living the life of reiley
My crazy life, for better or worse, as it unfolds.
truffle shuffle
I’ve said before that I love my job and recent a weekend in Napa with all-you-can-eat truffles reminded me of just how good it can get. The occasion was the second annual Napa Truffle Festival. The event encompassed every aspect of truffle culture from truffle cultivation and the business of truffles to cooking with... »
from providence to vancouver, the way I like to eat
I’ve been on a bit of an eating orgy for the past 10 days. First I spent Thanksgiving weekend in LA with my family… eating. (That’s what you’re supposed to do Thanksgiving weekend, after all!) Then from 80 degrees and sunshine I slapped on the winter boots to head for Vancouver to… eat! (Isn’t... »
a vineyard named bien nacido
few weeks ago, I was invited on a press trip to California’s Santa Maria Valley. The trip was organized, to a large extent, by the Miller family of Bien Nacido Vineyards. And it was the Bien Nacido name that influenced my decision to accept the invitation. As a syndicated wine columnist and EatSomethingSexy’s... »
collecting cape cod jewels
You don’t really expect the guy who owns the storm shutter company, while sorting your wing nuts, to drop a line like, “I’m moving into oyster farming.” But this line was indeed dropped (and so was my jaw). One thing led to another, as is often the case when the word “oyster” is uttered... »
come on Irene! (hurricane party part deux)
read part one of come on Irene here The day of the actual hurricane dawned gray and sort of fluffy, the sky resembling the fuzz of a baby chick. A mild, non-menacing wind whipped through the air as I drove to the Dunkin Donuts for a quick cappuccino fix. (My mother and I, sharing one... »
come on Irene! (the gourmet version of a hurricane party)
I’m sure a lot of people can boast they rode out Hurricane Irene (aka the hurricane that was supposed to eat the East Coast but filled up on Carolina) with good friends and good food. But how many can say they waited out the storm in a three hundred year old historic estate that... »
a new perspective on prosecco
It seemed somehow wrong, attending a Prosecco lunch on Bastille Day. How could I cheat on my favorite wine region (Champagne) on France’s national holiday? Problem solved: I wore a beret. The lunch was for Valdo, an Italian sparkling wine producer widely respected throughout Europe but only beginning to break into the American market.... »
what an elephant eats for breakfast
A previous blog post from Africa hinted at the fact that I simply adore elephants. But I hadn’t figured out why I feel such a bond to these massive mammals (is it the wrinkly knees, graceful movements or simply the trunk?) until a recent, unlikely encounter in, of all places, central California. Now, I... »
oyster wine
On occasion, the duties of my job include judging wine competitions. I like this task. Although I believe the enjoyment of wine should be a subjective experience, there are qualitative criteria by which wine can be judged and industry standards are created and maintained. But sometimes, you just have to throw those criteria out... »
a downtown called napa
I was excited to receive an invitation to a three-day gastronomic tour of downtown Napa. Like most visitors to California’s most famous wine country, I’m fairly well acquainted with the valley floor dotted with vineyards sandwiched between 29 and the Silvarado Trail. But, although I have twice stayed in hotels in downtown Napa, I... »