Full Site Redesign + Wine Adventures

Boy, I'd like to have a bowl of this Santouka ramen for lunch...(btw, this is at 550x364 pixels..do you like? read below)

I've decided to redesign the layout of my site since the old one was starting to get stodgy and dusty. I figure I'd go for a fresher, more modern look that's more conducive to reading. I'm also wondering if my photos at 600 pixel width is just too gargantuan for more screens. On my iMac at home they're not too large but at the office, where I'm using Windows XP, they can envelope nearly half the screen. Anyways, I'd love to hear your input about what you think about the size of my photos. Do you want them smaller? Or larger?

Anyways, I'm using a more modern Arial font, which is really a crappy copy of Helvetica, a classic font that pervades society. I've been ingrained with this font because my close friend who attended Art Center seems to be obsessed with it (as are most typographers). Actually I think most typographers either love or hate the hegemony of Helvetica but I figure at this point it's not objectionable to most of my readers. I'm settling for Arial since that's the only thing that Blogger lets me set to (other than a slew of other BORING fonts). I need to switch to Wordpress like my girl Christine has done. She was smart and started on Wordpress while I'm still suck in the Myspace of blog engines, Blogger. Damn you Google for not making Blogger any better! Please get to work and make this platform competitive or else there will be a mass exodus! (Yeah right...)

When it comes to blog design, I like uncluttered and simple; a layout that accentuates and improves the understanding of the content. Hope you enjoy..many more food posts to come...


Learning About Wine


The first photo of our beloved friend Wilder (his real name) at Silver Lake Wine. It was actually taken on our first date!

I've pretty much failed most of my New Year's Resolutions except one of them, which was to drink more wine and coffee this year. Last night was a wonderful evening in wine, where I tasted three delicious wines at Silver Lake Wine's easy-going Monday Tasting and then ventured to 55 Degrees where a slew of Yelpers joined in on the fun. I recall an excellent Pinot based sparkling wine from Italy, a number of Syrah, Grenache, and other sundry Italian varietal reds, and a refresher Gruner Veltliner. It was nice seeing Jackie G. after almost half a decade (went to high school together). It was fun hanging out with Winston and Tatertots, as well as chatting it up about restaurants and sports with Austin S. Tony C. of Sinosoul was there too, but I think he was engrossed with entertaining his party so we just had a brief salutation.

If you're interested in learning about wine, there's no better way than to just taste. You can read all the Robert Parker or Wine Spectator you want, but there's no replacement for smelling and tasting. Silver Lake Wine has been a frequent stop of ours, where we can either participate in one of their weekly tastings (except Sunday) or open up a bottle without a corkage charge (naturally). I think this year we've already samples 30-some wines, perhaps more. At this rate, we will have tried hundreds of wines by the end of the year. I invested in one of those adorable little red wine journals on salt at Silver Lake Wine so I could keep track of all the tastings. Also, I need to employ Matthew Kaner's strategy for remembering all of these wines; see it here on FoodGPS.

Silverlake Wine: Oenophiles Unite!

Silverlake Wine (SLW) presents one of the best opportunities for newbie wine lovers and experienced oenophiles alike to try some of the most interesting wine tastings in LA. I've been to their Monday and Thursday tastings which feature flights as well as cheese (on Monday) and bread (on Thursday). Thursday features a red and white flight, generally of differing geographical regions and grape varietals. Eventually, a frequent guest of Silverlake Wine could try dozens of wine, all logically paired to provide a reasonable canvas of flavors and aromas for the oenophile.

I began drinking wine less than two years, enamored by its alluring shapes (glasses), colors, smells, and tastes. The swirl of a glass is about the sexiest thing a diner could do at table or counter. I began subscribing to Food & Wine Magazine and Wine Spectator to grasp as much as I could about wine. But I didn't have an outlet to experience wine. SLW was the perfect outlet for someone like me.

The photo above features Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc from last Thursday. It's best to go with at least one other person who wouldn't mind sharing a glass. Pours for each tasting a hefty and could easily accommodate two people per. That way, you can try up to six different wines for just $12 an evening.

Over the past few months I've learned a bounty of knowledge about how to taste wine and where wine comes from. I'd like to keep frequenting SLW until I feel ready to step up to my own tastings at home, from my own cellar. I've got a paltry three wines in my 'cellar' if you could call it that, but in due time I'd like to fill a cabinet of age-able wines, ready for drinking in years to come. Until then, I'll just taste from SLW's cellar (or shop), just down the road in Silver Lake.

SLW sends out a weekly newsletter with their week's lineup of wines available for tasting on Mondays and Thursdays. You could sign up for the newsletter on their website. In addition, a Sunday tasting at 3PM offers food from local chefs and restaurants. I usually can't attend these tastings since it coincides with my church schedule, but I recommend it to anyone else who can make it.

Silverlake Wine
2395 Glendale Blvd.
LA, CA 90039
323.662.9024

Intelligentsia is One Year Old!

Since opening last summer, I've become a huge acolyte of Intelligentsia Coffee, whose imposing ruddy facade graces Sunset Junction in Silver Lake. As mentioned in my previous entry on Funnel Mill, I love coffee and Intelligentsia is where I get my preferred caffeine fix. It's also the first time I experienced a serious 'third wave' (that term is already annoying so that's the last time I'll use it) coffee shop I frequented here in LA. Last Friday was their one-year anniversary celebration, where free cups of Clover-brewed coffee and espresso shots were in order. Silverlake Wine complemented with gratis glasses of vino, but I stuck with the caffeine.

I asked for a short pull, something close to a ristretto and this is what I got.



Lovely aromas, a bit sweet and acidic, with citrus notes. It was oddly almost refreshing, the dark liquid balanced by the crema's extradinary depth and mouthfeel. I opted for a second helping of caffeine, this time with a fresh-brewed cup of Honduran Las Tortugas Micro-lot coffee called, "Galapagito". This cup was rich and acidic, with near zero grit - textbook vaccuum brew. The rest of the evening was convivial, with groovy tunes from a mixin' DJ. Lights were kept low and the glowing bulbs from inside made it a typical Silver Lake shindig on a cool midsummer night.




I hope there are many more years between us, Intelligentsia.



Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea
3922 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90029