Palm Beach Sheds the Emperor's New Clothes Sometimes, the sound of a bubble bursting can be as elusive as the echo of one hand clapping; at other moments, the volume is deafening. This week, the Michelin Guide announced its long-awaited ratings for restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach
Americans tend to regard Madeira as the drink of maiden aunts and dissipated members of the British upper class. This is a shame, since they can be some of the world’s most glorious wines—delightful to sip on their own, and incredibly versatile with food. Produced on the Atlantic
Pimm’s Cup is proof that premixed cocktails just won’t go away, even though no one admits to drinking them. They were rarely stylish in America, since they conjured up images of brown bags, bums, and convenience store parking lots; in this age of designer libations, they seem to
So much has been written on Substack about the current neo-prohibitionist movement that it hardly seems necessary to add more—until you realize certain key points have been ignored or overlooked. The U.S. Surgeon General would like to place health warnings on beverage bottles that contain alcohol. According to
Reflections on wine rating systems Some wines are better than others, but the methods used to measure those quality differences are a source of controversy. Here’s the problem: There’s no such thing as an objective opinion, no matter how qualified and well-intentioned the taster may be. Wine tasting
Dare to defy the Foodie Police Food consciousness came late to America—but when it arrived, it hit with the impact of a meteorite. Prior to 1960, our concept of luxurious dining included dishes such as jello molds, turkey tetrazzini, chicken a la king, veal Oscar, Waldorf salad, and other
Since memories tend to be short (it’s the internet age, after all), here’s a look back at what you may have missed or forgotten in March. We began the month with a piece about eating horse meat, and determining where you fit into the food chain: https://eatdrinkjourney.
An Insider's Guide to Wine, Spirits, Restaurants and Culinary Travel
Dim Sum has been with us for several thousand years, ever since weary travelers stopped to refresh themselves in tea houses along the Silk Road. It came to the U.S. with the wave of Chinese immigration during the 19th century and initially took root along both coasts---particularly in San
We All Have Our Sordid Past “I struggled in the beginning. I said I was going to write the truth, so help me God. I found I couldn’t. No one can write the absolute truth.” Henry Miller I’ve been writing about wine since 1992, when I founded my
Our traveling correspondent reveals his favorite dishes By Ken Schechet I have been to Vietnamese restaurants in the United States, France, and several Asian countries. I recently spent two weeks eating my way from one end of Vietnam to the other and quickly realized that before I got here I
What's the correct temperature for wine? Here in the U.S., we tend to drink our white wines too cold and our red wines too warm. Restaurants are usually the worst offenders. White wines are stored in a beverage case at 45-48 degrees, cold enough to induce permafrost.
(Except some people in Ireland) In his novel Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut introduces the concept of a granfalloon: “a proud and meaningless collection of human beings,” or more precisely, a group of people who believe they share an identity or purpose, but who actually do not. As examples, Vonnegut
The concept of the family business creates a nostalgic feeling in the minds of many of us, even though those businesses frequently struggle to survive and are sometimes toxic for the family members involved. Over the past few decades, in almost every segment of the economy, large corporations have absorbed
Many giants of the wine trade are totally unknown to consumers. It’s inevitable, given that they are the middlemen (and women) who are the conduits for funneling memorable wine from the vintner to the end user. William John Beachcroft Blatch was born in England in 1948 and first came
Determining where you fit into the food chain If you’re hungry enough to eat a horse, you may be in luck—depending on where you live. Can you eat horsemeat in America? The answer is complex. It’s legal to consume in all but four states (Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode
An American Classic
Old World and New World Become One World
Our correspondent arrives in Vietnam
The cycle of Kentucky bourbon