; Butternut Squash Custard with Parmesan Crisp and Balsamic Reduction; Pork Rillettes on a Garlic Crouton with Apple Butter; Honey-Vanilla Foie Gras Terrine on Brioche Toast with Candied Orange Zest; and Candied Bacon with a Toasted Pecan Gremolata.

Jay and I agreed that most of these were pretty good; of them all we thought the Butternut Squash Custard was the least memorable - it was just very bland and no amount of balsamic could save it. From my perspective I didn't care for the Rosemary Grilled Chicken Salad (too many nuts) nor did I like the Pork Rillette which just had a very strange taste to me that was not at all pleasant. The winners of the night were the miniature Quail Eggs Benedict, the Foie Gras Terrine, and the Candied Bacon!!

Trout Salad on a Chip and Chicken Salad on Endive


Same as the above but look at the Quail Egg Benedict!


Butternut Squash Custard, Pork Rillette, and Venison Sausage


Candied Bacon and Foie Gras Terrine


The Quail Egg Benedict was amazing ... in part because of its dollhouse-like serving size, but also because the taste was simply incredible. Everyone at our table agreed that it was just a wonderful little treat and we all would have liked to have had more. Unfortunately the appetizers were limited to one each, per guest. The Candied Bacon was actually more like a slab of pork belly but this was amazingly good - the perfect mix of sweet and salt - and not at all fatty like the pork belly that the Leather Meat Puppet served at his signature dinner back in October. And was I ever pleasantly surprised by the Foie Gras Terrine! When we tried terrine at Bistro Paris a few years back neither one of us cared much for it ... cold liver gacked us both out and we decided that our preference was for seared fatty liver, preferably served with some fruit. I don't know why we liked this version so much, unless it was because it was served at room temperature; all I know is that it had a wonderful, mild flavor with just a hint of sweetness and it was so smooth and buttery that I'd be willing to eat it again!

I mentioned earlier in this post that we were able to purchase a bottle of the Rye - the gentleman leading the tasting was no dummy ... give people a minimum of eight half-ounce shots of bourbon with an option to try more of their favorite(s) and they will invariably want to buy something at the end of the event! He gave everyone a $5 per bottle discount for each purchase so we bought the Rye and we bought another bottle of Jefferson's because we had exhausted our supply mulling cider for everyone over the holidays.

Bendy saves her biggest smile for booze!

I have to admit, it wasn't in our original plans to stay and have dinner at Harvest that night, but Jay and I both felt that it was in our best interests to do so. See, after the first three shots of bourbon we were both "feelin' fine!" I distinctly remember saying that I wasn't even cold any longer. After the next three shots and a refill on the Four Roses Small Batch I looked across the table at three Jasons and said, "Buddy, if we don't stay for dinner I don't think I'm going to know which one of you to go home with."

And just like that it was settled. Luckily we were seated right away and it was our good fortune that Harvest was offering their Restaurant Week special which was any three menu items for $25 or any four menu items for $30 - that's a steal! And Harvest is one of the best restaurants in the St. Louis area - it won't wow you with its decor but the service and menu more than make up for its plain appearance. And isn't that what we all want?

Of course it is! And for any of you friendies out there who may happen into Stinktown some day ... if you have the time, get yourself to Harvest for a wonderful meal made with fresh local ingredients - it will be worth the visit.

As for our dinner, for some reason Jay and I both decided that we needed more alcohol ... like we hadn't already had enough ... hahaa! Jay opted for a glass of red wine but I spotted a specialty drink on the cocktail menu and had to order it: The Highlands Scotch Cooler! It was made with Glenfiddich 12-year Scotch, Lillet, Navan Vanilla Liqueur, and a splash of Grand Marnier and served on the rocks. This was a terrific drink and as soon as I get my hands on some Lillet I'm going to try making it here at the house - who doesn't like a drink that's comprised of four different types of alcohol???

Highlands Scotch Cooler

To start the meal, Jay and I both ordered soup ... I went with the Butternut Squash Soup with an Apple Muffin and Cinnamon Creme Fraiche. Jason requested the other soup on the menu that evening: Smoked Cauliflower Soup with Pickled Vegetables and Olive Crostini. Oh, imagine the horror when the waitress had to tell Jay that they were out of the Cauliflower soup!!! I felt bad for him because once again, something he tried to order while we were out was suddenly unavailable, but Jay is a trooper and just switched to the Butternut Squash soup instead. And I don't think he was disappointed because this soup was wonderfully rich and delicate, although a little more like a puree than an actual soup. Regardless, it was warm and sweet and spicy and so delicious that we were both trying to find acceptable ways to lick our respective bowls clean.

Harvest also provided wonderful fresh, warm bread for us to enjoy with two different spreads: Bean Paste (tastes like Hummus!) and Brown Sugar Butter (tastes like Yum!).

