This Just In!

Tempted to try an obscure varietal, but don't want to shell out $30 for a bottle you might not like? A handful of liquor stores and bars now allow you to help yourself to samples. It works like this: You put money on a debit card (or earn points on a card by buying a bottle of wine), insert the card into a slot, and push the button above the wine you want to taste. The Enomatic system dispenses an ounce into your glass and deducts the cost from the card. Prices range from $1 to $28, with most costing $2 to $3. In Texas, where self-service is illegal, wine jukeboxes (as the Enomatics are nicknamed) are operated by bartenders. Whether you push the button yourself or someone does it for you, the advantage is the same. Because the system hermetically seals bottles after each pour, some places are able to offer as many as a hundred wines by the glass. Cheers! Nora's Wine Bar & Osteria 1031 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas, 702/940-6672 Stave Wine Lounge 1149 First St., Napa, Calif., 707/259-5411 Tastings 149 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg, Fla., 727/894-2255 Union Square Wine & Spirits 140 Fourth Ave., New York City, 212/675-8100 VinoVenue 686 Mission St., San Francisco, 415/341-1930 Wine'tastic 4140 Lemmon Ave., Dallas, 214/252-9494

FIVE COOL ROOMS 'Hood: Palermo Soho, a subsection of Palermo (B.A.'s trendiest barrio) near Plaza Serrano, where there are new restaurants and boutiques on every corner. First impression: Since its debut in March 2005, Five Cool Rooms has attracted a young, international crowd. Guests hang out around the chimenea (fireplace) in the central courtyard or on the roof terrace. Polished concrete, rattan furniture, and bamboo plants give public spaces a Zen feel. The rooms: The 16 rooms are labeled small, medium, and large. Medium rooms have balconies facing the street. The two large rooms--one of which has its own hot tub--overlook a quieter rear courtyard with a hammock. Plus: In addition to all the outdoor seating areas, there's a sleek modern living room furnished with chocolate-colored faux leather couches and a big-screen TV. Guests can help themselves to free Argentine wine. Minus: If you're settling in for more than a few nights, splurge on a medium or large room. The smalls are so tiny there's no room for even a suitcase stand. Details: Honduras 4742, 011-54/11-5235-5555, fivebuenosaires.com, from $90, including breakfast. KRISTA 'Hood: Palermo Hollywood, where the TV networks, film studios, and radio stations have set up shop. Models and actors make for great people-watching. First impression: An early-1900s mansion--formerly owned by Evita's personal doctor--with high archways, stained-glass windows, and marble floors, it's kind of like your rich great-aunt's house. It opened in March. The rooms: Each of the 10 large rooms is named for a different Argentine artist. The Victoria Ocampo (one of the country's greatest writers) has lilac walls, lace curtains, and a sheer canopy on the bed. In the Benito Quinquela Martín (known for his paintings of Buenos Aires's port), wood paneling evokes the inside of a ship. Plus: Owner Cristina Marsden, born and raised in B.A., is plugged in to the local nightlife and can recommend the best bars and nightclubs. Minus: Some of the renovations appear rushed: Several rooms are sloppily painted. Details: Bonpland 1665, 011-54/11- 4771-4697, kristahotel.com.ar, from $90, including breakfast. LA OTRA ORILLA 'Hood: Palermo Viejo, the most stately section of Palermo, full of century-old homes. It's where Jorge Luis Borges, Argentina's most celebrated writer, lived. First impression: Opened in June by mother-daughter duo Cecilia Ramos Mejía and Agustina Montoreano, La Otra Orilla has a French country vibe. Floral curtains, vintage area rugs, and mismatched antiques give it a casual, comfortable feel. The rooms: Seven guest rooms are painted in vibrant colors like tomato red and forest green. Two (Azul and Blanca) share a bathroom; all but Blanca are equipped with A/C (it has a ceiling fan). The Bamboo Room features sliding glass doors that open onto a garden that blooms with bougainvillea, jasmine, and hyacinth. Plus: When the weather is nice, breakfast is served alfresco, on a terra-cotta-colored patio. Honeymooners can have breakfast in bed at no additional cost. Minus: Reservation confirmations must be made by phone or e-mail 72 hours prior to arrival. No credit cards: Only cash is accepted (upon checkout). Details: Julián Alvarez 1779, 011-54/11-4867-4070, otraorilla.com.ar, from $30, including breakfast. 