Cristall and Luckett Wine Merchants - the private store in Bedford, has a great little organic red wine that seems to have snuck under the radar of most wine geeks so far. It is called Domaine de la Chappelle and is less than $15. A great BYO wine as it will go with just about any food that can handle red wine.
This is what Rhone wines are all about (the inexpensive ones, anyway). Good Grenache fruitiness, some bubblegum even, but with the dark, brooding peppery Syrah finishing the taste, and providing enough weight and substance to make this wine compete well above its price range. Yummy.
While you are there, if you like Pinot Noir, for less than $15, again, there is an Italian Pinot Nero (that is Italian for Pinot Noir - I am almost trilingual, am I) that also shocked me at how good it was for the price. There is only one inexpensive Pinot Nero in the store, you can find it.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Why Angel Cabrera's Drives go farther than mine
A minimum of words is required here.
Did you hear the ball say "ouch" ??
Did you hear the ball say "ouch" ??
The smoked meat debate - Tiger weighs in.
Montreal is famous for smoked meat - but it is not really smoked meat, more a spiced beef that they serve in the famous places. Places like Schwartz's on Saint Laurent.
I like the place, I really do, but I am tired of seeing it lined up all the time, when right across the street, The Main, where the smoked meat is exactly the same, has lots of seats.
So this last trip to Montreal (watching Tiger Woods et al strut their stuff) I went to the Main twice. Schwartz's was lined up outside both days.
Here is a picture of Tiger telling Charles Howell III exactly the same thing.
Don't worry about that lineup, man, just pop across to The Main. I hear it is even the same owner!
I like the place, I really do, but I am tired of seeing it lined up all the time, when right across the street, The Main, where the smoked meat is exactly the same, has lots of seats.
So this last trip to Montreal (watching Tiger Woods et al strut their stuff) I went to the Main twice. Schwartz's was lined up outside both days.
Here is a picture of Tiger telling Charles Howell III exactly the same thing.
Don't worry about that lineup, man, just pop across to The Main. I hear it is even the same owner!
Standing in line in the studio
L and I are both big fans of Ron Sexsmith, so when we heard he would be playing a one minute walk from our home, naturally, we figured it would be sold out. But thinking out loud, we decided that nothing good would ever come of this if we didn't try, on a whim, at least to get tickets.
It turns out the good people at the Halifax Pop Explosion, in conjunction with the local recording studio in the Musicstop building around the corner, run a series of live in-studio sessions during the Pop-Ex. This one, advertised on radio, prompted a very polite email from L to them wondering about tickets. Late at night, almost too late, the day before, we were rewarded with a positive response.
Needing to pick them up at the door, we went over early. The cluster of people in front of the door were quite representative of the music cognoscenti of the burg. Waiting there, I realized something about my shopping patterns. I shop at Frenchy's for things that look like I paid a lot more for them elsewhere, whereas a lot of people shop at Frenchy's to buy things that look like they bought them at Frenchy's. I know there is still time for me to learn to dress that way, but every passing day, the chances of it diminish.
Just about on time (if they didn't arrive at different times, they would not be artists, right?) we were led up the stairs with about 48 others to a small room, a bit stuffy, but cosy, that apparently is a recording studio done up like a set for a high school play from the 1970's. Whatever it takes to make the artists a bit more creative, them and their imaginary friends.
No seats, just walls to lean on and a floor for those who can sit in the lotus position. I got a wall. There were cameras, microphones and lighting that was blinding if you in the wrong spot, but I was not about to lose my place.
Ron came on right away, and did five songs, all new ones, without naming them. I thought that two of them were really good, and someway, somehow, would become standards for him all in good time.
In my secret heart, and I know it well, happiness was in the room, but then I'm just an average joe, I tell you.
Okay, enough with the fun and games.....
Ron's performance was good, but it was marred by his acoustically miked guitar feeding back through the monitors. I sincerely hope they can edit that out for when it goes on the radio. He still looks like he is about 20 years younger than he is.
