Archives for April, 2008
Drinking Out Club at the Treehouse in Discovery Green
| May 1, 2008 | ||
Are you a fan of classic cocktails?
Want to learn more about cocktails and spirits? Want to enjoy evenings out at the Houston bar scene? Want to meet people who enjoy the pleasures of a good drink in a fun place?
Drinking Out Club / Houston is all about cocktails and the fine art of drinking out. Join us as we visit some of the best bars in Houston.
- There’s no fee!
- Each attendee pays for their own drinks and food.
- The meeting starts at 6:30pm but people start drinking whenever they show up. Come on time… you don’t want to fall behind.
- Meetings last about an hour. Some people stay around after the meeting to enjoy the venue and the company.
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Interested? Sign up and RSVP for our next meeting.
FYI: We use www.meetup.com as our RSVP/Membership tracking tool. It’s free for you! |
This Meeting
Join us at The Grove (downtown Houston near the convention center).
The Treehouse at The Grove Restaurant - Discovery Green
1611 Lamar
Houston TX 77010
(713) 337-7321
The Grove at Discovery Green
The Grove combines contemporary architecture with warm colors and rich wood. The building was designed by noted architect Larry Speck, the former dean of the school of architecture at the University of Texas. Interiors are by SDG partner Candice Schiller.
From its setting on the south side of the park, The Grove looks out to a stand of mature live oaks. The first level bar and dining room have dramatic floor to ceiling glass. The second level features a large outdoor bar floating among the tree tops.
The menu at The Grove by Chef Robert Del Grande will serve up steaks, seafood, and rotisserie specialties. The bar menu will offer more casual far, such as the signature cheeseburger made famous at Café Annie.
Houston Wine Geeks at Divino Wine Bar
| April 23, 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 an informal 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.
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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! |
This Meeting
Join us at Divino as we sample their extensive wine by the glass menu.
Divino Wine Bar and Restaurant
1830 West Alabama
Houston TX 77098
(713) 807-1123
www.divinohouston.com
About Divino Wine Bar and Italian Restaurant
Established in 2001 by father and son team of Jim & Patrick McCray, divino offers an authentic food and wine experience in the tradition of Italy’s much loved trattorias and enotecas.
Divino’s wine program is highlighted by an eclectic, Italian heavy wine list, with as many as thirty wines offered by the glass. A user-friendly pricing policy allows diners to enjoy fine wines for significantly less than at many of Houston?s restaurants.
The kitchen offers both classic and modern dishes that represent the best of regional Italian cooking. Specialties include housemade pastas including the signature “Emily’s Goat Cheese Ravioli,” seasonal specials and exquisitely prepared seafood. A special emphasis is given to the cooking of Emilia-Romagna where Patrick trained as a chef.
The best sazerac in New Orleans
It was still early on a Friday night. I had just lost all the money I was willing to part with at the tables of Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans. I had played “Let It Ride” for more than five hours, holding my own most of the time. I had hoped for a big pay-off eventually, but my $300 ran out first.
I started walking out of the casino, towards the Poydras street exit right where John Besh’s steak house is. There I saw a little bar with plenty of traffic. Upscale compared to most casino bars, this one actually charged for drinks.
I sat in one of the lonely bar stools. I had an hour or so to kill before my wife ran through the rest of her cash at the nickle slots.
“If I asked you to make me a Sazerac, would you know how?” I asked the barman.
Foolish me.
Behind the bar was Mark Quigley. I came to find out that he’s been behind some bar somewhere in New Orleans for more than thirty years.
“Oh, yeah,” Mr. Quigley replied. “I know how.” (I use the term “Mr. Quigley” to express my utmost respect.)
Now a Sazerac isn’t a complicated drink, at least not in the number of ingredients required to get it into a glass. In a Sazerac, the complications come from the exact measurement of the ingredients and precise application of the techniques used to prepare it.
“OK, make me a Sazerac,” I said in cautious anticipation.
Now I’m no Sazerac virgin.
I’ve had Sazeracs made by the best: Marvin Allen at the Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel bar, Chris Hannah at Arnaud’s French 75 and Chris McMillian at the Ritz’s Library Bar (back before its recent disappointing transformation into a place to be avoided at all costs).
Mr. Quigley set a short rocks glass on the bar and filled it with ice. In a second glass, he muddled a sugar cube with a dash of Peychaud’s bitters and then added a three-ounce pour of baby Sazerac rye whiskey, topping the entire mixture with perfectly clear ice cubes. With his bar spoon, Mr. Quigley expertly stirred the precious drink to its ideal temperature and dilution.
As that second glass sat on the bar, Mr. Quigley emptied the ice from the first glass. In true New Orleans fashion, he then poured a small amount of Herbsaint into the chilled glass and tossed the glass into the air, spinning it quite naturally to distribute a fine sheen of flavor around the inside of the glass. A few quick shakes removed the last drops of liquid left in the bottom. Into this glass, he strained the contents of the other glass.
As a finale to the ritual, right in front of me he twists a lemon peel over the drink, and then slides the perfect Sazerac towards me, the glass sitting perfectly centered on a Harrah’s cocktail napkin.
No doubt at all: Mark Quigley makes the best Sazerac in New Orleans.
Sazerac
The classic New Orleans cocktail3 ounces rye whiskey (Sazerac is best)
1/2 simple syrup (or to taste)
dash Peychaud’s bitters (accept no substitute)stir with ice, pour into a glass rinsed with Herbsaint liqueur (absinthe works great, too). Garnish with a lemon twist.
Houston Wine Geeks at The Chocolate Bar
| April 16, 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 an informal 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.
|
Interested? Sign up and RSVP for our next meeting. Come every week or come when you can!
RSVP Required for this event! FYI: We use www.meetup.com as our RSVP/Membership tracking tool. It’s free for you! |
Special Bring-Your-Own Bottle to Share Meeting
Join us at the Chocolate Bar for a special BYOB event pairing wine and chocolate.
$8-10 fee for the food. Bring a bottle of wine to share with the group. Theme is pairing with chocolate: bring a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and/or Port (suggest 1 bottle per attendee).
The Chocolate Bar
1835 W Alabama St
Houston TX 77098
(713) 520-8599
www.theoriginalchocolatebar.com
About The Chocolate Bar
Yes, you have found the dream store you had only fantasized about. The most unbelievable chocolate store in Houston. Come in today to nibble on a slice of chocolate heaven or try one or all of our 24 flavors of homemade ice cream. Brownies, cakes, pies, moouse and coffee, it’s all waiting for you. Chocolate-covered popcorn. The most incredible taste of salty combined with creamy milk chocolate. Sugar free chocolate tastes just like real chocolate. We have a variety of chocolate novelties and profession gift sets. Chocolate greeting bars-an extra treat for any suitable occasion. Chocolate party mixes make any party complete. Nibble one piece at a time from our vast selection of clusters & treats. Chocolate pizza-looks like pizza, but it’s all chocolate. You’ve got to experience the chocolate bar.
