TasteMaker HOU

WINE REVIEW: FANCY PANTS PINOT GRIGIO

So far I've only posted positive reviews. Now, perhaps that is the best risk management technique to use in this day and age. Did you hear about the Houston restaurant that is suing a restaurant reviewer for his negative review? Don't worry, my TasteMaker followers, I ain't scared... I will ALWAYS review it EXACTLY as I taste it. Go ahead, they can try n' sue me... they'll git' nuttin'... cuz'... well... I got nuttin', actually... :(

Back to the wine at hand. I just HAD to pick up this super cute bottle of Fancy Pants Pinot Grigio when I stumbled across it in Target (no I wasn't drunk!). This is a classic label and name to attract the impulse buyer of the female in all of us. Beautiful turquoise label, fancy golden design, um... Fancy Pants... even a tag line to get the perfect balance of testosterone / estrogen juices flowing in the bra-less, chest-pounding feminists out there as well - it reads "I Wear The Pants" in italic Apple Chauncery font (what? that's what it's called, look it up if you don't believe me).

While the wine is beautiful in the bottle, in the glass it has zero character. Yes, floral notes... but I can't put my finger on it. Yes, citrus... but I don't know which. When I took my Sommelier's Certificate exam, I had pretty much nailed the blind-tasting portion and can tell the difference between a Chianti and a Rioja just by smelling it. (yes, I am the wine version of a circus freak - popular at parties when demonstrating this stunt. I also take the cork off of a Champagne bottle with a saber... You want to hang with me now, don't you... I digress...) Fancy Pants doesn't even taste like a Pinot Grigio. If it was in my blind tasting I would only have been able to say, "Um... I think it's white." Also, it says it goes with chicken, steaming fish, swiss cheese, and the atomic bomb? (see photo). What IS that???

At $11 a bottle, don't let yourself be sweet-talked by the surface beauty of Miss Fancy's Pants... At this price, go for the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc / Viognier Blend. The label is much less interesting, but you won't be embarrassed when you serve it to your friends (the kind with taste-buds anyway...).

REVIEW: LOOK AT HER, TOUCH HER, BUT DON'T SPEND YOUR MONEY ON THIS TRAMP :-P

RESTAURANT REVIEW: L'OLIVIER

Recently it was our 7th wedding anniversary and we were looking to try a new, romantic place around town. We were thinking Parisian and stumbled upon L'Olivier Restaurant & Bar - Houston. It's been around for 2 years and I had never seen it, never heard of it... that is, until now. This restaurant has everything. It is suitable for romantic evenings, large gatherings (you can reserve a beautiful private room), or just sit at the lively bar. The service is casual and friendly, while the atmosphere seems more upscale. Also, when it's not 100º outside, they have a lovely patio lined with fragrant rosemary and lavender plants. Oh! And, yes, the patio is doggie-friendly as this restaurant was recently named one of the best doggie-friendly patios in Houston Press! Woof woof!!!

Although there is a 3-, 5-, and 8-course tasting menu complete with Sommelier's pairings, I chose to create my own tasting menu. Yup, Miss Independent, don't need no one tellin' me what to do! :-P Of course I started off with a glass of Champagne... obligatory. First course, Honey Goat Cheese & Truffle Ravioli in a Light Sage Sauce paired with a Pinot Blanc from Alsace. Second course, I had the house Bouillabaisse paired with a Rosé made of Grenache and Cinsault from Tavel, while the husband had the Sous Vide Short Ribs with Saffron Potato Stack and Leek Tart paired with a lovely Cinsault from the Languedoc. And lastly, because it was our anniversary they came out with a beautifully decorated plate that said Happy Anniversary in Chocolate and we shared the Nutella Brownie with Bazooka Bubble Gum Ice Cream on top. Yup! Sounds corny, but oh my my... so Goooooood!!! :-D

REVIEW: TWO THUMBS UP, GO, AND GO NOW!!!

RESTAURANT REVIEW: 60° MASTERCRAFTED

We had a fabulous dinner at the new 60 Degrees Mastercrafted restaurant last night - a farm-to-table concept with an intriguing wine list. Their Sommelier is a female - Yay, Girl Power! Did you know that women usually make better sommeliers than men? It's due to biology. God/Mother Nature gave us better sniffers so we could sniff out what was good and what was bad and/or poisonous for our offspring to eat. Actually, now that I think about it... Girls are much better than boys at most things... except peeing drunk in the woods... and... maybe throwing a baseball overhand... but anything other than that, really...

Anyway, it was a lovely meal and the service was pleasantly attentive. The hostess even complimented how much she loved my skirt! The decor is upscale but relaxed, with exposed beams, natural hardwood floors, a glass wine storage wall, open kitchen, and each table has a fragrant bouquet of fresh herbs. My husband and I shared everything and started with the Green Tomato & Jumbo Lump Crab and a bowl of the Seafood Gumbo, which is the soup of the day on Fridays. For entrees we had the Three Pork, which included pork belly, spareribs and sausage... and also the Austrian Chicken Schnitzel, which my husband thought was "dry", but he doesn't like pickles and it is obligatory to eat your schnitzel with a bite of succulent, vinegary pickles... DUH! I LOVED it, ate every bite on the plate and wasn't embarrassed when the waiter took away my super clean, white plate... nom nom nom! We washed it all down with a reasonably priced ($64) bottle of Torbreck Grenache - it had a lot of fruit and well-balanced acidity and paired beautifully with the amalgamation of different foods on our table.

Our whole experience was very positive, that is, until my husband gave our valet ticket to another waiting patron, who was entirely put off by the bumbled gesture (can't blame him!) Ooops, that was embarrassing... but obviously not the restuarant's fault :-P

REVIEW: TWO THUMBS UP, DEFINITELY GO!

And here's what wines go with those Mac n' Cheese recipe variations below...

Truffle Mac n' Cheese: Pair anything with truffles or other kinds of mushrooms with a nice earthy Pinot Noir, say from France (Burgundy) or an Oregon or California Pinot that are known to be made in the "Burgundian" style.

Summer Peas & Fresh Basil Mac n' Cheese: This light and verdant addition to mac needs a white wine, but with the creamy cheeses we need something that is also creamy and has some weight to it. Chardonnay would be perfect! And yes, I know, I have some Chardon-nay-say-ers out there... but I challenge you to try a nice, crisp Chablis... You'll never know it's *gasp* Chardonnay! :)

Italian Sausage & Oregano Mac n' Cheese: Ahhhh! A nice, relaxing, no frills, cheap Chianti. That was easy!

CHEERS Y'ALL!!!