248 FINISTERRA 'Hood: Las Cañitas, between Palermo and Belgrano. The up-and-coming area is home to the polo grounds and some hot restaurants. First impression: The look is urban gaucho, with butter-soft leather, dark wood, and natural cottons. Pablo Badler transformed what was his grandmother's house into an elegant hotel, with the help of his mother and sister. They launched 248 Finisterra in May, after more than a year of construction (and it still smells of fresh paint). The rooms: The 11 rooms are done in soothing creams, pale greens, and sky blues, and furnished very simply with carefully chosen antiques. Tabletop light columns and striped throw pillows add a modern edge. Pablo's mother, Celia, makes sure there are fresh flowers in each room. Plus: The second-floor deck, with lounge chairs and a hot tub, is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of malbec. Bring one up from the wine bar on the ground floor. Minus: The hotel is fully booked until November 1 with a private party. (A big star is holed up there, but the owner won't say who it is.) Details: Baez 248, 011-54/11-4773-0901, 248finisterra.com, from $115, including breakfast. THE COCKER 'Hood: San Telmo, the oldest barrio in B.A. It's known as the birthplace of tango and famous for the Sunday-morning antiques fair in Plaza Dorrego. First impression: When it came to naming their hotel, English expat couple Ian Spink and Aidan Pass thought of their beloved three-year-old cocker spaniel, Rocco. The Cocker opened in June, and everything about it reflects the creative and fun-loving personalities of its owners. The rooms: Numbered for important dates in the owners' lives, the five rooms have double-height ceilings and French doors that lead to lovely terraces. Room 19-03 (Aidan's birthday) has a four-poster bed below a glass-walled loft bathroom. Doors lead to a private garden filled with evergreens, rosemary, and thyme. Plus: This winter (summer in Argentina), the Cocker will debut a roof terrace. Guests will sip cocktails while watching art films projected onto the neighboring building. The deck also offers panoramic views of the city. Minus: Rooms have small European-style wet rooms: There are no bathtubs, and showers aren't partitioned off from the sink and toilet areas. Details: Juan de Garay 458, 011-54/11-4362-8451, thecocker.com, from $70, including breakfast.

Thanks in part to its location near the Reno River, Bologna has long been a manufacturing hub. But these days, the city is making an effort to manufacture something of a more creative nature: modern art and design. Bologna was named a European Capital of Culture in 2000; as a result, it raised $10 million to transform a blighted neighborhood in the northwest--a 15-minute walk from the city center--into an arts hub. Up to that point, a former slaughterhouse, salt warehouse, and tobacco warehouse had stood deserted. Now, a million-square-foot area is being refashioned into a complex called Manifattura delle Arti, or Factory of the Arts. The former slaughterhouse was gutted in 2003, then turned into the Cineteca, a center for film research and restoration. It houses the Charlie Chaplin film archives; Chaplin fans can borrow DVDs of his movies from the airy, light-filled library and watch them at screening stations that are available to the public free of charge. In a connected building are two art-house theaters named after the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, who held the first public movie screening in Paris in 1895. "When we opened, they ran a film about the area," says Cecilia Cenciarelli, coordinator of the archives. "They interviewed this old man who talked about seeing a pig get slaughtered. It was incredibly funny." Across the way, the salt warehouse was converted into a new home for Cassero, the city's gay and lesbian center. There's a disco and a backyard garden, where raucous parties take place on hot summer nights. "They're so much fun, and everyone goes," Cenciarelli says. Art galleries, design shops, and lounges are sprouting up all around the district. Giulia Allegri, born and raised in Bologna, didn't think twice about returning after studying in Ravenna. She opened her gallery, Agenzia 04, in the Manifattura area in 2004. "I felt like something was happening here," says the petite redhead. Allegri's success attracted new businesses like Galleria Neon, which shows contemporary artists, and Metropolis