Van Webb 8/21/15 Van Webb 8/21/15

Italian Wine Food And Family - Jimmy's Food Store, Dallas

Jimmy's Food Store is a family-owned neighborhood market, situated in Old East Dallas between Deep Ellum and Lower Greenville. The history is what you would imagine of an Italian family business, passing from one generation to the next, and focusing more, then completely, on Italian food and wines. The tempo of the staff is fast-moving and straightforward, brief but complete with information and recommendations. There is a melting pot of customers roaming about at any given time, grocery shopping, picking up lunch, eating in the store, and drinking wine!

Italian Market, Butcher, and Deli

The grocery and butcher stand are packed with imported Italian products and fresh foods. Pastas, gravy, bread, produce...Try a few cuts of Piemontese beef on your grill. And if you are not waiting until later, be sure to experience a sandwich from the deli. Hot Italian Sausage, with cheeses, sweet peppers, and onions is my pick. There is the Italian Stallion, Muffuletta, even a Cuban, all made fresh and delicious. You can find a seat at a table in front of the store, soak up the bustling activity and conversation going on around you, and savor your sandwich with a glass of wine.

Wine...Italian Wine

Yes, wine is served by the glass in the store. Very good wine, for a price of four dollars. It comes from a large-format bottle or box behind the counter. But the real wine fills several aisle of the market. Almost any Italian varietal is available, with a full-range but still at very reasonable prices. And there are only Italian wines. There will always be several bargain picks, perhaps a half-price table, and potentially significant discounts on some great Barolos, Brunellos, and Amarones. This is one of the reasons you want to subscribe to the newsletter below. Depending on timing, you might find autographed bottles in the racks from famous winemakers that have visited Jimmy's.

Winemaker Dinners

Jimmy's regularly hosts influential figures in Italian winemaking for dinners in the Circolo del Vino, the wine room. "Generous" is the best description of these events, which are open to the public. It is an opportunity to meet and learn from some of wine's big names, and socialize with a group of like-minded Italian wine lovers. Several food courses are accompanied by even more wine courses, in a festive atmosphere, at a steal of a price. There might be door prizes, or a bottle of wine to go for everyone. The email newsletter is the way in to these events.

You are not likely to simply run across Jimmy's unless you are looking for it. If you happen to be in or passing through Dallas, scout it out in advance. You will be pleased with the effort!

Jimmy's Food Store - 4901 Bryan Street, Dallas, TX 75206

Van Webb 7/28/15 Van Webb 7/28/15

A Great Wine Program - Ruth's Chris, Destin

I rarely find memorable experiences at chain restaurants, much less outstanding wine programs and service. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Destin, Florida delivered a completely unexpected pleasure on a recent visit.

My wife and I arrived early for a reservation and decided to have a cocktail at the bar. Beverage Director Skot Harville overheard my request for the wine list, which he delivered. After browsing, I asked which wines were drinking well that he would recommend to go with dinner. Without hesitation he suggested the Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino 2010, priced with a hefty markup at $150. Everything was proceeding as I would expect at an upscale chain restaurant, with somewhat impersonal exchanges building up to a high-dollar wine pitch.

But the conversation expanded as we enjoyed our cocktails and studied the list. Skot described the Brunello in depth, asked questions about our wine preferences, and we discussed various regions of Italy. Next, he surprised us when he began bringing out bottles for us to taste, each served in a new glass with a significant pour. First there was Southern Belle Precious Syrah 2011, a Spanish wine supposedly finished in old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon barrels. It was full and spicy initially, then as promised, wood-charred and sweet on the finish. As interesting as the wine was, the back label verbiage might have been even better. He followed that with a new bottle of Cheval des Andes 2010, a joint project of Cheval Blanc and Terrazas de los Andes. A Malbec-based Bordeaux blend, it was almost black, with floral and minerals heaped upon layers of dark berries. As he opened the bottle, he justified out loud that he would save the rest for a large group that evening. We would have enjoyed either of the other wines, but chose the big Brunello for dinner, which was opened at the bar for a quick gasp of air. We lingered several minutes after finishing our drinks enjoying the wine talk.

Our table had been ready for twenty minutes, but there was no pressure to be seated. "Whenever you are ready", said the hostess. Dinner was excellent, with solid team service. Skot checked at the table to confirm we agreed the Brunello drank well with our steaks. The pairing was very nice, although I saved most of the wine to savor after the meal. It was bold, but not too big, with burned edges, very dry, and long-lasting. I returned to the bar before we left to thank Skot and snap photos of the earlier wines. I mentioned my interest in the Cheval des Andes, and he allowed me to purchase a bottle for just above his cost, a nice discount from retail price.

This Ruth's Chris experience, dominated by the basics of great service, wine and steak, is my favorite from a large-scale steakhouse. It would have been better than average had I not been engaged by Skot at the bar, but his attention and interest put it over the top. When in Destin, be sure to look him up.

Ruth's Chris Steak House - 15000 Emerald Coast Parkway, Silver Shells Resort, Destin, FL 32541