<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Grape Thinking &#187; restaurant</title>
	<atom:link href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://grapethinking.com</link>
	<description>Fusing Mind with Vine</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:16:45 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Passion on the Vine – a review</title>
		<link>http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review</link>
		<comments>http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ruarri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atlanta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[event]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[friends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[power]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[preparation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[purpose]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[read]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[step]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tasting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wineries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[world]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://grapethinking.com/?p=608</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When one looks at a vineyard – you&#8217;re not looking at it in the same way as you would look at an orange orchard. Instead one sees a multitude of experiences past and of moments yet to come &#8211; moments of intimacy, memorable occasions, conversations and treasured friendships. Since time <a href="http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review" rel="nofollow">more...</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Vine-Memoir-Family-Heart/dp/0767926072"><img class="alignleft" style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" src="http://grapethinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/080908-1747-passiononth1.png" border="0" alt="" /></a>When one looks at a vineyard – you&#8217;re not looking at it in the same way as you would look at an orange orchard. Instead one sees a multitude of experiences past and of moments yet to come &#8211; moments of intimacy, memorable occasions, conversations and treasured friendships. Since time immemorial, vineyards have not only been the touchstone of certain regions, but have often been the lifeblood of local communities and the cornerstone of entire generations of families. Every vineyard contains a family, a history, a <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/culture" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Culture">culture</a> and a <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/purpose" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with purpose">purpose</a>. This was at least, the sentiment I had before embarking on a mission to <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/new-york" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with New York">New York</a> City, where I would promote and sell wine&#8217;s connected to my family in some ways, and more importantly – wine from my country. During that time – having spent much time in <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/preparation" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with preparation">preparation</a> for the mission, I left with those stories and sentiments of <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/culture" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Culture">culture</a> and family fresh in my blood. But with every <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/sales" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Sales">sales</a>-call and wine event I began to feel further and further from the vineyard. Soon it was about laid in cost, case-discounts and what kind of Point of Sale material was on offer. I travelled the country in a rental car with a case of wine, a corskrew and a <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/power" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with power">power</a>-point presentation along the way having people from <a href="http://www.westchesterwine.com/default.html">Westchester Wine Warehouse</a> cruelly spit wine on my shoe after having left me waiting for an hour, sitting in cold-rooms of cellars in Maryland, helping do stock-takes in Ohio, presenting to Wholefoods buyers in North Carolina and pushing on-premise retail in Atlanta: and with every step I became a bit more confused and lost the focus of what I was doing. Having believed that wine was so important to my country and stepping into the States to tell the story of South African wine, it was very dispiriting to suddenly be faced with the fact that no one really cared so long as they could make a profit.</p>
<p><span id="more-608"></span>Step in <a href="http://www.italianwinemerchantstore.com/aboutus/about_sergio.html">Sergio Esposito</a>&#8216;s <a href="http://www.passiononthevine.com/"><em>Passion on the Vine</em></a><em>: A Memoir of <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">Food</a>, Wine and Family in the Heart of Italy – </em>which from the first page pulls one directly into the rental car of he and his brother Sal at the end of an epic 60 winery tour of Italy. Sergio, an Italian born <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/new-york" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with New York">New York</a> wine retailer has embarked on a wine-buying tour of Italy with his brother who got him into the business in the fist place – and within the first pages of reading you are situated within a remarkable life, which I was utterly compelled by because suddenly the retailer I had been up against was given a face. I completely sympathise with the opening sentiments of having a job that on the surface sounds glamorous but in reality can be very gritty – however one quickly learns that Esposito has been doing this for 3 months every year for nearly 2 decades. From my part I was around the East Coast, Mid West and West Coast pushing wine to <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurants" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurants">restaurants</a> retailers and country-clubs tasting wine from 8:30 in the morning to 1am sometimes 6 days a week – and within two years I have more stories than I care to remember. For Sergio and his brother they&#8217;re diligently working through 10 <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/wineries" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with wineries">wineries</a> a day tasting through varietals and enduring long-drives in hot weather – often what sounds glamorous, and would seem like the setting for a series of <em>Sideways </em>style misadventures through a foreign country ends up being a lot more like work than anyone else could ever imagine. One has to take their hat off to such dedication even though amidst the work it is interspersed with tales of seductive winemakers daughters, raucous Italian weddings and personalities you&#8217;re unlikely to forget.</p>
