To be honest, I’ve been a bit nonplussed by the “spiked” low-alcohol sparkling water trend of the past year or so. That is, until recently when I tasted Grandeur Peak Spiked Sparkling Water, which is produced and distributed by Utah’s own Squatters Craft Brewery.  Specifically, I enjoyed Grandeur Peak’s Utah Cherry flavor. There’s also a Ruby Red Grapefruit offering from … [Read more...]

If you’re looking for an enjoyable, versatile and inexpensive wine to sip while celebrating the 4th of July, I’d suggest picking up a bottle or two of Cellier des Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Reserve Rosé 2019 (10.99).  This French Rosé from the Rhône Valley is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault grape varieties. It’s pale color, according to the winemaker, is a result of … [Read more...]

Caffe Molise recently reopened for dine-in dinner service, all “masked and gloved and scrubbed,” and also offers curbside takeout. Reservations are recommended, but not required. Caffe Molise is a large, multi-level restaurant so there’s plenty of room to spread out and enjoy owner/chef Fred Moesinger’s signature Italian cuisine.  Also recently reopened is the Caffe Molise … [Read more...]

Since I haven’t been spending a lot of money dining out in restaurants during the past couple months, I’ve been splurging a bit more on wine to drink at home. Although, this week’s wine - Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay 2018 - can hardly be considered a splurge. Because, even at $39.99 SRP, it’s a great wine and a helluva bang for the buck.  For decades, Cakebread … [Read more...]

If I was forced to choose a single wine to drink for the rest of my life, it would probably be white Burgundy from France. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to drink much of it because white Burgundy (and red Burgundy too) tends to be pretty pricey.  Thankfully, I would be able to afford to drink a terrific bang-for-the-buck white Burgundy from France, courtesy of Maison … [Read more...]

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two years since SaltFire Brewing Co. opened to the public. But yep, it was two years ago May 15th. So, Happy Anniversary SaltFire!  The folks from SaltFire say that under normal circumstances they’d have thrown a big shindig to celebrate their 2nd anniversary. They say that “things being the way they are, we'll just have to put … [Read more...]

I have to confess that I am not a great fan of grapefruit. I never quite understood why it was Hunter S. Thompson’s favorite food, except that he could inject it with vodka. But I’ve never been especially fond of grapefruit’s bitterness. That has changed, however, with the release of Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen, which I really love.  Perfect for summer, Schöfferhofer … [Read more...]