The Art of Food & Wine Palm Desert is billed by its presenters as a unique four-day celebration attracting thousands of art and culinary enthusiasts from across California and around the country to enjoy the very best in art, food and wine hospitality and education.
The Art of Food & Wine's signature two-day Village and Grand Tasting Hall will feature famous culinary experts, elite vintners and exclusive restaurants. Culinary enthusiasts (people who really like to eat) can look forward to enjoying the tastes of the Hearty Boys, who air regularly on The Food Network; James Beard Award winners Gale Gand and Rick Tramonto; and Jason Wilson, named one of the 10 Best New Chefs by Food & Wine Magazine (2006), to name a few.
In addition, Grand Tasting they are promising that guests will be delighted with a cross-section of world-renown wines from dozens of wineries such as Francis Coppola Winery, Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Merryvale Winery and Rodney Strong Vineyards & Sonoma Vineyards. To accompany the wines, guests will dine on food samplings from local and regional restaurants including Roc's Firehouse Grille, Cuistot Restaurant, Ristaurante Tuscany and more.
For the music lover, the Art of Food & Wine will stage a special evening at Palm Desert's beautiful open-air Civic Center Park amphitheater where Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, an 18-piece jazz ensemble, will take the stage. If you are one of the VIP ticket holders you will be treated to an evening of excellent wines, cordials and dessert samplings, as well as special access to celebrity chefs.
Art, artists and artisans will be showcased throughout the weekend. Other aspects of the celebration include an opening night sparkling wine and a chocolate reception (now that’s my kind of event) at the McCallum Theater, a public festival on El Paseo in the city's premier shopping district and a golf tournament at Desert Willow Golf Resort.
With all this talk if food and wine (and chocolate) I am reminded that when people question my personal fitness regime I just reply, “I am in shape, round is a shape isn’t it?”
Actually, I think it is sad to see what some boomers will do to look younger. On the way to work this morning I saw a billboard advertising ZZ Top’s appearance at a local casino. I couldn’t believe it, but the photo had their beards tinted brown. Looking a little long in the tooth… why just retouch you publicity photos (advice that I am certainly going to take).
It was reported in the newspaper this weekend that a 54 – year old former Google Inc. manager who claimed he was fired after a supervisor told him his opinions were “too old to matter” had his age discrimination lawsuit reinstated by the California Court of Appeals.
He was also reportedly referred to as “old guy” and “fuddy-duddy,” allegedly along with being told he was too sluggish and “too old to matter” and his ideas were obsolete.
Apparently, some of the fired manger ideas were not so obsolete like his philosophy that sticks and stones may break my bones, but millions of Google dollars are going to by me one heck of an early retirement. And, of course, that means a lot of fine arts and music, culinary delights, expensive wines, and a golf club membership where they never refer to you as a fuddy-duddy.