<p>Passion on the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/vine" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Vine">Vine</a> is an insight into a life less ordinary from one of the world&#8217;s leading wine consultants who can be found on the pages of the Wall Street Journal to the Times to the Wine Spectator itself. Esposito brings the innate raconteur nature of Italian New Yorkers, combined with a mellifluous <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/writing" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with writing">writing</a> style into a memoir that goes to the heart of what it means to be an epicurean. He illustrates so perfectly how passion, love and romance can go a long way to carrying someone throughout life. Ultimately this is a romance between one man and an entire region which will make you fall in love with Italy; and paints the picture of a dying breed – wine-men who actually love wine, men who excel in their jobs for more than money and people who add value not only to their families but pay their dues to those who have helped them over the years. Esposito&#8217;s is a poignant picture of optimism and love in a marketplace that is primarily having the life squeezed out of it by soulless critters.</p>
<p>Esposito re-introduced me to a feeling I nearly lost, and in his words I remembered a part of myself. When one is up against Little Penguin – it&#8217;s difficult to find the actual stories and vines and passion in a fuzzy cartoon character. There is no doubt that much of Western Philosophy was built on the back of wine-fueled sentiments; and from the foundation of Western <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/culture" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Culture">culture</a> there is no doubt that Italians built <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/new-york" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with New York">New York</a> and have made the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/culture" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Culture">culture</a> (together with the Irish) what it is today. Esposito, in a tale filled with adventure, comedy and <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/energy" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Energy">energy</a> has staked his claim to not only being a philosopher, a wine lover and a great New Yorker – but being an advocate and an inspiration to future wine millenials, showing that there&#8217;s no real substitute for loving what you do.</p>
<p>Cheerz.</p>
<p>Special thanks to Dianna Tingg from <a href="http://www.italianwinemerchant.com/" target="_blank">Italian Wine Merchants</a> who has reached out to so many of us on the wine blogosphere, and has shared this wonderful book with us. It is a priveledge to have been given the opportunity to review such a great book.</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/wine-proof-pants" title="Wine Proof Pants (August 9, 2008)">Wine Proof Pants</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/the-magic-is-in-the-juice" title="The magic is in the juice (June 11, 2008)">The magic is in the juice</a></li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>10 Degrees South, Atl, Ga</title>
		<link>http://grapethinking.com/10-degrees-south-atl-ga</link>
		<comments>http://grapethinking.com/10-degrees-south-atl-ga#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:08:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Restaurant Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atlanta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://72.47.250.70/?p=568</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This so far is my favorite restaurant in Atlanta. Incredible representation of South African cuisine and atmosphere. Part of the restaurant is an outdoor awning with design style very close to a restaurant on the Cape Town coast. Very rustic and breezy. I had the Kingclip fish, indigenous to South <a href="http://grapethinking.com/10-degrees-south-atl-ga" rel="nofollow">more...</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://10degreessouth.com/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-567" title="10-degrees-south" src="http://72.47.250.70/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/10-degrees-south.jpg" alt="10 Degrees South" width="106" height="122" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This so far is my favorite <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> in Atlanta. Incredible representation of South African cuisine and atmosphere. Part of the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> is an outdoor awning with design style very close to a <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> on the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/cape-town" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Cape Town">Cape Town</a> coast. Very rustic and breezy. I had the Kingclip fish, indigenous to <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/south-africa" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with South Africa">South Africa</a>, and it was nothing short of amazing – I&#8217;ve got to rate it up there with salmon as one of my favorites. My gf had ostrich, which seems like a stretch, but it was equally as</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> tasty. Very fresh concept with exotic <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> – Love it! The Ferraris usually parked out front don’t hurt either &#8212; *****, $$</span></p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review" title="Passion on the Vine – a review (August 12, 2008)">Passion on the Vine – a review</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/caveau-wine-bar-heritage-square-cape-town" title="Caveau Wine Bar, Heritage Square, Cape Town (May 23, 2008)">Caveau Wine Bar, Heritage Square, Cape Town</a></li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://grapethinking.com/10-degrees-south-atl-ga/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Caveau Wine Bar, Heritage Square, Cape Town</title>
		<link>http://grapethinking.com/caveau-wine-bar-heritage-square-cape-town</link>
