Culinary News & Notes
BY:
Claire Ruhlin
Treebird branding
FOODIE JOURNAL
Pumpkin-pie-spiced winter squash gelato, served here in a profiterole. Heidi Harris
WINTER From left: Starbright Wine Founder and CEO Rachel Katz. The Lil Fizz by No Fine Print, available through Starbright Wine.
Love at First Sip
Starbright Wine founder shares her wine-shopping tips for Valentine’s Day and beyond
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ne-on-one support meets speedy, local delivery (or pickup) with Starbright Wine, which launched in Atlanta in fall 2021. Customers can choose wines online or chat with Starbright’s certified experts to build a taste profile. If you live within Atlanta’s city limits, your order can be delivered in as little as two hours. Here, we spoke with Founder and CEO Rachel Katz about choosing the perfect wines for Valentine’s Day. What advice do you have for choosing wine suited to someone’s tastes?
The biggest pattern I see with wine buying is either going with what looks the most approachable (buying by the label) or going for a bottle based solely on the grape you’re most familiar with. What we love about our personalized one-on-one shopping support is we are able to dig into what the customer likes and suggest bottles they may not otherwise have chosen. The biggest misconception
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is that if you like one Pinot Noir, for example, you’ll like all Pinot Noir. While there are common flavors and tasting notes that connect varietals, so much can vary based on where the wine is grown, the weather, soil, practices, fermentation and aging. We encourage customers to shop by taste preferences first. What are the top three wines you’d recommend for Valentine’s day?
So many options! For a little bit of a romantic splurge, I love the Clos de Betz Bordeaux Blend from the Betz Family. It’s a sexy wine with ripe, rich berries, chocolate and a hint of nutty vanilla. Decant it to let the air open it up and sip on it all night. The Callie from Une Femme wines is always a good idea. You can buy a bottle for $32, or individual pony bottles for $11. It’s dry and crisp with berries and a toasty caramel finish. Best of all, proceeds from every purchase go to Dress for Success. Lastly, not everyone is in the mood for red wine or bubbles, and
n Dunwoody’s first rooftop bar, Bar Peri, is now open at the AC Hotel Atlanta Perimeter. Stop by for skyline views and a menu of tapas and bites (think: a charcuterie board and flatbreads), plus craft cocktails, beers and boutique wines. barperi.com
January/February 2022 | Simply Buckhead
that to me is where this Roussanne comes in. The Lawrence Vineyard Roussanne from Latta Wines is a round and smooth white wine, a perfect side-step for an unoaked Chardonnay drinker (or anyone really). It has balanced acidity and salinity, and citrus, floral notes. It’s a steal of a wine that drinks above its pay grade ($35) with beautiful intensity and drinkability. Do you offer gifting and tasting options?
We take the heavy lifting away from gifting, whether for friends and family or clients and employees. We can curate wine gift sets, wrap them up and get them to where they need to go without your lifting a finger. We also do events and tastings if you’re looking for something fun and different to do with your loved ones, partner or friends. n Starbright Wine starbrightwine.com @starbrightwine
n Florida-based meal service Fitlife Foods is now open in Buckhead’s Tuxedo Festival plaza, offering chef-prepared meals and snacks for pickup. Choose from pre-portioned small, medium and large sizes, labeled with nutritional information and ingredients.
n Coastal restaurant Carmel is set to open in Buckhead Village in the second half of this year. Helmed by Oliva Restaurant Group, the team behind Rina, Aziza, Falafel Nation and Bellina Alimentari, the restaurant will serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
eatfitlifefoods.com
olivarestaurants.com
BITES Bacchanalia’s Chef Anne Quatrano shares her recipe for pumpkin-pie-spiced winter squash gelato Who says you can’t enjoy frozen treats in winter? Not us—and certainly not Chef Anne Quatrano, whose pumpkin-pie-spiced winter squash gelato is available on the menu at Bacchanalia this winter. 2 tsp salt 3 1/2 tbsp dextrose 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp nonfat dry milk 1 cup sugar 1 cup heavy cream 6 cups milk 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp pumpkin spice 2 cup roasted squash purée (recipe below) In a saucepan, add all the dry ingredients, including the spices. Mix well with a whisk. Stir in the milk and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat for 10–15 minutes. Add the squash purée and vanilla. Stir until incorporated. Let sit for 5 minutes then strain through a fine sieve. Cool completely. Freeze according to your ice cream machine manufacturer's instructions. FOR THE PURÉE
1/2 butternut or similar winter squash (seeds removed) 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 tbsp sugar 4 oz butter 1 tsp salt Roast squash at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour until soft. Scoop out flesh and purée in a food processor with brown sugar, sugar, butter and salt. Bacchanalia 404.365.0410 starprovisions.com/bacchanalia @starprovisions
