10 Ways To Help Those In Mourning

My dad and I, 2004

Swimming in the blissful good fortune of someone who reached her forties without losing a close loved one, I was horrible when it came to helping others who were dealing with death. I once didn’t contact a good friend for months after her mom died. On the day a neighbor had to euthanize his dog who had been his main companion for 20 years, I asked, “Are you going to get another dog?” He looked at me like I’d slapped him. 

But then I joined the club. My dad was killed in August of 2015. He was on his motorcycle and was hit by a semi-truck that crossed into his lane. My dad was 62 years old, and his death was – is still – a gut-punching shock.

My dad lived in a small town, surrounded by our large family, and was active in his church and community. The initial days of our mourning were very public -- people dropped by with food and toilet paper, strangers gave their condolences at the visitation, friends he hadn't seen since high school attended the funeral. I would have assumed that I would hate feeling exposed to so many. But in reality, each word and hug and offer of support helped. Each human contact meant something to me, gave me an opportunity to cry, and made me feel not so afraid and alone.

I want to remember that. In honor of all those people who spoke and hugged and emailed, I want to remember how I would like to behave the next time someone I know is grieving the death of a loved one.

1. I will reach out anyway I can. 

I was amazed how helpful each text, Facebook post, email, phone call, card or drop-by was. Death is terrifying and being shown that I had this ever-growing wall of support and love to lean on comforted me and made me feel less alone. I didn’t care about the substance of the message; all I cared about was the karmic hug offered by each person.

2. I won’t worry about what to say. 

So often, I didn't reach out to someone who was grieving because I worried about what to say. But when I was in grief, I really didn’t care what was said. I just needed the support, the affirmation of being loved, the comfort of a hello. Just be there. The words will come.

3. I will remember that saying, “I’m sorry for your loss,” is fine. 

This is a great, simple phrase, easy to say and easy to mean. Said to me over and over again in the reception line after my dad’s funeral, it was still meaningful. If the grievers have more to say, they will. But it’s okay to just be there in silence and support.

4. I will bring food. 

People in mourning forget to eat. And then they eat a ton. And then they have to get back to real life and start planning meals. It was the very last thing in the world I wanted to do. Bring food without asking. Bring fresh food and freezable food. Bring baked goods and a salad. Bring food two weeks after the funeral. But most importantly, DON’T ASK if the person needs food. Trust me. They do.

5. I won’t talk about the bright side. 

Focusing on the positive – “At least they got to see the Grand Canyon first,” – can make this incredibly difficult conversation more comfortable for the person feeling awkward. For the person who will never see their loved one again, there is no bright side. If the mourner wants to say it, that’s fine. But don’t bring it up as the comforter. In the beginning stages of grief, it is not a comfort.

6. I won’t ask if the mourner needs anything. I will just do.

I will bring food. I will walk their dog. I will run a load of laundry. I will deliver groceries. I will whisk their kids off for a day. “Don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything,” is a well-intentioned sentiment, but a person in mourning can barely pick out what to wear, much less figure out where they need help. Just jump in and help. Oh yeah, and bring food.

7. I will make plans and dates with the griever.

When I got back home after the funeral, several beloved girlfriends contacted me with dates for cocktails, coffees and my birthday lunch. I could choose which dates worked best, but they did not give me an option to bow out. Without these lovely women, I would have spent a lot of unhealthy time on the couch watching Bones re-runs. I will remember the value of a loving arm twist.

8. I WON’T TRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT. 

I remember thinking in the past, “They’re probably tired of talking about death. I’ll bring up something else,” then trying to forge ahead with a new conversation. I was so wrong. Let the person talk about grieving as much and as long as he wants. When he's ready to talk about something else, he will. But let him lead the conversation.

9. I will encourage them to grieve.

One of the blessings I only fully realized after the initial fog of grieving lifted was that everyone in my life -- friends, family, husband, kids -- gave me room to grieve. No one expected me to move this thing along. I could talk and cry and stay in my sweats as long as I wanted. Encourage the griever to lean into whatever emotion he or she is feeling. Resisting grief, or ignoring it, only makes a person feel worse.

10. I will show up two weeks and a month and two months later.

The real blow of loss doesn't come until all the initial hubbub dies down. Two weeks, a month, two months later is when a mourner can really use a frozen casserole and a coffee date. I will remember to reach out and reassure the griever -- like so many wonderful people have reached out to reassure me -- that she is supported and loved.

