Tasty's Blog

The November 1 tour was one of those magical experiences for me as a tour guide and I am quite sure that my sentiments were reciprocal among everyone in the group. As soon as I met each couple on the Train platform that glorious, sunny afternoon, it already seemed as if we were all friends. And we hadn’t even begun tasting yet! Among the three couples—Deb and Dennis from Iowa; Krista and Jim from Hermosa Beach; and, Gerry and Leona from Calgary, Alberta, Canada—there were two birthdays to celebrate. Krista did not reveal to Jim where she was taking him this, his, special day and Leona was celebrating one of those birthdays that end in a “0.” We won’t say which one. She and Gerry had received the LJWT Train Tour as a gift from their children, whom, Leona tells,…

Happy Halloween! I’m sure our 9 guests had no idea what they were getting themselves into when a “Witch” met them at the train station shouting “La Jolla Wine Tours!” Instead of running away in fright, our guests were brave and approached their very strange looking tour guide. Fortunately they did, because what a fun…

Yesterday evening, 6 guests and 1 tour guide set off on an amazing walking food and wine adventure of La Jolla Village. I was joined by Sandra and her mother, Wilma, Bryce and his girlfriend Lindsey, John and his wife Rachel. After a short introduction, we were all ready and excited to begin our adventure! At our first stop, we were all instant friends as we dined over Thai appetizers and wine. A short walk led us over to our next stop of an Italian variety. Our guests were absolutely floored by the quality, richness and deliciousness of our Italian lunch and wine pairing. Bryce and Wilma each purchased a bottle of Pasquale’s Secret Sauce to take home and enjoy again later. With full bellies, we set off on a longer walk down to Prospect St. We talked, laughed and…

I love my job. I always wished that I could say that phrase with complete sincerity rather than the usual tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. As a tour guide for LJWT, I work for a company of like-minded people who value and embrace the talents, ingenuity and contributions of their employees. I have the opportunity to spend several…

Oct. 5, 2011 Rainy Day Wine Tour “Rain or shine, we WILL drink WINE!” This seemed to be our motto yesterday as I led our 8 guests on a soggy winery train tour! As we began the tour we enjoyed a light misting as we made our way to lunch. We wined and dined as we discussed wine tasting, the art of winemaking and food pairing. Well fed and thirsty for more wine, we said goodbye to our gracious lunch host and crossed our fingers for a dry walk to our first Urban Winery stop. Apparently our fingers weren’t crossed tight enough. We sloshed quickly through the lake-sized puddles that lay between us our wine tasting. A few glasses of wine later, we were drying off nicely and enjoying a very informative tour of the winery. What a treat! The…

Marti Bommarito was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She began cooking at a very early age as the entire family–including her father–bonded by preparing dinner together regularly. She gained further inspiration from her watching her Sicilian grandmother make homemade sausage, bread, pasta and sauce from homegrown tomatoes and basil.  In the late 70s she lived la vie bohème in Paris, France, and later studied Italian and Italian Renaissance culture and language in Italy.  She graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with a degree in Art History. Marti in the kitchen  Marti attributes her adventuresome palate to the fact that she was “raised in a household where the only dinner-table rule was that you had to at least try everything before leaving the table. Cleaning your plate was not a requirement but disliking something that you had never…

Being born and raised in Ireland makes me quite the expert in Irish Whisky, ha! Here’s a tasty and healthy lemonade (Shira Bliss Style) that’ll set you up right during this cold/flu season. Simmer astragalus, licorice and ginger root for 20 mins in purified water. When it cools add lots of raw honey and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Mash/Muddle fresh mint leaves and add. Serve over ice or hot. Optional: Add whisky (quantities may vary depending on how sick you are!) Cheers! Shira Bliss

Our lovely Coaster Train Wine Tour today started off beautifully in a scenic north San Diego Village. We ate more than enough at our partner fine-dining Italian restaurant and learned all about wine tasting and the process of evaluating wine. Once full of delicious Italian fare, we strolled over to our first urban Winery and…

I’m always looking to find a common thread on the secret to a long, healthy life. Well, I found it: DRINK BEER! This story was published a few years back. Yet, it still holds true. Do what you love to do and the youthful health will follow. Working plumber Buster Martin is training for the London marathon. That is simply amazing — 101 years old and training for something that most of us would not even consider doing. He is the current record holder for the world’s oldest 5k, 10k and half marathon. Mr Martin, who has 17 children, started work at Pimlico Plumbers in London three years ago because he was bored. He drank a tankard of ale before signing autographs and chatting to fans near the finish line of the Essex race. Age is no more an obstacle…

When you’re drinking alcohol I recommend drinking a couple of cups of water to every cup of alcohol. Also, the negative effects of the alcohol will be lessened if you drink high alkaline water (hydrates better, counteracts the acid in the alcohol). The following is a macrobiotic remedy I’ve used for years and it works beautifully. It’s not just for hangovers, it can be used for stomach upset, headaches, travel sickness, and general malaise, such as low energy. This remedy strengthens digestion, increases vitality, and relieves general fatigue. Try this the morning after you’ve had too much to drink! Dissolve a heaping teaspoon of kuzu powder in 2 teaspoons water and add to 1 cup cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to the simmering point, and stir constantly, until the liquid becomes a transparent gelatin….

“I’m allergic to sulfites in wine.” We often hear that on our tours. According to David Bruce http://www.davidbrucewinery.com Did you know that your body produces sulfites every day? In fact, every 24 hours your body produces sufficient sulfite to require 100 bottles of wine to be so labeled!!! Sulfite production is a normal by-product of most forms of life. It is not surprising to discover that even yeasts produce sulfites! So… Even though wine makers who make wines that are completely organic (i.e. uses no sulfite at all) still may need to label their wine “Contains Sulfites.” Just keep in mind that most wines contain very little sulfite. It is a non-problem for 99.9% of people. Recently, on our wine and food walking tour of La Jolla, our guests enjoyed magnificent wine tastings and food pairings at La Dolce Vita,…

Starting my Monday morning with an Irish Coffee is definitely the way to go! Growing up in Ireland I learned, at a very young age, how to make a perfect Irish Coffee. The secret is to add the sugar to the coffee and stir first, before you add the cream, that way the cream stays on the top with a nice thick layer. Mmmmmm…..care to join me? THE IRISH COFFEE STORY The historic venture started on the night of November the 10th in 1952. Jack Koeppler, then-owner of the Buena Vista, challenged international travel writer Stanton Delaplane to help re-create a highly touted “Irish Coffee” served at Shannon Airport in Ireland. Intrigued, Stan Accepted Jack’s invitation, and the pair began to experiment immediately. Throughout the night the two of them stirred and sipped judiciously and eventually acknowledged two recurring problems….