Don’t act, a little like a…Fugitive?

With apologies to Tom Petty, The Fugitive was popular over the weekend, as were a number of other selections. We sold out of the aforementioned blend, the Sacred Stone, the Curious Beagle, the Layer Cake Malbec and a couple of others that don’t immediately come to mind. We also had a strong run on the Girls.

Buy, hey, that’s not a complaint! We are very appreciative that there are still wine drinkers braving the treacherous waters of a rocky economy, navigating narrow passages of income/expense ratios while avoiding the reef of unemployment. Enough metaphors? OK, let’s talk about food.

Speaking of food, we continue to experiment in The Grind Test Kitchen (aka, our house), and the results are delicious. A simple cheese platter can be quite sublime, and Saturday night we had a Spanish Manchego (nutty and creamy), a beautiful Italian gorgonzola, a sharp aged Canadian white cheddar, a chunk of Italian salami, a fresh baguette and some olives from Santa Barbara. If that ain’t livin’, I’m afraid I just don’t know what is.

I hadn’t made scones in a while, so I tried them out Sunday morning, and brought some to the shop for customers to taste. Everyone seemed to like them, although I felt they could use a little work. Like I said, it has been a while since I made them. But then I whipped up some spectacular guacamole, and the planets re-aligned and all was once again right with the world.

But Susan, as usual, outdid me with a Caribbean chicken (nice spice, and you squeeze a little fresh lime over it when it is served), along with a side of couscous and dried cherries. She is working on gorgonzola-stuffed meatballs, and a few other recipes that are sure to temp even the stingiest palate.

Today we meet with some food distribution people to start talking about supplies, and tonight we finish our Servsafe course and take our exam. So, things are moving forward.

Back at The Grind, we continue to massage the wine list. I think the Eberle wines will become a permanent part of the selection. We sold out of the Cab at last week’s wine tasting, and the Cotes du Robles Saturday night. So, to paraphrase Sally Field, “You like them, you really like them!”

This week’s tasting will be hosted by Liza from Mutual, who never disappoints. Her wines are great, and she always seems to know what is going to resonate with our customers. She is coming back into town today, and will taste me on some potential selections on Wednesday. So, it may be a mystery at the moment, but by Wednesday afternoon we will have a solid line-up for Thursday night.

Although I am always excited about wine, I am almost as excited about Friday night. Yes, “2 the Ninez” will be here to fill our cup with delicious music. You will definitely want an extra dollop of whipped cream to soften that bluesy sound. Or, at the very least, another glass of wine.

Seriously, if you have not seen these two play, you owe it to yourself. Economy eshmonimy, we are talking great music, great wine, great atmosphere and pretty nice people. Come on, give yourself a break! Think about the children! Do it for them, for the future, for the greater good. Do it for the people in Siberia, who only have fermented potatoes to drink. Do it for the astronauts, suffering with their Tang. Do it for everyone who is not within driving distance of The Grind but wishes they could be here, too. Because you know they are out there, enviously reading the blog, and wishing they, too, could sup on the nectar known as the Fugitive, or spend an evening with the Girls, or…well, you get the picture. Just get here.

And, once here, the 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind will be more than happy to pour you a glass…

Shawn