I'd love to hear any advice you have for helping people get through grief. Please share in the comments below. 

Visit Baltimore Museum of Art's New American Wing

Photo from BmoreArt

I am ashamed to say that I have never visited the Baltimore Museum of Art. Reading about it for this blog makes me even more ashamed. It has:

• 700 works by Henri Matisse
• free admission
• paintings by Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent van Gogh

But with the new opening of the American Wing after a two-year facelift, and the re-opening of the original entrance to this beautiful Classical Revival building (the entrance was closed in 1982 because it was not handicap accessible), I now have lots of motivation to visit. According to their website "state-of-the-art lighting, new herringbone wood floors, and a new palette of colors for the walls and ceilings," have enhanced the American Wing. A display I'm excited to see:

"...[A] stunning, light-infused gallery featuring outstanding examples of Louis Comfort Tiffany's decorative works and those of his colleagues and competitors. See vibrant stained-glass windows, towering columns adorned with mosaics, an elaborate mantelpiece, and stunning, silver objects."

Oooooh. Can't wait.

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Baltimore Museum of Art

10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD 

Hours: Wednesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Monday–Tuesday, Closed

Admission: Free

For more info: http://www.artbma.org/

Off the Beaten Path in Nashville

If emerging hip cities were like the new kids at school, then Nashville would be the fascinating girl with the cool outfit who shows up at homeroom. With its vibrant music scene, emerging foodie status, streets full of the young and bearded and very own TV show, Nashville is the place to be. Or so we discovered when we decided to take our Christmas vacation there and everyone we told said, “We’ve been meaning to go to Nashville.”

 

The 10-hour drive is relatively painless for those of us from the DC-metro area (straight out on I-66, left on I-81, right on I-40), so it’s a good way to spend an I-don’t-want-to-fly vacation. I did not become an expert on Nashville in our five days of touring, eating, drinking and copious napping. But we did discover some neat out-of-the-way sights, scenes and drinks that will appeal to us aging cool kids.

1. The Parthenon at night

Our first evening in Nashville, we strolled over to the Parthenon in Centennial Park. During the day, I’m sure it’s amazing to see this leftover relic from the 1897 Centennial Exposition and the art inside. But at night, it was spooky and regal and lit with Christmas colors. We wandered between its concrete columns and told stories of time warps. You never get a monument all to yourself in D.C.

2. Johnny Cash Museum

We decided to skip the Country Music Hall of Fame for the Johnny Cash Museum, which had more sentimental value for me because I love the love story of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The small museum packed in a lot of tourists when we were there, but we were still able to spend all the time we wanted listening to his music, watching his videos and looking over an interesting and intimate array of stuff from Johnny’s life. I didn’t see the love letter Johnny wrote to June after she died, but my husband did. With my tendency to cry in public, he thought that was best.

3. The Escape Game. Driving to this out-of-the-way building, I started to think that maybe I’d been suckered into a dumb activity that only tourists do. Wrong. The Escape Game location is in an amazing artist enclave, little homes for recording studios and a pie shop and a really fantastic coffee shop. And the game itself – where you and your compatriots are locked in a room for an hour and must solve puzzles to escape – is totally awesome. And no, we didn’t escape. Boo.

4. Third Man Records. The Nashville outpost of Jack White’s recording studio is tiny and weird and quirky, selling almost entirely vinyl. It’s worth a visit if you’re a fan. And ask if the studio is open. Walking through it, with its Astroturf barbecue area and big blue wall and ginormous overhead fan makes you feel like a rock star.

5. Haircut at Monty's

If there is anyone in your party who could remotely use a haircut, take them to Monty’s in the Arcade. The open-air corridor of shops covered with a roof is cool; art galleries ring the second floor. And Monty’s is everything you want a cool-guy barber shop to be: the barbers are friendly and tattooed, the Galaga is free, the pomade is plentiful and there’s a Playboy in the magazine rack. 

6. Dancing on a Monday at The 5 Spot. As we sat on our stools at The 5 Spot and watched the couples begin expertly jumping and jiving to the first beat of the first song on this soul and swing night, the couple next to us leaned over and asked, “Do you know what’s going on?” We’d come to dance. But this was DANCING: swinging and spinning and what have you. Fortunately, after a couple of whiskeys with picklebacks, we were right in there and it was blast. Get there early. When we left at midnight, the line stretched halfway down the block.

