A Delightful Aroma with Just a Hint of Arsenic

Written by Scott Joseph on 23 March 2015

Shaw white zin The news — or partial news, as is often the case with misinformation — that California wines are loaded with arsenic has sent people into a panic. I hope you didn't do anything rash like pour all your Napa and Sonoma County wines down the drain. Well, I do hope you poured your Cook's spumante out, if you had any.

In case you missed the report, a lawsuit was filed last week against several winemakers that claims they are selling wines with high levels of arsenic. Specifically, 83 bottles of wine from 28 California wineries that are sold under 31 brand levels were cited. All of them might conservatively be referred to as cheap wine. Among them, certain wines from Almaden, Sutter Home and Charles Shaw, which is sold at Trader Joe's and commonly referred to as 'Two Buck Chuck" by fans and detractors alike. (Actually, the wine sells for closer to four bucks these days, but never mind that.) And not all the wines produced from those winemakers was named as having dangerous levels of arsenic. For example, only the Charles Shaw white zinfandel was cited. (You can see the full list in this article from AP.)

According to a Wine-Searcher article titled Scaremongers Spark Fear Over Arsenic in Wine, which highlights the expected distain of the winemaking community, the lawsuit has little chance of succeeding because there are no standards in place regarding accepted levels of arsenic. California does have a limit of arsenic in drinking water of 10 parts per billion. The suit claims that an independent laboratory found up to 50 parts per billion in some of the named wines. The article claims that that is one fourth as much as what is permitted in Europe.

The U.S. government does have standards for arsenic in such things as apple and grape juice, and arsenic levels in rice has been in the news recently, as well. (Arsenic, besides being a poison in high levels, is a known carcinogen.)

And about that independent laboratory. It was Denver based BeverageGrades, owned by Kevin Hicks, who was not named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. However, the company said in a press release on Thursday, the day the suit was filed, that it believes that alcoholic beverages should undergo a screening process and be properly certified for purity. That happens to be what BeverageGrades does. So, a dog in the fight, if you will.

It's always a good idea to buy wine from a trusted winemaker through a reliable retailer. But right now, there probably isn't a reason to dump the cheap stuff down the drain. Unless it's that Cook's spumante. Seriously, don't drink that crap.

The Scourge of the Suggested Tip

Written by Scott Joseph on 19 March 2015

If you've purchased anything at a food truck or even a small startup eatery, you've probably faced this scenario. You offer your credit card for payment, the worker swipes the card through a little dongle attached to an iPad, then swings the device around for your signature and approval. And there, for your convenience, are automated tipping suggestions. Really, really nice tips for the server. You can choose one of those suggestions, or take the time -- under full scrutiny of the worker standing in front of you and possibly other customers standing behind -- to find and select the "enter different amount" button and then calculate the tip in your head.

As this article from the New York Times finds, most of us choose the easy, and ultimately more costly, way out.

The iPad devices have made life easier for customer and staff, and have allowed businesses to accept credit cards without the costly arrangements with processing companies. But sometimes a little automation is too much.

What do you do in these situations?

The Golden Knife

Written by Scott Joseph on 18 March 2015

golden knife ext

At 7:30 on a Thursday evening, with a Broadway series show at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts a couple of blocks away nearing curtain time, pre-theater diners should have been pouring out of the Golden Knife.

But instead my guests and I encountered an eerily empty space. Was it so new that no one had found it yet? Or had others come before and found the experience to be as disappointing as we soon would?

Happy St. Patrick's Day. How Would You Like to Celebrate by Winning a Trip to Ireland?

Written by Scott Joseph on 17 March 2015

Master Chef Contest

Had a delightful luncheon at Raglan Road the other day, a kickoff to its big Mighty Festival celebration, which concludes today with what I'm sure will be a huge party. I wonder if they knew it would coincide with St. Patrick's Day when they scheduled it? Besides the terrific food and wine, the folks at Raglan Road served up the details for a Master Chef Competition to celebrate the restaurant's 10th anniversary, with semifinalists traveling to Ireland to cook with chef Kevin Dundon at his five-star Dunbrody House hotel and cooking school. See below for said details.

New Baldwin Park Restaurant Opens Tuesday

Written by Scott Joseph on 17 March 2015

Osprey menu

Osprey Tavern, which despite its name is a full service, casually upscale restaurant, opens Tuesday, March 17, in Baldwin Park following a brief soft opening. As you can see from the photo of one of the soft opening menus above, the fare is a bit more ambitious than you'd expect from a "tavern." And those prices are a bit dear, too.

But let's keep a good thought that Osprey will offer the well connected residents of Baldwin Park a much needed finer dining experinece. BP has had a dearth of good restaurants ever since it opened, which has always been something of a mystery to me.

One ray of hope is that Osprey is owned by Jason Chin, who also owns nearby Seito Sushi, one of the few restaurants of quality to last in the manufactured village square.

Osprey Tavern has a web address, but the site has not gone live yet. It will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday.