Michael Austin – Page 15

Kusanya Cafe is the kind of place where you can get a cup of coffee, check out the community board, print a school paper or simply jump on the internet. You'll see people huddled together over papers strewn across the wood tables or someone walking in simply to say hello to the small staff. Because the nonprofit cafe roasts its own coffee on-site in small batches, don't hesitate to order that lavender iced latte ($3.49) or a plain cup of coffee. The breakfast and lunch menu is lush with references to famous musicians, like the Lupe Tabasco breakfast sandwich ($2.29). It features a thin egg patty, with melted cheese and Sriracha on ciabatta, and you can add sausage, spinach and tomato for an extra charge. The cozy and brightly lit environment is exactly where you want to catch up on some work or meet up with friends. 825 W. 69th St., 773-675-4758, <a href="http://www.kusanyacafe.org/">kusanyacafe.org</a> — Grace Wong

Flavored wine should be stopped dead before it trends

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Flavored wine isn't as old as the hills, but it's older than a lot of the trees. Ancient winemakers were not averse to adding herbs and spices to their wines,...

Affordable Bordeaux for the rest of us (for the most of us?)

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Years ago, during an evening of urban carousing with two friends, the three of us found ourselves in the lobby of a swanky hotel. It was almost as if we...

This tomato-bean soup is made with chard and Parmesan, and is served over pasta.

Soup and wine can be tricky to pair, but a sommelier finds workarounds

June 5, 2018 at 12:10 p.m.

Soup and wine have not always been the best of buds, traditionally speaking. Soup can contain multitudes in every spoonful, but to pair a liquid with another liquid, well, that's...

Finca Resalso from Spain's Ribera del Duero embodies the region's style with its dark fruits aromas and bright sweetness.

Spain’s Ribera del Duero wines: The player you want on your team

June 5, 2018 at 2:18 p.m.

In sports, winning an MVP award is the highest individual honor, and right behind it is the lesser-known and oft-overlooked MIP award. The Most Valuable Player stands out above all...

Asparagus, red bell pepper and green onions join strips of pork in this quick stir-fry.

Spring asparagus poses wine pairing challenge

June 5, 2018 at 2:50 p.m.

Asparagus — a culinary sign of spring — is fantastic in this dish, but poses a challenge for wine pairing. The incredible vegetal flavors, a fresh treat on their own,...

A freshly made tapenade, with green olives, garlic, anchovy, capers and lemon zest, grounds this linguine dish bolstered with Italian sausage and finished with fresh arugula.

Olive tapenade pasta matches wines with good acidity, spice notes

June 5, 2018 at 4:59 p.m.

The earthy, briny flavors of olive tapenade make us want to eat it straight, with a spoon. But when you're done doing that, or you know, from a cracker, toss...

Roero, dwarfed by famous neighbors, is an Italian wine region you should know

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Roero is the place by the places. It's the wine like the wines, and the wines we're talking about are all made of the nebbiolo grape variety, and they all...

Wines with zip stand up to a simple cherry tomato pasta sauce

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Acid to acid is a guideline often applied to solving the mystery of what wine to drink with a dish. In the case of this quick pasta dish, the acidity...

What’s the best wine stopper? Depends on the job it needs to do

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

When I think of wine bottle closures — and who doesn't think of wine bottle closures every once in a while? — I'm reminded of a classic Jerry Seinfeld bit....

Pinot noir has long been the sole red grape allowed in Alsace, but only in recent years has its quality reached new levels. This is due, in part, to a dedication by winemakers to plant pinot noir in higher-quality growing areas once reserved for prized white varieties.

Pinot noir on upswing in white-wine bastion Alsace? Thank climate change

June 5, 2018 at 8:31 p.m.

NASA predicts that the Arctic Ocean will be basically ice-free during the summers about 30 years from now. That's good news for prospective vacation-home developers up that way (truly a...

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