Okay – I usually like to write with some clever banter. But given the absolute coolness of the information I have to offer – let’s just skip the fifty-cent words and get to the goods.

Below is a partial list of the wines that will be poured at Wine on the Water. The event is Friday, October 6th and as far as I know, this is the first publication of any such list, so I think SCOOP is a good word.

This event represents a good showing of wine – definitely worth a visit and absolutely worth more than the price of admission. There are wines of all calibers here, so visit every tent (remember to spit, so you can make the rounds). Keep in mind that this is only a partial list – there are more wines on the slate.

Nevertheless, here’s a little guide to help you get to the best of the show. I offer this because it doesn’t take long for the really good stuff to evaporate.

Continue reading "Wine on the Water - Details!" »

Posted by Dennis Perkins at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

State Fair people, that is.

I recently returned from a visit home to Minnesota. Even though there are much warmer times to visit the north woods, I wouldn't have missed the opportunity to plan my trip in conjunction with the Minnesota State Fair last week. It was also my mom's birthday.

My dear mother has the good fortune of celebrating her birthday on Labor Day weekend every year--which also happily coincides with the State Fair. This year, we decided to ring in her 54th year with one Fair activity for each year she's graced our planet. This may seem like a daunting task at first, but it's really quite do-able. With the main Fair activity being eating like a Prize Sow, we knocked about 27 things off our list in the first couple of hours!

Fair organizers make this even easier by putting all the food on a stick. Every food you can imagine (and some you shouldn't) can be fried and shoved on a stick: pork chops w/ sauerkraut, Hot Dish (what Minnesotans call "casserole"), Twinkies, various candy bars, French toast and even a pickle. (With the pickle, you get a souvenir hat, too!)

Only at the Fair

Whether you eat your way across the fairgrounds, stand in line for every ride or simply spend the day wandering through the craft exhibits, Fairs leave an impression on pretty much everyone. With the Tennessee Valley Fair kicking off tonight, we at 520 thought we'd fry up some of our own memories of the annual community get-together. Step right up and get 'em while they're hot!

Continue reading "Memories on a stick" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 01:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Despite the modicum of heat relief that Mother Nature kindly granted us this weekend past, we all know too well that August and September promise to plague us with perspiration inducing heat. And yet, we’ll still suffer the simmer of the late summer sun in order to grill and, importantly in this neck o’ the woods, tailgate. I don’t personally tailgate – I’m usually working to provide potent potables to the partygoers – but I know that there will plenty of BBQ and red meat from wieners to meatballs being served at football parties and other convivial occasions.

Continue reading "Just do it - CHILL." »

Posted by Dennis Perkins at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Regardless of how comfortable the warmth of familiarity can be in a world of change and turmoil, it’s difficult to keep our sensual beings satisfied if we keep dipping into the same old well. I suppose there’s much to be said for making a commitment and sticking to that commitment, but when there’s so much beauty in the world it seems a damned shame not to break the monotony and get some strange.

Continue reading "Getting Some Strange" »

Posted by Dennis Perkins at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The truth of the matter is that the wine thing is way out of hand. It must be or else I wouldn’t have witnessed him, whom I took to be a frat boy, swirling and sniffing a goblet of wine late on a Friday night. Maybe he was drunk and trying to look like he wasn’t: I don’t know. Still, I wondered if he really knew what he was doing because though he had most of the right wine tasting moves down, he had his hand on the bowl of the glass and he was sniffing, almost daintily, above the rim of the glass. Tsk Tsk. That simply won’t do.

Continue reading "Stick your nose in it" »

Posted by Dennis Perkins at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It’s about time we all just get over the unfortunate reality of first impressions. Admit it – nobody’s listening – you may very well have hated your first experience with acid. It didn’t melt right on your tongue and it didn’t sooth you the way you wanted. Probably, you’re used to something mellower, less jarring, and more immediately enjoyable. Nevertheless, if you plan on enjoying the delights of downtown, and many other parts of our urb, you’ll have to get over it and do some acid. Trust me – you’ll like it, especially when you try it with food. After all, most of the interesting food in our town needs a little acid – in the wine.

Continue reading "Let's do some acid" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I wish that I could say that I eat at all the restaurants that I love whenever I feel the call for indulgence. Lamentably, that ain’t necessarily so: I feel the call for indulgence about 8 days out of every 7. If I could manage a weekly meal at both the Orangery and at the Northshore Brasserie, I would be a happy man – but if I tried that on my current budget, I’d be a very poor man indeed. Still, what I’ve come to understand as I approach my nth decade on this planet, it’s not always important to get the $20 car wash, sometimes, a $4 fix will do – and it’s the same for fine dining.

Continue reading "Tasting elegance" »

Posted by Dennis Perkins at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)