Photogallery, a shop that sells furniture as well as photography. Gallery owners and visitors now meet up for drinks at Stile Libero. Nearby, a store called Fratelli Broche stocks Italian housewares, vintage clothing, and accessories. "We all go to each other's openings, and we all know and support each other," says Allegri. Longtime friends Lenina Barducci and Maura Conti opened Zo Caffè in 2004, a couple of blocks from where Agenzia 04 stands now. "We wanted to create something that didn't exist in Bologna, a place where you can really meet people doing all sorts of interesting things," explains Barducci, a tall, skinny woman with cropped hair. The renovated warehouse is a café, late-night spot for ambient-music DJs, and art gallery. Vintage 1970s TVs serve as decoration, and the menu is written on blackboards. Young couples sit at wood tables, chatting over Prosecco and paninis. If the film center, art galleries, and shops haven't yet put the Manifattura district on the tourist map, the city's modern art museum, MAMbo (Il Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna) surely will. After nearly a decade of construction, it moves into a former bakery next May. Activities   Cineteca via Azzo Gardino 65, 011-39/051-219-5311   Agenzia 04 via Brugnoli 19/c, 011-39/051-649-0104   Galleria Neon via Zanardi 2/5, 011-39/051-587-7068   Metropolis Photogallery viale Pietro Pietramellara 3/a, 011-39/ 051-524-800 Shopping   Fratelli Broche via del Rondone 2/e, 011-39/349-009-3963 Nightlife   Cassero via Don Minzoni 18, 011-39/ 051-528-0391   Stile Libero via delle Lame 108 a/b, 011-39/335-562-5578   Zo Caffè via Lodovico Berti 15/b, 011-39/ 051-588-3469, Prosecco $4

Jane and Michael Stern: Howdy, and welcome to the Roadfood chat. Jane got called out on an ambulance run (she's an EMT), so it may just be me for the hour. And I have to warn you that I currently have use of only 7-1/2 fingers, as I fell off my horse yesterday and 2-1/2 digits have blown up to resemble an order of Texas hot links. So I may be a little slow. But let's go! _______________________ Newark, DE: Me & my husband will be driving "The Crooked Road" in SW Virgina September 12 through the 16th to explore & experience the bluegrass, gospel & country music landmarks. The towns include Floyd, Galax, Bristol, Hiltons, Norton & Clintwood. Any suggestions for great country dining? We are especially fond of breakfast. Thank you! I am a huge fan. Jane and Michael Stern: It's been a while since we ate our way through Southern Virginia. You'll find great country ham and red-eye gravy for breakfast (and lunch and dinner), that's for sure, but the one must-not-miss specialty of this particular part of the state is Brunswick Stew. I'm not sure if it's still there, but there was a great little cafe in Lawrenceville called Larry's Lunch: Brunswick stew, griddle-fried ham, corn cakes, and delicious rice pudding for dessert. _______________________ Tucson, AZ: Hi, Jane and Michael! My husband and I are taking a road trip into New England during October. While in Vermont we will be traveling the Ethan Allen Highway. We will be traveling in that area on Sunday, October 8th from the Mt. Washington area on our way to Bridgewater Corners. What good road side places, not pricey, could you recommend? Thanks so much! We are very active and young minded seniors but doubt if that makes any difference where we eat! Jane and Michael Stern: In Woodstock, just east of Bridgewater Corners, there is a little diner named Wasp's. It's where the locals eat, and the menu ranges from blue-plate corned beef hash to such specials as calamari salad with a lime mint soy dressing for the greens and chipolte aioli for the calamari. We like the hamburgers, with pie for dessert. Also, check out Gillingham's hardware: they've got everything (including local edibles). _______________________ Charlotte, NC: I'm flying into Charlotte for a business meeting. I will have lunch hour free. Any suggestions for a good meal? Jane and Michael Stern: My Charlotte friend assures me Lupie's Cafe cannot be beat, and looking at its website has made it top priority for when we visit Charlotte in October. From past experience we can unreservedly recommend Price's Chicken Coop for some of the southland's best fried chicken. _______________________ Astoria, NY: As vegetarians, we're usually stuck eating salads and grilled cheese when we hit the road. Have you ever come across any great meat-free meals at your favorite roadside haunts? Thanks! Jane and