Bean Paste Spread and Brown Sugar Butter

Fresh Bread


Amazing Butternut Squash Soup


When it came time to select our second course there was never any doubt as to what I was going to select: MEAT BUTTER!!! Yes Virginia, there's still a Stinktown restaurant with the stones to serve foie gras!! So I ordered the Pan Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Brioche French Toast, Candied Kumquats, and Star Anise Gastrique. What can I possibly say to convey to you all the depths of my digestive joy? We haven't had foie gras since April 2009 and this was just as good, just as smooth, just as buttery, as we hoped it would be. Our only complaint was that there wasn't more on the plate because we both wanted to eat it!

Foie Gras ... is that a celestial choir I hear?


Jay selected the Lobster Macaroni and Cheese made with Fontina Cheese and Creamy Lobster Sauce. I have to say, although I'm not a big fan of lobster in general this was really tasty. It was very creamy but not sticky and had nice chunks of lobster meat and just a hint of spice. If meat butter hadn't been available I would have chosen this as my runner-up appetizer.

Lobstah Mac-n-Cheese


While waiting for our entrees to arrive, Jay and I were being silly (what's new?) and we each posed with a bottle of the bourbon we'd purchased. Only Jason's was worth sharing - mine was just scary. Here you see him listening to the sweet, siren song of Jefferson's ...

What's that? You want me to drink you???


Jason selected the Heirloom Pork Mixed Grill which included Pork Tenderloin, Braised Pork Belly, and Choucroute with Cinnamon Sauce and Apple Butter. I had a taste of the tenderloin and thought it was amazing - tender and bursting with spicy sweetness!

Pork Trifecta!


I decided to order Harvest's evening special for my dinner: Beef Tenderloin with Spinach and Parmesan Cheese Polenta. There were also two sauces, one of which I believe was a wine reduction, but I requested them served on the side since the Crohn goblin is not a fan of sauce (he doesn't seem to mind bourbon, though!). The meat was prepared medium, just as I'd requested, and it was wonderfully flavorful and tender. And the polenta was awesome - creamy with just a hint of cheesy bite to it. I only finished half of this - the eight appetizers from the bourbon pairing finally caught up with me I suppose!

Beef Tenderloin and Polenta


Harvest is famous for their amazing bread pudding and on any other night we would have ordered some along with a cheese plate, but even remorseless eating machines have a threshold, and we'd reached it. Still, it was an amazing meal and a really fun and informative bourbon tasting. We skipped away from Harvest that night as warm and happy as it's possible to be in Stinktown in January with snow falling from the skies. Harvest remains one of the best small, locally owned restaurants in St. Louis - we give it our highest rating: Monstrous Fine!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year my dear food-n-booze loving friends! My wish for you all is that 2010 be a year filled with love, laughter, prosperity, good health, and fabulously tasty food and drink.

Jay and I were recently forced to change up some of our vacation plans for this year due to work issues, so much to our disappointment we had to cancel the September 2010 transatlantic cruise leaving from Barcelona, Spain docking in Port Canaveral, Florida two weeks later. This was a rather bitter pill to swallow but it has been sweetened somewhat by the plans we've tentatively put together for the upcoming year.

February 2010 - we're going to San Diego to visit with our DIS-friendie Kabuki and her wonderful hubby Jason. We've never been to San Diego and Jay's never even been to California. Things we're planning to do: Sunday brunch at the Hotel de Coronado, seeing the sights in Balboa Park, and a day-trip to Disneyland!!! We can't wait to see our friends and visit a new city!!

May 2010 - we're spending a week in Vegas for the hubby's 40th birthday! We've also planned it so that we will be there during Vegas Uncorked so we will have an opportunity to experience a totally different food and wine festival. For his big birthday giftie, I'm taking Jay to the Mansion for dinner. The Mansion is Joel Robuchon's oooh-la-la restaurant at the MGM Grand - this place has been awarded three Michelin stars, that's how good it is. There is no question about what we're having for dinner: the sixteen-course tasting menu! Oink Oink, baby; Bendy loves you!!

We're also planning on dining at Stripsteak (that sounds naughty, doesn't it?); Fleur de Lys (Hubert Keller); Serendipity; a fabulous sushi place as yet to be determined, and the rest is up in the air. We may even try to attend the Grand Tasting event through Vegas Uncorked ... it's supposed to be pretty damn good!

October 2010 - the return visit to WDW and Epcot's 15th Annual Food & Wine Festival that wasn't supposed to happen because we were going to be on a cruise. We've got ten nights booked at our all-time favorite October stomping grounds: The Beach Club Villas!!! Our annual passes don't expire until the end of the month and we've got some Southwest Airlines gift cards to pay for airfare - this trip was just meant to be. No milestone birthday this year so I'm not ordering a custom-made birthday cake or hosting a wee get-together, but rumor has it that there are Ditch meets in the works already. Jay and I will be more than happy to join everybody in the Ditch for a margarita or five ... I promise not to spill water all over everything this time!

Big hugs and best wishes to you all - make 2010 the best year you can and don't forget to laugh!