Dinner and a Wine Tasting at Verde Was Definitely Worth The Drive To Urbana!

This past weekend I enjoyed my first Weekend ReTweat which started at Verde in Urbana,Ohio.

I knew I would like this place when walking in a realized they were having a wine tasting that evening. I grabbed my seat and purchased my tickets for the tasting!

The wine tasting included five different types of wine from 55 degrees.

1. I started out with some french wines - Mas de la dame Rose' du Mas an '08 Rose' from Provence. I automatically thought White Zinfandel when I looked at it because of its color and almost passed on it but was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. Very light, and flavorful. It's something I would enjoy in the summer.
2. My second taste was Chateau Lamothe de Haux an '08 Bordeaux. Because I am a red wine drinker and this is a white I was shocked that this was one of my favorites. It has a grapefruit flavor which I enjoyed. I'll definitely be purchasing this one sometime soon to enjoy over the warm months to come!
3. The third taste was a French Vouvray '07 Chanin Blanc. This was probably the sweetest of the wines but by no means was it too sweet. Not my favorite out of the five but I had no problem finishing it!
4. Next came the red! The fourth tasting was a California wine, Six Clones '07 Merlot from Perano Estates. This was a very good wine and was not as heavy as a typical Merlot. One of my girlfriends who does not like reds really enjoyed this glass.
5. The last taste was a wine from Argentina. A 2009 Malbec from Ave Premium. Over the winter Malbec's have become one of my favorite wines and this one did not disappoint!

Here are a couple photos of the Weekend Retweaters enjoying the Chateau Lamothe de Haux an '08 Bordeaux

After the wine tasting the real fun began when we were treated to some incredible culinary samplings from Verde. From the warm pita and hummus and celery root soup with caviar and marscapone, to the turkey reuben, crab cakes and mushroom bruschetta every bite was incredible! And to top it off, before we left we enjoyed a tasting of the chocolate mouse, which was to die for! Below is a brief video of our time at Verde. You'll be able to see and hear how wonderful Verde is (wish you could smell through video too). Definitely worth the trip to Urbana, one I will be making again!

An Evening at Signature Wines

Last night I had the absolute pleasure of attending a wine tasting and food pairing event at Signature Wines.

Signature Wines specializes in designing customized and personalized labels that are placed on the six different types of wines made and bottled at Kelly Harvey's winery on the east side of Columbus.

Here is my columbus imPRessions wine label I created for my dream winery someday!

Signature Wine grapes are fermented and aged on the premises of Signature Wines from high quality California grapes. The wines we tasted last night came from the Alexander Valley.

Pairing food and wine is really a science. When pairing food with wine, always match similar flavors so they don't overpower each other. The food and wine should compliment each other. Last night we paired six different wines:

2005 Chardonnay with Robusto Gouda cheese. The light salty, nutty taste complimented the sweet fruit of the Chardonnay. Surprisingly, this was my favorite pairing!

2005 Zinfandel Blush with smoked ham and aged cheddar. The smoke and salt of the ham and cheese balanced the semi-sweet wine.

2004 Rose' with Buffalo chicken dip. The sweet Rose' helped temper the heat from the hot dip. As a side note, the Buffalo chicken dip was pretty tasty!

2005 Merlot with basil pesto pasta salad. Food flavored with basil is frequently paired with Merlot because the herb of the basil balances well with the flavors of Merlot.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon with sirloin steak and mushrooms in Merlot sauce. A hearty dish needs a hearty wine. The richness of the red meat balances with the dry red wine. This was my favorite wine!

2001 Port with dark chocolate truffles. This brandy like wine is traditionally paired with chocolate because both have a luscious, rich flavor.

After the tasting Kelly gave us a brief idea of how the wine is produced and showed us some of the equipment used in the fermenting and bottling process.

Click on collage to view larger images.

To place an order to have a personalized label created for you, email Kelly at kharvey@signaturewinesofohio.com or call 614.395.2355. There is never a minimum order or set-up charge for customized labels. In addition, Signature Wines offers a 10% discount on a case of wine with the same customized label on all 12 bottles. It make a great holiday gift!

TasteCasting Event At The Olive Tree Mediterranean Cafe

It's seems like quite awhile since I've been to a TasteCasting event. Last night I enjoyed myself, along with a handful of other TasteCaster members, at The Olive Tree Mediterranean Cafe in Hilliard, Ohio.