		<comments>http://grapethinking.com/caveau-wine-bar-heritage-square-cape-town#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 May 2008 15:13:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ruarri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Restaurant Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wine Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cape Town]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://grapethinking.com/caveau-wine-bar-heritage-square-cape-town</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Caveau is a good escape from Long Street&#8217;s chiaroscuro of either uber-pretentious or super-scummy dives&#8230; I swear I will never set foot in Miam Miam again but Marvel also grows a little old once you tire of becoming a human bolus being masticated against the gyrating bodies of every tourist <a href="http://grapethinking.com/caveau-wine-bar-heritage-square-cape-town" rel="nofollow">more...</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.caveau.co.za/thesquare.php" title="Caveau" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.caveau.co.za/images/logo-caveau.gif" title="Caveau Wine Bar" alt="Caveau Wine Bar" align="left" height="71" width="152" /></a> Caveau is a good escape from Long Street&#8217;s chiaroscuro of either uber-pretentious or super-scummy dives&#8230; I swear I will never set foot in Miam Miam again but Marvel also grows a little old once you tire of becoming a human bolus being masticated against the gyrating bodies of every tourist and pick-pocket in Cape   Town.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.caveau.co.za/thesquare.php" target="_blank">Caveau</a> is a breath of fresh air for the city centre, with an urban-rustic feel to it, combining class and elegance with a laid back environment. The design, lay out and mood leave you feeling like you&#8217;ve stepped out of <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/cape-town" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Cape Town">Cape Town</a> and discovered a more modern Franschoek. On the three occasions I&#8217;ve been there I&#8217;ve shared a bottle of their 2004 Spice Route Mourvedre. Accustomed to the Cape&#8217;s usual Noble varietals it&#8217;s amazing to see how well other cultivars benefit from the Cape&#8217;s rich soils. This is a nice big red that has a faint bloody-Maryesque note on the nose. It&#8217;s great to see how this Spanish wine has done &#8211; bring on Tempranillo!</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review" title="Passion on the Vine – a review (August 12, 2008)">Passion on the Vine – a review</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/great-white-sharks-great-white-wines-too" title="Great White Sharks&#8230; great white wines too (July 8, 2007)">Great White Sharks&#8230; great white wines too</a></li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://grapethinking.com/caveau-wine-bar-heritage-square-cape-town/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Shiki Sushi, RTP, NC</title>
		<link>http://grapethinking.com/shiki-sushi-rtp-nc</link>
		<comments>http://grapethinking.com/shiki-sushi-rtp-nc#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 May 2008 15:58:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aesthetics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ambience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RTP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shiki Sushi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://grapethinking.com/shiki-sushi-rtp-nc</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve had sushi in NY, San Fran, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, and I still keep coming back to Shiki Sushi. The Shiki chefs put incredible creativity and imagination into their craft &#8211; their sushi is pure aesthetic perfection with beautiful colors and display complemented by a euphoric taste experience of flavors <a href="http://grapethinking.com/shiki-sushi-rtp-nc" rel="nofollow">more...</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve had sushi in NY, San Fran, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, and I still keep coming back to <a href="http://www.shikisushionline.com/" target="_blank">Shiki Sushi</a>. The Shiki chefs put incredible creativity and imagination into their craft &#8211; their sushi is pure aesthetic perfection with beautiful colors and display complemented by a euphoric taste experience of flavors and textures. Along with its upbeat ambience, Shiki provides the ultimate sensual satisfaction . I love all the new hybrid <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> lounges starting up that realize dining out is about the complete sensual experience.  If ever in the Research Triangle Park, NC, Shiki is a must. Oh ya, and it&#8217;s always buy 1 get 1 free! *****, $$</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/pizza-como-clinton-nj" title="Pizza Como, Clinton, NJ (April 17, 2008)">Pizza Como, Clinton, NJ</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review" title="Passion on the Vine – a review (August 12, 2008)">Passion on the Vine – a review</a></li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://grapethinking.com/shiki-sushi-rtp-nc/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pizza Como, Clinton, NJ</title>
		<link>http://grapethinking.com/pizza-como-clinton-nj</link>
		<comments>http://grapethinking.com/pizza-como-clinton-nj#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:36:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pizza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://grapethinking.com/pizza-como-clinton-nj</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m up in NY for a long weekend to see some friends and stopped by a buddies place in Clinton, NJ last night. He took me to this little hole in the wall pizza joint called Pizza Como and I had to write about it because it&#8217;s the best pizza <a href="http://grapethinking.com/pizza-como-clinton-nj" rel="nofollow">more...</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m up in NY for a long weekend to see some <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/friends" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with friends">friends</a> and stopped by a buddies place in Clinton, NJ last night. He took me to this little hole in the wall pizza joint called <a href="http://www.clintonpizzacomo.com" target="_blank">Pizza Como</a> and I had to write about it because it&#8217;s the best pizza I&#8217;ve ever had. I grew up in the South where you always hear that the pizza doesn&#8217;t compare to up north, and no one ever believes it until they come up here. I&#8217;ve learned replicating that perfectly crispy chewy crust and use of simple fresh ingredients is a fine art that only the pizzerias of the tri-state area have mastered. Sure there&#8217;s a lot of commercial joints that don&#8217;t do it right up north, but when you find a hole in the wall spot like Pizza Como that has family history in Sicilia, Italia, you know its good. 5 stars ($)<br />
<img class="alignnone" style="border: 0pt none;" title="ImageShack" src="http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1696/79581083ke2.png" border="0" alt="ImageShack" width="363" height="58" align="left" /></p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/shiki-sushi-rtp-nc" title="Shiki Sushi, RTP, NC (May 20, 2008)">Shiki Sushi, RTP, NC</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review" title="Passion on the Vine – a review (August 12, 2008)">Passion on the Vine – a review</a></li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://grapethinking.com/pizza-como-clinton-nj/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Grape &#8211; getting it right. Restaurant 2.0</title>
