As we transition into the warmer weather and longer days two things are guarantees.   First I will owe the government money and second farm stands along the highways and country roads as well as streets in major cities farmers markets will spring up.  For me this is truly a great time of year because this allows people who live in the city and don’t get out to the country that often to enjoy farm fresh products.  Farmers markets can provide one with everything they need to sustain a healthy life …

Springtime always reminds me of Rhone style wines. Maybe it is because Rhone style wines can be very versatile.
This passion for Rhone starts in no other place than the Rhone Valley of France. Go figure…..The Rhone Valley extends south from Burgundy to Provence. It is divided into the Northern and Southern Valley. Each area has its own style of grapes, environment and climate. The Rhone Valley produces more wine than any other region in France next to Bordeaux. The main component to the area is the river. If not for …

I’m very excited this week because we have made some updates to our menu in the
Spy City Café.   We have changed the table top items as well to present more of a diner feel.  As for the menu offerings man they bring me back to the diners of my childhood in Bloomfield NJ.
First how could you go wrong with a Taylor Ham, egg and cheese on a hard roll?  This sandwich, for me, is the best breakfast bite one can have.  Crispy Taylor Ham, from the great state of New …

Beautiful warm spring days like today make everyone smile and breathe a sigh of relief that winter might indeed be finished for this year.  Our own Chef Bryan Moscatello is excited that Ramps are coming back in season, along with gorgeous Morrells.
Today reminds me of our travel to Italy for research in developing the menu at Potenza.  If you work with food and wine “research” is actually a wonderful thing, it’s all about taste and travel.
On our Potenza trip we spent a week or so tasting our way throughout Tuscany, …

Now that spring has officially sprung it’s time to not only update our current menus for the upcoming months but it’s also time to slow down and savor some specific items that can only be enjoyed fresh for a very short period of time.  These few items are some of the last holdouts of truly seasonal produce left out there.
As a culture when we like something we tend to want it all of the time.  So for many years farmers and businessmen have worked on giving us our seasonal product …

It seems as far back as I can remember, wine has always been a part of my life. As a child growing up in NYC, I was always eagerly awaiting my father coming home from working in the Garment Center and on Friday nights he always brought home a bottle of wine. He thought wine made dinner a little special. The wines that were brought home were very simple, I remember the Chianti wrapped in straw, Valpo and Soave. Bolla was a big name back then. But so were Zenith …

The ancient culture of Sicily is amazing. It is the largest island in the Mediterranean and has always been of great strategic importance in that part of the world. One of the principle reasons behind it being the most conquered country in human history, the Greeks, Byzantines, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Moors, Normans, Aragonese, Spanish, French and Germans just to name a few. With them came their culture, art, food and architecture.  Sicily has also been known for its agriculture and rich volcanic soil. The Greeks cultivated olives and wine …

New England vs. Manhattan what style is your preference?  Are you a New England fan that rich, creamy and lightly smoked form preferably a quality apple wood smoked bacon.  On the flip side Manhattan style which is not creamy but made with tomato instead.   For me it’s a no brainer but let’s talk it through for a minute.  On my initial poll it starts out 50/50.  I’m finding out that there is as much passion about your chowder style as there is between Yankees fans and red sox fans.
Here we …

 
So many people have been asking about Italian wines and the unique varietals that come along with those wines. Most people are unfamiliar with Italian wines outside of Pinot Grigio and Chianti. At Stir Italian wines are some of our favorites;  at Potenza, we have a completely Italian wine program, Potenza Wine store has 50% of it’s stock in Italian wines and Zola Wine & Kitchen has a wonderful selection of Italian varietals.
We work to price our wines at a level that allows people to explore wine without spending a …