Food & Drink

Pulp Nonfiction

The three stickers on my car sum up my value system pretty well. There is the Amherst College sticker, an homage to my beloved alma mater, whose ever-increasing social consciousness is working to make higher education more accessible to the financially disadvantaged. Below that, and to the left—geographically and politically—is my equality sign from the Human Rights Campaign, which works for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights. Finally—and perhaps dearest to my heart—there is the Herrell's ice cream sticker.

Tripping the Wine Fantastic

Tired of taking the same vacations? Even if you adore New Orleans, Atlanta or Florida, you might be itching to find yourself in new surroundings, doing activities unavailable at home. Why not try a visit to wine country?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Thai House

At the new Thai House, the food is exotic and elegantly showcased in a venue awash in muted color, exposed brick and imported furniture. But there is something beyond the ambiance. Perhaps it's the warmth of the proprietors or the comfort of a steaming cup of Tomkha, but in the midst of spicy food, Eastern music and hand-carved teakwood, the Thai House offers the familiarity of a diner, but the cuisine is almost certainly better than that local greasy-spoon.

Nashville Chicken Feathers

Nashville has always, and will forever be, the country music capital of the world. Even though I had never been there before, I knew this was true as soon as I arrived on Interstate 40 from Memphis. Signs sprinkled with music notes welcomed me to the "Music Highway," and no matter how often I scrolled through the radio stations, the only music mixing with the air conditioning was country.

So Many Reasons for Riesling

When I first began drinking wine, I dived right in to big, fat reds: Cabernet, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and the like. Whites weren't on my radar; I thought they were beneath a real wine drinker. Little did I know. … Then I found Riesling. That elegant, versatile grape brought me back from the dark side. My first experience with Riesling was sweet, but it can also be made off-dry or bone dry, as well as in a sparkling version.

Beyond Bizarre

I was recently reminded of a dinner incident from when I was a kid. My mother, her friend Bill and I went to eat at my grandparents' house. In the middle of dinner, my Papaw noticed that Bill was cutting his English peas in half before he ate them and asked why. Bill looked up and slowly replied, "Sir, that way they won't roll off my fork."

More Glory, Less Grease

Grant Nooe knows food. He knows saté from sauté and semifreddo from shabbu-shabbu. With a handful of ingredients and a grill, he can fly you to the moon (or at least to Asia), but mostly, Nooe is a down-to-earth guy. He speaks frankly, maintains eye contact, gestures when excited. And he gets excited when he talks about food, particularly that food we've known longest—southern home-cookin', in all its greasy glory. Except that Nooe's mission is to help southern food change its image—more glory, less grease.

Eat and Run

Lenny's Sub Shop in Fondren Now Has Wi-Fi

Pancake Races and Depression Herbs

Breakfast at the Bolton house was a big deal when I was a kid. Our bawling cows and squawking chickens thought it was fun to awaken at the crack of dawn, and our rooster actually believed the lie that roosters crow at 4 a.m. I don't know the last time you were up at 6 in the morning shoveling doo-doo, but it's nice to have some sustenance to keep you going.

As American as Burek Pie

If any grape bespeaks the sunny climes and fearless attitude inherent to California, Zinfandel does. Whether it's the bold, fruity flavors or its tendency toward a high alcohol content, Zinfandel successfully represents the state that stands as a mecca for loud celebrities.

This Won't Stay in Vegas

My honey and I flew off to Sin City to tie the connubial knot last week. Maybe I have had too much sun (a six-hour golf lesson in the desert will do it), but I have enjoyed being overwhelmed with casinos, contracts and individuals. The whole thing has been a learning experience, even a life lesson. There have been hostile cab drivers, inhospitable hospitality managers and pushy timeshare sales reps. But there have also been genuinely joyful strangers handing out $20 bills after hitting a jackpot, gushing couples walking down the Strip in myriad—but awesomely Vegas—wedding attire, and a host of our close family members living it up with the glee of children.

Cyber Wine

When I first became obsessed with learning all I could about wine, I subscribed to Wine Spectator, the premier publication on wines in the U.S. The problem was that I hardly read it, and when I did, I was often annoyed. The articles seemed to assume that the reader had unlimited funds to purchase futures of Bordeaux, dine at extravagant restaurants and invest in separate glassware for the many grape varieties. Sometimes, Wine Spectator is like a private men's club that requires a secret knock to enter. Granted, some of the wines on their "Top 100" are affordable. However, you can't always get those wines, which can make the list frustrating.

Shish Your Kebabs

Recently, my husband and I went to a local Mediterranean restaurant with several friends. It was late, and everyone was starving, so we ordered an appetizer plate. As we passed plates and pita bread, words like "falafel," "hummus," and "zakeeki sauce" flew back and forth across the table. For just a moment, I leaned back in my chair and pondered how international we all sounded. Do young friends in Turkey gather together on Friday nights to try out pizza, burgers and diet Coke?

The Bitter Hooker

If you suddenly find yourself overtaken by a creepy feeling while drinking at George Street Grocery, it may be more than the alcohol affecting you. It might be the establishment's resident ghost, the Bitter Hooker.

Que Sera Sadilla

My mom is amazing at any number of things. She can speak and/or read seven different languages, many of them dead. She can sing louder than a whole church full of people and turn any and all of my problems around so that they are obviously anyone's fault but mine. She can write a flawlessly grammatical sentence that fills an entire double-spaced page, and she is emotionally and financially supportive when her flailing, liberal-arts educated daughters are having life crises (as we are wont to do).

Ellington