Archives for March, 2008
Houston Wine Geeks at 13 Celsius
| March 12, 2008 | ||
| March 19, 2008 | ||
| March 26, 2008 | ||
| April 2, 2008 | ||
Scared of WineSpeak?Embarrassed when you have to read and order from a wine list? Want to know more about wine and how to enjoy it?
Houston Wine Geeks is a group of wine enthusiasts focused on the ins-and-outs of wine appreciation and wine education.
I’m taking a $1,500 wine appreciation course from the International Sommeliers Guild. My ultimate goal: achieving certification as a sommelier. Every Monday I attend wine class from 4pm to 11pm at the University of Houston. Every Wednesday I share what I’ve learned.
The Houston Wine Geeks weekly meetings are my study group. I’m sharing what I learn and I’m there to learn from you, all in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
- There’s no fee!
- Each attendee pays for their own wine and food.
- Meetings start at 6:30pm in a wine bar somewhere in the Houston area and last about an hour.
- Some people stay around after the meeting to enjoy the venue and the company.
|
Interested? Sign up and RSVP for our next meeting. Come every week or come when you can!
FYI: We use www.meetup.com as our RSVP/Membership tracking tool. It’s free for you! |
Our Meeting
Join us at 13 Celsius (Midtown/Downtown near Toyota Center). We’ll be at this location for a few weeks as we check out everything they have to offer.
13 Celsius Wine Bar
3000 Caroline St
Houston TX 77004
(713) 529-8466
www.13celsius.com
About 13 Celsius
13 Celsius is the optimal temperature to store and maintain the integrity of great wine. With an aim toward providing Houston with the best wine possible, 13 Celsius prides itself as the only wine bar in town to actually keep its wine in a temperature-controlled cellar. Located in the heart of Midtown, this circa-1927 Mediterranean-style building creates an atmosphere reminiscent of the wine bars and Enotecas of Europe. We have an open air courtyard, luxurious seating, and nearly 40 feet of white marble bar from which one can partake from a bold and unique wine list focused on low-production, high-quality wines. We also offer choice meats and cheeses from Joseph’s Cooler to accompany and enhance the total wine experience. We serve locally roasted espresso from the finest of European machines. Come at night for a glass of wine and take home a retail-priced bottle or two.
A rainy night at Hugo’s
The hostess walks me over to the bar and hands me the over-sized, leather covered menu. I park myself on a rather uncomfortable bar stool and glance up at a muted TV tuned to the Weather Channel.
It’s a cold and rainy night in Houston. Houston streets are infamous for flooding; I’ve heard that they’re actually designed to flood. In fact, there are some intersections that flood when the humidity reaches 95%.
Long ago I adopted a policy of “alcohol is better than water:” if it’s raining too hard I stop and get a drink while everyone else nervously drives to wherever they need to be so quickly. I take time to relax and only surface again when the weather clears.
“What would you like?” asks my bartender/waiter, Carlos. It’s only expected, I guess, that my server at Hugo’s Mexican Restaurant would be named Carlos.
I’ve been paging through the thick menu. I move past the extensive and impressive wine list. I’ve been a Houston Wine Geek twice this week already, I’m more of a Drinking Out Club kinda guy tonight.
“How about a paloma? Are they any good?”
“The classic paloma is best, it’s authentic,” says Carlos.
Authentic? Would he know? Carlos has that urban chic kind of look and not a hint of an accent. I’m guessing he’s never set foot in Mexico. Besides, the menu says it’s made with Corralejo Blanco tequila and Hansen’s soda. I doubt there’s much Hansen’s sold in Mexico.
The authentic paloma is Mexico’s rum and Coke. Mix tequila and grapefruit soda in just about any proportion, with a splash of lime to balance it out. Skip the lime of you want.
Paloma
2 ounces blanco tequila
6 ounces grapefruit soda
1/2 ounce lime juiceshake tequila and lime, pour over ice in a salt-rimmed tall glass, top with soda
“Sure, I’ll try one. And bring me the ceviche appetizer. Sounds like they’ll go great together.”
Carlos punches in my order and walks to the other end of the bar. He pours a few ingredients into his mixing glass along with some ice and shakes it casually for a short while. With his back to me, he fills my glass. I’m the only guy in the bar and I’m missing the show.
Carlos brings me my drink. In a few minutes my appetizer arrives, delivered by another server.
