Boy, howdy, what a weekend! It is definitely true that nice weather begets good business. Nice temps brought a record January weekend to the Bistro, as each day was better than the last. Between Thursday and Sunday, we cranked out over 250 plates, and by Sunday we were running out of everything. Saturday night, it was just Amy, Joel and I, facing a full house. We managed to make it through, but when I woke up Sunday morning I was reminded that I was no longer 20!

Anyway, by Sunday afternoon I was exhausted, and the prospect of cooking dinner was not a welcomed thought. Fortunately, Amy was on the same page, the kids were away, and we decided to have a grown-up night out. We headed downtown to try out Manna, a new restaurant managed by our boy Billy, who was one of our original wine vendors from the day we opened. He came to us from Juice, and eventually moved to Tryon, and then back into the restaurant business.

And what an experience. Not just good, but food that made me want to become a better cook! I mean, every bite was a heavy sigh of deliciousness, and a nice wine list produced the Eberle Steinbeck Syrah. An old favorite, that winemaker Gary Eberle (who platted the Paso Robles designation) came into the shop to pour himself. Well, no, he talked, Billy did the pouring. But, a memorable experience, just the same.

After dinner, we decided on a nightcap, and headed down to Fortunate Glass on Front Street. We had a lovely Barbera from Scott Harvey, another winemaker who graced our shop, and some stuffed pepper and endive with goat cheese. Very nice! An interesting white caught out attention, and we thought we would buy it to take home. We had them open it so we could have a taste, and by the time we left we were essentially carrying an empty bag...

It was fun to act like adults, although it did catch up with us the next morning. After such a busy weekend, then a night out (didn't get to sleep until after 2 a.m.!), it took everything I had in me to get out of bed...to get a cup of coffee...at 12:30. Then it was back into bed for another hour or so. The day goes by quickly when you don't get out of bed until mid-afternoon!

But, as I said, I am no longer 20.
Back to the business of wine, this week's tasting will feature the wines of Ararat, with Esther manning the pouring station. Chardonnay, Petit Sirah, Merlot and Chianti are all on the agenda, and, as always, festivities begin at six. Don't forget, next week's tasting will feature pairings with The Fudgeboat.
In the meantime, we will continue putting out good food, so, if you are in the neighborhood...
Shawn