Wanderlushes

Cheese Culture has an identity crisis.

The small, mom and pop cheese and wine shop located on Las Olas Boulevard, in Ft. Lauderdale, doesn’t know whether it wants to be a small wine and cheese purveyor, or simply a quaint cafe that serves wine and cheese.

It doesn’t matter what you call it, it’s a cafe/store/place you really should avoid. In fact, the folks at Cheese Culture may want to brush up on their people skills.

On this particular evening we attended a sparkling wine tasting “event” that we had received a “special invitation” via email hosted by Cheese Culture requesting an RSVP.  We expected a cheese pairing (or at the least recommendations for pairings) for each wine.  How silly of us to expect that at a cheese shop.  There was neither.  The wines were laid out on display with no description or pairing recommendations, just bottles on a table.  This was really just a distributor sampling much like you find in any grocery store on any given weekend.   No RSVP required.  Okay, we got that and went in for the tasting fully expecting to want to order a cheese platter at some point.

The host and hostess of the event, representing the distributor, were in the very back of the small store.  They were pleasant people, offering decent pours of five sparkling wines just in time for the New Year’s holiday celebration. We enjoyed sipping on some delicious sparkling wines (a Prosecco most notably, that shined above all the others), though there were a couple forgettable ones. Still, the hosts were amicable and answered any questions that came their way.

As we wandered the store we stopped in front of the one (yes, only one!) cheese case to see what we wanted.  The Cheese Culture’s staff made no effort whatsoever to ask us if we needed any help, if we were interested in any cheese – nothing.  We were especially taken aback by a gentleman (who may or may not be one of the owners) that walked right in front of us as we eyed several cheeses in the glass case.  He was clearly able to hear our conversation inquiring about what we may like to try but chose to ignore us.  Mind you, this is the second time we’ve gone to Cheese Culture and both experiences have been similar.

We had great hopes for this shop as we started to watch the signs go up and were able to get a preview at the Las Olas Wine & Food Festival.  Our hopes were dashed not one, but two times since.  There are other great local cheese shops with large, but unique choices that want our business, so that’s where you will find us.

Cheese isn’t the only stinky thing in this establishment.

Sparky Marquis, owner of MollyDooker Wines (McLaren Vale, Australia-mollydookerwines.com) is living the dream. If that dream includes making exquisite, award-winning wines in one of the most beautiful regions of Australia, being married to your college sweetheart (who is also the mother of two active, smart and funny children) and oh yeah, “employing” your mother as your top ambassador and marketing agent. If that is indeed living the dream, then yes, Sparky Marquis is your proof.

The Blending Begins

Sparky and his mother Janet make frequent trips to the United States to host MollyDooker wine pairing/blending events across the country. It offers them both a chance to come to America, see the country and meet scores of adoring wine aficionados nationwide and talk face to face about their passion: wine.

So it came as no surprise that when Sparky and Janet were hosting an event at the gorgeous Epic Hotel in Miami one Saturday, well, it was a given that the Wanderlushes would must attend. We had a chance to be a part of one of his blending events a few years ago in Fort Lauderdale.  We thoroughly enjoyed meeting Sparky and Janet, while learning all about these incredible wines from the winemaker himself.

More Wine!

Second Round of Tasting

This was a larger event, though, with about 100 guests in attendance. At each table were placemats, along with four “stations” designated for each of the MollyDooker wines to be blended that evening for a personalized version of MollyDooker’s Two Left Feet: The Scooter Merlot, the Maitre D’ Cabernet Sauvignon and the Boxer Shiraz. Each wine is unique and amazing in and of itself. If you haven’t had the opportunity to try these wines, pick one up and enjoy all the subtle nuances and complex flavors a MollyDooker wine imparts.  After a brief introduction and speech from Sparky, the blending commenced. The idea of mixing the wines like mad Bacchanalian scientists is to achieve an altogether new and exciting MollyDooker wine. Couples at each table would blend different percentages of each together in beakers and vote on the results. The couple whose wine garnered the most votes at the table would win a prize. So, we ruminated over what would make the best tasting wine and went to work.  The other couples we were sitting with blended some solid fruit-forward wines, but in the end  our fellow Wanderlushes Jen and Mitch’s blend proved to be the winner. They were each given sporty black MollyDooker baseball caps as the winners!

Dessert

The Main Course

After the blending, new wines were laid out and the waiters then brought out plates of food; an entrée of chimichurri steak and au gratin potato made with both white potatoes and sweet potatoes. Both were delicious, but the chimichurri sauce overpowered the wine just a bit. Dessert consisted of a delicious chocolate mousse, which each of us devoured (and which paired remarkably well with the wines.) During the evening Sparky gave a very heartfelt and genuinely moving speech, talking about the austere beginnings of MollyDooker wines and how grateful he was to Americans in general for appreciating his wines. One turnoff, however, was when several wine-soaked attendees insisted on talking loudly during Sparky’s speech.

