EAST COAST PALATE

A few days ago I disembarked from a massive Airbus A380, and was back in the familiar gridlock of afternoon traffic on the beltway.  But Friday night out with some friends solidified my happiness of having returned from another winery internship.  I am stoked to be back and in love with D.C. once again.

Happy hour Sapporos and fries with truffle oil and parmesan at Mie n Yu (www.mienyu.com) was a great way to start off down in Georgetown.  Then I headed over to St. Ex (www.saint-ex.com) to meet my friend Tania for a pre-dinner aperetif.  Estadio was packed so we decided to let the restaurant gods guide us to whatever happened to turn up next, and a few blocks up 14th, we came to Cork wine bar (www.corkdc.com) where a bottle of '09 Juan Gil Monastrell (Spain, Jumilla DOC) and some deliciously crafted small plates helped us keep warm beside their heaters outside...

Later we headed over to Dupont to share a bottle of '05 Millbrandt Merlot with a few other friends.  This Columbia Valley wine has the chocolate and dark plum that great Washington State merlots are known for.  Elegant, full-bodied, and with a fantastic sense of balance between fruit and tannins, it accompanied our cheese plate perfectly, in particular complimenting the creamy texture of the Brillian Savarin.  Anyone who wants to have a great time in a relaxed, unpretentious wine bar, head to Veritas (www.veritasdc.com) and if dancing and drunken revelry is what you're after following a bottle or two, just head to the Russia House for a Moscow Mule!

After 10 weeks in a medieval village in the French Rhône-Alpes, where the average age of the 450 is about 65 years old, I am so excited to get back into happy hours, Maryland in the fall, the electricity in the air on U St. and in Adams Morgan, even the low-lit whisky and craft beer atmosphere of the Quarry House in Silver Spring... It feels great to be home!