Wīn-zī-i-tee

Gauging the responses to last week’s giveaway post, I believe we’re suffering from collective high winexiety. I had an attack on Thursday.

My college roommates crossed the Hudson by ferry to join me for dinner at Union restaurant (I believe this was the start of a Ferry Supper Club, with alternating dinners in Haverstraw and Ossining.). We asked for a table on the patio since it was one of the few warm nights we’ve had this spring. The waiter asked for our drink orders; 3 of us wanted the Malbec, so my friend suggested a bottle. When the waitress returned, she asked for a taster. They pointed to me with a swiftness that made me quite nervous. If we were to get hauled in for police questioning, I now know they’d rat me out in a NY minute. I gulped and nodded. The waitress showed me the label of the Tilia Malbec. I nodded. She turned her back and I heard the unmistakeable hiss as the screw top was released. At that moment, I relaxed and smiled as I sipped the proffered taste.

The wine was fine; dinner was delicious. And the company? Excellent. Would a “better” wine have improved the night? I certainly don’t think so.

The giveaway for the BottleWise Rollups ends on Tuesday. Enter by leaving a comment here or on the original. And, please check out this week’s Budget Travel. It features my post about a visit to Emily Dickinson’s house.

Secrets of the Sweet 16 Revealed!

Plan on watching the games at your local bar? Bring along one or two of these “did you know” facts about the Sweet 16 to cheer up your buddies as their brackets implode.

By Sanjay Acharya via Wikimedia Commons

Wichita State – The original Pizza Hut was opened in Wichita in 1958 by two enterprising students. The name? They were told the restaurant looked like…well, you can guess the rest. The building was relocated to the campus from its downtown location and serves as an inspiration to undergrads:  ”if you build it, they will eat it.”

Nature and Nurture in da Bronx

Consider this camel’s back broken. The snow that fell Saturday was my last straw. I needed spring and I needed it bad. So I headed to the Bronx.

Stop thinking what you’re thinking. The Bronx is home to the New York Botanical Garden.  Featuring the iconic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the Garden is home to all good things flora.  And running now through April 22 is the annual Orchid Show, a dazzling display of common and exotic varieties. The smell alone is worth the $25 admission.

Food, Glorious Food

Dickens and Christmas are inextricably linked. But I don’t think of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge and Tiny Tim. It’s Oliver Twist who comes to mind during December. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular used to show feature films following the Rockettes’ March of the Wooden Soldiers and Living Nativity. I have yet to confirm with Mom and Dad, but I think that’s where I saw the British film “Oliver!“, so the holiday and soundtrack are permanently merged for me.

The Radio City Rockettes perform the March of the Wooden Soldier at the Christmas Spectacular in Radio City Music Hall (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Foreign

76 Trombones and Kermit the Frog

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was #7 on my family’s bucket list, sandwiched between Alaska Cruise (completed) and Wimbledon (not yet). We decided a trip to the biggest parade in the world would be an appropriate (if hardly adequate) celebration for my parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary last November.

Philadelphia: A 24-Hour Tasting Menu

Philadelphia’s recent marketing campaign is crafted to combat its reputation as the poor red-headed stepcousin of every other American city.

“Eat me” would have worked too.