this has been our go to wine dinner place as of late and it is staying solid. i even spent my latest bday there.

i go every sunday for the football games. the beer list(captain lawrence, sixpoints) vs the burgers vs the chicken wings vs the bloody mary are the good points, but even with football the music is silly...a good example of the good outweighing the bad for me.

wow, the old spot came and went pretty fast.

who needs "scientific" research when i've done the math myself?

a wine sitting in a normal fridge for 6-12 months WILL experience a failed cork.

years.

this is standard operating procedure at multiple fine dining restaurants. i hate it too but really, at $60, they aren't out to switch anything on you...

do NOT store in fridge. no humidity ='s cork shrinkage ='s spoiled wine...

al di la does not have a brunch menu...

word. applewood & al di la. look no further.

1999 Château Pontet-Canet
2005 Melville Syrah Estate Donna's

neither were very exciting. :-(

thanks matt. i piggy backed off of your thread and probably passed you a few times, as we were there 3/25-3/31. a GREAT time was had, but we skipped gasparito... :-(

our favorite was by far madame janette. omg!

el gaucho was slightly nightmarish, with mariachi's and drunken jean short wearing tourist singing "sweet caroline" at the top of their lungs, but the steak was really good. i had the gaucho cut(filet mignon) and had to bury it in the sauce they provided, but what the H, i was on vacation! ;-)

we skipped gaspirito but replaced it with old man & the sea, my wife was over joyed!

cheers!
:-)

2006 Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandel Old Vines
2006 Rodney Strong Zinfandel Knotty Vines
2006 Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Vine Sonoma County
2005 Berryessa Gap Zinfandel
2006 Montevina Zinfandel Terra d'Oro S.H.R. Field Blend
2007 Michael-David Vineyards Zinfandel 7 Deadly Zins
2006 Four Vines Zinfandel Sophisticate
2006 Simi Zinfandel Sonoma County
2006 Valley of the Moon Zinfandel
2007 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
2004 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Maple Zin Maple Vineyards
2006 Windsor Vineyards Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

ouch, my head. :-(

tonight:
2006 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

packed for am departure to Aruba!(this should last me until i find "La Bodega"???:
2003 Waypoint Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard
2005 McPrice Myers Grenache L'Ange Rouge
2007 Melville Viognier Estate Verna's
2007 Peay Vineyards Roussanne/Marsanne Estate

2004 Bodegas Monteviejo Malbec Festivo
2006 Domaine des Anges Côtes du Ventoux Blanc

both prove bargains do exist. the anges was $12.99 and in this area, everything cost more so i am sure it can be found under $10. the malbec was under $10 as well.

last night:

2005 McPrice Myers Viognier Larner Vineyard
2006 Mara Syrage(Syrah-Merlot)
2003 Domaine Lignères Corbières Aric

which gives me more reason to believe the wine we had was flawed. others tried to convince me it was what it was...you know the type! ;-)

tonight:
2005 McPrice Myers Viognier Larner Vineyard
2006 Mara Syrage
2003 Domaine Lignères Corbières Aric

ib, my notes state "flawed,v olatile acidity", but not everyone agreed with me. go figure...lol
:-)

mon(blind):
2007 Domaine Le Garrigon Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Du Coquelicot
2007 Domaine de la Mavette Côtes du Rhône
2007 Domaine Monpertuis (Paul Jeune) Côtes du Rhône Vignoble de la Ramière
2007 Domaine de Cabasse Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet Les Deux Anges
2007 Les Garrigues Côtes du Rhône
2005 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets
2007 Saint-Cosme Côtes du Rhône (x's 2, duplicates)
2005 Domaine des Anges Côtes du Ventoux
2005 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Vacqueyras

wed:
2007 Signorello Viognier Estate Bottled
2004 Bodegas Monteviejo Malbec Festivo

fri:
1999 Quinta de Roriz Porto Vintage
1995 Quinta de Roriz Porto Vintage
1997 Gould Campbell Porto Vintage
1980 Gould Campbell Porto Vintage

yesterday with slopeguy:

2007 Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano
2007 Casita Mami Navarra
2007 Weinhof Scheu Grauer Burgunder
2007 Cantina di Casteggio Oltrepò Pavese Barbera
2002 Dow Porto Crusted
N.V. Leacock Madeira Malmsey Malmsey 5 years
N.V. Emilio Hidalgo Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Cream "Morenita"
N.V. Emilio Hidalgo Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Oloroso Seco "Gobernador"
2007 Bouké Red Table Wine
2007 Bouké White Table Wine
2007 Icario Rubì Delle Pietrose Toscana IGT
2007 Barberani Orviéto Rosso Polago

noooooooooooooooooooo :-(

always. :-)

last night:
2007 Bodega Pardevalles Vino de la Tierra de León
2008 Viñedos de Nieva Rueda Blanco Nieva, Pie Franco
2008 Bodegas Ochoa Navarra Rosado de Lágrima Finca El Bosque
2007 Bodega Sur de los Andes Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Marqués de Reala Campo de Borja Tinto
2007 Bodeqas Piquer Cariñena Lelia
2004 Rafael Cambra Valencia Uno
2001 Bodegas y Viñedos Heras Cordon Rioja Reserva
N.V. Pedro Romero Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
N.V. Justino Henriques Madeira Feist Rainwater

2007 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Marcel Deiss Pinot Blanc Bergheim
2007 Blanco Nieva Verdejo Rueda Pie Franco
2005 Inman Family Pinot Noir
2006 Kutch Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
2000 Miguel Merino Rioja Reserva
2006 Linne Calodo Rising Tides
2004 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc

well, i easily have something positive to report back. athenos is definately worthy. we split the octopus and the sausage app, and the majority of the table(of 5) had the osso buco. all were excellent. zero corkage. everyone was happy. Athenos will now be my new "go to" place. good job. :-)

since i'm assuming you are back by now, and noone else has chimed in, do you have any tips/hints to share? :-)

our "week" is coming up, and so far have booked:
el gaucho
madame janette's
gasparito
chez matilda

all smiles so far! :-)

i like song. and beet. and mee. and long tan. and watana.

athena is corkage friendly, so we have a group going mid week, hopefully i'll have something positive to report back.

that's the deal sam, and the best to be had! :-)

thanks for the info. we will also be there for our first time this month, and are also searching for fresh seafood. i must say an internet search of local restaurants and reviewing the menus looks dismal, but i have just started looking...

here's hoping they never go to "brunch" status. i like having a "normal" lunch menu. never skip the wild mushrooms on polenta!
:-)