The French Laundry- Yountville, California

Anthony Bourdain calls it, “The best restaurant in the world, period.” But this is the man that also despises Alinea. This is also a man that can get into the place with just his name. Others, however, may have a more difficult time. We were planning a trip to Napa in May. We started calling in February. Of course, we couldn’t get it in. Thankfully, the week before our trip, a friend of a very good friend was able to get us in. It was the first time for our entire group of five and enthusiastic wouldn’t even begin to describe us. We were telling everyone we knew that we were finally going to experience the elusive and notorious French Laundry!

The 1900 historic building is completely unassuming, but we still took twenty pictures in front...

Mustard’s Grill – Napa, California

Napa was the most surprising of all wine trips. We are so accustomed to being enveloped in warm hospitality when visiting other countries that the coolness of Napa was a bit off-putting at first. Everyone here is the in wine business. Everyone here makes wine. And everyone wants you to pay big time for that wine…even when it isn’t very good.

The food is no different. However, just as there are exceptional people with outstanding product that Timeless Wines proudly features in their portfolio, there are restaurants that rise above the dim in the Napa Valley. Mustard’s represents everything that Napa should be: fresh product, quality production, layers of flavors, and all wrapped up in a comfortable, down-to-earth vibe.

Our waitress was born and...

Alinea- Chicago, Illinois

The entertainment business is a huge industry. Why? Because we love to be amazed. The general public thrives on thrill and there is virtually no limitation to our wonderment. We need that outlet, even if it’s fleeting or false. We need to let go our daily routines and just be “wowed” sometimes. Alinea is in the business of “wow”, and they take the lead in making dinner a grand event.

What Alinea does best is surprise you. Like reading a good mystery novel, they keep you guessing at what is coming next. They tease you with food props, but they also swing a home run when it comes to actually eating their dishes. Luscious and delectable bites of goodness that astound you with texture and shock you with presentation...

The Inn at Little Washington- Washington, Virginia

The East Coast is often picked on by the West in the United States. Our beaches aren’t warm and sunny all year round. Our snow is more like hard ice pellets unlike the soft powder of the West. They say we are grumpy, pushy, formal, workaholics while the West is beautiful, laid back, and kind. We do have one up our West Coast pals…The Inn at Little Washington. Say what you will about my cold and hard-working end of the United States, but try as you might, you will never beat this food and service.  Sure, you have the French Laundry. I’ve had the honor of eating there and it was without a doubt enjoyable…but we still have something better. I’m not one crazy woman out there being bitter than I wasn’t born in Napa...

L’Auberge Procvencale- White Post, Virginia

Many of our customers ask, where can I go to taste some of your wines? There are many restaurants in Virginia and D.C., but if you want to know where we go to taste our wines, L’Auberge Provencale of White Post is the answer. We have had numerous tastings at their lovely French provincial themed estate. It is a Bed and Breakfast, but boasts one of the most amazing menus and luckily welcomes reservations for their restaurant to the public. They get a lot of guests from “the City” as we call it in Winchester. Couples from D.C. flock to this little hideaway just to get away from the hustle and bustle. We are fortunate to live just a few minutes away, so our escape to their charming haven is slightly less dramatic...

La Barra- Mendoza, Argentina

The meat! That is what you will be saying about Argentina once you experience such places as La Barra. The grill on any cut of meat you can think of will be perfect. The flavor of the meat is enhanced in a juicy and tender display of culinary art. La Barra gives a rustic and authentic vibe of a real Asado. The meat is displayed in the wood-fire grills. We were there in the winter, so as we stepped into the warm and toasty restaurant, the wafts of smoky grilled meat encompassed us and welcomed us in from the cold street. It was a “grilled meat hug” if you will, and it was fabulous! The huge open fire grill is the focal point of the restaurant and watching the cuts of meat sizzle and fat melt right in front of you is a top notch dinner show...

Cavas Wine Lodge- Mendoza, Argentina

If you’ve read the Timeless Wines email offerings for our Chakana line up, you have unknowingly been introduced to Cavas.  It was our last night in Mendoza after a 15 day tour of our Chile and Argentina producers. Chakana was hosting the event and our trusted guide, Gonzalo, assured us that we were in for a fantastic meal. Although we had physically traveled in the wrong direction a few times on our 764 mile trek to Salta, Gonzalo would never steer us wrong when it came to good food. I can’t tell you how many times Mike and I will be eating dinner at our kitchen table, turn to each other and say, “Remember how good the meat was in Argentina?” Asados are beautiful barbeque feasts of grilled meat...

Rogue24- Washington, D.C.

For two people that love the culinary amazement that is Alinea, but live 700 miles away, we are always up to try something in our neck of the woods that can woo us. The double-digit course restaurants have a lot of pressure to perform since so many courses can be easily forgotten or compared to others. Not to mention, it still has to TASTE good. You can make anything look pretty on a plate or create a foam out of everything in your pantry, but it only counts if it is still enjoyable to eat…and worth the hefty price. Rogue 24 seemed to have forgotten these important details.

Following suit with other upscale, blow-your-paycheck dining establishments, the place was impossible to find...

La Colombe-Cape Town, South Africa

I can’t say enough about Cape Town. It’s such an awesome Oceanside town. Laid back, rich in culture and sight-seeing, and the food is out of this world. We had the pleasure of eating at a few different seaside establishments in Hout Bay and the atmosphere was more relaxing than a spa massage. We can see the dolphins playing in the ocean while you eat. The food was always incredibly good, but the stand-out restaurant is slightly inland and also ranks 12^th on San Pellegrino’s 50 Best Restaurants of the World. For those of you that don’t mind a little celebrity buzz, we were told Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart had dined there earlier in the week.

French countryside immediately comes to mind with La Colombe...

Komi-Washington, D.C.

Let me start by saying this: We wish we would have gone to Komi sooner. Sooner and repeatedly. Since I just discovered it, it will be my request for a birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gift. I’m of Greek heritage, meaning my father was off the boat from Ikaria to the U.S. at 26 years of age and my mother is 100% Ikarian on both sides.  The culture is all about passion and tradition. I learned to cook in my mother’s kitchen, my grandmother’s kitchen, and in our church banquet hall. Trays of moussaka, spanakopita, pastisio, bakalava, vasilopita, and of course, lamb have all been a part of my life since birth. Our food is rich, hearty, and usually prepared in huge batches to feed the entire church parish.

Komi takes the most elegant spin on traditional Greek fa...