This, that, and…The Other

OK, before I get started with food, wine and the general merriment that is The Grind, I have a special announcement. As luck would have it, for the second time this year, “2 the Ninez” are going to rock our little tree house. Yes, Friday night, we will get to hear the soulful sounds of this fantastic Raleigh duo. Be here or be queer. Or, be here even if you’re queer, or straight, or just not sure.
Or something like that.

Anyway, we had a great tasting last week, including two big hits from the Peirano family. The winemaker’s blend, “The Other” sold out halfway through the tasting, and the Petite Sirah sold out over the weekend. Both wines will be back in stock Friday, and it is likely they will become part of our list.

Jeremy and Dave played to a full house Friday, and Dave played to a good crowd Saturday. They drank all of our Eberle Syrah, The Girls, the Layercake Malbec and a few others. But, have no fear, these selections – and a few old favorites – will be back on the shelves by the weekend.

We had a busy weekend in The Grind’s test kitchen, gearing up for a summer of food. Susan stuffed strawberries with cream cheese, powdered sugar, almond extract and sliced almonds, then drizzled chocolate over the top. Go ahead, think about that for a minute…I’ll wait.

Good? Check your chin for drool before continuing. I played around with some more “Finnerty Flatbreads,” a few variations of quesadillas (including a vegetarian blend topped with tamarind sauce, that our green friend dubbed delicious), and a crabmeat and brie quiche. I also did a quesadilla with tilapia and Muenster, topped with a chipotle/chorizo mayo that was outrageous. Our friend Ed suggested drizzling a little roasted red pepper coulis over the top, for presentation and flavor. And, since he was trained at Johnson & Wales, and interned at a little New Orleans restaurant called “Emeril’s,” I thought I would give it a try. And it was good. And pretty.

There were so many other things coming out of the kitchen, but I guess we should leave some mystery, eh? We are hoping the Health Department will sign off on our plan this week, and then we can finally begin construction!

Things did not slow down after Sunday, as we spent Monday at Tryon’s trade show (following an amazing lunch at Cornerstone Bistro in Porter’s Neck – definitely worth the drive!). I don’t know how many distributors were represented at Tryon’s show; I only know that after 32 wines my notes become considerably less descriptive. We went over to Circa after, and had a bottle of the David Bruce Petite Sirah, just for good measure.
Tuesday, we went to Wrightsville for Southern Foods’ trade show. We spent a couple hours tasting samples of everything from pasta to bison, cheese to gelato, baklava to cake. We had stopped at an Italian bakery in Wilmington and an Italian deli in Wrightsville on our way to the show, to look at some dessert options for the shop. So, needless to say, we did not need to cook dinner last night.

Thursday, our friend John, from Turner Wine Imports, will be hosting our tasting. Remember “The Fugitive”? That is one of his, introduced at a previous tasting. He will have some interesting wines this week, too, so don’t miss it.

As I said, Friday is 2 the Ninez, and Dave returns Saturday, so make it a point to groove on down to 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind, and let us pour you a glass.

Shawn