The Weekly Three

Three things that go great together. This week by my lovely wife, Jen.

 

When their first disc, Exile on Coldharbour Lane came out, I saw A3 in concert.  Proclaiming themselves as alt-country-acid rock, their beat as infectious as anything I have ever listened to.  Lyrics are real and relatable.  Every time I hear it (even as sick of the Sopranos’ theme song a person could be) makes me want to get up and dance.  Their second disc, La Peste is not as trancy and dance as Exile on Coldharbour Lane, more of a sipping CD in a dark room on a plush couch.  Headphones on as you are transformed to another dimension of ecstasy.  Takes you to another world without the illegal implications.

Aligning to the Other World state of mind, what better place than Las Vegas?  And what better book to have at the pool or bar as you watch all those thousands of people than Kitchen Confidential; Tony Bourdain brings you into a world very few of us have experienced.  Behind those doors to the kitchen of your favorite restaurant…dive…exclusive eats…lies the kitchen with pristinely dressed, expertly mannered, wizards of the kitchen creating that yummy dish that lands before you.  Or are they?  I have a completely new appreciation, and fear, for those wizards knocking out my food in record time.  Food that gives me comfort when I’m sad or near orgasmic experience in flavor.  Laugh-out-loud stories and explanations of what really happens behind those mystical doors in your favorite eatery.

The classic martini pulls it all together.  Basic, simple, cold, up with a twist.  Depending on if you are sinking into the trance of A3 and sipping your pleasure, or if you are reading Kitchen Confidential and need something smooth enough to gobble down to race towards another…it is the perfect complement to this Weekly Three

This is my first Weekly Three.  Perhaps I’ll be inspired with another sometime soon.

-- Jen

What kind of bar do you have?

I have been giving some thought to the perfect home bar. There are a lot of sites and lists online that describe the perfect bar selection for everything from a mini-bar at your office to a full blown restaurant set-up (Check out the comprehensive list provided by Robert Hess at Drink Boy). All well and good. I want to describe something a bit different.

My bar is based on mood and moment. I often think of drinks based on my state of mind as much as on my taste buds. I can hunt around forever in the liquor cabinet and not find a single thing to please me if the mood is not right. I want there to be something more ethereal and spiritual about my bar.

Some suggestions:

• Reading a mystery novel: Highland Park Whisky (thanks to Rebus)
• Waiting for guests to arrive: An icy cold Vodka Martini
• Seducing my wife: A clever cocktail for her, a Manhattan for me
• Worrying over my job: Springbank 21
• Impress someone with dinner: A great Washington State Red (Betz, Woodward Canyon)
• Feeling "experimental": Clever cocktails I create (usually throw away at least half of the trials)
• Writing: A big California Cab such as Caymus or any reasonably mellow Whisky from the collection

I don't need any gin, rum, or club soda for this bar.

Veuve Clicquot pricing

In New York a few weeks ago we ordered a bottle of Veuve in the lobby bar at the W Times Square Hotel. The price was $140.

At the Blue Fin restaurant in the same hotel we ordered a bottle. The price was $120.

In San Francisco at the W Hotel the price was $105.

At my supermarket it is usually about $38.

I am going to start carrying my own.