floridafoodandwinejournal

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

2018 Leto Napa Cab Sav

97 points. Small production Napa winery. This $85 bottle of wine drinks like a $300 bottle. Goes to show you the price does not dictate quality in wine. Full body rich, deep ruby color. Notes of chocolate, tar, cedar, leather, blackberries, ripe plums, and Huckleberries. Well balanced and ready to drink now. Try this one if you can find it. 

#jared leto #napa valley #wine #cabernet sauvignon

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

2019 Heir Apparent Proprietary Red Blend

95 points. Another hard to find wine. Top rated by many wine writers. At $110 a bottle this blend of Cab Sav, Malbec and Merlot is a much bolder wine than the Cab Sav. Deep dark purple ink in color. Viscous mouthfeel. Big dark stone fruit. Powerful. Chewy. For big red wine fans.

#wine #napa valley

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

2019 Heir Apparent Napa Cab Sav Reserve

96 points. Considered a cult wine? Hard to find outside of buying it at the winery. A bottle of this beauty will cost you $120. Elegant, well balanced, deep ruby hue and a Dumbo nose. The aromas instantly hit you when the cork is removed. Red berries, milk chocolate, dusty almonds and dragon fruit burst into your orifices. Lingering finish. Pairs perfectly with lamb chops or wild board steaks.

#heirapparent #wine #napa valley

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

GREAT WINES OF THE WORLD MIAMI 2024

Feb. 29, 2024 – March 1, 2024 — One of the USA’s best premium annual wine-tasting events for wine lovers and the wine trade. Join James Suckling and esteemed winemakers at this exclusive tasting event!

#wine #wineevents #miami #jamessuckling

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

2020 Turley Juvenile Zinfandel

FFWJ Rating 99 points

This 2020 vintage is a home run. Big, bold, chewy, inky. This “grapey” zinfandel is a perfect expression of what a Turley Zinfandel should taste like. Lollypop grape, full fruit forward. Plum, purple ripe grape, blackberry, blueberry notes. Delivers big time. As a reference the same wine in 2019 was an unbalanced harsh bear. The 2020 is back in the groove. The Juvenile is always the best in its price class. $20 at winery, $25 - $27 at a great wine shop. Don’t pay more than $29 for this bottle. At the right price this is the best deal in zinfandel and at Turley.

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Noodles Panini

Ft Lauderdale. Touted as having the best meatballs, this Las Olas Blvd stale-worth, lived up to its reputation. At happy hour three nice sized meatballs are $11 with sauce and bread. They are light and airy. Absolutely delicious.

#meatballs

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Happy Hour: Gran Forno Pronto

In the heart of Las Olas Blvd, this offshoot of the Grand Forno a half mile up the street is no comparison. The happy hour prices are great. Half off the entire food and wine menu. The food and pastries are awful. That is the catch. The only way to take advantage of this deal is to drink and order the pizzas. They are large and the only edible food item here. Sit outside and people watch.

#happyhour

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Burger Review: Gilbert’s 17th Street

A FFWJ best burger choice. Gilbert’s on 17th St in Ft Lauderdale makes one of the best burgers in South Florida. A huge 13oz beef patty. Grilled to perfection served on a no frills roll with lettuce and tomato. You can add many toppings of your choice but I am a purest. Its big beefy flavor will satisfy any meat lovers cravings.

#burgers #harrison gilbertson

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Weekend Getaway: Woodinville

What a great town Woodinville is. About a 30 minute drive north of Seattle, Washington. You can even stay in Seattle try the Sheraton Four Points Seatac for a bargain, and make a daily trek to Woodinville. Woodinville offers an abundance of tasting rooms saving you the trip to Walla Walla. I will say that we did drive to Walla Walla on a former trip and it was some of the most stunning American landscape views we have ever seen. The vista views blow away Napa’s and Sonoma’s all day long. A stay at the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel is a must in Walla Walla. Plus the hotels restaurant offers a five star meal at a modest price not to be missed. Arrived Seatac late. Went straight to 13 Coins Restaurant, Seatac location. Amazing! An old school joint cooking up huge portions of everything! Sit at the huge bar seats for the real experience. Love this place! Off to sleep. DAY ONE-A mid day wine tasting break took us to eat at Vivi Pizzeria. Serving pizza that tastes nothing like NYC pizza. More wine tasting and dinner at the Russel Lowell Restaurant. A Woodinville landmark. Rustic and friendly environment. Limited menu. But the casserole was excellent. lamb chops, lamb saddle, sausage, beef, beans and vegetables slowly cooked for hours. A real hunters stew that matched the decor. DAY TWO- off to taste more wine! Lunch at the Hollywood Tavern provided a juicy burger that satisfied our hunger. Next to the Tavern is the local Woodinville Whisky Distillery. A wonderful free tour and you can buy their delicious spirits and maple syrup for a discount at the end of the tour. Dinner at Woodblock in Redmond. A newer local hip eatery. Try the gnocchi. DAY THREE- wine tasting. Lunch at Amato Catering. The flat breads are very flat. Try a sandwich instead. Dinner at Wally’s Seafood near Seatac Airport. Huge portions, I mean huge, of seafood dishes. Truly an experience. Wine tasting mention: Ask for Bob at Eye of the Needle. Try his wine. Interesting blends that will make you want to bring some home to share with your friends. 

