EATS

While you ponder Bill Addison's question about dining down, there are two ops tomorrow for free tastings at Sigel's Elite, 3209 N. Fitzhugh at Cole:

Sixth-generation distiller George Grant leads a tasting and bottle-signing of Glenfarclas Single Malt Scotch Whisky 17, 21 and 25. In-house wine expert Jasper Russo leads a tasting of pinot noirs that demonstrates the range of New World styles, including top California producers Loring, Patz & Hall and Talley.

Both are Wednesday; both are free. Now here's the pain: Both are 5 to 7 p.m. RSVP to Dimitrios Economu here for the single-malt tasting, or to Russo here for the pinot noir tasting.

At least half a dozen restaurants have closed in our area in the last two weeks alone. Headlines of late steadily report on worrisome unemployment rates, companies downsizing, stock values plummeting, the continuing weakness of the dollar.

So, with these challenges we seem to once again find our nation facing, let me ask you all directly: Are you eating out less in restaurants?

And if you are still dining out frequently, are you eating in less expensive restaurants than, say, a year ago?

I ask earnestly. I live in an obsessed culinary bubble: Not only do I eat for a living, but I spend the vast amount of my own expendable income on food in sacrifice of other luxuries or necessities (you should see how sparsely my apartment is decorated). It's been that way since I've been earning any sort of income.

Dallas is certainly a restaurant town, and I see some places thriving like we're all living in a bullish economy. So I'm curious: Are you pulling back on restaurants or still rocking it out at Fearing's, et al? Are you starting to bargain-hunt, or narrowing your budget for places you know you'll love?

Let me hear from you.

My husband and I just got back from our silver-anniversary trip to the Caribbean, our very first venture to the islands. We stuck to the U.S. territories, specifically Old San Juan (PR) and St. Croix (USVI), and we enjoyed some dandy food in both places.

We'll remember things like the gigantic Caribbean lobsters (above left) that we consumed by a seaside St. Croix sunset, and the sweet rolls called "mallorca" at the century-old bakery La Bombonera in Old San Juan (above right).

Probably our best all-around meals were a lunch at Cafe Puerto Rico (in OSJ) and our anniversary dinner at Bacchus (in Christiansted on St. Croix). The Creole-style shrimp-and-rice dish I had at Cafe Puerto Rico was perfect, simple and delicious. At Bacchus, I was blown away by the roast pork tenderloin with Cruzan rum-and-maple sauce, not to mention the perfectly sauced house-made ravioli (filled with mushrooms, sun-dried tomato and goat cheese).

...so we consider it our duty, as Texas citizens, to inform you of the "rotational" flavors of Blue Bell you should be finding in your supermarket's freezer case this month.

One of them is Key Lime Pie, which we are dying to try -- because in our distant youth, we had a severe crush on an ice cream called Key Lime Twist (key lime swirled with vanilla). Key Lime Pie is described as "sweet and tangy key lime ice cream blended with crunchy graham cracker crust and a creamy whipped topping swirl."

(Of course, as luck would have it, Key Lime Pie is the one July flavor of Blue Bell that was not at our neighborhood supermarket when we checked last night. Casa Linda Albertson's, are you listening?)

The other July flavors are Birthday Cake, Caramel Sundae Crunch, Caramel Turtle Fudge, Centennial Cupcake (4-H), Chocolate Almond Marshmallow, Chocolate Covered Cherries, Chocolate Extreme, Mooo Tracks, Southern Blackberry Cobbler, Southern Hospitality, and that summertime perennial: Peaches and Homemade Vanilla.

Also: Blue Bell has a new flavor, Candy Jar, described as "your favorite candies -- peanut butter cups, chocolate chunks, peanut brittle, chunks of caramel and chocolate crisp pieces" in a "rich caramel ice cream."

A few weeks ago we told you that Plano resident Lisa Williams was the Southwest's finalist in the Redwood Creek Wines Campfire Classic Grand Finals. And we told you where you could vote for her in the People's Choice division of the contest.

Well, upon returning from vacation recently, we were happy to discover that Lisa indeed won the People's Choice prize. According to the press release, she's donating her $1,000 in prize money to her local PTA chapter.

People! Wash your hands before you eat.
A new survey reveals that only about a third of restaurant patrons wash up before digging in.
I know, you washed your hands before you left home. Before you thumbed through the same copy of People everybody else read in the checkout line, before you dropped your change on the floor and picked it up, before you touched any number of things. And let's not even think about where your kids' hands have been. Eeuw!
The survey also showed that people would like it if hand wipes were included with every order at the drive-through. That would work.

Disclaimer: The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of a company that makes, what else, antibacterial wipes. But still.

Associated Press photo

On the Fitness blog, Nancy Churnin rounds up 10 foods you probably should be eating, but aren't, courtesy of Men's Health. I"m down with the cinnamon, but working turmeric into your diet takes a bit more planning. I have beets and pomegranate juice in the fridge right now, so I guess I'm doing something right.