		<link>http://grapethinking.com/the-grape-getting-it-right-restaurant-20</link>
		<comments>http://grapethinking.com/the-grape-getting-it-right-restaurant-20#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:03:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ruarri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atlanta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pairing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://grapethinking.com/blog/2007/07/24/the-grape-getting-it-right-restaurant-20/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Jake and Greg were at The Grape this last weekend, and over the past year or so in our brainstorms The Grape has come up time and again as a place that just gets it. Take for example their wine list and wine food recommendations &#8211; which is perhaps the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/the-grape-getting-it-right-restaurant-20" rel="nofollow">more...</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://yourgrape.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.yourgrape.com/grapegourmet/images/img_gourmet.gif" alt="The Grape" title="The Grape" align="top" height="254" hspace="5" width="297" /></a></p>
<p>Jake and Greg were at <a href="http://www.yourgrape.com/" target="_blank">The Grape</a> this last weekend, and over the past year or so in our brainstorms The Grape has come up time and again as a place that just gets it. Take for example their wine list and wine <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> recommendations &#8211; which is perhaps the first time I&#8217;ve ever seen a wine list that makes sense.</p>
<p>We know how different Shiraz can show, that Sauvignon Blanc rarely has the same face region to region and that Pinot Grigio doesn&#8217;t always go well with <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> &#8211; and a <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a>/ bar does its clientÃ¨le no favors by just dividing wine into Red and White, or they divide it into countries &#8211; and the emerging trend is to divide it into varietals.</p>
<p>The Grape does something unheard of to date: they <a href="http://www.yourgrape.com/classification/classifications.htm" target="_blank">divide their wine into taste</a>. More than that they then give you a taste profile match on their menu, dish by dish. I have probably sampled less than a thousand wines in my life &#8211; and I certainly don&#8217;t remember all the names because I&#8217;m no Michael Broadbent. When I&#8217;m looking at a wine, I want to know its taste flavor profile &#8211; and if I&#8217;m paying $20 a bottle, I&#8217;ll be pretty ticked if its not what I want. This kind of a <a href="http://www.yourgrape.com/grapegourmet/grapegourmet.htm" target="_blank">menu system</a> is helpful to anyone&#8230; I know because when I&#8217;m out to dinner with <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/friends" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with friends">friends</a> they always ask me to help pick the wine: but The Grape allows people to choose the wine for themselves. What I further like about The Grape is that its more than a <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> &#8211; because their venues are usually really good places to just hang out. It&#8217;s a destination brand &#8211; allowing dining, entertainment, exploration and with their innovative wine list: education. It&#8217;s really refreshing to see a mainstream brand that has begun to take its customer&#8217;s taste seriously.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.yourgrape.com/winebar/winebar_02.htm" target="_blank" title="http://www.yourgrape.com/classification/classifications.htm"><img src="http://www.yourgrape.com/winebar/images/nav_sub_winebar2.gif" height="27" width="136" /></a> allows you to <strong>design your own</strong><strong> tasting flight</strong> of three or more wines from our One through Eight Grape classifications and from our Nine and Ten Grape specials. Choose from all wines with a â€œGrape Bunchâ€ designation in our wine menu to create your unique tasting flight, served in our special glasses for your ultimate tasting experience. At The Grape, Your Taste is All that Counts.&#8221;</p>
<p><span id="more-310"></span></p>
<p><img src="http://grapethinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/the-grapee.jpg" alt="the-grapee.jpg" /></p>
<p><u>The New Summer 2007 Menu</u></p>
<p class="copyBold" style="margin-bottom: 0pt">GOURMET APPETIZERS</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="copy"><strong>Southwestern Corn &amp; Crab Chowder </strong></span></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">A savory cream-based chowder made with lump blue crab meat, corn, andouille sausage and a touch of Cajun seasonings<em> (Changes seasonally)</em></p>
<p class="copylist" style="margin-top: 0pt">Wine pairing: two through four and nine grapes</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Shrimp RÃ©moulade</strong><br />
Jumbo Gulf shrimp on a bed of Romaine with Creole rÃ©moulade, caperberries, lemon wedge and fresh baked breads<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one through three, eight and nine grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Smoked Salmon</strong><br />
Smoked salmon with baguette toast, feta cream cheese, capers, onions and special horseradish sauce<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one through three, eight and nine grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>PÃ¢tÃ©</strong><br />
Country pÃ¢tÃ© du jour with pickles, caperberries, olives, special sauce and baguette<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four through six, eight and ten grapes </span></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><strong>Antipasto</strong><br />
Prosciutto, Genoa, olive oil, provolone, and fresh buffalo mozzarella with olives, caperberries and Italian bread
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt"><span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one through five and eight grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Roma Tomato Bruschetta</strong><br />
Tomato, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh mozzarella<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: all grapes</span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="copy"><strong>Warm Feta Marinara</strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="style2">Feta cream served with zesty marinara sauce and herbed crostini</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt"><span class="copy"></span><span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four, five and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Grape Porto</strong><br />
