LIWINEDAD

As we continued to explore Fuquay-Varina, NC, we came upon the Aviator Smokehouse for dinner, a remarkably excellent choice.  The Aviator is a blend of a classic Bar-B-Que smokehouse and a beer hall.   The Aviator has a large selection of handcrafted beers and fantastic Bar B Que.  The Aviator is a casual dining place and kid-friendly, so come one come all.  The Bar B Que is smoked everything, and we tried a lot of it and had plenty to take home.  Unfortunately, we did not take many pictures as we were too busy enjoying all the goodness. We are looking forward to many return visits.  #avaitorsmokehouse #fuquayvarina FIG 01 – AVIATOR SMOKEHOUSE LOGO 13 AUG 2022

  We just arrived in town from NY to visit family, and we stopped at what is their local pizza shop.  The place was quite good, using NY and Long Island Pizza restaurants as my reference.  The Stromboli (Fig 01) was a generous size and well stuffed.  The pizzas for the rest of the family were also delicious, and the prices were very modest.  The team was friendly and attentive, paying good attention to the 3-year-old Grandson.  The lunch was well-paced but not rushed, and we could have spent even more time if we wished.  We will keep this place on the revisit list each time we return to town.  #fuquayvarina #pizza FIG 01 – ANNA’S PIZZERIA STROMBOLI 08 AUG 2022

  Now, with all the second-quarter wine in stock, it is time for some home cooking to pair with the wine.  The seafood and other ingredients came from New Wave Seafood and Stew Leonards-East Meadow , as fresh ingredients are essential.   The Shrimp are six large ones mounted on 2 Rosemary infused Olive oil-coated bamboo skewers.   Then using the assembled   Shrimp, sprinkle them with a dash of Old Bay , spray with EVOO, and set them aside to rest in the fridge for several hours.   The Asparagus is young pencil size with about 1 ½ inch of the bottoms cut off (reserve ends for soup).   The marinate consisted of an envelope of Kraft Good Seasoning Zesty Italian salad dressing mix, Persian Lime infused EVOO and well-aged White Balsamic Vinegar .   The Asparagus was marinated in the mixture for at least 4 hours.   Next, the Shrimp and the Asparagus were grilled on an outside Bar-B-Que infrared searing station.   The Shrimp for about 1 minute per side and the Asparagus for about 4 minut

  We had just landed in Tampa and made out way to Anna Maria Island for a wedding the next day and were looking for a place to get a bite to eat while waiting for our room to be ready.   We happened upon a place called the Koknut Hut, which turned out to be a great find and an even better introduction to the Anna Maria Island lifestyle.   We were greeted by bright, cheery folks that helped us find a perfect seat to take in the expansive of the beach and the Gulf beyond.    Warm tropical breezes rolled in and through the dining area as we sipped fine drinks and a wide selection of small bites.   This place was the perfect start to our mini-vacation on Anna Maria Island and gave us good reason to return.   STREET VIEW OF THE KOKNUT HUT ANNA MARIE ISLAND FL

  We were in Anna Marie Island, Florida for a wedding and strolling about the town when we came across the Daiquiri Deck in a random stroke of serendipitous good luck.  The expansive deck is on the second floor with a relaxing view of the main drag and the beach beyond.  The team members were all bright, cheery, and attentive.  We ordered a Rum Runner and a Mango Rita along with a “toot”, a test tube filled with a shot of 150+ to add a kick to the drinks.  While not looking for a food place, we could not resist all the options, so we added several selections to the drinks.  It started with the local Apalachicola oysters, followed by a Caesar salad and buffalo chicken wings, and all were fantastic.  Next is an Anna Marie platter that included Calamari Rings, Grouper Fingers, and Gator bites.  All of this was followed by one more round of drinks, so we were adequately pre-gamed for the fantastic fun beach wedding that followed a bit later in the day.  Next time we are back on Anna Marie