#woodinville #travel #weekendgetaway #washington

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250 posts!

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Wine: 2004 Williams Selyem Flax RRV Pinot Noir $50

I was skeptical about a Pinot of this age. The delicate Pinot Noir fruit usually does not age well. This bottle of juice proved me wrong. When the cork was gently removed the well manicured fingers of the blond blue eyed waitress, a voluptuous tart aroma filled the air. Like sirens luring Sinbad and his pirate crew into their perilous folds. Hard excitement was building inside our bodies in anticipation of its taste. This wine delivered over and over again. Still inky and lush. It maintained its youthful tannic presence like a fancy women going for cosmetic surgery. Big notes of dark berries, cranberries , raspberries and cherry cola exploded in ones mouth with a seductive oral sensation. Even the virgin tasters at the table moaned in delight as the juice coated their mouths and tongues with is venomous delight. For their first time taste of Williams Selyem they were truly spoiled 

#wine

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Burger Review: Zinburger -RIP

Rest in Peace. Covid has caused Zinberger to close almost all locations. We will miss you! A FFWJ best happy hour burger choice. As a student on a budget I live for happy hours. After a stroll through the Boca Raton Town Center Mall I stopped in and sat at the bar at a Zinburger. Happy hour M-F 3-6pm. A regular size Zinburger is only $5! All sides are 1/2 price as are all drinks!! So I got a burger $5, a big basket if fries $2.75 ask for well done, and a glass of michael david petit petite for $4! What a deal. Loud lively crowd. TV's at bar. Free mall parking

#rip

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Pizza Review: PieZano’s

Boca Raton. PieZano’s Pizza on Federal Highway. The original owners were from Brooklyn. There is a PieZano’s in Bayridge. I do not know if this is an affiliation to that location.  The slice is the size of two slices. Thin, satisfying and $3. The owner is nice and will make sure everything is right. I have to go back and try one of the amazing looking huge calzones. I guess everything served here is a huge portion. Nice

#pizza

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Pizza Review: Stella’s

Boca Raton. Stella’s Pizza on 441. The sign says Boca’s best pizza. A slice is $3. It is a nice size. Thin and crunchy and crisp. I have to say it was a very good slice of pizza. Is it the best in Boca? Well it defiantly is a top slice in the neighborhood 

#pizza

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Ocean One Bar and Grille

Delray Beach.  Three drinks for $10. Now that’s a happy hour. At Ocean One Bar and Grille on Atlantic Ave that is the daily drink deal. And it is top shelf stuff! Ketel one, Bacardi , wine etc. There is also a 3 for $12 and a 3 for $14 drink menu for other top shelf whisky choices like Bullit and Jameson. The food is good too. The lollipop chicken wings with a hoisin sauce $8 for 5 pieces, are very tasty. The grilled chicken sandwich and fries $8 and the burger $8 are a great deal too. Live music outside to dance to. A great deal for happy hour which runs all night! Lunch specials and the same drink specials are a great way to get your drink on.  They have another location in Las Vegas.

#happyhours

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Burger Review: Loch Bar

Boca Raton. Mizner Park has a new restaurant from the owners of Ouzo Bay called Loch Bar. It is located next to Racks. At the daily happy hour until 7 pm. The $8 bar burger is an all beef patty special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, tomato on a kaiser roll. No sides. Straight up burger that will satisfy your happy hunger-

#burgers

[floridafoodandwinejournal]

Peter Pan Diner

Oakland Park. The Peter Pan Diner on Oakland Park and Dixie Hwy is a blast from the past. Opened in 1979 and looks the same today as it did then. A friendly Greek diner, like the ones in NY. Prices are right. Daily specials. Nice size portions. Homemade desserts too. Open until midnight. Try it. You will like it.

#diners