Ever since I turned 21 I've been attending the Twin Cities Food & Wine Show with my friends.
We've traveled from near and far to explore the gourmet delicacies and the innumerable wine and beer tastings, not to mention the cooking demonstrations and trade show trash.
We enjoy this. We enjoy it a lot.
So much so that when said friends told me they were unable to attend this year due to an ill-timed pregancy (haha, just kidding guys, 2.0 is adorable), I invited more friends to join me for the weekend.
Seeing that the show is in 12 days, I thought I'd create a blog countdown to commemorate the awesomeness of the Twin Cities Food & Wine Experience. A sort of "12 Days of Fermented Christmas" if you will.
Accept No Imitations
There are a lot of food and wine tastings in the area - we're in Milwaukee, afterall. But the Twin Cities' event, in my estimation, blows everyone else out the water. Why, you ask?
(go ahead, I'll wait)
Well, let's take a look at some answers to frequently asked questions to see if we can't figure it out...
1. Isn't $65 a high price to pay?
The low price of $65 gets you 7 HOURS of all you can eat and drink. The ticket price is all-inclusive - once you're into the show, you need not pay for anything extra unless you desire to. Most area shows have a $50 ticket price for, at the most, 3 hours of tasting. Not as expensive as you thought, now is it?
2. Yeah, but I have to pay for a hotel room. That adds to the cost.
Minnesota Monthly, sponsor of the event, also reserve a block of rooms at the nearby Hilton for event-goers, so hotel costs are low for shared rooms. Additionally, the Hilton is a short skywalk away from the Minneapolis Convention Center, ergo, it's unnecessary to step foot outside in the frigid Minnesota winter during the entire weekend.
3. Sure, those other shows may be more expensive on a per-hour basis, but the proceeds go to charity.
While I'm sure Minnesota Monthly likes to make a profit from the food and wine show, a portion of the proceeds also go to support Minnesota Public Radio. A noble endeavor, no?
4. What else is there besides wine and food tasting? Won't that be boring after awhile?
First of all, no. Seven hours of food and wine tasting will NEVER get boring. Fool.
But in case you're attention span is that weak, the show organizers plan several activities for your entertainment.
For example, last year they began a Local Chef Challenge featuring local, Minneapolis chefs in a Top Chef competition. This year I'm rooting for:
Michael Decamp - La Belle Vie
Scott Pampuch - The Corner Table
John Occhiato - D'Amico's
Sameh Wadi - Saffron Restaurant & Lounge
Also, this year there will be a Czar of Cakes Challenge, which I assume will be like Food Network Cakes Challenge.
Even if you are amused by 7 hours of food and wine tasting, no doubt taking a break to watch one of these live shows will be a treat. Not just for you, but for your liver as well, which will no doubt need a break during the day.
So there you have it. The Twin Cities Food & Wine Experience is an event not to be missed. Need more convincing? For a limited time only, photos from my 2009 food and wine show experience will be available for viewing at my Flickr page.
As a bonus, here's a video from last year of me doing my first oyster shot. Note: the gagging is not me not enjoying the oyster, it's the oyster being too big for me to swallow without chewing.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
I don't watch Lost
Below is a video from Newsweek where staff who have never watched Lost watch some clips and see if they can make sense of the show.
I started watching the show when it first started, and halfway through the third episode I got bored. My friends tell me it's gotten real badass lately, but I just don't have the will to watch seasons of episodes in order to get to the good part.
As a consolation prize, I enjoy the video below.
I started watching the show when it first started, and halfway through the third episode I got bored. My friends tell me it's gotten real badass lately, but I just don't have the will to watch seasons of episodes in order to get to the good part.
As a consolation prize, I enjoy the video below.
Such Hate, Internets
As you may have noticed I've been busy here at Quarter Century. I've changed the colors and design a bit. I've started posting again and whatnot. Tonight I went through and labeled all of my previous posts for your perusing pleasure.
That's how I found this.
It's a ridiculous movie review I wrote on a ridiculous movie a long time ago.
It's also the reasoning behind me requiring registration for comments.
Not because I mind the criticism; I have to take it on a daily basis, in fact, No, it's because if someone is going to try to slay me in such a public manner, then I require that person to name him or herself.