After dessert Sparky brought out the “Party Wines,” which include the Gigglepot Cabernet Sauvignon; the Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz (our favorite); the Enchanted Path Shiraz/Cabernet; Carnival of Love Shiraz and the Velvet Glove Shiraz. With only one bottle per table, we were all quick to pour…

The Aftermath

If you’re a serious South Florida beer aficionado looking for the next big thing in hop heaven, chances are you’ve stumbled upon the Riverside Market, a small craft beer and food establishment in Fort Lauderdale’s plush, historic Sailboat Bend neighborhood. If you haven’t, then you are truly missing out this unique gem of a beer-drinking joint.

Cheese & Homemade Pretzels

The Riverside Market is a throwback to a bygone era, looking more like a local country store or bait shop from the outside. Getting there is like entering a time portal into Fort Lauderdale’s past as you make your way through Sailboat Bend, surrounded by amazing vegetation, passing several small mom and pop stores and crossing over an old turn-style bridge. But once you find the Riverside Market, you will not be disappointed. Owner Julian boasts one of the most eclectic retail beer collections you’ll find anywhere in South Florida. Riverside has gained quite a reputation as a quiet, laid-back place to enjoy a fine craft beer amongst friends and “soon to be friends.” The beer selection is a microcosm of the microbrew world, with many familiar faces and an eclectic array of unfamiliar (yet inviting) ones all sitting quietly behind glass in the Riverside Market’s large refrigerators. What’s even better, if you see a beer you really like, grab it, uncap it (using one of several bottle openers conveniently hanging in several areas of the store) and enjoy. Patrons bring their empties to the front and pay on the way out.

On this particular Saturday night Riverside Market hosted a Beer vs. Wine food-pairing event, pitting  several craft brews and wines against each other for alcohol supremacy (honestly, though, I don’t believe there are any real losers in this battle—except maybe brain cells). Both were paired with several appetizers and small entrees prepared especially for the event.

The pours were quite generous throughout the night. The only real knock we had for the evening was the quality of the food. Which isn’t to say it was bad, really, only that is wasn’t very good (the cheese course looked like it came straight from the Publix Deli, sans plastic tray). A couple of the entrees seemed a bit pedestrian, not just in taste, but in presentation as well. Surprising considering the quality of the food we have previously had at Riverside Market.  Also, the beer choices seemed out of context with the wine and food.  If it was an attempt at offering a glimpse into seasonal craft beers, it only mildly passed the test.  We looked longingly into the coolers containing a myriad of exceptional craft beers wondering why better selections had not been made for the pairing.  It struck us that perhaps the host for the evening,  a local wine distributor,  was not truly a beer fan.

Homemade Ice Cream

Pork with Mustard Sauce

Despite some of our misgivings about the selections, we the Wanderlushes, had a great time at the Riverside Market hanging with fellow beer and wine lovers in one of the most relaxed settings you’ll find – provided you can find it. Let’s hope this hidden gem stays somewhat hidden and unspoiled for as long as possible.

Culinary Demo:  Peng Looi – August Moon
Taste, Shake & Indulge Grand Marnier seminar at Le Bistro

It is raining. It is windy. Our shoes are soaked – soaked to the point that our feet go squish squish squish with every wet step we take. We’re in Florida (Lake Buena Vista, to be exact), so rain is not an aberration. But to us Wanderlushes, we always expect glorious, “wish you were here” postcard, chamber of commerce weather – and certainly not during the weekend of the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, one of the Grand Slam events in the Wanderlush events tour. But let’s back up for just a moment.

Fisherman's Stew

Walt Disney World Dolphin

Our situation couldn’t have been any better upon arriving Friday afternoon. We checked into our hotel, The Dolphin (located steps away from Disney’s Boardwalk), got settled and headed over to the park to taste some incredible food samples from around the world (the fisherman’s stew from Ireland paired with Guinness Stout was Erin Go Brav-OH Yeah!). On a side note: If you’ve ever spent a weekend experiencing the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, you know things move at a frenetic pace. So, unlike past years where we exhausted ourselves trying to cram too much EPCOT-ness into a short period of time, we decided one seminar per day on Friday and Saturday was sufficient. In retrospect, this was a wise decision.

Salad of Arugula & Espresso Infused Lamb Loin

Peng Looi Demo

Our first and only seminar on Friday was a culinary demonstration by Asian cuisine chef Peng Looi, who owns several restaurants in the Mid-South, most notably the critically acclaimed August Moon, located in Louisville, Kentucky. Chef Looi prepared a delicious salad of baby arugula and espresso infused lamb loin hat was out of this world. The lamb was seared to perfection; the pineapple chutney provided a bit of heat, yet was balanced out nicely by the truffled pickled ginger vinagrette  tossed with the arugula. Because fine cuisine is meant to be paired with a great wine, a representative from Chateau Ste. Michele Winery was on hand to give us a brief introduction of the Eroica Riesling, which paired tremendously with Chef Looi’s amazing appetizer.

