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Laurie and I recently returned from a 10-day wine tasting vacation in Sonoma, and we agree – Sonoma is our new favorite wine destination! And that’s saying something, given our frequent forays into Napa Valley, our retirement celebration trip to the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and other favorite wine destinations like Monterey/Caramel Valley, and Virginia wine country! So, what makes Sonoma so great? Read on to find out! Wine tasting at Paul Hobbs Winery Sonoma County enco

Laurie and I have now been retired for half a decade – it’s hard to believe how fast the last five years have flown by! And we have loved every minute of it, which makes me wonder what all the so-called experts and pundits are actually talking about when they opine on how horrible retirement would be, or is for those who are already experiencing it. Let’s set the record straight on retirement, once and for all!! Enjoying retirement watching the evening sunset from our lanai -

In last week’s blog I talked about my qualifications for a modern-day American hero and introduced two of my heroes – Jose Andres and my dad. This week I’ll introduce my last three modern day American heroes and why they made my list! Bruce Springsteen Bbbbrrrrrrruuuuuuuccccccceeeeee! The Boss, AKA Bruce Springsteen, makes my list of modern-day American heroes. In addition to being one of my all-time favorite musical artists, I hold great admiration for his efforts and abi

We all have our heroes – those people who we admire most and who stand out as having made a profound difference in the world. But who would you choose as your modern-day American heroes, and why? And since this is a food, wine, and spirits blog, if you had the chance to sit down with them, what drink would you share with them? As we celebrate the 4th of July, here are my modern-day American heroes along with the drinks I’d share with them if they joined me for happy hour. Whe

As I get older, I have a much greater appreciation for time spent with friends and family. Perhaps that’s because Laurie and I have much more time on our hands now since retirement to enjoy these opportunities. And there’s one common thread to each of these engagements with friends and family – the communal enjoyment of food, wine, and spirits! There are a lot of important things in life, but none more important than our health and our relationships. In my case, there might b

I am really enjoying my deep dive into learning all about whiskey, and particularly, bourbons and ryes from the U.S. In addition to my annual whiskey advent calendar for Christmas which provides me with the opportunity to taste whiskeys from around the world, I also took an on-line whiskey class last year (I passed the final exam!) and am now taking the second level course! As always though, the best way to learn about any spirit is to taste it, so here are a few selections f

I rarely drink Sake, and I don’t know why. Because on the rare occasion I drink it straight or in a cocktail, I always love it! Recently, I tasted a creative take on the classic martini that showcased Sake as a key ingredient, and it was delicious! I set out to create my own version of a “Saketini” and am pretty darn happy with the result! Let’s talk Sake! One of Laurie’s and my favorite restaurants in Sarasota is KOJO, an upscale Asian fusion restaurant in the heart of downt

Ready for more Sarasota-area restaurant reviews? Then this post is for you – part 2 of my spring restaurant review series! In this week’s post I’ll review two new Japanese sushi restaurants, an old school waterside fish house, a Latin bistro in a strip mall, a “kind of pop up” restaurant at Waterside in Lakewood Ranch, and a quick revisit and update of a small family-owned Italian restaurant. Zoto Zoto restaurant, pork katsudon, and the lobster roll Laurie and I have really c

In this two-part spring edition of my restaurant review series, I have an eclectic mix of offerings for you! They include reviews of three new restaurants, an ice cream shop, a bourbon distillery/restaurant, an upscale bistro, an old school waterside fish house, a Latin bistro in a strip mall, a chain restaurant with over 670 restaurants nationwide, and a revisit and update of a small family-owned Italian restaurant. How’s that for variety? Let’s get started!! enRich Bistro

Winter is the perfect season to settle in with a nice dram of whiskey for the evening! For me, that means taking my glass out on the lanai to enjoy the cool, humidity-free evenings of winter in a sweatshirt and sipping my whiskey slowly to warm me up a bit. OK, it’s still usually in the low 60’s or upper 50’s but definitely cool enough for the whiskey to take off the chill! Here are four my favorite whiskeys I’m drinking now! I’m using the same approach to learn about whiskey

I love a bit, or sometimes a lot, of spice and herbs in my cocktails. They often help transform a traditional, somewhat pedestrian cocktail into a unique one with unusual but absolutely delicious flavors. Here’s my take on a rum-based drink that makes use of some exotic spices to create a versatile cocktail perfect for any season of the year! One thing I love most about the spirits world is the literally unlimited variation of cocktails available. Choose your base spirit (vod

Laurie and I just spent the past six weeks enjoying another epic holiday season! We are now winding down from the hectic pace and almost non-stop celebrations but also continuing to reflect fondly on an absolutely wonderful holiday season! Here’s a quick recap for you in case you weren’t here to enjoy it all with us! The 2025 holiday season kicked off for us on November 17 th when Laurie and I decorated the house for the season! We love getting an early start on the festivit

I love anything spicy, and that includes cocktails. But a little bit of spice goes a long way – you want to “feel the burn” but not feel the need to gulp down a tall cold glass of milk to numb the spice. My latest concoction is called the Spicy Mexican Mule, and it’s destined to become a favorite in our household Here’s how to make it! Peruse a cocktail menu at any upscale restaurant and you are guaranteed to find at least one, and often multiple spicy cocktails on the specia

It’s time to review more Sarasota area restaurants! This time we’ll review a mix of new restaurants, as well as others that everyone raves about that Laurie and I decided we had to try based on the positive reviews. Do our reviews reflect what everyone else is saying? Read on to find out! Dining patio at Michaels on East in Sarasota, FL This summer has been usual and unusual in a number of ways. First, the rainy season came again in full force, with 51 inches of rain since th

I love me some whiskey! Settling down with a finger (or two!) of whiskey in the evening while listening to music and reading a book is becoming one of my favorite traditions in retirement! Not every evening of course, but at least a couple of times a week! But given all the choices out there, what are some nice whiskeys to try if this sounds like an enticing idea to you? I’m here to help with this week’s post – let’s talk whiskey! Before we get started, let’s narrow some thin

It’s time for the final installment of my restaurant pet peeves blog series! It has felt really good to get all these pet peeves off my...

Wow! I’m surprising myself with how many restaurant pet peeves I actually have – who knew? Anyway, welcome to the fourth installment of...

There’s a great distillery near our home called Loaded Cannon – they make flavored vodkas, rums, gins, bourbons – you name the spirit,...

20 years ago, this past weekend, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana which included a direct hit on the city of New Orleans. The...

It’s time for the third installment of my restaurant pet peeves blog series! In addition to general restaurant pet peeves and restaurant...