Roasted Portobello stuffed with crab meat, parmesan/fontina cream cheese, garlic, chives and bread crumbs<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one through four grapes</span></p>
<p><span class="copyBold">SPECIALTY SPREADS</span><br />
<span class="copy"><strong> Specialty spreads are accompanied by a selection of fresh baked breads</strong></span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Roma Tomato &amp; Fresh Mozzarella</strong><br />
Marinated in herbed olive oil and balsamic vinegar<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: all grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Spinach &amp;  Applewood </strong><strong>Smoked</strong> Bacon<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: two through six and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Roasted Red Pepper Hummus</strong><br />
House-made hummus flavored with roasted red peppers, served            with Italian tomato salsa, garlic oil and paprika<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one, two and four grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Imported Olives &amp; Olive Tapenade<br />
</strong><span class="copylist">Wine pairing: all grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Combo Spreads</strong><br />
Half portions of each spread at half price          (minimum two per order)
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt"><strong class="copyBold">GOURMET CHEESES<br />
<span class="copy"><strong>Cheeses are sold by the ounce and are served with a selection of fresh baked breads, imported crackers and grapes </strong></span></strong></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Saint AndrÃ©</strong><br />
Imported French triple creamâ€”rich, elegant and delicious<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: three, seven, eight and nine grapes</span></p>
<p><strong>Caciotta al Tartufo (kah-CHOH-tuh ahl tar-TOO-foh)</strong><br />
A must-try: soft sheep&#8217;s milk cheese imported from Italy loaded with rare, shaved black truffles<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: two through five and nine grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Stilton</strong><br />
The king from across the pondâ€”excellent with baguette and wafers<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Pecorino Toscano (peh-koh-REE-noh toh-SKAH-noh)</strong><br />
A richly flavored, complex cheese from Italy with a nutty caramel finish<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four through six, eight and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>McCall&#8217;s Shamrock  Cheddar</strong><br />
Sharp and enticing aged Irish cheddar<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: two through six, nine and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Cheese du Jour </strong><br />
Ask your server about today&#8217;s specially selected cheese<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: Ask your server for recommendations</span>
</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt">&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong class="copyBold">PITA PISAS </strong><br />
<span class="copy"><strong>What&#8217;s a Pisa?! A Grape original: fresh ingredients served atop a light pita crust</strong></span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Mediterranean Grilled Veggie </strong><br />
Fresh grilled green and yellow zucchini, grilled eggplant and red onion, roasted red pepper sauce and goat cheese, finished with a balsamic reduction<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one, two, four and five grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Atlantic Smoked Salmon</strong><br />
Smoked salmon, marinated European cucumber and red onion, arugula and feta cream spread, drizzled with a miso aÃ¯oli<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one through four, eight and nine grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Capri</strong><br />
Fresh Roma tomato, balsamic marinated onion, fresh mozzarella, basil and a hint of seasoned oil<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: all grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Cambozola, Prosciutto &amp; Fig</strong><br />
Creamy Cambozola (triple-cream blue cheese) and prosciutto with rich fig spread<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: two through six and eight grapes</span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="copyBold" style="margin-top: 0pt">MEDITERRANEAN QUESADILLAS</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="copy"><strong>Black Forest Ham &amp; Mozzarella</strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="style2">Sliced ham, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and arugula pesto, served with mixed greens</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt"><span class="copylist">  Wine pairing: two through four grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Roasted Beef Tenderloin</strong><br />
Beef tenderloin, cheddar cheese and caramelized onion, served with a horseradish cream sauce<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Chicken</strong><br />
Chicken, feta, sun dried tomato pesto and provolone, served with a sun-dried tomato aÃ¯oli<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: three through six grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Tuscan</strong><br />
Roma tomato, oregano, basil, roasted garlic, mushroom, spinach, fontina and ChÃ¨vre, served with marinara sauce<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: all grapes</span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="copyBold" style="margin-top: 0pt">GRAPE BISTRO</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="copy"><strong>Brie en CroÃ»te</strong></span></p>
<p class="style2" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">Brie baked in a puff pastry crust with stone fruit chutney and a cabernet syrup, served with a petite arugula salad tossed in a fresh lemon vinaigrette</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="copylist"><em class="copylist">Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes </em></span></p>
<p><span class="copy"><strong>Summer Vegetable  Quiche</strong></span></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">Green and yellow zucchini, oven-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan cheese baked into a savory pie, served with mixed greens tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette <em>(Changes seasonally</em>)</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt"><em><span class="copylist">Wine pairing: two through four, eight and nine grapes</span></em></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><strong>Chicken &amp; Portobello Quiche </strong><br />
Grilled chicken, roasted Portobello mushroom, Bermuda onion and cheddar cheese baked to golden perfection, served with mixed greens tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette <em>(Changes seasonally) </em>
</p>