This new restaurant opened just a few weeks ago and features Mediterranean food with strong Greek and Israeli influences.

We sampled so much food, all incredibly delicious!  I did have a couple favorites.  The spicy feta appetizer was incredible.  Served with warm pita bread the feta cheese blended with olive oil, jalapeno peppers, fresh garlic and herbs had a little kick and a lot of flavor.  This is something I will definitely be ordering when I visit again.   I also really enjoyed the gyro meat and cinnamon rice with the gyro sauce.  

All food is made fresh daily and it shows in quality and taste.  We ended our tasting with coffee and baklava.  I've always loved this Greek pastry but never had one with flaky phyllo dough. Very interesting to look at, very good to eat!

Being a new restaurant I also paid attention to their logo.  I liked the simplicity and style, as well as how the olive color background mixed with the black and white fonts.  It definitely says Mediterranean to me but in a modern way.  The olive branch image is subtle and a nice addition. Maybe as they become more well known it can become their golden arches.

Obviously, another reason for TasteCasting is to help market the establishment through social media channels.  Another way to help grow the business is through promotion. The Olive Tree Mediterranean Cafe did create a TasteCasting promotion . . . .

Mention TasteCasting and use code OTMC

and when you buy 1 Sandwich you get second sandwich at 1/2 off

Hurry the promotion runs through the end of June.

Homestyle Restyle - Bob Evans TasteCasting #BEF

Last night the TasteCasters were invited to an evening at Bob Evans where we got to preview the summer menu before the public (summer menu is introduced to the public on May 14th). Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, (which was noted and linked on the Bob Evans web site), we were acting like a group of guerrilla marketers for Bob Evans.

The Bob Evans brand is strong, and the food is delicious. But in order to keep relevant, Bob Evans is undergoing a homestyle restyle, mixing new and even more delicious foods with a contemporary atmosphere.  The decor is restyled to be fresh and open, and they even have free wi fi.  These positive changes create quite an experience!

And what an experience we all had!  Bob Evans started with a sampling of their new appetizer line. So many delicious appetizers! I really liked the Itsy Bitsy Wildfire Pulled Pork Sandwich, the Loaded Baked Potato Bits and the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Fries with Carmel Sauce. Oh yeah, they were as good as they sound!  A definite must try.  Some other yummy appetizers included Itsy Bitsy Sausage Sandwich, County Fair Cheese Bites and Wildfire Chicken Quesadilla.  All these appetizers would be great carry out on OSU football game days!

Just when we thought that was enough, Chef Brian came out with Bob-B-Q Baby Back Ribs and Oven Roasted Chicken.  The Meat is slow cooked to achieve maximum juiciness and the flavorings of sage, spices and brown sugar harmonized perfectly giving it the right balance between sweet and spicy.

The evening ended with Red, White & Blueberry Supreme Pie.  I was so full, but couldn't pass up the delectable dessert.  So glad I found some room!  The pie will become available mid-June when the berries are perfectly in season.

We left with a goody bag for participating.  What a night!  Bob Evans may be a chain, but they think beyond the box and provide innovation!  They really care about their customers and it shows with good food and great atmosphere.

Bob Evans Beefs Up Their On-line Presence

This evening, the TasteCasting group will be special guests at Bob Evans Graceland where we will be given a sneak preview of their summer menu about a week before it is introduced to the public.  During our preview, the TasteCasters will Tweet, Blog and create buzz about the food and our experience, acting like a group of social media guerilla marketers for the national chain.

I'm very excited about this one.  Sure I like Bob Evans food, but I'm excited to learn how Bob Evans is changing to keep up with the times.  A few months back, my family wanted to order Bob Evans carry-out.  I got on-line and pulled up their web site.  The site was so dated, was hard to navigate and was not user friendly.  Being disappointed, I decided to send them an email sharing my concerns about their site.  Within days I was sent an email expressing their appreciation and just a few months later I noticed a new, easy to navigate and great web site. Now I'm not saying my email made them change their website, but whatever did, I'm sure glad it worked!

Bob Evans has also been running on on-line promotion to introduce their Big Farm Salads.  The Sweepstakes ends May 13th so you still have a couple days to try and win a $100 gift card. They have also made their social media mark on Twitter and Facebook.

There will be more to come after our TasteCasting, at the home of homestyle.

