The Travel Gauntlet Begins

WEDNESDAY: What better way to kick off a twenty-four hour road trip than ragu di agnello at Meritage at Callaway? This lamb ragu was a light, bright surprise when paired with a glass of Sangiovese. When this plate arrived, my initial reaction was "Oh, shit. There's no way I'm putting all of that down." But I did.

Once I finished lunch and then loitered in the tasting room with a glass of Ambrosia, I visited Danza del Sol and bought a ticket for their Membersgiving event the Saturday before Thanksgiving. That promises to be a fun and exciting afternoon of food and wine pairings.

THURSDAY: The morning began with not just this breakfast, but perhaps the best breakfast picture I've taken yet. But not all was well at the business traveler's hotel. The WiFi was down my entire trip, so I didn't get to see Esmae at the end of the evening as is my custom.

After I checked out of the hotel I visited Meritage again for what I'm calling refined pub food. This pesto chicken flatbread had grilled chicken, sun dried tomato and mozzarella cheese drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Bay Company's Ron Murkundy hazy IPA was a delightful pairing.

I also brought home these snacks for the Halloween weekend and beyond.

I don't have any big plans for tomorrow night that involve tricks, but one treat I'll enjoy over the weekend is opening the 2015 Callaway OPR (Owner's Private Reserve) Red, aka Cabernet Sauvignon. It's the one that sells for $225 a bottle.

I've already tasted a sample of the wine previously and I know it'll pair well with ribeye steak and a combination of truffle Gouda, milk chocolate and perhaps those rosemary and olive oil brushetta toasts above. Count on that bottle to be gone by Sunday night.

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I suppose I should spill the deets on a few other things before I sign off this blog for the weekend.

The novel I'm working on is coming along so well that I should be done with the third draft by Sunday night. I believe one more round of edits and the manuscript will be ready for submission to agents and independent publishers alike. I would like to take at least a week off before I start anew.

I had my teeth cleaning done on Monday and in about a month I'll replace an old crown with a new one. I have no idea how much my near toothless dental insurance will pay, but my portion will be four figures no matter what. I'm grateful I'm in a financial position to afford it. 

I sold all of my CHWY and BBW stocks for a loss, but don't cry for me. They were great for loss harvesting.

I'm glad to be home, but I can't afford to get too comfortable. Callaway's Friendsgiving event is now six days away, and I'll make that another jam packed twenty-four hour road trip as well.