By Brooke A. Brown

If I had to pick a favorite cuisine – and, thankfully, I don’t – it would definitely be Italian. There’s just so much diversity, what with the cured meats, pastas, risottos, fish and fowl, vegetables, olive oil, beef, pizzas, cheese (my God, the cheese!)… I could go on and on. We are fortunate to have a number of fine Italian eateries here in Charleston, but I’m not going to mention any of them today. Instead, I’m going to talk about Gratzi.

Well, maybe that was a tad harsh. Aesthetically speaking, Gratzi is a beautiful restaurant with an extremely warm and welcoming vibe. Located at Charleston’s Town Center Mall, one would never guess that an Olive Garden used to occupy the exact same space. The seating is comfortable, the menu is extensive and the service is attentive. (more…)

“Come on, baby don’t you want to go
To the same old place, sweet home Chicago.”
-Robert Johnson

By Brooke A. Brown

I just returned from a trip to Chicago. It was my first visit to the Windy City, and the only reason I went was to hang out with my friend, Jeff. Oh… and to eat. A lot. Luckily for me, Jeff – a native Chicagoan – was up for the challenge.

Sure, I could mention the sausage-stuffed deep-dish pizza from Giordano’s; the amazing pork tacos from Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill; the huitlacoche from what had to be the finest Mexican food stand at the New Maxwell Street Market; the uni from Bob San’s sushi; and even the deep milk-chocolate bacon bar (yes, real bacon) from Vosges Haut-Chocolat. I could go on and on about any one of these items as they’re each uniquely blog-worthy. But there’s one delicacy that, not unlike the Sears Tower, stood out from all the rest… (more…)

By Brooke A. Brown

Known for his unwavering passion for food (not to mention quirky orange footwear), Mario Batali is hands-down my favorite celebrity chef. And when I’m not writing for this blog (or polishing my clogs), I spend a lot of time over at Serious Eats – a wonderful food-related site chock-a-block with recipes, restaurant reviews and Mr. Batali’s blog, Unclogged.

As if his words weren’t enough, the editors of Serious Eats have created a video version of Batali’s blog, and the first installment can be viewed below. (The title of this post will make more sense after watching.) Buon Appetito!

Watch WineBoy, Episode 12, John Brown’s weekly off-the-wall, four-minute wine appreciation webcast at thegazz.com/gazzTV.

By Brooke A. Brown

It always comes as a surprise when a friend or colleague informs me they’ve yet to try the Thai House in Dunbar. Partially because I go on and on about how good the food is there, but mostly because the place is always packed.

My very first taste of authentic Thai cuisine took place at Joe Fazio’s, West Virginia’s famous Italian restaurant. Now, before you go doling out a ‘whatchoo talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?,’ let me briefly explain. I worked at Fazio’s as a host several years back, and my co-host, I guess you could call him, was from Thailand. His wife – also from ‘the land of smiles’ – worked with us and we all became good friends, even though her English was limited strictly to ‘hello’ and ‘thank you.’

On Fridays, which quickly became known (only to me) as Thai-days, they would bring me the food of their native land: Tom Ka Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup), some exotic salmon curry dish with loads of garlic, ginger and lemongrass (the name of which escapes me), and the national dish of Thailand, Pad Thai.

It was love at first bite! Unfortunately this arrangement was short lived as we each eventually left the Bullitt Street landmark for greener pastures. At least I was now equipped with knowledge of Thai cuisine’s main objective: to balance the five fundamental flavors (spicy, sour, sweet, salty and bitter) in either each individual dish or the entire meal. They say knowledge is power, but how does that put Pad Thai in my belly? (more…)

“I’ve learned there are three things you don’t discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.” -Linus Van Pelt

“Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do?”
-Homer Simpson

By Brooke A. Brown

So here we are, nearing the middle of October, and I find that something (not unlike the middle of a donut) is missing. And then that very analogy reminds me: it’s Pumpkin Donut time at the Donut Connection! Well… almost.

My seasonal craving for the limited-edition pastry forced me into action first thing this workday morning. A quick phone connection with the Donut Connection’s manager uncovered the fact that they’re currently waiting on the delivery truck which holds the ingredients necessary to make the pumpkin donut. I’m envisioning large tubs of pumpkin pureé, hefty canisters of both cinnamon and nutmeg, and some top-secret ingredient that makes them that much more delicious. (more…)

Maturity is certainly not one of WineBoy’s personal attributes. But in episode 11 of John Brown’s weekly wine webshow with attitude — click here to watch – he’ll demonstrate the proper manner to evaluate and serve mature wines. Be sure to catch this latest webcast of Brown’s part educational, part zany weekly four-minute show featuring his unique approach to all things wine. You’ll want to pay particular attention to the advice of special guest and Wine Astrologist, the Marchrazi Umberto Lupini.

“Men without ties don’t dress for dinner
Do the Friday night frozen pizza thing
Don’t want no wife or no beginner
You’re the Friday night frozen pizza king”

-Paul Westerberg, “Man Without Ties”

By Brooke A. Brown

Last weekend, The Lovely Miss S was away on a shopping excursion – one she referred to as “Beauty Recon” – to the mega-malls of Columbus, Ohio. Armed with all the major fall fashion magazines (not to mention her mother and a roomy Toyota Highlander), she was well on her way to making new friends at the various cosmetic counters and clothing emporiums.

Her first call home came, by request, shortly after they arrived. Knowing that they had made it to Ohio’s largest city safe and sound provided much comfort to me, as did the cushy couch on which I was in full recline. With this knowledge, I could – and did – enjoy several hours of College Football Saturday.

The second call came after dinner… her dinner, that is. My stomach was still full from the salty snack sampler consumed during all the football festivities. My instincts, however, immediately kicked in and the question of ‘Where did you eat?’ was quickly presented. She replied, “The California Pizza Kitchen.”

Boy was I jealous. Sure, the California Pizza Kitchen is a chain, but a really good one with a wide variety of interesting, exotic pizzas, noodle dishes, soups and salads. Suddenly, those salty snacks weren’t feeling so filling. After discussing the success of her “recon,” and plans for the following day, I reciprocated her fond farewell and headed to Kroger on a mission of my own.

I had no game plan in mind, which is my typical shopping style. All I knew was that I wanted something different. So, I let fate – in the form of Kanawha City’s Kroger freezer section – decide what’s for dinner. And did fate ever deliver. (more…)

Which wines should you drink now and which should you set aside to age? In “WineBoy 10,” John Brown serves up some tips on the fine art of aging wines.