7. Corsair Distillery 

Visit this distillery in the old Yazoo brewery. You can sip a beer beforehand in the Corsair taproom, check out the 100-year-old pre-Prohibition-built still on the tour, pet the bowtie-wearing cat that lives in the distillery and sample some killer rye during the post-tour tasting. Extra bonus: Anyone in your group not interested in the tour can hang out at the Soda Parlor down the hall.

8. Arcade and comic books. On New Years Eve, I made the males in my family decide the itinerary. And boy, did they. We spent two hours at a great $7/hour-$10/day video game arcade on the non-tourist side of Nashville. After an hour, I bailed and went to the nicest tea shop next door. Then we went to a comic book and used album store, where the cash register guy made me feel very good about my depth and breadth of Arrow knowledge.

9. Galax, VA

No, the city of Galax, VA is not in Nashville. But it is the best place to stay for the night if you’d rather drive two five-hour stints than one 10-hour marathon. Galax is home to the historic Rex Theater which, every Friday night, hosts a live bluegrass show broadcast on WBRF 98.1. Obvious regulars come out for the lively show – they jump up for every song and politely sit down and fan themselves in between. Do yourself a favor and fuel up at the Galax Smokehouse beforehand.

Go See Old 97's. My Brother Said So.

My brother, professional choreographer Michael J. Lopez, sent me a photo that Old 97's posted today.

It's apropos for the blog because:

• The caption for this 20-year-old photo is "Seems like yesterday," a sentiment we all feel when we see pics from two decades ago.
• They're a freaking awesome alt-country-Americana band coming to play Washington D.C.'s The Hamilton Dec. 30 and 31.
• My brother is much cooler than me and when he highlights something, everyone should pay attention. 

When my brother saw this picture of me and the Old 97's lead singer, Rhett Miller (who is also a fantastic solo artist), he called me a "funky mofo." Which is awesome. Go see them play. You might get called a funky mofo, too.

How to Have Fun With Crock Pot Recipes

Fun with crock pot recipes? Follow my logic. Dicing up some ingredients and throwing them into the slow cooker in the morning means that in the evening:

• You can have a healthy meal at the end of a stressful day, rather than grabbing fast food on your drive home and adding THAT to your guilt tally. And your waistline.
• Various family members running from one activity to the next can dip out a ladle of goodness whenever they have a moment, leaving said love one properly and healthfully caloried-up for nighttime activities.
• You can do what you want to do when you get home from work -- kick off your shoes, laze on the couch and enjoy a glass of wine before dinner -- rather than hustling into the kitchen to cook.
• Hosts can actually spend their dinner parties enjoying their guests rather than trying to flambé  something while opening the door, managing coats and handing out cocktails.

See. My slow cooker allows me to get all of the goodness out of home cooking with none of the stress of cooking at the end of full day. I'm a year-round slow cooker advocate, but these are some stick-to-your-rib recipes I like to pull out for the winter months. 

Favorite weeknight crock pot recipes

Spicy Chicken Stew From All You

Spicy Chicken Stew – I double up this recipe whenever I make it. It’s so good and it only gets better as it sits. This is also my go-to when I want to share the love: Give it to a friend who wants to take a night off from making dinner and I promise they'll be asking for the recipe.

Slow Cooker Meat Loaf with Shitake Mushrooms – This is a Cooking Light recipe that is so moist and delicious that I don’t need to be dieting to enjoy it. Cooking it in the crock pot is pure genius, eliminating all the issues about dryness that you can get with oven-cooked meat loaves.

Favorite crock pot recipes for entertaining

Cola Shredded Tacos from Sunset

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – This simple recipe from Good Housekeeping is crazy delicious. Grab some buns, a bag of chips and some pickles, and you’ve got a party for a crowd.

Cola Shredded Beef Tacos – We call these Dr. Pepper tacos at my house. The recipe calls for Mexican Coke, which I can never find, so instead I buy Dr. Pepper for the syrupy sweetness the recipe is looking for. I make these with frijoles and salsa verde, and they truly wow my guests. 