  Time for the next round of pickups, and we were able to add in lunch and tasting at two new to us places.  Given that we were adding in at least one full tasting at a first visit winery, we decided to have a large lunch first to help buffer all the fine wine to follow.  So the first Stop was the Cooperage Inn for lunch, followed by pickups at Roanoke Vineyards , Lieb Cellars , Sparkling Pointe , Suhru Wines , and Terra Vite Winery & Vineyard (Figure 1).  In the past, we have stopped at the Cooperage inn but only to use their outside pickup window for NOFO Pot Pies (Figure 2).  We spent over an hour at lunch and then picked up five Pot Pies for friends and Family.  Lunch was fantastic, requiring a separate posting at the liwinedad-cooperage inn to discuss how enjoyable the lunch was.  Roanoke Vineyards, Lieb Cellars, and Sparkling Point were our classic drive-by pickups, except we also picked up for our friends at Roanoke and Sparkling Pointe, which quickly fill the SUV.  Each

  Searching the cellar for a white wine to pair with a home-cooked seafood dinner, we found a Lenz Winery - 2015 White Label Chardonnay .   The Chardonnay has been resting a bit longer than average, but it was well chilled, so we expected to be okay, and it was.   Part of the bottle went into the cooking and the remainder into a glass to accompany dinner. In the glass, the color was a denser deeper shimmering gold with notes of an orchard and vanilla (Figure 1).   The palate is mild acid with apple notes and a hint of apricot and finishing with pear and a hit of oak.   For dinner, we whipped up some homemade Zoodles.   On top of the Zoodles was a sautéed mixture of Salmon, Swordfish tidbits, Calamari, and Shrimp, all done in a zesty Chardonnay-Garlic sauce (Figure 2). The Lenz 2015 Chardonnay was a perfect match to the seafood medley and a fine base wine for the sauce.      FIG 1 - LENZ 2015 CHARDONNAY 08 MAR 2022   FIG 2 - SEAFOOD OVER ZOODLES 08 MAR 2022

  Sometimes the best dinner is a quiet home-cooked dinner.  The wine was from Roanoke Vineyards , a 2018 Merlot that burst out with rich fruit, moderate tannins, and mild alcohol (Figure 1).  First, the shrimp are rubbed with Old Bay Seasoning and olive oil, then cast-iron skillet seared.  The shrimp were served on a bed of homemade Zoodles sautéed in EVOO, and fresh garlic, finished with a marinara sauce (Figure 2).  The wine paired perfectly with the marinara and held up well to the intense flavors without overpowering the pan-seared shrimp.  Shrimp and Zoodles was a quick and easy mid-week dinner for two.  1 - ROANOKE 2018 MERLOT 2 - DINNER PAN SEARED SHRIMO AND ZOODLES

Summertime is here, and it is time to practice the art of grilling outdoors.  Pan-searing tuna during the winter months has been a staple in this household but taking it outdoors raises it to a new flavor level.  First, you need a magnificent fresh hunk of Tuna about one ¼ inch thick and a 1800 ⁰ F searing station as part of your Bar-B-Que.  Searing the Tuna steak on each side for about 2 minutes will be fine and leave a nice, rare center.  As each side of the Tuna turns golden brown, bast it with a mixture of Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Wasabi as a finishing glaze.  Next, plate the grilled Tuna on 1/4lb of Seaweed salad complemented with a ¼ lb. of Italian holiday salad.  The Tuna, Seaweed Salad, and Italian Holiday salad were all from New Wave Seafood .  In about 15 minutes, you have a complete Seafood dinner.  Enjoy.   TUNA DINNER

  On a rare occasion, we venture off Long Island, and last week we, with a few friends, decide to explore Maine for a 3-day excursion.  One place we stopped was the Muddy Rudder in Yarmouth ME.  From the outside, the restaurant presents the quintessential quaint Maine restaurant on a river look and feel [1].  Inside, the dining spaces both inside and out are bright open, and airy.  The tables all have an unobstructed view of the river and meadow beyond, including deer strolling.   The menu is extensive, with many appetizers, seafood, chicken, and meat dishes to select from the main course and sides. Of particular note was the Lobster Egg Rolls, packed with lobster and plated with a sweet chili lime dipping sauce. The New England Clam chowder was also a winner, thick creamy and packed with clams.   For the mains [2], we had the Lobster Croissant and side Caesar, the baked Haddock with a side of Lobster Mac N cheese, a large bowl of mussels, and an “Easy Lobster” with rudder beans a