Over the past couple of years, the U.S. Government has been cozying up to Cuba, in an attempt to "reset" a relationship that has been pretty chilly since the late 1950s. Yesterday, for the first time in decades, a regularly-scheduled commercial flight left the United States and landed in Havana. While we'll leave the geopolitical politics to others, the question we ask here is "what does this mean for Cuban cigars in the United States?" Great question, but one that's witho

We were traveling Thanksgiving week, and had a layover in Chicago. Hungry, thirsty, and looking for a quick snack before boarding our next flight, we found Tortas Frontera, by Chef Rick Bayless, and decided to stop in for a bit of guacamole and a couple of margaritas. Now, for those of you who don't know Rick Bayless, here's a very short biography. He's about as authentic as it comes when you're trying to find good Mexican food. He spent 6 years scouring the Baja peninsula

Recently we were in Newport, RI for a little over a week. We've been to Newport over a dozen times at this point--we got engaged here, we got married here, etc. We like it up here. A lot. We've been to all sorts of restaurants in and around Newport--good, bad, and simply average. But we'd never been to the Red Parrot. We'd heard a lot of different things about the Red Parrot. We'd heard that it was a fantastic restaurant--one of the best in Newport. We'd heard that it

Like millions of Americans, we're traveling this year for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, it's a business trip with Thanksgiving falling right into the middle of it. But that doesn't mean we're going to eat bad food. Nope. Not how we roll. We rented a quaint Air B&B for our trip, which is something we now prefer on trips so we can cook. The grocery options in Newport are VERY limited - you can choose between Stop n Shop or Wal-Mart. Since Stop n Shop is next door to our fa

When searching for wine to drink with Thanksgiving dinner, we ran into a couple of real treats: a bottle of 1989 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet, along with a bottle of 1996 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet sitting together on the shelf of the local wine store. They were begging to go home together, so we strapped them into the car, and decided we'd enjoy a mini-vertical tasting to accompany Thanksgiving turducken. Add in a nice bottle of Perrier-Jouet champagne, and we

For those of you thinking about picking up sous-vide equipment during Black Friday shopping, we wanted to provide some guidance. While a sous-vide setup is still a bit of an investment, prices have really come down over the years from when we got our first immersion circulator used on E-Bay out of a European chemistry lab (don't judge--they were still running over $1,000 new back then). While it's still possible to spend thousands of dollars on top-of-the-line commercial eq

We at FoodieDFW love Thanksgiving! Like a lot!! We love the pies, the rolls, the sides, the stuffing. We LOVE the secret family recipe cranberry relish! Pretty much everything. Except for the traditional turkey. Neither of us are huge fans, as it usually turns out a bit dry no matter how you cook it. A couple of years ago, we solved this problem by making an easy and juicy Turducken, and we're happy to share our secret with you. The secret is the magic that is sous-vid

As I sit watching episode 2 of The Crown on Netflix, where King George VI passes, and Princess Elizabeth becomes the new monarch, I have a moment to reflect upon life. As a student of history, I have always been fascinated with the life and career of Winston Churchill, with whom I share a name (in my case, my middle name). Sir Winston's eulogy for the King--depicted in the episode--was fitting, touching, and powerful, even though it was delivered when Churchill was a very a

Enjoyed with a nice chicken truffle risotto on a low-key Sunday night. Spicebox, plum and bright cherry on the nose. Cherry cola, with jammy plums and figs on the palate. Bright, not overly heavy, still quite astringent near the end of the palate. Not terribly tannic, but could use more time to balance out. A good daily drinker. 89-90 points.

It was a beautiful day out so we decided to give Shake Shack a try, since the outdoor space is full of adirondack chairs, regular tables, benches, and corn hole. Very dog friendly too! And, since they've been open for a few weeks, we figured they had worked the kinks out and we could give them a fair shake (corny pun intended!). We were thankful the line was small and it was moving quickly. So quickly, in fact, that we didn't really have time to look at the menu board befor