<p class="copylist" style="margin-top: 0pt"><em>   Wine pairing: three through five grapes</em></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><strong>The Grape CrÃªpe </strong><br />
Our delicious chive crÃªpe filled with duck confit, dried cherries, mushrooms, spinach and goat cheese, drizzled with a dried cherry reduction. <em>Changes seasonally</em>
</p>
<p class="copylist" style="margin-top: 0pt"><em>Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes</em></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="style1">SALADS</span></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt"><strong>Salads are accompanied by a selection of fresh baked breads</strong></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Shrimp &amp; Crab Louis Salad</strong><br />
Mixed greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with cucumber, tomato and lemon wedge, topped with a generous serving of shrimp and crab dressed in our regal Louis dressing<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Tenderloin Steak Salad</strong><br />
Sliced tenderloin served on Romaine with red onion, Roma tomato, blue cheese and our house-made Greek vinaigrette<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Asian Grilled Chicken Salad </strong><br />
Sweet chili and soy marinated chicken, julienned carrots, cucumbers,    red onions and mandarin oranges served on a bed of mixed greens with a miso ginger vinaigrette<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Caesar Salad</strong><br />
Romaine, croutons and shaved Parmesan<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one through three and nine grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Greek Salad</strong><br />
Romaine, tomato, onion, olives, peppers, feta and croutons, served with our house-made Greek vinaigrette<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one through four grapes</span></p>
<blockquote>
<p class="copy"><strong>Caesar or Greek</strong>   Add grilled shrimp or  grilled chicken breast</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt"><span class="style1">ENTREES</span><br />
<strong>          Sandwiches are served with our Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella salad</strong></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Roast Beef Panino</strong><br />
House sliced roast beef, Swiss cheese, oven roasted mushrooms and    balsamic marinated onions on sourdough bread with a horseradish    cream sauce<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Grape Club</strong><br />
Grilled chicken breast, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and special sauce on a fresh baked roll<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: three through five, nine and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Steak Sandwich</strong><br />
Encrusted beef tenderloin prepared medium rare, served with caramelized onions and blue cheese sauce on a grilled roll<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes</span></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><strong>Muffaletta</strong><br />
A New Orleans favoriteâ€”Italian meats and cheeses served on ciabatta with a Crescent City olive salad<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four, five, six and eight grapes</span>
</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt">&#8230;</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Grape Mini Crab Cakes</strong><br />
Five generous dabs of crab baked to perfection, served with Creole aÃ¯oli and baby spinach tossed in a light vinaigrette<br />
<span class="copylist">Wine pairing: one through four, eight and nine grapes</span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="copy"><strong>Grape Chops</strong></span></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">New Zealand rack of lamb chops roasted with special seasonings, served with a mint, black cherry and port reduction and fresh rosemary (three chops).  Famished? Try five Grape Chops!</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt"><span class="copylist">Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="copyBold" style="margin-top: 0pt">DELECTABLE SWEETS</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Vanilla CrÃ¨me BrÃ»lÃ©e Cheesecake</strong><br />
The Grape&#8217;s take on crÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e: Vanilla bean infused cheesecake    atop a cookie crust, covered with a delectable crÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e frosting    and served with whipped cream and fresh berries</p>
<p><strong>American Pie</strong><br />
Rich, buttery, almond-flavored crust layered with fresh sliced apples and drizzled with caramel sauce, served warm with  vanilla bean gelato</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Fresh Seasonal Berries</strong><br />
Fresh berries with vanilla whipped cream and wafers
</p>
<p class="copyBold"><strong>The Grape Chocolate Factory</strong></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><strong>Sensual Chocolate Fondue </strong><br />
<em class="copylist">Savor our Sensual Chocolate fondue for two or for four</em>
</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">The Grape&#8217;s sensational chocolate fondue made with a delicious    blend of French and Belgian chocolates, served with strawberries,    bananas, pineapple and grapes and our house-made peanut butter blonde brownies, angel <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> cake, coconut macaroons and s&#8217;mores</p>
<p class="copylist" style="margin-top: 0pt"><em>  Add a 2.5-ounce glass of each of our sparkling Italian dessert wines, Brachetto and Moscato</em></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Le Chocolat</strong><br />
A work of art for the eyes and palate: Rich chocolate ganache fading into a light chocolate sponge cake, topped with roasted hazelnuts and a dark chocolate leaf and drizzled with raspberry sauce</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownie</strong><br />
Our West Coast chocolate and cream cheese brownie drizzled with caramel sauce, served warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato
</p>
<p class="copyBold"><strong>Taste of Italia</strong></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Vanilla Bean Gelato</strong><br />
An all-time favorite from Italy, served with sweet wafers</p>
<p><strong>Gelato du Jour</strong><br />
Ask your server about our seasonal gelato selection, served with sweet wafers
</p>
<p class="copylist"><em>Wine pairings for all desserts: seven and eight grapes</em>. <em>Ask for your server for recommendations </em></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="copyBold" style="margin-top: 0pt">BEVERAGES</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="copy"><strong>The Grape Mimosa</strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt"><span class="copy"><em>Something fun and sexy</em> ~ Our very own De Venoge Cordon Bleu Champagne and fruit juice</span></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Iced tea </strong></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>French-pressed coffee</strong> (regular or decaffeinated)</p>