I find that one detriment to the vast anonymity of the Internets is that people can get away with anything. Usually, as I've seen on many news sites, for example, what should be spirited, intelligent discussion devolves into name calling and hate speech.
So that explains my requirement for names behind the comments.
And I stand by my response to that poster. Yes, I believe it's the work of One person, or, at the very least, a couple of posters driven to this site for that very purpose by aforementioned One person.
Maybe someday I'll write a post explaining why this came to be, but for now you'll just have to trust me.
That's how I found this.
It's a ridiculous movie review I wrote on a ridiculous movie a long time ago.
It's also the reasoning behind me requiring registration for comments.
Not because I mind the criticism; I have to take it on a daily basis, in fact, No, it's because if someone is going to try to slay me in such a public manner, then I require that person to name him or herself.
I find that one detriment to the vast anonymity of the Internets is that people can get away with anything. Usually, as I've seen on many news sites, for example, what should be spirited, intelligent discussion devolves into name calling and hate speech.
So that explains my requirement for names behind the comments.
And I stand by my response to that poster. Yes, I believe it's the work of One person, or, at the very least, a couple of posters driven to this site for that very purpose by aforementioned One person.
Maybe someday I'll write a post explaining why this came to be, but for now you'll just have to trust me.
Single in the City: Up in the Air
Today I went to see Up in the Air. By myself. Remember, Internets, I like to do such things.
The theater was filled with approximately 115 empty seats, 9 people over the age of retirement, and yours truly.
I breezed in at a tight 5 minutes early - the only slightly awkward part about seeing a movie by yourself is sitting in the theater 20 minutes before showtime and blocking the center section of the row because of the weird, American, every-other-seat rule.
You know what I'm talking about.
Every person/couple/group MUST sit with one seat separating them.
Makes it damn tricky for a couple arriving late at a sold out midnight show of Lord of the Rings to find seats together is all I'm saying.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Yes, the audience was filled with the elderly, and yes it made me wonder if my generation undervalues the sex appeal of George Clooney.
For shame, Ladies, for shame.
The movie itself was very well done with only a few weaknesses, not that I'm the expert. But I can see why it's nominated for Best Picture, why Clooney, Farmiga, and Kendrick are nominated for acting, and why the film is NOT nominated for editing. Learn more about that here, but even I noticed a few odd choices in cuts...again, I'm not the expert.
I have to say though, my very favorite part of the movie was Sam Elliott. Because who better to be the metaphor for the culmintation of all that Clooney's character hoped and dreamed than the very man who gave The Dude his Zen back?
"Sometimes the bar, well, he eats you."
Exactly, Stranger, exactly.
But will the granny in row four please stop sighing so loudly and take her geritol already?
The theater was filled with approximately 115 empty seats, 9 people over the age of retirement, and yours truly.
I breezed in at a tight 5 minutes early - the only slightly awkward part about seeing a movie by yourself is sitting in the theater 20 minutes before showtime and blocking the center section of the row because of the weird, American, every-other-seat rule.
You know what I'm talking about.
Every person/couple/group MUST sit with one seat separating them.
Makes it damn tricky for a couple arriving late at a sold out midnight show of Lord of the Rings to find seats together is all I'm saying.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Yes, the audience was filled with the elderly, and yes it made me wonder if my generation undervalues the sex appeal of George Clooney.
For shame, Ladies, for shame.
The movie itself was very well done with only a few weaknesses, not that I'm the expert. But I can see why it's nominated for Best Picture, why Clooney, Farmiga, and Kendrick are nominated for acting, and why the film is NOT nominated for editing. Learn more about that here, but even I noticed a few odd choices in cuts...again, I'm not the expert.
I have to say though, my very favorite part of the movie was Sam Elliott. Because who better to be the metaphor for the culmintation of all that Clooney's character hoped and dreamed than the very man who gave The Dude his Zen back?
"Sometimes the bar, well, he eats you."
Exactly, Stranger, exactly.
But will the granny in row four please stop sighing so loudly and take her geritol already?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Happy Hour Haiku
Sweet potato fries
Rehorst G&T is dope
I am Jenga Queen.
Bayview is my name
Cheap microbrews is my game
Parking is a b*tch
Centraal and Lulu
Sugar Maple, Highbury
Burnhearts and The Palm
Rehorst G&T is dope
I am Jenga Queen.