Al Tuck was the second part of the bill. Now lots of local people in the biz support him, play his songs (Joel Plaskett included) and some almost revere him. I have seen him now about 5 times, and every time I am left wondering what all the fuss is about. If this guy was ever going to make it beyond Gus' Pub, then he is going to have to work a little harder at his live act. He came in all shot to hell, looking like something the proverbial cat might drag in. He was not prepared, even admitting that the cute little guitar ending to one song was the only thing they had rehearsed. Off tune (wrong tuning, which is different, I know) with the guitar, forgetting where he was in songs, and generally acting as if this was his first time in front of an audience while overacting as "cool", he simply did not impress. Again. I remain prepared to enjoy his music, and work, but he has to be prepared too.
One of his songs seemed to have some lingering hate in it... or advanced dislike. Does the guy have a child with someone who he is no longer with? I seem to recall he does (is it Catherine MacLellan?) Anyway, if he does, she won't particularly like this tune. Yikes!
If Al Tuck is headed for that legendary status of singer songwriter that everyone covers, he looks as if he is planning on doing the fame part posthumously.
In the end, for a $6 ticket, and a 1 minute walk, this was a lot of fun, and an expedition I may try to repeat, depending on who's playing.
It turns out the good people at the Halifax Pop Explosion, in conjunction with the local recording studio in the Musicstop building around the corner, run a series of live in-studio sessions during the Pop-Ex. This one, advertised on radio, prompted a very polite email from L to them wondering about tickets. Late at night, almost too late, the day before, we were rewarded with a positive response.
Needing to pick them up at the door, we went over early. The cluster of people in front of the door were quite representative of the music cognoscenti of the burg. Waiting there, I realized something about my shopping patterns. I shop at Frenchy's for things that look like I paid a lot more for them elsewhere, whereas a lot of people shop at Frenchy's to buy things that look like they bought them at Frenchy's. I know there is still time for me to learn to dress that way, but every passing day, the chances of it diminish.
Just about on time (if they didn't arrive at different times, they would not be artists, right?) we were led up the stairs with about 48 others to a small room, a bit stuffy, but cosy, that apparently is a recording studio done up like a set for a high school play from the 1970's. Whatever it takes to make the artists a bit more creative, them and their imaginary friends.
No seats, just walls to lean on and a floor for those who can sit in the lotus position. I got a wall. There were cameras, microphones and lighting that was blinding if you in the wrong spot, but I was not about to lose my place.
Ron came on right away, and did five songs, all new ones, without naming them. I thought that two of them were really good, and someway, somehow, would become standards for him all in good time.
In my secret heart, and I know it well, happiness was in the room, but then I'm just an average joe, I tell you.
Okay, enough with the fun and games.....
Ron's performance was good, but it was marred by his acoustically miked guitar feeding back through the monitors. I sincerely hope they can edit that out for when it goes on the radio. He still looks like he is about 20 years younger than he is.
Al Tuck was the second part of the bill. Now lots of local people in the biz support him, play his songs (Joel Plaskett included) and some almost revere him. I have seen him now about 5 times, and every time I am left wondering what all the fuss is about. If this guy was ever going to make it beyond Gus' Pub, then he is going to have to work a little harder at his live act. He came in all shot to hell, looking like something the proverbial cat might drag in. He was not prepared, even admitting that the cute little guitar ending to one song was the only thing they had rehearsed. Off tune (wrong tuning, which is different, I know) with the guitar, forgetting where he was in songs, and generally acting as if this was his first time in front of an audience while overacting as "cool", he simply did not impress. Again. I remain prepared to enjoy his music, and work, but he has to be prepared too.
One of his songs seemed to have some lingering hate in it... or advanced dislike. Does the guy have a child with someone who he is no longer with? I seem to recall he does (is it Catherine MacLellan?) Anyway, if he does, she won't particularly like this tune. Yikes!
If Al Tuck is headed for that legendary status of singer songwriter that everyone covers, he looks as if he is planning on doing the fame part posthumously.
In the end, for a $6 ticket, and a 1 minute walk, this was a lot of fun, and an expedition I may try to repeat, depending on who's playing.
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