Michael Stern: We were amazed in Memphis, Tennessee, when we went there several months back to discover that many of the soul food cooks have forsworn hamhocks and any other pig meat in their long-cooked vegetables. (In particular, check out Alcenia's and The Cupboard: vegetable lovers' heavens with lots of meat-free choices.) Southern cafeterias and cafes generally do have great vegetable selections, but you have to watch out for the ham bone that is traditionally used to season them. We've also found that good Mexican restaurants can be vegetarian friendly (although not so vegan friendly), because it is less common nowadays to make refritos with lard. _______________________ Bethel, CT: While eating an ice cream at Dr. Mike's, I swear I saw you leaving the yoga studio. Is this true? Should I expect a new Yogi Roadfood in the future? And what is the best food to eat after yoga? Jane and Michael Stern: Yes, that was I (Michael) exiting yoga class on Greenwood Ave. in Bethel, which happens to be less than 100 yards from Dr. Mike's ice cream, 1/4 mile from both the Sycamore Drive-In (home of the Dagwoodburger and swell root beer) and a small, slightly upscale storefront called Pizzeria Laurentano, where you'll find beautiful boutique pizzas and very yummy salads. I suspect my yoga teacher might not recoommend pizza and ice cream after class, but I find it builds up a very healthy appetite. As for a special edition of Roadfood for yogis only (where to eat a hot fudge sundae while lounging on a bed of nails?), it's safe to say that it is a long way off. As I see it, yoga is the yin to Roadfood yang. Or is it vice versa? _______________________ Charleston SC: I'm heading to the charleston area. What classic low country foods are a must to try? And where is the best place(s) to chow down? Jane and Michael Stern: Oh, the lowcountry is one of the great places to eat. In general, look for anything served with creamy grits. These are nothing like watery grits. They are rich and buttery and especially wonderful as a bed for a school of grilled shrimp and mousseline at The Old Post Office on Edisto Island. Oysters are now in season, and nowhere are they tastier in and around Charleston. If you're in Mount Pleasant, go to Gullah Cuisine, a restaurant devoted to lowcountry ways. Also, don't think that a listing of "flounder" on a menu is just a drab filet of fish. Lowcountry flounder is a thing of beauty (and deliciosity!) _______________________ butte falls, or: will be making a quick trip from Atlanta Airport to a day in Chatanooga, TN. in early October....any ideas for a place to eat lunch and/or dinner....also the same for Atlanta, on the next day....we only have one day in each city.....thanks a lot! Judy Jane and Michael Stern: In Chattanooga, if you are there at lunchtime, Monday through Friday, seek out Zarzour's. It's open only for those five meals, but it is a plate-lunch treasure. In Atlanta, we love Mary Mac's Tea Room for old-fashioned southern fare and Harold's Barbecue. Also, a humble diner called the Silver Skillet has the best lemon ice box pie I've ever tasted. _______________________ Centennial, CO: We're planning a Freeport, Bar Harbor, Boothbay Harbor, Kennebunkport trip to Maine next month and are interested in best small places for lobster, of course but also other foods - my husband doesn't eat seafood! Jane and Michael Stern: Not eating seafood can be a serious handicap along the coast of Maine, where Harraseeket Lobster in Freeport and the Clam Shack in Kennebunkport are at the top of the summer/fall seafood scale. If, however, your husband likes hot dogs, Maine is a great state to eat them ... especially with the hot relish in which so many shoreline places specialize. Also, look for pies (at Moody's Diner in Waldoboro), great burgers (at Harmon's in Falmouth, north of Portland) and terrific hot-lunch sandwiches at the Maine Diner down in Wells. And if you'd like something fancier, Fore Street in Portland is one of the nation's great urban upscale restaurants -- plenty of non-seafood choices there. _______________________ Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Firenze, Italia: Hey Michael, Sue and Bruce here - all of Italy is Roadfood! Check it out! Jane and Michael Stern: Hi, Bruce and Sue (members of the roadfood.com team)! I would love to say I will hop right on a plane and meet you for something Florentine ... but I do have a nice chili dog planned for lunch here this afternoon. :) _______________________ Bucks County, PA: We are trailering our horses to Danbury CT for trail riding in Tarrywile Park. Are there any good eats within riding distance? Jane and Michael Stern: Across from Tarrywile Park on the other side of Mountainville Road, you can ride through the Danbury nature preserve and find yourself at JK's Texas Wieners, a Danbury dog house on South Street that has been around since the 1930s. Alas, there is no hitching post or ride-up window. If you happen to be riding your horses through the park next year around mid-August, the raspberry bushes are loaded with the best little berries you have ever eaten for about 10 days or until the birds swoop down. _______________________ New York, NY: Hey Michael, I'm planning a fall foliage tour in Massachusetts next month. Any tips for great roadfood near or around Boston? Thanks! Jane and Michael Stern: Oh, yes. Where to start? In Cambridge, you need to have ice cream at Christina's. In Boston, Durgin-Park is large, rude and touristy, but it is true-blue Yankee. Going north of the city, have a roast beef sandwich at Nick's in Beverly or Kelly's at Revere Beach. And if you get to Cape Ann, see if the Clam Box is still open: the best fried clams anywhere. Also, in Essex, there are Woodman's and the Village, both open year-around. _______________________ Knoxville Tennessee: Jane and Michael: We all know that you travel extensively and how you endure so manymeals a day truly amazes me. I have often wondered why you have never concentrated on East Tennessee quisine. It is more than soul food as the folks of east Tennessee in times past existed solely on home grown food. Country ham, free range chicken, eggs picked out of who knows where, veggies, desserts sugared with mollasses and veggies, everything canned and sugar cured ham. Do you ever plan on doing a segment entirely on East Tennessee food? Paul E. Smith Moderator Roadfood.com Knoxville, TN Jane and Michael Stern: We've had nothing but good luck hunting food in Eastern Tennessee, including the Ridgewood Barbecue in Bluff City and Litton's in Knoxville. But you're right: we are overdue for a serious eating tour there. _______________________ Marriottsville, MD: How do you feel when a wonderful "one of a kind" Roadfood place closes it's doors forever? And what are some of your nicest memories of places that have gone out of business? Jane and Michael Stern: Alas, it happens all the time (although I have to say that there are plenty of great new Roadfoodly places opening, too). Only recently, we've seen the loss of Stone's in Marshalltown, Iowa (home of mile-high lemon chiffon pie) and the big-feed, family-friendly Branch Ranch of Plant City, Florida, not to mention a bunch of New Orleans places not likely to rise again. More than the places, we miss the people who ran them and worked in them: Mrs. Bonner of Mrs. Bonner's Cafe, who used to tell customers what they would have for lunch, the Dipsy-Doodle soda maker at Zaharako's in Columbus, Indiana, the motherly waitstaff at the old Four Way Grill in Memphis. _______________________ Roselle, IL: We will be traveling along Route 66 all the way to California in November. Is there any place to dine that we should not miss? Jane and Michael Stern: Route 66 is a bonanza! Just a few recommendations: Cozy Dog in Springfield, Illinois, Ted Drewes Custard in St. Louis, the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma, Johnnie's Grill (for onion-fried burgers) in El Reno, Oklahoma, Beans N Things in Amarillo, The Frontier (always open) in Albuquerque, and Old Smoky's in Williams, Arizona. _______________________ Stanhope NJ: I'll be in Portland, ME the last week of September. Any must eats? Jane and Michael Stern: Portland has all kinds of good places to eat. We like Becky's Diner on the Wharf for breakfast. Also Marcy's Diner has superb fried potatoes. I mentioned Fore Street in a previous question: top-notch, high end food. And do treat yourself to stopping at Colucci's -- a corner grocery store that makes great Italians, a unique Portland twist on the all-American hero roll. _______________________ Virginia: Michael, "i95" here from your wonderful www.roadfood.com site. For all travelers motoring though the Nutmeg State, is there any update on the future fate of Middletown, Connecticut's famed O'Rourke's Diner following its fire last week? Jane and Michael Stern: For now, O'Rourke's is in flux. But it seems to have enough support, and Brian O'Rourke has the drive, that I am sure it will be reborn in one form or another. Of