Next Friday, Nena turns 30. To celebrate, I’ve rented a house out on the eastern-most tip of Long Island in the town of Montauk for a few nights next week and weekend. I’ve only been to Montauk a few times and never for more than a few hours, so I’m looking for some suggestions for restaurants and things to do beyond enjoy the Atlantic. Any suggestions? Keep in mind that we’ll have the little one with us, so "family friendly" is an important descriptor.
On Sunday, Nena and I took Jackson pumpkin picking for the first time. Yes, I know. The same guy who complains about the road-clogging, pumpkin-picking families every year joined the fray with his own kid. So sue me. You do crazy things for your kids. Even if they can’t walk yet and can’t actually pick anything. But we definitely did it our own way, first meeting up with some good friends at Roanoke Vineyards for a glass of wine beforehand. Our kids (both under a year old) played as we enjoyed the early afternoon and some wine. Next, we headed…
By Donavan Hall, Beer Columnist A little over a month ago I told you about the first "Firkin Friday" at Deks in Rocky Point. We had a good turn out of local beer enthusiasts to sample a Long Island-brewed, cask-conditioned ale. I snapped this pic of my brewing colleague, Mike, taking the first sip of the first pint of Blue Point Oatmeal Stout at our first Cask Night. That’s the back end of the firkin on the right. Dean and Kevin (the owners of Deks) are going to host another Firkin Friday on the 9th of November. Mark your calendar.…
I read an interesting little piece this morning from the Cornell Daily Sun that talks about hybrid grape varieties, their advantages and what some wineries in the Finger Lakes are doing with them. Apparently, in addition to being more resistant to the cold weather of the region, they are also less susceptible to the typical grape maladies, meaning that fewer pesticides are needed to grow them. It’s kind of an interesting way to "go green" no? I know that there are plenty of wine lovers out there who turn their noses up at hybrids, but I’ve found several seyval blancs…
Just in case you missed it, I’m the subject of Tom Wark’s latest Bloggerview over at Fermentation. Take a look and find out a little bit about me that you probably don’t already know. And, for those of you that have arrived at LENNDEVOURS for the first time because of the interview, welcome. Take a look around and I hope you enjoy yourself.
This past Saturday morning I got up early and headed out to the North Fork to pick up some local veggies for the coming week. The beets, carrots, Japanese eggplant and heirloom tomatoes are from Sang Lee Farms. The cheese pumpkin (I actually bought two) are from Harbes Family Farm. The acorn squash, butternut squash, round summer squash and purple cauliflower are from Northville Farm Stand. And, the three different varieties of organic garlic are from Garden of Eve. So far, I’ve roasted both pumpkins…one for Jackson and one for his parents, and we’ve eaten most of the tomatoes.