 

FAVORITE HEALTHY CROCK POT RECIPES

Slow Cooker Chicken Verde - So, yes, sometimes I’ll make the salsa verde from scratch like this recipe recommends. And sometimes I’ll buy chunky chili verde from the produce or deli aisle, puree half of it, and that’s quite alright, too.

Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup -- We're meat eaters in this house (as you may be able to tell) but I imagine you can make this with vegan sausage and it would be just as delicious. You just need something to add the spice and richness that the sausage lends.

Favorite recipes for Sunday dinner

Classic Beef Stew from Real Simple

Slow Cooker Tuscan Pot Roast -- This is a long time favorite; while it technically is a pot roast, the meat falls apart and becomes this awesome gravy that I love to ladle in shallow bowls over grilled slices of French bread. Instead of using a cup of wine, I use a half-cup of wine and a half-cup of beef broth to increase the richness.

Classic Beef Stew -- I found this in the same issue of Real Simple as the recipe above. I find both recipes to be simple, dependable recipes that provide a tasty, one-pot winter meal.

 

Have a favorite Crock Pot Recipe? Baby, It's getting cold outside and we're all going to need some good recipes to get us through the winter. please share a link to your favorite recipe in the comments below.

4 Ways to Laze Away the Day at the Georgetown Waterfront

How thrilling is it that Georgetown has embraced its waterfront? When we moved to nearby Burleith in 2000, the stately neighborhood definitely had its back to the mighty Potomac. But with the arrival of an AMC Loews movie theater in 2002, people began to wander down there for more than an expensive meal at one of the river-facing restaurants. During a recent lazy stay-cation, my husband and I decided to cross the river to our old ‘hood to relax the day away.

Stop 1: The Georgetown Waterfront Park

Nothing could herald the fact that the waterfront has arrived better than this gorgeous 10-acre park. This stretch of green space from the Washington Harbor development to Key Bridge offers incredible views of the river, Key Bridge, Rosslyn, Roosevelt Island and the Kennedy Center. But you can also find the pretty right under foot: the park has a large fountain kids can play in, benches, river steps for lounging and duck feeding, and images etched in granite telling D.C.’s story.

Stop 2: Farmers, Fishers, Bakers

Uncle Buck's Beignets with Raspberry Coulis, Hot Fudge Sauce and Bourbon Caramel Sauce at Farmers Fishers Bakers

I’ve always loved eating on the waterfront on a beautiful day. Sure, the food was expensive and the restaurants were pretty indistinguishable, but the sun-and-water languidness of it all made it worthwhile. Then along came Farmers Fishers Bakers. This farm-to-table-focused restaurant has a beautiful-yet-quirky design, a playful and bizarre cocktail menu and food that makes you want to order a little bit of everything. Yes, I'd like some Duck Fat Chicken Wings, a Bacon Basil Blue Cheese Mussel Pot, a couple of Beer Braised Beef Field Tacos and an AWESOME Grilled Cauliflower Steak. Too much?

Stop 3: AMC Loews Georgetown theatre

We saw the 2:30 showing of "John Wick". There were four people in the theater with us. Is there anything more decadent than seeing a Keaneau Reeves shoot-em-up in the middle of a weekday?

Stop 4: The Observatory at The Graham

We had every intention of going home after the movie. But did I mention that it was a GORGEOUS day? We walked a block up from the waterfront to M Street, wasted time until 5 p.m., and then took The Graham Georgetown hotel's elevator to The Observatory, Georgetown's only rooftop lounge open to the public. Or at least it was when it opened in 2013. Feel free to correct me. With cocktails in hand, we lazed on turquoise settees, watched airplanes squiggle contrails across the Georgetown skyline and toasted a successful lazy day.

Apply for Your 1 Minute of TV Fame on DIY Network

I get as gaga over being on television as anyone; my husband and I were essentially the wallpaper for a news segment filmed at Catoctin Creek Distillery, and I took pictures of myself and spread them all over social media.

So I thought it was fun when I got an email from a producer looking for DC/Virginia/Maryland homeowners to feature on the DIY Network TV show, "I Want That." The show feels like a turbo-charged catalog, with 1-and-half-minute segments of homeowners trying out products for the home and garden. Apparently, you get to keep what you try!

Click here to find information about how to apply. 

