The ensuing three hours at Ibiza consisted of an Abbazia di Novacella (a crisp white made from the kerner grape) and an Australian riesling called Clos Clare, paired with pan friend oysters and shimp with tasso cream, and a local goat cheese, portabella, sun-dried tomato pizza.

Later that evening we stopped into Beavers, the top spot in Houston for cocktails. The reason for this is because it also has the best bartender and mixologist: Bobby Huegel. Bobby makes the classics like they were meant to be made, like martinis and Manhattans. On top of that he creates his own dynamic drinks with everything you can think of… and it’s all great!

By this time one of Emily’s good friend, Jaffer, wine director at Del Frisco’s steakhouse had joined us. We decided to cap off the night at 13 Celsius, easily one of the best, if not the best wine bar in Houston. Jaffer selected a late vintage dessert wine from Klein – the oldest winery in South Africa. Here is some interesting background on the the wine, Vin de Constance, and tasting notes:

“These historic vineyards were first planted in the late 1600s as a part of the original Constantia estate, whose legendary sweet wines were celebrated in literature by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Baudelaire. It was sought after by Napoleon, in his exile, and by the courts of Europe in the 18th and 19th century. Chosen for its soil of decomposed Table Mountain granite, and its cooling sea breezes from both the Atlantic and Indian oceans, these vineyards provide the perfect terroir for premium winegrowing… Copper in colour, with abundant aromas of of dried mangos, apricots and honey. The palate is unctiously full bodied and intensely flavoured, with a thick, viscous consistency pared by pithy astringency and a fresh, mouthwatering finish.”

A great wine to finish a great day with great friends.

]]> http://tavolarosso.com/2008/05/should-we-start-with-bubbly/feed/ 0 http://tavolarosso.com/2007/06/houston/ http://tavolarosso.com/2007/06/houston/#comments Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:32:00 +0000 Mark Stoltz http://tavolarosso.com/2007/06/houston/
In late April of this year Isabell met me for a weekend in Houston. Most reasonable people would ask, “Why meet in Houston? It’s not a destination.” … and they would be right. But after having lived in Houston for just over a year myself, I found the city is tough to beat when it comes to restaurants and the arts. Here is a run down of a few of the places Bell and I hit up – some of my Houston favorites:

~ Mark’s, from chef Mark Cox. This is the best restaurant I have ever been to – hands down. Everything from the excellent and constantly changing menu of American cuisine to the great wine list to the old church-turned-restaurant atmosphere makes Mark’s number one in my book. One of my good friends, Emily Resling used to be the wine director at Mark’s, making each visit a even more of treat. On the night Bell and I came in to the restaurant she pulled what we both agree is the best bottle of wine either of us has ever had: a 2004 Joseph Swan pinot noir. Amazing. Emily’s since moved on to a new position in Seattle (the new hometown for both of us), but remains a great wine insider for me.

~ Empire Cafe ranks right near the top of my list of favorite coffee houses. The cafe serves a great breakfast, has excellent coffee and espresso drinks and has nice outdoor patio – a must-have in Texas.

~ The Menil is the home of John and Dominique de Menil’s personal art collection. Two things stand out about the Menil: 1) the range of the art work (Greek antiquity artifacts to Picasso’s and Warhol’s) and 2) the gallery is free to the public. It is pretty amazing to find a museum that is both world class in quality and free.