TasteCasting: Another Tortastic Event

Last night the Columbus TasteCasters were invited back to the Suisse Shop for a special Eurporean torte tasting.  Being a huge fan of the Suisse Shop Bakery I signed up as soon as I saw the invite.  As we walked in we were all welcomed as if we were family.  Since becoming a TasteCaster I have actually been to the Suisse Shop a few times to purchase goodies for family occasions.  So when I was greeted by name and asked how everyone liked the cupcakes they made for my daughter's party it made me feel special.  The warmth from the Suisse Shop is not just from their ovens!

Herb started the torte tasting by showing us the beautiful case of tortes and explained Torte Week.  During Torte Week you can by tortes by the slice for $3.50 per slice.  Buy just one, or mix and match. But because there are over 25 different types, buying just one might be a little difficult.  Torte Week is celebrated two times a year and is currently going on right now.  Stop up at the Suisse Shop, located on Polaris Parkway, between now and May 2nd.  You'll be so glad you did.  The quality is impeccable and the taste is delectable.  Each torte is a work of art made with the finest ingredients, which include imported chocolate and seedless marmalade.

Some of my favorites I tried were: Black Forrest, Chocolate Almond, Chocolate Decadence and Chocolate Peanut Butter (see a chocolate pattern here).

If you were wondering why the Suisse Shop invited the TasteCasters group back it's because since the cupcake tasting a couple months back their web site visits have increased almost 50%, and sales have gone up.  Social media marketing really works.  If your establishment would like to host a TastCasting event visit the web site for more info and to schedule a tasting.

Espresso Yourself Music Cafe: A TasteCasting Event

Last night the TasteCasting team was treated to a night out at Espresso Yourself Music Cafe in Powell, Ohio.

  

Espresso Yourself is such a great play on words.  Obviously they are a coffee house, but musicians far and wide come to this venue to express themselves with their gift of music.  Eric, the owner and a musician himself, decided to open up a coffee shop that offered so much more than just java.  In it's second year, Espresso Yourself has a cool, artsy, organic, eclectic vibe, having a Short North feel in suburban Columbus.  

Picture the scene, an old church with smells of coffee, sounds of music and colorful walls filled with art from artists from all over.

Yesterday was a beautiful spring evening and was the perfect night to enjoy the jazz trio, Trio of Fury while sipping on peach and strawberry smoothies and eating a variety of delicious pannini sandwich samples.

Between sets we learned that if you sign up for the weekly Espresso Yourself Music Cafe newsletter you are automatically placed in the weekly $20.00 gift card drawing.  Register for their newsletter here.

I would recommend spending an evening or Saturday afternoon at this venue.  You'll be in for a real treat

TasteCasting Elegance At The Culinary Table

Last night was another TasteCasting event.  This time I was the team captain because I set up the event with The Culinary Table.

The Culinary Table was fabulous and Annette, Regina and team pulled out all the stops! Walking in the door all senses were heightened.  I immediately smelled the most amazing aroma, heard classy music in the background and saw gorgeous spring decor, fresh flowers and elegant food displays. I knew we were all in for a real treat!

Then came the tasting!  In Rachel Ray's word - YUMO!  We were spoiled with amazing appetizers, a food demonstration by Chef Brooke and homemade Toasted Sesame Ice Cream. Amazing!

For months now, The Culinary Table has been a client of mine.  I love this concept and really believe in what Annette and Regina have decided to do by fusing their incredible talents with Bellisari's Catering and Natural Designs.  By combining food and floral/decor you create the perfect combination making any occasion the most special it can be.  

Book The Culinary Table for wedding occasions, corporate events, cooking classes, as well as culinary kids events.  Trust me, whatever you decide to do there  you will get a first-class event and now I know after last night all the TasteCasters feel the same way.

Special thanks to Annette, Regina, Brooke, Kelly, Elizabeth and Emili for an incredible night. Thanks also to all the TasteCasters for coming out. I look forward to getting to know all of you better through these terrific events.

Spent Some Time With Crimson Cup Coffee

When I wrote my first post about Crimson Cup almost one year ago I said "I couldn't wait to have my first cup of Crimson Cup Coffee."  Well, today I got to have my first cup of Crimson Cup Coffee, actually a cappuccino - the world's best cappuccino, and it was one of the best I've ever tasted!  Not only did I enjoy a cup, I was treated to a tour of the corporate facility by Anna, one of the "cuppers", and boy did I learn a lot!