course, we shall try to stay abreast of events as best we can. I suspect it will be a while before we have anything like the smooth-functioning place that Brian O'Rourke nurtured for all those years. Those interested can keep up to date at http://www.orourkesdiner.com/ _______________________ Seattle, WA: Re: An eating tour in Eastern Tennessee. How do you plan where -- and what -- to eat? Do you pick an area, based on tips from your readers and listeners? And, any tips on how to find great roadfood and what to look for when traveling? Jane and Michael Stern: When heading out to explore a region (as opposed to one or two or three specific places), we ask everyone we know and we usually post a mention that we are heading somewhere in the Roadfood.com newsletter. We almost always get far too many tips to check out in a single trip. The best way to find roadfood when traveling is (a) have a sense of what to look for, i.e. know that spiedies are big around Binghamton, New York, pasties are something to look for on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Minnesotan's love hot beef and sour cream raisin pie. (B) cruise through a strange town early in the morning. Find where the pickups are parked. Even if that restaurant doesn't have great food, chances are that its patrons will be able to recommend their favorites. (C) Get a haircut. We have found some of the best Roadfood places by striking up a conversation with the barber and other patrons. _______________________ Washington, D.C.: Have you ever eaten at Chubby's Southern Barbeque, in Emmitsburg Maryland? I've heard its the best BBQ in the US. Jack Jane and Michael Stern: Yes, Chubby's is fantastic, for its four-star ribs as well as for pulled pork that is soft and smoky, and baked beans are liberally laced with shreds of meat. _______________________ Silver Spring, MD: What are your favorite barbecue places in North Carolina? We have an opportunity to drive to Asheville in the spring and would like some scenic - and tasty - locales. We love the Outer Banks, and it's possible that we might make a brief (2- to 3-day)detour coming back. Accordingly, we'd be interested in barbecue places in North Carolina, and possibly eastern Virginia. Linda Jane and Michael Stern: North Carolina is a big state, and the BBQ from east to west is very different, the westernmost Q generally being pretty saucy, as at Bridge's BBQ Lodge in Shelby or the spicy BBQ chicken at Keaton's in Statesville (not really BBQ, but a destination eatery if ever there was one). In the east, you don't get the thick red sauce. Instead, it's a peppery vinegar emulsion, all the better to highlight the fine smoked flavor of the pork. A couple of eastern places worth finding are Bunn's in Windsor (an ex-gas station) and the Skylight Inn in Ayden. Many connoisseurs consider Lexington Barbecue #1, in Lexington, to be the best of the best. _______________________ Allentown PA: Has having a Roadfood website made it easier to find new food experiences? Jane and Michael Stern: Oh, yes, for sure! When I think back on what it was like before we got together with Stephen Rushmore (the genius who created the website), it's like the dark ages. Now we are connected to a large community of people who all share a passion for finding authentic regional food in one-of-a-kind places. I think that the existence of Roadfood.com and the people who use it has genuinely helped these kinds of eateries stay strong and viable. _______________________ Phoenixville, PA: Aren't you the same people who wrote Dog Eat Dog? My two favorite things are Travel and Bullmastiffs. Imagine my surprise to see an author of one of my Bullmastiff books mentioned in my favorite travel magazine! Jane and Michael Stern: Yes, we wrote Dog Eat Dog, and in fact the daughter of the bullmastiff on the cover is still is a member of our household. Clementine is 12 years old (ancient for a bullmastiff) and blind, but happy as can be. _______________________ Long Beach CA: We are going to Jackson TN from Sept. 20-24th. Is there a good place to eat around that city? Jane and Michael Stern: Not sure if it's still in Jackson, but The Old Country Store used to serve pretty good fried chicken. That was a while ago. If you find anything good to eat around there, please let us know! _______________________ Jane and Michael Stern: Well, everyone, I think I hear the theme music signaling our time is up. Thanks for all the questions. It has been a pleasure to talk Roadfood with all of you. -- MS