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drinking in


Becoming a Certified Sommelier
"What all did this involve?" is a question many curious family members, friends, and fellow wine professionals ask about certification.

the_maestro
Dec 21, 202418 min read
161 views


Sommelier Studies: Nebbiolo, a Hometown Hero
Here's the next update of my Sommelier Studies series, focusing on one of my absolute favorite grape varietals.

the_maestro
Oct 14, 202410 min read
54 views


Sommelier Studies: Toscana
The Maestro has decided he can't quit his love of learning, and I'm going "back to school," as it were––toward the end of this year, I'll...

the_maestro
Aug 24, 20248 min read
35 views


Clues for the Clueless: Wine FAQs, Part 1
For the next few installments of the Maestro's "Clues for the Clueless," allow me to answer some of your most pressing wine questions.

the_maestro
Apr 27, 20249 min read
38 views


The Chef in Charlotte – Soup Billi-Bi
I excitedly watched the weekend weather forecast for the Charlotte metro area develop over the past week––a massive winter storm was set...

the_maestro
Jan 16, 20228 min read
332 views


The 2021 Variant of the Big Drunk Gay Awards
Perhaps it was the sense of impending doom resulting from waking up every day in this pandemic, now again in a terrible phase, that...

the_maestro
Dec 31, 20219 min read
78 views


National Tequila Day – The Paloma
As a child of Utah, I remember July 24 fondly as Utah's statehood anniversary, dubbed Pioneer Day––a little extra 4th of July, with...

the_maestro
Jul 24, 20213 min read
35 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Sea Urchin Pasta
Today I present another of my neglected posts from back in the early parts of quarantine in Iowa, with the hopes that you, too can find...

the_maestro
Feb 26, 20215 min read
66 views


Table X @ Home – Salt Lake City, UT
One of the cooler trends we've been seeing emerge during the pandemic from restaurants are take-home, heat-and-eat style dinners. These...

the_maestro
Feb 22, 20214 min read
29 views


The Maestro's Big Drunk Gay Awards – 2020 Dumpster Fire Edition!
I really enjoyed issuing a series of absolutely meaningless "Big Drunk Gay" awards last year, highlighting the very best things I ate,...

the_maestro
Jan 9, 20216 min read
31 views


The Chef in Charlotte: Cacio e pepe
Like much of the country, I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling pretty darn terrible. Not just because of the amount of rum I drank the...

the_maestro
Sep 30, 20203 min read
58 views


The Chef in Charlotte: Moroccan Chicken
I always love exploring the various cuisines of the world, but know relatively little about African culinary traditions. I have, however,...

the_maestro
Sep 19, 20203 min read
15 views


The Chef in Charlotte: Salmon and grits
Now that I am back in the south, some of my memories of the south come back from time to time, and my discovery of the wonders of grits...

the_maestro
Sep 13, 20203 min read
137 views


The Chef in Charlotte: Bison tenderloin
Ah, we have a new series to inaugurate! "Quarantine Cuisine" no longer seemed quite right, since I am, for all intents and purposes, not...

the_maestro
Sep 11, 20203 min read
13 views


The Maestro moves to Charlotte
Well kids, what can I say? Life is crazy, and my dearth of posts this past month was due in part to my grand adventure in Alaska, yes,...

the_maestro
Sep 1, 20205 min read
33 views


Summer Grilling: Thai Chicken Thighs
Things have been slow around here recently, mostly owing to the fact that my much-anticipated trip to California had to be shelved due to...

the_maestro
Jul 16, 20204 min read
26 views


Summer Grilling: Churrasco
I suppose now that we are out of the most intense aspects of the "Quarantine" these days, at least in Iowa, I have decided to rename the...

the_maestro
Jun 6, 20203 min read
17 views


The Quarantini Series: Sangria
Things are getting warmer around the country! With that in mind, I decided to present one of my very favorite beverages for warmer...

the_maestro
May 22, 20203 min read
22 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Duck breast
Rounding out our order from D'Artagnan was a beautiful breast of duck, one of my favorite proteins to cook, and one that is sure to make...

the_maestro
May 17, 20204 min read
10 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Paella
Back when the pandemic was just starting, I noticed that our old reliable supplier of fresh seafood, Fulton Fish Market, was offering a...

the_maestro
May 15, 20207 min read
94 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Mother's Day Special
Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas and mama figures out there! It's been a wonderful day here in Cedar Rapids. Despite some really...

the_maestro
May 10, 20203 min read
18 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Veal chop
Some nights call for a simple, classic meal. Mom and I have been working diligently on transforming our kitchen, and things are slowly...

the_maestro
May 9, 20204 min read
29 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Brunch edition
I had received some feedback recently that my Quarantine Cuisine series features a) entirely dinner items and b) entirely meat or...

the_maestro
May 2, 20206 min read
36 views


The Quarantini Series: New York Sour
Somehow, springtime just screams for citrusy cocktails, which I suppose is why the Quarantini Series has been oriented toward tipples...

the_maestro
Apr 29, 20203 min read
13 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Joël Robuchon's Quail
As quarantine drags into the 40-plus day timeframe, I find myself seeking increasingly interesting and challenging dishes to keep myself...

the_maestro
Apr 26, 202010 min read
1,035 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Pit Barrel Ribs
How are we lucky enough to have barbecue in our lives? I do not claim in the least to be a barbecue expert, so don't @ me, BBQ pros (very...

the_maestro
Apr 20, 20205 min read
13 views


The Quarantini Series: French 75
Spring is inching, or centimeter-ing, closer here in Iowa, but we have been cursed by a week of low temps and high winds. Took a walk...

the_maestro
Apr 18, 20203 min read
20 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Greek Chicken Thighs
If you are like me, thirty-plus days of quarantine has begun to spark days of pronounced lethargy and depression––days where you stare...

the_maestro
Apr 17, 20204 min read
28 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Korean Kalbi Short Ribs
As long as we can't travel physically, we might as well travel culinarily! Korean food is having a real moment in the Unites States....

the_maestro
Apr 14, 20203 min read
21 views


The Quarantini Series: Margaritas
We have been drinking a not-very-small amount during this fiasco, and margaritas seem to form the backbone of the consumption. Magically,...

the_maestro
Apr 13, 20203 min read
25 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Turkish Lamb Loin Chops
I wasn't planning on creating anything transcendental with this meal, so the Quarantine Cuisine series was supposed to next travel to...

the_maestro
Apr 11, 20205 min read
16 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Surf and Turf
Apologies for the delay in posting this next installment! The Maestro's computer suffered an unfortunate cracked screen, so a new one had...

the_maestro
Apr 8, 20206 min read
15 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Octopus and Mole Amarillo
This week I present a double dose of seafood, because our Fulton Fish Market order was particularly large (so we could trigger the free...

the_maestro
Mar 27, 20204 min read
23 views


Quarantine Cuisine: Scallops
Well kiddos, as you may have noticed, the world has stopped moving. Restaurants and bars are closed, the stock market is crumbling, the...

the_maestro
Mar 21, 20207 min read
21 views


A Crash Course in Italian Red Wines
I'll admit that while I know a good amount about wine, I tend to absorb information as it comes to me. For example, I knew pretty little...

the_maestro
Jun 11, 20195 min read
1,251 views


Roussanne, you say?
It's been a while since I posted last, mostly because the semester has started and is beginning to get into full swing! (In the words of...

the_maestro
Jan 30, 20193 min read
11 views


Cheap and fab: Starborough NZ Sauv Blanc
Figured the best way to start a new food and wine blog is writing about a wine that I come back to over and over again when I am seeking...

the_maestro
Dec 30, 20182 min read
4 views
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