Being a fan of both red wine and coffee I was pleasantly surprised to find the process of creating the perfect cup of coffee is quite similar to that of making the perfect bottle of wine.

Crimson Cup Coffee starts in 25 countries throughout Central America, South America and Indonesia. The beans come from the coffee cherry bean, crimson in color (hence the company's name).

The Speciality Grade Class 1 beans are then shipped to Crimson Cup's roasting facility.  They arrive green and smell like grass. If the beans smell like fresh grass, you know they are good beans. I got to smell the beans and they definitely are fresh.

Next comes the art of roasting. Crimson Cup has a handful of roasters. Godzilla roasts 300 lbs. of coffee and Little Red makes smaller roasts. During the tour I got to see a decaf roasting in

Little Red.  

A couple interesting points 

about roasting:

1. Roasting really is science.
2. It takes about 15 minutes to roast beans (for light slightly sooner, for dark slightly longer - but just within minutes)
3. When you roast beans you will hear a cracking noise, when you hear two you know the bean is ready to cool.
4. About 80% of beans come out. 20% turns to water.  
5. Here is an important fact - one of the facts that sets Crimson Cup apart from the rest - they DO NOT put the water back into the roaster.  Most roasters do, but when water is added back in, it weakens the coffee.

Other interesting coffee facts:

1.  Flavored oils are used to make flavored coffee.  It takes about 15 minutes to mix the oils with the coffee bean.

2.  The small hole in the back of the coffee bag is to release gasses.  If there wasn't a hole the bag would grow and grow and could eventually explode.

3.  You DO NOT refrigerate coffee after it is opened.  It does not keep it fresher.  If you buy coffee in bulk you can freeze it but only once. And once you open it you can't refreeze.

As for the company,  Crimson Cup started in 1991 when Greg, the founder, decided to leave his job at a software company to follow his passion for coffee.  Now they supply coffee to over 300 coffee shops across the country, as well as train coffee houses how to do the "dance" with the

perfect layout.

As you can tell, I learned quite a bit. Something else that impressed me about Crimsons Cup was the strong brand. Take for example the various menu options they have created for the Coffee Shops.  They thoroughly thought out various designs to match different styles of coffee shops. This makes the Coffee Shops happy and just as important, it keeps Crimson Cup's brand consistent.  Very smart!  Crimson Cup also projects a good culture.  They recognize that the "cuppers" are also its brand.  They convey passion, comfort, learning and quality.

Look for newly designed Crimson Cup bag at Whole Foods throughout Ohio, Hills Market in Worthington, Kroger Stoneridge Gahanna, OSU and these locations here.  

This is definitely coffee you'll want to try and then have again and again.  Thanks to Anna for the tour and the complimentary bag of Armando's blend.  This is Crimson Cup's signature coffee with a blend of five different beans created by Greg, Chis Lamb and Armando - Chief Espresso Officer (love that title)!  

Can't wait to have my next cup!

Things Are Cooking At The Culinary Table

This week, my client, The Culinary Table will be busy whipping up some excitement!  So many interesting items are on this week's menu.  

If you're listening to almost any Columbus radio station Tuesday or Wednesday you will hear Children's Hunger Alliance talking about the children's cooking classes at The Culinary Table that will benefit the Foundation.  The Culinary Table is hosting children's cooking classes one full day, Saturday, April 11th, for food, fun and philanthropy.  Click here for details.

The crew at The Culinary Table will also be preparing for the TasteCasting group on Thursday. Almost 20 TasteCasters will eat and Tweet their way through a fabulous evening where they will sample some delicious appetizers like mozzarella stuffed grilled portobello mushrooms, Stilton tart with cranberry chutney, smoked trout on cucumber rounds to name a few, as well as learn more about what The Culinary Table has to offer.  The TasteCasters should be prepared for a real first-class treat!  The Culinary Table should be prepared for great exposure over hundreds of various social media channels.

Under my suggestion and supervision, The Culinary Table is also trying their hand at social media.  We have added more posts and personality to their blog, and they have joined Twitter. You can follow them on Twitter here.  The tweets are just starting, but after this week they should have lots more to add!

Social media is key in starting a new business.  It's a great way to advertise with real impact because it reaches a substantial number of individuals simultaneously for mere pennies. Something a new business with a limited budget like The Culinary Table can afford.

