Red Velvet Cupcake Wine!!!

Seriously.

We saw this at Albertson's last week and I was floored. I mean I've had Cupcake Winery before but just their Rosé sparkling wine (the night Charlie gave me my ring!) and I've tried their whites, but Red Velvet!? How could I resist?

We had it before dinner with a bit of Scharffen Berger's 65% cacao chocolate bar. In December of 2008 Michelle, Melissa, Michelle's brother Jimmy and I toured the Sharffen Berger factory in Berkeley and that's when I fell in love. I've never been a huge dark chocolate fan, but theirs is creamy and delicious and tastes amazing. The pairing was awesome.

The wine had undernotes of mocha, blackberries and creamy chocolate and is recommended to pair with Smokey sweet food such as big juicy Bacon cheeseburgers.

It's a "California Red Wine", sampling from several vineyards in what I can only guess come from the Alexander and Napa valleys, but to us it tasted like a sweet Cabernet. Just like a red velvet cupcake it was dark, rich and left you craving more.

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Best of EKmW 2009!

As 2009 comes to an end, I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and share with you some of my favorite posts, recipes and reviews of 2009 here on Epicuriosity Killed my Waistline.

So without further Ado... the top 10 picks of '09!

10. Heart Salad



I loved the heart salad I made for Valentine's Day because it was just so cute, creative and delicious. Plus it gave me a new found appreciation for beets, which aren't as bad as I originally had thought, plus it's just such a great addition to any meal for a loved one, be it Valentine's Day, or an anniversary.



9. Chicken Shwarma


This recipe might have gotten the most play in '09 by my family. In fact my mom loves it so much she bookmarked it on her browser. It was such a staple for me in the summer for BBQ's, Tailgates, and an easy delicious sandwich as leftovers later in the week. Such a flavorful way to prepare chicken, you'd doubt it was so good for you!



8. Bossa Nova



Even though I didn't discover Bossa Nova in 2009, this restaurant was such a classic staple in my "LA dining out" repertoire. Everything here is so tasty and healthy, I think I recommended this place to almost everyone I talked to in LA this year. A must try!



7. Six Feet Under



One of my favorite places in Atlanta, and one of my favorite blog posts of the year. The trip was just such a foodie journey, and I'm glad SFU made the cut. Plus I finally got the nerve to step out of my comfort zone and try the alligator!




6. Rush Street



One of the best new restaurants I tried in 2009!! Rush Street is such a great place to go for food, drinks and atmosphere! I love their fresh menu, friendly staff, and great deals!





5. Johnnie's Pastrami


My favorite LA institution. The Best Pastrami on the West Coast!








4. Red Velvet Cupcakes


Since this blog post, these lovely delicious gently chocolate cupcakes have come to mean so much more to me and my family. They are now Audrey's favorite flavor of cake, and made a wonderful appearance at her 4th birthday party. This recipe is probably the best Red Velvet Cake out there that I've found, and trust me, I've looked.



3. Father's Office



The long lines and strict "No Substitution" warnings kept me away for so long, and now I wonder why I ever let that stop me. The best burger of 2009, HANDS DOWN!





2. Absinthe



Technically this restaurant was visited in 2008, days before New Years, but I've been back since and will never stop raving about it. The best and most creative cocktails I've ever had in my life!!




and the number one pick for 2009....

1. French Macarons



My creative brainchild project of 2009, the French Macaron. Not only did I do it all from scratch, but I pretty much perfected the art of meringue making these bad boys. My all time favorite project on EKmW. Hardwork never tasted so sweet.

San Fransisco Saloon

Today for lunch I walked over to the San Fransisco Saloon. It's not too far from where I work and on days where I have extra time and forgot to pack a lunch, I'll stop in for a sandwich.



I always get the Coit Tower cuz I'm a sucker for anything Turkey and Avocado, and I usually sub the ham for bacon cuz it tastes better. I also add spicy mustard and pepperoncinis. The sandwiches run about $9, but are really big and delicious, and they are really good about custom orders and not effing them up.



They have all kinds of sides, and I choose the black beans this time, and stuck them in the mini fridge at work for a snack later on. Mmmm...you know how I feel about the heart healthy effects of beans!



They have a wide variety of house specialty drinks, and a full bar, but I decided it was best NOT to drink while working.

At least not this time.