Will the tyranny of Robert Parker’s 100-point system prevail?

In December, Robert Parker, the 65-year-old lawyer-cum-wine-scoring demigod, sold a substantial portion of his bi-weekly newsletter, The Wine Advocate, to a group of investors in Singapore. And, a mere month after telling the Wall Street Journal that he would never give up editorial control, he bequeathed his editor-in-chief title to Singapore-based, former Australian wine correspondent […]

Five Finds on Friday: Loren Mendosa of Tavola

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Loren Mendosa, sous chef of Tavola.  Mendosa’s picks: 1)  Veal Sweetbreads and Fried Brussels Sprouts at L’etoile with capers, parsley, lemon, fleur gris and aioli.  “Perfectly cooked sweetbreads are hard to find and Ian Redshaw does just that.” […]

More biscuits and pizza, please! This week’s restaurant news

Ace in spades Brian Ashworth of Ace Biscuit & BBQ is making quite a name for himself in the breakfast and lunch scene. Starting January 26, the restaurant will also be open on Saturdays—no doubt good news for the weekenders he often finds banging on the door. The biscuits rarely last beyond 10:30am on weekdays, […]

Five Finds on Friday: Tim Gearhart of Gearharts Chocolates

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Tim Gearhart, the Culinary Institute of America graduate behind the world class offerings at Gearharts Chocolates.  For Valentine’s Day this year, Gearharts has put together an ideal package – a 16-piece assortment of chocolates, a handmade chocolate […]

Brunello di Montalcino’s under the Tuscan shadow

Americans have a love affair with Tuscany and few grapes are as quintessentially Italian as the cherished region’s workhorse, Sangiovese. Chianti Classico may be where it’s best known, but it’s in Brunello di Montalcino (where the grape’s grosso clone accounts for 100 percent of the wine) that it’s the most revered. That’s not saying a […]