We might go for it; my son is an amateur (but award-winning!!) filmmaker, and I know he would get a kick out of watching the filming process in our home. Who knows? We might get a nifty bug zapper out of it or something.

10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Catoctin Creek Distilling Company

Photo by Rick Martin

Right now. You should take the day off (or embrace the day off you may already have on this Veterans Day), call a babysitter for the kids, and head out to the Catoctin Creek Distilling Company in Purcellville, Va. Here are 10 reasons why:

10. The drive is gorgeous. I'm sure the drive out to Loudoun County is beautiful the rest of the year (it takes about 50 minutes from inside the Beltway), but right now, an explosion of fall leaf color joins the long horse fences and old stone buildings that make the drive so scenic.

9. Purcellville is hip, historic and still seems undiscovered. The couple of blocks of downtown Purcellville, with the Distillery right at its crossroads, are rich with great restaurants, interesting yet functional shopping, and a nice mix of locals and tourists exploring Virginia's wine country.

8. The Catoctin Creek Distilling Company building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The brick building, built during the second year of Prohibition, once housed a bank then a Buick dealership. Large windows that were once garage doors show off views into the vintage tasting room and the distillery room with all of its steam-punk cool stills.

7. The stills are so steam-punk cool.

6. The tour will give you a great 20-minute understanding of how spirits are made. At the top of every hour, friendly tour guides lead guests on a tour of the distillery and discuss how Kansas rye (rye doesn't grow well in Virginia) becomes Virginia white whiskey, rye whiskey and gin.

5. Scott and Becky's story is inspiring. Owners Scott and Becky Harris made a midlife-left turn to create the Catoctin Creek Distilling Company. Scott was looking for a escape hatch from his software career; he was lucky he was married to Becky, who was a chemical engineer and is now Catoctin's chief distiller.

4. The horseshoe bar in the tasting room invites bellying up. The large bar in the vintage tasting room provides lots of seats, encouraging conviviality with the friendly tasting hosts and fellow imbibers.

3. You can try Catoctin Creek's spirits. For $5, you can sample three half-ounce pours of Mosby's Spirit (white whiskey), Roundstone Rye, and Watershed Gin. For $10, you can sample flights of brandy and higher-proof rye.

2. If sipping straight spirits is not your thing, you can sample Catoctin Creek's spirits in cocktails. For $10, you can choose three mini-cocktails from a menu created by guest mixologists. For October, an Apple Cinnamon Sazerac, a Bloody Mosby and a drink called a Relaxing Rita were three of our options.

1. You can be on TV!! No, this is not the number one reason to visit the Catoctin Creek Distilling Company. But I couldn't figure out another way to mention a topic dear to the Harris' heart: a proposed tax hike on Virginia spirits. Local TV news was at the distillery on the day we visited to film a segment with Scott. Click on the photo to learn more about this issue, and contact your local state representative!

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Catoctin Creek Distilling Company

 

120 W. Main St., Purcellville, VA, 20132

Hours; Monday-Friday, 1-5; Saturday, 12-7; Sunday, 1-6

Tours offered for $5 at the top of every hour

An Evening at Komi

Photo courtesy of Renaissance Hotels website

An evening at Komi is everything you expect a four-course, $135-per-person, James-Beard-awarded, impossible-to-get-into restaurant to be. My husband and I went recently to celebrate our anniversary, and the service and the food captured the essence of a “special occasion.” The only thing I wished for was a dance break between the courses (more on that below). You can’t take pictures at Komi, so you’ll just have to read about our experience at this magical restaurant:

The Setting

Eleven-year-old Komi is located in a row house on stretch of 17th Street ripe with bars and restaurants, almost directly between Dupont Circle and Logan Circle. The dining room is simple, low-lit and intimate, which made for a fun contrast with what was going on outside its large front window on the night we were there: The High Heel Drag Race. Inside, we were couples and foursomes (you can’t make reservations for more than four) enjoying candlelit meals; outside decked-out beauties in heels paraded down the street. Komi’s small dining room provides a simple jewel box for a special occasion; it also provides plenty of room to feel urban, youthful and fun.

