I regularly get asked by friends and family who are planning on going wine tasting to share my advice and recommendations with them. After sending variations of the same emails to many of them, I decided to publish my thoughts for everyone to use and enjoy. Let’s start with Santa Ynez Valley and Sta. Rita Hills wineries … Continue reading
This past Tuesday, the Tokyo String Quartet played what first violin Martin Beaver said would almost certainly be their last concert at the Ravinia Festival. In all likelihood, it will also be their final appearance anywhere in the Chicago area. With Kazuhide Isomura (founding viola) and Kikuei Ikeda (longtime second violin) deciding to retire, the … Continue reading
Exactly one year ago today, All is Yar was born. Many heartfelt thanks to the musicians, writers, composers, music fans, wine drinkers, mixology enthusiasts, and all of you who have read and continue to read my reviews and musings. In the past year, this blog has grown bigger and faster than I would have imagined. It’s … Continue reading
New York’s Lincoln Center has announced the line-up for their “Great Performers” series in the coming 2012-2013 season. Their press release (available HERE) leads by mentioning a visit by Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, specifically highlighting the New York premiere of John Adams’ oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary in a staged … Continue reading
I know everyone is anxious to talk about the big “Mahler Project” that the Los Angeles Philharmonic is putting on, but before I do this, I must digress. While music is a huge interest of mine — certainly the biggest one that applies to this blog — I have many others as evidenced on the menu … Continue reading
The name might scare you, but don’t let it. There is nothing frightening here, especially if you want a grown-up place to get a good drink and hang out. Strictly speaking, Death and Company is not a speakeasy since it isn’t hidden from view, it’s location is public, and it even has a guy out … Continue reading
At first blush, Please Don’t Tell (or “PDT” as it is often called) takes the nouveau speakeasy concept of Milk & Honey — nondescript entrance leading to bar with limited seating manned by a mixologist — up a notch or two. Despite those similarities, a visit to the two venues feels completely different: where Milk … Continue reading
As previously mentioned, I made a “game day decision” last Saturday night to see Bernard Haitink conduct the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall. Note that I listed Mr. Haitink’s name first, then the orchestra, then the hall: chalk up the opportunity to see the legendary Dutch conductor in person for the first time … Continue reading
Milk & Honey is kinda like the music you listened to in high school: regardless of how much your everyday tastes may have changed or your repertoire has diversified, you’ll always have a soft spot for it and return to it often. It may be tough to say who reignited the speakeasy and mixology movements, … Continue reading
For about ten years, I used to travel to New York regularly for business — as often as once every other month. Work took up most of my time, but I usually had opportunities to take in the local scene, both high-brow (Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street Y, Broadway, among others) and low-brow (Broadway, … Continue reading
Got a few inquiries wondering where I’ve been hiding (or in one case, what “they” did to me) . . . first of all, thank you for your interest and concern. The short answer is that the day job has had me out of town and crazy busy, so haven’t had as much time as … Continue reading
(Continuing where I left off from my previous post on the subject . . . ) 2007 Etude Pinot Noir Deer Camp Estate Carneros and 2007 Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir Estate Carneros As much as I love California Pinot Noir, I’ve have been largely ambivalent to those from Carneros. Whenever I’ve tasted them in the … Continue reading
When it comes to wine, I’ll drink anything as long as it’s good: still or sparkling, red or white (or pink), dry or sweet, you name it. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure to taste (and drink) a lot more wine than usual, spanning a whole host of varietals. As I mentioned … Continue reading
As mentioned in a previous post, I visited Red Square in Mandalay Bay as part of my latest Las Vegas misadventures. For those of you who may not be familiar, Red Square is a bar & restaurant with an ostensibly post-communist Muscovite flavor; a giant, headless, faux-guano adorned statue of Vladimir Lenin stands guard near … Continue reading
I visited Texas a few months ago, driving from city to city as I made my way across the state. On the leg from Dallas to Houston, I found myself chasing one of those Texas-sized storms, the kind of which we just don’t get in California: lightning bolts flashing back and forth across the sky … Continue reading
All is Yar 