<p class="copyBold"><strong>Hot Tea</strong></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Citron Green</strong><br />
Japanese Bancha with gentle, pleasing notes of citrus and aromatic orange flowers</p>
<p><strong>Chocolate Mint</strong><br />
A wonderful treat of chocolate-infused tea combined with lively peppermint leaves</p>
<p><strong>Earl Grey Supreme</strong><br />
A careful blend of five teas balanced by the fragrant citrus of Bergamot, delicious with milk and sugar</p>
<p><strong>Seasonal Tea</strong><br />
Ask your server about our tea inspired by the season
</p>
<p class="copyBold"><strong>Bottled Water</strong></p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Voss</strong> (still or sparkling)</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>San Pellegrino</strong> (flavored sparkling)<br />
Aranciata<br />
Limonata
</p>
<p class="copy">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span class="copyBold">THE GRAPE BRUNCH</span></p>
<p class="style3" style="margin-top: 0pt">Available Saturdays and/or Sundays at participating locations (Please call)</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><em> </em></p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-top: 0pt"><strong> The Grape Mimosa</strong><br />
<em>Something fun and sexy</em> ~ Our very own De Venoge Cordon Bleu Champagne and fruit juice</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Maple Oatmeal BrÃ»lÃ©e</strong><br />
Served with fresh seasonal berries</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>The Grape Breakfast Crepe</strong><br />
Brown sugar and cinnamon apples with warm brie and a champagne preserve sauce</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>The Grape Continental Breakfast</strong><br />
Imported European yogurt, seasonal fruit and a basket of fresh baked breads</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>North Atlantic Smoked Salmon</strong><br />
Smoked salmon served with feta cream cheese, capers, onions, horseradish sauce and a basket of mini bagels and croissants</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>The Grape Breakfast Pisa</strong><br />
Applewood smoked bacon, sharp cheddar and farm fresh eggs garnished with tomato concassÃ©, served atop a light pita crust</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>Southwestern Breakfast Quiche</strong><br />
Andouille sausage, corn, red onions, red bell peppers, jalapeÃ±os and cheddar cheese served with our house-made pico de gallo</p>
<p class="copy"><strong>The Grape Crab Cake Benedict</strong><br />
Two generous portions of crab cake with rÃ©moulade Hollandaise, served with home fries</p>
<p class="copy" style="margin-bottom: 0pt"><strong>Filet Mignon Benedict</strong><br />
Succulent beef tenderloin (4 oz) with toast points and horseradish Hollandaise, served with home fries</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/appetizer-at-the-slanted-door" title="The Slanted Door &#8211; Appetizer (June 5, 2007)">The Slanted Door &#8211; Appetizer</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/passion-on-the-vine-%e2%80%93-a-review" title="Passion on the Vine – a review (August 12, 2008)">Passion on the Vine – a review</a></li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://grapethinking.com/the-grape-getting-it-right-restaurant-20/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Blind Waiters in a World of Sensual Elevation</title>
		<link>http://grapethinking.com/blind-waiters-in-a-world-of-sensual-elevation-2</link>
		<comments>http://grapethinking.com/blind-waiters-in-a-world-of-sensual-elevation-2#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:34:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ruarri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pairing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://grapethinking.com/blog/2007/07/17/blind-waiters-in-a-world-of-sensual-elevation-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My wife and I recently went to Dans Le Noir &#8211; London&#8217;s first restaurant in the dark, started after the success of it&#8217;s parent restaurant in Paris. Seeing as the restaurant only seats 60 people, you need to book pretty well in advance to get a place (there are three <a href="http://grapethinking.com/blind-waiters-in-a-world-of-sensual-elevation-2" rel="nofollow">more...</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://grapethinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/dans-le-noir.gif" alt="dans-le-noir.gif" align="right" height="207" width="314" /></p>
<p>My wife and I recently went to <a href="http://www.danslenoir.com/london/index.php">D</a><a href="http://www.danslenoir.com/london/index.php">ans Le Noir</a> &#8211; London&#8217;s first <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> in the dark, started after the success of it&#8217;s parent <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> in Paris. Seeing as the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> only seats 60 people, you need to book pretty well in advance to get a place (there are three sitting for dinner a night), but once you do &#8211; it&#8217;s an experience you&#8217;re not likely to forget. Upon arriving you are in a lit cocktail lounge where you can enjoy a drink and look at the menu and order your meal. My wife and I both chose the &#8216;surprise menu&#8217; where you are not told what you will be eating. Deciding to at least have some choice in the matter, we ordered the 2003 Chablis &#8216;St. Martin&#8217; white Burgundy, and our blind waiter led us to our table.</p>
<p><span id="more-293"></span>Benoit, our waiter led us into the room (we held his shoulder whilst he led the way) &#8211; to be led into a room and suddenly be deprived of site and have to rely completely on a the guidance of a person who is not perturbed by darkness in the slightest is a feeling of trust I hadn&#8217;t quite appreciated. Something quite amazing happens though &#8211; the amount of banter and noise that was in the cocktail room suddenly subsides; you find yourself moving very cautiously and slowly; everyone lowers their voices to a whisper. By formally removing the light the world at once becomes finite and infinite and we&#8217;re suddenly in a realm we city dwellers are usually forced to turn off &#8211; our sensory world. You are sitting across from someone else, and it would be just the same if you were pulling a face, closing your eyes or looking right at them (incidentally they have infra-red night vision cameras in the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> to make sure no one steals purses or gets naked.) What you find is that you listen more carefully &#8211; but also that you can recognize the tone in people&#8217;s voices.</p>
