http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban RSS Feed for Inq Col Craig LaBan en-us Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091108_Meritage.html Buying a successful business sounds like a solid idea in most realms. But in the quirky universe of Philly restaurants, where hands-on owners and chef talent often matter more than brand names, there can be unexpected baggage changing hands along with the walk-in fridge, wine glasses, and range. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091115_Drink.html Malbec mavens should pay attention to this bottle of Achaval Ferrer, as Pennsylvania has snared a good discount on the 2008 vintage from one of Argentina's most consistent winemakers. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091108_Drink.html I began at The Inquirer long ago covering the Pinelands, so I regard South Jersey's berry wines with both nostalgia and trepidation. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091101_Miga.html Korean food is ready for its close-up - with or without its fiery funk. The pleasantly posh new Miga, which dials down the chile volume without completely losing its soul in Center City's first upscale Korean dining room, is proof of that. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091101_Drink.html Suddenly growing in popularity, tawnies are the port drinker's port. Unlike those ever-popular fresh young rubies, the intensely grapey fruit bombs that have a sweet and chocolatey charm all their own, tawnies get to spend some serious time on oak. And after the better part of a decade, the transformation is stunning. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091025_Wine_Thief_deserves_a_reprieve.html A wine thief is a glorified straw, a long glass siphon used to steal sips of wine from its aging barrel. And when Chris Simpson and his wife, Sophie, first came across such a device at a winery in Virginia, they were struck by what the samples it drew revealed about the virtues of a little time. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091025_Drink.html The only thing better than a fall jaunt to the orchard for apple picking is sitting down with a bushel of friends to drink a vintage of apples from a bottle. The kiddies, of course, can have the fruity sweetness of fresh cider. But I'll go for the dry and kicky fizz of vintage-dated hard cider from the Pays d'Auge in Normandy, a region of France that really knows its apples. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091018_Girasole.html If only every new restaurant were lucky enough to have a booster like the Mimosa Club, there would be no empty dining rooms on a midweek night. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091018_Drink.html The French region of Alsace is one of my favorite sources for autumn white wine drinking. Showy grapes like gewurztraminer and pinot gris take on an especially golden hue, with exotic floral aromas that border on lushness and spice, and are a fine complement to the richer flavors of cold-weather cooking. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/craig_laban/20091011_Bolete.html When chef Lee Chizmar moved back to the Lehigh Valley from Boston with his girlfriend and partner, Erin Shea, he knew they'd need a lot to go right for their restaurant, Bolete, to succeed.