We are hoping that with the awareness generated by these two events this week The Culinary Table will be well on its way to years of great success.  

Mangia Mangia or Eat Eat like my Nonna (grandma) would always say.

MEDIA ADVISORY: TASTECASTING LAUNCHED CREATING UNIQUE WAY TO MARKET

Contact:  Dan Harris, Founder

     TasteCasting

     p: 740.881.0417| e: harrishammer@mac.com

CENTRAL OHIO’S MOST SOCIALLY NETWORKED USES VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO PROMOTE LOCAL AREA RESTAURANTS

(COLUMBUS, OHIO) Let the tweeting begin! Last week TasteCasting was launched creating the newest way to utilize social networking.  The idea combines great people and good food to benefit the many food and drink establishments in our area.

TasteCasting is a group of socially networked people that enjoy connecting and meeting with others over food and drink.  Team members taste, tweet, and then repeat, broadcasting the experience across their social media platforms.

Establishments looking to spread the word about a grand opening, new product, new menu, or special offer, can use TasteCasting to increase awareness through the team of socially connected Bloggers, Twitters, You Tuber’s, Facebook and Flickr users, resulting in more traffic to their website and their restaurant.  In return, the establishment provides a complimentary tasting and tour.  Currently there is no charge to restaurants and there is no compensation for tasters.

Quote from Dan Harris: “The socially networked, and social media savvy are already meeting online, and attending a number of events held by Columbus TechLife, Tweetups and meetups.” says Dan Harris, Founder of TasteCasting. “TasteCasting is a way to get networked people meeting in person, learning about the establishments, the food, the owners, their passions and then the team broadcasts to thousands across their personal networks through blogs, twitter, video and photos.”

Last week Tastecasting events were held at the Suisse Shop Bakery, 2119 Polaris Parkway www.thesuisseshop.com and Katzinger’s Deli, 475 South Third Street www.katzingers.com.

Quote from Darlene Jones, Suisse Shop: "TasteCasting introduced us to 10 new potential customers in-person during the tasting and through those in attendance our message, images of our bakery, and our products will be twittered, put on Facebook and shared across the various social network platforms," explains Darlene Jones, Owner of The Suisse Shop Bakery.  "What is so exciting for us is thousands of the tasters' friends, family, followers, and connections may come to visit or refer others to us and they may become loyal customers and fans of our bakery."

Quote from Diana Katzinger: "As a business, the use of social media has become so important.  That's why Katzinger's was thrilled to host the TasteCasting team for a cheese and wine pairing.  We not only gained potentially a dozen new customers, we reached thousand of people we could never reach before because of strong social media connections."

About TasteCasting:  At TasteCasting, we view this social media effort and our purpose as a way to help restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and other food service businesses grow their business. We have a growing team of socially connected networkers in Columbus, but will soon invite socially networked and social media savvy people in other cities to start teams as well.  For more information on TasteCasting or to request a tasting, visit our site at www.tastecasting.com.

Wine and Cheese Pairing Is As Perfect As The TasteCasters and Katzingers Pairing

Last Night was TasteCaster event number two. This time at Katzinger's Deli in German Village. We were treated to five different pairings:

1. La Tur from Piedmont, Italy - a bloomy-surface-ripened cheese paired with Il Follo "Cuvee Rustot" Brut Procecco, NV from Italy


2. Cave Aged Gruyere - a semi-hard cheese paired with 2006 The Furst Riesling from France


3. Serena, Three Sisters - a hard cheese paired with 2007 Mason "Pomelo" Savignon Blanc from Napa Valley (definitely my favorite)


4. Grayson, Meadow Creek Farms - a washed-rind paired with 2007 Eola Hills Pinot Noir from Oregon


5. Cashel Blue, Neal's Yard - a blue cheese paired with 2007 Reginato "Celestina" from Argentina

The event was delicious, information and fun. Wendy Hunsinger, Specialty Food Manager from Katzinger's really knew how to make both the wine and cheese taste so much better when complimenting each other.

Katzinger's offers various tastings like this to the public. For more information visit their website. In fact, next Wednesday they are hosting a Meat Maddness and Beer Tasting featuring Columbus' own Elevator Beers for just $23.95.

As a Tweet-deal, Katzingers is also offering 10% off all the cheeses that we tasted last night now through Easter. Just give them your Twitter name at the register. If you don't have one, tell them @cbusimpressions sent you!

Here are a few photos from last night.