The Atmosphere

Komi’s announcement on its website – “No pictures, please” – had me concerned that a certain level of pretension would accompany our meal. I was 100 percent wrong. The wait staff was warm, funny and friendly. Even their “uniform” was approachable – the women wore 50s-style shirtdresses and the men wear sharp suits and colorful ties. Nothing could have tested the pretension factor better than my friend who wandered in looking for me: He’d participated in the High Heel Drag Race and was in full regalia, wearing a wig, spooky contacts, a dress and heels. And then he whipped out a camera. What did a passing waiter do when he saw us grinning into the phone for a selfie? Offer to take our picture for us.  

The Food

When I made reservations, the hostess asked if we had any food allergies or preferences. Komi is a no-menu restaurant, and I knew their contemporary Greek-inspired offerings were sometimes exotic, so I specified that my husband was not a fan of raw fish or meats. At our table, a waitress asked for more specifics about his likes and dislikes and then discussed substitutes. Although the hubby was a little self-conscious, she asked questions with kindness and a complete lack of judgment. I really respected their willingness to make sure us both of us enjoyed our meals.

The meal began with three one-bite plates served one at a time: a brioche topped with roe; a tiny, delicate scallop; and fried, crispy sweet breads. Next we were served two pastas. The main was pork served with bread and sides. I think we had two desserts. I’m sorry I don’t have more details -- I couldn’t take pictures, we had no menu, and, most importantly, I was actually spending the evening enjoying my husband’s company. I am NOT a trained food critic, so I won’t even attempt to go into the intricacies of the food we were served. What I can tell you is this:

• Each bite caused us to stop, savor and think. Not one plate was boring or even just plain good.
• The presentations of the food were beautiful but not overwrought. The simplicity of the plating, décor and staff shines the light on the food.
• Each serving was small. We were still stuffed by the end of the night. Come to Komi starving.

The Wine

Because it was a special occasion (and because my parents had provided a gift certificate for the meal as a birthday present – thanks Mom and Clay!!), we decided to splurge and get the $70-per-person wine pairing to go with our meal. And while the meal without the wine pairing would have been wonderful, the variety and uniqueness of the wines we were introduced to put it over the top.

Our sommelier was the best sommelier I have ever encountered. With every new wine he brought, he painted a picture. Rather than focusing on “notes of this, that and the other” (I can find my own notes, thank you), he told a story: an interesting tale about the French grower, a bit of history about a Countess, what makes the grapes of Lebanon unique. We had wine from France, Germany, Spain, Lebanon, a sour beer from I can’t remember where, a cider from Vermont. Some were great on their own, but all were perfect with the food they were paired with.

The wine pairing and the storytelling truly transformed the meal into an experience. We were shocked when, near the end of our meal, we realized three hours had passed. I mentioned to my husband that all the night was missing was an activity. What if they took a break after the first course, had a live band play beginning-of-the-night music you could dance to, a little Donny Hathaway or young Stevie Wonder? Then another break after the main course, slow music to help you digest progressing into a stuff a little harder, maybe a little James Brown? And then at the end of the night, the band breaks out into a full-on Prince-Aretha-Marvin "Let's Get It On" dance party?

I'm sorry. Dinner at Komi makes me wax rhapsodic. I've had some wonderful meals, but it's rare that a meal turns into such a transportive event.

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Komi

1509 17th Street NW (between P & Q Streets)Washington DC 20036

Open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner; Call (202) 332-9200 for reservations. 

 

In-Between Tip: The only difficult part of the Komi experience is getting the chance to step through the door. You have to call to make reservations, the reservation line is only open from 12-4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and you can only call a month in advance. I was on hold for at least 30 minutes each time I called. I called at noon on the dot in an attempt to get a Saturday reservation a month away -- forget about it. Folks wiser than me had already filled the spots by the time they answered my call. So how did we get in? We chose the path of least resistance and went on a Tuesday.

NYC Wine Bars

So my aunt in Kansas sends me a email here in D.C. about possible wine bars to visit in New York City. Isn't that just the sweetest thing ever? Especially when the wine bar list is accompanied by the following words:

"I thought you’d like this info for your terrific blog.  I’m enjoying it so much! Love, Aunt Cathy."

So, in honor of my aunt Cathy, who's hoping I get a weekend away soon for wine-bar hopping in NYC (I hope my husband is reading this), and who also thinks my blog is "terrific," I share with you a useful little summation of wine bars to visit in NYC from Bottlenotes.com.

Click photo to see the full list