This bar food combination is outstanding. The Hansen’s-based paloma is, if not authentic, well-balanced and flavorful. The ceviche’s red snapper is perfectly marinated with lime and paired with just the right amount of avocado. There’s no tomato salsa, thank goodness, but a pleasing blend of not-too-spicy pico de gallo. Salty, freshly-made tortilla chips round out the meal.
It’s still raining. Looks like I’ll be here awhile.
Hugo’s
1602 Westheimer Road at Mandell
Houston TX 77006
(713) 524-7744
www.hugosrestaurant.net
Morning cup of joe
Gotta have some coffee.
I’m not like Ron and Don who drink the stuff all day long, cup after cup. All I need is two, maybe three cups in the morning to start my day off right. That’s just enough caffeine to perk me up, but not so much I’m fidgeting in my seat.
I like to enjoy a nice cuppa while I read my overnight email and my RSS feeds. Those freshly ground beans brewed in my cup are a calming counterpoint to the daily grind ahead of me.
For only two cups of coffee, brewing a whole pot seems like a waste of both time and beans.
Yeah, I know there’s a coffee shop on every corner: McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts are both upgrading their coffee to push Starbuck’s off the top of the coffee food chain and every gas station along the road has a brew station, but I don’t want to go out before I’ve had my coffee, so I need a way to brew just a little of my own good coffee.
I’m disappointed with the coffee made in most coffeemakers. The drip, drip, drip method takes too long and over-extracts the beans making for a bitter, acidic drink. An alternative, the French press, doesn’t over-extract but the gritty debris left in the cup spoils the experience.
I’ve found that the Aeropress works best for me.
The AeroPress is a small, portable plastic coffee maker that produces smooth, low-acid and great tasting coffee in less than a minute.
Plus, it’s got that mad scientist thing going for it.
High-tech and just a little weird, the Aeropress makes a honest cup or two of coffee in less than a minute.
- Pour in hot water
- stir and let it steep for 15-20 seconds
- press out the espresso-like coffee
I dilute it 50-50 with water for a Café Américano.
The Aeropress sells for about thirty bucks online, which sure beats the price of those pod coffee makers.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
It’s 5pm and it’s been a long day and I need a place to relax, so I walk across the street and down a few blocks to a+, one of the swankiest bars in downtown Houston.
Looks like I’m the first customer in the bar today. Matt, the bartender, is still setting up tables and prepping the room.
I’ve been here before and I’m back today because on the first Tuesday of every month a+ introduces a featured cocktail with special happy hour pricing. The happy hour price is nice, but I really come to see and taste what’s new. I’d hate to get stuck in a rut by not sampling what’s available.
Matt finishes his work, comes around the bar and I ask, “What’s the featured cocktail today?”
The young bartender (he drives in from near the Woodlands for this gig) tells me, “Le bon temps. It’s Navan Cognac, lime juice, simple syrup and pineapple juice. It’s a little sweet but you might like it.”
I know that le bon temps is French for “the good times.” Somehow that’s appropriate since most of the folks in New Orleans are letting the good times roll today. It’s Fat Tuesday, the movable feast of Mardi Gras.
I’ve never tasted Navan and the happy hour price is right.
“Yeah, I’ll try one,” I say. (My french is no good so I don’t embarrass myself by trying to say the name.)
le bon temps
2 ounces Navan Vanilla Cognac
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
4 ounces pineapple juiceshake and serve on the rocks
Matt is pouring le bon temps already premixed and ready behind the bar, so I don’t have to wait very long.
“Fresh squeezed?” I ask. The pineapple flavor is spot-on and the drink is sweet, but not too sweet.
“Yes,” beams Matt, “both the pineapple juice and the lime juice are fresh squeezed. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“The cognac shines through,” I say, “you know, with all this pineapple juice it’s too bad you don’t shake it. That would give it a nice foam in the glass.”
I nurse the drink for the next thirty minutes or so, after all, I’m here to relax.
The crowd in the bar is growing steadily. Seems Alden is hosting a book signing at 6pm. Some nights the crowd would be welcome. Not tonight.
“One’s my limit, I’m driving home,” I tell Matt. I pay my tab and I’m out the door.
a+, the bar at Alden-Houston
1117 Prairie Street
Houston TX 77002
(832) 200-8800
www.aldenhotels.com
