I have long said we have the best customers. I mean, not only do they come in regularly for wine, coffee and food, but, essentially, they built us a kitchen. Sure, they want their money back, but is that really all that unreasonable?

Well, maybe a little. But we can live with it.

One of those investors, though, has not only become a good friend, but has been entirely ruined. He and his lovely bride used to drink cheap Chianti. Chilled. Seriously. But they closed us down our first night open many moons ago. Recently, those same (previously) cheap wine drinkers came in with a couple Saddleback Cabs, including a Venge Cab from the same winemaker, a 1999, for us to taste. I have been told, before, that we create wine snobs…well, the proof is in the decanter.

Yes, that 1999 was one of the best wines I ever tasted. From Oakville (a small corner of Napa, known for excellent Cabs). All my notes say is this: “Oh my God!” Enough said.

And this was followed by Robert Craig Affinity (a personal favorite), and then BenMarco Expressivo. You know, some nights really are better than others. Robert Craig has long been on my top five list, and I was reminded why that night. After tasting an amazing, huge, full-in-your-face Cab, old Bob came through with elegance and style, fruit and tannins gently balanced in a dance across my palate worthy of the Bolshoi’s prima ballerina.

I was, however, not able to enjoy all these delicious wines, as we had a dinner rush, so I was pushed back into the kitchen, and forced to prepare food. OK, so I am exaggerating. We did have customers, but I was actually thrilled to go back into the kitchen and cook. Which, incidentally, I love to do. But walking out onto the deck, looking in the window and seeing customers eating, drinking and laughing…well, that just does my heart good. It tells me we are on the right track.

And, if you saw last week’s review, it appears one of the Star-News food writers agrees. We had a fair number of people – some old, some new – come in to try our butternut squash ravioli after it was featured (in full color) in Thursday’s newspaper.

I think I will add it to my new Food Network show pitch, “Cardiac Cooking.” Everyone is doing healthy food these days, I think someone needs to get on there and show people how to eat! Butter is your friend. Julia Child ate a stick every day, and drank wine, and lived into her 80’s. Yes, she is my role model! If you have not seen the move “Julie & Julia,” Meryl Streep does Julia great justice, but, more importantly, the cookbook upon which the movie is based is one of my personal favorites, and one that I have had in my collection since I was a young whippersnapper. There is no better Coq Au Vin recipe, and the roast chicken that comes out of your oven from her first book, well, it is other-worldly.

Anyway, I am pouring wine at the Chamber social this week (at the Aquarium), and will be pouring at tomorrow’s tasting as well. And then, we are right back into the weekend (it is a vicious cycle!). Teresa has come up with a few new desserts, and we are revamping our menu to include some of the specials that have been very popular.

So, come on down to The Treehouse Bistro, and let 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind pour you a glass and fix you a plate!

Shawn