Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Wineries around Mendoza, Argentina

Figuring out which wineries to visit in Mendoza can be a challenge: there are literally hundreds of wineries, and very few are well-known (as in Napa or Bordeaux).  So I relied on the Cavas team's list of options as a starting point for my research.  Here's a sampling of where we went: Our ... continue reading...


Lunch at Ruca Malen, Mendoza

Wine tasting lunches are a clever idea, aren't they?   Wines are paired with different courses, so you experience them with food and aren't drinking on an empty stomach.  Win win! Lunch at Ruca Malen is in a beautiful bright dining room; each place is set with six glasses, whetting our ... continue reading...


Adventures at Cavas, Mendoza

There's so much to do in Mendoza!  Of course, there's my favorite vacation pastime: relaxing.  Oh, and my second favorite: wine tasting. For the more adventurous, you can go whitewater rafting or trekking in the Andes.  We chose a few activities closer to home: * Horseback riding We met ... continue reading...


Cavas Wine Lodge, Mendoza

Cavas Wine Lodge is the perfect place to get away from it all - as long as "all" doesn't include a gorgeous setting, excellent food, and absolutely charming people! We had a wonderful stay at Cavas, in Mendoza, to celebrate D's birthday, and I'm already dreaming of our return. As soon as ... continue reading...


iLatina, Buenos Aires

I knew we'd eat a lot of steak in Argentina, so our first dinner in Buenos Aires was at the complete opposite of a parilla: iLatina.  There's no steak in sight!  The cuisine is Colombian (and Mexican and Peruvian and Ecuadorian and more) in inspiration; the wines, meanwhile, are all from Argentina.  ... continue reading...


Tuna salad with tomato

Since we eat out a lot, I'm always trying to come up with quick and healthy meals to have at home.  This one is so easy, it's perfect to make in advance before we drive up to Wisconsin on a Friday afternoon - once we arrive, all I need to do is prep the tomatoes and spoon in the tuna, then serve ... continue reading...


Hillwood Estate, Washington DC

You could easily spend a week in DC just exploring the museums and monuments around the Mall.  But there are all sorts of interesting off-the-beaten-path attractions too, like Hillwood, which I learned about from my friend E. It's in her neighborhood of Cleveland Park, up in the hills - the ... continue reading...


Austrian Airlines

There are many reasons I'm looking forward visiting Vienna again: watching D eat his body weight in schnitzel, spending more time exploring the Kunsthistoriches, having another crack at the Silvio Nickol wine list.  And... another trip on Austrian Airlines. It's probably unfair to compare ... continue reading...


Coi, San Francisco

On my recent work trip to San Francisco, I visited a restaurant that's been on my list for a long time - Coi.  Chef Matthew Kirkley was previously at L2O, one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago (which since closed). I'm happy to report that his cooking has only gotten better and more elegant ... continue reading...