Page 15 - Boca Club News - August '22

Boca Club News, Page 15
Dining Out: Hungry Al’s Little-Known

Fun Facts About Food & Restaurants!

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire out. Enjoy your summer! • Subway was sued by customers for making their foot-long
Country Club. Hungry Al’s love • The busiest day of the year for restaurants is Mother’s Day. subs only 11 inches in length. It was eventually settled out
for food started very young. • The oldest American restaurant still in service today is of court.
Never satisfied with his Mom’s Boston’s very own Union Oyster House, founded in 1826. • The World’s Largest Restaurant is in Syria, called Bawabet
dishes, he started to cook his • Hawaiian pizza was first served by a Greek man living in Dimashq Restaurant. It has 6,014 seats and a 580,000 square-
way through her “Betty Crocker Canada. foot dining area.
Cookbook.” During the years • The grill marks on fast food burgers aren’t necessarily real. • What’s the most expensive burger? You’ll find it at De
to follow he spend many hours They are sometimes put on artificially by the factory. Daltons in the Netherlands for $6,000. It will contain Wagyu
working in restaurants, both as server and cook, attending • Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas’ daughter’s name was not beef and Beluga Caviar.
cooking classes and traveling the world in an effort to expand Wendy, but Melinda Lou. • French fries originated in Belgium, not France! They are
his palette. As a professional writer, Hungry Al offers his • New York City is the most Michelin-starred city in the U.S. only called French fries because they are French cut.
perspective on current food trends and guides you through • White Chocolate is not chocolate. It’s really just a mixture • German chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany.
your local restaurant options. of sugar, milk, vanilla, lecithin, and cocoa butter. It was invented by a Texan who used “German’s Chocolate”
It’s the time of year when Hungry Al will be doing some • Millennials spend 44% of their food budget at restaurants. (a baking chocolate) named after the creator, Sam German.
traveling. Hopefully, you will excuse me for not having a • The oldest tavern in America is White Horse Tavern in • 49% of Americans over 20 eat a sandwich every day.
restaurant review this month, but I have a few new ones Newport, Rhode Island, opened in 1673. • A typical ear of corn has an even number of rows, which
in the upcoming season. In lieu of a standard review, I put • The largest toy distributor is McDonalds thanks to their is usually 16.
together a few fun facts about food, restaurants and dining Happy Meal sales.
Grape Expectations:

When it Comes to Wine, How Daring Are You?

By Ed Wolfarth, who moved to To many novice wine drinkers, a Chardonnay is a tannic wine is also high in alcohol. It is not often made as
South Florida after retiring with his Chardonnay; same thing for Cabernet and Merlot. For white a single varietal. In Chile, however, it seems to thrive. In
wife, Vicki, as Professor of Sports wines, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are the France, and in particular the Rhone region, Mourvedre is
Sciences & Physical Education at default choices. For reds, it’s Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot Noir. found as a blended grape in many red wines. Look for GSM
both Queens College and Hofstra Comfortable choices deliver expected results, even though—as wines or Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Look for Paul
University. He is a nationally ranked we know from previous writing—all these wines are produced Jaboulet Rhone wines or Australian producer Charles Melton
senior tennis player and long-time in various styles. In order to expand one’s wine knowledge and his famous Nine Popes, his take on Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
USPTA Elite Teaching Professional. and taste, you need to sometimes jump into the deep end of These “Rhone Rangers” are famous for their blended wines.
Ed has written many educational the pool. This leap of faith can make you soar. Enough with Jaboulet wines are mass produced, easily found, and often
and tennis articles in the past. Over the past few years, the analogies; it’s only wine we’re talking about. Allow me to pop up on wine lists. Nine Popes may take some hunting and
Ed has turned his hobby of wine collecting into a way of suggest three alternative reds and three alternative white wines sells for about $40.
continuing his passion for writing, and has written on the that you need to try, which often appear on wine menus, and Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. This Italian red is made from
subject for publications. As a self-proclaimed “wine snob,” are also easily found at your local wine merchant. the Montepulciano grape and is produced in central Italy.
he has collaborated on many wine lists for private clubs and Instead of Cabs, Merlots or Pinots try: It is widely exported and is deeply colored and spicy. It is
a few restaurants. Ed can be reached at wolfarthe@msn.com. Mourvedre (pronounced more-ved). This fairly high often included on wine menus, and can also be found in any
wine shop at a reasonable price. It is made to be drunk young
but can age. Often blended with Sangiovese, the principal
grape of Chianti and Brunello, Montepulciano is a wonderful
accompaniment to hearty dishes, and carries a low price tag.
Malbec is more commonly used in Bordeaux blends,
but has become increasingly popular as a single varietal.
Argentinean Malbec has been flooding the U.S. market
in recent years and has found a cult following. Malbec is
often found on many wine lists, is inky and full-bodied,
and carries an attractive price tag. Producers to look
for are: Bodega Catena Zapata, Bodega Colome, and in
particular the more affordable and easily found Bodega
Norton. Norton Reserve Malbec sells for less than $20 and
consistently scores in the 90s on most wine charts.
Instead of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot
Grigio try:
Albarino. This crisp Spanish white is produced most
notably in the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain, and
has razor sharp acidity and hints of peach and apricot.
It’s a terrific accompaniment to a variety of light dishes,
including fish. While Albarino is now being produced
in Australia and California. I would stick with any
producer from the Rias Baixas region. In particular, seek
out Bodegas As Laxas, Marques De Caceres and Martin
Codax. All can be found for under $20 a bottle, and often
appear on wine lists for around $30-$40.
Torrontes is an Argentinean white wine grape that has
moderate acidity, a smooth mouth feel, and evokes that
same peach and apricot nose that you can find in Viognier,
Gewürztraminer and Albarino. Alamos, Colome, Alta Vista
and Trapiche seem to appear on wine menus most frequently,
and are all under $15 retail. Remember, on restaurant wine lists
the prices will be approximately two-and-a-half times retail.
And one last alternative to the “usual suspects”: any
Italian white or red wine! Italy is making exceptional wines
at affordable prices. They are accessible, affordable and food-
friendly. Nero d’Avola, Dolcetto d’Alba, Godello, Arneis,
Vermentino, I could go on. All one needs to do is take a leap
of faith.
When dining out, I always check a restaurant’s wine menu
prior to visiting that establishment. A bit of research can go a
long way to enjoying a meal and a glass of wine. Unfamiliar
wines are, also, often attractively priced to get diners to try
them. Sometimes the unexpected can lead to an exciting
wine discovery. So, try something different and your “grape
expectations” will increase exponentially.
Summer is already upon us. If you have any favorite
summer wines, let me hear about them. I can be reached at
wolfarthe@msn.com.