Bayview is my name
Cheap microbrews is my game
Parking is a b*tch
Centraal and Lulu
Sugar Maple, Highbury
Burnhearts and The Palm
Friday, January 29, 2010
Single in the City: Restaurant Wars II
You may remember from a previous post that I occasionally enjoy entertainment and dining options by myself.
This is not weird, small-minded Americans, this is modern and forward-thinking with a certain European sophistication.
Now that we have that settled, let's get to the second review in the series: The Chancery in Wauwatosa.
Establishment: The Chancery
Known Aliases: Cancer's, Chaucer's
Location: Wauwatosa, WI
Anyone who's been to Chancery can tell you that they have plenty of seating available with innumerable nooks and crannies in which a single diner can hide. However, when I went there for lunch the other day (okay, it was, like, months ago...this review is a long time coming), I was placed smack dab in the middle of the Monopoly room. You know which one I'm talking about. There's a 3 ft. x 3 ft. framed print of Park Place, and currency from around the world featured on the walls.
The Staff:
The hostess was sweet, never hinting that she may have thought it odd for me to eat lunch by myself during peak dining time.
The waiter was friendly, though not overtly so. I took it to mean he assumed he would not be getting as high a tip from a single diner as he no doubt would from a table of four for the same amount of effort. However, surely not so much thought was put into the attitude. Likely it was just a long day for him.
The Atmosphere:
While the staff was friendly, the other diners were decidedly less so. Approximately 10 minutes after I was seated (after beverage, before order), a table of Ladies Who Lunch were seated directly next to me.
At first I thought nothing of it.
After all, people are seated next to you in a restaurant all the time. However, those neighbor diners usually refrain from loudly discussing you in your close presence.
The suburban housewives with no lives (rhyme unintentional, though appropriate) could not help themselves from commenting on my single status situation. Not to me or with me, no. Rather, they discussed how sad they found it when they observed others dining alone in a restaurant. No way, they said, would they be able to do the same. They would feel far too awkward.
This went on at a decibel level loud enough to be certain that I would overhear.
Rather than confront the elephant head on - because who likes confrontation - I took to Twittering the situation in an effort that public venting would leave me feeling somewhat calmer.
Final Score: C+
But only because the Bored Bimbos made me rush through my lunch and rush out the door.
This is not weird, small-minded Americans, this is modern and forward-thinking with a certain European sophistication.
Now that we have that settled, let's get to the second review in the series: The Chancery in Wauwatosa.
Establishment: The Chancery
Known Aliases: Cancer's, Chaucer's
Location: Wauwatosa, WI
Anyone who's been to Chancery can tell you that they have plenty of seating available with innumerable nooks and crannies in which a single diner can hide. However, when I went there for lunch the other day (okay, it was, like, months ago...this review is a long time coming), I was placed smack dab in the middle of the Monopoly room. You know which one I'm talking about. There's a 3 ft. x 3 ft. framed print of Park Place, and currency from around the world featured on the walls.
The Staff:
The hostess was sweet, never hinting that she may have thought it odd for me to eat lunch by myself during peak dining time.
The waiter was friendly, though not overtly so. I took it to mean he assumed he would not be getting as high a tip from a single diner as he no doubt would from a table of four for the same amount of effort. However, surely not so much thought was put into the attitude. Likely it was just a long day for him.
The Atmosphere:
While the staff was friendly, the other diners were decidedly less so. Approximately 10 minutes after I was seated (after beverage, before order), a table of Ladies Who Lunch were seated directly next to me.
At first I thought nothing of it.
After all, people are seated next to you in a restaurant all the time. However, those neighbor diners usually refrain from loudly discussing you in your close presence.
The suburban housewives with no lives (rhyme unintentional, though appropriate) could not help themselves from commenting on my single status situation. Not to me or with me, no. Rather, they discussed how sad they found it when they observed others dining alone in a restaurant. No way, they said, would they be able to do the same. They would feel far too awkward.
This went on at a decibel level loud enough to be certain that I would overhear.
Rather than confront the elephant head on - because who likes confrontation - I took to Twittering the situation in an effort that public venting would leave me feeling somewhat calmer.
Final Score: C+
But only because the Bored Bimbos made me rush through my lunch and rush out the door.
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