<p><img src="http://grapethinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/wine-dans-le-noir.jpg" alt="wine-dans-le-noir.jpg" align="left" height="163" width="171" />Our wine came, which was a great moment &#8211; because for a while my wife and I could sit in silence and enjoy the experience of &#8216;sensing&#8217; the Chablis (from the bowl of an unbreakable wine glass.) For the first time &#8211; and perhaps it was because of the darkness, but I picked up a kind of soil component a Chablis &#8211; just a light funky whiff of mushroom, which was completely unusual but new. Over and above that there was a mineral purity on the palate; and on a second visit the nose had a definite apricot overlay similar to the Chablis Greg and I had at <a href="http://www.postrio.com/">Postrio</a>.</p>
<p>Once the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> arrived it was a little ridiculous and turned into a bit of a detective game. I even reached into the plate to touch the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> just to try get extra senses onto the case. &#8216;Is this a carrot; is it chicken, or shrimp, no I think its scallops. Oh yes, scallops &#8211; of course&#8230;&#8217; It was incredible how much more important the texture of the <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> became &#8211; and how much more appreciative we were of it. I began to realize that I don&#8217;t have many descriptive words for gastronomic texture and all I could say was &#8216;wow, this is really good. really good.&#8217;</p>
<p>Needless to say that it was very welcome to have ice cream and chocolate fondant for dessert &#8211; as I felt far more sure of myself.</p>
<p>After 90 minutes of being in complete visual sensory deprivation and having all our other senses working on over time, it was quite welcome to be led into the lit room where Benoit announced to us that we were back in the light &#8211; what was quite humbling however was to realize that for him, the world had stayed in darkness whilst ours came back to life.</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/appetizer-at-the-slanted-door" title="The Slanted Door &#8211; Appetizer (June 5, 2007)">The Slanted Door &#8211; Appetizer</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/the-grape-getting-it-right-restaurant-20" title="The Grape &#8211; getting it right. Restaurant 2.0 (July 24, 2007)">The Grape &#8211; getting it right. Restaurant 2.0</a></li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://grapethinking.com/blind-waiters-in-a-world-of-sensual-elevation-2/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Slanted Door &#8211; Appetizer</title>
		<link>http://grapethinking.com/appetizer-at-the-slanted-door</link>
		<comments>http://grapethinking.com/appetizer-at-the-slanted-door#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:13:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ruarri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pairing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://grapethinking.com/blog/2007/06/05/appetizer-at-the-slanted-door/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; On the Friday of Wine 2.0 we decided to treat ourselves and head to The Slanted Door. We had intended, naively, to go for supper &#8211; only to find that it was booked out for two weeks straight. As we walked <a href="http://grapethinking.com/appetizer-at-the-slanted-door" rel="nofollow">more...</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img align="left" alt="Appetizer" src="http://www.grapethinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/appetizer.bmp" /></p>
<table width="278" border="0">
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>On the Friday of Wine 2.0 we decided to treat ourselves and head to <a href="http://www.theslanteddoor.com">The Slanted Door</a>. We had intended, naively, to go for supper &#8211; only to find that it was booked out for two weeks straight. As we walked in with the last of the luncheoners, we were able to wangle a seat &#8211; which immediately called for a miniature celebration in the form of two classic Austrian wines.</p>
<p>For Greg it was the Gruner Vetline Shmelz, and for myself I chose the Csersgezi Fuszeres, Hill Top. Both were smooth, floral, off-dry and crisp &#8211; perfect for an afternoon lunch, especially seeing as we had a conference to go to. A wine conference it may have been &#8211; but a conference none-the-less.</p>
<p>Crispy Imperial Rolls with *shrimp, pork and glass noodles* Amazing, we got this starter to share, and we were served five of the little suckers on a plate. The only thing better than a novel <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> &#8211; is a novel way of consuming <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a>. Hence my personal preference to eating with chopsticks at <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurants" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurants">restaurants</a>; hand making tortillas; enjoying Mongolian stir-fries; eating Indian or Persian <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> with my bare hands; the occasional shot of tequila and of course &#8211; shucking oysters straight from the rock and eating them with lemon, Tabasco and salt. It&#8217;s all about the process and trying to make it all more tactile &#8211; and for being a day-to-day knife and fork person, any <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/food" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with Food">food</a> or process that breaks the norm is a welcome addition to my repertoire.</p>
<p>We photographed the process of eating the crispy imperial roll which involves:</p>
<p>1. laying out a piece of lettuce<br />
2. placing a piece of mint on the lettuce<br />
3. adding a lump of noodles on top<br />
4. inserting the Crispy Imperial Roll<br />
5. rolling it all into a consumable ball<br />
6. dipping it into the teriyaki and plumb sauce<br />
7. stuffing it all into your mouth and rolling your eyes back into your head because its just so good.</p>
<p>The Slanted Door is an incredibly popular <a href="http://grapethinking.com/tag/restaurant" class="st_tag internal_tag" rel="tag nofollow" title="Posts tagged with restaurant">restaurant</a> in San Francisco and they only use organic produce and ecologically farmed meat. It&#8217;s nice to see people&#8217;s taste buds moving in the right direction.</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/the-grape-getting-it-right-restaurant-20" title="The Grape &#8211; getting it right. Restaurant 2.0 (July 24, 2007)">The Grape &#8211; getting it right. Restaurant 2.0</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://grapethinking.com/blind-waiters-in-a-world-of-sensual-elevation-2" title="Blind Waiters in a World of Sensual Elevation (July 17, 2007)">Blind Waiters in a World of Sensual Elevation</a></li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://grapethinking.com/appetizer-at-the-slanted-door/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

