Chow

Malbec: A nice little french grape gone badSome friends recently returned from Argentina with a once-in-a-lifetime bottle of Alta Vista Alto Malbec 1999, complete with a 3-digit price tag. With characteristic generosity, they invited a small group over for a Malbec tasting. The theme was decidedly Argentine, and contributions included the $7 Alberti 154 2006, Martino 2003 ($20), Casa Marguery 2005 ($15), and Nandu 2004 ($15). In a sporting mood and with nothing else to offer, I added Domaine de la Pepiere, a $13 Loire Valley Malbec blend.

Malbec: A nice little french grape gone badSome friends recently returned from Argentina with a once-in-a-lifetime bottle of Alta Vista Alto Malbec 1999, complete with a 3-digit price tag. With characteristic generosity, they invited a small group over for a Malbec tasting. The theme was decidedly Argentine, and contributions included the $7 Alberti 154 2006, Martino 2003 ($20), Casa Marguery 2005 ($15), and Nandu 2004 ($15). In a sporting mood and with nothing else to offer, I added Domaine de la Pepiere, a $13 Loire Valley Malbec blend.

Not your grandma’s cinnamon roll. In recent years, it seems malls and airports have become the most likely venues to find a cinnamon roll. Snuggled up against an Orange Julius or a Pizza Hut To Go, big trays of sticky rolls are displayed, leaking aromas of corn syrup and hydrogenated oils that waft through the terminal or multiplex. Regardless of how commercial these spots are, they bring to mind thoughts of warm kitchens, loving grandmas and homemade sweet treats.

A new spot in Central Oregon bases its business around these sticky, sweet, yeasted wonders for which we all have a weakness. The difference is that this spot is striving to create a product that comes about as close to that homemade image as you can get with out grandma on the payroll.

Not your grandma’s cinnamon roll. In recent years, it seems malls and airports have become the most likely venues to find a cinnamon roll. Snuggled up against an Orange Julius or a Pizza Hut To Go, big trays of sticky rolls are displayed, leaking aromas of corn syrup and hydrogenated oils that waft through the terminal or multiplex. Regardless of how commercial these spots are, they bring to mind thoughts of warm kitchens, loving grandmas and homemade sweet treats.
 
A new spot in Central Oregon bases its business around these sticky, sweet, yeasted wonders for which we all have a weakness. The difference is that this spot is striving to create a product that comes about as close to that homemade image as you can get with out grandma on the payroll.

It's a fact of life in Central Oregon that many of your friends will move away to the big city (i.e. Portland) at some point to chase things like romance, nightlife and living wages. Next month one of Quick Bite's best "friends" is making the move to the big city. Deschutes Brewery launches its new Portland location May 2. The brewery is hosting a media event April 25, allowing a sneak peek at the new digs. The brewery is located in swanky Pearl District and will offer a similar selection of craft brews and pub food that has made Deschutes famous. Unlike other friends who don't write or call, Deschutes will stay connected to Central Oregon. In fact it's not really leaving at all, just branching out. Take care of her Portland. She's one of our best friends.

It’s a fact of life in Central Oregon that many of your friends will move away to the big city (i.e. Portland) at some point to chase things like romance, nightlife and living wages. Next month one of Quick Bite’s best “friends” is making the move to the big city. Deschutes Brewery launches its new Portland location May 2. The brewery is hosting a media event April 25, allowing a sneak peek at the new digs. The brewery is located in swanky Pearl District and will offer a similar selection of craft brews and pub food that has made Deschutes famous. Unlike other friends who don’t write or call, Deschutes will stay connected to Central Oregon. In fact it’s not really leaving at all, just branching out. Take care of her Portland. She’s one of our best friends.

As I sit at my little round table at the Martini Bar waiting for the rest of my party, my cell phone rings.
My friends are at the Old Mill Martini Bar. “Aren’t we eating dinner?” they ask.
“Do they even serve food at the Downtown Martini Bar?”
Like many other diners, my friends didn’t know that behind Bendistillery’s velvet curtain sits a tiny kitchen from which 16 different dishes appear. This is a common misperception about downtown’s spot for locally brewed spirits and custom crafted adult beverages.

As I sit at my little round table at the Martini Bar waiting for the rest of my party, my cell phone rings.
My friends are at the Old Mill Martini Bar. "Aren't we eating dinner?" they ask.
"Do they even serve food at the Downtown Martini Bar?"
Like many other diners, my friends didn't know that behind Bendistillery's velvet curtain sits a tiny kitchen from which 16 different dishes appear. This is a common misperception about downtown's spot for locally brewed spirits and custom crafted adult beverages.

inside JD’s house. As a Southerner with Irish roots, I’ve always had a particular fondness for whiskey. In my neck of the woods, whiskey soothes the gums of teething babies. My family’s cough syrup consisted of whiskey and honey, in roughly equal parts. By the time I was seven, I had developed an appreciation for my father’s favorite cocktail: Seagram’s Seven and Seven-Up.

So, when I found out about the 9th Annual Whiskies of the World Expo in San Francisco, I signed up for a 2½ hour seminar called “Grain to Glass.”

inside JD’s house. As a Southerner with Irish roots, I've always had a particular fondness for whiskey. In my neck of the woods, whiskey soothes the gums of teething babies. My family's cough syrup consisted of whiskey and honey, in roughly equal parts. By the time I was seven, I had developed an appreciation for my father's favorite cocktail: Seagram's Seven and Seven-Up.
 
So, when I found out about the 9th Annual Whiskies of the World Expo in San Francisco, I signed up for a 2½ hour seminar called "Grain to Glass."