A breakdown of Friday night, after the seminar: walk, eat, drink, ride Soarin’ (love that ride), eat some more, drink some more; stop, contemplate, ask each other if we’re too full, head back to the hotel, stop at Big River Brewing Company to share an appetizer of crab and cheese dip paired with buttery sliced bread (that we probably didn’t need) and a couple of craft beers; pay the bill, return to our room to freshen up; head over the Kimonos at the Swan Hotel, drink more wine we don’t need, listen to drunk people sing karaoke (a few could actually sing), call it a night, then make our way back to the hotel room and crash.

Grilled Lamb Chop from Australia

Saturday was a complete rainout. A large, rainy system passed over the entire state of Florida and didn’t stop the entire day. We grabbed our umbrellas and ventured out late in the morning. It was downright nasty out (a little Seattle or San Francisco paired with London, in terms of rain), but the heartiest of souls don’t let a little bit of rain and wind deter them from enjoying their vacation, and neither would we. We slogged our way to the park and enjoyed more great food and wine/beer samples meandering through the world showcase, though enjoying it took a little more effort as we clutched our umbrellas throughout the day.

Grand Marnier Tasting

At 2:30 Saturday we headed over to Le Bistro Restaurant in France to attend the Taste, Shake & Indulge Grand Marnier tasting. I am not a huge Grand Marnier drinker, but being the curious Wanderlush that I am, I was looking forward to the event. Once seated, our hostess gave us a brief but fascinating history lesson about this world-renowned liqueur. Then it was time to taste. The first was the Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge (red ribbon), which is easily the most recognizable liqueur in the Grand Marnier family. Besides the strong alcohol notes, the tangerine peel and vanilla are unmistakable in the Cordon Rouge. Next was the 100, a more limited release version of Grand Marnier most people have never tried because of its higher price tag. The 100 was remarkably smooth, with less of an alcoholic taste and more citrus on the nose and palate.

Making Crepes Suzette

The third and final Grand Marnier, le piece de resistance, was the 150. This is Grand Marnier’s premier liqueur. It is made with up to 50 year old cognacs and is unquestionably the smoothest of the three with rounded spices. Throw out the recipe book – you drink the 150 neat, preferably at room temperature, in a large snifter, sitting comfortably by a roaring fire as you read Voltaire or Sartre (cigar and smoking jacket optional). After the tasting, waiters prepared crepes tableside. I have never seen crepes prepared in this manner, though we were all somewhat baffled when waiters emerged from the kitchen with plates of freshly prepared crepes. Huh? Oh well, Garcon’s flaming crepe display was entertaining, so we fully understood preparing them this way for the sake of timing.

The Final Product

All in all, this year’s EPCOT Food & Wine Festival was enjoyable. Wet, but enjoyable. Kim and I enjoy the event every year, rain or shine – though we hope for more shine than rain. Cheers!

Tim and Caleb, the friendly and accommodating owners of the Naked Grape, a well-established wine bar/lounge in Wilton Manors, Florida, talked for years about serving a full food menu at their previous location. So, instead of trying to add a kitchen to and going through the usual delays, red tape, etc., they decided moving would be a better alternative. It was a wise decision.

Now newly located just a few blocks down from their old stomping grounds, Naked Grape is as popular as ever with locals. The new space still retains its intimate, candle-lit vibe, but boasts more counter space for its staff, and feels less like a retail store that also serves wine, and more of a wine bar that happens to sell wine retail. Now, with a new kitchen in place, plus the advent of tapas and small plates added to their eclectic wine and craft beer arsenal, Naked Grape should enjoy a flourishing patronage.

Joined by our fellow Wanderlushes Mitch and Jen, the four of us decided to stop by and try some small plate items on a Saturday. The place was filled, but we still managed to join two small bar-height tables together. Owner Caleb came to our table moments later and asked that we critique his food as honestly as we saw fit. We were all quite hungry at that point, so we ended up ordering four items: a small market salad; flat bread with caramelized onions and a mild goat cheese; Panini with prosciutto, fig jam and arugula on an asiago foccacia served with a side salad; plus a cheese plate with cheddar and humboldt fog goat cheese served with crackers, peppadews and gherkin pickles. All of the plates looked and tasted fantastic, though the side salad that came with the Panini was a bit on the salty side and the Panini itself smaller than expected for a sharing portion.

All in all, Naked Grape’s new tapas and small bites menu is a welcome addition to this quaint and friendly little wine bar within stumbling, I mean walking distance.