Posted // February 7,2012   Last Friday, Brett Clifford cleaned out his desk and embarked on his retirement, a bit earlier, I suspect, than planned. Who is Brett Clifford, you might ask? Well, he's the one person most responsible for the fact that we can purchase excellent wine in Utah.

Posted // February 6,2012   I'll let you in on a little secret: When I review restaurants, if there is roasted chicken on the menu, I always order it. That's because I figure if a chef can't properly roast a chicken, the rest of his/her dishes don't stand much of chance, either.

Posted // February 2,2012   I heard a rumor a while back that In-N-Out Burger -- a popular burger chain throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, and, more recently, Utah -- prints bible references on their food packaging. Turns out, it's true.

Posted // February 1,2012   My mind doesn't usually wander toward Vouvray in winter; I tend to think of it as a summertime sipper. However, a buddy of mine showed up at dinner recently with a very charming, winter-worthy Vouvray that's also priced just right.

Posted // January 30,2012   With this Sunday's Super Bowl XLVI in mind, I thought I'd share a recipe that is guaranteed to be a hit at your party. Chile Colorado is built around red chiles -- a rich, complex tasting dish that can feature pork or beef.

Posted // January 26,2012   In 2010, chef Jonas Otsuji competed in a chef competition put on by the Asian Chamber of Commerce and won. It was that experience which inspired him to create Chef War.

Posted // January 25,2012   Last week during his Utah visit, I had the pleasure of chatting with winemaker Roberto Stucchi while sipping his terrific Chiantis. His winery, Badia a Coltibuono, is located in Tuscany on the edge of the Chianti Classico zone.

Posted // January 23,2012   For a simple weekday meal, it's hard to beat pan-seared pork chops as the centerpiece. By following a couple of easy techniques, you'll be guaranteed perfect plump and juicy chops every time.

Posted // January 22,2012   A wallop of flavor within the realm of food art--as prepared by Chad White of San Diego's Sea Rocket--kicked off Chefdance 2012 last Friday night.

Posted // January 19,2012   RE:treat is a Sundance getaway lounge featuring artisanal food and drink from Utah producers during this opening weekend of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

Posted // January 18,2012   There are few things I love more on this planet than a good bottle of white Burgundy from France. Unfortunately, my wine budget doesn't allow for much French Burgundy.

Posted // January 16,2012   Although it's often considered classic German food, wiener schnitzel is, in fact, a traditional dish from Austria. In fact, "wiener" means Viennese -- the breaded-and-fried meat presumably originated in Vienna.

Posted // January 13,2012   The one-time, limited-run, "guerrilla" dining experience that is Mist kicks off next week and will run in Salt Lake City from Jan.19 through Feb.19. You can read more about the Mist project and Mist:SaltLake by clicking here.

Posted // January 11,2012   A number of years ago, I was in a quandary about what wine to drink with a complex Charlie Trotter recipe -- a dish I was making for a special dinner at home. A very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly fellow at the 300 East Wine Store in Salt Lake City, Ron by name, gave it some thought

Posted // January 9,2012   There were always a lot of German and Austrian dishes on my family's dinner table growing up. And, aside from my mom's chicken and dumplings, for most of my life spaetzle has been one of my favorite things to eat.

Posted // January 9,2012   When Larayn Clegg heard about New York City’s Vegan Drinks, a monthly social for vegans and the vegan-curious, she planned her trip to the Big Apple around the night. “I went and it was fabulous,” she says. “I just wished so much that there was something like that in Utah.”

Posted // January 4,2012   Meditrina Small Plates & Wine Bar has become a comfy, friendly haven for wine lovers. That's especially true of the informal, low-key, monthly wine socials hosted by Meditrina.

Posted // January 2,2012   In the past couple of decades, kung pao chicken and kung pao shrimp seem to have become Americans' favorite Chinese dishes, second probably only to fried rice.

Posted // December 28,2011   According to the folks in California who make it, Apothic Red wine is "inspired by an 'Apotheca,' a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th-century Europe."